His wife and I work at the same company, a major US airline, they could fly there FREE !!!!!!! Why are you forced to pay the crazy amount that the WTS says pay ? I never got this. Has anyone here ever gone and worked 2-3 jobs to go, and most of all was it worth it or what you thought it would be ?
It comes off as a status symbol among some dubs I've heard speak about it
Good for them!
I think the main reason is for PR. They make it a big show -- especially in areas where the convention are held where it was banned in that country previously. Then watch for pictures and commentary in the pages of the Watchower magazines and other publications later on.
Rather than the WTS pay JWs to go, just make traveling there a spiritual privilage. Nice trick, actually.
Kind of like the old conventions at Cedar Point Ohio.
Make no mistake about it - Cedar Point was a resort/amusement park which was strategically located in the center of the United States near the major railroad hub of the country. So it was accessable from any point in the United States and Canada. All a foreign traveler had to do was make it to a United States shore and hop on a train.
I'm sure there was a lot of hype making conventions at this resort/amusement park town some sort of spiritual privilage too -- if you make the time, effort, and assume the expense to do it. Of course, those that work at the WTS gets to go this resort/amusement park for free paid for by "voluntary donations".
I'm not sure which was the stronger draw that convention: The fact that it was Cedar Point or attending the convention for more of the same information and a new publication release?
Are the modern foreign conventions any different?