Watchtower Divestment Continues: The Bossert on the Block
After putting six of its Brooklyn Heights properties on the market last spring, the Watchtower Group announced yesterday that it would also be selling one of its crown jewels in the area, the Bossert at 98 Montague Street. In its typical fashion, the religious organization didn’t set an asking price for the 14-story former hotel….
After putting six of its Brooklyn Heights properties on the market last spring, the Watchtower Group announced yesterday that it would also be selling one of its crown jewels in the area, the Bossert at 98 Montague Street. In its typical fashion, the religious organization didn’t set an asking price for the 14-story former hotel. Instead, it’s issuing a Request for Best Offer. Known as the “Waldorf Astoria of Brooklyn” in its day, the 200,000-square-foot building is currently divided into 224 apartments. Predictions for the sales price?
Good Lord! Watchtower Divesting Six Heights Props [Brownstoner] GMAP
OK… I thought I’d respond to both the proselytizing by JWs and the anti-JW remarks posted here.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are well intentioned people, they do good work, are family oriented, and it is admirable to me that they dedicate their lives to this preaching work that they believe Jesus commanded.
They don’t pray for people to die at Armageddon, they engage in a preaching work so they can save as many people as possible.
That having been said, it IS obnoxious to have people religiously harass you in order to spread their faith. It just is, well-intentioned or not.
The Bible, a literal interpretation on which you base your life, says some things that are scientifically impossible and I can prove it, although I won’t go into it here.
Just a couple of quick examples: Modern tool using humans have been on the Earth for at least 10,000 years, making the genealogy of Jesus’ descent from Adam impossible. Didn’t happen. Also, a global flood didn’t happen, based on Antarctic ice core samples, analysis of the ocean’s floors, analysis of layers of rock strata, the fossil record, free-standing rock formations, etc. It didn’t happen. Maybe there was a large regional flood, adn this is the inspiration for the allegorical tale of Noah’s flood.
But it is an allegorical tale, and I can prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt.
So here are two not so minor areas the Bible is wrong in. Which parts are uncorrupted? Which parts are divinely inspired? How do you pick and choose?
Also, the concept of a loving God that you carry with you when reading the Bible colors your perception of what is truly in the Bible… slaughtering close to seven billion people because they don’t live by your goofy and archaic puritanical standards is hardly the solution to a problem I would expect a loving God to come up with.
Why are God’s problem-solving skills so limited?
Why is extermination the only solution he seems to understand?
Because the Bible is the product of an ancient civilization, and bears all the hallmarks of primitive human thinking, and this is why God behaves primitively.
Yes, Jesus was a major step forward for Western religious thought, but it is your modern JW perceptions that allow you to see Jehovah as a God of love, rather than the Bronze Age deity that the Bible clearly indicates.
You say that you don’t argue when you are engaged in your preaching work, because your time could be better spent with people who don’t have closed minds… you can be out looking for people “with the right heart condition”.
That’s probably good. Healthy and honest debate is good too, though… consider the example of Jesus (assuming he actually existed), and the apostle Paul debating openly in the Aeropagus.
Did Jesus ever run from a conversation? Were the Jewish religious leaders who opposed him “closed-minded”? Why then did he debate them?
Because he wasn’t afraid, and you are afraid.
Witnesses try to control the conversation, which is only possible with people who are as poorly educated as you are.
If you ever do any serious research into evolution vs. intelligent design you will change your mind… I gaurantee it.
The only people who believe in Intelligent Design (which Witnesses do, don’t kid yourself)are those that are ignorant.
I’m not trying to be insulting, it’s just a firm conclusion reached by someone who has actually researched both sides honestly and thoroughly.
Do yourself a favor and read “Finding Darwin’s God” by Kenneth R. Miller.
You owe it to yourself, especially as you are betting your entire existence on your beliefs.
I just gotta laugh at the bigot who hates the witnesses, in one post he says “I want them to quit ringing my doorbell”, and then just two hours later he claims,”The best part is that they stopped ringing my doorbell after we had that discussion”, a shrink would tell you, this guy actually likes the attention !
Most of the people commenting on this topic need to grow up and be careful what you wish for. If all of the watchtower buildings are converted to apartments or condos who do you think will move in? That’s right, more families, making the parks and schools even more crowded than they already are. Good luck getting into pre-K with another 4,000 three-year olds in the area.
I live right next to the watchtower buildings by the dog park and they’ve never rung my bell a single time. I routinely walk by groups of witnesses on my way to the subway in the morning and they are extremely pleasent. Every once in a while they will offer some literature which I politely decline.
I’d rather have them as neighbors than the idiot kids who skateboard down columbia heights at 2AM or the thugs that were randomly beating people on front street.
Yess, we don’t go door-to-door asking for money. Jesus told his disciples himself “you recieved free, give free”(Matthew 10:8) and we follow that in that we ourselves recieved the message of Jehovah’s kingdom for free, so we preach the good news for fre. And also as its been commented, we talk to those who are open to listen and reason, not argue. Our purpose is not to bombard you with information then and there, but to show what the Bible itself says. (Matthew 24:14) f you have any questions or doubts, feel free to visit the office or write to it.
Jehovah’s Witnesses have been finishing the preaching work started by Jesus Christ himself some two thousand years ago, namely that the ‘Kingdom of God is Near.’ They have been doing this solely on donations for around twenty years now. They used to sell their literature for a modest price years ago but have since been giving their literature to anyone willing to read it and accepting donations if offered. This work has covered most of the earth and continues to do so. Any profits earned from the savy real estate dealings of the Wathtower Society will no doubt go a long way in furthering this work. Those who post that this work is annoying need not worry too much longer, the work is nearly done. When it is finished to God’s satisfaction, it will cease and changes in this old world will be made. It is the wish of the Witnesses that all mankind respond to this message and thereby place themselves on God’s side when that time comes. Grab your Bible and read Zephaniah 1:14, also 2:3. Listen to these people when they call on you. They don’t want your money. They are just trying to help you find the way. If you don’t want them calling, just tell them so and they will stop, but what can it hurt really? It’s free and it’s stimulating. You can’t get that from just anyone.
2-5 10:31, thank you for the correct view. The Scripture you cited does certainly show peoples attitudes in these critical times, at 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Our endeavor is to point people to the Bible, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, since it contains very helpful information that can show people how to live amid the complexities of the world today. Those who guide their steps by the Bible can come to have a life that truly is more enjoyable and successful.
According to the New York Times:
Richard Devine, the building manager for the society, said in a telephone interview on Tuesday that the old hotel was “in very poor condition when we bought it.†The society then began an extensive renovation of the 14-story building.
Mr. Devine declined to estimate the cost of the renovation of the Italian Renaissance Revival-style building, with its white pillars and crystal chandeliers, but said it was “in the millions.â€
If they spent that much on it with the use of free labor, it’s probably worth over $100 million.
These comments are hilarious and obviously by people who clearly don’t check out facts before they comment.
I agree with the comment about how the Jehovah Witness people fixed it.
I have heard about how they get a property and fix it up really nice. About the Bossert, it was once run down and it is a show room masterpiece now.
The people who buy this are getting a prime piece of property that would have probably be torn down if they hadn’t refurbished it back to better than original condition.
It seems to me there was a beautiful Church that used to be near there and it was torn down years ago from neglect.
Okay, maybe you don’t like the people, but give them credit for doing a good job. Plus, I think the neighborhood has fared pretty good in the past because of the increase in property values.
Before the Jehovah witnesses took it over, the building/hotel had become quite rundown and seedy. Mostly it was occupied by poor elderly, and a number of alcoholics. The lobby had an old-fashioned Chinese restaurant with large leather booths. The interior of the restaurant seemed very dark and probably dirty. Although the Witnesses are not the type of group that I would ever consider joining, I give them credit for their restoration of the building. Before they took it over it was on the verge of becoming a welfare hotel.