Thank you Norm, I love your posts.
New Eyes
JoinedPosts by New Eyes
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Butt-kissing and sucking up
by Norm inlooking through the watchtower magazines from the thirties reveal a most nauseating groveling to president j. f. rutherford.
if it isnt actually worshiping him it comes extremely close.. in every number of the magazine there is a section where they print such drivel from obviously brainless worshipers to the judge.
the following examples are just randomly picked from 1930. .
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sister says prayer with elders !!!!!
by jurs inthis friday the elders are coming over to discuss my da letter.
i keep studying and thinking of what i want to say.
i'm sure they'll open with a prayer.
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New Eyes
jurs,
i hope you do well tonight but i think Farkel is wright. you are not in there power now. tell them so! no meetings, no games, no more bull shit!!!
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Sign of the Beast
by seedy3 ini just finished watching a program on the book of revelation.
it was a very interesting program.
but one thing i came out with was a puzzle.
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New Eyes
seedy,
If I may say, go out and get your self a good study Bible like the NRSV. that Bible is accepted by all major Christian Religions, and has a line by line study gide. I hope you can luse your fear of the Apocalypes.
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OPERATION TALKING LAMBS
by silentlambs inwell finally it is done, a new brochure to freely distribute anywhere any time and you can simply download and print it off right from the website.
also several new posters you can print out and put up on local bulletin boards or any public place.
the lambs are speaking and wt is going to have to listen.
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New Eyes
thank you sl
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WT June 1, 2001 (part II)
by Defender inthe second article of discussion in this issue is titled: "moving ahead to final victory!".
the article starts to talk about christs enthronement as king and in paragraph one, along with an illustration of crowned jesus riding on a white horse, it states: "we today, have clear evidence that this foretold enthronement took place in 1914.. since watchtower article discussions are always a one way dialogue, where the society speaks and the rank and file just listens, it is easy to make assertions.
in a normal two way dialogue, when one says "i have clear evidence" for something, the other party will not just nod his head in agreement, but would rather demand to know and see what this clear evidence is and would want to proceed and examine it thoroughly.
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New Eyes
thank you defender
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4
$$$$$$$$$
by New Eyes in(b j kotwall; investigator magazine no.
73 2000 july pp.
the watchtower society (wts) has often criticized other churches for passing collection plates during meetings.
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New Eyes
(B J Kotwall; INVESTIGATOR MAGAZINE No. 73 2000 July pp. 48-51)
The Watchtower Society (WTS) has often criticized other churches for passing collection plates during meetings. Churches that organize bingo, party games and other fund-raising efforts have also been repeatedly condemned. At the same time the WTS has emphasized that Jehovah’s Witnesses do not solicit donations! Comments like the following were common in WTS publications like The Watchtower (WT) and Awake! before 1990.
w1987 12/1 30-31
‘Where do such funds come from?’ is an often-asked question. Unlike the churches of Christendom, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not take up collections or send out envelopes to solicit donations. Rather, contribution boxes—like the treasury chests of Biblical times—are set up at their Kingdom Halls.g1975 9/8 26
…is it not a comfort for them to know that in the local congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses they will never be tithed to pay out a percentage of their income? Nor will unscriptural money-raising schemes be imposed on them. It is at the Kingdom Hall that an unobtrusive contribution box is located for use by those who wish voluntarily to give money to support the work of the congregation. Donations mailed to the headquarters of the Watch Tower Society are also unsolicited and entirely voluntary.w1974 9/15 559
The Kingdom Halls of this happy group are open to you and you may attend free of charge, without having to suffer embarrassment by a request for contributions or the passing of a collection plate.w1971 8/15 506
The emphasis in all giving among the Witnesses is that it must be voluntary and spontaneous, from the heart. In fact, ever since the earliest days of the modern witnesses of Jehovah it has been their policy that never should there be any passing of collection plates or similar solicitations for money.w1962 5/1 278 How May I Contribute?
Jehovah’s witnesses have never gone begging for finances.Boasts like the above stopped after 1990. Why? Because the WTS began to openly solicit donations not only from its own people but also door to door from the public—and not only on Sundays but every day! How did this happen?
The California Board of Equalization wanted to assess sales tax on the sale of books, tapes and other items by the Jimmy Swaggart ministry. The WTS filed amicus curiae (a friend of the court legal brief) in support of Swaggart’s stance that a religious organization should be exempt from such taxation. (The WTS considers all other religions to be under the influence of the devil, but in this case it joined hands with the devil!). On January 17, 1990 the Supreme Court in California Board of Equalization vs. Jimmy Swaggart Ministries ruled against Swaggart.
One month after the Supreme Court ruling the WTS announced a new policy—that in the USA its literature which was heretofore sold at a fixed price should be offered free to the public and a donation solicited.
The WTS introduced this new donations policy evidently to avoid tax on the sale of its publications. Asking for donations – something condemned for a century – had become acceptable.
Moreover, detailed appeals for donations appeared in WTS publications. Notice how no avenue is left uncovered:
How Some Make Donations to the Kingdom-Preaching Work
• CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORLDWIDE WORK: Many set aside or budget an amount that they place in the contribution boxes labeled: “Contributions for the Society’s Worldwide Work—Matthew 24:14.” Each month congregations forward these amounts either to the world headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, or to the nearest branch office.
• GIFTS: Voluntary donations of money may be sent directly to the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, New York 11201-2483, or to the Society’s office that serves your country. Jewelry or other valuables may also be donated. A brief letter stating that such is an outright gift should accompany these contributions.
• CONDITIONAL-DONATION ARRANGEMENT: Money may be given to the Watch Tower Society to be held in trust until the donor’s death, with the provision that in the case of personal need, it will be returned to the donor.
• INSURANCE: The Watch Tower Society may be named as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy or in a retirement/pension plan. The Society should be informed of any such arrangement.
• BANK ACCOUNTS: Bank accounts, certificates of deposit, or individual retirement accounts may be placed in trust for or made payable on death to the Watch Tower Society, in accord with local bank requirements. The Society should be informed of any such arrangements.
• STOCKS AND BONDS: Stocks and bonds may be donated to the Watch Tower Society either as an outright gift or under an arrangement whereby the income continues to be paid to the donor.
• REAL ESTATE: Salable real estate may be donated to the Watch Tower Society either by making an outright gift or by reserving a life estate to the donor, who can continue to live therein during his or her lifetime. One should contact the Society before deeding any real estate to the Society.
• WILLS AND TRUSTS: Property or money may be bequeathed to the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania by means of a legally executed will, or the Society may be named as a beneficiary of a trust agreement. A trust benefiting a religious organization may provide certain tax advantages. A copy of the will or trust agreement should be sent to the Society.
• PLANNED GIVING: The Society has assembled information on “Planned Giving.” Those who are planning to make a special gift to the Society now or to leave a bequest at death may find this information helpful. That is especially true if they wish to accomplish some family goal or estate-planning objective while using tax benefits to minimize the cost of the gift or bequest. This information can be obtained by writing to the Society at the address shown below.
(The Watchtower 1994 12/1 page 19)With shameless appeals like this, one wonders how the WTS could ever have chided other churches! And one wonders how many JWs have willed their few possessions to the multi-billion dollar WTS while leaving their own dependents stranded.
A further point is that 6 million JWs donate their time to distribute WTS publications door to door in what is called “field service” or “witnessing” or “ministry”. This activity is said to be “voluntary” but the teaching is that JWs who don’t do it will be executed by God at Armageddon. JWs who regularly miss field service for entire months also face ostracism in their congregation and - if they try to justify their slackness - excommunication.
Despite WTS writers often implying that the main source of funding is “contribution boxes” in Kingdom Halls, most comes from the efforts of six million JWs who trudge the streets and knock on doors to offer WTS literature.
Furthermore, these same JWs are obliged to buy personal copies of all magazines and books the WTS puts out. The WTS has millions of captive buyers expected to purchase the publications without even looking at the contents!
The WTS produces its literature at minimal cost. Materials are bought in bulk and every step in production is by “volunteers”.
Whereas free-literature-for-donations came into force in the USA in 1990, it came into effect in Australia from January 1, 2000. Apparently, the Goods and Services Tax, effective in Australia from July 1, 2000, was the catalyst.
© Copyright:
Investigator Magazine
P.O. Box 3243
Port Adelaide 5015
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do you see what i see?
by New Eyes inlicensed & registered shippers 1999-2000 season.
the watchtower society is a licensed citrus-shipper in florida.
east 2nd street extension, lehigh acres, fl 33936 * phone: 941-369-1977 * fax: 941-369-3245. .
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New Eyes
hi sf
i'm sorry i don't have them but if i find anything good i'll post it here for you. -
11
do you see what i see?
by New Eyes inlicensed & registered shippers 1999-2000 season.
the watchtower society is a licensed citrus-shipper in florida.
east 2nd street extension, lehigh acres, fl 33936 * phone: 941-369-1977 * fax: 941-369-3245. .
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New Eyes
WTS, Money & Honesty
I recently learned some very interesting things about the Watchtower Society's cash position. They are cash-rich at this time and are quietly going about toning down some of the rather underhanded means they've used to achieve that position.
Posted by AF [AF] on September 15, 2000 at 12:12:36 {ytkgB1hrLUOcJanSyCRUdaOt1gg/Zk}:
When the WTS went to the literature donation arrangement in some of the wealthy countries back around 1991, they lost a major source of cash flow. The same thing happened a few years later when they stopped the food service at circuit and district assemblies. However, they wrote strongly worded letters to bodies of elders instructing them to make up for the lost cash flow. This has gradually been successful, so much that the WTS has more than made up for the losses.
Today the typical amount of cash sent free and clear to the WTS, generated in the U.S. at district assemblies, amounts to about $12 per attendee. At the four Washington State assemblies at the Tacoma Dome, for example, this amounted to about $120,000 for each assembly. Remember -- this is cash free and clear after all assembly expenses have been paid. With about 1 million JWs in the U.S. this works out to about $12 million dollars in contributions directly to the WTS from this summer's district conventions, from the U.S alone.
In order to generate this revenue the WTS has, during the 1990s, used a number of schemes to generate more contributions. Some are upfront and some are quite underhanded. Many on this forum know about the Tacoma Dome parking lot scandal, and this is typical of the underhandedness of the WTS. The negotiation of rental contracts for these public meeting places is quite an art, and the WTS is expert at draining the last penny from city officials. No problem here, except when they tell city officials one thing and the JW community another. One of the perks often thrown in to get the rental business is for the city to split the parking lot proceeds with the renter. Parking at these domes usually runs $4-$5 per car in the U.S. The Society negotiated with the Tacoma city officials that parking lot fees would not be charged, and so gave the impression that parking would be free. However, bodies of elders were sent a letter instructing them to sell parking tickets for about $4 apiece to all JWs. Neither the elders nor the JW community were informed that the Society had already told the city of Tacoma that parking was to be free. Thus, the WTS lied to the JW community, and collected money for parking via normal contributions. The few elders who knew the truth were instructed to keep all this secret, so that neither the JW community nor the Tacoma city officials would know of their underhandedness. Actually this scam is pulled wherever the Society can get away with it, generating lots more money for itself. Thank goodness one former JW official had the guts to expose this scam to the newspapers in Seattle.
The WTS is heavily invested in the stock market and so the runup in stock prices during the 90's has given it plenty of money. Of course, the average JW is absolutely sure that the WTS is not invested in Satan's nasty old system of things. Today they are trying to dispose of the extra cash by dispensing it around the world. One such channel is by applying in the United Kingdom for charitable status for a so-called "Kingdom Hall Fund", which is to be used to channel "charitable contributions" to whatever "charity" the WTS desires -- in this case, its own Branch Offices. What they are doing is trying to use a loophole in British law to get around various laws in various countries about not allowing non-charitable funds outside the country of origin.
The WTS is extremely frugal with its money but not with that of JWs as a whole. One example is the way they distribute Watchtower and Awake! magazines to subscribers. In the U.S. postal rates for magazines are low compared to most of the world, and so the WTS uses the U.S. Post Office to mail the magazines to subscribers. But in most of the world postal rates are relatively high, and so the WTS has instructed local JWs to run around distributing the magazines. Of course, this is a real inconvenience both to the JWs and to subscribers. The JW substitute-postmen must spend time and money doing what the Post Office can do much cheaper. The subscribers get hit-or-miss delivery of this important spiritual food. Of course, the important thing is that the Society save a bit of money.
Another example has again to do with renting assembly facilities. If city officials won't give the WTS the rental rate it thinks it ought to have, it will often pull out altogether. Sometimes this results in thousands of JW families having to travel hundreds more miles to get to an assembly, and having to shell out hundreds of extra dollars to pay for lodging, travel and meals out. This often amounts to more than $500 per family. Suppose at one assembly this means that 2000 families must spend that money. That means that the JW community is forced to spend $1 million, which might save the WTS $1000 in rental fees. You can see the kind of unbalanced thinking that is behind such ludicrous decisions.
Many critics complain that Watchtower leaders are quite unconcerned about Jehovah's Witnesses as individuals. The above information is one proof that this is true. They are far more concerned with making themselves look good to their peers -- meaning other WTS officials -- and perhaps to God, although it is clear by their dishonest and underhanded dealings that they really can't care what God thinks, or they would be honest in everything. They must think that God, like them, cares more about money and "getting the job done" than about individuals.
Today the WTS is lessening the burden of contributions demanded of congregations. They have instituted policies of charging lower interest on the congregation's own money that it contributed to the Society for Kingdom Hall building, of charging less money for insurance and such for Circuit Overseers, and a number of minor things. I have little doubt that public exposure of their underhandedness has helped this to occur.
AF
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11
do you see what i see?
by New Eyes inlicensed & registered shippers 1999-2000 season.
the watchtower society is a licensed citrus-shipper in florida.
east 2nd street extension, lehigh acres, fl 33936 * phone: 941-369-1977 * fax: 941-369-3245. .
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New Eyes
The Watchtower as Real-Estate Agents
It seems the Watchtower is more and more a commercial multinational corporation, and now they are into real estate as well - buying and selling.
West Palm Beach commissioners approved the $12.5 million sale of the 72-acre municipal stadium and arena on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard to Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York. Brokers were Don Breaux of Breaux, Rey & Associates and Lewis Manesiotis of Hollywood Beach Realty. The buyer, the Jehovah's Witnesses, plans to refurbish the arena and hopes to sell a 21-acre commercial tract for $8.3 million and a 23-acre residential site for $6.5 million.
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do you see what i see?
by New Eyes inlicensed & registered shippers 1999-2000 season.
the watchtower society is a licensed citrus-shipper in florida.
east 2nd street extension, lehigh acres, fl 33936 * phone: 941-369-1977 * fax: 941-369-3245. .
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New Eyes
The Watchtower's Car Salesmen!
In need of a second-hand car? Why not buy one of the luxory cars used by the Watchtower's hot-shots?
"Circuit Leasing Corporation is pleased to offer good quality vehicles at affordable prices. All of our vehicles are very clean, smoke free, regularly maintained, dependable, full size four-door vehicles." This is what is promised on the website of the "Circuit Leasing Company".
Kent Steinhaug
And they promise you luxory cars as well:
"The Spacious six-passenger cabin is extremely quiet at highway speeds. Comfortable, contoured seating joins with the smooth Dyna-Ride® suspension and the easily accessed wrap-around instrument panel to put the driver at ease and inspire a secure feeling in passengers.
3800 Series II
3.8 liter V6 engine
205 horsepower & 230 lb-ft torque EPA MPG: 19-City/30-Highway Uses Regular Unleaded Gas55/45 three-person split bench
with power-driver's and passenger's seatAM & FM Stereo,
Cassette/CD player
w/ Concert Sound II
6-speaker system"The "poor servants" of the Watchtower does not pay tax, and they don't earn no money. But they can afford driving luxory cars, payed by their members. Why not biy one of them?