Question:
Would it be appropriate to arrange yard sales or other fund raising events to help the congregation?
Answer:
It is common for religious organizations to sponsor fund-raising events, such as dinners, sales, or festivals. While some may feel that these are for a good cause, the events amount to forms of solicitation. Jehovah's Witnesses do not obtain financial support in that way.
The second issue of the WatchTower, August 1879, said this about our refusal to imitate the churches and solicit funds: "'Zion's Watch Tower' has, we believe JEHOVAH for its backer, and while this is the case it will never beg nor petition men for support. When He who says: 'All the gold and silver of the mountains are mine,' fails to provide necessary funds, we will understand it to be time to suspend the publication."
We continue to follow the scriptural principle: "Let each one do just as he has resolved in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Cor. 9:7) Contribution boxes are kept in the Kingdom Hall so that individuals can make voluntary donations if they wish. (2 Ki. 12:9)
Contributions are not solicited; neither are they given with the idea of obtaining something in return. End
More blatant hypocrisy and micro-managing on the part of the wts. Condemn the churches for raising money, but all is well with an elderly widow turning over her entire estate to the society.
The longer I am around this mess, the harder it becomes for me to understand why the brain dead r&f dubs can't see these men for the arrogant, egotistical charlatans that they are.
ec
P.S.-They use older publications when it suits their purpose but discourage the rest of the dubs from doing any meaningful research into past writings of theirs. Laughable, if not for all of the injured souls left in the wake.
THE DECEMBER 2006 OUR KINGDOM MINISTRY QUESTION BOX
by enlightenedcynic 15 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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enlightenedcynic
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diamondblue1974
What this means is that they think they already have a fantastic business model and that they do not want to detract other members attentions away from using it and furthering the societies interests.
Garage Sales or Car boot sales or other fundraising events do not fall within the societies marketing strategy and so are discouraged.
DB74
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jayhawk1
It is common for religious organizations to sponsor fund-raising events, such as dinners, sales, or festivals. While some may feel that these are for a good cause, the events amount to forms of solicitation. Jehovah's Witnesses do not obtain financial support in that way.
No, but prior to 1991, they did charge a mandatory suggested contribution price for all literature. The JW member, known as a publisher, had to pay this price no matter what, but in turn they could ask for the money back from anybody they placed the literature with. So the JW was always out money on this deal.
The second issue of the WatchTower, August 1879, said this about our refusal to imitate the churches and solicit funds: "'Zion's Watch Tower' has, we believe JEHOVAH for its backer, and while this is the case it will never beg nor petition men for support. When He who says: 'All the gold and silver of the mountains are mine,' fails to provide necessary funds, we will understand it to be time to suspend the publication."
Really? Never once mention the need to pay the bills? What a lie! The Thursday night anouncements always mentioned the need to contribute and whomever delivered the anouncements always pointed to the two boxes at the front (Watchtower money), the one in the back (Kingdom Hall money), the one shapped like a doll house version of a Kingdom Hall (Kingdom Hall Building Fund), and the portable one (Special Needs/Circuit Overseer Fund).
We continue to follow the scriptural principle: "Let each one do just as he has resolved in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Cor. 9:7) Contribution boxes are kept in the Kingdom Hall so that individuals can make voluntary donations if they wish. (2 Ki. 12:9)
Oh yes, be sure to throw in that Bible scripture to make the poor widow feel the need to give up her estate instead of giving it to her family.
Contributions are not solicited; neither are they given with the idea of obtaining something in return.
But always remember Jehovah loves a cheerful giver! Give us more and Jehovah will love you more!
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Bonnie_Clyde
The Borg had a similar article several years ago. It might have been a Question Box or maybe it was an Awake article. About 1992 our congregation was getting ready to build a new kingdom hall, and one of the elders went to a local community center and got the use of the facility for free because he told them we were raising funds for our church. It was also advertised to the brothers in the congregation that funds from any items we donated would be used for construction.
I was a loyal dub at the time and I was dismayed, but when I voiced my disapproval to one sister, I was shot down. I told her that the Watchtower had condemned the churches for fund-raising garage sales. She said, "Are you going against the elders?" I knew right then I had better not go any further--well actually I did. I posted a copy of the Kingdom Ministry article on the information board when no one was looking, but by that time the sale was all over with. No one saw me put it up, and it didn't stay there long.
Bonnie
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LittleToe
In 1879 did they truly write that to demonstrate their "refusal to imitate the churches"?
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VM44
That is a nice answer published in OUR KINGDOM MINISTRY, but what about this, also written by Charles Taze Russell?
The Watch Tower, June 15, 1911, page 178
A DONATION OF MIRACLE WHEAT
Brother Bohnet writes us that he has gradually accumulated a crop of miracle wheat from the few grains he obtained as a start. He prefers that the first opportunity for obtaining this wheat shall go to THE WATCH TOWER readers. He will sell it for $1 per pound, including postage, and give the entire proceeds to our Society. All orders for this wheat should be addressed, Miracle Wheat Bohnet, 17 Hicks street, Brooklyn, N. Y. This will keep mail on this subject separate from his personal mail and from ours.
Brother Bohnet promises to be ready to ship this wheat by August 1. He says miracle wheat should be sowed one-fourth as thick as common wheat. Ordinarily it should produce from ten to fifteen times as much proportionately to the amount sown. To save keeping account, money should accompany the order. WATCH TOWER readers will have the preference up to August 15, after which orders will be attended to indiscriminately, so long as the supply holds out. This wheat should be sown in the fall.
...and here is another article published in the WATCH TOWER.
The Watch Tower, August 1, 1911, page 226
MIRACLE WHEAT IN DEMAND
The notice in THE WATCH TOWER of June 15 that Brother Bohnet has "miracle wheat" in abundance now, and that he will sell it at $1 per pound and donate the entire proceeds to our Tract Fund, has brought in many orders. These will be filled between August 15 and September 1. No limit as to supply has been noted. Sent by Express, prepaid, the price will be twenty-two pounds for $20; fifty-five pounds for $50; larger quantities at the latter rate. The merits of this wheat over the common variety have been mentioned in previous issues of THE WATCH TOWER.
... And the following was published in the May 15, 1953 issue of the Watchtower, on page 319, in the "Questions From Readers" section.
The facts about “Miracle Wheat” are equally perverted. Brother Russell was interested in anything related to the Scriptural prediction that the desert would blossom as a rose and the earth yield her increase. So, when the public press reported a new and unusual strain of wheat, called “Miracle Wheat” by its original grower, Brother Russell reported this in The Watchtower, along with a government report on it. Some Watchtower readers contacted the grower, who was in no way connected with the Watchtower Society, and purchased some of the wheat. When theirs produced seed they offered it as a contribution to the Society. The original grower sold the seed at $1.25 a pound, so they suggested their contribution be priced at $1.00, and all the money received be given to the Society. The Society made no claim for the wheat on its own knowledge, though it won several State Fair grand prizes before it wore itself out. Brother Russell neither named it nor profited from it; the money went as a donation into Christian missionary work. When others criticized this sale, all who had contributed were told that if they were dissatisfied their money would be returned, and the money was held for a year for this purpose. Not a single person requested it back. The only critics were those who had no real knowledge of the matter,which was purely a donation sale for the benefit of the Society—as open and aboveboard as a church cake sale.
The answer in the December 2006 OUR KINGDOM MINISTRY leaves out some very significant information. If an early Charles Taze Russell quote is to be used to show that the Watchtower does not solicit funds, then it should been mentioned that Russell at a later date did not think anything was wrong with "donation sales", such as the sale of Miracle Wheat, to raise funds for the Tract work.
The Watchtower has even said that sale of Miracle Wheat was just like a "cake sale"!
The December 2006 OKM answer is not an "answer" at all, but merely a statement of current Watchtower policy.
--VM44
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Elsewhere
Contributions are not solicited; neither are they given with the idea of obtaining something in return
... but lets see just how much literature you can get without dropping something in the contribution box.
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juni
EC said:
'Zion's Watch Tower' has, we believe JEHOVAH for its backer, and while this is the case it will never beg nor petition men for support. When He who says: 'All the gold and silver of the mountains are mine,' fails to provide necessary funds, we will understand it to be time to suspend the publication."
If they sincerely believe this then why are they always asking for more money? Perhaps it's time to hang it up? Or are they fighters against Jehovah? Maybe in the early years this was true, but they've got the taste of the good life now and don't want to follow that archaic statement. Perhaps there were good intentions starting out, but it has turned into just another money hungry religion even more culpable because they are controllers and family wreckers.
Every poster above me has brought out good points. I agree with all of you.
Juni
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SWALKER
While some may feel that these are for a good cause,
A good cause being: a family or person in the congregation needing financial help! NO WAY! All donations are to go to Mother only!!! What are you people thinking?????
Swalker
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blondie
I remember that issue coming up when we were trying to raise money to build a new KH. The elders said that if anyone wanted to have a garage sale and then donate the money to the KH that was up to them. They just could not identify it with JWs or the KH.
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km10/73p.8QuestionBox***•Isitallrightforthecongregationorafewbrotherstoholda"garagesale"orothersuch"sales"forthefinancialbenefitofthecongregationandmakeitacongregationmatter?
If a member of a congregation wants to hold a "garage sale," that is something of a personal nature and for him to decide. What he does with such proceeds thereafter would also be a personal matter. However, it is never appropriate for anyone to make such sale a congregation matter or indicate in any way that the congregation is involved.
Each Kingdom Hall provides a contribution box where contributions for the congregation can be made on a completely voluntary basis. The Scriptures clearly indicate that Christians should have the opportunity to contribute for necessary congregation expenses, but this should be done willingly, from the heart, not by appealing to a desire for personal material gain in return for what is given.—2 Cor. 9:7.
Blondie (has it been 33 years?)