Questions about Daystar

[IDon'tKnow]

I have a few more question. The investment by the saints in the Daystar business was this to be considered as a loan to Daystar or to be for the purchase of shares in the Company. I ask this because as far as I'm aware if somebody owns shares in a company if that company goes bankrupt, getting your money back is not really on the cards. All your entitled to is a share of what's left over when all the debts are paid off if their is anything. That said I'm getting the impression that Daystar never actually went bankrupt.

SB: And so then when Daystar went bankrupt ....
WL: Stopped, stopped

From transcript of Sal Benoit, Witness Lee conversation.

It seems it just stopped. Which begs more questions. Was their a reason why they could not let Daystar go bankrupt. Would it be detrimental to certain people if the accounts were able to be scrutinized by Third Parties as they undeniably would have been had the company gone bankrupt. According to Don Hardy testimony that would seem to be the case.

Secondly, after this Phosphorous definitely went on to make tennis rackets according to the recording, and at least according to another testimony by Brent Barber these tennis racquets were to be sold by saints. (I'm not certain whether the saints were supposed to invest in the racquets or not, does anyone know how daystaresque the tennis racquet scheme and future schemes were). So did Witness Lee learn anything from Daystar. After all the damage done with this first failed business scheme (actually according to reports from taiwan it would seem that this wasn't the first), he still continued.

Just to clarify, I personally at this point do not believe that Witness was deliberately setting out to fleece the saints. I do believe however that he made some horrendously bad decisions which he seems to have failed to take the lesson from. Such a failure should have truly caused him to question his own infallability and caused him to be more open to see that he truly needed the balancing of other members of the Body. Not just those who agreed with his every word.

[aron]

Originally Posted by IDon'tKnow

I personally at this point do not believe that Witness was deliberately setting out to fleece the saints. I do believe however that he made some horrendously bad decisions which he seems to have failed to take the lesson from. Such a failure should have truly caused him to question his own infallability and caused him to be more open to see that he truly needed the balancing of other members of the Body. Not just those who agreed with his every word.

Yes, I agree. We all make bad decisions from time to time. You have, I have; we all have occasionally. Hopefully we make them less as we age. That is my goal, anyway. But we still err, occasionally, which is why the counsel of others is indispensible. To do away with the balancing words of other christian brethren would be arrogant, and folly. May God have mercy on us all!

There are 3 verses in Proverbs, which I had here on my "byline" when I began posting. Eventually I got bored with them and changed them, so I can't tell you chapter and verse. But all 3 verses said the same thing: "With a multitude of counselors there is safety". The Lee camp seem to have decided that infallibility came with highly developed doctrines. I myself coming into the LCs was impressed with "The Oracle in Anaheim", but eventually I read about Daystar and other bad decisions and I realized, belatedly, that I'd been had.

No more hero worship for me! Jesus only!

[Indiana]

I have a question in to Don Hardy about post 15 and 16. The bikini story is something I could hardly believe, but seems it was true from what I have previously heard.

One sister that I heard was involved is, and was, a very saintly sister and, frankly, one of the most attractive and voluptuous women I had ever seen, when I first saw her in the late seventies. She would be someone you would want to hide or cover up, not put on display.

When I met with Max Rapoport in Dec 2001, he was remorseful over his experience with Daystar, especially having cooperated with WL to ask the elders to encourage the saints to waive any reimbursement by WL. He was deeply regretful. There was so much hype that this venture was of God, and so many saints lost money, that it seemed appropriate that reimbursements were in order. This, at least, is my understanding.

[Cal]

All sorts of cute and probably inappropriate comments are coming to mind, but I'll just wonder aloud...

If they wanted girls in bikinis why didn't they just hire models?

As Alice said, it just gets curiouser and curiouser... :justlurking:

[IDon'tKnow]

If they wanted girls in bikinis why didn't they just hire models?

I don't have any special insight into this. But if I were to guess I would have to say probably because you have to pay models.

[djohnson]

When you consider what else was going on, trying to convince lady church members to pose in bikinis for "God's move on the earth" seems mild in comparison.

And by the way I am not being prudish on this issue. Even the whole investment idea doesn't bother me. What is disconcerting is that it was all cloaked in false "spirituality". Why not just say: "This is strictly business. Your investment is at risk. You may lose it all. Can you afford to do that? If not you shouldn't invest." About the women how's this: "We are a business and we know sex sells. So we want to hire you to be models to stand next to the mobile home and will pay you the going rate." Then there is clarity and people can know what they are saying yes or no to.

But instead they have to disguise it all with their trademark god-talk. And base the whole thing on superstition instead of business reality i.e. "God is going to specially bless us. Why? Just because it's us!"

[countmeworthy]

Does anyone know the names of the recruiters ? There should be a public record of this.