Terry, you could run circles around any elder I've met! :D
House to House and Door to Door proves to be a shame diversion
by Terry 36 Replies latest watchtower bible
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moshe
The WT printed 100's of millions of the blue Truth book starting around 1969. Outside of a JW home, you would have a hard time locating one of these old books today- so much for the value of WT literature to worldly folks. Lots of people studied that book with JWs and the big A was put forth as a big "maybe" to develop enthusiam. Like Terry said, there was no hole to show the worldly people after they finished studying the book- so there was no act two to keep them interested in becoming JWs.
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Bungi Bill
The comparison between WTS's methods of indoctrination, and those of the more extreme political ideologies (such as communism) , is rather frightening.
It should be obvious to anybody that if you were really all about issuing a mass warning of an approaching catastrophe, you would use the
mass media. That is what the authorities do around here whenever there is a bush-fire alert:
i.e.
- radio announcements, televised public warnings, internet sites that are accessible to the public.
- and if the fires do approach in close to residential areas, the final and immediate evacuation warnings are sounded from the P.A. systems on the emergency service vehicles.
The one thing you would never see is a mob of volunteers running from house to house with printed warnings!
That the WTS does not use such means to warn of this business of "Armegeddon", which has always been "very close" (apparently), indicates to me at least that they themselves don't believe it.
Primarily, their door to door activity serves as a stick with which to beat the rank and file. I even recall an elder once saying as much:
- only he phrased it as "the only measure that we have of a persons spirituality."
It is also a way of keeping the rank and file busy, distracted and - when combined with the inhuman schedule of meetings - worn out.
Again, this was part of communism's indoctrination process - work the people all day, then require them to attend mind numbing "political meetings" that ran well into the night.
If Schnell, in his "For Thirty Years a Watchtower Slave" is to be believed, J F Rutherford knew his that prediction about the end coming in 1925 was nonsense. It did not, however, overly concern him that the R & F took it seriously;
- his solution (thought out in advance), was to distract the R & F by keeping them "busy with distributing the literature."
(Schnell was privy to this, while acting as Rutherford's interpreter during a meeting with the WTS's director for Germany).
thetrue one just summed it up beautifully "a coercive sham presented and holographed as an endeavor to save human life."
Bill.
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finallysomepride
bookmarked
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streets76
3.Preaching the "vindication of Jehovah's name" was THE purpose of their ministry until recently.
The "vindication" thing was big when I was associated years ago (and it didn't make much sense to me). So you're saying that has changed? What is it now?
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The_Present_Truth
Terry,
You're spot on as always. I raised some of these points to my parents about 10 years ago prior to my big departure. I asked them to pay attention in field service and notice how seldom the "Witnesses" invite the householder to the Kingdom Hall vs. how often they just offer them literature. It's obvious when you pay attention that the work is focused on getting that literature in people's hands. I also raised the question about using more effective methods of media. Afterall, why not? Years ago they used a radio show and billboards. Why not now? It's precisely because it would show the public how messed up they really are and invite public scrutiny from individuals who really know what they're talking about. They wouldn't like that one bit. Using the door to door method, they keep things on their terms. If they meet a householder that has them outgunned on the knowledge of doctrine and they can't refute it, all they have to do is excuse themselves from the porch by saying, "We clearly have a difference of opinion. It was nice to meet you. Have a good day." When that happens, the neighbors to the left and right of that house have no idea what just happened in that conversation and that the Witness was unable to defend their beliefs against the critique just offered up. Conversely, imagine a radio show or talk show that an entire neighborhood could be listening to. The "Terry" calls in on the question line. Uh oh!!! Terry gives them both barrells, in a subtle, logical way. There's no place to go. It's out there for the whole world to listen to. Now what? Entire neighborhoods, in fact the entire audience could actually "witness" what just happened. Terry just handed the "Witnesses" their hat and they couldn't make a logical, factual defense for their teachings.
You make an excellent point about being a literal "witness" to an event or happening. Add this to it. Considering the "testimony they've given over the decades, and how it has been sworn to be absolute truth - to which they have held the rank and file and handed out punishment based on- to see how many times their testimony (story) has changed and become different, is that PERJURY?
per·ju·ry [ púrj?ree ] ( plural per·ju·ries ) noun Definition: 1. telling lies under oath: the telling of a lie after having taken an oath to tell the truth, usually in a court of law 2. lie under oath: a lie told in a court of law by somebody who has taken an oath to tell the truth [ 14th century. Via Anglo-Norman< Latin perjurium< perjurare (see perjure ) ] Great points Terry. Would love to have you sit down with my family and lift the scales from their eyes.
The_Present_Truth
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designs
The biggest event that changed the fortunes of the Society was when a bright State Tax person, I believe it started in Michigan, won the battle to have the Society pay Sales Tax for all of the Literature they were selling at people's doors. TaDA! the Donation Ministry began.
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Scully
At least this kind of digging is productive:
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nancy drew
Some theatrical spectacle to the world
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LongHairGal
TERRY,
Good post. Of course, the door-to-door work is useless. I always felt it was nothing more than a yardstick to measure the 'faithfulness', 'spirituality' of the rank and file JWs.
Door-to-Door work also serves to make the JWs 'visible' in the community and it is really the religion's trademark. It distinguishes them from most other religions which is what the religion wants: to differ just for the sake of being different. So, I really do not see them abandoning door-to-door work altogether no matter how obviously worthless (time-wise and gas-wise) it is. They will always find an excuse to do it even for just little tract distributions.
As far as the religion REALLY doing a life-saving preaching work: they would most certainly use the media. However, I do NOT see them doing this because they would be subject to intense scrutiny, the likes of which they could never stand. They wouldn't just be joke material for comedians, they would get ripped apart by critics and would be inundated with even more bad publicity.
I think they just prefer to be moseying along leisurely ringing doorbells. They like the status-quo.