Do you legally join the WatchTower Society ?

by Simon 23 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Simon

  There has been some discussion in the past on whether people became legal members of the WatchTower Society or not when they got baptised and whether this was made clear to them. The WT argues that you are or are not a legal member as it suits them.

  Here is a thought...

  On their website's privacy statement at http://www.watchtower.org/contact/privacy.htm (linked from the 'request contact' form) they say:

  Will the Watchtower Society disclose the information it collects to outside parties?
  Watchtower does not give, sell, trade, or rent your personal information to others outside of Watchtower.

  So, when they pass your details on to a 'local-yokel' Elder or pioneer to call and see you, that person must be a member of 'WatchTower' or else they are breaking their own privacy statement above (not that breaking promises has ever bothered them before of course).

  And what special thing did they do to join? They got baptised, same as you and me.

  Just a thought.
• 

  Fredhall

  Simon,

  I you got everything totally confused here. A person does not dedicate his or her life to a corporation. He or she dedicate his life to Jehovah.
• 

  ianao

  Another masterpiece from the Bethel plant.
• 

  Simon

  That's my point Fred. Everyone thinks they are dedicating themselves to Jehovah but are unwittingly joining a corporation as basically an unpaid salesman.

  http://www.jwtruth.com/jwt/article.asp?/jwt/articles/baptism.htm

  They should make things clearer before you join. But then I guess people wouldn't be as inclinded to eh?
• 

  Fredhall

  Simon,

  I don't worship Jehovah through a legal corporation. I worship him with spirit and truth.
• 

  Yerusalyim

  Fred, does that mean you're one of the ANNOINTED? You worship in SPIRIT, hmmmmmm. You've gone from Fred the APostate to Fred the Annointed in one fell swoop. CONGRATULATIONS.

  Yeru

  YERUSALYIM
  I like peanut butter, can you rollerskate?
• 

  Fredhall

  Yerusalyim,

  Don't forget to take your cat on your vacation.
• 

  wannahelp

  Fred,

  Interesting comment.. Does that mean that anyone can worship Jehovah correctly and with his (Jehovah's) approval without being BAPTIZED into the watchtower organization (corporation)?

  If so, count me in, as I worship my god with all my heart, spirit and truth!!!

  If not, then I think your statement is in error, as you "need" the corporation/organization to worship him.... -- And, as you know, some of the "Truth" that the organization has dished out in the past has not even been close to any truth, and in some cases, has been outright lies, , so I guess that would mean that you worship him only in spirit via the 'worldly' organization..
• 

  Fredhall

  Wannahelp,

  I got baptised to dedicate my life to God. And Jesus did the same thing.
• 

  Maximus

  Simon, you've raised an issue with profound ramifications, both ethically and legally. Very thought-provoking.

  Let me comment on one specific point: The May US km outlines a new procedure for subscription renewal. No longer will there be an expiration insert in the magazines but rather a notice on the outside wrapper to that effect. All renewals are now to be processed through the local congregations, which will be notified of expirations, and a special form that will be "scanned upon return" to process the renewal.

  That means that non-JW subscribers to, say, Awake! will have their name and address officially given to the local congregation where they live, probably by zip+four or the like. Does the subscriber know that? Has s/he given permission for that collection of data to be transferred to his neighborhood? That's going to impinge on data privacy concerns.

  How do they define "Watchtower"?
  PA corporation? NY corporation? Christian Congregation? Obviously they must have in mind a definition other than corporate. A loophole?

  Legal must have worked this out, or are they once again just plain lying?

  Maximus