How's this for irony? This week's book study lesson

sir82

In this week's book study lesson, there is a paragraph on "greed". The following comment is made (chapter 8, paragraph 17):

A Christian who loves kindness will certainly not exploit his fellow worshippers. For example, he realizes that it would be neither proper nor kind to start a business or promote an investment scheme that targets fellow believers as the main customers. It would display greed, which Christians are warned against, to plan on making money hastily by exploiting fellow Christians.

Wait a minute....what exactly is the "Watchtower Bible and Tract Society", if not "a business...that targets fellow believers as the main customers"?

So it looks lile the WTS is "neither proper nor kind", and "displays greed". Oh, wait, we already knew that!

I am quite sure this went whooshing over the heads of all the nitwits in Bethel...not to mention all the brain-dead JWs nodding semi-comatose thru the study this week.

Ya just can't make this stuff up!

snowbird

JW's can't see for looking!

That's what my mother used to tell us when something was right in front of our eyes, and yet we couldn't see it.

Sylvia

maybe because the WTBS isnt a business (by any common or sensible definition?) and as such doesnt have customers, it is merely a religion that recognises it has overheads so tries to get like minded people to fund its overheads, or maybe i am stupid and miss the whole money making thing going on (see this weeks TMS on false humility, i am actually not that un-clever)

conoroberst

BTW why are you looking at teh book study in such detail if you dont agree with it, actually as me probably just testing the faith, being negative and wondering how it all works.....wondering since 2002 as my profile shows..

Farkel

conoroberst,

:maybe because the WTBS isnt a business (by any common or sensible definition?)

C.T. Russell closed the German Branch because in his own words, it was losing money. Explain that.
If it wasn't a business, it wouldn't matter if it didn't make money.

The WTS stopped selling food at large assemblies because they were told they had to tax sales of food. Much if not most of the food was donated by businesses and dubs and labor food preparation and delivery was free. Even if the food was inexpensive, it still made money for the society. Collecting and remitting state sales taxes takes overhead and lessen profits, you know. Why did the society stop offering meals right AFTER they were told they had to collect sales taxes if it wasn't a business instead of a convenience for those attending the assemblies?

Why are subscriptions to the magazines no longer available if the WTS is not a business? How are invalids and shut ins to get the literature without having to get to the Hall?

Why have people who were intimate with the printing facilities in Brooklyn calculated that the society made 3 cents for every 1 cent cost in producing the magazines, if it is not a business?

Why does virtually everything except some tracts and KMs COST MONEY?

: and as such doesnt have customers,

Sure it does. It has a captive audience of customers who purchase Watchtower Products(tm). They are called "dubs."

:it is merely a religion that recognises it has overheads so tries to get like minded people to fund its overheads,

There always seems to be enough money to build huge monuments to the WT organization, like Patterson.

:or maybe i am stupid and miss the whole money making thing going on (see this weeks TMS on false humility, i am actually not that un-clever)

You are not stupid, merely uninformed.

Farkel

sir82

Conoroberst,

Perhaps you need to review this thread: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/167911/1.ashx

How is this different than receiving a "payment overdue" notice in the mail?

Clearly you haven't been around much, if you think the "Regional Building Committees" are anything less than a business, for that matter.

Just because a corporation is "non-profit" (snicker) and tax-exempt does not mean it is not a "business".

sir82

BTW why are you looking at teh book study in such detail if you dont agree with it

Oh I do agree with it! Christians should not exploit other Christians for greedy profit - who's going to argue with that?

My problem is the hypocrisy of the dudes who wrote that stuff.

watson

I don't see the irony in this. I think you are making the "apostate stretch." The comments in the BS don't appy to the WTS "church."

sweet pea

The irony is, that they discourage relationships with people of the 'world'. They also discourage getting a good education and having a career, thereby producing a large number of people who lack skills and drive - these ones are often attracted to multi level marketing businesses in the hope of getting rich quick with the minimum of qualification and skill but whose customers are mainly their fellow dubs. Then they get dealt the guilt card with articles like this. Talk about setting people up to fail and/or feel guilty whatever they do!!!

They make my temperature rise......

Snoozy

There must be a lot of scam artists joining the religion.

That's how they work, they move in make friends and then sell them some line of bull for insurance or home repairs or get them to invest in some non existent business and then take off with their money. It must be getting pretty bad for them to print a study article about it.

I know my JW MIL got taken by a siding guy that was new to the JW's, they wanted to show how supportive and loving they were by hiring him. Well he did a shoddy job, charged a fortune, the siding looked like something you would put on a cheap mobile home..and left the gutters sitting on the ground and next thing you know..no one can find him. He skipped town. I guess he had got all he could out of the small congregation. But he was a very nice young man..as my JW MIL said.

Snoozy..

How's this for irony? This week's book study lesson

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