The Mystery behind the Conventions and Assemblies

by The wanderer 36 Replies latest jw friends

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  The wanderer

  The Mystery behind the Conventions and Assemblies

  In the organization, the idea behind the conventions was to unite God’s people under one roof.
  
  Looking back and knowing it is not God’s organization raises
  a few questions about the conventions and assemblies.

  What was the Real Motivation behind the Conventions?

  • Did the Watchtower hold conventions to show the world God has a united people?
  • Did money play the primary importance as an income source for the Watchtower?
  • Did the assemblies set the stage for recruiting more members?

  What do you think was the motivation behind the conventions and assemblies?

  Respectfully,

  The Wanderer
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  becca1

  Another avenue of indoctrinaion.

  Less free time on our hands.
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  Outaservice

  I think you hit it on the head with all three. For Show, For Money, and For New Recruits. A, Rah, Rah, Rah, event!

  Outaservice
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  dustyb

  don't forget the beer :) if my mom and wife goes to the conventions i'm always about hanging out w/ the other jdubs drinkin some brewski's :) bars must love the conventions with all the new business pouring in! you know the bars have to be paying kickback money to the governing body for hotel locations....
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  Madame Quixote

  To reinforce all the same old BS, especially the lies about how "big" the organization was growing and such sh*t.

  It really seems like a lot of people at conventions, especially if you live in some backwater in North Carolina and attend a congregation of 60 or fewer members.

  Attendance impresses on the minds of attendees how unalone we are and such. Conventions and large crowds tend to have an 'awing' effect on members.

  I think that's why we got badgered into going to these god-forsaken, self-congratulatory brainwashing orgies; plus, some of us liked to go someplace away from home; it was a great excuse to take a vacation without incurring some sort of judgmentalism about being too worldly (and taking time away for vacations).

  Disrespectfully,

  MQ
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  jaguarbass

  In my opinion most everybody is/was dissappointed in some way that it was not the truth. Not everyone has pulled their head out of their butt yet and smelled the coffee. Many are still on that river over in Egypt. At least thats the way I felt it was back in the 70's. Information was hard to come by. I don't know about today but in the 70's it is my opinion that the Watchtower held conventions to show the world God has a united people. And the assemblies set the stage for recruiting more members thereby saving them from destruction. And it was a way of unifying everybody and bolstering their spirits. Why any one would become a JW in this new melinium is beyond me. Not to be disrespectful, I just have no experience with todays JWs. I guess the majority of new JW's are born into it, like I was. Children of those who are in denial. For a 30 something year old couple to join the kingdom hall today. They would have to be computer illiterate, which in the USA would probably but not necessarily make them Mexican migrant workers. The society would have to steal them away from the catholic church. I know they have done that before through- out the past 100 years. For a lot of people they get their career and their religion by being born into it.
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  Amnesty Vendor

  I have learned that Assemblies give JWs the impression that they are bigger and having more impact than they really do.
  
  Since I have left, the TRUTH becomes quite obvious. The world in general hardly notices these people. It was a cold reality to me.
  
  At the assembly we seemed to be this worldwide organization, warning the empires on a scale greater than this system has ever seen.
  
  Outside of the borg, after only a year, even with newspaper propaganda - the general feel is: Who Cares!
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  OnTheWayOut

  There are two purposes for conventions and assemblies.

  1. Doctrine reinforcement for the cult members and new ones.
  This is mostly not for new ones. They need to get indoctrinated
  thru the home study program, but if they had, then this meeting
  will show them the love and loyalty.

  2. Pep talk to the regular cult members- exactly like sales conventions
  to get salespeople to sell more. The WTS uses guilt and pep.

  The actual sales to strangers and money gathered from them is probably
  way down, due to the donation arrangement, but conventions and assemblies
  still make money from donations at the convention. The rank and file are so
  pumped or guilted and donate in the box.

  They can't cancel door to door, or else the rank and file lose their drive. Even
  though it doesn't make much money, the labor force is free and the salesmen
  are free, and the sales seminars make money. This is why they are slow to
  change the status qou.
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  rolling rock

  ^^^^Well put AV...^^^^
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  Amnesty Vendor

  Here's a question. Have you ever been to a ball game, or concert or other post assembly venue and heard someone say?: Holy cow! Who cleaned the cr?p & p*ss off the bathroom floors? They must worship the only true god or something. I just gotta hook up with these folks! WTS had me believing that the creator of the universe was personally interested in me scraping gum off the stadium seats, so the poor worldy folks would know that he is the only true god. Next summer, ask your co-workers and neighbors who is meeting downtown this week? I wonder how many will say: Them JWs, I wonder what they are doing in there?