Interesting comment by a JW regarding the new schedule (page 2)

Gordy

My thought is, just what "personal" studying does a JW do?

How many JWs sit there with the Watchtower, book study, KM, school, etc and look up all the references, scripture etc.

9 out of 10 will just underline the revelant sentence in a study article or book.

Because at meetings thats all they want to here.

In my 30 yrs as a JW the only time I did any "studying" was if I had a talk to give, an item in the service meeting to do, or was taking the book group when the Elder was on holiday.

Watchtower magazine, read paragraph, look at question, find answer, underline.

When I used to walk round KH during Watchtower study. probably about half at least didn't have it underlined.

They tell you to study, but then to keep your answers short at meeting.

It was also one of the things in my time trying to get brothers/sisters to study.

Would like to know how many JWs were using the "free" night, now there is no group study. Studying !

I think there is less "pre-study" going on now. If you're an elder, instead of having to conduct the BS every week, you now have to do it once a month or two depending on how many elders are rotating. Also, there are less paragraphs to cover. Plus, the time frame is compressed so all you can really do is parrot the 5th grade level text.

The WT is the same as it has been in the past. As was mentioned, the r&f are discouraged from doing any research outside the WTS and WT conductors are instructed to keep close to the printed material. I remember I used to spend quite a bit of time looking up additional thoughts, etc to share both with the BS & the WT when I was a believer.

wha happened, I think your friend is trying to appeal to your intellect to attract you back to the fold.

shopaholic

No offense intended, but is your buddy, er, mentally challenged? The material is as elementary and simple as ever.

Exactly.

WuzLovesDubs

What exactly are they studying FOR? To regurgitate the company line on Sunday? Nobody remembers this stuff and it changes so often nobody knows what the current "understanding" is anyway. What a WASTE of a life.

Yeah lets study....lets go dig a hole in the sand, lets go watch paint dry, lets go wait for Michael Jackson to be black again.

Roddy

At the risk of sounding bad, are there any thoughts on a push to get rid of the fence sitters?

I think it will be difficult or at least tricky. Most have hardly the time to go over the material - unless they have an active part on it - and it was simply easy when the conductor was fishing for comments to just quote back something out of the material, and everyone was pleased. Of course, those with the gift of gab say a bit more and those people are really appreciated at the meetings.

I think the rank and file will revert to habits that were in force for all their lives in the WTS. The rank and file are the product of the WTS insistance that they repeat what is in the literature. I think this new ploy is probably a PR answer to some criticism. But the WTS has always been arrogant to criticism anyway and why they decided on this issue will be both short lived and superceded.

oompa

it has always been study, study, study......and i think your friend is a bit slow or has been a good dub and gotten to used to study and has not been a winger much..........oompa

good dubs are like old dogs that can't learn new tricks

wha happened?

This particular MS is known to be an apologist. I've heard the oddest excuses for the GB. Since I'm more removed from the latest publications and meetings than some of u here, I can usually get an accurate statement if I just through any news onto a post and wait for replies

av8orntexas

Those on the borderline are hounded to do more. If you miss a single boasting session without a doctor's excuse, you will be hounded. If you are not out in field circus, you need a good explanation (which even that might not be accepted). They will find out if donations are not surging, and hound every single person in the Kingdumb Hell to donote more (if one person donates nothing, everyone has to do more).

WTWizard you are right.

This is another reason I saty away. I'm a grown man, I feel like I'm being called on the carpet, with an good explantion,reason or excuse of why I've been missing meetings. That or I'm brow beat about needing to do more,more,more,more...........

bobld

Are we obedient to the faithful slave with this new arrangement.Because of high costs are we not thankful

for this arrangement(see2009 yearbook).However,they have a very short memory because there were

congregations (rural) that combined many meeting to save on gas,weather conditions etc.What happened

they shut them down and sold the kingdom hall.Why,because at that time it was 3 meeting at the times

that the faithful slave said,no if buts or questions.You do as we say.

Bob

Interesting comment by a JW regarding the new schedule