What do you think is behind the watchtower change in 2008 ?

by 5go 100 Replies latest watchtower scandals

• 

  OnTheWayOut

  Fred gives wonderful examples of why the 2008 changes are necessary.
  A bunch of people were using the magazines to learn English.
  Many of the JW's he knew were more interested in PLACING magazines
  than they were in helping people to have a good relationship with God.
  

  And if the placement mags were starting to stack a little, there might be suggestions at the
  service groups, etc. to encourage street witnessing, which was always a great way to find
  a way to place, especially if a person had a mag route and lots of RVs and Bible Studies,
  which I knew how to do years ago.

  How many of these English-learners really donated for the free-of-charge mags?
  How many people encountered in street witnessing donated money?
  How many JW's don't compensate the publishing corporation for the mags they
  personally PLACE, but receive no donations for?

  This change is necessary. The mags are supposed to do two things-
  1. Get people to learn about Jehovah and his kingdom.
  2. Support the publishing corporation's costs.

  Expect them to start telling JW's that PLACEMENTS are not that important,
  or (if they are a mind-control cult) to start counting tracts on the service slip.
  (I am betting on the latter.)
• 

  hybridous

  Already been covered by previous posts, but I'll give the nod to...

  #1. MONEY. Every organization looks for costs that can be cut.

  #2. Content: Seeing that every other WT article is basically a demand for blind obedience to the Tower, these articles have a deleterious effect on a magazine that is supposed to have an appeal for public consumption. The WT can't/won't stop demanding obedience, but those articles make the magazine a bit..shall we say..unwieldy? Now they can consolidate the heavy cultish reinforcement pieces into the 'special' WT, and the benign remainder can go in the other.
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  This thought kind of fits this thread so I will post it here, because this thread reminded me of it.

  2 weeks ago, at the Kingdom Hall, after the meeting, a regular visitor to the hall (not a publisher)
  goes up to the counter and asks for quite a few pieces of literature.
  The literature servant has his silent alarms go off that this is a waste of literature.
  He is probably thinking that she has a few screws loose (she does, but didn't we all for going to
  the Kingdom Hall regularly?) and doesn't need all that literature.

  Well, she wants it, he doesn't want to give it to her. I am nearby. As much as the elder body
  knows how much trouble a doubting former elder is, they haven't yet muddied my name to the
  rest of the congregation, so the MS behind the counter still respects what I have to say-
  "The literature is free of charge, correct?"
  "Yes, but she wants alot."
  "But you have the things she wants, none of it is special order, correct?"
  "Yes."
  "What's the difference if she gets some of it now, some of it next week?
  If it's free of charge, then she should get what she requests."
  "They told us to be leary of people accepting tons of literature and not needing it."
  "That could be for the door-to-door work, or for a visitor that you don't often see here, even then-
  free-of-charge IS free-of-charge, but this woman is here every week. Give her what she needs."
  "Okay." (I felt like a bully, but he won't even remember it happened.)

  The big problem is this- they thought this "free-of-charge" method would allow them to get
  all the donations and none of the tax liabilities. As time goes on, that isn't always so. I have, even as
  a faithful dub, always been consistent with the spirit of the intent. Literature is free-of-charge, and those
  who donate, donate. Jehovah blesses the work, so HE will make sure the printing of life-saving
  magazines and books continues. They have painted themselves into corner just like "this generation" or
  1975, this time with finances.
• 

  Fred E Hathaway

  I've always had a policy of contributing upfront for whatever I get from the mag/lit counters, applying the principle of freely you have received, freely give. I put in a full 10% of my income each month, so that should help those in less-fortunate countries. The balance sheet is read each month at the KH and there's always a lot kept back for updates for the local KH and whatnot, every few months it seems. There's always a note from the Society thankful for whatever donations come in. The KHs are being built in areas of need, though if there were more money coming in and/or less money being put out for needless remodelling, there would be enough KHs everywhere in the world already. If everyone puts in what they can money-wise by keeping up the self-sacrificing spirit and not paying out for unnecessary worldly pursuits, there wouldn't be a problem to talk about.
• 

  Jeffro

  Fred E Hathaway

  I've always had a policy of contributing upfront for whatever I get from the mag/lit counters, applying the principle of freely you have received, freely give. I put in a full 10% of my income each month, so that should help those in less-fortunate countries. The balance sheet is read each month at the KH and there's always a lot kept back for updates for the local KH and whatnot, every few months it seems. There's always a note from the Society thankful for whatever donations come in. The KHs are being built in areas of need, though if there were more money coming in and/or less money being put out for needless remodelling, there would be enough KHs everywhere in the world already. If everyone puts in what they can money-wise by keeping up the self-sacrificing spirit and not paying out for unnecessary worldly pursuits, there wouldn't be a problem to talk about.

  Amusing contradiction. (Unless you actually did miss the point.) 'Received freely, give freely' means you've received something from someone for free, so you should dispense things to others freely too. Your tithing is 'giving to those from whom you received something'. That's not 'receive freely, give freely', that's 'payment'.
  
  JWs teach their 1914 fiction for free. It's worth half of that at most.
• 

  MidwichCuckoo

  If everyone puts in what they can money-wise by keeping up the self-sacrificing spirit and not paying out for unnecessary worldly pursuits, there wouldn't be a problem to talk about

  I understood that the WTBTS is storing up Its 'Treasures On Earth' by investing in property.
• 

  Fred E Hathaway

  That's why they're building KHs, around the world, wherever the interest is growing and the local government allows it.
• 

  MidwichCuckoo

  You misunderstand Fred. I understood that the WTBTS put its OWN interests first, not the interests of its members. Its investments (in property, which are of no benefit to the poor and needy R&F) are in Real Estate in Brooklyn. It appears that new Kingdom Halls are being built only if existing members pay over the odds to have them....and even then they're owned by an EARTHLY Organisation.
• 

  Fred E Hathaway

  Increase of meeting attendance often improves after a local Kingdom Hall is built. I'm sure that it they were to build them in the high traffic areas of the big cities, that more people would come there too, except that the high traffic is coming there already because of the worldly enticements put there. It's an on-going challenge, since Jehovah wishes that none should perish, but have everlasting life. How will those caught up in worldly life-styles switch course? It's a tough sell.
• 

  MidwichCuckoo

  The Kingdom Hall I used to attend used to have around 120 members - now it has about 70.

  Perhaps if the Org built a few Kingdom Halls in poor areas in the Third World it would give people somewhere to go to Worship God? Or maybe these people can't afford a Kingdom Hall, and so God doesn't want them? After all, I don't think God has chosen anyone from the Third World to be of the 144,000.