PO said automation and declining contributions reason for Bethel layoffs (page 7)

Anitar

Hi everybody, it's been a while, and I've missed you all. About the Bethel layoffs, I've got a question. Somebody's probably already said this, but has anyone noticed that in the last year or so, many of the WT publications have been about how to take care of old people? They have the usual attitude and pretentious writing style. "We're alerting the world to a problem that no one would have seen if it were not for our magazine," and then my personal favorite "we have all the answers so the rank and file grunts can rejoice because we know everything there is to know in the entire world." But before the R&F start pigging out on spiritual food, consider this: what if the WT is simply buttering up the R&F to take care of all the Bethelites that have been and will continue to be sacked in the near future? The point is, the Watchtower seems to only offer help to the rank and file when they're trying to cover their asses. Any thoughts? Anitar

blondie

That sounds reasonable, Anitar.

6/1/06

Neglected, Mistreated, and Elderly

God Cares for the Elderly

2/2006 Awake

Old Age--Meeting the Challenge: The Golden Years; Living with the Challenge of Old Age; Youthful Vigor Forever

Deleted

The contribution thing is not surprising. When I was borg I was the accounts servant at the time of the change in the donation policy, the one to dodge sales taxes (and there isn't any in the great state of Oregon!). I recall I had a part on it, I think I even brought out a large pad, easel and markers to explain the math. I was a company man then! I concluded that the monthly contributions to the WTS for the literature were running about 60% of the monthly depletions from inventory. I literally calculated this, as I had the records, and hell I'm an accountant by trade. Anyway, I was deleted (for self-induced drunken stupor, totally unrelated, much later) and I only had that gig for three years.

In that period (92?-94) I would imagine the monthly income for congo literature vs the cost of literature "sold" went to down 50%. An accts dude more recent than 1994 would be able to provide that math. Even with slave labor to manufacture and deliver, the hard cost must now triple what it was in 1994. Look at the cost of utilities, paper and fuel going up in the last 10 years. Not to mention the lawsuits. They'll need to liquidate some of that nice property in Brooklyn. Bet they are glad they are real estate rich, shame their adherents aren't.

Glen James, Estacada

Anitar

Thank you Blondie. I'm not that good with dates, but I do notice a pattern of their writing that has remained unchanged for almost 60 years, or more.

Ever notice how the only time the WTS publications mentions the rank and file by name, is when it's of greatest profit to them? Usually when some "martyr" died for their cause, or refused higher education. Maybe their ideal church is a congregation of dead or dying people. But that's probably for a different topic...

Thanks again, you are lovely!

Anitar

P.S.
I'm a closet fan of Blondie- Rapture!

Elsewhere

what if the WT is simply buttering up the R&F to take care of all the Bethelites that have been and will continue to be sacked in the near future?

I suspect the reason is a bit different: Jehover's Witnesses have always thought that Armageddon would come before they got old... as an example hardly any saved for retirement.

Very slowly over the years people have been getting old. Now all of the sudden everyone is starting to look around and say: "Hey! Armageddon didn't come and I'm about to retire without any savings!!!!!! I'm sooooo screwed!!!!! Now what do I do??? "

THAT is the reason they are doing all of those articles.

Anitar

Good point. That would certainly explain the last time I spoke to an elder, I asked him about his 401k and he said "I don't speak Spanish."

Pretty sad huh?

SirNose586

Another irony: the WTS discourages higher education, yet expects substantial contributions from members who are often not qualified to earn much more than minimum wage. It's like shooting someone in the foot and then expecting them to dance.
--parakeet
Good observation. Maybe there'll be a "new light" on this? Something like, "Please, go to college. Earn real money. Just so long as you donate to the Society and keep your hours up!"

LongHairGal

[See excellent thread about DO put to pasture with no $$] Anitar: You are right, they are giving "hints" about the older people and insulting our intelligence. Yeah, hints about a problem THEY created. At some point they won't be hints anymore. The congregations will be hotbeds of trouble with desperate people looking for handouts. This, in and of itself, may push more people out the door! Anybody who is still active will be constantly assailed for requests for money until they can no longer stand being there! A scripture comes to mind: "Shrewd is the one who has seen the calamity and proceeded to conceal himself." LHG

LouisaWas

I vaguely remember...as the "truth" began to dawn upon me...going to a new aquisition in New Jersey...it was an old theatre where the chandelier itself, once reconditoned was worth over a million dollars. The upper boxes were closed off and guarded...which struck me as strange. Did we not pay for this...and now we could not see it? Anyway...Here we as we prepared for the time of the end, we had made this expensive aquisition (that we could not see...it is probably sold by now) Additionally the Kingdom Hall that we had in our home town was warranted as not being adequate and it was decided that we must build a better one (this was about 1994) Each family was told to commit to how much they could promise to pay each month. Personally I felt this was lunacy...I thought our Kingdom Hall was perfectly fine. It seemed to me that so many brothers and sisters were having such a hard time financially everywhere...why burden them with more? As I began to "hear" more at meetings it seemed to me that Thursday nights was nothing more than a calling for more money in one form or another...be it in the form of getting it at the door, promising to put it in the contribution box or leave it in a will. It was like a big awakening. It was quite a contrast to my Mom telling me about the Churches and their collection plates being passed on Sunday...I began to think the collection plate would be less pressure. With my job I went to "sales" schools and I began to compare what I learned about sales and what I heard on Thursday night about overcoming objections...it was the same thing. As far as donations are concerned...the Society has created a subculture of poor people..not allowing them to attend College and for so long not even technical schools...most Witnesses do not have good paying jobs, or at least did not when I was one. I also recall at conventions many families in an effort to save money would take home packed lunches. This was soon frowned upon because it took away money from the concession stands...so you were to purchase from the concession stands and then make a donation. Well...then they started saying the donations were not equalling the amount consumed. Did it not occur to them that these families perhaps could not afford to make the trip, stay in a hotel and eat at the convention? Perhaps they should have left well enough alone and let them bring their sandwich and cookies? Or maybe they were getting enough money and just wanted more? I never knew what became of that situation because that was the last convention I attended.

OnTheWayOut

FROM OLD GOAT- "...why pay for the care of our elderly brothers and sisters when we can dump them now and let individual congregations worry about them or neglect them as they choose?

It's a good thing to take care of the elderly governing body members, I suppose. Or, maybe they should be "sent home" too, so our contributions don't go to unnecessary health-care expenses.

Poor planing is no excuse for trashing the lives of those who've given decades to Bethel service. This is wrong."

I have been reading these posts for awhile w/o joining the forum, but finally had to comment when I read this one from Old Goat. Amen.

How can you ask young people to give their entire life to service (instead of learning a trade or going to school), give them sustenance and covering with little else (so they cannot save for retirement), then change the deal just before their ailing health starts? Many in the U.S. probably don't even have their Social Security in order because they never thought they would need it. My name is OnTheWayOut because that's what I am. I'm going slow to try to keep a relationship with family, but stuff like this pushes me faster and faster.

PO said automation and declining contributions reason for Bethel layoffs

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