79 Responses to Cough up, kids – Watchtower needs your ice cream money!
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alanv says:
May 21, 2015 at 4:07 am
I found this video just before Lloyd posted this article. I am truly sickened by the governing body’s blatant aim at getting children to donate now as well as adults. For an org that says it never asks for donations, this shows total hypocrisy on their part. Hopefully this new video will help many JWs see how the religion is just interested in growing itself whatever the cost to its members.
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Everyday Explorer says:
May 21, 2015 at 4:21 am
Blatant indoctrination of young impressionable minds, hearts and souls. Surely this is over-reaching on the part of the WT, bearing in mind their often-professed statements that they do not proactively seek donations? Surely even the long-suffering rank and file will find this short video a bit of a conscience-churner? Who has not been a kid and wanted an ice cream?! Give a kid a break! This is dreadfully sad, mean-spirited bilge from an incomprehensibly deluded Governing Body. Talk about by their acts, shall you know them.
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Mike Pollard says:
May 21, 2015 at 4:25 am
I fail to see how this is possible when net worth is calculated in many, many millions – up to a billion!
How can that be all gone and where too?
Maybe it’s a McDonalds’ ploy by getting kids emotionally tied to the organisation.
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Everyday Explorer says:
May 21, 2015 at 4:32 pm
Yes, indeed. It is a policy which embraces devious wheels within devious wheels, careering off through all generations. And, at the same time, real meaningful lives — like yours and mine, whatever our ages, including those of our young ones who must be protected to the best of our ability — are affected by such life-denying propaganda. Folks, we know we can speak out against such insidious, far-reaching hurt-speak. The WT Governing Body really has no idea of the Pandora’s Box they is a’-openin’ via the good ole worldwide web. The GB deserve this exposure of their unprincipled callousness. Those seven deluded men are directing the spotlight brightly on their own uncaring hearts. I hope there will be a peaceful resolution soon to all this sorrow.
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chatpal says:
May 21, 2015 at 4:28 am
I will be interested in how many parents watching the video will also feel that is going too far. the constant ‘reminders’ will wear on people the same way as the Armageddon warnings.
How long will it take for people to think on their own and see for themselves these are no more than money grabbing guilt rants by male chauvinist video ‘stars’ begging in the name of God. And to add,
Im at a total loss trying to wrap my head around the whole idea of baptism of children. to me, the Bible says nothing of the sort.
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Designer Stubble says:
May 21, 2015 at 4:31 am
***Proclaimers book (1993) jv chap. 21 p. 340 How Is It All Financed? ***
As early as the second issue of the WatchTower,in August 1879, Brother Russell stated: “‘Zion’s Watch Tower’ has, we believe, JEHOVAH for its backer, and while this is the case it will never beg nor petition men for support. When He who says: ‘All the gold and silver of the mountains are mine,’ fails to provide necessary funds, we will understand it to be time to suspend the publication.”
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Robert Crompton says:
May 21, 2015 at 4:36 am
What vile money-grubbing racketeers they have become!
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Maria says:
May 21, 2015 at 4:47 am
Have they ever tried to get children to donate before, or is this a first time? When I grew up (born in 1989) I never felt any pressure to donate, so I never did.
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Charles Costante says:
May 21, 2015 at 5:13 am
I was never pressured to donate as a child, Maria, but that was in the sixties. I think they’re getting desperate!
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Stephane Laliberte says:
May 21, 2015 at 7:36 am
I remember that we were being told the same thing. The parents were told to give us (the kids) money so that we would put it into the contribution box for the family.
So, this video, although being much more visible, is still the same message that has been going around since, at very least, the 80s.
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William Niles says:
May 21, 2015 at 4:57 am
What a LOW. I am a parent and this is just too much. My wife and I would NEVER encourage our 8-year-old daughter to give up what little bit of allowance $ we can afford to give her for the purposes that WT is showing in that video. That is sick propaganda; plain and simple. The Ice Cream truck comes by our neighborhood once a week and sometimes we just don’t have the extra $ for it and we teach our daughter that sometimes we just can’t do it; there’s a time for everything–she understands that. Yeah, our daughter definately thinks about the Ice Cream truck or buying Ice-Cream at the store like the video is showing…and she looks forward to it because she knows we can’t do it all the time. What that video is depicting is absolutely disgusting…the WT is at a desperation point. Thanks for sharing John Cedars.
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John Walsh says:
May 21, 2015 at 5:04 am
I think we can be pretty sure where this is going eventually. Good chance they will be baptising babies soon enough, ‘New Light’.
At around 12yrs of age I offered all of my money about $15 [1969] to the young Circuit Oversea with a sound financial family backup, and he had no problems taking that from an indoctrinated child from a poor family.
Says it all really, certain types work there way to the upper positions in the JW’s and they are all ‘tared’ with the same brush.
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Charles Costante says:
May 21, 2015 at 5:04 am
“When He who says: ‘All the gold and silver of the mountains are mine,’ fails to provide necessary funds, we will understand it to be time to suspend the publication.””
I hope they put their money (or lack thereof) where their mouth is, Designer Stubble, and suspend publication of that nonsense immediately!
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Searcher says:
May 21, 2015 at 7:00 am
Don’t hold your breath!
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John Walsh says:
May 21, 2015 at 5:11 am
If they practised what they preached they would follow Christ’s perfect example. Jesus was baptised at 30, when he reached adulthood. He was perfect they say, and could instruct scribes at the temple, yet not ready for baptism until 30.
As the GB know very well, if children are not locked in by 20 most will be out of there.
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Charles Costante says:
May 21, 2015 at 5:19 am
Kids are a lot more savvy nowadays, John, which is why they’re desperate to get them before they become teenagers.
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Scrubmaster says:
May 21, 2015 at 6:52 am
@John that is what is so interesting to me. Like you said Jesus was baptized at 30 and since in Israel a male was not considered an adult until age 30 this is why I am sure they got baptized at an age when they could make adult decisions. I am quite sure since the early Christian’s were of the heavenly class, no kids were baptized. It is huge decision kids are making with out even having lived life and having the opportunity to fully understand or even look at other beliefs.
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Excelsior! says:
May 21, 2015 at 5:24 am
Folks,
For you religious folks, there is no example of child baptism in the bible. All baptisms in the bible are adults.
Further, the age of majority in those times was older than it is now!
This is a disgusting, shameless piece of propaganda and it makes me feel sick to my stomach!
Oh well, I’ll just go and get myself some ice cream….
Peace be with you, Excelsior!
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Steve McRoberts says:
May 21, 2015 at 5:58 am
Another Watchtower-induced dilemma for Jehovah’s Witnesses: should kids get paper-routes or other forms of employment in order to contribute financially to the organization that is sucking their lives dry: or would such jobs interfere with time they should be spending in spreading the propaganda?
Too bad they’re not allowed to have a childhood and develop into mentally healthy adults rather than being coerced into slaving away for this sick organization their entire lives: http://www.jehovahswitnessblog.com/cult/the-garden-of-love/
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Searcher says:
May 21, 2015 at 7:04 am
Wow! This gives new meaning to the bully who stole the kid’s lunch money or ice cream money. How do these people live in their skin? The GB and WTS leadership is truly a disgusting bunch!
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StrongHaiku says:
May 21, 2015 at 7:45 am
Maybe I am overthinking their strategy and/or giving them too much credit, but it seems to me that this particular ploy isn’t just about getting children to donate the few pennies or dollars they may have. I think the amount would be negligible compared to what the adults would donate.
It seems to me that this strategy also serves two other purposes.
1. It works as a shaming tactic to the adults. If the child is donating what little they have I believe the parent will feel compelled to do the same.
2. It works as a way of getting children to start donating early so that it becomes a habit as they grow up. And, by “donating” I would include time, resources, and their very life and not just money.
In other words, while the short-term/obvious gain is to go after the children’s cash I think there is a more long-term and not so obvious gain. Just a thought…
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Pickled brain says:
May 21, 2015 at 8:18 am
@StrongHaiku. ALL Your Points were EXACTLY What I was thinking . This is Very Very Clever Mind Manipulation by the GB !! GUILT TRIPPING the Children & the Parents & Each other !!! Are the GB Using Psychologists to Instruct them???
THIS is SO BLATANT yet SPOOKY CULT Behaviour!!
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Searcher says:
May 21, 2015 at 9:25 am
They’re (i.e. GB) good aren’t they? Real good! And not in a friendly way either.
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anonymous says:
May 21, 2015 at 8:13 am
The Society ain’t no dummy. If there’s 1 million children in the Organization and they each donated their piggy banks with a worth of $20, there’s another $20,000,000.00 they will collect. If each of those 1 million kids donated the $2.00 they had in their piggy banks for an ice cream cone, then that’s $2,000.000.00.00. Not a bad haul even if it’s just bunch of ice cream cones from little kids.
Lett said in his latest broadcast that in poor countries, people will donate their last dime even if they don’t know how they will survive the next day. How can they take money from people who are that poor? They should be giving those people money, not taking it from them.
The Society wants those parents to think that their kids’ ice cream cone money is going to all those poor kids in Africa who have to be sitting in the rain for their talks and that ice cream money is going to make it so those poor brothers and sisters can sit in an “appropriate” Kingdom Hall, like what they have but if those parents realized where the money is really going, they might not feel quite so generous.
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StrongHaiku says:
May 21, 2015 at 8:33 am
Good points, @anonymous… As you point out, with enough children, “ice cream” money can quickly add up to some serious cash.
And, to clarify my previous comment; I may have come across as saying that there is little value in getting kids to break their piggy bank. Sorry if that was the case. I totally agree that there is the immediate influx of cash which the GB would never turn down. But I think it might be worth to point out that the GB’s “currency” is also guilt and habit, which has additional pay offs.
This is not the first time (or last) where the GB has used children as leverage to get the adults to listen, obey, and do more.
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ziddina says:
May 21, 2015 at 11:32 am
I agree, Anonymous. I was doing some calculating (please feel free to double-check my math) & if each of the approx. 8 million JWs (rounded up for ease of calculation) gave ONLY $6 PER MONTH, the Watchtower Society would gross OVER A HALF-BILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR.
I am flabbergasted & dumbfounded by the bottomless, black-hole aspect of their endless greed! They’ve just made approximately $1 BILLION dollars in sales of Brooklyn real estate; they’re probably receiving AT LEAST a HALF-BILLION a year just in donations, & they want MORE?? To the point of depriving poor, mind-controlled Sophia of her one small treat by demanding HER money from her, too?
I cannot even understand that level of vicious greed & stupidity – on the part of the Watchtower Society & on the part of the victimized Jehovah’s Witnesses.
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Ted says:
May 21, 2015 at 8:18 am
More blatant guilt propaganda to manipulate young minds.
All these “Jehovahs Friend” videos have used the mind
control techniques of guilt and fear. Shameful !
As they’re so desperate for funds, I have some suggestions.
During the War, many schools in Britain got the kids to collect
jam jars and old newspapers, these could be sold to help the
War Effort. The kids loved it you had that “All in it together
feeling”.
Scrap paper would be no problem for JWs, there must be
thousands of tons of obsolete books out there that are just an
embarrassment to them.
As a final thought, how about second hand clothing stalls
along side the literature carts. Unlikely you think?
Well, having plumbed the depths, begging for kids ice cream
money, I would rule nothing out.
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ziddina says:
May 21, 2015 at 11:34 am
Good points. You’d think they’d learn from the Baptists & have the sisters do bake sales for money, instead of trying to rob ice cream from small children…
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alanv says:
May 21, 2015 at 8:42 am
When I was a witness I used to think the magazines were actually good value. This was when there was a fixed contribution cost. What I completely forgot is that they were not just making a small profit on one magazine, but that profit was times millions of magazines. In fact one new magazine per week in those days. All this with virtually free labour added up to a massive amount of money every year.
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David says:
May 21, 2015 at 8:44 am
This organisation just cares about its own aims without realising the great damage cause to people. They are free to practice religion but when a person decide to follow a different path must suffer a huge injustice.
Encouraging young children to get baptized shows a complete lack of love and decency. They know how a life of a young person can be completely destroyed if he/she decides with maturity that no longer agree with jw.org ideas.
They incourage to COMPLETELY ignore that such a person even exists.
The primary focus for them is numbers, grow even at the cost of innocent lifes. Shame on you GB.
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ScotWm says:
May 21, 2015 at 9:23 am
What a dilemma! How to squeeze even more money out of cult members who are, for the most part, lower middle class.
Ever since the 1940s, Watchtower leaders ruled out higher education because the end of the world would come long before graduation. Later, higher education was described as a worldly cesspool that would strip impressionable young witnesses of their Watchtower bible trained consciences. Now that the worldwide witnessing is producing converts largely located in very poor countries, the billion dollar New York real estate windfall will not last very long.
While I would never advocate joining a cult based on the hallucinations of Ellen G. White, it is obvious that the Seventh Day Adventists long ago took the necessary steps to insure their financial future. Rather than continually threaten its followers with eminent destruction, Watchtower leaders should have created institutions of higher learning. The graduates of these schools could have earned much more money and contributed accordingly to the so called world wide work.
Here is one example of how higher education and religious indoctrination can work together:
“Does my family have to be Adventist for my child to attend an Adventist school? Absolutely not, though you and your child will gain the most benefit from Adventist education if you are a Christian or at least sympathetic with Christian beliefs.”
http://adventisteducation.org/about/adventist_education/faq
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Simon Kestral says:
May 21, 2015 at 10:35 am
@ScotWm, WT has opposed university education ever since Fred Franz dropped out of college in 1913. His influence has shaped WT policy for 100 years now.
At the first circuit assembly I ever attended they interviewed a young man who dropped out of college. He was so happy to escape the worldly influence of college and give more time to WT. And his “brothers” were so proud of him! Another disciple of Fred Franz …
WT says they need people who have university degrees. But they’re not willing to grow their own. They think enough pre-educated “worldly” people will join WT and provide the needed skills. YOU UNEDUCATED PUBLISHERS JUST NEED TO PREACH MORE AND BRING THEM IN!
The hypocrisy is mind boggling.
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ziddina says:
May 21, 2015 at 11:41 am
Simon Kestral wrote: “WT has opposed university education ever since Fred Franz dropped out of college in 1913. His influence has shaped WT policy for 100 years now.”
I think it goes all the way back to Charles Taze Russell, who never attended high school, let alone college. In forewords to his “Studies in the Scriptures” books, he warns against even attending HIGH SCHOOL, as well as college.
I suspect his envy & distrust of those better-educated than he, led to the establishment of that long-running antipathy towards higher education, which the Watchtower Society foolishly carries on to this day.
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Hakizimana Jean de Dieu says:
May 21, 2015 at 10:55 am
“plastic wizard toys are Satanic”!!!!! It seems Satan is becoming everything among Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The new Watchtower Magazine (study edition) says: “The religious, political, and commercial elements of this world—including their information channels—are under the influence of “the god of this system of things,” Satan the Devil. (2 Cor. 4:4; 1 John 5:19)”!!!!!
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danman says:
May 21, 2015 at 12:03 pm
Growing up a jw in the years 1948-1981. Child publisher giving my own presentations from door to door at age 5. Living every aspect of a good jw life publisher, servant, pioneer, serve were the need was great, elder, assembly parts, oversee large departments at assemblies, actor in district convention dramas, I can lay claim to enough experience to say the following:
The “Truth” ain’t what it used to be.! The almost sacrosanct pride I (we) had as regards the glaring difference between ‘Babylon the Great’ (all other religions) and Jehovah God’s earthly organization was a source of strength to the convictions held.
•No overt collection of funds just a simple contribution box. Vs: Evil Christendoms collection plates and direct solicitations via cash, credit, or pledges. Now Jehovah seems to be allowing his organization full license to do exactly the same.
•No catchy music programs, tv broadcasts, cartoons, or boasting about structures or properties. Jehovah now allowing all of the former no-no’s. Has Jehovah’s willingness to accept these worldly modern methods, changed? Or is it the men at the helm of this obviously human run organization?
•No higher education. I mean to the point of restricting privileges for those who chose to attend college. Now my own nephew bethelite was offered and accepted a fully paid scholarship by the Watchtower to attend college and obtain his lawyers license. Extracting every ounce of his time and hard efforts after attaining his credential. Using my relatives good nature and life’s talents to further their religious desires. Yet they still try to influence the rank and file jw to avoid such higher education so as to further their grunt work in the local congregations. Talk about a clergy laity class, well hidden it may be, we who know can see through their chicanery.
I have almost an endless list to proceed with, but this has got me started.
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JJ says:
May 22, 2015 at 5:18 am
Great points!
I met Judah Schroeder(?) at Columbia University and he told me face-to-face that he was enjoying a fully Watchtower funded educated there. This was about ten years ago. He was taking a degree in Public Relations. Judah is the son of the now deceased Governing Body member, Ben Schroeder. Judah was famous for being one of the few children who grew up at Bethel. Rank does have its privileges.
Until your comment I never really put the clergy/laity part of this religion together. But there it is.
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John Baptist says:
May 21, 2015 at 1:03 pm
Now does this mean I might have to give up my Good Humor route due to possible lost sales? Lol What a complete mental insanity!
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Mitch Jensen says:
May 21, 2015 at 1:34 pm
“The video represents the latest specimen in a relentless stream of propaganda material targeting children. The “Become Jehovah’s Friend” series first launched in 2012 with a video aimed at guilt-tripping kids into believing that plastic wizard toys are Satanic. Then, more recently, another cartoon has shown Caleb and Sophia essentially being threatened with death if they don’t pay attention at meetings.”
Author’s Words
There’s no escaping the guilt, Cedars is too young to remember all the guilt and fear mongering kids prior to 1975 dealt with. Do you have any ideas how bad we kids had things? We were told all our friends at school 1st to 4th grades at the Woodland Hills,California and Dodger Stadium and of course our regular Meeting that focused on “Stay Alive till 75!”.
Cedars, is there any way we can stop the bleeding before these children are ruined? Is the EU more progressive, are they able to see through the ruse put on by a religion that does nothing to make the world a better place? How can we get their tax-exempt status revoked, what grassroots movements can a army of Kingdom Hall lurkers do to stop the madness? Unbelievable how children have not right to a little treat after enduring the Tuesday Night Guilt Meet! Very good writing and coverage, how do we change them?
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Mitch Jensen says:
May 21, 2015 at 1:38 pm
We were told all our friends were going to be “foods for the birds as their corpses lay rotting through the street”. Than one of the Watchtower guys actually said “Jehovah will use anti-matter to clean up all these bodies because only a million to clean up billions of bodies!” That’s the rat crap kids growing up in the 1950s to late 1960s endured, we are the “generation of fear”, the Watchtower Society is losing it’s ability to beat the drums of fear, their really sick demons!
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johnamos says:
May 21, 2015 at 1:44 pm
I couldn’t help but notice the following from this website while watching the video:
Support JWsurvey
Help us make continued improvements to this website and its content.
****Donate*****
all major credit cards
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anonymous says:
May 21, 2015 at 2:26 pm
@johnamos, do you think it’s wrong to accept donations then? I noticed in Stephen Lett’s talk when he was talking about those brothers that moved a lady’s shed back onto the foundation that when she offered them money that they didn’t turn it down.
Also, johnamos, there’s a huge difference between donating to someone from the heart and being coerced to do it because “God sees it if you don’t donate”.
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Melka says:
May 21, 2015 at 2:52 pm
And to add to this, I actually value this website and think it’s a big reason why a lot of people wake up. Mr. Cedars is contributing to the cause we’re all invested in, which is trying to wake people up, by bringing light to the despicable ways of the Watchtower. And that takes time. And in case you don’t know, it costs money. He is fully in his rights to let people know that it costs money, and if people donate, that means they believe in him and what he has to say, and they want to make sure he can continue to contribute. I personally think Cedars website puts out the best information, so I for one think we need him desperately. And I actually want people to wake up. I would look up Peter Gregersons role in helping Ray Franz write Crisis of Conscience if I was you. He paid Ray Franz a weekly salary so that he could write his book. Ray Franz obviously took the money, otherwise maybe he couldn’t produce that extremely important book. Without help, who knows what would have happened. Donating and cashing in are two vastly opposite things.
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Cedars says:
May 22, 2015 at 12:00 am
Do we have a donate button? Yes – as do many exJW sites. Do I make videos telling people to donate, and telling them it is their responsibility before God to do so? No. Do I make cartoons coercing kids to give me their ice cream money? No. I just let people contribute towards my work if they feel so inclined without prodding or begging.
I trust I have reassured you that this website is not comparable with the authoritarian, family-decimating, mind-controlling cult it critiques.
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Wanderer says:
May 22, 2015 at 1:16 am
jw.org looks and sounds like a shiny new version of the American tele-evangelists from the 80’s and 90’s!
They didn’t directly coerce people into donating either, they quoted scriptures, just as Mr. Lett does, then the money from the poor came rolling in. The tele-evangelists didn’t stoop so low that they had cartoons aimed at extracting pocket money from children.
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Charles Costante says:
May 21, 2015 at 2:32 pm
“Scrap paper would be no problem for JWs, there must be
thousands of tons of obsolete books out there that are just an embarrassment to them.”
Nice one, Ted! (LOL)
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johnny blaze says:
May 21, 2015 at 2:52 pm
Leave it in jehovah’s hands. ……he will provide. ………don’t hold your breath. ….
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Grace says:
May 21, 2015 at 2:55 pm
Who ever put this piece of propaganda together didn’t think it through. Instead of putting the pictures of the buildings & more buildings like high-rises (reminding me of the picture of satan tempting Jesus with all the kingdoms of the world), they could have put pictures of something that looked like a 3rd world country going from meeting in the hot sun to having a dwelling. It shows where there heart is. Not on helping those in need but expanding the real estate empire.
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Pickled brain says:
May 21, 2015 at 3:14 pm
@johnamos. HMmmm!!’ How About DONATING to a Good Cause Instead of Donating to The GB who are Paying Out TENS of MILLIONS of DOLLARS in CHILD ABUSE CASES & LUXURIOUS BUILDINGS & OVERSTAFFED HQ& WHO BREAK UP FAMILIES by SHUNNING if Someone DARES to Question the GB on Continuous FAILED PROPHECIES!!!
What’s wrong with Donating to Cedars who is trying to Awaken JWs up & Save them from WASTING Their Lives & also from Helping New Ones from making the mistake of getting Baptised!!
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Everyday Explorer says:
May 21, 2015 at 4:40 pm
Really like the incisiveness of your point, Grace. Fantastically nailed another absurdity of that obscenely blatant video. Respect.
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rob says:
May 21, 2015 at 3:04 pm
I find it immensely repugnant when they say “give to Jehovah” when in fact people are simply donating to a cash hungry organization. I also find it irritating when someone comes up to me and wants me to return to the meetings and says “come back to Jehovah” or “don’t leave Jehovah”.
When did the watchtower become Jehovah? Why do otherwise intelligent people equate a religion with God?
This religion has nothing but failed predictions and pharasaic rules and now they shamelessy want money from children.
And child baptism? Eight or nine years old? What is next? Maybe they will start asking the rank and file to pay admission to enter the kingdom halls or pay a fee to attend assemblies. Sad thing is that many would actually pay.
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johnny blaze says:
May 21, 2015 at 3:05 pm
Just like apple….if one feels one is putting a good product out there you feel compelled to get involved and invest…….but if you never put your money in market no one would know………wait…….Jehovah will know……….keep up the good fight …….Thx…..Lloyd. …
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Ohforgoodnesssake says:
May 21, 2015 at 3:08 pm
This actually made me cry with sadness. I really need to show this to someone as a stand alone link or from the JW.org webpage. Is there a way of getting this link. Thanks in advance.
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Finn Sawyer says:
May 21, 2015 at 3:27 pm
This video is sick.
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Thinking of leaving says:
May 21, 2015 at 4:24 pm
That just inspires me to go and get some ice cram in my tight pants. Yeah you rock tight pants and ice cream you rock!!!!
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Ariel says:
May 21, 2015 at 5:44 pm
I have never been and never will be a JW. I do have inlaws that are heavily involved in this organization. They have been pushed down and deprived of lifes joys because of the guilt ridden sermons and publications that are a weekly burden to the flock.
I wonder, at what point do they, ( the flock ) realize that they have been taken as fools?
When children become a source of income to a belief that is beyond their own comprehension, then it is apparent that understanding does not equate to true worship.
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Amy says:
May 21, 2015 at 9:25 pm
I will never forget when I was a very young child, maybe 5 or 6, in the late 70’s… I had a single nickel and went to put it in the contribution box after the meeting. An elder came to me and asked me, “Is that all you got?” I remember feeling so ashamed and embarrassed because that really was all I had! He proceeded to lecture me about the widow who gave everything she had. I wonder what the hell he expected me to do? I was five years old for God’s sake!
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Charles Costante says:
May 22, 2015 at 1:02 am
Amy, I’m so outraged I want to laugh! Wouldn’t you love to go back to that scenario as an adult and tell him to shove the nickel up his nostril!
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Searcher says:
May 22, 2015 at 8:53 am
I’d like to tell him to put somewhere else. ;)
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ruben alavares says:
May 21, 2015 at 9:28 pm
Ya lo dije antes y lo reitero:
El Puerco Gobernante no tiene madre!
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Governing Body of the earthlings says:
May 22, 2015 at 1:57 am
PROCLAMATION OF JUDGEMENT!
To the governing body of the Watchtower Witnesses:
We hereby announce that the Watchtower GB – after carefully investigation among Gods earthlings – are excluded from the future human family until sincere regrets is shown. The reason for our decision is unchristian behavior for a long period without any signs of remorse.
This judgement can not be reversed before a period of minimum six – 6 – months has gone, and the criterias of a possible resumption can only be reconcidered if the 7 members of the GB have called us three – 3 – times a week on our phone-meetings, without saying a word for 45 minutes – for this half year period.
A sign of resumption that also weigh heavily concidering reuptake in the human family should be that they only eat pooridge in this half year period and that the money freed from the loss of expensive food – AND full stop in all overseas travelling – is given to JW Surwey.
The governing buddy of the human family- judicial commitee. Mr. Crazy Diamond.
PS. If any of the GB’s is seen with an icecream, the punishing period will be expanded for further six months.
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Bryan linkoski says:
May 22, 2015 at 3:37 am
It’s baffling sometimes seeing the nonsense that the Governing body approves as spiritual food!! It’s saddens me to see their weary sheep eating it up. If they are the annointed and have Jehovahs blessing then I am going to sprout wings and fly to heaven. Guezz!!! Lloyd, keep up the great reporting.
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Bad Penny says:
May 22, 2015 at 4:48 am
Another video that makes me so angry!
When the Society is purchasing million pound property on the Menai Straits, Bangor, Wales, U.K. for ‘translation units’, and the G.B. are SO proud to wear their luxury watches and swan about in their handmade suits – HOW CAN THEY SLEEP AT NIGHTS!
The children of Jehovah’s Witnesses are deprived of so many things. Fellowship with ‘worldly’ friends, no sporting activity outside school hours, no birthdays, and now no ice cream.
WATCHTOWER YOUR GREED MAKES ME SICK.
I hate what you have done to innocent peoples lives and pray with all my heart to the Most High God that he will act soon to put an end to all this cruelty.
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79 Responses to Cough up, kids – Watchtower needs your ice cream money!
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Bad Penny says:
May 22, 2015 at 4:54 am
Oh, and of course, remember at conventions when the letters have been read out from little children who have donated their meagre amounts of pocket money to the Society because THEY can find a better use for it.
Followed by the aahs and the sniggers from the audience.
Sick, sick, sick!
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Charles Costante says:
May 22, 2015 at 5:18 am
“……… Followed by the aahs and the sniggers from the audience.”
Some sniggered, Bad Penny?! How dared they?!!!!
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Ted says:
May 22, 2015 at 6:56 am
jW, kids are deprived of a normal childhood in so many
ways. A sister recounted to me, that when she began
studying, the conductor counselled her regarding her 7
year old daughters playmate. Claiming the little girl was
“Bad association” ( The only reason given, the little girl wasn’t
a JW,). The study conductor eventually became an elder,
the sister eventually left the org.
Repugnant teachings like that, isolate JW, children, from
other kids, their schooldays are not the “Happiest days of
their life”. My own children couldn’t wait to leave
school and were not interested in further education. It’s
happening all over again now with some of my grandchildren.
That’s the legacy of this foul religion.
It’s too late now, but I deeply regret depriving my two children
of a birthday. party. What utter rubbish to claim its “Creature
Worship”, and worship belongs only to JHVH. Who would want
to worship a god, so mean spirited as to begrudge a child one
special day? If God exists it’s an insult to him.
One thing the children are not deprived of is “Discipline”, slaps
and constant cult indoctrination, drilled in with guilt and fear.
Childhood is fleeting they’re adults before you realise it.
Don’t rob them and yourself , of an important and wonderful
phase of their life.
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David says:
May 22, 2015 at 8:02 am
According to this video the only recipient for giving is jw.org.
Christians have to amass properties over properties.
When Paul preached he went to public places with is feet and his mouth.
Jesus has taught a completely different story. But he was called an apostate. Truth lovers are called apostates.
Luke 14:13
But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
Proverbs 19:17
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.
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Pickled brain says:
May 22, 2015 at 8:54 am
MATTHEW 19v21 …Mr STEPHEN LETTS
GO SELL YOUR BELONGINGS & GIVE TO THE POOR!!!
STOP Quoting The Mosaic Law & Old Testament about the Tabernacle. CHRIST Abolished the LAW!!
As Paul said at Acts17v24 .., God does not dwell in HANDMADE Temples . Paul, CHRIST & the Apostles NEVER Encouraged Money to be Spent on BUILDINGS!!! Jesus& Paul had NOWHERE to LAY their HEADS & Paul was a TENTMAKER while still being a Missionary so as not to be a Financial BURDEN on the Brothers!!
The Governing Body are NOT FOLLOWING CHRISTS EXAMPLE!!!
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Yvonne says:
May 22, 2015 at 11:10 am
I could not say it any better, Pickled brain.
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danman says:
May 22, 2015 at 9:02 am
What was striking about the ‘take the ice cream out of the child’s mouth’ video, was the use of jw.org logo instead of ‘Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ on the KH building signage.
Apparently the gov bod members realize just how much children are influenced by monikers or icons. They know children are very used to identifying with brand names. Every trick of slick advertising executives were utilized to make this as palatable to children as possible. What has happened to honoring Jehovah’s name? Replacing the controversial name with jw.org is now the norm. Kingdom Halls now featuring the hallmark on all outdoor KH signage.
Of course associating the almighty God with such blatant money grubbing tactics was probably an auspicious oversight on their part, but none the less shows just where their intent lies.
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David says:
May 22, 2015 at 10:11 am
They have realised that their specific interpretations have been and are wrong so they are changing approach.
They are trying to make the jw.org religion less strange and more similar to modern western word plastic products.
But they forgot that they have judged thousands of people sinners just because they did not agree with their flawed interpretations.
Their tricks will work for a short while.
“A lie cannot live.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Yvonne says:
May 22, 2015 at 11:14 am
It took me four years to get my family and friends not to call me a JW and now I am expected to walk into a building with JW.Org hanging on it. LOL I guess the laugh is on me. Thanks GB.
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Barb Moor says:
May 22, 2015 at 11:32 am
Oh, okay. So rough up the kids for their ice cream money? Okay, sure. But start up higher first, to set an example.
You can hassle my kids for their ice cream money only AFTER you tell the governing body to stop eating at restaurants and start flying coach. And take ice cream off the menu at all Bethel facilities. And the CO’s that travel, who suddenly don’t want home-cooked meals for lunch but prefer to go to a restaurant because it’s more “convenient”? Nope nope nope: sandwiches at the park. Parents can kiss their Starbucks visits goodbye (not just the out-in-circus ones but ALL their Starbucks trips) because dropping a minimum of $5 on a coffee is five times Sophie’s ice cream money. Let’s get those dollars moving!!
Only AFTER everyone else gets rid of their goodies can they start guilting kids for ice cream money.
No. Wait. My kids (my theoretical ones anyway as I’m not a mom) will never be guilted this way. There is so much CRAP in this world that all kids put up with (abusive parents, scary news, bullies, poverty, etc), and add to that the bullsh$$ JW kids have to deal with (no friends, no fun, no toys and now no ICE CREAM?): I think everybody needs more damn ice cream, not less. How dare they?
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Barb Moor says:
May 22, 2015 at 11:45 am
Let’s play a game: what’s next for the WT to take from children?
Sophie gets her doll taken away and sold on Ebay: the money goes to the WT, and Sophie can glue together some popsicle sticks to make a stick figure doll. Wait, no popsicles!
Caleb can get rid of his bat and glove and sell those too: he can spend more time polishing his meeting shoes.
And pets: euthanize the dogs and cats that might be the family pet! Save money for the WT that would have been spent on kibbles and bits! Who needs to cuddle a pet when they can hug their new grey bibles. I actually think that WT producing Caleb and Sophia dolls WILL happen, and soon!
Alas, the possible money headed WT way through the guilt channels is endless: they can find a way to discourage library books, swim lessons, gymnastics, piano lessons, trips to the park, etc. It will come.
The irony is that WT used to encourage recreation with a family in appropriate measures. Now, by dismissing the ice cream, they are going to go further. Makes the Amish look more fun.
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Pickled brain says:
May 22, 2015 at 12:07 pm
@ Yvonne . Thank you for your agreement on my comment. I hope JWs being curious logging on to this site MIGHT ,JUST MIGHT think about the Scriptural Reasoning I mentioned & see the GB only quote scripture out of context.
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anonymous says:
May 22, 2015 at 12:28 pm
Barb, there will be plenty of time for the kids to play sports in the new world and all the ice cream they want in between cleaning up all the dead bodies.
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Pickled brain says:
May 22, 2015 at 12:54 pm
@Anonymous. What is IRONIC is the GB advise us not to watch Violent TV Programs or Play Violent Videos But THE OLD TESTAMENT is the MOST VIOLENT BOOK I HAVE READ with Beheadings, MASS KILLING of Men ,WOMEN &CHILDREN & this is With JEHOVAHs BLESSINGS to WIPE OUT the MOABITES,EDOMITES, AMMONITES & Every Nation Roundabout!! Literally Hundreds of Thousands of people!! Then Every JW CHILD WILL WITNESS the MASS SLAUGHTER of BILLIONS of Women & CHILDREN at Armageddon & then have to BURY The ROTTING Bodies!!! & WHAT ABOUT ALL The RUBBLE left by the Destroyed BUILDINGS as shown on front of May 1st Public Edition of the Watchtower!! It’s going to Take ages to Clear this up !! & then at the same time Planting Seeds for Food to Grow so we won’t STARVE!!Guess Playing with the LIONs & Dolphins will have to wait a while!!! HOPE I CAN HAVE an ICE CREAM while I am clearing up the bodies of that is Allowed in the NEW SCROLLS to be Opened???
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Innocent Son says:
May 22, 2015 at 12:41 pm
This so called Christian Organisation is showing Its true colours, putting pressure on the youngest and most vulnerable to prop up with their pocket money their rotten organisation! Sick, Sick, Sick.
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tim3l0rd says:
May 22, 2015 at 1:11 pm
In a recent interview Cedars references his list of “nine grievances”. I’ve searched this site and have not been able to find them explicitly listed. Are they listed somewhere? I’m trying to get through to my wife.
Thanks.
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Cedars says:
May 22, 2015 at 1:16 pm
Hi tim3l0rd, here is an old forum post where I discuss them…
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/226954/my-nine-grievances-against-society-from-before-had-ever-visited-single-apostate-website?size=5&page=1
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Cough up, kids – Watchtower needs your ice cream money!
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Posted on May 21, 2015
A new Watchtower cartoon urges Witness kids to give up their pocket money
A new Watchtower cartoon urges Witness kids to give up their pocket money
As Jehovah’s Witnesses the world over continue to digest the latest “historic” JW Broadcasting episode, in which the Governing Body admits to having a shortfall in funds and asks Witnesses to give their “valuable things” to compensate, a video has emerged indicating that Stephen Lett and Co. even have their eyes on children’s ice cream money.
The video, which is intended to be shown during the 2015 series of Witness conventions, shows Sophia (from the “Become Jehovah’s Friend” cartoon series) day-dreaming about spending her pocket money on an ice cream while at the kingdom hall.
But when Sophia sees her mother putting money in the contribution box, her thoughts turn to kingdom halls, literature carts and bethel buildings, and she decides to forgo her ice cream and put her dollar in the contribution box for Watchtower’s “worldwide work” instead.
The video represents the latest specimen in a relentless stream of propaganda material targeting children. The “Become Jehovah’s Friend” series first launched in 2012 with a video aimed at guilt-tripping kids into believing that plastic wizard toys are Satanic. Then, more recently, another cartoon has shown Caleb and Sophia essentially being threatened with death if they don’t pay attention at meetings.
Masters at child indoctrination
The Governing Body must surely understand that, despite the launch of JW.org and the metropolitan witnessing initiative (i.e. literature carts), most adults in developed lands are simply not interested in joining a cult with a horrendous online reputation of failed prophecies, shunning, child abuse and refusal of certain medical treatments. Their only way around this is to focus on child indoctrination, making sure as many people raised as Jehovah’s Witnesses are retained as possible.
One way of doing this is by turning up the pressure for kids to get baptized as young as possible. After all, once a Witness child is baptized, he or she is essentially locked into the religion for life, and is not allowed to leave without facing the punishment of shunning by family members.
Misha Anouk over on JW Alumni has brilliantly covered some recent alarming comments made by Mark Sanderson during a public talk in Germany on May 9th. In his talk, Sanderson urged Witness parents to make sure their children are baptized as young as nine years old, telling his audience such a practice corresponds with the “viewpoint” of the Governing Body.
Going without an ice cream so that Watchtower can balance its books clearly pales into insignificance compared to the prospect of being shackled to a cult for life under threat of being estranged from your family. But at least by churning out such ill-advised and clearly exploitative child propaganda material the Governing Body is showing its true colors for those old enough to think for themselves.
Despite styling itself as “the faithful and discreet slave,” the Governing Body is proud to be taking ice cream money from the hands of young children, and has thus revealed itself to be just as cheap and shameless as any other tawdry group of televangelist swindlers.
http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/cough-up-kids-watchtower-needs-your-ice-cream-money#comments
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