Russian BOE letters of instruction - meetings and $$$ matter$ (page 2)

OrphanCrow

berrygerry: Money laundering?
No, we know nothing about money laundering.

Of course not. No money laundering here. The WTS call their 'bag men' special full time ministers.

Huh? What's that you say? No missionaries allowed in Russia? Okey dokey...no problem. The special full time ministers aren't missionaries anyways...their duty is to collect the money (preferably in cash) for the org. Money collectors, money mules. Who carry anonymous credit cards that can be re-loaded anonymously with the cash that all those persecuted Russians are faithfully sticking in jars so that Kingdom Halls can be built around the world at the same time that they are facing the loss of their own KH's and can no longer meet in them.

The persecuted Russian JWs are risking fines and loss of livelihood in order to continue to conduct those so very important meeting$. And the money is carefully counted after each meeting, meticulously recorded and obediently sent up the line. As cash or anonymous deposit.

flipper

Translation : Summation of the WT Society's view - " WE don't care if you get stuck and put up in a remote freaking Siberian work camp as a prisoner- you'll have to handle your own legal bills , but by God you better make sure the donations for the worldwide " kingdom " work still keeps coming to us at New York, USA. " Utterly disgusting

BluesBrother

I deplore the "money priority " as much as anyone - you would think that they would have other priorities.....Spiritual and shepherding ones ?

I question ,however , the wisdom and responsibility of posting this stuff on the net at this sensitive time. The Russian Interior Authorities are no friends of mine and I would not wish to provide info that might result in some poor J W sap being sent to the twenty-first century equivalent of the salt mines ..........

OrphanCrow

BluesBrothers: I question ,however , the wisdom and responsibility of posting this stuff on the net at this sensitive time. The Russian Interior Authorities are no friends of mine and I would not wish to provide info that might result in some poor J W sap being sent to the twenty-first century equivalent of the salt mines ..........

These documents have already been leaked and posted online by someone inside of Russia. If an exJW in Russia can get their hands on these letters, I suspect the Russian authorities already have them.

Yes, the JWs in Russia are poor saps. The publishers that meet and stick their rubles in jars at their secret meetings have no idea that the elders have received these instructions. The elders are told to stop using the KHs but they are instructed to keep meeting. And collecting money. And sending that money up line.

Poor saps indeed. Maybe leaking these letters will help some of those poor saps to wake up and use their rubles to feed themselves and their families instead of giving their money to an American corporate religion that is standing "shoulder to shoulder" with them so that the money chain can be kept alive.

longgone

This is so sad, my heart hurts for those who innocently believe the Governing Body cares about them. 😢

tiki

What about the well being of the people????? Is it all about how to keep the rubles flowing?!?! The $$$ should be the last thing on their minds...

OrphanCrow

tiki: What about the well being of the people????? Is it all about how to keep the rubles flowing?!?! The $$$ should be the last thing on their minds...

The Russian JWs are being used by the GB to fan the flames of "we are being persecuted!" when, as evidenced by these letters, the biggest persecution the GB is facing is how to get $$$ out of the Russian JWs.

Persecution? Who is persecuting who? It is really ballsy of the GB to make public, international statements to try to gain support and sympathy for their "religious persecution" at the very same time that they are placing undue hardship on those JWs themselves. Not only are they demanding that the Russian JW elders be part of illegally moving money around (the Admin Center in Russia has been banned from making financial transactions), they are also requesting meticulous records be kept. And photographed receipts of cash transfers. Record keeping like that can only add to the trouble the Russian JWs will be in if they are caught being part of a scheme to bypass Russian authorities.

Is the GB really concerned about the persecution of Russian JWs? When the GB themselves make demands that add to the risk of them being persecuted? All for the sake of $$$? Are they really fighting for the "freedom to worship" or is it really the "freedom to donate" that is the priority?

Shoulder to shoulder?

I don't think so. It is more like boot to forehead. And the GB/WTS are the ones applying the boot

Esse quam videri

Scene: Work camp, Siberia

Prison guard: " Hey Anatoly, here's you monthly mail packet. Two letters this month. One from your wife and another one, from some place called Warwick, NY."

Anatoly: Thank-you sir.

Guard: " Well, are you not going to read them?"

Anatoly: 'Thank-you sir, I will read them later sir. Thank-you."

Later that night, after a hard day of meaningless and tiring work Anatoly opens his mail. The first one is from his loving wife, Anastasia, encouraging him to stay strong and keep the faith. His spirits are built up and he feels much better. Then he opens the second letter. He looks at the return address. He is excited and his spirit is high.

Dear Brother Anatoly Schmuckov,

We hope this letter finds you in good health. How wonderful it is to be able to show Jehovah how valuable he is to us, when we persevere under all trials for his name. Now, Br. Schmukov, we find it necessary to remind you that your monthly 'voluntary commitment' donations have not been reaching us for several months. It was with great difficulty that we finally were able to get your new address. It is also disturbing that we had to go to such effort to track you down, but now that we have, please remit your 'voluntary commitment' donation for this month and the previous seven months.

Your Christian Brothers,

WatchTower Bible and Tract Society

Next morning:

Guard: Well, Anatoly, any good news in your letters?

Anatoly: Not really.

steve2

Suffering is the lifeblood of religious devotion and money its oxygen.

Anony Mous

The fact that they're being told to keep careful track of the money just shows they're so scared some poor sap will hold back a few hundred rubles. This just seems so desperate for funds.

The interesting thing is that JWs are not banned in Russia, the only thing that got banned was certain articles that disparage "apostates" and the shunning doctrine. They make this seem like it's such a secret, individual congregations can still meet as long as they have independent leadership without teaching or funding extremist doctrines at he Russian or NY headquarters, they just have to have Russians develop doctrine independently but these letters are such desperate attempts at keeping the monopoly on leadership in NY regardless of the fallout.

Russian BOE letters of instruction - meetings and $$$ matter$

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