Watchtowers Investment in Warfare Technology

by carla 29 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  Mrs Smith

  In the early 80s my father worked for a company that manufactured explosives mostly used for gold mining in South Africa with some of the explosives going to the South African Defense Force(less than 10%) The JWs that were studying with my parents at the time told him to find other employment as he would not be accepted by Jehovah should he carry on working there. My dad made the move and took a pay cut in the new job that was acceptable!!!!!!!!!

  So tell me DannyBloem how is this not a big deal. My father could not carry on working there because of less than 10% of the work going to SADF but they can own half the company. You know what? It's a big deal to me.
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  R6Laser

  After reading most of this I am sorry to say that its sad that some people waste their time bringing up crap like this. So explain to me what is wrong with a company owning funds and such. Basically that's what the WTS is a company, of course they are going to have funds and investments. Many funds invest in a particular business section. But whomever buys the funds has no say so in what the fund actually buys. And as far as being df'ed for owning stocks, I can personally say that when I was in I would actually talk about stocks and funds to others in the hall, exchanging ideas on what to buy and never once did the elders say a word about this. Once again this is an issue where there are few people who make their own interpretation of certain things and then push it along as something that must be followed. Most of you really would have been in a really messed up congregation were everyone followed what was dictated from the platform. I've been in 4 different countries and in countless congregations. While I was in never did I find one congregation where everyone was just doing as they were told. Everyone had basically the same attitude, attend mettings here and there, appear to service a couple of times a month and live your life.
• 

  carla

  R6,

  Basically you are saying that the wt does not really have control of it's members? Were you completely blind? How can you read the stories here and elsewhere and still believe that? I live with a jw, I can tell you first hand that the wt is alive and well in the control department. As for profiting from war, you don't see that as hypocrisy? Considering that is the stock answer for every jw when they are against the wall about any issue, 'well, at least WE don't go to war and kill.....' and the many men who suffered in jail by refusing alternate service your statement astounds me. Would you think it acceptable to accept money from Hitler if he could offer it to you today? Knowing it came from the hems of gassed Jews?
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  looking_glass

  So explain to me what is wrong with a company owning funds and such.

  Well the big deal is that when I was younger and worked in a local grocery store, not as a cashier, I was pulled in to a JC meeting and told because the store I worked for sold cigs that I HAD to quit otherwise there would be dire consequences. You are right the WTBTS is a big corporation, and I am not saying that it should not invest its money in things in which to make it money. But what is at issue here is a corporation that dictates to its people what they can and cannot do based on the company's rules, but in turn those same rules do not apply to the board of the corporation or the corporation as a whole.

  If you are going to make black and white rules, you better live by them yourself. As is said the same measuring stick you use to judge other by will be used against you as well.
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  Handsome Dan

  The Kingdom rulers are a bunch of hypocrites, the maker of the rules don't necessary have to live by them do they, after all whose looking over them !
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  DannyBloem

  In the early 80s my father worked for a company that manufactured explosives mostly used for gold mining in South Africa with some of the explosives going to the South African Defense Force(less than 10%) The JWs that were studying with my parents at the time told him to find other employment as he would not be accepted by Jehovah should he carry on working there. My dad made the move and took a pay cut in the new job that was acceptable!!!!!!!!!

  So tell me DannyBloem how is this not a big deal. My father could not carry on working there because of less than 10% of the work going to SADF but they can own half the company. You know what? It's a big deal to me.

  This dessision was made by the person studying with your father. Probably not even discussed with the body of elders. Just a single publishers opinion, to change a life.
  Even if he asked for advice of the elders, it would have mean an individual desission of some elder.
  That is a big deal, for you. Ok. That is something totally different then the suibject however...

  We know very well that the society, or in this case the publishers, can have double standards.
  Just the owning of some stocks is no big deal. I own stocks in warfare companies (indirectly), and so probably you, or most of the JW elders too.
  So again what is the big deal? except the cover up lies....

  DB
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  Gerard

  Just the owning of some stocks is no big deal. I own stocks in warfare companies (indirectly), and so probably you, or most of the JW elders too.
  So again what is the big deal? except the cover up lies....

  DB

  One thing is to own a few shares and have some nebulous investor group diversify them in the large stock market . Another thing is to directly own half of each three related companies and have voting priviledges on their product, focused for the U.S. Department of Defense. Get the picture?

  Gerry
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  Fangorn

  I get the picture that you absolutely don't know what you're talking about. This issue has been done to death and only morons think it is important. There's nothing there, the Organization does not control the stock and the company in question has not sold one item to the military.
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  Gerard

  Ah, yes....deny, deny, deny and the problem will go away.

  Ignorance is a blessing to some.
• 

  twinkletoes

  Carla,

  Well done, it's a good eye opener for the new ones, but also a good reminder for us as well.

  KT