Rethinking WT Charity Status in Canada.

Vanderhoven7

https://avoidjw.org/news/canada-rethinking-charity-status-project-straight-arrow/

My guess it that the loss of the Watchtower's charitable status will bring about the decline and fall of the JW organization. Without government subsidies and tax exemption it would be difficult to maintain the Borg's New York headquarters, printing facilities, video studios, translation homes, and GB members life-style.

Think about what the Borg would have to pay each year for the property taxes and assessments on the New York headquarters compound, video studios, and all the KHs. Plus most donations would be considered taxable income.

To pay for these new expenses would the Borg adopt tithing like the LDS Church? But the Mormons encourage education and many of them are professionals with a comfortable income. Since the Watchtower discourages college and university education, most rank and file JWs are working class and don't have a lot of cash to spare. So forcing a cash strapped family to turn over 10% of their income to the Watchtower could cause more JWs to lose heart and exit the Borg.

While these possible government actions might not destroy the Borg, the Watchtower's loss of charitable status would hasten its decline into insignificance.

However, to keep their charitable status the GB could come up with New Light and abolish shunning, discard the Blood Doctrine, and engage in real community service. This might keep the government subsidies, but also cause the Borg to loose control of the rank and file. It would also make the JW religion more mainline. If the JWs became a mainline church would the membership increase or decease?

Anyway these are my thoughts on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

Happy New Year everyone,

Athanasius

Biahi

Both of these scenarios are spot on, and a win-win for us! 👏

iloowy.goowy

They so love their filthy lucre after all, they are willing to take the widow's mite and the babe's ice cream money.

If non-profit status is taken away the jw.borg will hurt but will just adapt and pass the cost to the rank and file as they have always done, I believe.

wannaexit

Thank for this heads up Vander. It's high time that the the CRA starts to pay attention. I welcome the idea that jw's in Canada lose their charity tax status

I think of all the churches that open their doors in case of disasters or offer help to the needy while the kingdom hall are shut. When has any congregation opened up a soup kitchen or done anything for anybody? NEVER.

Beth Sarim

The Borg cannot exist without,,, charity status.

Regards to the printing era,, it is dead. All but gone. The days of the preinternet heydey is finished. Its over.

It is,,,, about time,,,, the CRA pays attention to all of these abusive coercive groups like the Borg. The Borg relies on this charitable exemption for its own existence. But hardly does anything,,,, if anything charitable at all. Giving clothing to homeless. Feeding homeless. Shelters for homeless. You're right. Never.

No. They rely on government subsidies. Charitable status. But their actions hardly reflect what they receive.

Vidiot

They always visualized “Satan’s World” attacking them with militant, heavy-handed force.

Seems the possibility of being sued, taxed, and legislated to their knees never occurred to them.

Vidiot

Athanasius- “If the JWs became a mainline church would the membership increase or decease?”

Decrease.

Mainstreaming would effectively neuter virtually everything they held up as hard proof they alone were “God’s Exclusive Earthly Organization”…

…their entire raison d’etre for the past century.

There’d be zero incentive for all but the most institutionalized to stay.

TonusOH

Vidiot: Decrease.

I agree. If they go fully mainstream, they become just another Christian church. But that requires a long list of changes. These changes will alienate the old-school hardcore JWs, but will do nothing to make the religion more attractive to potential recruits.

Allowing birthday and holiday celebrations? Congrats, you are starting to catch up. Do away with shunning and the blood policy? Again, lots of other Christian churches don't have this issue, plus it will generate a LOT of criticism from loyal JWs who suffered under those policies. Their view of the afterlife for sinners is better than the concept of eternal suffering, so I guess that's one possible point in their favor (even if it's not unique). Goodbye, governing body? Goodbye, book publishing? I don't think you'd have anything left, if that went away...

I don't think they can go completely mainstream without shutting down. I'm more interested in how far they will go, and how their decisions will affect the numbers along the way.

Beth Sarim

It would be ironic.

It would be ironic,,,beyond ironic. If the Borgs demise was a byproduct of its own hardcore,,,controversial doctrines

If they would lighten up on such damaging policies. People questioning & second guessing......

Bring on tithing & bleed the $heeples more & more.

Go more mainstream. Causing a massive tide of doubters. Every notion of being "Gods exclusive" organization crumbling.

They would paint themselves into a corner further & further.

Rethinking WT Charity Status in Canada.

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