Why don't they adapt to other cultures? (an American religion?)

by hijosdelawatch 11 Replies latest jw friends

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  hijosdelawatch

  I guess the majority of you haven't noticed that being an American, Canadian, British, Australia... (being involved in the Anglosaxon culture) but there are situations in other cultures that make JWs seem a bit bizarre.

  Since the Watchtower is quite rigid and bureaucratic, it's reluctant to adapt to different cultures. So sometimes even the brothers feel very uncomfortable adopting all this "Watchtower culture" and even not knowing what to do in some situations.

  For example, here in Spain women keep their maiden names. But for some reason, it's the Watchtower culture to adopt a particular system. For example, if the sister Elena Rios marries Daniel Perez, she will be called "Elena de Perez", when her name in the ID card is still "Elena Rios".

  There's also a lot of confusion about non-religious traditions with no American equivalent. For example, I've known brothers that really liked bullfighting and it was approved by their elders while in other congregations it was dissaproved. Obviously, there was nothing written in the magazines about that.

  We also have traditions like the "Feria of Abril" in the south that are not religious but where you can dance and drink until the next day. Some elders dissaproved that but as we haven't nothing written about that it has become a tradition for the Witnesses to go there even from other parts of the country to enjoy this party. Even is more bizarre when it sounds songs about (Catholic) virgins and sisters don't stop dancing. But as always, there's nothing written.

  Have you experienced things like that?
• 

  Cagefighter

  Los hermanos y hermanas in Espana.... Just keep sending the org your peso or whatever they use in Spain. We will tighten the noose, uhh.. I mean the light will get brighter in the near future... Armageddon, is tommorrow so no time for questions. Back to work, look busy. ;)
• 

  John_Mann

  I think they could be more tolerant about clothing in the hot summertime and in tropical climates. They could allow the brothers wear some kind of social boardshorts for example. Why in hell someone have to wear an effing suit beneath the very eye of the sun?
• 

  hijosdelawatch

  Cagefighter says:

  Los hermanos y hermanas in Espana.... Just keep sending the org your peso or whatever they use in Spain. We will tighten the noose, uhh.. I mean the light will get brighter in the near future... Armageddon, is tommorrow so no time for questions. Back to work, look busy. ;)

  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  We use €uros and yes, the WTBTS likes them exactly the same way they love dollars, yens or pounds.

  There are some cases here... don't know if someone has posted before but in the Spanish board there are ex-bethelites who are doing a good job. In fact they won a case in the courts against the WTBTS over social security when some of them were fired from Bethel.
• 

  sir82

  My wife always wonders what people in Europe or Asia think when they see photos in the WT showing JWs preaching in a midwestern US suburban setting, with 4000 square foot wooden houses surrounded by manicured lawns and 2 huge SUVs in the driveway.

  99% of the world doesn't live in a setting like that, but well over half the "witnessing" photos in the magazines show such a scene.
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  John_Mann

  Samething about the soap operas and movies. lol
• 

  Lady Lee

  Its called ethnocentrism which basically boils now to "My way is th eonly right way" a very close relative of "Only we have the Truth ™"

  All cultures do it. This isn't peculiar to the Americans or only JWs. Since the WTS believes they are the only ones with God's backingthen I can't see why they would start adopting cultural distinctions. All info is toip down so they expect other cultures to follow what it published. But the problem becomes difficult when you are dealing with the cultures of nations around the world. They can't adapt publications to address issues around the world. They barely want to acknowledge they exist. I suspect that generally they would expect the Bethel in the that countruy would consult with Brooklyn and deal with these issues
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  Broken Promises

  Even in Australia, the JWs are viewed as an American religion. Especially when the pics are obviously American and there are many Americanisms in the text of the magazines and books.
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  kurtbethel

  I noticed doubleminded attitudes during my sojourn in JW land, such as the adornment in native clothing at conventions and in some literature, but then a complete turnaround in appreciating native clothing when you are a California native and do not even own a business suit.

  Two of America's leading exports are religion and pornography. I do not see this as a coincidence.
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  maksym

  I'm aware also that the WTBTS when printing their literature for other English speaking countries outside of the United States will continue to use American spelling and not English spelling. I'm not sure though.

  Perhaps someone in the U.K or Australia could verify.

  At least this is what I've been told.

  Peace

  Maksym