Why are Witnesses so effective? (page 2)

Emery

I'll give it a shot.

They normally recruit and covert the biblically ignorant. Bible believing persons who do not know the context of the scriptures being read to them, or the variety of alternative interpretations you can receive from reading ambigious scriptures. They sell certainty with a black and white mentality.
The instant friends you make and networking when you join. They love bomb you and turn you into a local celebrity.
Many people feel like they need to be a part of something, you see it all over the world; fraternities, sororities, church, etc.

What I have gathered is that most witnesses seem to be in it for emotional reasons. When presented logical irrefutible evidence of the Watchtower's dishonesty and hypocrisy, no matter how persuasive the argument, it does nothing. Thats why it takes an emotional ass kicking to start waking up.

Apognophos

their lack of effectiveness becomes clear as each year passes when their boasting report is published

From a certain standpoint, yes. But they're still growing!

They hardly convert anybody. Most JW's are born-in.

I thought most born-ins left the organization after growing up. Perhaps there's a slowly growing number of JW children, and even though most leave when they get older, others are always getting baptized before eventually leaving?

Anyway, keep in mind that this is not an attempt to congratulate Witnesses and tell them to keep up the good work. I am a born-in who's just trying to get into the mind of a person who converted, to understand what makes the JW message appealing. I daresay that calling converts mentally ill is rather unfair to the members here who are ex-converts.

Edit: Thanks for contributing, Emery. It's very true that studies are made to feel like celebrities! Now that you mention that, I can remember how that seemed to affect them when they first came to the Hall, started giving talks and ministering, etc.

moshe

They would do much better, if they skipped the door to door work and had a free Sunday brunch after the WT study-

don't forget the chilled peel-n-eat shrimp- and Outlaws bucket of KFC!

BluesBrother

Emery just about nailed it......

As a business the WTS would never be economic if it paid wages and did not get charity hand outs and tax breaks. But they do, and an army of 7 million volunteers working for nothing is a great start.

The LDS do it better, much slicker presentations from trained missionaries but there are not so many of them going door to door.

So. yes, the Borg is still effective, just, but it is losing ground and momentum. Let's hope the future is worse!

Finkelstein

Since the WTS. has always exploited people insecurities and to a certain extent their ignorance, there is always going to be people who

the WTS. can lure toward the organization to eventually make these people exploited subservient mental slaves.

That being said, realistically speaking since the WTS has being proselytizing itself through its door to door service work

for over 100 years and has only over 7 million adherents world wide, you could say they are the least effective religion

in operation that may have ever existed..

wasblind

- Are confident in their message. When was the last time that a random religious person confidently spoke of their beliefs as absolute "truth"? There must be something to it, to make them so certain!

It is. Your whole life spent in trainin' sellin' dim wattage light bulbs, that need to be changed often

#32 EXPRESS WITH CONVICTION :" Speak in a manner that shows that you are fully convince of the truthfulness and importance of what you are saying."___________Benefit from theocratic ministry shool book page 194

- Are clean-cut and seem to have their lives together. "What do they have that I'm missing?" It's not apparent at first that the Witness is projecting this sort of appearance as a necessity, to make their work more effective and to convince themselves that they're happy. JWs put a lot of energy into maintaining this facade.

# 15 GOOD PERSONAL APPEARANCE : " Be neat and clean, and in modest clothing. Hair be neatly combed. Posture should convey an attentive attitude."___________Benefit from theocratic ministry school page 131

Earnestly want you to share their beliefs. We've all met someone who might be right about an issue, but they make it hard for us to want to agree with them because they laugh when we haven't heard of their favorite kind of music or they "can't believe" we're still eating that food that's bad for us. JWs really want others to agree with their beliefs because it's faith-strengthening for themselves, and they're taught to be humble and approachable, so they don't hold their "superior" Bible knowledge over others' heads and are eager to share it.

# 20 SCRIPTURES EFFECTIVELY INTRODUCED : " Prepare the minds of your listeners before you read a scripture."________Benefit from theocratic ministry school page 147

- Have literature! When was the last time you asked someone about their lifestyle, and they had a booklet ready to hand to you that explains it all with citations (scriptural backup, in this case)? They could also walk you through many of their beliefs from memory. For an intellectually-oriented spiritual person, this is way more appealing than the response an ordinary parishioner can give about their church's beliefs. There's a whole lot of information to process at once, which is impressive and a bit overwhelming for a potential skeptic.________Aponogphos

# 10 ENTHUSIASM : "By animated delivery, give evidence of your strong feeling about the value of what you are saying"______Benefit from theocratic ministry school page 115

Jehovah's Witnesses are trained robots that have to be instructed not only in the things above; but in personal matters also

like How you should have sex wit' your wife. To how much toilet paper you should use. When to love your children and when

to toss them like trash

.

ShirleyW

"Why? Because there is a sucker born every minute...."

That just about sums it up for me as well

wasblind

Hush your mouth Shirley

goodsoul

In post Soviet Union countries indeed was tremendous grow after communism failed. A lot of people were converted. Spiritual hunger,obvious hypocrisy of some church leaders, failed hope of communist promises, free of charge JWs literature with nice pictures of earthly paradise, made profitable base for JW recruiting. And even now, although grow is not as big it was 20 years back, consequences of communist rulership, such as ineradicable corruption at every institution, low moral level ect, assist to JW false prophesying about "last days" and upcoming salvation.

ShirleyW

You don't agree with me Was ? ?

Why are Witnesses so effective?

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