What I found interesting was the song that was played towards the end. Not sure what you would call it - Christian folk rock maybe. I don't think they expect outsiders to view it, but rather they are trying to make the youth find some sort of excitement in the religion.
How to tell how effective JW.TV will be
by bohm 24 Replies latest jw friends
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bohm
slobbyjoe: I think the tv is already effective. It's not about conversions, it's not about donations. It's about the organization advancing due to jehovahs blessing and convincing the current jws of that.
And it will work wonders the next six months, it is already now all over facebook. Then what? Whats really next for Jehovah? A movie? A drama series with a biblical theme? childrens TV? A closed social-media platform would IMO be a disaster.
Religious TV has been done since the 80s. Other religions (most notably scientology) has been trying their best at the internet. Is this really something that is affecting us?
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bohm
jwfacts: if you made it to the end you deserve a medal :-).
Anyway, I think the use of rock music to give a more popular appeal is GREAT news. The obvious point to compare against is the the evangelic church in the US which is strugling very badly to retain the younger generation:
if there is one trend I associate with the evangelic church is is the attempt to make it appear more "cool" to the younger generation using all the techniques middle-age people assume teenagers think are cool like bad rock music, books and tv programs with biblical themes. This obviously isn't a recipe that guarantes success.
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Justnowout
I agree with everything you say bohm.... From a certain point of view ;) i still have to revert to the cult factor though. I look at it this way: dubbies are very much like someone who goes to a magic show. Few people who pay to go see a "magic" show actually think penn and teller REALLY catch a bullet in their teeth or think seigfied and roy REALLY made a tiger fly around the room.... But those that pay to see these shows WANT to believe as a default. They paid to go and be entertained and amazed. They are predisposed to accept what they see No matter how much their rational minds fight against them.
Dubbies are the same. They tune in predisposed to believe and accept what they see. It confirms and affirms their already determined mindset. In the 4 days its been available two men im aquatinted wit, men who normally see through disengenious talks and content lacking platitude filled public talks, have absolutly fawned over this crap. They fawn because its directly from the GB. They fawn because its TV and their is natural disconnect from an imperfect human delivery. The tv screen becomes a barrier to reality, they willingly accept what they see as better, special even, compared to what they see in real life. They WANT to believe and the tv magnifies the illusion. This crap is getting rave reviews from dubbies locally and on FB and twitter.... They all buy into the collective delusio, the shared fantast inthralls them and they feed of each other. A single gasp of excitment leads to twenty more. No one wants to be the one who says the emperor has no clothes and so they all convince themselves how wonderful it is. Its the ultimate magic trick.
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Legacy
Hi All,
I tried to watch it but just said ....NO MORE....The society has come into the 21st century...kicking & screaming, but they came. So many think how will this TV JW affect the friends....BEAUTIFUL...if you've ever gone on a bible study & a sister or brother say to the student....I have something for you...The next thing you know...BAM, they whip out a bible for the student...ever see the elation on the JW face...priceless or when there is an assembly or convention & a new book is introduced...wet panties....As many have pointed out, they will be elated...because they are a part of God's org. They could introduce a new bookmark, & the friends will go bonkers. I'm a witness....I love my congregation, I've formed a bond with them. But as far as all these changes & additions, that's just what they are. The mind of the average witness is not quite developed as of yet, if we need a WT to tell us how to treat one another, that speaks volumes. If they do have a well developed mind, in time, it will digress. So all... don't spend too much time on whether this is a good thing or not...The society is going to do all it can to keep folks in...even imitating other religions...since most of them don't know what other religions preach or do, they don't even know they are imitating them...if the org. has changed, don't they think other religions have changed...
Legacy
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OneEyedJoe
A quote from the WT that someone posted in another tv.jw.org thread seems applicable:
*** w86 11/15 p. 21 Insight on the News ***
TV Evangelism—God’s Way?
If Jesus Christ were on earth today, asserted TV evangelist Jim Bakker, “he’d have to be on TV.” Why television? Because, according to Bakker, “that would be the only way he could reach the people he loves.” Like Bakker, an increasing number of fundamentalist preachers in the United States feel that television is the best medium for spreading the Word of God. Yet, a 1984 study showed that, for the most part, TV evangelists “reinforce people already committed to evangelical religion.”
Just as the WT itself has said, their TV evangelism will serve only to reinforce their hold on current JWs. It will not bolster the ranks, nor will it even stem the tide of decline in the 1st world (which is obviously their target market).
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St George of England
The rest of that article goes on:-
If Jesus laid such emphasis on this method of preaching in order to make disciples, why do many evangelists prefer TV as their medium? The Courier-Mail of Brisbane, Australia, notes that TV evangelists “make up to $120 million a year selling salvation. They appear in a blaze of electrified power and glory on 300 TV stations, and are worshipped like pop idols. . . . For all their tactics, these men who claim to manipulate even God, come down in the end to a straight business deal. Send them $10 and they will send you to heaven.”
If any religion is bent on making money these days it's the WTS!
George
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Heaven
This crap wouldn't stream very well for me so I couldn't really watch it. That and the fact that I am also really not that interested so I doubt I'll be an RV.
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bruh2012
what you are forgeting is that once they start publishing the guilt trip messages and elders start mentioning in their talks, let alone the secret letters to the bodies of elders only - that will put a firm lock on the masses.
You know the- jehovah has blessed us with our own form of tv so we can get away from satans world
jehovah knows what we need at the proper time- then give some negative stats on why worldly tv is bad for us spiritually
list goes on
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passwordprotected
JW TV isn't about making new converts, it's about satisfying the R&F, using smoke and mirrors to distract them from the obvious issues this "end-time", apocalyptic cult has.