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Watchtower News Bulletin: Brooklyn Bethel sale in trouble
March 4, 2016 March 4, 2016 Covert Fade	1173 Views bethel property in brooklyn, brooklyn, brooklyn bethel, brooklyn bethel sales, dumbo park, Etsy, jehovahs witnesses, watchtower, wework
It is becoming increasingly clear that the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is worried about the amount of money in their piggy bank.
Whilst the organisation has always been very opaque as to the status of its finances, it is possible to look at recent developments and make some informed deductions.
Over the past year we have seen:
Watchtower construction projects slashed.
Many full time servants sent home from their assignments.
Bethel families significantly downsized, and Bethel services jettisoned
Shrinking and vanishing publications.
Public admissions of shortfalls from the Governing Body.
Increasingly pointed demands for donations.
Appeals for children's ice-cream money.
Significant expenses in terms of lost Child Abuse lawsuits, with a seemingly unending stream of cases still in the pipeline.
All of the above would seem to indicate that the Organisation is struggling financially. Yet, they no doubt took solace from the fact they had a major source of funding lined up to provide a much needed cash injection. Watchtower are selling their famous and long cherished Brooklyn Heights Headquarters and moving to a new HQ in Warwick. The move was expected to net them close to 1 Billion USD, and the injection of the badly needed extra funds would surely be viewed by many Witnesses as a blessing from Jehovah, and an example of Him providing for His people in their time of need.
Unfortunately, it looks as though Jehovah might not be providing quite as much financial help as previously hoped.
A number of reports have appeared on various online news outlets that Watchtower's properties are not fetching the prices that had originally been quoted. For example, the 17-29 Columbia Heights and 18-36 Columbia Heights package looks like it will sell for around $220 million. That sounds like a huge amount, until you know that it was originally expected to sell for over $300 million.
In other words, Watchtower look set to loose $80 million on this part of the sell off alone. What is causing this to happen? The report at NY Curbed.com states:
The softening of the economy, for one thing; but the Post also speculates that the Watchtower headquarters, built in 1924, will require significant upgrades, particularly for the tech-focused companies that have been moving into that section of Brooklyn. WeWork and Etsy have both moved into a building once owned by the Witnesses that was purchased by Jared Kushner in 2013.
This isn't the first financial hit Watchtower has taken on the sale. It was also reported in January by a number of outlets including the Brooklyn Paper and the New York Times that Watchtower was under huge pressure to give the City of New York $5 million to make good on broken promises made over a decade ago. The Organisation had apparently promised to renovate Dumbo Park in exchange for the re-zoning permits that had served to make their land so valuable. Watchtower got the re-zoning it wanted, but had apparently done nothing to honour their side of the agreement for the past ten years.
Local politicians and business leaders wrote a letter to Watchtower on the subject that stated, in part:
"It is unacceptable that since the Watchtower committed to work with the Parks Department, over 11 years have passed, the site has seen no improvements, and remains a piece of barren asphalt."
It is reported that due to the mounting PR and civic pressure, Watchtower relented and has promised to provide the funds requested, though as of time of writing it is not confirmed that final payment has been made, and officials quoted in the above reports article expressed concern that Watchtower may yet fail to make good on it's promises.
Either way, it appears that unless the Brooklyn deal picks up pace, Witnesses may have to brace themselves for many more Watchtower requests for their children's ice-cream money in the future.
← New Documentary: Jehovah's Witnesses and child abuse: Is there a problem?
Watchtower News Bulletin: Delaware sex abuse ruling highlights Watchtower confusion. →
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Busted! – Recently disfellowshipped son finds shocking misquote in 'Creation' book
June 3, 2014 June 3, 2014 Cedars
73 thoughts on "Watchtower News Bulletin: Brooklyn Bethel sale in trouble"
Last line, second last paragraph: should read "its".
I've been marking English tests all week lol.
And the last sentence of your post should read 'I've been marking English tests all week.' Everyone makes mistakes. I am extremely grateful for these these news posts.
As I was saying . . .
Get a boyfriend Sarah, lol
Jeffreycanning
Ahhh….Don't you just love it…
We shall keep a keen eye on JW Broadcasting in the ensuing months for more fervent requests for donations using Stephen Lett-us fleece the flock!
ScotWm
RE: JW Broadcasting: As of this writing, the Governing Body has not released its March 2016 program. Stephen Lett is the official Watchtower beggar, but he just hosted the January 2016 episode. In spite of the current rotation pattern of Governing Body clowns and their sidekicks, Lett may still make another "more going out than coming in" plea in the March episode.
I was thinking the same thing, where is the new broadcast?
alanv
Yes if they dont get the amount of money they expected for the properties, I can certainly see them making more pleas for money.
RE Price reductions of Watchtower Brooklyn properties: If the sale price of the 17-29 Columbia Heights and 18-36 Columbia Heights properties is reduced by 25%, this may be an indication that the hoped for $1 billion total will come up at least $250 million short of the Governing Body's expectations.
Twmack
They switch from flights of fantasy to harsh reality, without
even blushing. When sand was unavailable to build a K, hall,
JHVH whistled up a wind and dumped a surplus of the stuff
almost at their feet.
Now by their own admission they are in financial trouble,
More going out than coming in. Are they looking to JHVH
to provide another wind fall? — No, they are not that naive.
Lett's sickly sweet appeal for hard cash was not to JHVH.
But to you DEAR BROTHERS. Letters followed, pledge your
dough, keep a little in in the K,H, account and send the rest
to us. Even children were roped into this drive for the
green stuff.
It was C,T Russell who said (Paraphrased). "When we start
begging for money, we'll know JHVH is no longer with us"
Was he ever?
"Not to worry, we are perfectly guided by the hand of jehovha, it's all a test!"/extreme sarcasm
GB mentality something you can never comprehend Like George Orwell's, 1984':
Freedom from Slavery
dogstar
Doc Obvious
Uh-oh. Kids watch out. Watchtower will now want your toy and video game money instead of ice cream money. Personally I am sick of the "Jehovah needs money" JW Broadcasting episodes. They expect so much from their publisher ranks to bail them out of their jam. Then, when you expect them to take care of things their not there for you.
Time to sell off some more KH's? I remember when I first came into 'the truth' they told me Jehovah backed them and yes, if money ran out he had left them…… looks like the Borg. is no different to any other institution in financial difficulty.
RE Sale of Kingdom Halls: If the shortfall from the sale of the Watchtower's Brooklyn properties is enough to cause severe economic problems, the sale of other smaller Watchtower properties will be forthcoming. With an estimated $250 million cut in the sale price on the 17-29 Columbia Heights and 18-36 Columbia Heights compounds alone, Watchtower accountants are probably already getting out the red ink.
As David Splane would say, "Let's suppose that each Kingdom Hall is worth $500 thousand dollars. Now we're not sure, but for the sake of argument, let's just suppose." If the Watchtower comes up only $100 million short of expectations on the sale of its Brooklyn properties, they may be forced to sell off 200 Kingdom Halls as well as a few assembly halls.
Typical brainwashed Watchtower cult followers will probably not notice that the Brooklyn properties are being sold at drastically reduced prices. However, these cult members will definitely notice that their Kingdom Halls (that they paid for) are being sold. And while these fire sales are in progress, the Governing Body's begging will increase.
At this point, some Witnesses may finally realize that Jehovah is not backing their religious organization.
Scrubmaster
I got an idea – why not send the Bethelites they are keeping at Bethel, with college degrees home? This way these one's can get good jobs and contribute more money to the Org. Also it is interesting to me how Witnesses will never see this as severe discipline for wrong doing ( I mean the nation of Israel was constantly severely discipline by Jehovah for doing wrong), but as persecution from worldly people or Satan every time something goes wrong.
searchinglad
Lol to your idea… my uncle in law and his wife were sent home from bethel. He has many degrees and licenses that could land him a 100k plus annual income…
What have they chosen to do? Well bethel recommended that any that are sent home should 'strongly' considering pioneering. So they are pioneering and 'hoping' that they will eventually get some parttime renovation work before their measly savings account drys up….
Bethel has the opportunity to do like you say, but instead send these ones away with not a cent in hand, and basically order them to be poor part-time workers.
Good point. The GB becomes a victim of their own stupidity!
Johnship
My thoughts disclipine for massive wrongdoing. Cover up of crimes against children .unjust disfellowship of victims and families .and the unchristian shunning policy.
PODaughter
I love you using their own argument against them…. The idea of them being punished for their wrongdoing is a fansinating angle! I don't believe they are backed by God, but what a good angle for an argument!!
I remember a zone overseer visit during my time in a Bethel. The brother boasted how they manipulated the Hasidic Jews (owners of the Warwick property) to sell the land for a lower price. I guess they are not always lucky enough to avoid payment:)
Do you remember more details on that story?
witness of the truth
Ya the Jews sold them waste land, yet another great move by the GB.
The Warwick property that is contaminated by toxic chemicals? I know who was manipulated in that deal, haha. Caveat emptor.
Sorry Governing Body. I spent all of my money on an education and tight pants.
Right on brother. Get your education. My wife mentioned maybe my children should quit law school and pioneer after she listened to some GB stream. I said the very fact that they are moving out of Brooklyn and wasting other people's money shows that they do not really believe that we are living deep into the time of the end and therefore my kids are getting the best education I can afford to give them.
I can remember my oldest daughter 10 can home from the meeting after hearing the CO talk a couple of months back a little upset. The CO gave one of those, should not go to college talks I guess. I immediately told her should and will go to college. In this day an age to get a job, I am not talking about some high paying job, takes a degree. I see some jobs which just a few short years ago only asking for bachelors, now either asking for masters or saying masters preferred. I mean seriously going to college does not make one rich. As a matter of fact if I remember some of the richest people in the world do not even have advance education or did not complete it.
traxxion
Yeah, but to be fair this has only happened because people go along with it. Its the same situation in work now – because of those who willingly make work their life, those who have an actual life are expected to work more and more as time goes on. If they say you need a masters to get a job then they are liars. HR put a lot of fluff on job advertisements, but if someone turns up and demonstrates that they are good to work with, eager, knowledgeable and competent – then they have a better shot than someone incompetent who spent 5+ years in an institution and learned very little. You no doubt need some kind of credentials behind you in this world, but it doesn't always have to be college. As a teaching college professor I once knew said "these days it is all about propping up mediocrity".
I would suggest that is now the primary function of higher education – educate society to believe they are not worth anything unless "this guy" says so. The more that buy in, the more worthless everyone becomes.
Oubliette
"Watchtower look set to loose $80 million on this part of the sell off alone."
You can't lose money you never had. Sure, it's less than they thought/expected/hoped for, but it's not a loss.
BTW, it's "lose," not "loose."
rotten seed, rotten tree, rotten branches ,rotten fruit.For my twopence worth, much to hubbys dismay he finally agreed to halve my part of our D of C so I do not contribute a penny to these cowboys and I never will again!!!!!ruthlee
When geritt losch refused to attend court and lied saying he was nothing to do with WT it cost them $ 13 mill thats before i woke up.but i stopped giving any money then .if they can throw away 13 mill they ait gettin my pension money
>>>You can't lose money you never had. Sure, it's less than they thought/expected/hoped for, but it's not a loss.
BUT it is a paper loss, yet to be realized!
dog*
I couldn't help smiling at the thought of the Watchtower Society reneging on its promise to renovate Dumbo Park. It should simply have taken it over.
Isn't their new headquarters land at Warwick contaminated?
Everything is catching up to the GB, you spit at the wind comes right back at you.
They remind me of a little mafia.
Of the topics mentioned in this article, this one has proven difficult to research: "Significant expenses in terms of lost Child Abuse lawsuits, with a seemingly unending stream of cases still in the pipeline."
For example, there is little information on the José Lopez case which proved that Lopez and other children were repeatedly molested by Watchtower church leader and known pedophile Gonzalo Campos. Apostate Governing Body member Gerrit Lösch refused to appear in court and testify in this case by claiming, "I do not answer to Watchtower."
We do know that Gerrit Lösch's refusal to appear in court resulted in a default judgment, in favor José Lopez, in the amount of $13.5 million. What we don't know is whether or not this judgment will ever be paid in full. For now, the case is under appeal.
Another example of a large judgment against the Watchtower is found in the Candace Conti case. Conti was awarded $28 million in damages because church elders allowed her to be repeatedly abused by known pedophile Jonathan Kendrick. However, this judgment was reduced on appeal to only $2.8 million and was later settled for an undisclosed amount.
While these multi-million dollar judgments against the Watchtower make great headlines, the actual amounts paid by the Watchtower remains a mystery. However, if there is a huge volume of these child abuse cases, the cases which are actually settled for much smaller amounts may still cost the Watchtower some serious money.
With such bad worldwide publicity, it is doubtful that Stephen Lett can continue to convince his cult followers that these child abuse accusations against the Watchtower are nothing more than "apostate driven lies and dishonesties."
http://jwfacts.com/watchtower/child-abuse-settlements.php
Holy Connoli
Although the WT is losing huge amounts remember they have had 140 years at making money. They know how to do it like any HUGE corporation. Just bc they lose several Million dollars from Lawsuits there pockets are SO DEEP I don't thin they are anywhere close to being broke or really having severe financial hardship. Sure they are maybe not as liquid as before but they have tons of money and they also Gamble BIG TIME on Wall St and if they hit a good run on a great stock they can cash out and make Millions in a short time period. Believe me I wish they were on their way down financially but I think they see their reserves dwindling so they are just trying to fill up the coffers to what they are used to. The WT has Super day traders and super Stock investors and all kinds of other experts pulling the financial strings. Anything is possible but don't get your hopes up on a financial crash from the WT. They are worth Billions.
Chiafade
Unfortunately Your are correct. Their attendance at hedgefund conferences is documented fact. They have money gaining interest in more than one banking institution locally and overseas. What's interest on several hundred million dollars? This doesn't include their stocks.
Maybe these things aren't illegal but for a religious organization encouraging it's members to forsake riches it certainly isn't ethical. It may not be ethical of them but no one should expect them to be. They lie like it's a bodily function and protect child molesters, and abuse their followers, and cause needless deaths with faulty medical advice…I can keep going.
Holy Connoli says: "Although the WT is losing huge amounts remember they have had 140 years at making money." This is true. However, we have absolutely no idea who is actually running the Watchtower's criminal enterprise.
Yes, the Watchtower is a criminal enterprise. Watchtower goons maintain control over their members by threatening those who question them with the loss of family and friends through shunning and eternal death through divine judgment.
The 1995 movie CASINO offered insight into how such a criminal enterprise functions. Mountains of money were taken in by the casino, but the "bosses" filled suitcases with cash and walked out the back door with it.
Perhaps the day to day Watchtower operations are actually experiencing money problems because the bosses are skimming lots of cash off the top of the daily receipts.
ARJAY1954
Yes they are! I also agree that they are playing "Deeply" in the NYSE and anyway you look at it….it is wagering…..but the WTBTS justifys anything and everything that involves them….its a one way deal!
Great article. This part resonated with me: "It is unacceptable that since the Watchtower committed to work with the Parks Department, over 11 years have passed, the site has seen no improvements, and remains a piece of barren asphalt."
What? Watchtower fails to make good on promises? The government should be wary of an organization that has incorrectly predicted the end of the world about 10 different times over the last century.
Was Watchtower a victim of its own faulty reasoning? Did they assume that they would not have to make the investment promised to the government because Armageddon was 'just around the corner'?
I think the lagging financial support by the R&F is indicative of a serious lack of faith in the leadership. Not to mention that most JWs are barely scraping by since college education was forbidden by the GB.
MimiLove
they thought armageddon would save them from improving the park! Why fix something nice for worldly people when they are gonna all die anyway. let's make warwick our paradise! I get sick thinking about all the brothers and sisters that have devoted time and money to this hypocrisy.
Is Warwick going to be the New Jonestown like in Guyana?
WS I like your comment. The truth about the truth is the last thing that this guys want is for Jesus to come back. Think of what they would lose in Wall Street.
How true Brent. Jesus would def. turn over their tables and whip them out of the temple. Why therefore would they want him to come back… oh wait, he already did… no hang on… 607 BCE hmm…..
HC I had no idea about Jonestown until someone on this site mentioned it…. I was a babe when that happened so googled it. I posted on my fb page the comment by the woman who survived about being in a cult. Funny enough, not one witness made a comment on that one.
Sharon Christensen
Her "fleshy"parts being…eaten up…? But what about the monies in off shore accts…to avoid paying of taxes…and the owning shares of co. that makes motors for military vehicles…info on you tube???? True?
Stupid4Jesus
Good point Sharon, do you know the half of it. Check this out. http://nccsweb.urban.org/communityplatform/nccs/organization/profile/id/386043103 Chick on Form 990 and see all the stock they own in Boeing, Lockedmartin and other Defense Stock this are only the American Defense contractors, I guess WT pick sides and America is the worlds largest War machine in History. They profit form Satan's table.
They also are one or have been one of the worlds largest Real Estate Development company's, using Free labor and free money for those who they have mislea. Money they have coned by means of false pertinence. FRAUD
The HENRIETTA M RILEY TRUST was started in 1970, 5 years before the end of the World. They have been profiting from the Vietnam war too this day. I wounder how many Korean men would go to jail for the WT policy of Christian neutrality if they know the WT was taking them for fools. How about the JW who died in Germany for the same reason. The only difference between Wt and all the other Corporate Chruches is the level of hypocricey. Fraud!!
Big B
I say let them drown in their own red ink.
"Sing now with joy of heart,
we too can have a part,
live for the day when we say,
life without Watchtower at last".
To blazes with this pedophile protecting AMWAY-like song singing, sales driven cult! And that goes double for the seven mental dwarfs who dare to refer to themselves as "the faithful and discrete (read unfaithful and indiscreet) slave! They should be the first to belly up to the tub to drink the Kool-Aid.
Big B says: "To blazes with this pedophile protecting AMWAY-like song singing, sales driven cult!"
As for "the seven mental dwarfs" who compose the Governing Body, there is more to this quorum than meets the eye. I believe that they are composed of three distinct types. First, there are those who are so seriously deluded that they actually believe the bizarre things they say. Tony Morris III and Steve Lett are obviously members of this group.
The second group is composed of those who know that Watchtower teachings are totally false, but they get off on being worshiped by their cult followers. Gerrit Lösch, Geoffrey Jackson, David Splane and Samuel Herd belong to this group.
The third group is for those who worship their fellow Governing Body members. The death of Guy Pierce, left Mark Sanderson as the only member of this category.
dee2
"………there are those who are so seriously deluded………"
Is the WT's Paradise Earth doctrine a delusion?
The WT's teaching that humans will live forever on a paradise earth will necessitate that given that there will be no more death, then immortal humans will have to be relocated to other planets in order to prevent the earth from becoming overpopulated.
So how many habitable, earth-like planets are there?
More and more habitable, earth-like planets would have to become available on a continuous, never-ending basis ad infinitum as mankind's population grows given that there will be no more death.
The longevity/sustainability of life on these planets will be limited by the fact that the sun serving these planets will eventually die:
https://shar.es/1Cko6N
So immortal humans will have to keep moving from planet to planet. Will other habitable, earth-like planets become available to facilitate this movement from planet to planet on a continuous basis ad infinitum?
With no death, planets could quickly fill up within hundreds or thousands of years depending on their size.
If there was no death on planet earth since man's beginning, for example, the earth's population would be over 108 billion today:
http://www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2002/HowManyPeopleHaveEverLivedonEarth.aspx
Will enough habitable, earth-like planets become available on a continuous, never-ending basis ad infinitum in order to accommodate immortal human beings whose population would be growing continuously since there will be no death? and since the sun serving the already populated planets will eventually die?
It seems to me that the universe would have to be in continuous expansion mode so as to keep on producing more and more habitable, earth-like planets to accommodate this continuous, never-ending population growth of immortal humans or, are all of the existing planets going to be converted into habitable, earth-like planets to accommodate:
– the continuous, never-ending population growth of immortal human beings ad infinitum?
– as well as the movement of immortal humans from planet to planet when the sun dies?
Perhaps the simpler, uncomplicated option is just to create human beings as mortals so that they go through a life cycle just like everything else.
Maybe we die so that we can evolve, otherwise if we were immortal be would be just like a rock. The thought or idea of being an immortal as a child was very scary, what if it was not funny or a permanent slave of a tyrannical god.
No, a simpler option would be to stop procreation at some point,"…fill the earth". WTBS destroyed my faith in everything. Unless you were raised in this cult, it is difficult to understand the damage done. In my opinion it was child abuse.
Alexandria R
This article reads, the 17-29 Columbia Heights and 18-36 Columbia Heights package looks like it will sell for around $220 million. Candis Conti won 3.5 million. That's pennies in comparison. I explained all of this to my sister and I told my sister she needs her money more than the org does. She got mad at me. I was the calm one.
Eric Arthur Blair
I seem to remember they put some of these buildings on the market in 2008 just before the GFC hit and the values plummeted by 30%. What are to make of the timing of that decision? Spirit direction? I think not!
I'm of the opinion that Warwick was in the pipeline back then so they were probably cashing these assets in to fund the start of that project. However, when the GFC hit I think they decided to press on anyway and wait for the real estate market to rebound, no doubt believing that Jehovah would back them either way. In this they ignored the principle of "counting the cost" outlined by Jesus at Luke 14:28-30. And now they realise they have bitten off more than they can chew and are scrambling for funds. Of course, the intervening years have been complicated by the pesky sex abuse scandal and toxic nature of the land they bought. Oh what a tangled web they weave!
And with this latest debacle, whatever the politics, what about letting their yes mean yes? (Matthew 5:37.) And what about Psalm 15:4? These guys can't even practice what they preach.
Thank you for the New York Times Link. Here is what I read and found it be informative.
"The parks controversy seems to have exposed a long-simmering resentment of the Jehovah's Witnesses, also known as the Watchtower, for planning to leave a city that has enriched the religious group exponentially, community leaders say, yet to which it has given little in return.
"The Watchtower stands to make potentially hundreds of millions of dollars while generating no public benefits for residents of the surrounding neighborhoods," said a letter sent to the group this week by Councilman Stephen Levin, a Democrat who represents the area, and signed by over a half-dozen community leaders. "It is unacceptable that since the Watchtower committed to work with the parks department, over 11 years have passed, the site has seen no improvements, and remains a piece of barren asphalt."
Clearly, I see the Watchtower as being a parasitic organisation. What does the public gets in return for all those tax allowances? Nothing.
The property are valued at a price but until they are surveyed and contracts signed the true monetary value can be greater or less than the original estimate.
Properties are like the stock market prices can go up as well as go down until you agree on the final price.
The most likely reason for the money problems is,
that enlightened people are no longer interested
in what they are selling.
Hence, in the March study WT, they are targeting
people as young as 12 years old. Children who
likely will not have developed critical thinking skills.
One of the questions posed to these children, who
have barely begun to live, is, "Are you ready to give
up ownership of yourselves" ? It takes my breath
away!
They must be in much more trouble than any of us
Twmack says: "… they are targeting people as young as 12 years old."
These inhouse baptisms, made under duress, are not genuine conversions. The Watchtower's forced child baptisms are a charade designed to create the illusion that the cult is experiencing growth.
Brainwashed parents are now expected to surrender their children's futures to the irrational doctrines of seven deluded religious racketeers. To retain complete control, Watchtower judicial committees impose disfellowshipping and shunning on all those who question their authority.
Once these innocent children realize that they have been duped, they will need to choose between losing their parents and friends or trying to recover what is left of their lives without any help from their families.
Until recently, I assumed that the Watchtower cult could temporarily avoid payment whenever they appealed a child sex abuse judgment. However, this is not how the appeals process works. In the Candace Conti judgment of $28 Million, the Watchtower needed to put cash or cash equivalent in an account under the supervision of the court, or pay a premium and get a bond that guarantees the payment.
We can only speculate on the total amount of child abuse judgments the Watchtower has on appeal. We do know that the Watchtower is appealing the $13.5 million judgment in the José Lopez child sex abuse case.
It is possible that for every judgment the Watchtower has on appeal, they are either paying a premium on a bond or securing the judgment with cash. The appeals process does not guarantee that the Watchtower will avoid paying either the full judgment or a reduced amount.
It could very well be that a large portion of the hoped for sale price of the Watchtower's Brooklyn compound has been allocated to secure the judgments of many child abuse cases on appeal. For more information on this matter, see this excellent article:
http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/patterson-on-the-line-watchtower-claims-that-paying-cash-bond-would-cause-immediate-irreparable-harm-and-hardship
Great day for all when organization is financially crippled
There is an old saying, "You reap what you sow." In my VERY humble opinion, the WTS and GB has really painted itself in a corner with their doctrines and self-serving behavior. First, they literally kill their membership with the blood doctrine, thus reducing income (or they may possibly look for donated life insurance). Second, they have allowed pedophiles free reign to children by concealing the facts from people that can handle such cases. Thus, they have to now pay for all kinds of court cases, defense, and court security accounts for continuously appealed cases. Third, they ban higher education, which could give their rank and file a much larger salary base. Thus, they cut off any wealth windfall from a changing and skilled job market. Forth, instead of working to reconcile members that aggravate them by asking questions and not following their cookie-cutter lifestyle, they shun these members. Thus, they cut off any donation or free labor they get from these members.
Now, they are conning children to become members before they can make an informed decision. Well, I can't say truly informed, since they ban members from doing actual research on-line or printed. Thus, making a future headache by having rebellious youth as members in the rank and file. I would almost bet that half of those baptized kids will go off the ranch in their teens, 20's or 30's and get the shunning treatment.
Are these 7 circus clowns (i.e GB) running the organization smart or spirit driven? I don't think so! The spirit, in this case, would have to be awfully dumb and stupid to allow or direct such self-destructive behavior to continue. It just doesn't make sense!!!
Perhaps the spirit that is driving them is the one from 1 Kings 22:
"And the Lord said, 'Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' So one was saying this and another was saying that. "Then a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord, and said, 'I will entice him.' "The Lord asked him, 'How?'"He said, 'I will go and become a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.'"Then He said, 'You will certainly entice him and prevail. Go and do that.' "You see, the Lord has put a lying spirit into the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord has pronounced disaster against you.""
There's a God you can trust, one who allows his angel to become a "lying spirit"!?
I guess it's because he cannot tell a lie?
He needs help fooling a human?
Who's on first????
No wonder I grew up so fearful!
Barbara Metzelaar
For me this is a little piece of heaven knowing this evil organization is going to fail. As a former Christian and someone who is mistaken as an Atheist and Pagan; I am really a very spiritual person. I know there is an existence beyond this because I have died and returned several times. I know I came back in this life to humbly help with pulling down the Watchtower one brick at a time. I work on face book as Babs Mason and I do counseling for ex Jehovah's Witnesses and all cult survivors to help them find peace in their lives. In the 38 years I was one of Jehovah's Witnesses I met many members of the governing body and those who worked at Bethel and the Watchtower farm. I had no idea they were polluting the environment similar to the Love Canal disaster in upper state NY in the 70's. The Love Canal Disaster: Toxic Waste in the Neighborhood.
It sickens me to admit I met many of the governing body in the years I wasted my life in this evil organization and Mr Losch included and found him to be very distant and cold in his approach to others. I was at a party to honor his presence at a dedication of a Kingdom Hall Years ago.
Please contact me on Face Book if you want to talk about my experiences in this organization and how it has affected me and my family personally. I have been doing counseling on a donation basis for over 3 years to help those who are suffering. I am here to help.
Jehovah's witnesses selling 15 properties in Denmark: http://propertysale.dk/
Now I'm getting convinced that something is definitely going down in watchtower land. That is a lot of property to put on the market.
It makes me wonder why there are so many properties getting sold in the one country or is this happening elsewhere?
Now we know why the Society changed the rules a while back on new Kingdom Halls being built without any 'Watchtower' brick patterns in the walls or on the foyer floors – Remember? It was so they could be sold much easier as real estate when the time came. All things are done for a reason, and not always what we think.
Jan Hoekstra
The last show of Broadcasting we saw J. Jackson as a very fat person. Think he used drugs. Should the apostles and Jesus look like Jackson ?He pumped money in Monsanto and properly eat such junkfood.
IBSA CONSIDERING SELLING UK PROPERTY ASSETS WORTH APPROXIMATELY 73 MILLION BRITISH POUNDS
"The [Jehovah's] Witnesses have recently expressed interest in selling their UK assets, which include 29 freehold properties around Mill Hill in North London, NW7. Some of the prime estates incorporated in the portfolio are: The Watch Tower House, a mixed-use, 103,334 sqft building with residential redevelopment potential; a 300-seat seminar facility and 2,500 sqft office building in Manor Way, Borehamwood; IBSA House, a 201,285 sqft office building with great residential redevelopment opportunities; and 138 flats and 11 detached houses in various locations across London, Middlesex and Hertfordshire." (Article appearing on Morgan Pryce property website 21 June, 2016.)
According to this property market website "IBSA reported that the fixed asset value of the portfolio in mid-2014 was circa £73 million". Morgan Pryce also say that the Society has already sold a number of properties in the USA: (1) 360 Furnman Street NYC for $205 million, (2) One Brooklyn Bridge for $32 million (3) The Bossert Hotel in Brooklyn Heights for $81 million, and (4) six former factories near Brooklyn Bridge for $375 million.
http://www.morganpryce.co.uk/news/jehovah%E2%80%99s-witnesses-property-portfolio
Before moving from London Mill Hill to Temple Farm Chelmsford, the Society's "priority will be to decontaminate and then enhance and protect the site's natural assets".
http://www.templefarmdevelopment.co.uk/restoration
For Temple Farm site preparation progress:
http://www.chelmsford.gov.uk/templefarm
That's too bad that they wouldn't make good on a promise to benefit the community. They have millions of volunteers who build their Kingdom Halls for free and donate ALL their time for the cause. What a shame.
In 2015, there were 26011 guys working in Bethels. In 2016, they are only 19818.
From 2004 to 2016, the sell of Brooklyn provided 1.677 billions USD to the Watchtower. The building cost of Warwick is about 11.5 millions USD.
So the Watchtower is getting a lot of money, and is spending less with Bethels. How then can it become more poor?
Just looking at the movies during the last convention make me think they still have plenty of money!
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