I'd love to get a letter like that.
I'd write on it in the prettiest penmanship I could possibly muster:
Dear Brothers,
I have been "waiting on Jehovah" for many things in this lifetime, not the least of which is the "promise" that Armageddon is coming soon. Had I listened to that admonition almost 20 years ago, I would have missed out on a wonderful education and an extremely satisfying career. Had I listened to that admonition almost 20 years ago, my family would still be stuck in a financial rut, struggling to make ends meet, my children would have been denied opportunities to have important life experiences during their youth, the very same opportunities that I was denied in my youth because it was deemed by people like yourselves that it would be better to "wait on Jehovah".
Now you've asked me to commit to a monthly "voluntary contribution". The thing is, committing to something no longer makes it "voluntary" should my circumstances change and force me to re-evaluate my finances. I much prefer to make my contributions anonymously - I do not wish for others to be privy to something so personal, so private. It is considered highly improper in polite company to discuss what one's financial situation is, and a place of worship certainly seems to be an inappropriate venue for such topics. Didn't Jesus take offence to the presence of moneychangers in the temple? Why would he not be similarly offended by this obvious attempt at fleecing the very people whom the Society has admonished to "wait on Jehovah" for a better life for themselves? Why would people who have felt compelled to forego an education that would allow them more financial comforts want to give more to the very organization that told them that it is better to 'keep your eye simple' - and not to 'store up treasures on earth where moth and rust consume' - yet with the contributions that these humble sincere followers offer, you've turned around and built state of the art luxury palaces for yourselves at the various headquarters in the US, Canada, the UK and elsewhere in the world. Why is it all right for the Society to "store up treasures on earth" while it is not all right for the people who financially support the Society to do so?
In light of this, I'm afraid that I will have to insist on continuing my practice of anonymous donations when I choose to do so, in an amount that is also of my choosing. If you wish to have a more solid 'commitment' than this, I'm afraid my answer is merely an echo of the promises that Society has uttered over the years: "Wait on Jehovah".
Sincerely,
Sister Scully