Jehovah Witnesses investing in Tobacco.

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Hi everybody.I learned that the Watchtower has thing called the Henrietta Reilly Trust where a elderly lady possibly left the Jehovah's Witnesses some tobacco stock and stock in other ethically dubious companies.I think this is interesting because JW's are banned from tobacco and I heard they would get banned if they had those kinds of stocks in their portfolios.

However I dont know how common owning stocks for retirement among the Jehovah's Witnesses.I heard there is a either a current or former governing body member named Tony Morris and I wonder if he comes from the Phillip Morris family fortune because the JW's own Phillip Morris stock through the Henrietta Reilley Trust.Are Jehovah's Witnesses allowed to own stocks or to even own sin stocks as individuuals.

Individual JWs aren’t allowed to smoke cigarettes. If they are caught smoking, they’ll often be disfellowshipped/shunned. They also aren’t allowed to own stocks in tobacco or work in tobacco stores. It’s not uncommon for there to be double standards if it’ll benefit the organization financially. Maybe the person who left them the stock converted in old age or something like that or wasn’t devout enough to understand the rules. Sometimes they show more leeway to elderly people, too, especially if they are wealthy.

JWs are allowed to own stocks, but it’s pretty unusual given how poor they are. Often, they don’t even plan for retirement because they are taught that Armageddon could come any day now, so they’re supposed to be focusing on religious activities. I haven’t heard that Tightpants Tony* was related to Phillip Morris, so I kind of think not.

* In case you are wondering, exJWs call Tony Morris Tightpants Tony because of parts of sermons like this one. Listen to the entire 4 minutes. It’s very silly.

They are okay with men and women wearing loose-fitting pants. Until just a few months ago, women had to wear skirts or dresses to their religious functions - church services, preaching, weddings, funerals, assemblies, conventions, etc. They still need to still look feminine, but they can wear pants now. I always hated having to wear skirts and dresses, especially since religious activities take up so much of their time.