Can We Please Stop Referring To The Simplified English Watchtower A The Dumbed Down Version

by Philadelphia Ponos 64 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  leavingwt

  Help me out, here.

  If MOST of the new recruits in the USA speak English as a SECOND language, then a simplified text makes business sense, right?
• 

  james_woods

  If MOST of the new recruits in the USA speak English as a SECOND language, then a simplified text makes business sense, right?

  If your objective is to try to teach them better English, maybe so.

  Or, you could make the point that if they can speak English well enough to live in the USA, perhaps they should strive to be able to read the regular WT in order to improve. The regular WT is not exactly law school level, anyway.
• 

  therevealer

  I think this has been covered, but for emphasis, they (the gb) are not interested in anything but a more efficient process to spread their cultish idea's. They do not care one iota about education as in helping persons learn. The new version is simply an effort to make the doctrines that they peddle easier to sell to the unsuspecting students/followers. Does anyone think this will produce ability to give deeper thought to thier slant on doctrine. Or will it simply make it easier to convince that they are right.
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  NomadSoul

  I personally prefer "The mentally changelled Watchtower".
• 

  Violia

  Yes, I think it is for the less educated among jws. I think they would need an entirely different mag for the immigrants learning English. Years ago we used to teach people to read English. I am not aware of this happening now.
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  willyloman

  They can say it's for those who are English-learners (read: Spanish-speaking immigrants who are fueling the WT's skimpy growth these days). But in fact, those folks are already immersed in "Spanish" congregations, where meetings are conducted in their native tongue and the magazines they use are in Spanish.

  We'll know the real motive in a year when they announce that the "simplified version" is "a big success" and it becomes the standard version of the WT.
• 

  AGuest

  While it's commendable that you want to learn English, dear PP (peace to you!), the fact that you're willing to risk being indoctrinated into a cult to do it is interesting (as surely there are other "simplified" learners - books, programs, etc., that can assist you?). Even more interesting is the fact that they NEED a "simplified" English version. This is very telling, actually:

  First, that apparently their teachings are so convoluted (i.e., different from what's in the Bible and so subject to a whole lot of questions that people with adequate reading comprehension would ask... but they don't want them to)... that they NEED a "simplied" version

  Second (and perhaps this is the real reason), their prohibition against a proper EDUCATION has relegated their younger members (heck, many of their older ones, too, to a state of psuedo-illiteracy. I mean, many of them don't even understand basic English words, let alone grammar and punctuation. So, they can't do anything BUT nod their heads in agreement: how do THEY know if the Bible says such and so. Those that DO have adequate literacy skills, including reading COMPREHENSION at at least middle school level... can see through the melarkey... sooner or later.

  It smacks of the age when the Church prohibited Bible reading and restricted interpretation to themselves. Personally, in this day and age I would be insulted. I mean, supposedly it's not "rocket science". If that is truly the case, then almost anyone should be able to "get" it. Anyone with at least a 5th grade education (technically speaking, of course).

  Page 70 of the "Proclaimers'" Book is at play. That statement by the WTBTS way back when, maligning the "clergy of Christendom" as "a bigoted group of men who systematically throttle all Bible teaching unless it comes through them." Talk about your hypocrites. How soon humans forget. Hypocrites even sooner.

  Ah, well... peace to you!

  A slave of Christ,

  SA
• 

  9yrsout

  <cite>

  So what should we call the new Knuckle Dragger's Bible that's due out at the next conventions?</cite>

  The New World Mouth Breathers Translation of the Holey Scriptures (yes I meant "holey")
• 

  Pistoff

  Look, if you are learning English, you aren't doing yourself any favors by reading the Forrest Gump version of the WT.

  The more simple the language, the less nuanced the messge.

  OK, so maybe the Gump version really IS the best version.
• 

  james_woods

  We'll know the real motive in a year when they announce that the "simplified version" is "a big success" and it becomes the standard version of the WT.

  Willyloman - I just don't know whether to give that the "beacon of reality" award for the day, or the special award for "smug cynicism"...