Okay, the French dislike the United States. The French voted against going to war with Iraq because it was a US resolution. the WT was a US based NGO-DPI. the WT can do favors in France until their resignation in 2002 from the WT. After that, they don't have political power to do squat in any foreign countries. They only have limited power in the United States because they are US born, and because the US is the least strict country against religion(freedom of religion, first amendment), and the freedom to assemble, so they can't be prosecuted by any government official in the US for any of it. But when you cut the international power out, why should France care about a US based company? France dislikes the US, and since the WT is based in the US, why not tax the hell out of the United States legally eh? They can't tax diplomats or official US represenatives, but they sure as hell can tax the shit out of US corporations. I don't know if i'm right or not. But all i know was that its jumbled around in my brain and it kinda makes a bit of sense....
I just realized somethign about the WT and UN and France
by dustyb 15 Replies latest jw friends
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dustyb
OR OR OR OR, or maybe the French government is taxing the WT for all the money they gave them when they were an NGO-DPI of the United Nations...
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Narkissos
Positively amazing.
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dustyb
i know i'm a dirty american =D
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outnfree
dustyb,
I don't think the WT ever had any political influence in France. Au contraire, the French government was simply quick to seize on the fact that the Watchtower Society is not really a charitable organization, seeing as it does nothing as an institution that charities are known for: feeding the poor, helping the downtrodden, giving medical aid or shelter to the unfortunate, establishing hospitals, old age communites, etc., etc. for the public at large (let alone for their own members). If they are not a charity, the French reasoned, then the WT was a publishing corporation and subject to corporate taxes like any other corporation. C'est tout et c'est si simple!
I sincerely wish other governments would take off their blinders to see that this "religious organization" cannot in any way be termed a "charity."
P.S. You are not a dirty American, but you are young! Keep researching.
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Narkissos
Hey DustyB,
I didn't say "US go home", to the contrary I mean have a look abroad (preferably unarmed) and you might reassess your chain of causalities. And perhaps realize that "dislike of the US" is not so frequent or strong as you think and is hardly the First Cause of anything anyway. Things are just a bit more complex. As regards the dealings of the French tax administration with the local WT, I think they are fully justified in view of the French traditional secular policy which regards them as any association. The fact is, however, that there has been considerable pressure from the US Department of State on European institutions to protect more or less harmful sects such as JWs or Scientology, on the grounds of the American view of "freedom of religion"...
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garybuss
Dusty, you might want to whip a read on the background study of cults in France. Here is the link.
http://cftf.com/french/Les_Sectes_en_France/cults.html#debut
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undercover
Okay, I admit that I'm not really up on this subject except to say that I know France wants to tax the WTS.
the French government was simply quick to seize on the fact that the Watchtower Society is not really a charitable organization,
If this is the reason the French government decided to tax the WTS, it seems pretty reasonable to me why the French government isn't backing down. The WTS has no charitable organizations, gives no money away to charity, does not feed or cloth the needy. All of the WTS cries of religious oppression will not work if proof of charitable works are required.
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Dansk
All of the WTS cries of religious oppression will not work if proof of charitable works are required.
Pity we don't have the same rule in Britain.
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dustyb
like i said, it was just something i was thinking of because i was really tired and think of crazy things like that. it makes more sense that in order to yell, "religious opression", you have to show something that benefits your fellow man.