Several years back I was listening to a man who lived in a religious
community tell about how much God had blessed them.The main evidences
of God`s blessings were the impressive buildings and beautifully manicured grounds, complete with lovely flower gardens.This organization`s method of operations was to have everybody live together and work in the community`s various businesses.They manufactured some products and also had a growing printing and publishing operation.
At the time most of the labor was done by members of the community
who were not salaried.Instead of a monthly salary,they received an
allowance.I believe the amount was something like $50 per individual
and $200 per family.All members of the family worked,either in money
producing operations or in maintanence of the place itself.I was told
that the place was really expanding,buying new properties and building
new buildings.Many of the new properties were in other countries where
they were opening up bookstores and other operations. All of this,I was told were signs of God`s blessing.
Since then,I`ve heard things changed.Due to new tax laws,and the threat of law suits from unhappy former members,the community was forced to make a choice.Either they could have all their members take a vow of poverty and live in a monastic way or,they had to start paying salaries. The community was small (a few hundred people) and each person had voting rights.They decided to go with a salary based system.Since that change I`ve heard things have changed.Money has gotten tight.Real estate has been sold to keep above water financially and they seem to be facing the challenges of any normal business. My question is; What happened toGod`s special blessing?
It seems the apparent blessing was built more out of free labor than a special line to heaven. (I`ve also heard that most members of the community are happier now that they can control their own funds).
All of this raises questions about the WTS`s set-up.How many people
buy into the idea of special blessings from Jehovah when they see the
photos of the ever-increasing world-wide real estate? How many people
have ever given any serious thought to the power of FREE LABOR?
Many years back I worked in the printing industry.At the time my job
was called `Litho Stripping`.It was the phase of printing between the
design stage and plate making.One time I asked my boss to give me a
quote on the cost of printing 1 million copies of the WT magazine.
He came up with a price of any where from 7 cents to 11 cents per
copy (W/O labor).It was said at that time that the cost of producing
a book was between 10 - 12% of the cover price.In the real world you
have to add labor,distribution and bookstore margins. In the WT world
however, the dynamics are very different.You have virtually free labor
and free distribution.On top of that you have guaranteed sales!
Someone once said,`Without labor costs,you would have to be a total
idiot to fail in business`.
How long will the sweat and tears of the bros. free labor world wide
be called the special blessing of Jehovah? Have Bethel workers taken
a vow of poverty? What is a person left with when they leave the org.
after years of un-rewarded profit generating labor? How does the org.
get around the U.S. tax laws? When will people wake up to the fact
that the WT empire is built on FREE LABOR. JWD