I think the net effect would be the greatest decision the GB ever made. Imagine a bunch of tech-savvy young people with doubts, now sparring with experienced ex-JWs online. Oh man. If they thought they had a problem keeping the young people in before, just wait until all of them are hit with information about the org that they never knew about before!
What if... The Governing Body promoted online preaching
by pirata 20 Replies latest jw friends
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Igot2bme
I feel that the GB is caught in between a rock and a hard place when the Internet is concerned. For one thing their literature service can't keep up with the information that is coming out on the web against them and they can't logically defend themselves with these present day circumstances. They face the fact that they are hemorrhaging members due to them using old school tactics not working any longer and new techno logic informing current members and the general public. If they don't get with the times their organization will eventually collapse, personally I would be happy if it did.
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Marvin Shilmer
StandFirm cites Watchtower’s announcement saying:
“… the Society prepared a 32-page brochure specifically to counteract this flood of misleading propaganda.”
1. Counteracting is not refuting. If, as you suggest in your introduction, you are looking for that which is logically valid then you should look for a publication containing refutation rather than one built to counteract.
2. What part of this 32-page Watchtower brochure offered logical refutation of information that is logically valid that disputes claims made by or teachings of Watchtower?
Marvin Shilmer
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Anony Mous
It brings all the apostate arguments out of the woodwork and addresses them (whether or not the answers make sense doesn't really matter).
That won't ever happen. They'll have to throw all the doctrines that make them JW's out of the window in order to make them fit according to scripture. Disfellowshipping is one of those things, blood is another. Most "apostate" arguments ARE supported by biblical scriptures that clearly show their hypocrisy. As you can see from DJEggNogg, the only answer they have is nitpicked fractions of bible verses and older WT articles.
However the world is progressing. The JW's are a publishing/magazine company just like Time Magazine, XY Magazine (recently bankrupted), Reader's Digest etc. They'll have to adapt to the online world or cease to exist as fewer people accept and read wood products. Why can't I get the JW magazines in an iPad app or read the Bible on my iPhone during the meeting?
Maybe they hope that the big-A will happen before they are bankrupt but I doubt they even believe that - I give them another 2 or 3 decades if they don't adapt their teachings, methods and distribution network. As the world gets more and more connected and EVERYBODY gets access to the Internet and don't even have to think of it anymore, at the point it becomes a utility like Water, Gas and Electricity and the old ones that don't know technology disappear they're going to have a more difficult time overcoming the technological hurdles of their business. Many of the younger generation hardly make decisions for anything that can't be reviewed online.
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punkofnice
The GB want the R&F pounding the streets rather than be at home where they can research!! Pounding the streets fills their time and keeps them too busy to question the cult doctrine.
If JWs DO go online in a forum discussion they usually get their silly doctrinal arguments and 'proof' scriptures totally decimated.
They can be defensive about their cult doctrine but cannot uphold it as most of it is based on fallacy and out of context scripture.
They wouldn't survive in an online situation.
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blondie
Online preaching = WTS website
Online preaching = telephone witnessing, you can't do it by yourself, at least one person has to see you do it so you aren't faking it. When I would work by myself the elders would be concerned about no one being a witness to my preaching....
This would validate computers in the minds of some jws that still stay completely away from computers or at least the internet. It would be a green light.
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sir82
What do you think the net effect would be?
Thousands of JWs would get "spanked" all over the internet.
The WTS has not taught JWs to argue their beliefs for well over 25 years. The "Reasoning Book" was a last hurrah.
Today's JWs are merely taught to repeat what the latest teaching is. They preach at people, they don't reason with or teach them. If the words they spew don't "stick" to the target, they move on to the next potential recruit.
JWs are completely and utterly unprepared to reason on even their simplest beliefs. A 32 page brochure wouldn't fix that.
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Georgiegirl
Hee hee! It always makes me laugh when I see comments like this: "Besides, people are smart, and those who have questions about what they hear about us on the internet or elsewhere can simply ask us about what they've heard."
Because (1) most JWs have no real idea what their doctrine teaches (I was 3rd generation; all males in my family elders a/or COs, I had NO idea Jesus wasn't really MY mediator. And we were probably one of the few families who actually did the family study, etc etc).
And (2) it's a ridiculous argument. The best analogy I've read on here is the one about the used car - if I want to know the truth about its background, do I ask the guy who's trying to sell me the car? Or check online for carfax which isn't trying to convince me to buy the car at all? Hmmm....which would be more accurate?
And lastly, it would be impossible for them to create a brochure that answers the opposition - because they would have to address the UN/membership issue, the 587/607 debacle, taking blood/organs etc etc. I can guarantee you that most witnesses would get the brochure, be totally freaked out b/c they DON'T know, and leave.
Yes, the truth always does come out in the end.
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nugget
Don't worry standfirm we don't have to make false allegations believe me the watchtower provides enough true allegations to keep us going for months. They wouldn't sent people to the internet to preach they know they would be toast in a matter of hours.
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diamondiiz
Standfirm:
First most of us don't have witnesses but the organization that deceived us and you. Difference is we left the lie for a real life.
While everyone is welcome to start up any discussion here JW sites ban you and delete your posts right away so they JW drones don't see them. Difference between cult and non-cult environment. StandFirm is free to say whatever he wants here or any other worldly site while only WTS "approved" people can comment on jw sites. Has anyone seen JW forums? Most would think these people are mentally retarded!!! No wonder higher education is not recommended for JWs.1. WTS wouldn't bring out all the apostate arguments because most JWs and new ones don't have a clue about them so why disturb this ignorance they have going for them?
2. IF this occurred many witnesses would stop believing wts is God's channel of communications. Many would leave, even more would fade so their family wouldn't disown them. The publishing company would lose a lot of free workers in the field and much less money going into WWW meaning smaller revenue.