The July 1, 1997 issue of the Watchtower magazine contains an interesting article entitled "Miraculous Healing of Mankind Near". In the article, the Society makes a subtle comparison between the healings performed by Jesus and the healing ministries in Christendom. The article states, "Even though Jesus did much healing throughout his earthly ministry, he was not primarily pursuing a 'healing' ministry...he never charged or solicited any donations."
This last statement seems to insinuate that true Christian organizations would never solicit for donations. Furthermore, the obvious conclusion for the uninformed reader is that the Society never solicits funds or contributions. Nothing could be further from the truth. While "collection plates" may not be a common item in Kingdom Halls, the Society frequently carries short articles describing how JWs can give special gifts (donations, stocks, bonds, and land properties) to the Society. These articles also tell JWs how to make the Society a beneficiary in insurance policies and wills. (See the December 1, 1984 Watchtower, p. 24; and December 1, 1993 Watchtower, p. 30.)
In his newsletter, Comments to the Friends, David Reed makes an interesting observation regarding one such "solicitation" article. On page 24 of the December 1, 1984 Watchtower, a box is shown containing a detailed list of ways JWs can contribute to the Society. On the following page, opposite the page containing the list, is the picture of a Medical Alert Card, which forbids anyone from giving blood to JWs carrying the card. Looking at the two pages side by side, it appears the Society has taken all the necessary steps to ensure sufficient contributions...one way or the other!