Many Jehovah's Witnesses do not know the truth about The Watchtower Society and their relationship with Jimmy Swaggart. This is an important matter to consider since Jehovah's Witnesses are taught that all other religions are false and will be destroyed due to their receiving unfavorable judgment by God, and any ties or association with them results in the same judgment.
One of the end results of what Jimmy Swaggart and the Watchtower Society experienced together is the Watchtower Society changing its literature distribution program in 1990, which eliminated paying for literature items and going to a “donation arrangement”.
Jehovah's Witnesses were read a letter explaining the change to a “donation arrangement” this way...
"By adopting a method of literature distribution based completely on donation, Jehovah's people are able to greatly simplify our Bible education work and separate ourselves from those who commercialize religion."
Is this the whole truth? Notice the chain of events which took place:
EARLY 1980...
Jimmy Swaggart Ministries is informed by the State of California that tax is due on all publications sold since 1974 in the state. The total of which is $183,000.00. Swaggart pays the tax but sues for a refund. This puts the wheels in motion for the case moving toward the U.S. Supreme Court.
FEBRUARY 1989...
The U.S. Supreme Court rules sales taxes must be paid for religious publications sold. Although some states had been taxing religious publications from the start, Texas along with 14 other states were not doing so previously.
LATE SPRING/SUMMER 1989...
During the U.S District Conventions of Jehovah's Witnesses, the Watchtower Society gives away books for free. Instruction is provided to Jehovah's Witnesses to place "donations" for covering costs in the Contribution boxes located throughout the faculty.
JUNE 22, 1989...
The Watchtower Society files a "friend of the court" brief (amicus curiae) with the U.S. Supreme Court in the Jimmy Swaggart taxation case. This places the Watchtower Society with other religious organization performing similar acts such as Krishna Consciousness and the National Council of Churches.
JANUARY 17, 1990...
The U.S. Supreme Court upholds that sales tax must be paid on all religious publications ruling against Jimmy Swaggart,
FEBRUARY 9, 1990...
The Watchtower Society prepares a letter to be sent and read to all congregations announcing that literature will no longer be sold but offered at a "donation" basis.
FEBRUARY 25, 1990...
The Watchtower Society's letter is read to the congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the U.S.
MARCH 1, 1990
New "donation arrangement" goes into effect, including distributing magazines and books door-to-door without stating a price.
After thoughts...
The March 15, 1990 Watchtower and the Match 22nd Awake still carried a 25 cents a copy and 5 dollars a year listing in their respective magazine. If this was such a well thought out and planned move by a so-called Godly directed organization, why were the prices still there after such a planned adjustment? The reason is it was not planned, not thought out, and not Godly directed. It was a quick business decision to avoid taxation.
Why did the Watchtower Society not provide the whole truth to Jehovah's Witnesses? They could easily have provided the entire truth through their letters to the congregations. Instead, they chose to hide the facts and fabricate a reason which made it appear as if there were no ulterior motive to their prescribed "donation arrangement."
