JEHOVAH’S
WITNESSES
10 Years revealing secrets because there is no excuse for secrecy in religion – w1997 June 1; Dan 2:47; Matt 10:26; Mark 4:22; Luke 12:2; Acts 4:19, 20.
JEHOVAH’S
WITNESSES
10 Years revealing secrets because there is no excuse for secrecy in religion – w1997 June 1; Dan 2:47; Matt 10:26; Mark 4:22; Luke 12:2; Acts 4:19, 20.
On January 1st, 2024 The Organizations site released an article on opening a new Museum In Patterson, New York- A massive facility and World headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This has been a long time-coming project.
Founded on principles of spreading their religious message and conducting public outreach, Jehovah’s Witnesses have historically relied on the financial support of their members. However, there has been a noticeable shift in recent times, with a portion of these donations being directed towards the establishment of museums and other initiatives (More museums, video drama’s, a movie production center) that have limited relevance to the primary objectives of the faith.
Unlike many other museums by this organization, this one is particularly tailored to throw you back into a first-century life Israelite village. On the tour, for example, they have free laboring experiences like grinding grain, and building stools, along with a reproduction of an ancient synagogue. They even have their members pretending to be “Israelite villagers” for the entire day during the tours. The tour was designed to immerse children into their perceived doctrines and interpretations. This is simply based on the scripture in Deuteronomy 32:7 “Remember the days of old, consider the years of past generations” Stemming from this scripture, The organization has plans to build more museums around the world. They have a museum department specifically to work on the finances, design, contracts, and assignments of the needed labor to their members.
They invite the ‘World Wide Brotherhood’ to tour the museum, calling the experiences of their museum’s ‘rich spiritual gifts.’
Jehovah’s Witnesses, as a religious organization, rely on voluntary donations from their members to fund their activities, including construction projects and the creation of museums. In the above article, they even explain how jewelry, personal property, and other valuables can be used as donations. The donations are being spent on everything- up to supplies, displays, materials, and anything they need to complete their project, this is what they mean by saying the donations are being used ‘properly and effectively.’ Yet, in future articles, you’ll see “What are the donations funding?-“ Is a lot more than just museums. Member donations play a significant, albeit less publicized, role in funding legal matters and lawsuits.
In a 2023 video, Organizational Accomplishments—Global Museums Bring Praise to Jehovah, they proudly state that there are 10 (and now, 11) museums built and are planning on 35 more. This can make some question the organization’s priorities with their donations.
The Watchtower in the past has criticized other churches for seeking donations while engaging in the same practice. They express that they do not ‘pass a plate’ around at their religious meetings- and therefore are not the same. Below is a graph by JW Lib Analytics showing the frequency of donations significantly increased since 2010. In addition to the growing number of donation requests within the Watchtower publication, as illustrated in the graph below, there is a notable prevalence of donation appeals in jw.org videos. You can also find out more information on this subject at JwFacts.com
Aiding Transparency to Watchtowers teachings. If you have additional information about this topic or would like to reach the author- Please email [email protected]