Watchtower Business Model

by little witch 25 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  cyber-sista

  You see, it is a lesson on efficiency. It is a business model. Eliminate all that do not contribute to the greater good (the bottom dollar). Members with problems or needs are not contributing to the goal. Eliminate them...It is a weakness that must be cut out like a cancer.

  I saw this with the poor ones in the congo--the ones who were truly needy. It was always stressed that we needed to carry our own load. When I was on my way out of the Org I knew of a sister who was "inactive" (horrors) because she was a single mom, had health problems, was poor and depressed and worked full time. She didn't have the energy to go to meetings or to do anything for the congo, but she herself needed help. I could see that people avoided her because they knew this and would only comment on how she should be doing more to encourage her kids into the Org. One of her kids told me that at one point she ran out of food and called an elder and told him the situation asking for help (she had to swallow a lot to do this). The elder told her that they couldn't help her because she was "inactive." She was forced to go to a food bank run by another church to get food to feed her kids. I remember this same elder's wife telling me at an earlier time that it was too bad she was inactive, because now she wouldn't be getting any help from the congo. I do think that some others in the congo (including myself) would have brought her some food if we knew, but it would not be under the direction or approval of our fearless leaders (the elders) to do so. Can you feel the love???
• 

  little witch

  ((((CS)))

  Thankyou for your honesty. I knew many families like that as well. And who doesnt need help from time to time? Stories like this are all too common in the witness community.

  In other church communities people care about each other and dont let members suffer. In the jw community we were told to be faithful and all would be provided. giving, sharing and concern were on the back burner. We had families in our congo who literally made their own underwear! (this in the 1980's)! That is how much they cared about the families!

  Never once was love and concern shown on a personal or family basis. Just " turn in your time" and "do more"....sigh...

  One family in particular suffered so....The Father (my Great Uncle) died after serving the tower for 40 plus years. The memorial service was thirty minutes of the most heartless, chastising BS I have ever heard!

  I will never step foot in another Kh for the rest of my life....It was that bad....

  So I ask again, why? Why do they do it? Are they just heartless, and evil? No I dont think so. The person who gave the service was a long time aquaintance of the family. I think it was just a cut and paste, cut to the chase escapade. None of the seven children ever went back.....I certainly didnt...

  It was cold because flowers cost money. Food costs money. Burials cost money (he was cremated).

  The watchtower condones nothing that will syphon money away from their bottom line. They call it "self glorification" etc.... Be it funerals, birthdays, education, or christmas.

  It is sort of like Mexicans coming into the US to labor so hard for a few bucks a day....It is terrible working conditions. But nobody complains. Least of all the ones who benifit. Free labor works for the ones who gain the profit.
• 

  Undaunted Danny

  Provocative post little witch. This isn't just some spontaneous combustion here my friends this WT compost heap has been smoldering for 120 years.
  

  The Watchtower's hypocritical denunciations hurled against'apostate Christendom'.They had the gall to apply this 'profitcy':to opposers who knew from the get-go that the russelites were a spin off of the william miller movement ca.1840 aka "mutated millerites"[ In 33 years of door to door I actually had numerous householders tell me about the 'millerite connection',and of course I was blinded to the reality]
  Hosea 8
  7 For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: Roger that you hypocrites,
  'what goes around comes around..or to quote from your own Bible again: Galatians 6 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. We are gonna light you up.
  
  As the world turns in all time zones...yes while i am getting my beauty sleep....our 'apostate' web counters are clicking and we are inflicting some serious mortal damage on the WT$.
  Matthew 25:41 :: New International Version (NIV)
  
  Matthew 25
  
  41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ... The judgment( if there is going to be one) STARTS {with those who say the are} the house of God.. The WT$ leaders are;"control freaks with a mean streak"They are also blinded to reality insulated in their Ivory tower.
  

  Back in 1989 I calculated (for that year)that as the world turns,4.4 men women and children were disfellowshipped per hour.The WT$ asserts that all were expelled @ "the direction of the Holy spirit".This is blasphemy. "the headless horseman runs their show"

  They have their 'apostate' prejudices and we have the Pentium processors. Tactical to practical,booted up,undaunted Danny The Ivory tower is due to topple.. Let's give it a heave ho...
• 

  little witch

  Thanks Danny,

  Not only for your compliment, but for all the hard work you do on jw issues. You are to be commended. I had reservations about posting my thoughts on this issue. But I need to make sense of it. I needed to come to terms with some deep guilt and shame over how our family treated people back then. Of course I was a child and knew something was amiss, but I also remember feeling some perverse sense of pride that we were just a little bit better than the next family....

  I knew that there was a pecking order and was taught in essence that if we focused on the human misery of others, the elders would turn their attention elsewhere.

  We didnt make the rules, we lived by them though. Terrible rules and regulations that were reiderated again and again from NYC. And I never understood why. In contrast, my beloved Grandma was a strong christian woman who seldom attended church, but was the most loving and charitable person I was ever blessed to know. She would give anything to anybody just for the asking. She was a powerful influence on me and I miss her so much. I know she is with the Lord now, church attendance be damned. I remember my Step mom doing her duty and taking jw lit to her (of course grandma had no interest in such nonsense), but she would leave it on the coffee table and "dog ear" the pages in order to make s.m. feel that she took her seriously. In other words, to show her respect. In contrast, SM held Grandmother in contempt and saw her as bird food....

  So anyway, I am trying to make sense of why the g.b. puts such emphasis on flat out meaness. This thread is my take on why. $$$$$$$$ Jgnat said that it wasnt about efficiency at all (and I do see her point) But on the other hand we have to remember that the jw's cannot do things the same as the "evil christendom". They must be different and stand apart. I believe that is central to their control and keeping members jw's. No choice can be given in the matter. The more unique they are, the more members will be retained. (where would we go)?

  At the end of the day 950 million bucks a year in profit and assets. They must be doing something "right"

  As in most businesses, "brand loyalty" is everything.
• 

  jgnat

  Efficient? NO! Profitable? YES! Proven strategy? YES!

  They are profitable because they have a virtually free labour force, who exit at great cost to themselves. There are virtually no lawsuits, exit packages, or pensions.

  The Watchtower Society as a business model is acting like an established, ageing company with a proven strategy. They are loath to change anything that is proven profitable. There are no dynamic, visionary leaders to bring in necessary change, the whole show is being run by committee. As a business model, we can expect them to become ever more "behind the times", have trouble attracting new members, ageing membership, ageing or absent leadership, and a long, slow, calcifying decline. They will try and fudge the numbers so it doesn't look so bad.

  Were you surprised when the USSR collapsed so suddenly? Did anybody really know how bad business was behind their facade? All the USA had to do was up the ante a little bit, and all of a sudden, the USSR couldn't keep up. Their recent "advancements" were all a sham.
• 

  little witch

  Jgnat, you are so right. Sticking to the old ways is a sure way to go bankrupt. I long to see the day this happens with the society. I do not think that what they are doing now will carry them into the future on several levels. First of all, not caring is inhumane. It is natural to want to show caring to others that we associate with. The fact that this is discouraged makes it not work.

  Secondly, the emphasis on pushing paper (peddling lit) is empty and unfullfilling. Not to mention time consuming.

  Thirdly, there is more awareness of how shallow such endeavors are. People are more educated and intuned to better ways of worship now days.

  I sure hope to see the collapse of the society. But I dont think it will ever go away completely. They seem to run mainly on tradition alone. Those are the hardest ties to break. (because the family shunning issue).

  As long as they convince a few to stay in, and their kids to stay in, they will survive on their meager monetary gains. Of course when those earnings run in the millions, that is nothing to sniff at. Losing lawsuits could put the hurt on them for sure. I am hoping that they will take a big bite!