Watchtower potentially receives at least $2.1 Billion a year in revenue by prohibiting holidays, etc...

by Calebs Airplane 14 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Calebs Airplane

  So we all know that the main reason the Watchtower Corporation prohibits holidays, extra-curricular sports, higher education, etc. is that this money could potentially become "voluntary donations" with just a little guilting and manipulation. In the minds of the Brooklyn brass, money that isn't spent on all this worldly stuff is potential liquid revenue (at least some of it anyway).

  Now let's go extremely conservative for a minute and say that the average "worldly" person only spends a total of $300 a year on Christmas, birthdays, St. Valentines, Father's Day, Mother's Day, extracurricular school sports, higher education, and all the other stuff that the WT frowns upon.... We all know that the real number is much higher than $300. But assuming that's the number, if you multiply that by 7 Million Dubs, that's a total of $2.1 Billion dollars a year in potential revenue for the WT.

  With contributions dwindling and rag revenues declining rapidly, I'm sure the old farts in Brooklyn are hard at work right now searching for something else to prohibit... I'm guessing wedding anniversary parties will be next on their "prohibited spending" list. Just a few proof texts taken out of context should do the trick... cha-ching!
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  Chaserious

  Eh, I don't think money is the reason at all. They banned most of the holdays before they were really commercial like they are today. i think it's more about control and convincing members that they are in a special club that is the only one that knows these things are wrong. If it was just about economics, why would they tell people not to work overtime so they can peddle magazines instead? My father could have worked overtime every Saturday when I was growing up and made about $100-$150 per week extra, but he didn't so he could go knock on doors that nobody answered. The reality is that nobody is going to have a holiday pot of money and just donate it all to the WTS because of not celebrating holidays and other stuff. Never once in my time "in" did I make a donation because I saved money on something else. A lot of JWs are cheap and probably view it as a tradeoff with all the miles and gas they spend driving around in field service, money spend traveling to assemblies and conventions and all the other wastes of money for the WTS. For my family, we save more by not travelling to meetings, FS & conventions and donations than it costs us to celebrate holidays and birthdays.
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  WTWizard

  Money is only a small part of the reason why holidays and birthdays are banned.

  You see, the washtowel doesn't want people having any fun. I remember when I was little (and not a witless), I would get a Wish Book from Sears long before Christmas. Half the time I wouldn't get what I wished for, but it was still fun going through that book. I liked seeing the decorations going up, and the highlight was the Christmas tree. Although it was a real cut tree, with something like 35 C7 bulbs and up as late as December 15, the progression into Christmas was fun. Then I liked it when the presents were opened. That was the peak of the holiday. It never really died out totally until well into February, as there was the fun of finding out what others got for Christmas.

  Doing away with that, the washtowel manages to keep such away from those who are born in. Instead, they remember the dismal boasting sessions leading to the Grand Boasting Session, the REJECT Astaroth Party, pious-sneering, and more field circus. One good Christmas party, and many would long for that instead of pious-sneering. They would be harder pressed to accept the REJECT Astaroth Party and the Grand Boasting Session. By stripping out the fun, the washtowel can portray its fake value and get people to donate for that. Beyond that, they can sterilize people's lives by stripping out anything that means anything.

  Now, would you want to go out in field circus the week after Christmas, or to the boasting session, if you received 15 or 20 presents? Would you rather study the washtowel rag, or help put up the Christmas tree or at least watch your parents put it up? On a Saturday morning, would you rather be heading to the malls, or out in field circus? If you would rather have the Christmas items as adults, imagine children as young as 3 or 4. Imagine the fussing they would put up if they had to attend a boasting session or go out in field circus all week after receiving a good number of toys. Imagine trying to keep them out in field circus past 4 PM on Saturday if they would rather be inside helping decorate the tree or watching parents put it up. Even teenagers would rather be helping out with Christmas--when I was that age, it became my job to do the Christmas tree. I got to work with what my grandparents had for decorations, but it was mine to cut down, set up, water, put up the lights, put on the ornaments, and maintain. For sure, I would rather that than do field circus.
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  DATA-DOG

  You are both right, IMO. It may have started as a distinguishing mark of " true " Christians, but now I am sure money is a gigantic factor. The WTBTS just devoted serveral paragraphs of the most spiritual magazine in the world, written by the most spiritually aware men of all time ( FDS since 1919, even better than the Apostles) to not wasting money on beauty products. Why??? The less money the R&F spend on themselves leaves more for the WTBTS coffers.

  On a personal note, my wife will stress about bills, spend $100.00 bucks a week on gas for serve-us, and still contribute at the KH! Some JWs do factor in contributions when making thier payment schedules for bills. " Nope, kids. We can't do that this week. We are broke." What they really mean is that there is only enough extra for the WTBTS.
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  sir82

  3rd world JWs (of which there are millions) living on $4 a day don't spend $300 a year on Christmas.

  And most 1st world JWs don't contribute $300 "extra" to the "worldwide work" in December either.

  The primary reason JWs don't celebrate holidays is that it tends to isolate JWs; they are more likely to feel "unified" with other people like themselves who don't jump on the holiday bandwagon. It fosters a (granted, warped) sense of "community" amongst themselves, adding to the pressure to conform and adding the fear of doing any "serious sin" thus being expelled from the group.
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  DATA-DOG

  Good point Sir82. Dubs only have anniversaries and conventions/festivals. I guess control is a huge factor.
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  alanv

  No doubt about it the society want to isolate people, as there is more chance they will stay witnesses that way. If it was all about money they would be encouraging witnesses to get a good job or good education to increase the chance to make a lot of money. In fact the society do the very opposite. There is no encouragement at all for witnesses to better themselves or go to college to make more money. Little and often is their way. Just a few dollars a month, but received from 7 million witnesses seems to be the way that works for them
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  Theocratic Sedition

  So we all know that the main reason the Watchtower Corporation prohibits holidays, extra-curricular sports, higher education, etc. is that this money could potentially become "voluntary donations" with just a little guilting and manipulation.

  Ummm...no. lol at the bolded part.

  And most 1st world JWs don't contribute $300 "extra" to the "worldwide work" in December either.

  The primary reason JWs don't celebrate holidays is that it tends to isolate JWs; they are more likely to feel "unified" with other people like themselves who don't jump on the holiday bandwagon. It fosters a (granted, warped) sense of "community" amongst themselves, adding to the pressure to conform and adding the fear of doing any "serious sin" thus being expelled from the group.

  No doubt about it the society want to isolate people, as there is more chance they will stay witnesses that way. If it was all about money they would be encouraging witnesses to get a good job or good education to increase the chance to make a lot of money. In fact the society do the very opposite. There is no encouragement at all for witnesses to better themselves or go to college to make more money. Little and often is their way. Just a few dollars a month, but received from 7 million witnesses seems to be the way that works for them
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  konceptual99

  I don't know anyone who contributes to the society what they might have spent celebrating birthdays, christmas etc. It's never crossed my mind or anyone I can think of.
• 

  Finkelstein

  that's a total of $2.1 Billion dollars a year in potential revenue for the WT.

  It would only make logical sense if that money saved from holiday spending actually went into the WTS. coffers, it doesn't.

  Money donated via contributions stays pretty consistent throughout the year, I don't ever recall a boost around Christmas time

  for example.

  A matter of fact, I remember contributions lessening around Christmas time, most likely because a lot of JW would take vacations or

  do other things for themselves during that time.