Charity and the WTBTS?

eyeslice

The Society appears to sit on assets worth millions but does anyone know if they ever give money away in the form of unconditional charity from their own coffers?

I know for instance that the South African branch has sent relief aid to other parts of Africa and the German Branch has sent aid to Eastern Europe but can anyone say exactly where the money came from? Was it raised by special appeals to the congregations, thus not having coming directly from their own precious central funds?

To my knowledge the Society has never gives a dollar in aid to UNICEF, any medical aid, food aid or education projects. If they had, we would surely have heard about it as they are not slow in blowing their own trumpet.

Eyeslice

longtimeout

Good points Eyeslice.

The Borg is, first and foremost, a multi-billion dollar worldwide publishing corporation masquerading as a religion. Their precious tax-exempt status derived from this, and need to protect their vast assets and holdings, drives everything they do. They give nothing to the world's needy, and to anyone else within for that matter.

Unlike the rank and file who are always admonished to "store up treasures in heaven ", they have a different agenda. Want to get their attention? Go after their money. They don't give a rat's ass about anything else.

acsot

I believe that when certain disasters hit Africa, for example, congregations in Europe were asked/assigned to help out. Tons of clothing, medicine, etc. was shipped to the places in question (can't remember if it was Rwanda or another country), and some European Witnesses with medical training also went. This, of course, was to help JWs only (and maybe their unbelieving family members, which of course would be good publicity). So it didn't exactly come out of the WTS' coffers, it was extra donated by the brothers and sisters, the rank and file who are undoubtedly more generous on an individual level that the WTS could ever hope to be as an organization.

The reason I know this is because it was (naturally) published in the Awake magazine. Rather self-congragulatory. Come to think of it, we always get articles published about how wonderful the WTS is about helping victims of disasters, how quickly they arrive on the scene, blah, blah, blah. However, in the odd country with no JWs (as Cambodia for quite some time after the horrible Pol Pot massacres), no aid was given to any victims since none of them were good little dubs.

So, if the WTS can get some publicity mileage out of helping others, they will. What was it Jesus said: "not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing"? Obviously not a principle by which the governing body governs itself.

Utopian_Raindrops

When I was a JW my understanding is there is a relief fund.

Only money specifically donated to The Relief work is used. I was instructed to specify on my check and in the letter accompanying my donating was to what it was for or the money I sent would go directly to the World Wide Preaching Work.

I know this because I used to have garage sales for The Relief Fund.

Sometimes other sisters even donated items for me to sell but, never did they sit there all day with me in the hot sun waiting for that next Garage Sale Junkie to stop in! I was always doing this particular task by myself.

Still I thought it was great how much stuff they donated!

One year I had to have 5 separate sales to get rid of it all and still had surplus items to spread around to anyone who needed anything locally.

Anyway thats how The Society handles things. You must state clearly on your donation what it is for.....Building Projects.....World Wide Work...Relief Work....Assemblies and Conventions.....etc.

My 2 cents.

Ciao 4 now,

U_R

ozziepost

G'day Eyeslice,

You may be interested in these past threads:

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.aspx?id=43878&site=3

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.aspx?id=33330&site=3

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.aspx?id=8996&site=3

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.aspx?id=28300&site=3

Cheers, Ozzie

blondie

This was on my mind just recently. In the company of some JWs, one said that it was criminal how much doctors make and are unwilling to donate their fee when helping the poor. I brought up 2 recent cases where physicians I know had done just that, treated someone in lieu of their fee. Of course, doctors associated with HMOs don't have that choice. These were 2 doctors in practice on their own.

The JW in question says, "Oh, I didn't know that." I quietly reprimanded him for painting a whole profession with a tar brush without having all the information, but did it tactfully.

This JW owns a restaurant so I asked, "BTW, how many poor people have you allowed to eat for nothing in your restaurant? How much food have you donated to the local food pantries?"

"None, I can't afford it," he said.

"Oh, yes, that is right, $20 worth of food to a poor person will put you in the poor house yourself. Remember the widow's mite? It was all she had, not just what was left over."

That felt good and everyone else got the point.

Blondie (who feels the foot nearing her backside)

GermanXJW

I know for instance that ... the German Branch has sent aid to Eastern Europe but can anyone say exactly where the money came from?

The German Branch has never given a single Mark or Euro for charity purposes. They officially do so and refer to their charta. Somebody told me - but I do not know about the accuracy of the information - that the reason is that they cannot send help for JW only. If there were official help from the WTS it usually came from the French Branch.

Any help coming from Germany - and there have been deliveries - have been private initiatives of single or groups of JW.