by Pistoff 5 Replies latest watchtower scandals
The New York Times has an article today about denominations (religions) that are selling off property, some of it prestigious.
This is a good read; what I noted is that in all cases but the Watchtower, they say it is because they are downsizing, or the changes in the publishing industry, or needing less space.
The Watchtower, though, just can't seem ever to tell the truth; they say it is because they needed more modern facilities.
If you have to lie to defend your ideology, your ideology doesn't deserve to be defended.
Nice find. Thanks for that very interesting. Kate xx
Of course, we know the WTS points to many "right" reasons to lie to non-members, even to Jesus. So if Jesus can lie, they can lie, in their minds. Did Jesus lie to his disciples?
*** it-2 p. 245 Lie ***
While malicious lying is definitely condemned in the Bible, this does not mean that a person is under obligation to divulge truthful information to people who are not entitled to it. Jesus Christ counseled: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, neither throw your pearls before swine, that they may never trample them under their feet and turn around and rip you open.” (Mt 7:6) That is why Jesus on certain occasions refrained from giving full information or direct answers to certain questions when doing so could have brought unnecessary harm. (Mt 15:1-6; 21:23-27; Joh 7:3-10) Evidently the course of Abraham, Isaac, Rahab, and Elisha in misdirecting or in withholding full facts from nonworshipers of Jehovah must be viewed in the same light.—Ge 12:10-19; chap 20; 26:1-10; Jos 2:1-6; Jas 2:25; 2Ki 6:11-23.
*** g00 2/8 p. 21 Lying—Is It Ever Justified? ***
For example, individuals with wicked intent may have no right to know certain things. Christians understand that they are living in a hostile world. Thus, Jesus advised his disciples to be “cautious as serpents” while remaining “innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16; John 15:19) Jesus did not always disclose the full truth, especially when revealing all the facts could have brought unnecessary harm to himself or his disciples. Still, even at such times, he did not lie. Instead, he chose either to say nothing or to divert the conversation in another direction.—Matthew 15:1-6; 21:23-27; John 7:3-10.
Faithful men and women mentioned in the Bible, such as Abraham, Isaac, Rahab, and David, were likewise shrewd and cautious when dealing with potential enemies. (Genesis 20:11-13; 26:9; Joshua 2:1-6; 1 Samuel 21:10-14) The Bible classifies such men and women as faithful worshipers whose lives were characterized by obedience. That makes them worthy of imitation.—Romans 15:4; Hebrews 11:8-10, 20, 31, 32-39.
In the past you could read in the WT magazines how other religions were selling off their buildings and churches for lack of financial support while the JWs were flourishing under Jah's blessing. I guess the organization is not as candid when it comes to their current economic situation.
To be fair though, it might make sense to sell off the old buildings that are scattered all over Brooklyn and build one big complex rather than retrofit all old the buildings to meet changes that have come about because of new technology. No matter what they do to update the existing Brooklyn buildings, they'd still have to deal with inefficiency of an entire work force having to walk back and forth between buildings, some of which are many blocks apart. This is especially true in the winter months. Caring for a new low rise sprawling complex made of modern materials, would be easier to maintain than old high rise buildings located in a high traffic city. Also, bringing large trucks full of printed material in an out of the City must be a pain in the neck. It might smart, from bottom line standpoint, to sell off the old buildings and builld a new all-in-one complex and possibly have money left over.
