by stillajwexelder 112 Replies latest watchtower bible
Who wants to listen to their whiney moaning about how awful everyone and everything are?
The reality is that, despite their endless talk about the end of the system happening soon, it has not ended. People become bored, restless and resentful waiting for it to end...and still it doesn't end. Soooo, curtail the end-times talk and you open up endless positive possibilities for new topics.
That's essentially how Christianity has survived: When the end doesn't come, use distraction.
H.S.
G'day back at ya!
Former 'friends' of twenty years duration
Would that be our mutual friends by any chance?
cheers, ozzie
They can't seriously believe that this will cause more people to go out in the ministry on Sunday. Even the most hardcore dubs I knew avoided Sunday afternoon service like it was the plague. And as for shortening the WT study as well, keep dreaming. The WT is their main source of indocrination. Even if they did away with all other meetings altogether, they would never change the WT study.
Sunday ministry?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
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trueeeeeeeeeee just laughable, maybe there trying to get the families to go our witnessing instead of spending time together..........
But they have changed the WT study over the years.
First by having one..........used to study books not magazine, not even a study article in the early WTs. WT historians, what was the first WT that had a study article in it?
They also used to ask the question first, take answers, then read the paragraph to sum up. That changed in the early 70's when they realized so many did not pre-study their WT and weren't answering or were reading the next paragraph during the current paragraph discussion. I still saw people "studying" at the meeting.
The articles keep getting shorter. Notice that the last few have been 18 to 20 paragraphs long.
More and more scriptures are merely cited and not quoted in the paragraph, leaving more room for WT "explanation" and indoctrination. How many jws actually look up the scriptures to see if they support the WT assertions?
Blondie (older than dirt)
Being only a 30 min talk, I imagine they think it will be easier to keep people there for the WT study. I know alot of times I did not mind sneaking out after the talks, during the song.
Its weird to me that the only meeting of JW's that is considered for the public is a mere 30mins. Perhaps they realized the general public does not ever come to these meetings.
If any meeting should be shortened to really help the friends out is the TMS/Service meeting. Its too late to be out with young children/school-age children.
Also, there could possibly some kind of posting in the new WT for the public, inviting them to the 30 min Public Talk on Sunday and a study of the articles in the WT they recieve.
purps
I can hear the grumbling from the elders already...some have been giving the same talk from the same outline for 20 or more years. Their stats always refer to items from the 70's or 80's, as it there were nothing more current. Now they will be forced to revise every last one of the outlines they have, at least as far as timing of each section.
When I was associating, I experienced this too.. Even some of their phrases were not up to date too.
I imagine the Society will be sending out revised outlines for all 160+ talk outlines, pared down and with revised timing of sections.
I can hear the grumbling from the elders already...some have been giving the same talk from the same outline for 20 or more years.
Of the 5 outlines that I gave, most of them were a little short anyway.. to bad I don't wish to spew that horse $hit anymore....HAHA...
So - Public Edition of the WT
30 minutes talk to be amenable for the public
Definitely trying to be more mainstream
They are trying to re-condition the R&F to stop thinking of doom and gloom. The end is not coming anytime soon so it's best they start controlling the conversations about how all the signs are being seen at once now.
Good point. I think this is the general direction they are taking the flock. By the time HQ is done with all their adjustments 10 years from now we will have a totally different religion on our hands.
The problem is that it has no real leading lights, in the mould of the Frederick Franzatic, whom they can claim as thier own 'scholars'. Most of what the WTS produces in the way of theological 'light' is just regurgitated bits and pieces from the spare parts graveyard of C19th Adventists, and a sort of Readers Digest style of religion.
But it is being overtaken by education and information, at present its greatest enemy. It is no surprise to note that they have once again (no doubt under Jaracz influence) taken to demonizing further education. A revamping of its doctrines in order to keep alive theologically for another few years is a must. I think it will happen within the next five years. It cannot afford not to.
Agreed! Great points. HS: When Freddy died, they lost their visionary, for sure.
stillajwexelderSo - Public Edition of the WT
30 minutes talk to be amenable for the public
Definitely trying to be more mainstream
Actually what they are doing is isolating the general public from the core of the WTS's teachings... basically creating a two-tier system. One is nice and pretty for the general public and the other is more "secret" and "prepared for the more spiritually mature" people who are able to stomach the real behavior and teachings of the WTS.
The two-tier religious structure is a classic symptom of high-control cults whereas mainstream religions are far more open and honest with the public. Trust me, these recent changes are in no way signs of the WTS going mainstream. If anything they are signs that the WTS is digging in deeper.
