Anyone who was a jw a while ago know when they started using pre-written responses in the ministry?

by DuvanMuvan 6 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  DuvanMuvan

  One of the things that bothered me as a jw was how whenever I was on the ministry with someone it was pretty much the same sh*t being said every time. Also, it wasn't very stimulating when you had a question and got the same response every time.

  I was just curious as to when this started happening. Did the gb decide one day that the majority of jws don't know how to answer the simple questions in the way they would like so they had to write them for them? It also undermines the whole "coming to an accurate knowledge" thing if people are just reciting something they heard at a meeting a couple of Tuesdays ago.

  Is it just a way to control the R & F? When did it start?

  would love to hear your thoughts
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  prologos

  There was a time when the outline for a door to door "sermon" was a sequence of 4 scriptures, plus additions on the sub-arguments.

  then expanding into the personalized impromptu A-A sermon.

  when did it change? When the organization wanted to organize everything?

  now back to the future,-- to proffering canned messages from boxes?
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  DuvanMuvan

  im starting to think sending every householder to jw.org is just a way of the gb getting rid of the middle man and eventually "cyber-witnessing" will take over
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  Xanthippe

  Hi DM there was something called How would you respond? in the Kingdom Ministry that we discussed at meetings for FS back in the eighties just before I left. We discussed what we would respond with if the householder said - whatever. So no they didn't let us decide what to say, nooo way!
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  JWdaughter

  I think they always had some topic to discuss, the scriptures they wanted us to use and of course, the "offer" they wanted us to sell (back then, they were selling them). over 40years ago I am pretty sure they gave us an opening line, then a few years later, we got reasoning from the scriptures so that we could counter some of the questions and arguments that often came up.
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  blondie

  Testimony cards were used until the 1940's before my time.

  *** jv chap. 25 p. 564 Preaching Publicly and From House to House ***

  Testimony Cards and Phonographs

  Late in 1933 a different method of preaching was begun. By way of introduction, the Witnesses handed people a testimony card that had a brief message for the householder to read. This was especially of great help to new publishers, who did not receive much training in those days. Generally, they made only a few brief remarks to the householder after the card had been read; some spoke at greater length, using the Bible. The use of testimony cards continued well into the 1940’s. It allowed for rapid coverage of territory, and it enabled Witnesses to reach more people, get much valuable Bible literature into their hands, give a uniform witness, and even present the message to people whose language they could not speak. It also resulted in some awkward moments when householders kept the card and shut their door, making it necessary for the Witness to knock again to retrieve it!
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  Band on the Run

  Well just have the software generate responses. I ask questions to figure out what people are likely to want to hear. Wow, I can't recall what it was like. I know I had a memorized lines. It would upset me greatly if the householder did not follow my mom's script. I do recall in Witness demos the householders is always jubilant to receive the info. Literature is always placed. Bible studies are set up. I was just a teenager in a nice neighborhood. No matter how hard I tried and how hard I prayed, my householders cut me off. Poor people might listen.

  Has the WT discussed this scenario? B/c for all publishers I expect the declines far outweigh the occasional acceptance.

  Heck, can't you see everyone lining up to have a Bible study with a three year old?