Can you be Objective about the Watchtower Society's Literature?

by The wanderer 21 Replies latest jw friends

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  The wanderer

  Can you be Objective about the Watchtower Society's Literature?

  Controversy is what this topic of discussion will attract. It is
  by know means meant to offend, support, or defend the
  Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. The point of this
  discussion is to take an objective look at the literature.

  Considering the Magazines

  The Watchtower and Awake magazines are the main
  journals of the Watchtower Society as many on this
  board already know. The Awake magazine will be one
  of the focus' of this discussion.

  The Awake

  Personally, I enjoyed the short stories in the Awake magazine.
  This included the science articles, the human interest stories
  and the watching the world articles.It was a clean style and
  format and it was appealing to read.
  
  However, the sources where the magazines received its info-
  rmation still raises questions regarding credibility.

  What about yourself?

  • Can you separate yourself momentarily from the Watch-
    tower Society to comment objectively about the literature?

  • What did you think about the Awake magazine?

  • What about the Society's other literature including the Bible?

  ---

  Please post your point of view
  for an interesting discussion.

  Respectfully,

  The Wanderer
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  Mary

  I used to actually enjoy the Awake magazine for some of their articles. When I was 9 years old, I had to do a project at school and I did mine on "smoking". I got all the information from the Awake magazines and I ended up with an A+ on me project.

  I haven't really read them in recent years so I have no idea what the quality of writing is like now, but I infinitely preferred the Awake to the Craptower.

  The only other books I enjoyed studying was the Evolution book and the Trinity brochure.........Babylon the Great Has Fallen should have won a prize for being the most boring, torturous book ever written.
• 

  FairMind

  I read or listen to the WT and Awake. Yes, I find many of the articles interesting and often informative. The articles in the WT can help a person with problems and aid them to apply Bible principles in their life. However, when I read the WTS’ literature I do so with my mental guard raised, watching out for the insidious way they shift focus from God or Jesus to themselves
• 

  Blueblades

  Not having access to any of the magazines, I read Blondie's "Comments You Will Not Hear" at the Watchtower Study. Looking at it objectively, it speaks for itself that most, a large percentage of the articles deal with the Hebrew Scriptures and or Old Testament examples using these to control / instruct the rank and file on what thet need to do and not to do.

  The Watchtower calls itself: Jehovah's Christian Witnesses, where then are the articles on the first century Christian examples for use in the study articles, why always Old Testament examples. Is Jesus and the New Tesament example of no use to them when correcting the rank and file. If you peruse back and review past "Comments You Will Not Hear" you will see that this is the case.

  I'm thinking that the reason behind this is that they view the New Testament as applicable only to the 144,000. Hence, the rank and file get Old Testament examples in the study articles.

  I have not read any of the lastest Awake! or Watchtower issues so I can't objectively comment on them.

  Blueblades ( BTW,I got your pm, thanks )
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  OnTheWayOut

  You know that WT analogy with the drop of poison? "Would you drink a glass of water if it only had a small drop of poison in it?"

  They use that to discuss Babylon the Great. I enjoy the Awake articles from a purely educational or recreational point of view.
  The problem is that they can't write too many articles w/o putting the bizarro JW slant in them. Unless a person clearly
  undertands that the publications are written by cult members who want your membership, they should be avoided by
  the average person.

  I, as a fader, still read the mags, but I know the dangers involved. Most people here would be the same. We are able to
  see where the JW beliefs start creeping in. These mags are dangerous to children and unsuspecting people.

  That is my opinion.
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  zeroday

  Yes the Awake Magazine. That bastion of world knowledge and sophistication that the WTS had to join the UN to get a library pass for the massive research that goes into it.
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  OnTheWayOut

  Can you separate yourself momentarily from the Watch-
  tower Society to comment objectively about the literature?

  I guess zero and me cannot do this. To be fair, the WTS cannot momentarily separate themselves
  from their own beliefs to give us much objective material. It is rare that they give practical advice
  w/o talking about the Bible's promises.
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  katiekitten

  I could be objective about the literature if it was written objectively. But it isnt. It totally completely heavily biased in every sentence.

  Also, although you could ague that the Awakes had interesting articles in, they werent supposed to be about interesting general knowledge were they? They were supposed to be pomoting a religious ideaology. If I wanted general knowledge I would buy Readers Digest and The Guinness Book of Records.

  If I wanted science I would subscribe to a science journal, likewise cooking, geography, wildlife, ecology etc etc. What is the point of printing a 'jack of all trades master of none' magazine and then getting it distributed by religious volunteers? Disingenuous to say the least.
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  garybuss

  Can you separate yourself momentarily from the Watch-
  tower Society to comment objectively about the literature?
  
  Everything fits the new German Mann printing presses set up to mass produce Watchtower and Awake magazines. The books are cheesy and the binding breaks. These are designed to fall apart on the shelf two minutes after the items for belief inside are changed. The bound volumes don't stand up on the shelf and their height is less than the hardbound copies issued in better economic times.
  
  What did you think about the Awake magazine?
  
  It was a heck of a lot better to lead with at stranger's doors on Sunday morning than the Watchtower magazine.
  
  What about the Society's other literature including the Bible?
  
  The Bibles produced are cheesy now too. The pages are thinner than toilet paper single ply and the pages stick together.
  
  All totaled, I'd say the sum score is low . . . especially since God owns and manages the printing company. The directors dress nice and they build nice buildings with all those donated nickles and dimes, and that all volunteer labor does a nice job keeping the grounds to university standards.
  
  
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  Outaservice

  I really appreciated the WATCHTOWER & AWAKE. They were a perfect size for the bottom of my bird cage!

  Outaservice