by lavendar 11 Replies latest jw friends
Was just curious.........do Witnesses have to BUY the Stalktower and Asleep magazines? Or does each KH supply them to the members for free?
Also, do they have to try to SELL them to householders anymore? I know they used to, but has the WTS changed that policy?
Thanks for the info!
Lavendar
Here in the US, they are only distributed on a donation basis. In other countries they are still sold for a fixed price.
In (some/many?) other countries they are still sold for a fixed price.
interesting as in nz the jw told me its all donation
interesting as in nz the jw told me its all donation
Well, you usually follow the big state across the ditch so you would! In Oz it's been by donation only, ever since the introduction of GST (VAT for you poms!!).and that's what it's all about - TAX! Where countries had tax laws amended or introduced that would make the publications taxable, then the WTS brought in the "donation" arrangement. They just won't pay tax - what good corporate citizens they are!! (not!)
The question remains...
Do witnesses have to give $ to the KH for taking a certain amount of the magazines, or does the WTS provide them to the JWs for free? How does that work?
You can pick up your allotment of magazines without paying for them. You say how many copies of each issue you want, and then you pick them up when they come in. (At least that's how it was 3 years ago, and it doesn't sound like it's changed.)
HOWEVER, it will quickly become apparent if you're one of those that gets mags but doesn't pay for them. Among JW's, appearances are EVERYTHING. So it is definitely in your best interests (if you wanna be thought of as a good little dub) to walk directly from the literature counter to a contribution box and drop something in.
And while it isn't tracked on a per-person basis, the congregation as a whole is expected to send in contributions to the Watchtower. If those contributions are below some threshold, they can expect a special needs part from one of the elders on 'takin' care o' business'.
So there's free, and then there's "free".
Dave
I believe the individual JWs have to pay for them a fixed price up front and they will get their money back when they sell them or they will be left with a loss. They do not demand a payment as such but a donation to get the taxman off the back of their org.
Also, do they have to try to SELL them to householders anymore?
They cannot name a price for the literature. They just discreetly mention (after the literature is in the hands of the householder) that if the householder wants to help pay to support the printing of such wonderful life-saving literature, that they are free to make a donation.
AND THEN -- if such a donation is made, the JW is supposed to put that cash into a special envelope or purse, and place it in the box inside the Kingdom Hall marked "Worldwide WItnessing Work" (or something like that). The JW is NOT supposed to spend the money on coffee or donuts. And I'm sure that would never happen.....
>>I believe the individual JWs have to pay for them a fixed price up front and they will get their money back when they sell them or they will be left with a loss.
That's the way it was before the "donation" arrangement. You paid, then you sold, and you pocketed the cash. So it was a break-even deal for you.
THEN the donation arrangement came along. I was shocked to read in the Kingdom Ministry that the Watchtower expected the publishers to donate when they picked them up, offer them at the door requesting a donation, then also hand over THAT contribution to the Watchtower! Can you say "double-dipping"?
I was a seriously head-in-the-sand, drank-the-kool-aid, brain-dead dub and even *I* knew that was screwed up.
Dave
