Posts by LevelThePlayingField

40

Selloff update Melbourne Australia

by jonahstourguide in

i've posted this here so all visitors to this site can see info relating to the great expansion.. the kealba kingdom hall in st albans will be sold.

perhaps worth around au1.4 million dollars.

on two blocks of suburban land with off street parking.

LevelThePlayingField

I'm starting to think that Watchtower is really up to something. You keep hearing about the money grabs. It's getting obvious.

28

But it's not about the Money

by LevelThePlayingField in

money was the motivator.. .

money.

again, money was the motivator.. .

LevelThePlayingField

And it's very interesting that Watchtower attended the 2012 Growth Market Summit.

Under the letter, "W" on page 27 it lists them. All the big big companies attended this. Why a religion?

Follow the Money.

http://www.goldmansachs.com/gsam/pdfs/growth-summit-2012/2012GMS_RECAP2.pdf

17

Yearly Donations down? 2.4 billion for the 2015/16 financial year

by Diogenesister in

so people keep saying watchtowsr is in a financial mess.

i think we can all accept that numbers are stagnating at best and going down year on year in the north / western countries and japan.. however the recent finance dept leeks confirmed that following the may 2015 broadcast requesting more donations, an extra 30 million was sent in for the months of july/august.

stephen lett stated that this figure equated to a 30% increase.. lloyd evans has used this figure to work out how much is donated on a yearly basis worldwide.

LevelThePlayingField

True, spending money is always easier than getting it. The GB has thought that the money flow would never stop. Oops.

6

Leaked S-303 Assembly Guidelines: Stealth tax? Money over mercy?

by Fay Dehr in

anyone got any more info they can share, or comments to add on this question: .

are jw assemblies and conventions hit with a stealth tax?why do i ask?

well, please take a look at these leaked docs.... s-330-e_assembly-guidelines - https://1drv.ms/b/s!amcrvjcxi6m6gxlpiqofwa6ho52l.

LevelThePlayingField

There is a little voice that's in the head of every witness. That voice is the bull-shit meter. When the overseer says that "the cost in connection with this assembly is..." then deep down inside they say "why is the cost so high?".

That is a little chink in their "organization" armor. Then they just veer off and look at this site and pow! Boom!

TTATT!

34

Dutch House of Representatives formally requests the government to start an investigation re. JW child abuse

by Anders Andersen in

today the dutch house of representatives unanimously voted to petition the government to start an investigation into jw child abuse issues.. the request from the house of reps. came after jw nl refused to listen to repeated and serious requests from the government to start an independent investigation themselves.. now it's up to the government to either accept the request by the house of reps. and start an investigation, or refuse to do so and explain to the house why.

it appears the minister of justice is not unwilling to start an investigation though.... collection of dutch news items here.

LevelThePlayingField

JW children are victims in every country. I hope the Dutch can see this.

29

Pioneers, Prayers and Pills

by Wake Me Up Before You Jo-Ho in

looking back on my two decades as a jehovah’s witness, i’ve come to realize how the constant theme of endurance is playing a detrimental role on the individual's psyche.. jehovah’s witnesses have become far too good at keeping going.

they’re experts at surrendering to the demands of the watchtower, living up to what’s expected of them, and getting on with the priorities that those in power have defined and imposed upon them.

they keep showing up, presenting themselves a dutiful pioneer or ministerial servant.

LevelThePlayingField

I need you as my therapist.

9

Archbisop jailed in Australia

by zeb in

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-03/archbishop-wilson-sentenced/9883610.

LevelThePlayingField

Can you imagine being an elder in Australia and then seeing this?! But even scarier if the poor sole coverup a pedo case. Man I couldn't sleep at night. I remember one of the reasons for stepping down as an elder was the child abuse letters that came out to the elders. It just made no sense to have to call legal dept when the cops would do just fine.

9

Archbisop jailed in Australia

by zeb in

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-03/archbishop-wilson-sentenced/9883610.

LevelThePlayingField

This is history in the making! First ever according to Aus news.

Need I say, we'd all love to see the same for JW's.

28

But it's not about the Money

by LevelThePlayingField in

money was the motivator.. .

money.

again, money was the motivator.. .

LevelThePlayingField

For over a 100 years, the JW’s have “sold” their literature. Then, all of the sudden, overnight Jimmy Swaggart has an issue with the fed govt where they want to tax him for his religious stuff that he “sells”. The JW’s jump on board to help in this case and then in 1990 all of the sudden Jehovah’s organization goes to a “donation” arrangement. Did the leaders of the JW’s tell their people this? No, they said it was a “simplified arrangement”. But the move from charging for literature to a donation arrangement came from a Christendom court case, NOT simply from a more simplified arrangement.

So what moved Watchtower to make this change? Their not wanting to be taxed...Money was the motivator.

How do the circuit assembly overseers know that there is a surplus or deficit at the assemblies? What criteria do they use? I’ll cut to the chase. They use a “per publisher” headcount amount. That’s how they say, “our cost in connecting with this assembly amounts to…” and then calculate it from there. It’s not actually what it really costs to “run” an assembly hall. Like the cost of maintenance, supplies, utilities and so forth...Money is the motivator.

Then a few years ago the Watchtower and Awakes were trimmed down. The mags went down to the size of a leaflet. A few years later (at the annual meeting of 2017) it was announced that the magazines would only be produced 4 times per year. So, from 32 pages 24 times per year to 16 pages 4 times per year, for both Watchtower and Awake. Do the math if you want. Also, the yearbook was discontinued in 2017. The reasons given, yes, if you listen closely, Money. Money was the motivator.

Mr. Lett of the governing body said in 2015 during a broadcast that 14,0000 kingdom halls were needed to built world wide and that from 2015 onward 3,000 kingdom halls would need to built every year. Then, poof. A complete turning around, a complete 180. There’s a leaked video explaining that the governing body said they want to not build 3,000 kingdom halls per year but SELL 3,000 kingdom halls and other properties over the next 5 years. Congregations are being merged or dissolved and halls sold. Assembly halls are being sold. Construction projects were cancelled around the world. Bethelites and missionaries were given the pink slip, all over night. Many Bethelites were asked to eat their breakfast and get morning worship from their rooms via video. Many branches were sold. In 2006 there were 115, now only 90. So, what happened? Money. Money, or the lack there of happened. Again, Money was the motivator.

For decades for as long as anyone alive can remember, there have been physical publication releases at the conventions. Then a couple of years ago, poof, only digital releases. Ok, to be fair, sure there people who are only digital now and would rather just download a book, but there are many who are not that way. Many a witness has said that they really like to have the physical book in their hands. There’s just something about having a real book in your hands. Why the change? As was noted by the speakers who release the new publication, “please consider carefully if you need a hard copy of the publication as it’s freely available now via download”. Can you even remember the last book you put on the shelf that you got from the convention? Again… eh um, Money.

A few years ago, I think it was 2013, an amazing thing happened. The governing body wrote a letter to all congregations everywhere stating that if you had a loan with them for building a Kingdom Hall or remodeling project, that it was to be canceled. Imagine that! But this letter was sent to ALL congregations, even those who didn’t owe a dime. In that letter it was stated that each congregation was to figure out how much they could “donate” each month. But it was an open-ended agreement. They were to donate what they “could afford” regardless if they owed a loan or not, FOREVER. Yes, each month. So if your congregation owed $30k to the society, by paying the $500/mo they could expect to be “debt free” in 5 more years. But the new arrangement said to keep paying what you can, forever. Would you consider a loan like that from a bank? Get a car loan for $5000 and then pay $200/mo forever. How many would do this? Previous to this, the congregations would simply donate what was on hand, varying each month. And then the society would send an acknowledgement of the donation in thanks. Simple right? Here’s $10. Oh, OK, thank you. Just as it should be. But no, they were not done with just that. They also asked for each congregation to send them all the money they had in their bank accounts, except for 3 months of operating expenses. So, a congregation who had saved up over the years $20k or maybe $50k, were to drain their bank accounts and send it to the society. Many a congregation had implored their congregants month over month for years that the generous donations were being ear-marked for their renovation project. Now, whether or not your congregation got that needed new roof or replaced the AC, ect was NOT up to your body of elders, as was promised for years. Now it’s up to “someone” in New York. And many a congregation were asked to donate towards building a new assembly hall. Oh, yes, remember that? Not so long ago...maybe two years. After collectively millions were donated towards this, yep, poof, gone. The assembly hall projects were cancelled. Where is the money now? “It’s with the branch”, said one elder when specifically asked about it. Need I say, Money is the motivator?

Recently, in a series of leaked videos, it has been revealed that the organization needs more money. And this is just after their sales of a billion plus dollars from Brooklyn. It was said, “until the general donation picture changes substantially the organization will need to hold to the course set by the governing body with respects to spending. Not only this year, but in the coming years as well.” But just prior to this in the same video, a mock interview of one brother to another, they said that donations were never higher. Double talk. Again, as the leaked videos tell us, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY.

It’s not about the money?

There closing & selling their branches, their kingdom & assembly halls.
They’ve taken the donated money set aside to build assembly halls.
They’ve taken all the congregations bank accounts.
They’ve managed to tithe a set amount from congregations, forever.
They’ve laid-off tons of bethelites, missionaries and other workers.
They’ve laid off all district overseers.
They’ve cancelled or delayed nearly all construction.
Printing of publications is at a all time low, as never before in history, yet they tell you things are speeding up.
No more physical releases at conventions. DVD’s, books, brochures? Where are they?

But it’s not about the money.

One more thing. Have you noticed that now Watchtower online library resembles that of the CD-ROM? Yes, now they have Watchtowers going back to 1950, Awakes to 1970 and many of their older pubs. Why the change? Prior to this you could only research back to the year 2000. But if they have all this online now, then there will be no need to offer the CD-ROM any longer. Again, saving money. But this is a good thing right? Well, yes. But think, why has it taken them nearly a decade to figure this out? It was said by many an elder that the reason the Watchtower online library only goes back to 2000 is that we need to keep current with the organization and that the older publications are being phased out; that we don’t “need” anything prior to 2000, otherwise the society would have put it up on the website. “The brothers know what they’re doing.” Maybe at that time, 2009/2010 it was a great way to “hide” their history. But when you can save a few million CD’s from being produced each year...hmm. They don’t have any shame anyway.

Follow the money.

14

The elephant on the street

by Normalfulla in

as a contractor i travel around for my job, i was stopped this morning to buy some milk at a store in a small village i guess and as i turned a corner i saw 2 elders i know personally manning a cart in the cold outside the store with not a soul in sight and an unlikely place for much traffic even though it was outside a country store.

1 elder is my brother in laws father and the other was in my old cong when i left, i said hello, talked about the weather and general chit chat and was my usual self, they were pleasant also but nothing was mentioned to me about anything spiritual etc.

i know they will be aware of some of my reasons for leaving (the few that i talked about initially before shutting my trap) but they were unwilling to engage in saving my life with their work!

LevelThePlayingField

Norm - where do you live because you said, "I saw 2 elders I know personally manning a cart in the cold outside the store..." in particular I noticed you said, "manning the cart in the COLD".

Could you name the country? It's 95 here today in the lower midwest in the U.S.