Chri$tma$ for the Org

by OrphanCrow 5 Replies latest jw friends

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  OrphanCrow

  https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/1112/average-cost-of-an-american-christmas.aspx
  

  In 2017, it is expected that the average American will be spending $967.13 on gifts for friends and loved ones

  I was thinking about how much money the org has at their disposal within their membership by simply banning Christmas.

  Because JWs are notoriously cheap, I rounded way down with projected gift spending and went with a $900 figure and then rounded down the estimates of JWs to 8 million (because a lot of that number are dependent children) and came up with an amount of 72 million American dollars that will have been "liberated" from the worldly tradition of getting together with friends and family to celebrate during the long winter months.

  I didn't bother putting in the $ that is spent on things other than gift giving (travelling and food, etc) just because so many JWs do that anyways over the holidays "because turkeys are on sale"

  $72 million

  Merry Xmas everybody :)
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 

  sir82

  In 2017, it is expected that the average American will be spending $967.13 on gifts for friends and loved ones
  

  went with a $900 figure and then rounded down the estimates of JWs to 8 million

  Only about 1 million of the 8 million JWs are American.

  I suspect that people in Nigeria, Nicaragua, Honduras, Bangladesh, etc. spend far less than $900 on Christmas presents. Many may not make that much money in a year.

  But for American JWs at least, yeah, by not spending on Christmas, they would have more money to drop in the box.

  Although, to be honest, I never heard JWs reasoning that way, and I don't recall ever hearing anything like that from the platform.
  
• 

  WTWizard

  It is more than just the money. The jokehovian witless cancer is set on destroying souls, and one way to do that is to deprive the members of anything that might bring enjoyment into their lives. The drone of endless boasting sessions and field circus, plus the crap jobs they are stuck with, effectively does this. This is also why they ban higher education--not just because of higher income potential (which may or may not be valid with things the way they are today), but because higher education usually comes with at least a few experiences that might enrich a soul. Which is against their religion.

  Of course, it hurts not that being poor is one way to accomplish this. Hence, they preach the flock into throwing away everything that might enrich their lives. Whatever surplus funds they have could do that--even if it's just an ice cream cone on a hot summer day or a hot chocolate on a brutally cold one.

  As for the sun worship holiday (which can and should be celebrated), that busts up this stagnation in so many ways. One of the highlights is what is under the tree--this is the most blatant. But, the tree going up at all can be a highlight of the year. Looking at that old Wish Book, or its equivalent, can also bust up the stagnation even if they don't get everything on the list. Bright lights going up can help, especially multi-colored or flashing lights. Christmas music, religious or not, can be a bright spot (and, for those who do not believe in jesus krayst, most of them can be interpreted as meaning "the sun" for Christ, and "Sirius" (the brightest star) for the Star of Bethlehem (which points toward the sun on Christmas morning). The Three Wise Men are actually the stars that make up the Belt of Orion.

  But, all is stagnation when it is just another boasting session or day in field circus.
  
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  StarTrekAngel

  I ran similar figures for B-days a while ago... here is what I came out with

  -Based on the 2014 Year Book, there is 13,714 congregations in the US main territory. Also, there is a total of 1,167,723 publishers. This shields an average of about 85 publishers per congregation.

  
  

  - Based on this numbers I looked at my own congregation and behold... we actually have 85 publishers exactly. So, I will not be too far off assuming our congregation is a good sample to depart from.

  
  

  - Assuming an average witness family of 4 (parents and two children), this give you an average of 20 families per congregation

  
  

  - Assuming most birthdays, if allowed, would probably be oriented to children, then that means 40 celebrations per year. 20 families x 2 children per family

  
  

  - While we do have 85 publishers in our cong, the actual attendance numbers are anywhere from 120 to 140 (watchtower study days). Most of whom are associated members of the congregation. Where we stand today we have no one who is DF. So all in all, this give a total potential attendance to a birthday of 30 families (120 attendance / 4 family members)

  
  

  - Again, in an effort to be conservative, consider that may be not every single individual in attendance will present a gift to the host, but lets assume one gift per family. It will be safe to assume every family can spare $20 dollars for a gift. At 30 families this means a potential $600 in gifts alone. If we consider the number of celebrations per year, the total is $24,000 per year.

  
  

  - This don't seem like a number the WTBTS would be willing to consider in light of the controversy that could surround the doctrine, until you consider the entire US JW population. At 13,714 congregations, this would amount to $329,136,000 per year.
• 

  OrphanCrow

  sir82: Only about 1 million of the 8 million JWs are American.
  I suspect that people in Nigeria, Nicaragua, Honduras, Bangladesh, etc. spend far less than $900 on Christmas presents. Many may not make that much money in a year.

  You are right. But I confess to being lazy and just used Murican $'s.

  And of course people in many places don't make that much per year but we don't know the demographics of the JW population in those far away places.

  Regardless, banning traditional celebrations does liberate $$ that may be used for JW donations and activities instead. When I was a kid, the annual assemblies took all of our family's disposable income (and more). I have often thought that the conventions wouldn't have had so much succe$$ if we just celebrated Xmas and birthdays instead. I would have much rather have had birthday and xmas memories instead of assembly memories

  StarTrekAngel: This don't seem like a number the WTBTS would be willing to consider in light of the controversy that could surround the doctrine, until you consider the entire US JW population. At 13,714 congregations, this would amount to $329,136,000 per year.

  Exactly. Now do the calculation globally.

  A birthday gift for each and every JW on the planet. How much money would that require? Annually? How much would a birthday cake for each JW cost? Annually? Probably more than Sophie's ice cream cone.
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  StarTrekAngel

  You are going to find this to be the case for almost all yearly celebrations. There is a funny pattern to be seen on this. All life celebrations that happen once in a lifetime are celebrated without a problem. Even if some of the rituals on such celebrations are pagan in nature. But when it comes to things like b-days, mothers day, etc etc, that is a no-no. Other more critical issues like blood have undergone changes but the seemingly innocent celebrations remain untouched thru time.