slimboyfat

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Posts by slimboyfat

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  138

  LEAKED: WHQ Accounts: 2016-2020 Budget

  by Fay Dehr in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 1 of 5] https://youtu.be/g08tw2v3b4s.

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 2 of 5] https://youtu.be/rpceb5v0vbe.

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 3 of 5] https://youtu.be/2xa08ukc_6i.

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  slimboyfat

  Well yes that’s what I’ve been saying. They have everything coming at once:

  1. Decline in wealthy countries that are net contributors.

  2. Growth in poor countries that are a financial drain. (Honduras alone reported to cost $6 million net per year)

  3. Millions of new Bibles to supply when they can least afford it.

  4. Relying on “income” from property sales to cover ongoing expenses, an unsustainable stop gap measure.

  5. Making cuts that don’t save as much as they hoped. (Cutting printing by 90% doesn’t cut printing costs by 90% and cutting bethelites by a quarter doesn’t save a quarter of the costs)

  6. Increasing legal costs.

  7. Payouts and settlements in legal cases.

  8. Decreasing contributions from publishers in response to cutbacks and media reports of legal settlements.

  9. No apparent way to monetise any of their output either old print media or new broadcasting output.

  10. No apparent wealthy benefactors as other groups often rely upon.

  Yes on top of all of this, if the economy in general gets worse, it’s difficult to see how an organisation that is already struggling, will be able to survive.
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  286

  Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Baker Who Refused to Bake Cake for Gay Couple

  by Simon in

  1. social
  2. current

  seems like such an obviously correct decision to overturn the previous overreach - it should never have been necessary to go to the supreme court but happened because the rights of the religious were being ignored.. as the fundamental level, no one should be able to compel you to work for them or to provide services that go against your beliefs, and certainly not have the government be able to force you to comply.. if this was allowed there would be so many unreconcilable situations that would clog up courts over nonsense.. i also have little patience for these activists that intentionally look to be offended.

  it really doesn't do their cause any good to go round looking to make trouble for people.

  it's also misguided because it ends up strengthening religious rights over effectively stupid issues.. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/04/us/politics/supreme-court-sides-with-baker-who-turned-away-gay-couple.html.

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  slimboyfat

  I guess the point is that your sexual orientation is not a choice, whereas being a homophobe is a choice. And not a choice that should be pandered to in public. What homophobes do and say in private is their business. But there should be no place for discrimination in public, no matter how “sincerely held” their homophobia.
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  138

  LEAKED: WHQ Accounts: 2016-2020 Budget

  by Fay Dehr in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 1 of 5] https://youtu.be/g08tw2v3b4s.

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 2 of 5] https://youtu.be/rpceb5v0vbe.

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 3 of 5] https://youtu.be/2xa08ukc_6i.

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  slimboyfat

  Do they really say most contributions are electronic now? I wonder if electronic contributions go through the congregation or straight to the branch, or even the headquarters. If someone donates on the website who lives in the UK, is that money sent straight to the United States and not counted in the UK?
• 
  138

  LEAKED: WHQ Accounts: 2016-2020 Budget

  by Fay Dehr in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 1 of 5] https://youtu.be/g08tw2v3b4s.

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 2 of 5] https://youtu.be/rpceb5v0vbe.

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 3 of 5] https://youtu.be/2xa08ukc_6i.

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  slimboyfat

  Who knows, they might. But I think it would be a mistake. Being an elder is often already a thankless job. Forcing them to pay money for the “privilege” would be a last straw for many. Plus it’s meant to be anonymous. How do they technically and ideologically adjust to demanding money?
• 
  138

  LEAKED: WHQ Accounts: 2016-2020 Budget

  by Fay Dehr in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 1 of 5] https://youtu.be/g08tw2v3b4s.

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 2 of 5] https://youtu.be/rpceb5v0vbe.

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 3 of 5] https://youtu.be/2xa08ukc_6i.

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  slimboyfat

  They must have expenses that exceed $1.2 billion a year, or whatever it is they have coming in. The $1.2 billion figure is only a very rough estimate, for the reasons I gave on another thread. But if anything, my guess would be it’s on the conservative side.

  How much do they spend each year? We only know that they spend nearly quarter of a billion dollars annually on special pioneers, mirrionaries and circuit overseers. That’s the only figure they give. We don’t know how much other costs total, including bethelite allowances, healthcare and so on, print, online media production, legal fees, building maintenance and repairs, vehicles, travel, and whatever else. It could easily amount to much more than $1.2 billion annually.

  I totally agree there are many small indications in their comments in recent years that donations have not met expectations. Lett seemed disappointed that more money was not generated from his appeal. Morris all but implied that cutbacks such as the yearbook were because brothers were not contributing enough. Another GB member (I forget) said any good household head cuts spending to meet the budget. And perhaps most tellingly of all, in one of the leaked videos a speaker made the comment that the cuts programme must continue “unless the level of contributions changes significantly going forward”, or something like that. Which tells us they are disappointed with the amount contributed and still hold out some sort of vague hope that it will magically improve.
• 
  286

  Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Baker Who Refused to Bake Cake for Gay Couple

  by Simon in

  1. social
  2. current

  seems like such an obviously correct decision to overturn the previous overreach - it should never have been necessary to go to the supreme court but happened because the rights of the religious were being ignored.. as the fundamental level, no one should be able to compel you to work for them or to provide services that go against your beliefs, and certainly not have the government be able to force you to comply.. if this was allowed there would be so many unreconcilable situations that would clog up courts over nonsense.. i also have little patience for these activists that intentionally look to be offended.

  it really doesn't do their cause any good to go round looking to make trouble for people.

  it's also misguided because it ends up strengthening religious rights over effectively stupid issues.. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/04/us/politics/supreme-court-sides-with-baker-who-turned-away-gay-couple.html.

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  slimboyfat

  Can a business refuse to “apply their artistic talent” for a mixed race couple, if they oppose mixed race marriages?

  Businesses can refuse customers who are descructive or offensive. They can’t refuse customers on the basis of race, gender, sexuality or relgion. If I owned a newspaper and JWs wanted to advertise I would need to base the decision on factors other than relgion, such as accuracy and space and commercial considerations. I couldn’t refuse on the basis of relgion, as I understand it. Which seems fair enough.
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  138

  LEAKED: WHQ Accounts: 2016-2020 Budget

  by Fay Dehr in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 1 of 5] https://youtu.be/g08tw2v3b4s.

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 2 of 5] https://youtu.be/rpceb5v0vbe.

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 3 of 5] https://youtu.be/2xa08ukc_6i.

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  slimboyfat

  They are spending more than $1.2 billion a year and have done for many years. Their deficit has finally caught up with them.
• 
  138

  LEAKED: WHQ Accounts: 2016-2020 Budget

  by Fay Dehr in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 1 of 5] https://youtu.be/g08tw2v3b4s.

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 2 of 5] https://youtu.be/rpceb5v0vbe.

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 3 of 5] https://youtu.be/2xa08ukc_6i.

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  slimboyfat

  Lett said donations increased by 15% for the months of June and July 2015 before returning to normal. This leak says there was an $30 million received. That would indicate that JWs collect something in the region of $100 million in donations per month, or $1.2 billion per year. That would mean each JW contributes around $150 per year on average. That may seem very low, but many JWs live in poor countries. So it might be about right.

  For comparison the Seventh Day Adventist Church received $3.2 billion in donations in 2016. That works out at $160 per member - slightly more than JWs. Which is impressive when you consider that many Adventists live in Africa and other poor regions, while they are virtually absent from most of Europe. No doubt their belief in tithing and pro-education stance explains higher donations.

  Edit: I didn’t think this message made it, hence the duplication. Or repetition for emphasis, TMS terminology.
• 
  138

  LEAKED: WHQ Accounts: 2016-2020 Budget

  by Fay Dehr in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 1 of 5] https://youtu.be/g08tw2v3b4s.

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 2 of 5] https://youtu.be/rpceb5v0vbe.

  leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 3 of 5] https://youtu.be/2xa08ukc_6i.

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  slimboyfat

  Lett stasted that contributions increased by 15% during June and July 2015 following his appeal in May 2015. This internal video says that an extra $30 million was donated as a result of the appeal. This would suggest that WT usually collects something in the region of $100 million per month in donations, or $1.2 billion per year. That would mean JWs only contribute $150 each on average per year. Which seems very little, but plausible considering many JWs live in poor countries.

  For comparison Seventh Day Adventist collect $3.2 billion per year in donations, which works out at $160 per member. However it’s worth noting that Seventh Day Adeventist membership is much more skewed toward poor African countries than JWs. Adventists are largely absent from most of Europe, for example. So for them to contribute more per member than JWs is actually quite telling, and no doubt a result of their belief in tithing.
• 
  286

  Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Baker Who Refused to Bake Cake for Gay Couple

  by Simon in

  1. social
  2. current

  seems like such an obviously correct decision to overturn the previous overreach - it should never have been necessary to go to the supreme court but happened because the rights of the religious were being ignored.. as the fundamental level, no one should be able to compel you to work for them or to provide services that go against your beliefs, and certainly not have the government be able to force you to comply.. if this was allowed there would be so many unreconcilable situations that would clog up courts over nonsense.. i also have little patience for these activists that intentionally look to be offended.

  it really doesn't do their cause any good to go round looking to make trouble for people.

  it's also misguided because it ends up strengthening religious rights over effectively stupid issues.. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/04/us/politics/supreme-court-sides-with-baker-who-turned-away-gay-couple.html.

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  slimboyfat

  You seem confused. People are protected in law from discrimination on the basis of race, gender and sexuality. Racism and bigotry are not protected by law.

  That’s why it’s illegal for a business to refuse a mixed race couple.

  But not illegal for a business to refuse a racist.

  Obviously. For crying out loud.