F,
As usual you misstate what the quotation says. The full quotation suggests that SOME charities are burdened with administrative expenses and do not fulfill their obligations. Some is not all.
Posts by vienne
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83True or False did the Watchtower Corporation create false doctrines intentionally to enhance the proliferation of their own publications ?
by Finkelstein inmuch as been revealed over the years to the date setting doctrines made by the wts.
such as ( 1874, 1914, 1925 , 1975 this generation, the last days, the end times etc.... which were not created by other christian based faiths.. as to critically examine why might reveal a hidden agenda to all these date setting proclamations.. the point in question is did the wts and its leaders intentionally manipulate or exploit the preaching of the gospel to enhance the proliferation of their own printed publications ?.
i would say convincingly yes, no question.
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vienne
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83
True or False did the Watchtower Corporation create false doctrines intentionally to enhance the proliferation of their own publications ?
by Finkelstein inmuch as been revealed over the years to the date setting doctrines made by the wts.
such as ( 1874, 1914, 1925 , 1975 this generation, the last days, the end times etc.... which were not created by other christian based faiths.. as to critically examine why might reveal a hidden agenda to all these date setting proclamations.. the point in question is did the wts and its leaders intentionally manipulate or exploit the preaching of the gospel to enhance the proliferation of their own printed publications ?.
i would say convincingly yes, no question.
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vienne
I write witness history. I attended with my mother from age 12 to 18 because I saw it as an obligation, not because I was 'convinced.' My mother was Austrian and Catholic. We were raised with a sense of obligation to family. When my mother's interest was new, I read all I could. That included Rutherford's book Riches. It was fascinating, but I had to ask myself, "how does he know this?" And the answer was, He made it up. So no, I've never been a believer.
Understand that at twelve I was a sophomore in high school and enrolled in Running Start, a program that allows high school students to earn college credit. I graduated high school at 15 with an AA and ECE Certificate. I wasn't a dumb kid. And I certainly was not gullible. When I left home for WSU, I was no longer under the parental roof and not obligated to attend. My Master's thesis was on an aspect of Witness history. With my writing partner I write accurate (as accurate as we can make it), let the chips fall where they may history.
No-one prevented my younger siblings from attending college. My dad would not have allowed that. They made that choice on their own. My dad is a fairly well known -within his field- scientist, now retired but still writing. He is very pro-education. Nothing mother would have said, if she chose to, would have stopped us.
Mother was a teacher and school administrator. She was not against education. She worked in the field. So on those grounds there was never an anti-education attitude within our household.
My oldest sister has a MFA and is a photographer living in Belgium. If you read European fashion magazines you may have seen her work.
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83
True or False did the Watchtower Corporation create false doctrines intentionally to enhance the proliferation of their own publications ?
by Finkelstein inmuch as been revealed over the years to the date setting doctrines made by the wts.
such as ( 1874, 1914, 1925 , 1975 this generation, the last days, the end times etc.... which were not created by other christian based faiths.. as to critically examine why might reveal a hidden agenda to all these date setting proclamations.. the point in question is did the wts and its leaders intentionally manipulate or exploit the preaching of the gospel to enhance the proliferation of their own printed publications ?.
i would say convincingly yes, no question.
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vienne
F,
What The Watchtower actually said is:
When it comes to organized charity, though, we need to be cautious as we evaluate the many appeals we receive. Some charities have high administrative or fund-raising costs, leaving only a small portion of the collected money for the intended purpose. Proverbs 14:15 says: “Anyone inexperienced puts faith in every word, but the shrewd one considers his steps.” So it is the course of wisdom to examine the facts carefully. W June 1, 2003The second step is to look at your ultimate objectives—not in terms of amounts, but in terms of what you want to accomplish for both yourself and your beneficiaries. Typically, a married person will want to provide security for his or her spouse. A parent may want to provide some measure of financial protection for his or her children. An adult child may want to arrange for the care of an elderly parent. Additionally, you may want to remember certain friends or charities in your estate plan. It is important to write down who is to be included in your estate plan and your objective with regard to each. Awake Dec. 8, 1998
Some charities are able to do much good for people in need. When affected by natural disasters or catastrophic illness, many times Christians themselves have received benefits from such charities. Other charities, though, have high administrative costs or high fund-raising costs, with the result that only a small portion of the money collected is actually used for the advertised purpose. For example, a recent survey of 117 of the United States’ largest nonprofit organizations, including charities, found that more than a quarter of them pay their top executives a yearly salary of $200,000 or more. Audits often reveal expenditures for luxury items and the financing of an opulent life-style. Regardless of the name of the charity, it would take a long stretch of the imagination to believe that contributing to such schemes would fulfill the Bible’s command to help those in need. Awake June 8, 1993.
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83
True or False did the Watchtower Corporation create false doctrines intentionally to enhance the proliferation of their own publications ?
by Finkelstein inmuch as been revealed over the years to the date setting doctrines made by the wts.
such as ( 1874, 1914, 1925 , 1975 this generation, the last days, the end times etc.... which were not created by other christian based faiths.. as to critically examine why might reveal a hidden agenda to all these date setting proclamations.. the point in question is did the wts and its leaders intentionally manipulate or exploit the preaching of the gospel to enhance the proliferation of their own printed publications ?.
i would say convincingly yes, no question.
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vienne
F,
Reasserting what you said does not prove your point. Where, in what issue, on what page, did they say this?
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83
True or False did the Watchtower Corporation create false doctrines intentionally to enhance the proliferation of their own publications ?
by Finkelstein inmuch as been revealed over the years to the date setting doctrines made by the wts.
such as ( 1874, 1914, 1925 , 1975 this generation, the last days, the end times etc.... which were not created by other christian based faiths.. as to critically examine why might reveal a hidden agenda to all these date setting proclamations.. the point in question is did the wts and its leaders intentionally manipulate or exploit the preaching of the gospel to enhance the proliferation of their own printed publications ?.
i would say convincingly yes, no question.
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vienne
Where in the Watchtower does it say one should never give to outside charities?
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83
True or False did the Watchtower Corporation create false doctrines intentionally to enhance the proliferation of their own publications ?
by Finkelstein inmuch as been revealed over the years to the date setting doctrines made by the wts.
such as ( 1874, 1914, 1925 , 1975 this generation, the last days, the end times etc.... which were not created by other christian based faiths.. as to critically examine why might reveal a hidden agenda to all these date setting proclamations.. the point in question is did the wts and its leaders intentionally manipulate or exploit the preaching of the gospel to enhance the proliferation of their own printed publications ?.
i would say convincingly yes, no question.
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vienne
Was I ever a Witness? No. I only have an academic interest.
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83
True or False did the Watchtower Corporation create false doctrines intentionally to enhance the proliferation of their own publications ?
by Finkelstein inmuch as been revealed over the years to the date setting doctrines made by the wts.
such as ( 1874, 1914, 1925 , 1975 this generation, the last days, the end times etc.... which were not created by other christian based faiths.. as to critically examine why might reveal a hidden agenda to all these date setting proclamations.. the point in question is did the wts and its leaders intentionally manipulate or exploit the preaching of the gospel to enhance the proliferation of their own printed publications ?.
i would say convincingly yes, no question.
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vienne
F,
There is a vast difference between being dishonest and being stupid. Was relying on the 6000 year calculation with its long history of failure predating the Watch Tower dishonest. Not if he believed it, and it appears he did. Was it stupid? Certainly. Did it cause irreparable harm to some? Who would deny that?
It is not up to you to suggest what the Watch Tower does with its money. Doing something different than what others wish with your own money isn't a sin.
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83
True or False did the Watchtower Corporation create false doctrines intentionally to enhance the proliferation of their own publications ?
by Finkelstein inmuch as been revealed over the years to the date setting doctrines made by the wts.
such as ( 1874, 1914, 1925 , 1975 this generation, the last days, the end times etc.... which were not created by other christian based faiths.. as to critically examine why might reveal a hidden agenda to all these date setting proclamations.. the point in question is did the wts and its leaders intentionally manipulate or exploit the preaching of the gospel to enhance the proliferation of their own printed publications ?.
i would say convincingly yes, no question.
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vienne
No, they preached a very unpopular, often ridiculed doctrine. The logical conclusion is that they believed what they preached. I am not claiming that Watch Tower doctrine, especially their approach to prophecy, is logical, scriptural or in anyway good. But one doesn't promote a doctrine that brings you ridicule and opposition if the sole goal is to sell books.
Many people believe irrational, unfounded things. Doing so does not mean one has a selfish motive. Just that they're irrational. The Watch Tower movement in Russell's day is part of a larger Millennialist [non-Adventist belief in Christ's near return] movement. Its doctrines overlap with other parts of it. Nothing in it is unique beyond an aggressive evangelism and Russell's personality. The total mix of doctrine is what made Russellism unique.
There is a disconnect between Russell's era and today's Witnesses. Witnesses are lineal descendants of the Russell era Watch Tower, but it is a different religion, one that Russell would have rejected. Still, I do not see Witness authorities as seeking selfish gain. There is no more evidence for that than there is for Russell. No matter what one thinks of current Witness belief, they plow all their money back into promoting their doctrine. So they're 'true believers,' even if one finds their doctrine unscriptural or irrational or both.
An evil motive is not necessary to mislead or abuse. Sometimes a firm conviction that we're right, left unchallenged, is enough to cause abuses.
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83
True or False did the Watchtower Corporation create false doctrines intentionally to enhance the proliferation of their own publications ?
by Finkelstein inmuch as been revealed over the years to the date setting doctrines made by the wts.
such as ( 1874, 1914, 1925 , 1975 this generation, the last days, the end times etc.... which were not created by other christian based faiths.. as to critically examine why might reveal a hidden agenda to all these date setting proclamations.. the point in question is did the wts and its leaders intentionally manipulate or exploit the preaching of the gospel to enhance the proliferation of their own printed publications ?.
i would say convincingly yes, no question.
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vienne
F,
You're presuming things not in evidence. And you forget that the Watch Tower in Russell's day was a very minor movement. It did not draw much money. Russell expended his own money so that he died nearly penniless. You're confusing the modern Watch Tower with Russell's day. When Mrs. Russell went after her husband's money, the Watch Tower had to open its books to the court. They did the same in the Russell v. Brooklyn Eagle case. The accounts show that his books never paid for themselves. On those few years where there was a marginal income from them, the money was put back into the work. This does not certify Russell as blameless or right in doctrine, but it does undermine your conclusion. IF one attacks the Watch Tower, there are better, truer things on which to focus.
I do not deny that the religion hurts people. I would never say it does not. Nor would I excuse it when it happens. But your following the wrong path here, one that is not based on real events.
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83
True or False did the Watchtower Corporation create false doctrines intentionally to enhance the proliferation of their own publications ?
by Finkelstein inmuch as been revealed over the years to the date setting doctrines made by the wts.
such as ( 1874, 1914, 1925 , 1975 this generation, the last days, the end times etc.... which were not created by other christian based faiths.. as to critically examine why might reveal a hidden agenda to all these date setting proclamations.. the point in question is did the wts and its leaders intentionally manipulate or exploit the preaching of the gospel to enhance the proliferation of their own printed publications ?.
i would say convincingly yes, no question.
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vienne
F,
The flaw in your reasoning is that the Watchtower has always taught an unpopular doctrine. They know it is unpopular and controversial. If they really wanted to attract numbers, would they not preach a more palatable doctrine?