by recovering 14 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I sent a response using their contact details questioning how they could be classed as a charitable org. citing their real estate and publishing ventures which earns them millions of dollars and not providing anything for human needs.Not being in the USA I wonder how it will be received
smiddy
TT interesting.
Also the comment I made there about the big corpo's and legal tax avoidance, was what's happening lately in the UK. This is the kind of thing that would make the public arena over there. it would be on the news, and the public would not be happy to know this is going on. WT sucking the money out and shifting it overseas. the investigative journalisits over there love getting their teeth into things like this. It's the kind of thing they make entire programs on. It could start small snowball rolling.
Also the government over there is on shaky ground at the mooment. There have been some changes in the Political arena. There's a new boy in town and the 3 main parties now have a worry about their future. They have limited time now to try to make huge changes and win back the peoples trust. ( don't even think that's possible now, things have gone to far for redemption I think) Or else they are going to be toast.
Down side is they are looking at potentiall 2 more years for it to happen. But for that, the new guy would surely be in.
A shameless scam.
All they have to do is fullfill the requirements for Religious Non-Profits which I'm sure they do in the US and IRS. The WTS knows its way around the word of law.
http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Churches-&-Religious-Organizations
Change the laws in the US...there is a reason that WTS main headquarters are in the US. As long as groups like Scientology, Raellians (sp), etc., can get this status legally, the WTS is slam dunk in comparison. Change the laws....you might as well as change the second amendment or the first.
I will always defend charitable status, even for the WT. They are clearly at the border. Churches are charitable in the US, regardless of their actions. No court or govt. body should entangle itself into the dertails of a religion. It is better to live with some groups receiving exemption that probably ill deserve it. The First Amendment protections clearly apply.
Of course, it is obvious to any but a Roman Catholic or fundy Christian that churches do not equal charity. The sad thing is that the Roman Catholic Church performs extraordinary charity compared to Protestant denominations. The framers did not view religion as suspect the way we do today. Religion is growing in this country and definitely not in better educated, main stream religions. I doubt if an entire Supreme Court of Obama nominees once confirm would ever hold that religion does not equal charity. Indeed, Pres. Obama has extended the funding of faith-based social welfare organizations much more than evil George Bush.
