Vidiot

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Posts by Vidiot

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  21

  'Theocratic Careers' and the Covid Pandemic

  by eyeslice in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the watchtower has always banged on about not pursuing worldly careers and that best career was 'theocratic service.

  but now i am wondering what line they will take.

  let's have look at the options;.

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  Vidiot

  Reservations - "As a current PIMO elder, I’ve seen first hand a monumental attitude shift with the publishers in my cong."

  It's like having a front-row seat to a slow-motion train wreck, I'm guessing.
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  11

  Canada: Jehovah’s Witnesses challenge constitutionality of B.C. privacy law

  by yalbmert99 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  once again, watchtower doesn't want to respect our human rights.

  https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/jehovahs-witnesses-challenge-constitutionality-of-b-c-privacy-law.

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  Vidiot

  I suspect that the real reason the Org wants needs to keep ministry/door-to-door records has do to with retaining it's "charity" status.

  They don't do soup kitchens, clothing drives, or the like, so "preaching the gospel" is their only real qualification; therefore, they need clear, unambiguous records in case they're ever audited by federal revenue agencies...

  ...because - if I'm right - the Org's financial survival has become dependent on its tax-exemption.
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  20

  Big Cull of Foreign Language Groups and Congregations

  by eyeslice in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i overheard mrs eyeslice listening to '2021 governing body update 3' yesterday.

  apparently, they have started ditching foreign language groups and congregations as these weren't exactly roping anyone in.

  of course there is a positive spin on all this - '4,000 plus elders freed up to serve in local language congregations' and of course there has been immensely positive feedback from various branches about the benefits of this.. i suspect though there will be an awful lot of elders who were serving as king pins in these congregations who are going to have their noses put out by going back to local language congregations where they will barely be used.

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  Vidiot

  FFGhost - "...Protection of organization assets... Protection of organizational prestige... Maintenance or extension of power over adherents..."

  Yup. The second one is, IMO, the most important, though.

  These days, every decision the WTS makes... every decision... is crafted with the overarching goal of maintaining the illusion of "God's Exclusive Earthly Organization".

  Maintaining membership loyalty and discipline is a no-brainer, as long as the R&F subscribes to that fiction (what True Believer would dare leave that, after all?)...

  ...but more importantly, protecting the Society's assets - or, more accurately, staying fiscally solvent - is vital in maintaining the religion's continued functionality, and therefore - from their POV - cannot be allowed to be eroded (how could "God's Exclusive Earthly Organization" fail financially, after all?).

  It's the reason I think the WTS has been fighting so hard - and making such seemingly counterintuitive decisions - to keep its "charity" status... I suspect that the Org's business model has become almost completely dependent on its tax-exemption to stay in the black.

  Unfortunately for them...

  ...as we dive further and further into the 21st Century, it seems like it's becoming increasingly tricky to make the necessary adjustments that secular authorities require to keep said tax-exemption without undermining the Organizational fiction.
  
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  11

  Canada: Jehovah’s Witnesses challenge constitutionality of B.C. privacy law

  by yalbmert99 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  once again, watchtower doesn't want to respect our human rights.

  https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/jehovahs-witnesses-challenge-constitutionality-of-b-c-privacy-law.

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  Vidiot

  The Org has always liked having its cake and eating it, too.
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  35

  Over population

  by mickbobcat in

  1. social
  2. current

  so i see some very counter intuitive videos on how there is no over population issue.

  that the world will grow to about 11 billion and stop.

  well that would be the first time in human history that population just stopped.

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  Vidiot

  Wow.

  With magnanimity that big, you'll leave room for at least three people.

  Good on ya.

  
  
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  16

  Article in The Australian: Jehovah's Witnesses facing tax turmoil

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  https://www.theaustralian.com.au/.../64acd93d531eb6b7301d.... .

  sorry, the article is behind a paywall.

  however, here's a copy of it without the photo:.

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  Vidiot

  Don't kid yourself, Rocket...

  ...at this point, it's becoming pretty apparent that the Org doesn't give a rat's ass about their public image anymore. It's a lost cause.

  These days, virtually every decision is made towards...

  a) ...as you said, keeping their "charity" status to stay in the black, and...

  b) ...reinforcing the fiction of "God's Earthly Organization" in the eyes of the rank-and-file (trust me, the importance of this cannot be overstated, for a whole shit-ton of reasons).
  

  The real trick will be juggling the two...

  ...especially if certain public steps they need to take to keep their tax-exemption too deeply undermine the Organizational fiction.
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  24

  Belgium: Jehovah's Witnesses in court to respond to incitement to hatred

  by yalbmert99 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  belgium: jehovah's witnesses in court to respond to incitement to hatred.

  february 16, 2021.. https://www.levif.be/actualite/belgique/les-temoins-de-jehovah-devant-le-tribunal-pour-repondre-d-incitation-a-la-haine/article-news-1392951.html.

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  Vidiot

  Ten bucks says that if they lose the appeal, they'll quietly settle up instead of pushing it up the chain...

  ...'cause other recent court losses and threats to their tax-exemption is learnin' 'em to not rock the boat so much.

  Get smacked enough, and sooner or later, the lesson's gotta sink in, right?
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  24

  This Discussion Board

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when you look back the last 20 years , what a transformation!

  back then witnesses were putting out poetry and most were singing the praises of the organization.

  slowly and gradually, negative thoughts were allowed to be expressed about doctrines, elders and congregation life.

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  Vidiot

  Come for the facts, stay for the folks.
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  16

  Article in The Australian: Jehovah's Witnesses facing tax turmoil

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  https://www.theaustralian.com.au/.../64acd93d531eb6b7301d.... .

  sorry, the article is behind a paywall.

  however, here's a copy of it without the photo:.

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  Vidiot

  Okay, so now I'm deducing that the article was reporting on the November threat to yank the Org's "charity" status in response to their failure to join the Aussie redress scheme, and their eleventh-hour reconsideration was the referred-to resolution.

  It wasn't two separate things, it was flawed reporting on one.

  
  

  Still begs the question, though...

  ...just how dependent on its tax-exemption IS the WTS that the actual prospect of losing it brings about such a drastic about-face, after all prior protests to the contrary and the potential problems the decision could cause?
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  13

  Finland: significant (nearly 1/10) reduction in number of Kingdom Halls

  by Corney in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  according to a recent helsingin sanomat article, there are over 200 kingdom halls in finland.

  and over the last three years, 22 khs have been sold and five new halls have been built.

  currently, seven khs are listed for sale and two new ones are under construction.

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  Vidiot

  smiddy3 - "No business that is doing well financially and otherwise makes such drastic cuts."

  This.

  Like I keep saying, in what crazy-ass mirror universe are constant property liquidation, steady decrease of product output, and widespread staff reduction signs of robust financial health?