New video release at district convention. Do Jws live like this?

by solomon 44 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  sir82

  JWs who live as depicted in the videos either don't fully believe the message or they're weak JWs.

  That's the conundrum.

  I've haven't taken enough anti-nausea medication yet to be able to endure the latest video, but in the "Prodigal Returns" video, the JW entrepreneur who lives in a 4000 square foot home and has the latest vehicles is presented as an "ideal JW father". He clearly isn't "simplifying his life" if he has all that stuff and all the "secular" responsibility of owning his own business on which other JW employees depend for their livelihood.

  The business-owning JW father is presented as "ideal".

  Thirty years ago, as noted above, if the video-making capacity had been in place for Bethel, that "ideal" would have been inconceivable.

  The 1983 version of "The Prodigal Returns" would have had Dad pioneering while working nights as an office cleaner, and living in a 2 bedroom house in the shady part of town, and driving an AMC Pacer.
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  donuthole

  I'm from the Midwest and agree that the houses/lifestyles presented in newer JW videos would have been foreign to our congregation in the 80's/90's. Back then, if you had a large home and a nice car you were seen as materialistic and/or spiritually week. I can remember when a pioneer-elder who made some money off a telephone-service pyramid scheme got a used luxury car. He felt the need to defend it as getting an unbelievable deal and promote how useful it was in field service. The only other person in our congregation that lived in a nicer house (which looks nothing like what is presented in these videos) was because she had a college-level job and an unbelieving husband.
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  Magnum

  daringhart13, sir82, and donuthole -

  I'm glad to see somebody else feels the way I do.
• 

  EndofMysteries

  All JW's the GB interact with live like that. They are the ones who own all the companies that sell and do the remodels, equipment, car rentals, etc, and in exchange give the GB the first class treatment for all aspects of life, etc. So that's the lifestyle of those who end up with all the money from contributions, etc.
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  Naoscillator

  Sam Herd said on his DC talk a few years ago that we should not be afraid to preach to rich people, to knock on the doors of big, fancy houses.
• 

  Pistoff

  "AMC Pacer"

  Ha, Pacer gets a shout out.

  I knew an elder who DID drive a Pacer, although he actually was one who could have driven a Benz.
• 

  BluesBrother

  I have not seen this new vid. One thing however, The WTS uses the American ones for all the English speaking world. Whatever may or may not be the norm in the U S A , it can rile viewers in Britain. We typically live in small houses, terraced or semi detatched, or flats (apartments) We drive smaller cars and have material ways of life a bit less than Americans ....I know that there is some deprivation over there too so don't jump on me please.

  I just mean that what works for U S A audiences does not always work to instruct other lands.
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  Magnum

  Naoscillator: Sam Herd said on his DC talk a few years ago that we should not be afraid to preach to rich people, to knock on the doors of big, fancy houses.

  I would agree with Herd on that - if JWs had the truth.

  I don't know whether you've followed the whole conversation, but we're not talking about wealthy non-JWs; we're talking about JW-produced videos that depict JWs as living wealthy lifestyles. Our point is not to say that there's something wrong with being wealthy. We're saying that the JW message (at least in the recent past) has been one indicating that the greatest cataclysm the earth has ever experienced is imminent and that JWs should live accordingly. They should live simple lives and preach as much as possible. Now the org seems to be showing JWs just living as do others who have no awareness of their prophesied imminent end of the world.
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  JW GoneBad

  The bottom-line is that the WTBTS is going 'Hollywood' with their video making. Everything is made to look glamorous and above par.

  Hardly a JW can relate to the living standards depicted on these videos.

  In the prodigal son video (released a couple years back) as in this video loyal JW families are portrayed living in spacious sourroundings with nice furnishings while the wayward son was living in cramped and wanting conditions.

  Most JW families in reality live in small, crammed and cramped conditions.

  So to answer the question to this thread: Hell no, most Jehovah's Witnesses live in an apartment, condominium or town-home housing of approximately 1000' or less in size with harldly a yard.

  Not to mention, due to the economic state of affairs from the 2008 crash most JW's who are buying their own 'home' are still under water and deeply in debt!!!

  So like soo much of what WT produces in print and on video-what is characterized on these videos is a lie or at least an exaggeration of how JWs really live!
• 

  Crazyguy

  Thier a buch of hypocrites they live in nice condos in NYC and are having the rich jw's wined and dined and then they ask them for money, its all a scam.