Two related reflections on this:
1. After the great earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan a few years ago, on line I came across streaming data about the status of Jehovah Witnesses thereabouts. It was more or less a roll call after a battle, a confirmation that everyone was present.
I noted that the status of the pets of brothers and sisters wassometines included in the report. And every once in a while there was mention of an unbaptized or unbelieving spouse. Otherwise, who knows what the mentality of the reports was: the beginning of the liquidation of the rest of mankind accordance with an [updated] interpretation of scriptures? No? Then maybe just a rehearsal.
2. "The WTBTS specializes in printing, publishing and buying and selling real estate...not in disaster relief aid to victims of natural disasters."
The specialialization in printing and publishing is worth a moment's reflection. The fact that publications are distributed world wide shows that the society is not without resources for distributing goods.
Granted, in the 21st century much of what the society writes and publishes can be distributed electronically at local plants, but it is hard to believe that there are no ships, planes or trucks involved in WT publication deliveries.
The problem is largely philosophical or doctrinal, the excising of the notion of "neighbor" from the NT for brother or sister in faith or cult and a pre-occupation with Matthew 24 vs. Matthew 25. The people who came into my house thought that an earthquake in Haiti was a validation that we were living in the end times, but were extremely evasive about how they intended to do anything to assist those affected by the event, except urge them to become fellow publishers.
Yes, send something ( goods or a check) to the Philippines via an organization you can trust.
