New York Times December 15, 2001
In a startling revelation, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Brooklyn NY, parent organization to the Jehovah's Witness religion, was exposed for a stark contradiction in their religious practices.
It was revealed this week by The Guardian (a leading UK newspaper) that the Governing Body of the Watchtower religion had secretly erected a Christmas tree in celebration of the festive season. When the facts were made public this week, the Watchtower quickly, and quietly, removed the tree to another location.
Paul Gilles, spokesman for the Watchtower in Great Briton, wrote a letter to The Guardian, in which he stated that the "tree was in no way secret" and that it was "necessary to gain access to the UN library". The Guardian refused to print the Watchtower's response to what members and former members have labeled as "hypocrisy in the highest form", saying that "they are nothing but a bunch of lying b's…"
Stephen Bates, the Guardian reporter who exposed the Watchtower's skeleton, replied to the NY Times, "…they say it was not secret, yet the tree was in their Governing Body chambers where nobody is allowed to see it, and publicly they condemn trees and any who have them". Paul Hoffel, head of the department of Christmas tree ornaments at the UN was contacted regarding the Watchtower's claim. He said "…you don't need to have a tree to get to the ornaments… but if you want to get gifts, which the Watchtower did in abundance, then you need the tree" When contacted, the Watchtower made only this statement "…we have been telling the truth, …in fact we ARE the truth[TM]… when we found out that we'd be celebrating Christmas with that tree, why we took it down immediately and turned in the ornaments"
But the members cry foul! "They say they needed the tree, yet the UN tree official says NO! " said one Jehovah's Witness from the TOTO congregation in OZ "And they tell us it wasn't secret, but hey, who knew?"
When the Times investigators turned up evidence from the UN tree library that the Watchtower's Governing Body had been actively using the tree for purposes obviously beyond any supposed library connection, the Watchtower fell silent.
Amid evidence that the Governing Body had maxed out their credit cards with Christmas purchases and had been seen buying up ornaments in a frenzy, the controversy on one internet message board bubbled over. Some loyal Watchtower disciples made excuse after excuse. "They were just trying to deceive the UN into thinking that they celebrate Christmas…" replied one brainless individual. "These pictures of GB members sitting round the tree opening gifts and smooching each other under the mistletoe might be fabrications … or maybe were they were made to deceive the UN officials…"
In any case, a letter was prepared by Mr. Hoffel at the UN, stating the Watchtower's connection and their tree habits. Pictures of all the Watchtower Christmas gifts are available to view on many internet pages, giving stark evidence that the Watchtower was lying when it says that it's involvement was limited to one tree, which was supposedly "not secret" and "needed for a "library card".
What amazes many, is the level of Watchtower hypocrisy, for just as their own hypocrisy is being exposed, they write an article condemning hypocrisy, pointing the finger at other religions for having a tree and being affiliated with the Department of tree information at the UN.
The world will see if in coming days, whether the rank & file Jehovah's Witnesses will continue making excuses for the lying b's at Watchtower headquarters, or if they will finally come to grips with the fact that the Governing Body are just a bunch of guilty bastards who are corrupt to the core and just looking out for themselves.
By NY Times reporter Tin Man
Now that the Watchtower's crime has been expressed in relative form, do you hard core watchtower defenders still want to tell us about how great your GB gods are?
HYPOCRITES!!!