Green Urban Legend

by james_woods 28 Replies latest jw friends

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  james_woods

  The thread on the WT going into the red, and the remark on "cheap paperback bibles" made me think of the old Green NWT.

  There was a lot of buzz back then about why it was green. I heard these from various COs -

  a) it was Green to prove that it was not from Christendom. Christendom used gloomy black bibles.

  b) it was Green to identify us at the door as JWs. We should be proud to be different.

  c) it was Green to signify life, like a tree (or a tree snake, I guess). Black bibles signify death (or the Model T, I guess).

  d) it was Green because Jehovah blessed his Bethel Plant with a special buy on this green binding material - which lowered the cost of the NWT. Later all the other benefits above were noticed and we gave thanks for the Green. (I can see where this could have actually happened).

  This all pretty much went out the window when the Society issued the Deluxe in the dreaded black or blood-like maroon. There was also a pocket edition in dungy brown. I think the Society was reacting to the many witnesses who had their green bibles custom rebound in more tasteful (and less noticeable) colors.
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  fleaman uk

  When i toured bethel hq a few years back,the guide told us that Knorr was obsessed with the colour green?Being the colour of creation and all that.maybe that had something to do with it?I believe he was in charge when the green NWT came out.

  Seemed a bit strange to me .
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  Stephanus

  My guess would be a combo of 1 and 3. Making the Bible a lively colour as opposed to Christendoms dour black provided a point of difference. (Like the names themselves wouldn't! )
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  Outaservice

  The Watchtower always did, and still does................Like the Green Stuff!

  Outaservice
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  Nathan Natas

  Revelations 4:1-3

  "

  After these things I saw, and, look! an opened door in heaven, and the first voice that I heard was as of a trumpet, speaking with me, saying: "Come on up here, and I shall show you the things that must take place." After these things I immediately came to be in [the power of the] spirit: and, look! a throne was in its position in heaven, and there is one seated upon the throne. And the one seated is, in appearance, like a jasper stone and a precious red-colored stone, and round about the throne [there is] a rainbow like an emerald in appearance.

  Thus did Jehovah reveal to His earthly servant His favorite color.
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  OUTLAW

  The Green Bible..That does bring back memories..Do they still make them?..I remember when WBT$ came out with bibles,with gold coloured lettering on the front cover..That was a big deal!..LOL!!...OUTLAW
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  justsomedude

  I wish I would have saved a few of the old green bibles that I used to have. I seem to recall that they had errors that the deluxe version did not.
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  LongHairGal

  I would not accept a green bible (it seemed so "un-biblish"). Somehow it didn't seem respectable to me.

  It had to be black or I wouldn't accept it.

  LHG
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  james_woods

  If I might ask someone with more current experience, how long did old green end up lasting? I know you could still buy one at the time I left in 1981 - although there were far more of the Deluxe edition in actual use because of the ugliness factor. I never saw very many people buy into the so-called "pocket edition" - it was nearly as big as the green bible, just had the white margins of the pages trimmed back. I thought even back then that this was a rather transparent ploy to get the pubs to buy yet another bible or two.

  There were a few diehards, however, who thought that using the oddball green one was somehow more "theocratic" because of the standout oddity factor (I want the householder to know I am a witness) and the fact that it cost a little less.

  I had never heard the Knorr fetish theory, but it sure does sound like him. True or not, you know for sure that nothing about publishing that cost money escaped his personal oversight.
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  lovelylil

  James,

  How are you?

  I came in during the 90's, so I don't remember the green Bibles. My guess is a) to stand out as different from Christendom and d) Jehovah blessed them with a good price on the green ink!

  When you think of it, most decisions made by the WT are business ones, since they are a publishing corporation, so the bottom line $$ is most important. Lilly