Posts by belbab

23

FOLLOW THE MONEY AND COVER THE TRACKS

by belbab in

during the several years of my following the posts on this board, there have been quite a few posts that expressed wonder and curiosity, about how the leaders of the watchtower organization benefit personally from the financial affairs of this organization.

as i read the jwd posts yesterday morning, there were a couple i perused quickly, one was lees, where i learned something new, that the deeds of beth sarim were in .

big wow!

belbab

23

FOLLOW THE MONEY AND COVER THE TRACKS

by belbab in

during the several years of my following the posts on this board, there have been quite a few posts that expressed wonder and curiosity, about how the leaders of the watchtower organization benefit personally from the financial affairs of this organization.

as i read the jwd posts yesterday morning, there were a couple i perused quickly, one was lees, where i learned something new, that the deeds of beth sarim were in .

big wow!

belbab

Message *** w68 5/15 pp. 313-318 Happiness Results from Making the Most of One's Talents ***

Happiness Results from Making the Most of One's Talents

The life story of ANTON KOERBER as told by his friends

IT WAS late in the summer of 1967 and the occasion was a convention of Jehovah's witnesses. The location was the Laurel, Maryland, racetrack. High up in the stands, from where one could view the program, sat a white-haired elderly gentleman in a wheelchair, surrounded by a handful of friends. Though it turned out that he did not have much longer to live-he died within four months-his mind was alert and his spirit happy and enthusiastic as he shared upbuilding thoughts and items of interest with his friends.

Seeing him there surrounded by his friends, we called to mind the words of the psalmist: "Those who are planted in the house of Jehovah, in the courtyards of our God, they will blossom forth. They will still keep on thriving during grayheadedness, fat and fresh they will continue to be to tell that Jehovah is upright. He is my Rock, in whom there is no unrighteousness."-Ps. 92:13-15.

The semi-invalid was Anton Koerber, seventy-five years old, a happy and zealous servant of Jehovah God for more than fifty years. During this time he enjoyed a great variety of opportunities of serving his God Jehovah and his fellowmen, Christians and non-Christians. At the same time he was blessed with no mean share of this world's goods, of which he made generous use.

Anton was born on June 13, 1892, of Lutheran parents in modest circumstances, his father being a hotel chef in Baltimore, Maryland. Home was small but clean, and thrift was practiced, and so was discipline. Circumstances allowed little time for sports, and beginning with the age of twelve he spent school vacations working, first at a grocery store and then at a newspaper office. Modest family circumstances dictated getting a job as soon as eight grades of grammar school were completed. While thus working Anton attended night school and took correspondence courses in engineering to gain the equivalent of a high school education.

Particularly since the age of fourteen was he a faithful reader of the Bible. By the age of seventeen he quit his Lutheran church, disillusioned. But he had not lost faith in God, in God's Word, nor in the rightness of Bible principles. For about four years he attended various church services and even interested himself in a fraternal order, searching for God if he might find Him. (Acts 17:27) Then one day he came in touch with a Bible Student, as Jehovah's witnesses were then known. Here he found a man that was able to answer satisfactorily all his questions and who invited him to one of their meetings. This was it. Here at last was the kind of teaching for which he had been looking and the kind of people for whom he had been searching ever since he had begun reading the Bible. Before many months passed he dedicated himself to God to do his will and was baptized at Fairmont, West Virginia, in July 1913.

Anton realized that his calling was a heavenly one, with the hope that, if found faithful, he would share in the heavenly resurrection and be with his Lord and Master for all eternity, even as promised at Revelation 20:4-6, a hope he kept ever bright and always was happy to talk about to others. He tried to share his newly found truths with his friends and relatives, but as he himself put it, "I soon found that I was misunderstood no matter how hard I tried to explain and was unwanted if I continued to preach." But that did not discourage Anton, for had not Jesus forewarned that that was what his followers could expect?-Matt. 10:34-36.

Three years later he married and moved to Washington, D.C., where a son and daughter were born to him. During World War I he was arrested and tried because of his conscientious objection to war, but the case was held in abeyance and dropped when the war was over. He now saw his way clear to enter the full-time preaching work. This he did with William N. Hall, a retired army brigadier general, whose privilege it had been to accompany Pastor Russell, the first president of the Watch Tower Society, on one of his world tours. Anton found Hall a helpful companion and a fine soldier of Jesus Christ. They traveled far and wide in Maryland, Virginia and other Eastern states, leaving much literature in the homes of the people and setting up Bible study groups. They would later return to strengthen them in the faith and train them in the Christian ministry. Eventually a number of these groups became established congregations. So in these respects they were serving much as did the apostle Paul and his companions. (Acts 15:35, 36) In addition thereto, he was very active in weekend speaking tours, being a very able public speaker. All of this brought him much happiness.

For years Anton had been in the insurance business. While such issues as buying war bonds caused strained relations with his business associates, it was the slogan "Millions Now Living Will Never Die," which the Bible Students were then preaching, that caused him to sever his connections with the insurance business and enter the real estate field. There his natural abilities enabled him to become highly successful, buying, selling, building, financing and managing houses, hotels, apartment and office buildings.

BOUGHT OUT THE OPPORTUNE TIME

Anton had a most positive personality (as is apparent from his business successes), which he used to good advantage to witness to God's name and kingdom. From the start he never missed an opportunity to use his business connections to that end. He witnessed to all, rich and poor, high and low. They accorded him respect and some even acknowledged that what he told them was the truth and said that they wished that they could have the faith he had. He told them that they could if they would only believe the Bible!

To take a taxicab with him was an experience. He would begin talking about world conditions and the hope of God's kingdom. Then he would bring the driver into the conversation, and ever so often he succeeded in having the driver subscribe for the Watchtower magazine. Anton would then turn the name and address over to the nearest congregation so that the "seed" could be watered. (1 Cor. 3:6) When he took overnight trains, which his privileges of service often required him to do, he made it a point to preach to the sleeping-car porters, at times studying the Bible with them until the wee hours of the morning. Almost invariably he succeeded in getting these also to subscribe for the Watchtower magazine. No wonder that in 1955, a typical year, he obtained 532 subscriptions!

Even when not well he was alert to give a witness about God's kingdom. Thus while attending a convention in Rome, he found it necessary to leave the auditorium for some fresh air and rest. Just then a government auto drove up and the driver, a soldier in uniform, assisted a distinguished-looking gentleman and lady out of the car. Anton at once approached them and asked if he could be of any assistance. It turned out that the gentleman was a senator, a member of the Italian parliament, and that he had voted in favor of Jehovah's witnesses' being permitted to use these convention grounds, for there had been some opposition. Now he had come to see if everything was all right. Anton made good use of the opportunity to preach to the pair, with the result that the Senator ordered his soldier driver to go into the auditorium and get a copy of every kind of literature on display so that he and his wife might read it for themselves.

LIAISON ACTIVITY

Anton Koerber also had much happiness in serving the cause of God's kingdom by making successful business contacts, serving as a liaison officer as it were. He worked out contracts with radio stations and radio networks for broadcasting the Kingdom good news. He also proved of assistance in acquiring property in Brooklyn, New York, in South Lansing, New York, for the Kingdom Farm and Gilead School there, and in Toronto, Canada, for the Bethel home and factory there. While his business experience and contacts were of great help in these matters, he stated that he always put his trust in Jehovah to bring matters to a successful conclusion.

Even greater were his privileges in connection with representing God's cause to the government officials located in Washington, D.C. He had a share, back in 1925, in fighting for licenses for radio stations owned by the Watch Tower Society. For some twenty-five years and more he appeared before presidents, cabinet members and members of Congress to serve them with the many resolutions adopted by Jehovah's witnesses at their various assemblies, always keeping in mind the fact that he was Jehovah's representative on behalf of his brothers. He was heard saying that he never went before these men without first praying to Jehovah for direction and strength to do and to say what was pleasing to Him.

When one was accompanying him on his missions it was a pleasure to see the way he was greeted by many persons in the corridors on the way to a particular office; it was evident that he was widely known and respected as a representative of Jehovah's witnesses. The officials themselves were generally kind and cooperative as he sought assistance for those witnesses of Jehovah preaching God's kingdom in the face of strong opposition.

In 1933, while his wife and two children were at the Brooklyn headquarters, Anton was sent out as a Regional Servant in the eastern part of the United States. He helped to organize the congregations into special service groups. These groups were then used to concentrate on a particular city where the Witnesses had been arrested and otherwise harassed for preaching the good news about God's kingdom. Upward of a hundred Witnesses in twenty or more autos would meet at a predetermined contact point outside the city and then all descend upon the city for house-to-house preaching. At the same time Anton called on the city officials and the police to enlighten them as to the Constitutional rights of the Witnesses to engage in this work.

In 1935, he was sent to Germany to try to get the printing presses at the Watch Tower Society's Magdeburg branch, which had been seized by Hitler, transferred to Russia, with the hope of opening a branch in Russia. This was a most trying mission for him, as he was being watched constantly by the agents of both Nazi Germany and Communist Russia, neither of which had any affection for Jehovah's Christian witnesses. While his mission did not meet with success, he was able to contact some of the Witnesses in Russia and, of course, many in Germany whom he was able to encourage.

HAD RIGHT VIEW OF SECULAR ACTIVITY

Shortly thereafter Anton returned to his real estate activity, after which he again became active as a full-time pioneer minister. Then in 1952 he was able to arrange his affairs so as to be able to travel as a circuit minister for the Watch Tower Society. In this capacity he served for seven years; this was a work that brought him much joy. He was able to revisit many of the groups that he, with Brother Hall, had originally organized many years before. He also enjoyed many privileges through the years serving at various assemblies, circuit, district, national and international. His remarks were always very upbuilding and encouraging. It was apparent to all that he was very happy using his talents in serving Jehovah.

That Anton had the right view of secular work was apparent in a number of ways. One of these was the generosity he showed toward those who had served God's kingdom full time over many years at such places as the Brooklyn Bethel. Also indicative of his having the right perspective was the position he took in an incident that took place only a few years ago. He was approached by some of his old business associates, who were well acquainted with his business acumen, with what they thought was a tantalizing business offer, a proposition in which he could clear a million dollars for himself. But to realize this he would have to devote all his time for about a year to extensive business matters. He thought the matter over carefully, for one can do a lot of good with a million dollars. But after praying over the matter and asking for guidance and direction and the spirit of a sound mind, he came to the conclusion: "It is not possible for me to give up my wonderful privileges of serving Jehovah here for even just one year, no, not for all the money in the world. Serving my brothers here in Washington is more precious to me, and here I know I have Jehovah's blessing. I no doubt would make a million dollars, but at the end of the year of that kind of life, what would I be like spiritually, or even physically?" And so he turned down the offer.

THROUGH MUCH TRIBULATION

Anton's life was not one without obstacles or problems. No Christian can enter the Kingdom without his share of tribulation. (Acts 14:22) His very positive personality at times caused misunderstandings with his brothers, resulting in his being on the sidelines, as it were, for a time. During this time, in 1938, his wife was smitten with paralysis and for fourteen years she was a bedridden invalid, lovingly cared for by her husband and her daughter until her death in 1952. Shortly before she died Anton himself had to undergo surgery for cancer, and, though he suffered much, he never complained. He had one operation after another, from which the doctors as well as his close friends did not expect him to recover.

At the hospital he told the doctors and the staff that his life was in the hand of his God Jehovah. When he first went to a hospital he made clear where he stood in the matter of blood. One of the nurses, hearing what he said to the surgeon, flippantly remarked, "Well, maybe we'll give you blood anyhow!" To which Anton replied: "If you do you'll have the biggest lawsuit on your hands that you ever had!" Needless to say, they did not attempt to give him blood. On one occasion his surgeon and old friend Dr. Goldstein said to him: "Anton, your God Jehovah is very kind to you. I know of no other reason why you are alive today after all that you have gone through." Many times it was only by Jehovah's spirit and undeserved kindness and sheer determination that Anton was able to serve at conventions, minister to individual congregations as well as in the house-to-house ministry and in conducting Bible studies in the homes of the people.

After his friend Dr. Goldstein died he had to find other surgeons and go to other hospitals. But gradually his condition got so bad that surgery could no longer promise to be of any help. At the last hospital to which he was taken the doctors were unknown to him and wanted to give him a blood transfusion the very first thing. Upon his refusal they countered, "Well, if you will not take blood, why did you come here?" Anton replied: "To give you fellows a witness about Jehovah God, his laws and his kingdom." His positive manner elicited their respect, and they listened to what he had to tell them, after which they sent him back home.

In a remarkable way he was able to attend the annual meeting of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, held in Pittsburgh, October 1, 1967. It was to be his last meeting with his brothers at an assembly. The Civic Arena had been hired for the occasion, as the meeting was being held on Sunday. Anton looked forward to this meeting and made every effort to be there. Christian brothers kindly helped him onto the plane and traveled with him. Though he suffered much pain, he was uncomplaining and only anxious to get there to be with his brothers.

At the annual meeting he had a bad spell shortly after the proxy forms were handed in, and had to be helped out for a while, but he came back and stayed until just before the meeting ended. He was concerned about taking in the whole program so as to be able to give a good report to those of his congregation who had not been able to attend. He was assisted to his room and shortly after went to the Society's headquarters in Pittsburgh to visit with some friends who were most happy to see him. He was not able to stay long, however, and upon his return to his hotel room he suffered a bad hemorrhage. This was his condition when he arrived back home in Washington the next day. Nothing further could be done for him by the doctors, and he gradually weakened until his death on November 19, 1967.

His life had indeed been a full and happy one. He had served as a congregation publisher, pioneer minister, as traveling representative for the Watch Tower Society, at Brooklyn Bethel and in dealings with governmental agencies and business organizations. He traveled far and wide for the Society, both at home and abroad, represented his brothers in court cases and was extremely generous in a material way as well. He certainly had Jehovah's blessing, as was evident, on the one hand, by his zeal, love for Jehovah and his joy, and, on the other hand, by the fruitfulness of his labors.

He had the blessing of 'casting his bread upon the waters and seeing it return to him after many days' in the form of the love of the brothers whom he had assisted to come to a knowledge of the truth and in other ways. (Eccl. 11:1, 2) Like the apostle Paul, he could point to fellow Christians as his letters of recommendation. And though he is missed by his faithful associates, they rejoice to know that to him also the inspired words recorded by the apostle John apply: "Happy are the dead who die in union with the Lord from this time onward. Yes, says the spirit, let them rest from their labors, for the things they did go right with them."-Rev. 14:13; 2 Cor. 3:1-3.

23

FOLLOW THE MONEY AND COVER THE TRACKS

by belbab in

during the several years of my following the posts on this board, there have been quite a few posts that expressed wonder and curiosity, about how the leaders of the watchtower organization benefit personally from the financial affairs of this organization.

as i read the jwd posts yesterday morning, there were a couple i perused quickly, one was lees, where i learned something new, that the deeds of beth sarim were in .

big wow!

belbab

Here is another experience of mine. When I went to Pakistan, 1959, the official exchange rate between the rupee and the US dollar was about, 5 rupees for One US dollar. However, on the black market the exchange rate was many times that, I do not remember the exact figure. I just looked it up, it was 20 rupees for one US $ Missionaries received an allowance, I believe, of seven dollars US per month. which comes to 35 rupees and the missionary home expenses for two us in our home were ridiculously low, something like fifty rupees per month. So the total cost per missionary per month was say one hundred rupees which equals twenty dollar US. A short time after I arrived in Karachi, Pakistan, the branch servant casually introduced in to our discussion about other matters, that US dollars could be exchanged on the black market for many times the official exchange rate and the WT Society had no qualms about using the black market to exchange US dollars. He said to me that if I had any US money he would show me how to get the black market rate. His advice in my case was totally useless. I arrived in Pakistan with zero, zilch in my pockets. Even the fifty dollars the WT had given me for my five week trip on slow freighter to Pakistan, was used to pay for a used fridge, that went along with my baggage. This purchase of a fridge, was necessary because the missionary home assigned to me did not have one. It was the branch servant who had written to me before I left to bring a fridge along. In Pakistan there were seven missionaries when I was there.
Total estimated cost for seven missionaries per month ………..700 rupees = $140
Total estimated cost for seven on black market per month…….175 rupees = $ 35 One trip of a zone servant with a money belt carrying a money belt with 4 to 5 hundred dollars could pay for the expenses for seven missionaries for one year. Of course, the Society, who recommends that Caesar always receives his due would never do that, would they. belbab

23

FOLLOW THE MONEY AND COVER THE TRACKS

by belbab in

during the several years of my following the posts on this board, there have been quite a few posts that expressed wonder and curiosity, about how the leaders of the watchtower organization benefit personally from the financial affairs of this organization.

as i read the jwd posts yesterday morning, there were a couple i perused quickly, one was lees, where i learned something new, that the deeds of beth sarim were in .

big wow!

belbab

Mistake, sorry, belbab the incompetant

23

FOLLOW THE MONEY AND COVER THE TRACKS

by belbab in

during the several years of my following the posts on this board, there have been quite a few posts that expressed wonder and curiosity, about how the leaders of the watchtower organization benefit personally from the financial affairs of this organization.

as i read the jwd posts yesterday morning, there were a couple i perused quickly, one was lees, where i learned something new, that the deeds of beth sarim were in .

big wow!

belbab

Thanks VM 44, and Auld Soul, Blondie has located the article and if she doesn't post it, perhaps you can, if I try it I will botch it, I always seem to have trouble formatting.

belbab

23

FOLLOW THE MONEY AND COVER THE TRACKS

by belbab in

during the several years of my following the posts on this board, there have been quite a few posts that expressed wonder and curiosity, about how the leaders of the watchtower organization benefit personally from the financial affairs of this organization.

as i read the jwd posts yesterday morning, there were a couple i perused quickly, one was lees, where i learned something new, that the deeds of beth sarim were in .

big wow!

belbab

During the several years of my following the posts on this board, there have been quite a few posts that expressed wonder and curiosity, about how the leaders of the Watchtower Organization benefit personally from the financial affairs of this organization. As I read the JWD posts yesterday morning, there were a couple I perused quickly, one was Lee’s, where I learned something new, that the deeds of Beth Sarim were in . Big WOW!

Let me tell you one or two stories.

Around 1958 or 59 there were two renowned court cases in Quebec City , the litigants were, Government of Quebec vs Jehovah’s Witnesses. Even the Premier of Quebec, Maurice Duplessis was held on the witness stand for two hours, by Glen How, the WT lawyer.

At these trials the WT’s legal team had quite an entourage. I get these two trials mixed up in my mind, but here are some of those there for one or both trials, Glen How, lawyer, Hayden Covington a lawyer, a local Jewish/French lawyer were there. Other non- lawyers, were Percy Chapman, Canadian Branch servant; Roemer, , accounting; Fred Franz, who as a witness who testified loudly in court that the Catholic Church was a whore; Laurier Saumur, district servant and perhaps others that I cannot remember. Some had their wives there, perhaps as secretaries.

Where were all these people accommodated? They had a suite of adjoining rooms in one of the most prestigious renowned hotels in , The Chateau Frontenac. Just to show you how expensive it is, I looked up rates for the fall of 2006, they were booked up for summer rates this year, and the room rates for one room runs from $500 to $800. Do the math, they probably needed one room for a war room and six, seven others for bedrooms.

Who paid for this suite of rooms for approximately two weeks?

I did not mention one other person who was in this entourage. His name was Anton Koerber, and elderly, slim, slightly stooped, grey haired, distinguished looking, soft spoken, man as I remember him.

I was a congregation servant at that time in and whenever the Society’s group needed errands run around town I was sent here and there to do what was required. Hayden gave me a big bottle of whisky to show his appreciation for what I was doing.

Now, Percy Chapman, (I in hindsight realized later that I was being sized up as one of his golden haired boys) told me (to ensure that the word got around) that Anton Koerber was paying the whole shot. When the court case was over, Percy, asked me to tidy up the vestibule room, and pick up the ”pop” bottles (for recycling), I saved one that was half full, to share with my pioneer roommates.

In a special meeting of the local congregation and all the pioneers, before the trial, we were introduced to Anton Koerber, and told that Anton had left a real estate deal where he could have made a million dollars in one year. He came to serve the Lord instead.

Some years later there was a Watchtower article eulogizing his death, where it said something similar. Perhaps someone here could find the article.

I am not making judgments here as to the moral or legal aspects of financial transactions of the WT society. I am directing attention to how officials of the Society can get the taste of the high life, that most of us grunts never had, OK a few crumbs once in a long while.

Now, it was stated that Anton, may his services for ever be renowned, was also in the real estate business, and handled many of the Society’s real estate deals. In real estate deals there are always commissions, both buying and selling, and I am sure a charitable organization would legally be entitled to pay them. Since 1959, millions of dollars worth of Society real estate has changed hands, who got the commissions and how did those persons show their appreciation?

Do I have to draw you a picture?

Belbab, more to come.

FOLLOW THE MONEY AND COVER THE TRACKS

by belbab in

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belbab

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138

Uses of The 4th Dimension (Einstein was wrong!)

by use4d in

since i discovered the 4th dimension, one of the conclusions i have reached is, the 4th dimension is an infinite access to the truth.

throughout this website, i use the term "i wish" - it is really a way to voice a person's desire - and from the work i have done - it really works.

from the saying: "ask and you shall receive", i have understood that any human being can make an infinity of "wishes" and receive the truth (the correct answer) to every question they may have, in the form of a dream - that same night.

belbab

For the simple minded like myself, dimensions can be moved about. We have assumed that the first four or five dimensions are: Nothing, which becomes something when we think about it. A point with no size, a line when it is straight,and straight is also a relative perception. A crooked line traces out a plane, which also involves imagination, the surface of the earth can be considered as a curved plane, a volume, imagination again is involved. Time moving forward is a dimension, our perspective as humans can only experience it as going forward. But Feyman showed in his calcultions that atomic particle can move backward in time. Forward and Backward are creations of our own mind. A fifth and further dimensions can be added as well, take for example the temperature of the earth, or temperature, or magnetism, or gravity, or pressure. All of these can be a function of time, volume, points or lines or functions of each other. How they get up to thirteens or more is beyond me.

All I know is the whole dang shebang, depends on how our consciousness looks at it. Is the glass half full or half empty.

belbab

31

Man COURT ORDERED to attend K-Hall meetings!!

by DannyHaszard in

enquirer photo .

brett haines, right, and his attorney at his sentencing by judge william mallory.

[courts sentence drunk drivers to aa (alcoholic anonymous) meetings and use the same protocol having a 'court paper' signed by the meeting's chairperson.many drunks will become full fledged aa 12 step followers and will praise the court action that introduced them to the 'program'.it appears this man's sentence is modeled after the same idea.

belbab

WatchTower, Watchtower! quick, quick!

New way to increase meeting attendance!

All JWs who have exited and have become drunks, please return to your congregations

NOW!

Oh, wait a minute, what if they are disfellowshiped? What if the one the judge ordered back is already disfellowshipped?

Quite a conundrum for the Watchtower.

New Headline,

Drunk Jehovah's Witnesses ordered back to JW meetings and is Disfellowshipped.

I always knew God has a sense of humor

belbab

8

A "place of security," i.e., a bomb shelter, in NY

by Nathan Natas in

we're all familiar with the bombshelter in san diego known as "beth shan," but did you know the original intent of the watchtower property in south lansing, ny?.

(bolds are mine).

endurance by faith in jehovah.

belbab

I have mentionned this before also.

They based rationale for this place of refuge on the Bible text (paraphrase):

When you see Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies, flee to the mountains.

Then soon after N. H. Knorr took the helm, this building at South Lansing was turned into a school, Gilead school. Modifications were made.

The Catholic church, followed the lead of the Center of the Earth Society aka Wathtower , and did likewise. Threatened with the 35% vote for Communism in Italy, they built a huge building on the outskirts of Quebec City, which was reported to be built as a refuge for Vatican, if things got tough. When the Communist threat diminished they turn the building into an insane asylum. There, some Catholics who on the signature of a priest and medical doctor, could incarerate some who we commenced and propagated the beliefs of JWs. I visisted one person there, clandestinely, who managed to sneak a message out.

At Gilead they only incarerated you for five months, then sent you to Siberia, for a long stay.

I bin dere,

Now the WT has not changed its policy. Think Hawahi.(sp)

belbab