Financial considerations may play a role in this arrangement, on the other hand this is quite like the strategy adopted by many other movements. For example, Armstrong's former "Worldwide Church of God" and its countless split-off's distribute "Awake"-like magazines to the general public and restrict specific doctrinal discussions to their membership only. In this way controversial teachings (for example, in the case of Armstrong and the split-offs, the discouragement to see doctors or the human race issue) are somewhat hidden from public scrutiny. This limited access is legitimized by Heb 5:12-14 - milk for the baby and solid food for the mature.
CONFIRMATION new watchtower mag arrangement
by yesidid 56 Replies latest jw friends
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tongue100
I AM IN A JW YAHOO GROUP, IT WAS AN ACCIDENT. BUT I ASKED THE WITNESSES THERE WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF THE NEW FORMAT AND THEY ARE ALL JUST GOBBLING IT UP AS "FOOD AT THE PROPER TIME" OR WHATEVER. I WILL SIFT THROUGH THE MANY RESPONSES AND POST THE BEST HERE. BUT I'M SURE YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT THEY ARE LIKE. BLINDLY FOLLOWING, NO INDEPENDANT THINKING, NO QUESTIONING. JUST ACCEPTING. SAD. HERE IS THE LETTER: Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses 2821 Route 22, Patterson, NY 12563-2237 Phone: (845) 306-1100 February 9, 2007 TO ALL CONGREGATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES Re: Adjusted format of The Watchtower Dear Brothers: The year 2006 saw a major change in publishing the Awake! magazine. In January of that year the magazine became monthly instead of semimonthly and the contents were given a more Scriptural slant than previously. In the months since then, Jehovah's blessing has been seen on the arrangement and the circulation of Awake! continues to increase. Now, we are pleased to announce that the Governing Body has approved changes to the format of The Watchtower. The Watchtower will continue to be published semimonthly, but it will have two different editions. In the issue that is dated the 1 st of each month, all the material will be directed to the public. It will have no study articles. That issue will be known as the public edition. The Watchtower that is dated the 15th of each month will be solely for the Christian brotherhood. It will not be offered to the public. It will contain all the study articles for one month and secondary articles that are appropriate for dedicated servants of Jehovah. That edition will be known as the study edition. The advantages of this change will be quickly evident. At the moment, each issue of The Watchtower contains material both for the public and the brotherhood. So, even in the study articles, we have to explain terms like "pioneer" in ways that the public can understand. After this new arrangement goes into effect, everything in the study edition will be expressly for dedicated individuals and Bible students who are making spiritual progress. Hence, information can be more pointed and more beneficial. Material in the public edition will be designed to educate the public. That does not mean that we as dedicated Christians will not enjoy reading the information. But the information published will be of such a nature that a non-Witness will be able to read the magazine from cover to cover without encountering material that has been especially prepared for Jehovah's Witnesses. An additional advantage of this new arrangement , is that each month we will offer in the field service just one Watchtower with one Awake! Thus, we will not have to adjust our presentation halfway through the month in order to accommodate the latest issue of The Watchtower. This new arrangement for publishing The Watchtower will take effect in January 2008. Hence, the January 1, 2008, Watchtower will be a public edition and the January 15, 2008, Watchtower will be a study edition. We pray that Jehovah's rich blessing will be on this new arrangement with The Watchtower just as it has been on Awake! Your brothers, Christain Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses PS to presiding overseer: Please arrange for this letter to be read to the congregation at the first Service Meeting after its receipt. Thereafter, it should be posted on the information board.
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yesidid
tongue for giving us the letter. Will be very interested in Jw's comments.
yesidid
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daniel-p
I can hardly imagine the mindless drivel that will be spewed forth in the "public" WT. In their feeble attempt to reach non-believers, their 8th-grade level English will decend to kiddie-talk: "God wants you to be happy (James 18:42). You want to believe in God, don't you? God is your friend (Song of Solomon 6:9). He loves you (Alberto 7:3). We speak for God (Matthew 31:4-5b; 6b-7c; 10b-11a). Other people say they speak for him, and they call themselves Christians. Don't listen to those false Christians. They celebrate wicked birthdays and eat their first-born (Moses 0:0). Our life-giving meetings are held 23 times a week. These meetings are also attended by Jesus Christ (Acts 65:12). But Jesus Christ isn't God (Bible 1:1). Only Jehovah is God. World-renowned scholars agree that Jehovah is the same as Yahweh is the same as YHWH is the same as Adonai.
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PopeOfEruke
Daniel
I can't find the book of Alberto in my copy of the NWT! Is that only in the Canadian version?
Pope
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daniel-p
Daniel
I can't find the book of Alberto in my copy of the NWT! Is that only in the Canadian version?
Pope
No, its the new "public" version of the NWT. Praise Jefluffer the light keeps getting brighter and brighter! My eyes are bleeding!
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tongue100
I picked out a few of my favorites. Just goes to show the control.
"I think it is wonderful that we are only going to have one
watchtower for the public. It was brought out that we will not have
to change our presentation. Also the slave class must be getting
us ready as they always have for what is about to c ome. YLS
Ginger ""Cost cutting? I don't think that's the reason. At least not the
main reason. It is that you cannot give solid food to babes. It is
mistreatment! You should give children food according to their age
and that is what we will be doing in the field. For me something very
wise and long time missing. Cost? Only a minor reason.
I guess, not only will the public Watchtower be easier for people
to understand and more beneficial in teaching them the truth, but on
the other side the our Watchtower will be more direct in giving
information to us. Speaking out things more frankly. For the public
much was too frank for me because it could be misunderstood and
misused by non-believers."" I am always impressed when Jehovah makes adjustments! I suddenly imagined an interested person sitting at home reading the last two Watchtower study articles that we had! It took a lot of preparation for those of us who have been in the truth awhile, let alone spiritual babes! How well do you think one who had little or no Bible knowledge would be able to grasp the import of the information we studied. Many of the articles that are in the magazines(life stories, Gilead and other school info, etc) can only be appreciated by those of us who are in Jehovah's organization. We understand what it all is and what it all means. Those we meet at the door do not. Our hope is to help them to receive and appreciate a basic understanding of the truth about God and His Word, the Bible. The new, public edition of the magazine seems to be more designed to do just that. I don't think we will depriving anyone of lifesaving information, and having only one WT and one Awake per month to use in the field will make helping my daughter with her service presentations much easier. She can practice for the same magazines all month. J ehovah's provisions are wonderful.
Lesley" " One thing is certain; Jehovah will always get the proper food to his people and to those who are sighing and groaning. We can be confidant that however Jesus directs the congregation regarding literature, it will be the correct way and as obedient slaves, we need to accept his direction and move with the chariot. Jehovah has made it clear that he will never withhold anything that we need to serve him or to come to him. Just thoughts... Nancy" These are only a small portion of the mindless drivel I have read in the past week from these people. I, posing as a witness, raised some questions about the new magazines and was basically told to just accept whatever the borg pushes out. Makes me lose most hope for my brainwashed family...