jehovah's witnesses' brooklyn tax exemptions totaled $368 million.
downtown brooklyn partnership ups its pressure on the tax-exempt organization to donate $50 million.
the jehovah’s witnesses have been exempted from paying at least $368 million in taxes on their brooklyn real estate holdings over the last 12 years, according to an analysis by the downtown brooklyn partnership and consulting firm bjh advisers.
hey, what if the old teaching, that when the govt 'turns' on all the religions and goes after them for the tax money, then religious organizations will all collapse, [and they will deny they belong to a religion] comes true? then the Jw org will look like they were right,lol .
its interesting that so many institutions that claim non profit can get away with no paying taxes.
i have been pondering over the wt study last sunday.
the title, when i first read it, told me that i was going to hear a lot of the same crap i had to put up with during the 2014 international convention.
while some of it was there, the subliminal message given on the magazine was far from what the title implied to me.
my mom used to always tell me, when door to door stops, the end will come.
well, I now wonder how she will twist this little curve to fit her philosophy.
maybe its their attempt to justify their bumbling on line and now public presence .
i recall watching that documentary a long time ago.
thing is, I don't know how any organization or cult, gains members by taking away their freedom to think for themselves, to live life the way that makes them happy, by taking away any joy they may have, and replacing it with nothing of value, I ask, what does it offer, that is any different than an extremest view , that you must sacrifice your life and die to have 'eternal life', or virgins, or whatever. its no better than being a celibate monk that beats themselves with whips. I don't recall reading any such need for such sacrifice in the bible.
I told my mom many times, if its so great, and everyone is so happy, people wouldn't be leaving.
its the hotel California, you sign in, but can never leave, lol.
sign out doesn't work for me until I totally shut my computer off. odd. its possible that its a browser issue,
but Im no computer whiz.
i was at a wedding the summer before i left the jws and i met an old friend.
he had been reinstated for 6 months, he was dfed for 4 years.
so it took him 3 1/2 years before they would let him back in.
its true,
out of a million good things we do, They never forget the one 'wrong' thing we might have done.
even if we didn't do anything wrong, your looked down on for doing anything someone may feel was 'unnecessary'.
its written down someplace, I assure you.
hypocrites, they write a sickening article about hypocrisy and fail to apply it.
they sure have rafters in their eyes.
here is what i would name my band(s) let see if you can list some funny ones as well.
here is my list:.
local needs.
something that gets little attention or not enough is the what kind of social behavioral people were the ones who started the watchtower corporation ?
c t russell was someone who got divorced from it would appear a lack of love and attention to his wife and the supposed attention he gave to a younger woman who had lived at his home together with his wife .. j rutherford built a lavish home in sunny and warm san diego and lived with his mistress and personal assistant, separated from his wife.
apparently hoarding and drinking alcohol as well when it was illegal by law to do so.. would either of these men qualify to be even elders in today's standards ?
yea, my mom would say, 'prove it, thats propaganda and lies.'
that's what she says about everything that isn't printed in a watchtower.
funny how they can gloss over those faults,
but its not ok for decent good people to run their own lives and worship in peace.
to myself it means to seek knowledge and understanding of are selves and the world in which we live.. unfortunately history has shown whenever one tries to connect to god and of his knowledge through men who say they themselves are connected to god through spiritual wifi ie.
gb members of the jehovah's witnesses for example, one usually ends up finding a accumulation of only man's acquired knowledge.
over thousands of years of trying to connect to a god(s) for help and answers, mankind has eventually relinquished himself to seeking answers through scientific investigative acquired knowledge of the world in which we live in.
when i hear the word god , my anxiety goes haywire. it means stress, anger, fear, confusion and guilt.
in any event, its a negative at this time.
having 2 teenagers myself the plight of young people leaving the organisation is close to my heart, shunning of young ones and destruction of families is what triggered my awakening.. ive just heard about a friend of my daughters who is df'd and being shunned by his family, apparently he is part of a campaign to take the shunning issue to the echr, i'm trying to find out more but does anyone else know about this?.
another friend of hers is also being shunned, he's is being allowed to stay at home for now because he can't afford to leave but he isn't allowed to speak to his sister at all and is limited to short greetings with his parents, after which he has to stay in his room.
poor boy has tried to commit suicide.
the very idea of young people being treated this way by their parents and family members is appalling. a loving god would never approve of that behavior. there are scriptures that support being loving to people even your enemies. we have to save the children, before its too late. somehow these kids need to know there is someone there for them to talk to.
WT. takes one line of a scripture and twists it, and use it to make people want to leave, It illogical to me.
they knew how the pharisees in Jesus day expected too much of the people, and yet THEY do it!
this shows the mental disconnect that the org has taught so many people.
yes, there will be no natural affection alright. there cant be natural affection from people in cults.
I have experienced as an adult, and as a youth, being avoided simply for not being regular at meetings.
Im sure my mom would tell anyone who asked where i was, that i was being 'rebellious' and lazy.
she likes to pull the lazy card on everyone. your 'lazy' if you dont go door to door or to meetings, lol
wow. kids are labeled as 'not a spiritual person' if they aren't 100 percent at meetings in door to door or having their hands up all the time or giving talks. they are judged before they even know whats going on. peoples bible studies are also under suspicion, and avoided and not invited anyplace, because you know they are 'worldly' you cant win. your never good enough.
what do you think of the phrase " you don't have all the facts, and i am not in a position to tell you what i know"?.
has this phrase ever been used with you?
i have my own opinions at present but i don't want to express them yet as they are subject to change.. kate xx.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzqaeusdmtk.
http://jdc.jefferson.edu/jmbcimfp/5/.
abstract.
DJS; you say,
[Anyone who allows someone else to do their thinking and has given up all analytical rigor, swallowing the tepid conformationally biased nonsense spewed by their leaders and relying on their feelings and beliefs for many years as do so many very religious people, is not using a vital muscle - their brain. It isn't any different than a couch potato. Unused muscles atrophy.]
now now, your on here with the rest of us ...
david and djs is your J w showing? lol
Now you cant deny the crafty ability of the wt orgs evil salesmen, give then part credit for the grand scheme they have going on. masters of deception. and so who else are masters of deception? lots of groups, from govt to corporations to science.
that my dear takes an amount of skill, good or bad.
IMO, people who are religious, might have one of two purposes , to be viewed as good, and worthy of ‘gifts’ from the lord. or to view themselves and better than thou. or 'special' lol.
depends on he upbringing.
the short answer is no.
because if you take time studying a religious belief system, and it occupies all of your time,
you have no other space left in the day , or the brain for other more beneficial subjects.
