Just out of curiosity (any answer is going to be anecdotal and speculative, but here goes), just how much is a green handshake worth? Would it be $100 here and there per congregation, or would it be multiple envelopes stuffed with cash? 🤔
NotFormer
JoinedPosts by NotFormer
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26
Green Handshakes - Taxable income in Australia
by Listener ini was doing some research on the taxable status of money being gifted to co’s and travelling missionaries and was surprised with what i found.
i had assumed that it was not taxable income in australia.. it is taxable income in australia and it‘s likely that the same rules apply in some other countries.. a registered religious institution only receives tax free status on donations because they have been endorsed by the australian tax office.
travelling overseas and missionaries are not in this category.. there’s a tax ruling that goes into great detail.
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philip brumley wt 7/2025 experience
by andr inhow encouraging one finds the experience of a liar.
https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/watchtower-study-july-2025/the-battle-belongs-to-jehovah/.
philip brumley is a legal counsel associated with the jehovah's witnesses organization, having worked for about 40 years at their world headquarters' legal department.
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NotFormer
"I qualified as an attorney in 1988, but I was dangerously unaware of what I had allowed this accomplishment to do to my spirituality. Higher education can nurture a desire for self-promotion and foster the notion that having specialized knowledge elevates a person above others who do not have a similar education"
Reading between the lines: "Even though by necessity, some of us elite were chosen to get higher education, don't you plebs think for a minute that we would encourage you to do likewise!"
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NotFormer
That publicity stunt was more pathetic than pizza hut making a delivery to the ISS. 🙄
What a motley crew! If this is the future of space exploration, we're going to be Earthbound for a long time.
Edited to add: nice acronym, BTW 👍👌
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Curious? How many members of this group feel we are living in the "End Times"?
by Balaamsass2 ini like to take a peek at the kids over on reddit every week or so.. this thread caught my eye:" curious….
do any ex jw or pimo, still believe the world is ending.
i see people who have never been witnesses think that the world will end soon and they say things like “jesus is coming soon”….
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NotFormer
"Uncomfortable times" seem to crop up cyclically throughout history. I would say that this is an "uncomfortable time". The last similar period would probably be the early seventies. Hal Lindsey's Late Great Planet Earth became a best seller at the time because it struck a chord with those who were feeling uncomfortable about the news of the day. He predicted an imminent Rapture and Great Tribulation. And he was arguably a parent of all that "Left Behind" stuff.
I imagine JWs, with 1975 rapidly approaching, were similarly excited by what seemed to be worsening global conditions.
Fifty years down the track, we find ourselves in a similarly uncomfortable era. Hopefully, there will be many more in the future.
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Green Handshakes - Taxable income in Australia
by Listener ini was doing some research on the taxable status of money being gifted to co’s and travelling missionaries and was surprised with what i found.
i had assumed that it was not taxable income in australia.. it is taxable income in australia and it‘s likely that the same rules apply in some other countries.. a registered religious institution only receives tax free status on donations because they have been endorsed by the australian tax office.
travelling overseas and missionaries are not in this category.. there’s a tax ruling that goes into great detail.
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NotFormer
"Third-world countries don’t tax people on this."
Since the above tax office ruling classifies gifts to missionaries as assessible income, I imagine any JW sent from NY Bethel* to Australia as a "missionary"** would be taxed as a foreign worker. Which would mean that they wouldn't even qualify for the tax free threshold of $18200 (mentioned by joey JoJo above), but should be paying 32¢ in the dollar from dollar one.
But the consensus in this thread seems to be that all these "gifts" end up being under the table, "black economy" transactions. So much for "render unto Caesar"! 🙄
*As an example. Would JWs classified as "missionaries" even come to Australia?
**Does this happen when a high ranking Bethelite is sent out here: are they classified as "missionaries"?
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Green Handshakes - Taxable income in Australia
by Listener ini was doing some research on the taxable status of money being gifted to co’s and travelling missionaries and was surprised with what i found.
i had assumed that it was not taxable income in australia.. it is taxable income in australia and it‘s likely that the same rules apply in some other countries.. a registered religious institution only receives tax free status on donations because they have been endorsed by the australian tax office.
travelling overseas and missionaries are not in this category.. there’s a tax ruling that goes into great detail.
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NotFormer
If the WT were honest, they'd set up some sort of pay as you go (PAYG)* scheme to allow the COs/missionaries to have tax and superannuation** contributions deducted. It would make life easier for all concerned. However, if Sydney Bethel is as honest and ethical as I believe them to be, I imagine that they encourage the COs etc. to treat those donations as "under the table" payments.
If anyone knows differently, or has some knowledge of how this sort of thing is handled here in Australia, please let us know. I always find this sort of thing interesting 💭 🤔
* Basically a withholding tax system
** Something like the American 401k thing, but it's mandatory for all Australian employees to have an account with a superannuation fund.
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God’s wisdom in allowing bearded JWs July 25 Watchtower
by Listener inthe july 2025 watchtower has a paragraph that claims that it was the superior power and wisdom of jehovah that guided the gb into allowing jws to grow beards.. the study article is ‘can you still learn from basic bible teachings?’ under the subheading ‘jehovah is the creator’ paragraph 7 states-.
“ 7. what did rahela do to accept a change in direction?.
your answer.
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NotFormer
If the quoted paragraph 7 is real, and not a parody, then I can't help but shake my head at the way JWs have been infantilised by their leadership. It can't be healthy to feel the need for the approval of some high level committee for everyday decisions regarding grooming and deportment. 😔
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Sisters can now wear pants. Any more important changes
by Witness 007 inalot of my witness friends were excited sisters can now wear pants and you can say hi to disfellowshiped folks but what about important stuff child molesters in the congregation you need 2 witnesses blood fractions are fine but not whole blood????
607 bce is from the 1880s wrong....anything else?
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NotFormer
stan livedeath: "so the sisters can wear pants and grow beards ?---
"---whereabouts are these beards ?"
You've got me genuinely wondering now: in days gone by, how would the elders have reacted to a genuine "bearded lady" who sported a five o'clock shadow? 🤔😳
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Sisters can now wear pants. Any more important changes
by Witness 007 inalot of my witness friends were excited sisters can now wear pants and you can say hi to disfellowshiped folks but what about important stuff child molesters in the congregation you need 2 witnesses blood fractions are fine but not whole blood????
607 bce is from the 1880s wrong....anything else?
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NotFormer
moomanchu: "I think birthdays for children under 13 will be good one day"
No. It's not in their nature to show any concession towards kindness. The religion has always loathed children; it's an underlying principle. The two witness rule in CSA cases is a great example.
Hatred of children aside, the real issue is : if you spend money on family celebrations (birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc.), you don't have that money to give to "Da Wurldwide Wurk". 🙄 🙂↔️
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About moral conscience - or is it what this is?
by Marcel2025 inhello, i have to ask you a question.. what is this telepathic inner voice speaking from among trees and bushes in public parks and which makes me feel cold shivers on my back associates with guilt and sadness if i step on snails or rip leaves or flowers from trees and bushes?.
did i mention increased heartbeat, reddening of the face and a strong headache associated with this guilt?.
it seems to speak about unconditional love for everything and everyone, animals, plants, people and that i should treat them with kindness and care even if they harm me.. also it seems to make me feel shivers of guilt and headaches if i have thoughts of obsession, pride or selfish ambition.
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