by VM44 4 Replies latest watchtower scandals
Does anyone know if sisters are allowed to typset (or today's electronic equivalent) The Watchtower magazine in order to compose articles for the printing presses?
I have heard of sisters typesetting the Awake magazine, but I would like to know if they are permitted to perform the same work for The Watchtower magazine.
This question comes from the letter sent to elders forbidding sisters from spiral binding the new elder's manual, while it is ok for a brother to do so.
The Branch Organization manual says that only in writing the articles should be kept in mind that it's not proper for sister to write material that involves certain spiritual things. But typesetting is not a problem I guess. It's just importing some marked up text in Word documents into MEPS Composition, that renders .ps files that are sent to printing branches to be transfered to film, plates and then paper.
Sisters *do* write articles for Awake. It's nothing appropriate about that.
If the material is in final form and is merely keyed, would that be a different question. As was said women were only used to research and write some nonscriptural articles in the Awake (WT?). Barbara Anderson did that when at Bethel and and after while she was still in "good standing."
I don't think the WT and Awake articles are considered in the same light as the elders manual since they are made available online.
I know sisters do typsetting work at Bethel because someone posted here (and I wish I could find it again) that while on a tour of the Watchtower printing facilities they saw a sister typesetting a page for the next Awake magazine.
When the sister saw the tour group, she covered the typeset (even though the text was upside down to the group) in order to prevent anyone from seeing it!
More secrecy, but for the Awake!?
Sorry VM44. The sister was actually typesetting for the KM. This was at the branch in Toronto, Canada. But I am sure they are used for many tasks similar in nature. I think protocol probably goes something like this. Try your durndest to use brothers for any tasks that involve the "meaty" stuff. But since brothers will usually feel such tasks as typing to be under them and demeaning you will likely have to give in and use Sisters. Sisters by the way are simply women, who are the lower form of brothers, within the hierarchy. The hierarchy is at present thusly: Governing Body with capitals, jehovah, jesus, elders of various sorts, regular ordinary brothers (probably not even reaching out) and sisters. The situation I believe is similar in writing. The biggest part of writing an article in the watchtower is research. Research is time consuming and often times a tad heavy slogging I am sure. Much better suited to a sister than a brother, one of the ones at the elder level, you know.
