by cappytan 49 Replies latest watchtower scandals
If my math is right, that would mean the 1,300 members donated an average of 131,000 euros each.
I'm sure there are some JWs in that area that might be able to contribute that much, but I'm slightly skeptical it's that many. Although doing the math....there are just over 100,000 JWs in Spain (based on a quick Google search...not invested enough to dig up the yearbook figure), so if this story is true, it looks like the "one per centers" of Spain's JWs got taken.
I'm finding corroboration!
http://infocatolica.com/blog/infories.php
01/23/15
The prosecution requested sentences ranging from 9 to 13 years in prison for a crime of fraud and other criminal bankruptcy for 6 of the 14 responsible for a congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses to those accused of embezzling more than 170 million euroscollected, based on false promises, among more than 1,300 followers of the sect in Spain. He tells Carlos Quílez in Digital Economy .
The events date back to 2001, when 14 elders (the name by which Jehovah's Witnesses know their spiritual shepherds) using religious ceremonies to collect from his parish cash " to build a hospital in Barcelona , which under our direction, do not provide blood transfusions to patients of our worship " .
Some 1,300 members of the movement paid different amounts and at different times when the elders passed the brush. And they did so in the belief that their money would be used effectively for the construction of the hospital. But years passed and that did not happen. As is common ground in the trial against those responsible was recently followed by the Court of Barcelona, the accused spiritual leaders remained money .
Yeah, it seems extremely unlikely that there are that many JWs in Spain who could afford that much - 1300 people donated an average of 130,000 each?
And out of 1300 people, nobody mentioned to a CO or Spanish Bethelite, "Hey, how great about that new JW hospital, right?" ...to which the CO or Bethelite would reply "Huh? What hospital?"
Something smells funny about the story.
Maybe they didn't steal it, maybe they sent it to the WTS last year with all the other congregations.
Can someone do the math? How many Witnesses in Spain (100,000?) divided into $170 million? Even with a few rich ones that would come out to a few thousand dollars per person.
Yes, the JW count in Spain is roughly 100,000.
The news article specifically states that 1300 suffered loss, though.
170,000,000 / 1300 = ~130,000 euros donated by each, on average.
170,000,000 / 100,000 = ~1700 euros donated by each, on average.
After the Org's fleecing via pledges etc., would any Spaniard have any money left????
I smell a large rodent.
