The reason for the change, my opinion.

by joebin 23 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  4mylove

  Mother in law told my hubby that it was announced that they would be combining 3 meetings into two due to rising gas prices.

  Yeah, gas prices....sheez...

  4
• 

  owenfieldreams

  Interesting thought. While i agree that may be a mitigating factor in the decision, I don't think it was the main reason for the change. With the the mass layoffs at Bethel, the society has a bevy of trained, "company men' elders, along with their wives, that are now being dispatched all over the US territory. Also, there are lots of trained "brothers" via MTS and at the local levels that are already in the 'pipeline' and ready for appointment--this too will offset any attrition. No, I really think it was mainly an economic decision. Remember, always follow the money. If you look at when other arrangements have been done away with or "simplified", it usually can be traced to eliminating cost.
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  willyloman

  He also mentioned the BS change was only the beginning, he stressed that Jehovah’s organization is progressive but we don't make a lot of changes at once. He said that changes will take a couple of years, and that a brother who has been inactive for several years will not recognize the organization if he is to return in a couple of years.

  In 1976 a CO told us the society was reviewing all the dub doctrines and would be making megachanges in the few years ahead, and we waited with baited breath expecting a series of announcements that never came. He retired to a life of poor health living in a double wide out in the desert. I wonder, if he's still alive, if he thinks this book study change is what he's been waiting for more than 30 years. I suspect even he feels it's too little, too late.
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  moshe

  The lowly brothers are beginning to act like the tail wagging the dog. The old GB I knew 30 years ago said jump and they all jumped at the KH. I don't think being a GB member is much fun anymore with the legal dept breathing down their necks.
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  Frank75

  Grassyknoll07 He also mentioned the BS change was only the beginning, he stressed that Jehovah’s organization is progressive but we don't make a lot of changes at once. He said that changes will take a couple of years, and that a brother who has been inactive for several years will not recognize the organization if he is to return in a couple of years.

  Interestingly I had a dub elder come in to try and sell me some software for my business. I am not the least bit interested in doing business with a dub, but thought it could be fun. We talked in circles for 4 hours.

  I am a known apostate and at the start I am sure that we both really knew why he was there. First he is an elder so exempt from the prohibitions on talking to DF'd people. 2nd he was making a sincere effort, sorta like the emperor in Star Wars, to offer one last chance to "turn or die"!

  He made overtones of having connections to a bunch of old farts in Brooklyn as if that would impress. He had it on good authority that change was afoot in the Org. and went so far as to say that he believed that in 20 years, he could see my path and the Org's path intersecting.

  I said that ain't gonna happen. He said why so sure? I said there are many reasons and too numerous to go into all. However I believe that in 130 years of Watchtower there was only one expression that I truly believe, and that is hardly enough to reconcile myself with Watchtower.

  He said what is that....my answer?

  "Religion is a snare and a racket" and his is on the top of my list!

  Frank75
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  Frank75

  I hope some of the good guys in that cult get a wake up call from this.

  After all of these years of guilt-tripping rhetoric on Heb 10:24 and pushing the importance of meetings, BECAUSE THE END IS SOOO CLOSE this announcement HAS to be taken as code for pushing "THE END" back!

  and all the more so as YOU behold the day drawing near

  What does it mean then if they are doing it LESS? And preparing for even more cuts down the road.

  Frank75
• 

  joebin

  Thanks all for your comments.

  I think I'll stick to my guns on this one.

  People in positions of responsibility, ie: elders, CO's, even the GB, all have to take the lead (making sure their watchtowers and bookstudy materials are underlined, gotta be 100% regular, prepare the material for talks, ect). With the schedule as it was required quite a bit of work. Add to it all other responsabilities and you've got a hectic schedule. Overworked and underpaid. Having to shit, shower and shave (and putting on the clown suits) every other day becomes a pain in the ass when no end is in sight. So the elders complained, the CO's and upper ups saw that it would benefit them too to shorten the meeting schedule. More free time to just relax (and of course browse JWD..lol)

  Information control? Maybe. But I think the bookstudy was actually a good way to find out who the bad eggs were.

  Cutting costs? I don't see how this applies, the WT doesn't save anything by removing the book study.

  I think the upper ups thought to themselves..wtf..why all this work anyway, let's cut ourselves some slack. Time to sit back and enjoy that fine wine.
• 

  AK - Jeff

  You know - there could be another aspect here too.

  The organization is becoming more and more insular in its nature. Bookstudy, on it's own night, could be comfortable place for some Jw's to attend - a family atmosphere. The WTS wants to preserve a corporate atmosphere. By putting Bookstudy in the middle of two other meetings, at the KH, they take away any family atmosphere that the organization still enjoyed.

  Remember years ago that they basically banned 'congregational get-togethers'? Eliminated the word 'party' in descriptions of such events? Even limited the number of families that were allowed to attend our family Watchtower studies? All the rules on such things stymied any type of organizationally accepted 'fun' times.

  When I became enamoured with being a Jw [while a child and being tutored by Mother the Inactive One], it was the family atmosphere, the camaraderie of the brothers, the small town church feeling at the small KH that attracted me I think. Now, virtually all of that is gone again. Rutherford killed it in the 20's and 30's - Knorr allowed it back in the 50's and 60's - and the Governing Body has been steadily working to kill it again - especially since the 'Bethel Apostasy' in the 80's.

  Just a thought.

  Jeff
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  Simon

  I think the reason is that the smaller, more intimate and private discussions were probably the place people raised questions about things ... the "that doesn't seem right to me" type thing.

  They may want to keep all 'spiritual discussion' in the more controlled environment of the KH where the group-think effect is much stronger.
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  I am reading all these responses and there are several excellent points.

  I will make a speculation as to how this played out.

  Several elders have been lost to "the heavy load" and to not bringing their
  children into the religion- losing them as teens to the world. The organization
  needs these men to keep enforcing the doctrine and carrying the ball. Now,
  the WTS can say, "We lightened your load so you can stay on as elders, but
  you better use the day for family study. You better keep your kids in."

  They probably are telling the elders that family study was something you needed
  to become an elder, and family study is something you better be doing to stay
  an elder. Some would have walked away over it, so they gave in on this provision.

  Also, the bookstudy was poorly atttended. One reason was the burden of an
  extra night. Eliminated.
  Another reason was the repetition of the same old books. At a slower pace with
  only 25 minutes, they don't have to repeat books. Repetition eliminated.
  WTS probably wants to reduce printing even more, so they couldn't have wanted
  to produce more books to eliminate repetition. With the short-time bookstudy,
  they could take 2 years to cover a book and only release a new book every other
  year. Cost reduction.

  Unqualified men were teaching at the bookstudy and people were free to raise
  questions in the smaller groups. Totally eliminated.

  ---

  Those are the things I see here. Now, this still flies in the face of all the reasons
  they gave in the past as to why bookstudy groups should be small. I think their
  examination of the cost of new books to make the study more interesting was what
  made them look for other "valid" reasons to make the change. They are ALL
  ABOUT THE MONEY.