Jehovah’s Witnesses Organization “Watchtower” : a successful corporation!

Translated from the original by Alexia Krinitis

Just a small part of the buildings Jehovah’s Witnesses Organization “Watchtower” owns, the self-proclaimed “company”

If someone indicates the Watchtower has nothing to do with God and Jesus Christ, but it is a North-american publishing corporation with religious cover, earning huge profits year after year, its believers, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, strongly protest against this statement. The profits of the Watchtower are huge because its followers, who print those products, work in conditions of modern slavery with salaries lower than those in the developing countries and they promote them as salespeople but without salary for a life-time. The financial spirit of U.SA, the Mecca of capitalism, has completely penetrated Watchtower and this is evident not only in its preaching but also in the instructions issued about how its followers should behave. We read about all these in the books and leaflets Watchtower publishes and Jehovah’s Witnesses gave us...

There is not absolutely any doubt Jehovah’s Witnesses’ organization, known as “Watchtower”,  has nothing to do with God and Jesus Christ, because it is a publishing organization. Watchtower calls itself a publishing company. And where can we see that? In its official magazine, under the same title with the organization, issued on 15^th September 1971, p.562. Also, in this document, it is worth noticing the excitement of the Watchtower, because sales took a soar and as a result they need another factory to meet the demand of its editions. Clearly, this is how companies act when they respect their reputation and their customers. On that part, we do not object at all, since this is also what we claim: Watchtower is nothing else but a company with a passion for business:

Set Apart from the World

WHO HAS THE TRUTH?

While Satan’s organization crumbles, the organization of Jehovah prospers marvelously under his protection and guidance. Those who symbolize their dedication to Jehovah by water baptism are increasing rapidly year by year—82,842 in 1968, 120,905 in 1969, and 164,193 in the 1970 service year. With more than 1,500,000 publishers in the field each month, the publishing organization of Jehovah’s witnesses is hard pressed to keep up with the demand for publications. In 1967 the Brooklyn factory’s production of Bibles and hardbound books reached a total of 8,252,860 volumes, in 1968 it was 12,130,996 volumes and in 1969 an astounding 24,038,531 volumes. But in 1970 Bibles and books printed reached 26,232,766 copies. Magazine production continues to mushroom also, and toward the end of 1969 the Watch Tower Society took a necessary step in nearly doubling its factory space in Brooklyn, through purchase of another factory complex.

“Watchtower” 15^th September 1971, p.562; the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses is a publishing company.

Also, there cannot be any doubt the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses is a publishing company because of the following fact: How does a publishing company call its employees who promote and sell its books? It calls them “colporteurs”, doesn’t it? Well, this is exactly how the Watchtower called for many years its followers who promoted its booklets: colporteurs! So, "why do we need any more witness”, as the Gospel says, for the true and the virtual activity of “Watchtower”? The document we are about to publish is from “Watchtower” magazine of 1^st May 1988, p. 22:

Jehovah Does Not Forsake His Servants

Serving as Colporteurs

We closed the tailor shop and dismissed the employees. Filled with joy, we set out in door-to-door preaching activity in Osaka. In September 1929, I became Japan’s second colporteur, as full-time ministers were then called, and my husband joined the colporteur ranks later. Together we covered three quarters of Japan, including Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Tokyo, Sendai, Sapporo, Okayama, and the island of Shikoku. We stayed in each place for about six months, renting an apartment and concentrating on literature distribution.

We used literature that was available in Japanese, such as the books The Harp of God, Deliverance, Creation, Reconciliation, and Government, as well as The Golden Age (now Awake!) and The Watchtower. As colporteurs, we spent 180 hours a month going from door to door. Although we were physically exhausted, our joy in serving was great.

“Watchtower” magazine of 1^st May 1988, p. 22, Jehovah’s Witnesses are colporteurs

There is a wise saying about how “you can’t hide love and wind”. So does the Watchtower: it tries to hide behind the religious cover it promotes, but it cannot and many times it reveals its true face, which is nothing else but that of business.  Business has penetrated so deeply the Watchtower that it has shaped its preaching according to the spirit of business; and not only the Watchtower but also its followers. So, in some cases Watchtower describes Jesus Christ as a businessman and in some other cases it describes God as an industrialist. And here comes the proof. In “Watchtower” of 1^st September 2002, p.23, we read that Jesus Christ takes to pay off the debts of a company and then He re-opens it, so the old workers can find a job:

Imitate the Great Teacher

How Jesus comes to the rescue of Adam’s descendants can be compared to a wealthy benefactor who pays off a company’s debt (incurred by a dishonest manager) and reopens the factory, thus benefiting its many employees

“Watchtower” magazine, 1^st September 2002, p.23, Jesus Christ as businessman

In the “Watchtower” magazine, 15^th December, p.16, God-the Father takes the place of businessman Jesus Christ. He is the Chief Executive of a large corporation and he needs delegates as He cannot do everything on His own:

He Will Draw Close to You”

To illustrate: The chief executive of a large corporation has many responsibilities. He decides which matters he will handle personally and which he will delegate to others. Similarly, the Sovereign Ruler of the universe has the option to determine which matters he will involve himself in and which he will delegate.

“Watchtower” magazine, 15^th December, p.16, God-the Father as the Chief Executive of a large corporation.

Needles s to say, the business concept has also penetrated the followers of Watchtower; how it could not? Therefore, in the “Watchtower” magazine of 1^st January 2001, p. 14, we read that a Jehovah’s Witness mother regards the baptism of her son as investment:

Love Within the Family

Christian parents view their children as a trust from Jehovah, and they look to him for help in raising them. (Psalm 127:3-5; Proverbs 22:6) In this way they cultivate Christian love, which helps them to guard their children from the corrupting influences that young people may fall prey to. As a result, many Christian parents have experienced a joy similar to that of a mother in the Netherlands. After watching the baptism of her son—one of 575 individuals baptized in the Netherlands last year—she wrote the following: “At this moment, my investment of the past 20 years has paid off. All the time and energy—as well as the hurt, effort, and sorrow—are now forgotten.” How happy she is that her son, of his own free will, chose to serve Jehovah. The peak of 31,089 publishers reporting in the Netherlands last year includes many who learned from their parents to love Jehovah.

“Watchtower” magazine, 1^st January 2001, p. 14, a Jehovah’s Witness’s  mother regards the baptism of his son as investment.

Now, let’s see how the publishing organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses “Watchtower Bible and Tract Society” promotes its religious products, trains its employees, who as we have already mentioned they are not other than its followers, working as unpaid salesmen for life, being naïve enough to believe that in this way they serve God and finally how Watchtower protects its interests.

For a company to make progress, saving money must be part of its culture. Well, the “Watchtower” magazine of 15 December 1974, p.741, advises parents against making gifts to their kids for Christmas, because they are expensive at that time of the year:

As for gifts—you can give these to your children anytime during the year, and gifts are often more appreciated when they come at unexpected times. You will be giving, not under compulsion or pressure from the commercial world when prices are high, but when your heart moves you to do it. Such giving—for which your children thank, not “Santa Claus,” but their parents—does much more to strengthen family ties.

“Watchtower” magazine of 15 December 1974, p.741, Not gifts to children at Christmas because they are expensive.

However, for the “Watchtower” saving money is not only for Christmas. It goes even further and it reaches its best in the “Watchtower” magazine of  1^st September 1965, p.524; it teaches its followers not to waste their nervous energy!

What Comes First in Your Life?

USING YOUR PHYSICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSETS WISELY

You can even waste a lot of nervous energy by talking too much,

even though the muscles of the tongue may never tire!

“Watchtower” magazine of  1^st September 1965, p.524, Jehovah’s Witnesses shouldn’t talk too much, because they will get tired.

Apart from saving money, reputation is also very important for a company; with a good reputation, not only it will be easier to promote its products, but also it will increase its sales. So, a very important factor for good reputation is the behaviour of the salesmen, since they promote the products of the company. “Watchtower” is not an exception to this rule; therefore, dozens of orders and advices reach to its followers-salesmen through its magazines and booklets on a weekly basis. So, they are advised to be very careful about their dressing style and their behaviour wherever they are. They shouldn’t wear shorts or denim or T-shirts, because among other things Jehovah-God might be displeased! This is not a joke and under no circumstances we intend to laugh at the Jehovah’s Witnesses. We just present what we read in the magazines of their Organisation. We have read all the above in booklet of Jehovah’s Witnesses “Our Kingdom Ministry” of April 2007, p. 4. Here is the proof:

Follow the Christ by Manifesting Dignity

Dignified Appearance: Many expressed appreciation for the reminders in last year’s district convention talk “Manifest Christian Dignity at All Times,” which emphasized that God’s servants should strive to manifest Christian dignity in their dress and grooming. This year we should again give this matter our serious attention. Our appearance reflects our feelings for Jehovah and for the privilege of being his Witnesses. We should always dress as those “professing to reverence God.”—1 Tim. 2:9, 10.

⁵ Should we manifest a dignified appearance only when attending the program? Remember that many will observe us wearing our convention badges while in the convention city. Our appearance should make us stand out from the general public. Therefore, even during leisure time, such as when going out to eat after the program, we should dress as befits ministers who are in the city for the purpose of attending a Christian convention and should not wear such clothing as jeans, shorts, or T-shirts. What a witness this will give to the community! Jehovah is pleased when our appearance bespeaks our role as ministers.

“Our Kingdom Ministry”, April 2007, p.4, Jehovah’s Witnesses shouldn’t wear shorts or denim or T-shirts, because among other things Jehovah-God might be displeased!

However, dressing and behaviour are not the only things Jehovah’s Witnesses should be extremely careful. For promoting the products of the Watchtower and entrapping another victim and possibly one more salesman, unpaid for life, it is important how the Jehovah’s Witness will approach that person. The approach should be with a smile and not with a frown face. That’s why when Jehovah’s Witnesses knock on your door or they meet you in the street, they have a broad smile as if they are in a TV commercial for toothpaste. From the same booklet as above, “Our Kingdom Ministry” of April 2006, p.1, these instructions:

Show Personal Interest—By Good Eye Contact

Establishing eye contact with others is an effective way to lead into a witness when doing street work or witnessing in other public places. One brother watches the eyes of those approaching him. When he makes eye contact, he smiles and then presents the magazines. Using this approach, he enjoys many pleasant conversations and places much literature.

“Our Kingdom Ministry” of April 2006, p.1, Jehovah’s Witness should not forget to smile when they approach a possibly victim.

Of course, what a company would be without advertising. Advertising is the most important factor for a company; for promoting its products and for increasing its sales. Advertising is so powerful and has such a great influence on us that quite often, nearly all of us have fallen victims of buying products we never needed and most probably we never used. The “Watchtower” is fully aware of the important role advertising plays, so could it not use it? Of course not! Therefore, it keeps sending out to its followers-salesmen instructions about it. ADVERTISING-ADVERTISING-ADVERTISING...it keeps telling them. ADVERTISE-ADVERTISE-AVERTISE, it tells them again. Actually, this is the part exposing what Watchtower really is, a north-american publishing company with a religious cover: it is Watchtower that describes as advertising material the leaflets distributed by Jehovah’s Witnesses. And as proof, here are the instructions in the booklet “Our Kingdom Ministry” of August 2005, p.4:

Are You Using Handbills?

One day an 11-year-old boy found a handbill advertising a public lecture on the subject of hell. “This keenly interested me,” he later explained, “as it seemed that I was always doing the wrong thing, and so I worried a lot about going to a burning hell when I died.” He attended the lecture, and about a year later, after several sessions of Bible study, he was baptized. Thus began the Christian career of Karl Klein, who later served for many years as a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It all began with a handbill.

Handbills continue to be an effective witnessing tool today. Many publishers find that handing one to a person is a good way to introduce themselves and start conversations. Parents can involve their young children in the ministry by having them offer a handbill at the door. Publishers who share in witnessing by letter can advertise the meetings by enclosing a handbill. And, of course, handbills are a convenient way to invite Bible students and other interested ones to come to our meetings.

On the front of the handbill is a brief description of each congregation meeting. Since the Kingdom Hall address and meeting times are not included, you will need to supply that information when offering the handbill. There is space to print or stamp that information on the handbill if desired.

Are you making good use of handbills in your ministry?

“Our Kingdom Ministry” of August 2005, p.4, it is Watchtower that describes as advertising material the leaflets distributed by Jehovah’s Witnesses!

Therefore, it makes sense after all, the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses 'Watchtower', the self-proclaimed “company”, manages huge amounts of money every year, with similar gains. Of course, it proclaims it is a non-profit company but that doesn’t mean it works against its financial interests. As an example, so the reader can better perceive the amounts of money Watchtower manages, in 2011, the Organisation spent $173.000.000 for a special category of employees, for whom there is an arrangement for a minimum wage; as we have aforementioned,  the majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses work as salesmen, unpaid for life.

The most tragic though is the majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses who have fallen in this trap; the poor followers think they evangelize the work of Jehovah-God, but what they really promote is the interests of a north-american publishing company with a religious cover.

  Writer Christos Pal