by pale.emperor 39 Replies latest watchtower scandals
Orphan Crow I think you've cracked it. This "disbursement quota" has to be the reason they are hassling for donations. I'd put money on UK / Aus /NZ and US law having a similar quota...it would explain why the drive for donations is worldwide as the "qualified donee" they are spending so much on Warwick.
Do I understand this correctly?
I'd put money on UK / Aus /NZ and US law having a similar quota...
No, that seems to be a law, unique to Canada. It seems a good one, though.
When you are a giant publishing company, and all publications from newspapers to magazines to books are yesterday's profits and today's burden, it's hard to change and stay profitable. And then there are lawsuits galore.
Borders book stores were forced to start selling e-readers. It was the beginning of their end. No point in buying a $25 book at Borders when you can buy it on Amazon for a download fee less than half of that. No point in even going to Borders if that's the case. Watchtower is heading that way right now. But even worse, their "product" is laughable to young people, so while some members won't be "buying" literature, others are heading away from the religion and never going back.
But just as the Wall Street Journal is still around, it takes awhile to get rid of a giant. After Brooklyn, there's still all those Kingdom Halls and Assembly Halls. There's still some profit in annual conventions and there's still many ways they can cut costs until it's just the Governing Body and a few internet gurus running the company. I think they are doomed, but I think they will be around for my lifetime. I hope I am wrong.
I think you are understanding it correctly, Diogenesister. I hope I have understood it correctly!
It seems like the disbursement quota is a guideline that is followed in order to ensure that a charity really is a charity and as a way of measuring the charity's 'health'. The 20/80 is optimum but there is a variance allowed. The disbursement quota is public so that potential donors can decide to donate or not based on how much of their donation will actually go to charitable activities.
Other countries may not have a 'set-in-stone" disbursement quota for charities, but, it is likely that it is a factor in determining if an organization is a charity or a foundation or a for profit enterprise. A charity cannot exist for the purpose of accumulating wealth - it must collect donations and it must disburse those donations.
I think what OrphanCrow stated on the first page of the thread is the likeliest explanation.
Don't forget, people... being "rich in assets" and being "flush with revenue flow" are not the same thing.
vidiot: ... being "rich in assets" and being "flush with revenue flow" are not the same thing.
Especially when you are a charity.
We know that the WTS operates as a business. They always have.
But...for the purposes of appearing as a charity, their property/assets must not exceed what it has coming in and going out for charitable purposes. Charities must have cash flow. Selling real estate does not count as cash flow in a charity. That involves capital, not donations.
Donations are the defining feature of charities. Without donations - no charity.
And as far as closing Kingdom Halls go...that is likely to compensate for the big projects - to balance out for having too much property/assets sunk into Warwick.
*to add - if the WTS is having financial difficulties, where I think those difficulties lie is a reduction in large donations. ie...they have lost some major donations that they would usually get or were counting on. Big donors with big $$$ may have reduced or stopped donating. So the WTS has to target the little people to step up to the plate.
People talk about how to take down the Watch Tower Society. It really is simple. You take down the industries and businesses that she has received money from over all these years. You go after the whore's johns. Stop the john trade.
The donations. The "gift$". The "favor$" given. From the big john$. The ones with money. Who get tax breaks and favors (propaganda, etc) from "donating".
When I was looking at the Canadian charity site, I took a quick peek at the Mormons - the Latter Day Saints. I did some quick calculations - not sure if I had the right stats on membership...I think so. Anyways, those Mormons have donating down way better than the cheap Canadian JWs do.
If my figures and calculations were correct, the Mormons donate almost twice the amount per membership than the JWs do. In Canada, at least.
The Watch Tower Society has their work cut out for them.
And the Jehovah's Witnesses have to get over themselves - that "free ticket" that Russell promised you was pie in the sky. If you want to be a JW, it is gonna cost you.
OrphanCrow - "...So the WTS has to target the little people to step up to the plate."
That would be the "little people" who - more and more, it seems - are voting "no" with their wallets (via circumstance or choice).
:smirk:
(Yes, I'm aware that I use the :smirk: emoji a lot. I'm actually thinking of changing my avatar to it. )
Somebody has to pick up for the slack for when they lost Prince
Everybody has to chip in and make up for the loss of his donations. That may have been sizable
*to add - I think the most revealing and damning "list" that the WTS has is their list of donors. If a person could ever get their hands on a list of their biggest donors...who and how much...it would explain a LOT. Doctrinal twists and so much more
