Is the watchtower in the red or planning for something ?

by 5go 43 Replies latest watchtower scandals

• 

  james_woods

  What are you saying, on the way out?

  That the WTS was fighting new taxation (presumably in a rightous way) like the Boston Colonists at the Boston Tea Party? I don't think so. They never do anything for the "public good", only for the "watchtower good". They could care less if other businesses got taxed to death.

  Anyway, sales tax is not a "new tax". It has been there for a long time in most any state you can name. The Watchtower was just hiding behind their "religious non-profit" status to get out of paying it like every other business. And were about to get ruled against.

  Knowing they were going to lose this one, they stubbornly backed themselves into a corner and shot themselves in the financial foot with the myth of the voluntary contribution.
• 

  Jourles

  Not to mention that by paying taxes it would have created a nightmare of unimaginable proportions from the kh's to bethel just in paperwork alone. I cannot begin to fathom how the WTS could have untangled that mess. They would had to have had an accountant in every hall.

  That CA supreme court case screwed them big time. Probably more so than any other lawsuit could ever do.
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  They never do anything for the "public good", only for the "watchtower good". They could care less if other businesses got taxed to death.

  I 100% agree. They fight the tax, not for public good, but for selfish reasons. They see it as a way for the government to
  cut into profits. If it's small now, it won't stay small. Fight it at the beginnning. Fighting for selfish reasons can be similar to
  fighting for righteous reasons. There's nothing wrong with fighting for selfish reasons.

  Anyway, sales tax is not a "new tax". .....The Watchtower was just hiding behind their "religious non-profit" status to get out of paying it like every other business. And were about to get ruled against.

  Again, I agree. But it's a new tax to WTS. They never paid it, don't want to pay it. That makes the situation worse. The
  government is using an already-established tax, so they won't start at a low percentage. They will match the business
  world's already-established sales tax. They did it in France- The WTS had a fight there over millions.

  I suggest the Boston Tea Party style, because it is easy to sell to the rank and file. They also might believe some of that
  is true in their case. Also, I believe that legitimate religious organizations should not pay taxes on money they use to help
  people. WTS is not truly helping people and is not a legitimate religious organization.
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  James, if my other post seemed like an attack on your opinion, it was not.
  Sometimes I type faster than I think, and my style appears to be an
  attack.

  The WTS battle to avoid the tax is costing them a fortune, I truly believe
  they will surrender one day, pass on the cost to JW's and PAY THE TAX.

  We are essentially in agreement, but WTS is currently avoiding the tax for
  reasons already stated.
• 

  jayhawk1

  So how would the Watchtower end the donation arrangement and go back to a pay per item system? Do they simply announce it? The problem with doing that is those of us who have connections to the inside will bring up Russell's statement about never needing to ask for money. We know they already ask for money constantly, but the JWs are conditioned to that. The sudden change back to a pay per item would be a shock. "I have to pay how much for this crappy paper back bible?"
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  "I have to pay how much for this crappy paper back bible?"

  While it seems strange, they will have to come up with something. If the bottom line is not met
  with current policy, no matter how hard it is to change, change must come.

  They will give their think tank (not the GB, the lawyers) a chance to figure out
  a way to sell whatever changes they come up with.
• 

  james_woods

  Wow me to the bones, OntheWayOut!!! That would take either some real humility or some real stones to go ahead and PAY THE TAX after going up the self-destrucftive path of those discretionary voluntary contributions. How would you put this one over on the pubs? Of course, I guess they have put far worse over on the poor R & F.

  Time will tell.

  One other factor in play here might be the new chatter about Matthew 24 and the possibility that the "preaching work is completed". Perhaps they are thinking of cutting back to minimal literature sales in the field, and just leeching off the congregations through "tithings" , licensing fees for assemblies, and Kingdom Hall property flipping. And, of course, downsizing, selling property, and investing the money.

  I sometimes wonder if the next step is to go monthly for the Watchtower itself...and putting an end to bound books.
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  the next step

  We all wonder what the next step is. That's what great about the JWD.
  I foresee the same steps you outline. Perhaps once a month and only
  the WT. Perhaps it will just be for the publishers, delivered with the
  study articles and monthly "Our Kingdom Ministry" intact.

  The offer will be tracts and invitations (once the printed material of old
  runs out). They will use this cheapening offer as a buzz that the end
  is so close that we are stopping the expensive publications.

  OR, they will try to cut back and then flip to JUST PAYING THE TAX.
  Perhaps they will cut back so far, but keep making the paperback Bibles.
  They will start the tax on those- "People need God's Word, this is the
  Government forcing us to do it this way." Later, they can bring back
  new books at conventions with the cost and tax built in, then slowly raise
  costs later.
• 

  jayhawk1

  Perhaps something like this could work...

  "Brothers, since 1990 we've enjoyed the privilage of doing Jehovah's work without asking for a specific contribution. We've seen Jehovah's Flock increase from 4.5 million to 6.5 million since that date. As this wicked system draws to a close change is eminent. No longer we are giving a message of hope, but rather our message is one of impending destruction. With that in mind, we're no longer interested in handing out literature to just anybody, but rather we want the literature to go to only sheeplike minded people. So from now on, we will once again be asking for a specific contribution price for all literature except for special tract campaigns like the one coming up (Kingdom News 38 The World Is Ending Soon, Very Soon)."

  Meanwhile the microphone handlers begin handing out a price list...

  Brother OnTheWayOut snickers, "I have to pay how much for this crappy paperback Bible?"

  (Maybe I should become a fiction writer.)
• 

  5go

  This is exactly what is happening to the WTS. If the cutbacks on literature does not stop the bleed, the next item we will see is kh's being sold and congregations being consolidated/merged together. I have a feeling that this will come a lot sooner than we think.

  Hasn't this been hapening. Did they have a one hall one congration policy at one time.