As with the NY property the criticism is not really about the fact they have property to sell. As a publishing organisation they needed facilities to run an operation and they can't be blamed for when property prices have escalated so much.
The issue for me is about the contradictions with how they tell members to live and how they solicit time and money from them. The encourage members to reduce their footprint in the world whether that is with their education, their job, their work and their social lives. They want people to invest more of their time and energy in activities that are beneficial to the WTS such as preaching and, more critically, volunteer support for building works.
They have used volunteer labour to renovate these properties. They have grabbed hard earned cash from congregations all over the world to improve their cash flow whilst they wait for the windfalls from property sales yet still maintain they need more help, more money, more support.
People that have spent their lives loyally moderating their footprint in the world have nothing to show for their years of servitude yet here is the WTS cashing in on their property portfolio.
How many bethel workers or those that have given up time and money to work as construction volunteers could afford to live in one of the apartments they are selling? How many will get one penny of the oodles of cash soon to floating around WT coffers?
For that matter, how many of the worlds poor, displaced, needy or ill will get one penny of this cash dripping through the fingers of the GB?
That's what makes this whole situation completely sickening...
