First rule of book club: don't talk about book club

Judgerussellford

I've never heard anyone else but ne say this but I've been saying it for years. If you agree and have also been saying this for years, that is hilariously greater. Watchtower is just a cooperation that hides behind a religious title, that owns real-estate around the world, these buildings wich only have 1 purpose. A regularly scheduled extreme Book club. Your expected to read the books, study 1 book (bible) to go with your other minor books for years. You meet together in a building to discuss the books and what agenda you will have to go out recruiting for the said book club. Once your minor books are out dated then they cover it up with all of that old light, and move on the the newest book club book. Wash rinse and repeat. Don't forget to protect even the worst members of your book club. Field service is just ad campaigning for new members to join the book club

truth_b_known

I believe you hit the nail on the head. The Watchtower is, was, and always will be nothing more than a business hiding the fact in plain sight as a religion. Things started to make sense after I was quit being a Witness.

1. What other religion refers to its members as "publishers"? Answer - none!

pub·lish·er

/ˈpəbliSHər/

noun

a person or company that prepares and issues books, journals, music, or other works for sale. - Oxford Dictionary

I grew up as a Witness in the days when we literally bought Watchtower publications at the Kingdom Hall to sell to the public in our public ministry. The magazine and literature counters in Kingdom Halls were cash only book stores.

A publisher's monthly report was their sales records being sent back to headquarters. It was no different than the door-to-door salesmen of yesteryear. Then the change happened.

In the 1990s a lot of tv evangelists in the U.S. were getting investigated by the IRS for tax evasion. This spooked the Watchtower. So they did what any business does during hard times - they changed their business model. It failed.

The voluntary donation arrangement killed the Watchtower. A Watchtower magazine being produced by volunteer labor sold to the publishers for $0.25. In turn the publisher would sell it to the public or $0.25 and then donate that money back to the Watchtower. The Watchtower was getting $0.50 for a magazine that probably cost them $0.05 to produce.

Once the voluntary donation arrangement went into effect I found that many publishers never donated at the Kingdom Hall for their magazines and it was rare to find a publisher who had the courage to ask a householder for a donation. So, do counter the falling profits the Watchtower did what any business does - skimp on the product.

Magazines started to slim down in pages. Hardcover books were replaces with softcover books. Then the frequency of magazine publications diminished. However, this was not enough. So a new business plan had to be created and it was a real doozy.

The Watchtower got out of the publishing business and into the real estate business. Publishers had to mortgage their Kingdom Halls with the Watchtower only to give ownership of the Kingdom Hall to the Watchtower. Suddenly the Watchtower had congregations building new Kingdom Halls left and right.

Today, we see the big real estate selloff of Kingdom Halls, Assembly Halls, and even Bethel facilities. Hundreds of millions of dollars are pouring in to the Watchtower's coffers. All tax free.

LongHairGal

JUDGERUSSELLFORD:

I was always bothered by the idea of all those damn books..All that was really needed was a Bible. Period.

For the first year I was there I wouldn’t even open any of the magazines. Of course, that bothered everybody around me including the people I ‘studied’ with. In time, I gave in. Too bad I didn’t listen to my instincts. I could have saved myself wasted time and not gone through what I did!

I ‘Faded’ from the Witnesses years later. I am just grateful I didn’t totally fall for it and quit my job like they were urging me to. I wouldn’t be Retired today if I listened to these assorted meddling fools who would have ruined my life. Would any of them or the religion/corporation/organization be supporting anybody today??…Nope.

Judgerussellford

Truth be known: my mom remembers the literature purchasing days. I was born into it in 94 (I know, I'm a whipper snapper) but I couldn't even imagine buying into a religion like that. Regular tithing at other churches and thier own tax evasion bothers me enough. But a cooperation masking itself as a religion is outrageous. And I remember the gb and elders and parts at meetings, bashing televangelist left and right. Now look at them. Even in kingdom halls its televangelism.

Longhairgal: are you old enough to remember 75? Only asking because you said you know others who quit their jobs. I personally love the books. For history reasons. I want to be a watchtower historian some day. I've been collecting for 2 years and have almost 1400 peices of watchtower related publications and items. That doesn't include what I have in files thanks to Atlantis on here!

LongHairGal

Hi JUDGERUSSELLFORD:

I was raised Catholic and (sadly) got involved with the JW religion as a young working person several years after 1975. Nobody mentioned 1975 to me.

I found out much later on about people who quit jobs and made other foolish gambles before 1975. It was all hush-hush. I am just happy I never did.

Glad it makes you happy to collect these books. That sounds like a very impressive collection you have!

Judgerussellford

Since I keep my weed jar with it I call it my paraphernalia shelf lol. Glad you got to get out and retire. Hopefully dad can retire in just a few years. He got out a few years before me and has been doing great since

nowwhat?

And to add insult to injury. When they went to the donation arrangement. They couldn't be honest about it due to changing tax codes. But rather it was a simplifying of things and a new arrangement from Jehovah!

Disillusioned JW

I remember that while I was a believing JW I wondered at times why the WTS produced so many different doctrinal books. I wondered why doesn't the WTS simply use the same doctrinal book (with occasional revisions) for many decades instead of replacing it with new book after new book. I wondered why the WTS expects JW to read so much literature? Now I know the real reason. It was about making money - not about helping JW to learn more about the Bible and not about attracting more people to the JW religion. Studying so many WTS books was very tiresome to me. Likewise studying so many issues of the WT magazine was so very tiresome to me.

When the WTS largely stopped making hardcover books and started making paperback books instead, including paperback editions of books formerly published as hardcover books, I was displeased with the change. [I prefer hardcover books to paperback books, not just in regards to WTS books, since hardcover books are much more durable, including in regards to their binding (if their binding is stitched).] I also recognized it meant the WTS was loosing money (or at least getting far less money than they previously were).

Judgerussellford

Disillusioned jw: I'm trying to be a watchtower historian. Studying these old publications for a second part time career, not even to be a part of the cult and its still very tiresome haha. But yeah there's no need to print and print and print and print and ect. Unless you just want to make money. I don't even have half the watchtower collection thats been released since the founding and if you count books, booklets, kingdom ministries, convention reports, reprints of books, and individual magazines within the bound volumes, movies programs different bibles talk outlines and sermons from all the eras I have almost 2000 if not more peices of watchtower paraphernalia. AND IM STILL NOT DONE COLLECTING! That is way to much. Way... To... Much

First rule of book club: don't talk about book club

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