0 (0%) |
3 (33%) |
0 (0%) |
6 (66%) |
Votes so far: 9
Funny... no positive responses.
Who turned out the lights
To the shelters, teachings, retreats, etc... it's spread throughout the family evenly and fair. | 0 (0%) |
Most goes to the shelters, teachings, retreats, etc. and Maybe some makes it into the pockets of Gary and the Elders | 3 (33%) |
Why does it matter? God said to tithe | 0 (0%) |
This is a scam | 6 (66%) |
Why did so few people answer this very important question? You clearly have a huge following of readers. Are people afraid of posting? The tithing issue has always been a huge issue, even back in the beginning of the cult. Initially we were encouraged to tithe 10%, then it went up to 20%. In all my years in the family, I never saw a financial report, an audited report, an official board of directors, a treasurer with quarterly reports, etc. Typically a non profit would have and distribute these reports yearly. Who decided how the tithe money was spent to keep J and C on a long road trip? I am shocked that back then we did not think to "follow the money" and I am still surprised at the lack of accountability to the current family.
ReplyDeleteThe key issue is accountability.
ReplyDeleteDo the leaders have meaningful accountability through a constitution and bylaws governing the congregation, through democratically elected boards and officers?
Can the elected board fire the leaders? And who controls the budget? And is there meaningful financial tranparency?
Meaningful financial transparency means an annually published and distributed budget that discloses in detail all salaries, compensation and expenses paid out from the tithe funds.
These are the key questions.
Harp Wells writes via email: The Maine "tithers" pay to: "UMI (Unifying Meditation Institute)" and "NERT."
ReplyDeleteNearly all that money, I imagine, goes to pay for G & L's life as well as other "leaders." Mostly, it goes to built and fund the doomsdays compounds for each mish. More and more people are stopping tithing OR they are now tithing to bonified charities around Maine. This way, they are meeting the expectation to "tithe" as outlined in Torah, but are not funding the doomsday compounds and other members.
Pnina, so few people answered you survey because you didn't add NERT as one of the options. (half joking).
ReplyDeleteI am/was a "priest". A few years ago, all the priest were called to Maine for a mandatory meeting. One of the things on our agenda was the issue of tithing. Or maybe better put, the issue of people not tithing. In the meeting, it was said by Garry, that if ever audited, people in the "family" would most likely go to jail.
As things unfolded that day, we were given a brake down of where all the money from tithe was going. I don't recall the exact brake down, but I do know that 75% off all tithe goes to NERT. Some Supper Clans pay 20% tithe, and in there case the additional 10% goes entirely into NERT.
We were then asked to come up with a way to try and convince the people in the "family" to start paying tithe again. The solution was to tell the family to revue a teaching from Jack Hickman that was about tithing. The reason was that, people would hear the mans voice and become compelled to listen. Those who lead the discussion did bring up that this would only be a temporary fix, but it would at least get the cash flowing until a more permanent solution was found.
In short, They wanted to use Jack's words to manipulate people into paying up.
What I am bothered by, is that people in the "family" are clearly profiting off of the "family". The family involved with NERT has made that their lively hood, the funding's coming from us. And NERT is only one example of people profiting off of tithe and the "family"
Footnote, I will not refer to Jack Hickman as Abba, I refuse to honer him with the same title I use for my father.
Don't forget that Gary runs an actual business (Parsifal Corporation). I believe he supports his own lifestyle from this, as well as employing any members who are on the "in-crowd" list. I don't think tithe goes to them, though of course, how would any of us know? NERT and the doomsday camps (which are only for the special people)are definitely funded by tithe. I don't know how they justify being exclusive with the camps. It doesn't really jive with the whole "each one of us is a stone in the temple" crap....Hmmmm maybe they justify it by deciding which of the underlings will be martyrs. Who remembers the teachings about becoming martyrs? That it is our ultimate sacrifice for god, and something we should strive for? Anyone? Damn, I need to go through some of those piles of teachings!
ReplyDelete