We are slowly moving away from that kind of preaching work

by oppostate 46 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  fukitol

  It's a logical move, since the publishers are basically now just glorified advertising material distributors anyway.

  They are really no different from your local junk mail deliverer, walking up the street shoving junk mail in everyone's letterbox, except JW's waste time by knocking on your door first.

  Actually, just shoving a tract or brochure in everyone's letterbox would be much more effective, since 99% of householders turn them away from the door and so miss out on the crucial tract or leaflet.

  Therefore JW's are bloodguilty by denying 99% of the population from getting a life-saving 'witness' by insisting that the person receive the literature directly from the hand of a JW standing on their doorstep rather than from their letterbox, LOL!

  Yes, the archaic insistence on a literal 'door to door' work is stopping many from receiving a witness and isresponsible for many more dying at Armageddon!!
  
• 

  OrphanCrow

  3rdgen: If I were still "in" I would be THRILLED if dtd were "optional"
  The masses will be relieved that it is so much easier to be a JW these days. I hate to say it but I think it is a smart move by the WTBT$

  Hell, yeah. Stay home on Saturday morning for the latest episode in "Caleb and Sophie".

  Replace the publisher hours with hours of JW..org indoctrination - complete with the weekly episode of "Money Time!"

  Baptized member of JWs? Well, tune in...Tony's next!!!

  *to add - mind you, that membership base could also double up as workers in the "fundraising campaigns". You know, going door-to-door like charities do. The term 'publisher' is going to be sort of like the 'fundraiser' role in nonprofit and charitable organization terms. That way, they can do their duty and do invites and such. Advertising in neighborhoods of upcoming events - part of the 'fundraising team' activities. That would be why the Canadian tax returns for congregations now have "fundraiser" listed as a position.
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  oppostate

  The remarkable thing here is that something, or more likely some things, really caused them to do an about face here, in a very big way. It would be interesting to know just what those factors were...

  My take is that they're trying to streamline and weed out unprofitable business practices. They've reduced the number of meetings by one and made changes to the other two meetings days. This allows for more congregations to share KH's.

  Reducing the number of KH's by merging congregations frees up properties that can be sold. The renovation scam is very profitable for the Org and they know the sheep will keep falling for it.

  They've made out big time with the sale of Brooklyn properties. They've taken ownership of the extra funds in congregation bank accounts. And made the publishers feel like they were so magnanimous in forgiving loans while telling the elders to be in on the scam or else, and make sure they're donating no less than they were before the "loan forgiveness".

  All this adds up to a lot of filthy lucre in the greedy hands of the Org and its hierarchy.

  The new modus operandi is to reduce and re-use. They reduce the amount of time in service to qualify as an auxiliary and the pub's ate that $hit up. They reduced the magazines' bulk and the pub's feel like they now have more time to actually read the grandified tracts that their trademark publications have become.

  They re-use old publications spruced up like the Greatest Man book, recycled pictures, recycled ideas. And whatever doesn't fit in with the new mold gets discarded. Get more money with less work, get more power with less effort.

  Money talks in the current WT spiritual paradise. And it's all for the sake of spending less, giving out less, and collecting more. Greedy grabbers that they are!
• 

  Phizzy

  An interesting Thread, thanks for your thoughts everyone. It is fascinating for me, as a hobby, to be JW Borg watching.

  I knew when I left in 2008 that they seemed to be getting more cult-like than ever, and more controlling.

  This move seems to spring from that, isolate the J.W's from truth and reality more than ever.

  If they simply hand out Tracts etc, only when asked for them, and never discuss their "Faith", they do not even have to have what their beliefs are clear in their own minds, therefore, as we have seen, they are ripe to receive any steaming pile of Poo that the G.B wishes to serve to them, and to pay for the privilege.

  It seems that in reality they are moving away from any real attempt to make converts, perhaps the new ones who associate for a while, then see it for what it is and leave in a hurry, are perceived as more of a threat to existing numbers than we 'Poztates are.

  They wish to retain the present JW's, and indoctrinate their children, no need to really Proselytize then.
• 

  Heaven

  I guess indigenous peoples are screwed then. I mean, how is the life saving message of Jehovah's Witnesses going to make it to the far reaches of the Earth like the Amazon rain forest? I doubt these people have an internet connection:

  
  
• 

  punkofnice

  Heaven - Yes. Where will they leave their trolley/cart?

  In anycase. The JWs are moving away from D2D work or engaging the public like they used to, which is good. The world has moved away from whacko cults like the JWs even faster.
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  I guess indigenous peoples are screwed then. I mean, how is the life saving message of Jehovah's Witnesses going to make it to the far reaches of the Earth like the Amazon rain forest? I doubt these people have an internet connection

  I am sure some miracle will happen. Say, in one region, that an airplane carrying mail crashes with a bunch of non-JW's aboard (people who would die at Armageddon anyway) and inside that mail was some JW literature being sent to a prison in that region. Even if such literature were to cease being printed, it could be printed by someone on their home printer from the website. One of the jungle tribesman, trying to rescue any potential crash survivors, finds this literature and you have yourself a whole new story to tell at a regional convention.
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  oppostate

  I am sure some miracle will happen.

  I'm sure too. But not that kind, I hope.

  I wish there were a miracle of the sort that overtook the old Armstrong's WCG and became Grace Communion International.

  Now that was a miracle of the kind you don't see everyday. It took a lot of cojones for their leaders to make the humble admission they'd been using harmful mind controlling practices in the guise of religious worship.
• 

  tiki

  so.....why do the carts have to be manned in the first place? are they afraid someone might come along and deface or steal the things? if they don't want to communicate in that scenario it is kind of pointless for them to even be there in the first place.

  as for the telephone - there are enough scammers, telemarketers, robo-callers......if they go that low.....well, my personal take on it is that it should be illegal and heavy penalties inflicted on those who defy the law.

  and lastly - for those of us who suffered through years of h-h work.....well here's a slap in the face. I know it was an exercise in futility, but still...........
• 

  Vidiot

  WT rep - "We are slowly moving away from that kind of preaching work,”

  I suspect this has been in the works for a while, now.

  x

  Crazyguy - "Probably stopping this kinda of work do to the pedophile problem."

  Gotta be a major factor.

  The WTS has always been absolutely loathe to lift the blanket of secrecy it gives to accused abusers amongst the membership; restricting them from door-to-door work would raise a potentially huge red flag amongst the rank-and-file.

  If the Law forbids accused sex offenders from going door-to-door, phasing out the door-to-door aspect of the ministry (which, by now, has hard statistics demonstrating its ineffectiveness, anyway) in favor of newer, alternative means would be an effective way of nipping congregations' internal gossip mill in the bud, at least with regards to this issue.

  Which, of course, also suggests that the WT leadership has to be aware - at least on some level - that the pedo problem is simply too deeply institutionalized to resolve.