Is the Watchtower Society strong enough to win this war with the internet? (page 5)

stillajwexelder

I Will not give you a yes or no. However, the Roman Cathlolic Church in the Middle Ages could not stop the reformation or the invention of the printing press and hence circualtion of bibles in the vernacular. Now I submit to you the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages was far more powerful than the WTBTS will ever be -so the answer is NO WAY IN HELL

blondie

So no one can get a subscription anymore?

Only people (inmates, blind (cassette), those living in the boonies) can get subscriptions but only after approval by the elders.

blondie

BTW, Stilla, good point!

stevenyc

The internet is more than just something you get to with a browser. It is impossible to attack and win 'it' in itself doesn't exist. No, seriously! Let me try to explain.

The internet is a computer network, not a collection of web sites. This network contains billions of connections that span the globe, connecting right down to your home. The primary resources that currently use this network are web sites. But, this is changing. Look at most new cell phones. They access the internet. Home appliances can now connect into the internet. You want to turn your oven on, you use your cell or PDA to set it at 180c and when you arrive home your lasagna is ready. Within the next 10 years, just about every person in the west will be 'on-line' 24 7.

So, what do I mean by 'it' doesn't exist. I mean in a tangible sense. If we look at the recent QUOTES case they threatened the owner with a $100,000 law suit. They made him delete all his files and hand the name over to them. What existed was a man with a small repository of electronic data. And the great thing about electronic data is it doesn't just go away. I think what they did was a big mistake on their part, and its something they will not repeat, if they've got any savvy. Already mirror sites have sprang up. They will not, ever, be able to stop them. My case in point is the Chinese site. I have access to every one of quotes references, on my cell phone, and if I had never seen that site before, you can bet I'd know about it now. They have taken the judges mantra to Advertise, Advertise, Advertise, and given it to their own flock.

The killer of all dumb ideas and thoughts is not lawsuits and threats, but, information.

Remember twenty years ago, when a lot of us were Jehovah's Witnesses. We believed every last drop of their ideas. Now, imagine what would of happened if we sat down for a month, in a huge reference library and museum, with thirty skilled researches, explaining to us the archeology, history, language, and theology of the bible. We were also given access to every document ever produced by the WTBTS. And, just for laughs, we had a couple bethelite elders in there to keep us up to date with the goings on at Bethel. How long do you think it would take for the blinkers to be removed from your eyes?

Well, that's the internet. Except, you can't physically remove the information and kick out the researchers.

steve

DannyHaszard

Steve that was an elegant deliberation, moreover the internet datastream is immortal and the human apologist for the Watchtower grow old and die off

Mary

Blondie said: Only people (inmates, blind (cassette), those living in the boonies) can get subscriptions but only after approval by the elders.

And their ~~bullshit excuse~~ New Light on this was explained how?

AK - Jeff

And their ~~bullshit excuse~~ New Light on this was explained how?

As far as I know Mary, they didn't bother to explain it. Seems like we might have had a letter read of some sort, but I cannot recall a single good reason being cited by anyone. They just ended the program with little ado. Amazingly most witnesses did not seem to care in the least.

I think there was some comment about how this would improve the ministry by creating magazine routes. But mostly BS.

Jeff

Number 6

The Watchtower is at a huge disadvantage simply because they do not have a single coherent enemy to fight. They misguidely assume that we are the 'evil slave' as if some such cohesive organisation existed that they could train their weapons at. No such group exists. The enemies of the Watchtower are a loosely connected group of people who despite having varying agendas all have one thing in common: to see and end to the Watchtower. All the apostate sites on the 'net bring together a myriad of different viewpoints and opinions all of which contribute to holding the Watchtower to the ridicule it deserves.

Imagine going back to say the mindset of the WT organisation in 1970 for example; never in their worst nightmare could the Watchtower back then have imagined a scenario whereby every last foolishness they have ever published would be a click away in the privacy of someones own home. That private letters to DO's, CO's and Elders would be visible for public viewing worldwide. Never could they have forseen that a network would exist whereby former JW's could get together and air their views and more importantly offer support to each other. The advances in technology in the last decade absolutely stagger me; and who knows what lies ahead!

I personally believe that, say 50 years from now, religious historians of the future will look back at the years 2000 - 2010 and draw the line saying 'here marks the true end of the Watchtower Society.'

Craig

zagor

I think they are already losing this battle. Next thing you'll hear is that having Internet access is disfellowshipping offence. That is is only way they can stop this onslaught

AuldSoul

Imagine going back to say the mindset of the WT organisation in 1970 for example; never in their worst nightmare could the Watchtower back then have imagined a scenario whereby every last foolishness they have ever published would be a click away in the privacy of someones own home. That private letters to DO's, CO's and Elders would be visible for public viewing worldwide. Never could they have forseen that a network would exist whereby former JW's could get together and air their views and more importantly offer support to each other.

Number 6, in my opinion, you nailed it! They could not plan for where we are now. No one could have. I have the entire library of books by Rutherford, the Watchtowers from 1879 through 1950, the Year Books through 1959 and Pastor Russell's sermons on 10 flat disks of mostly plastic. The entire set is about 2 inches high in protective cases, and takes up a 5 inches x 5 inches footprint laying on its side.

How much shelf space would have been required for the originals?

I have the Pay Attention book. When I quoted from it after my dad said elders aren't judges, my dad said, "Where did you get that book?" I said, "Does it matter? It says the elders are judges, big as life, right there in units 5(a) and (b). Doesn't it, dad? What do you think the 'judicial' part of 'judicial committee' refers to?"

Of course, he doesn't talk to me anymore. But he lied, outrightly. Like the organization he doesn't legally represent.

I foresee libraries of all sorts of digital video clips. Right around the corner we will have proofs of what was actually said in meetings. The Internet already delivered a poisoned barb as a deathblow. The organization is twitching and writhing, thinking it is still alive, but it is already dead.

What will they do? They cannot run from their history, but they have already publicly lied about it...what will they do? They will eventually close their doors forever. When they do, I will be watching.

Respectfully,
AuldSoul

Is the Watchtower Society strong enough to win this war with the internet?

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