Posts by gcc2k

182

Watchtower to pay for Silentlambs trip

by Dogpatch in

jw
friends

from silentlambs (bill bowen):.

on thursday of this week world wide work money will again be spent to protect a pedophile.

in addition it will also be spent to pay money to a disfellowshipped person in order to find a way to prevent them from assisting the court case of abuse survivors.

gcc2k

Simmer down now folks.

SoJ (who refuses to respond to any legitimate questions from this witness in good standing) says:

The donations are carefully spent on the world wide work. The congregations in the U.S. can afford a payment on their Kingdom Halls, for example, but 75% of the countries around the world would not be able to build Kingdom Halls without the help of the U.S. branch. Also, you think publishing the amount of literature the Watchtower does yearly is cheap?

As 144k+1 points out, you (and we) have no way of knowing that. The fact remains that the Society has millions of dollars in assets and probably even more that is liquid. Time and again we have seen the Society manipulate matters to preserve their capital, such as changing the donation arrangement. I've been in Kingdom Halls around the world, and let me tell you that we wouldn't have Kohler toilets and nice tile, carpets, seats, sound systems, etc. if building halls overseas were an issue.

I am not intimately familiar with the case, but I believe that the suits are brought forth because there was a real damage/hardship suffered by the victims because the elders and the Society failed to act to protect the victims. I believe more is involved here than just trying to pry money away from the Society.

82

What is the WTS's motive?

by careful fader in

can anyone help me understand the motive of the wts?

i don't think it's money .

the gb lives at bethel in a pretty low standard of living.

gcc2k

That's really out there Czar. I don't think so. Gerard, you are very good at digging up information, and seeing how much money the Society has is very interesting. But you are harping on the wrong things. In anywhere near Brooklyn, Patterson, Wallkill, a $226,000 house is not a luxury, it's called a bargain. The average price of a home in those areas is well above $300,000. You claim that the WT folks have an open checkbook for travel and expenses, and chauffeured limousines. Can you prove any of those allegations? I doubt it. One thing that was not mentioned here is that Bethelites take a vow of poverty, so it would not be possible for them to siphon off money for their own use, at least by the book. Power and respect sound good, but they are not enough to explain away the drive for money, at least in my eyes. I remember when the WT publications CD came out, and how we were reminded that a comparable encyclopedia from secular sources would cost $70 or $80, so we should keep that in mind when making a contribution for the CD. What they didn't tell you was that the development of the CD was done in-house (zero cost), the publications are owned by the Society so there are no royalties (zero cost), and the marginal cost of producing a CD is well under a buck, probably closer to $.25, again since they are using volunteer labor. I'm sure many people paid through the nose for those CDs and continue to do so each time there is an update. Clearly there is something fishy going on. I'd prefer to be told that "although costs are low, the money goes to the ongoing preaching work" or something, but then we know that many people wouldn't contribute.

60

So I quit smoking today..

by Aztec in

jw
friends

...and i'm feeling pretty good right now.

i quit, cold turkey, this morning.

it's been almost 24 hours since my last cigarette.

gcc2k

Congrats Aztec. I've watched one relative die of lung cancer and another going through it now, so I applaud your effort. If you need motivation to avoid eaching for that pack, remember that the people around you deserve to have you around!

20

Love Letter from a Jehovah's Witness

by Lee Elder in

here is an email we received the other day.

it illustrates the extent of the mind control the wts has over many of its members: .

"you must have been one of jehovah's witnesses in the past, and are now .

gcc2k

Lee, I didn't realize you post here. What's the status of AJWRB? It seems to be pretty stalled, at least by the content on the site. When I last emailed you, I asked if this was because you have shifted in your goals from seeking reform, given other information that has come to light in recent years. I applaud the site and efforts for reform on this policy. One of the things I liked best about AJWRB is that for a JW, there is nothing on the site that is technically apostate or negative, simply sound reasonings from intelligent brothers and sisters on a truly important issue. I've often wished there was a forum on that site for discussion of other issues, but understand why that is not possible, so I ended up here instead :)

23

Pay Attention Book Available

by 95stormfront in

jw
friends

.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/ebayisapi.dll?viewitem&item=3523479525

any takers.......

gcc2k

Because some people will only believe it is genuine if they see/smell/touch the actual book.

15

REGI stockbroker report shows military connections for Rand Cam

by bebu in

i haven't seen this posted before here.

it's rather a newer document (feb 19, 2003), so it may not have made it onto your radar screens yet.

suprised i found it, myself.

gcc2k

Randy,

Unless I am misreading the information, you are spreading false information. The WT is NOT involved with the Armenian National Committee. The WT was listed as a participant in a UK Holocaust Memorial Day event (understandable, given the JW history in the Holocaust) and the Armenians are protesting the exclusion of their group from the event, requesting that people contact the participants and organizers in the Memorial Day.

Again, unless I am missing something, I think you should rephrase your statements (and in fact delete this whole matter, since it is irrelevant).

You have put out a lot of good information, I don't think you want to risk losing credibility, do you?

82

What is the WTS's motive?

by careful fader in

can anyone help me understand the motive of the wts?

i don't think it's money .

the gb lives at bethel in a pretty low standard of living.

gcc2k

Amac said it nicely:

In conclusion, it cannot be denied that the WT brings in a ton of money and buys and sells a lot things to continue to make more money. However, there is nothing to back up your claims that the GB use this money for their personal wealth and betterment. Just because you find some dollar amounts in a half assed research attempt on the internet does not prove anything. As stated with all these properties, there are logical and practical uses for them. The WT has a record of being very shrewd in their real estate purchases....big deal.

Clearly, we know the money is there, the question is, who is benefitting from it? No one seems to know, so if there is something rotten in Brooklyn, it's the world's best kept secret. Prove financial misconduct at the top of the organization and the WT will tumble down and shatter into pieces. If you can't, you've got to wonder (at least I do) whether this perhaps is/was God's organization and it's simply been mishandled by a few people.

24

To whom belongs all the Watchtower's wealth?

by JH in

jw
friends

i know this won't happen, but who would get all the money and the buildings and the lots, if the watchtower society would close down?

how many people would benefit from this?.

are there any figures on how much wealth the watchtower has accumulated over the years?

gcc2k

I'm not sure what your point is Gerard. In Patterson NY, there are many single family homes that the Society owns near the Educational Center, serving as temporary or permanent residences. I'm not sure who gets to stay in there vs staying in the compound.

76

What kind of music do you like?

by JH in

jw
friends

what kind of music do you like?

what groups do you listen to?.

do you just listen to music from your generation only or do you also like music from the past?.

gcc2k

Kingdom melodies. I tried classical, but I found that the marches inspired me to go and fight wars.

82

What is the WTS's motive?

by careful fader in

can anyone help me understand the motive of the wts?

i don't think it's money .

the gb lives at bethel in a pretty low standard of living.

gcc2k

Gerard, I applaud the research, but like Amac I will not jump to any conclusions. The property you listed is 61 Adams Street, which is apparently a 3 story building, likely a residence, in Brooklyn. While it's interesting that they paid over 2 million for this property when we read about brothers sitting out in fields sharing Bibles, I don't see anything about riding horses. Neigh, I say. :)