by sandy 26 Replies latest jw friends
Anyone? If you're looking for smelly fish, here's where to find them. Don't tell me no one has ever asked these questions before.
(For those wondering what my agenda is, I'm a fence-sitter who believes there are real problems but also many that are exagerated, blown out of proportion or plainly false. I want to weed out the latter to find the former).
gc22k,
What Stories do you think are false?
Money is usually the dominant agenda-setter. It may be a bt tangential here, but a recent one-day (there;s that word again) ``Special" Assembly Day, the accounts service unabashedly reported to the audience that the bill to the circuit for the one-day use of the Society's building would be a bit more than $4,700 !!
Well, the recent thing with the Armenians and $5 split six ways to Sunday was laughable.
In another post that was somewhat related, the WT was accused of being affliated with the Armenians but when I pointed out that it merely listed them as a non-governmental organization participating in Holocaust celebrations, that died a quiet death too.
I believe that this is not God's organization. That the WT has gone above and beyond whatever good there ever was in the organization. But, I also realize that there are many good-hearted people who will leave the organization IF they are presented with concrete, irrefutable, black and white proof that the WT is doing something wrong or deceitful, and it cannot be reasoned away.
Every time a "bitter apostate" story is mentioned or found wanting, it weakens the chance that anyone will listen again.
I'll throw on the TV tonight for the CBS story, sure. But most JWs who see it come on will say "oh, the evil apostates are manipulating the media again".
To be honest, a small part of me wonders if I'm headed down the wrong path, and so by looking at things with an open mind it's possible that I might discover that all this is a crock of (insert favorite word here), and I'll head back to the KH whistling Kingdom Melodies.
gcc2k,
I understand your point of view. Some of the stories floating on this board seem a little over the top. However, I do believe almost all of the personal stories.
Yes there are people who will exaggerate or come up with out-right lies but I cannot say what is a lie and what isn't.
I just have to research information on the org and it's doctrines for myself. That is the only way I'll ever know the real truth.
Room 215 - Don't you just love the irony of that. The faithful dubs dig into their pockets to come up with the money to build an Assembly Hall. They get together young and old to work for free to build it. Then the Society comes along and lays claim to it. Then the faithful dubs go to the "Special" Assembly Day and willingly dig into their pockets again and again to pay rent to the Society for using the Assembly Hall. What a scam!!! You'd think there would be a law broken somewhere in all of that.
Loris of the head holding in wonderment class
I again repeat my questions, slightly revised, hoping that someone "in the know" can answer.
1) If the Society still charges interest on the loans to the congregations, how does the Society justify this, since it is clearly unscriptural? Surely there has been a "questions from our readers" about this?
2) Who holds the property deed to the Hall? Is it the Society, or the local congregation? I don't mean a lien - if the WT holds the mortgage, they have a lien on the property, of course. But my house is "mine" as long as I make the payments, with the deed in my name. Whose name is on the deed for most halls?
3) Francois - you claim that the Society was listed as a secondary insurer. If they are able to provide insurance, they must be registered as an insurance company. This doesn't show much "trust in Jehovah with all your might", hmm? If you can find proof that they are an insurance company, they must have an AM Best rating. I was unable to find any reference to the WT at ambest.com.
Tell me if the following scenario is true or not. - Circuit/Society decides that current assembly hall (built by volunteers) is too small/outdated/too dangerous. - Society sells old hall to Babylon the Great. - Volunteers spent countless hours working on new assembly hall. Congregations set aside special donations for the new hall. - Circuit takes out a loan/mortgage, presumably financed by the WTBTS, with interest. - Hall is ready. Circuit assemblies begin. - At each assembly, circuit is reminded of expenses for the assembly and encouraged to donate. - Society collects fees for the assembly, always greater than or equal to claimed expenses. If this scenario is true, I would love to see some reliable documentation on this.
