What is the purpse of the Jehovahs witnesses

by theyoungone 25 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Zico

  Hi OTWO,

  C.T. Russell formed a religion for the same reasons that other people do the same or become preachers. He saw it as an easy way to make money, but he may have also believed most or all of his own teachings.

  I don't believe this is true. Didn't CT Russell spend everything he had in building up the WT Society? As far as I'm aware, the only person who has ever made money out of the Society is Rutherford. When Russell died Rutherford seized an opportunity, he got flash cars, first class travel, a big house in Beth Sarim, and he gave nothing to nobody. Even Knorr, his vice president, and Franz, his chief writer lived in small Bethel apartments with a small allowance, much like the current Governing Body. Like the Modern GB, they got to the top by first slaving for an Organisation. When they get there, their livelihood depends on the Organisation as they've dedicated so many years to it. In order to hold on to their livelihoods, and the power they've worked so hard for, they continue to push the lie, because they're afraid to accept the reality. As Ray Franz said, we're 'victims of victims, followers of followers' That's my take on it anyway...
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  AuldSoul

  The Watchtower Society owns billions of dollars worth of real estate. Its liquid assets are atonishing. Whether or not that is the initial reason Russell started the Millennial Dawnist groups, that IS what it became under Rutherford.

  Miracle Wheat was being sold publicly through the pages of the Golden Age magazine. It was a commercially monstrous organization with thousands of volunteer marketers who were unpaid and whose work product was gratis even with regard to workman's compensation, pension, and etc. Now, when a Kingdom Hall is built the deed is held in trust for the Watchtower Society. These are not liquid assets, but the local congregations essentially buy new properties for the parent corporation. When Kingdom Hall properties are sold, the money from the sale belongs to the WTS and the congregation must buy new property.

  A similar arrangement works in the case of Circuit Overseer's cars. The car payments are made by local congregations. At the end of 3 years a new car payment is assumed for the CO and the car (which was bought and paid for by the congregations) is sold at slightly below FMV and the primary beneficiary of the sale proceeds is the father-in-law of Judah Ben Schroeder, who is the son of the late Albert Schroeder of the Governing Body. So, they get a car bought by the congregations and the congregations never get the asset they bought.

  At the commencement of a Convention or Assembly, an amount to be contributed to the WTS is predetermined. On Sunday, at the noon break, that amount might be adjusted UP if the voluntary contributions collected thus far are sufficient to cover with surplus. This amount is not itemized as a separate expense in the accounts report read to the audience. Therefore, there is always a slight deficit in expenses AFTER the Sunday noon break. This money is a straight contribution from either the District or the Circuit (as the case may be). Conventions and Assemblies are HUGE moneymakers for the WTS. Imagine in the US alone, 100 District Conventions charging $5,000 each (on average) as contribution to the WTS. Just from this there would be an influx of half a million dollars.

  Whatever it started as, it makes a LOT of money, now. Most of it by means I consider unethical in the extreme.

  Respectfully,
  AuldSoul
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  OnTheWayOut

  C.T. Russell formed a religion for the same reasons that other people do the same or become preachers.
  He saw it as an easy way to make money , but he may have also believed most or all of his own teachings.

  I don't believe this is true. Didn't CT Russell spend everything he had in building up the WT Society?

  Okay, perhaps Fred Franz can tap him on the shoulder, ask him his true motives, then let the GB know,
  so they can publish it. My answer was very short. A detailed answer would be-

  IMO- He wanted an EASIER way to make MORE money than he had. (His success could be questioned, as
  with any investment- would he have been better off not starting the WTS? Maybe) He also thought highly
  of his own understanding of the Bible. He wanted to be the head over a bunch of people.

  Otherwise, Zico, we appear to agree on the rest. I don't know exactly what CTR was thinking. I do know that
  he enjoyed his life of making appearances all over the country and world, and a successful habadashery may
  have kept him in Pennsylvania. Add power and prestige to the formula. I stand by my OPINION, but bow to
  your viewpoint, also.
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  Seeker4

  My take on this is pretty simple.:
  
  I think the Witnesses started as a group of people seeking to understand the Bible.
  
  Soon they had developed what they thought was a "true" and inspired interpretation of the Bible.
  
  They saw themselves as special, and created an organization to further that viewpoint.
  
  They started with the idea of disseminating and teaching other people this body of beliefs.
  
  That remained a purpose, but became more and more secondary, being replace by the real purpose of the WTS and JWs, which is TO PRESERVE THE WTS. The preservation of the WTS many years ago became the main purpose of the WTS - self-preservation.
  
  S4
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  Zico

  ' I stand by my OPINION, but bow to your viewpoint, also.'
  
  Fair enough, nobody can ever really know.
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  Finally-Free

  The purpose of Jehovah's Witnesses is to unquestioningly serve and obey the Watchtower's corporations. The purpose of the Watchtower's corporations is to accumulate wealth by exercising undue control over it's members.

  W
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  Kaput

  At the end of 3 years a new car payment is assumed for the CO and the car (which was bought and paid for by the congregations) is sold at slightly below FMV and the primary beneficiary of the sale proceeds is the father-in-law of Judah Ben Schroeder, who is the son of the late Albert Schroeder of the Governing Body.

  AuldSoul --- Could you expound on this? Who is Judah Ben Schroeder's father-in-law and how does he benefit from this arrangement?
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  Madame Quixote

  I think most JWs actually believe all the lies they're told. Otherwise, they wouldn't do all the painful things being a JW requires.

  There are others who know better and who exploit the more impoverished majority of JWs for financial gain and for power in the bizarre organization.

  Greedy money-mongers and power-hungry leaders mix quite nicely with true believers who are willing to act as the corporation's free agents, not holding their leaders accountable in any financial way.
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  under_believer

  Coupla comments:
  
  * IMHO, Seeker4's answer is the right one. This religion started out with the best of intentions, and has devolved, as ALL organizations do, into a state of self-preservation at any cost.
  
  * AuldSoul wrote: "When Kingdom Hall properties are sold, the money from the sale belongs to the WTS and the congregation must buy new property." Brandon, I made that very comment a while back and Jim Whitney insisted that this is not true--that the congregations use the proceeds from the sale to buy new property. I have been unable to verify this one way or the other, but I thought I'd share that with you.
  
  * Money is very important to the Society, but only as a means to self-preservation. So you can always tell the reason behind any change or move the Society makes by following the money, but I don't think the organization is about getting rich for riches' sake.
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  heathen

  I now think that the WTBTS book publishing corporation is just another religion out to defraud it's followers . Until I came to this site I had no idea the track record of false predictions and never ending dogma that always keeps member investing in the latest "new light". I've learned that even during the the great depression that watchtower leader were driving around in cadillacs , while it's members were no doubt living in the bread lines after believing the world was so close to ending . The "apostates" were probly the ones feeding the dub population. They have pulled many stunts to evade taxation and get government approval , even joining the UN as an NGO and to this day will try to justify their actions as something the R&F have no buisness even bringing up ,else we know the almighty hand of wrath shall smite them with being ignored by all your friends and family ...........