There was a time that the list was by branches and for example, Hawaii and Alaska had separate branches. I haven't looked at a YB lately, but there might still be areas not separate countries.
In the yearbooks, why 'lands' not 'countries'?
by LoveUniHateExams 26 Replies latest watchtower bible
-
blondie
-
Syme
If you google it, you'll see there are 193 to 206 countries in the world, depending on the definition. This is nowhere near the 236 figure of WTS. They use another word, their own word, so they can count as many as they want, according to their own definition. If they used "countries", they'd have to conform to one of the definitions of the word "country", which would narrow their count to 206 maximum, minus the banned ones. Now, with lands, they count territories which are not considered countries by the world, but hey, who cares what the 'worldly' world considers?
As with almost everything else, the WT use their own vocabulary. And when you 'invent' a word, you give that word whatever meaning you want, which in turn gives you power to those using your word. Orwell in "1984" explained thoroughly this characteristic of totalitarian thought and practice. That's why we call that practice of WTS, and WT organization itself, an "Orwellian" one.
-
stillin
Along the line of thought that they don't want to say "country" because you might get horny; I doubt that really comes into play with the use of "lands." But the Theocratic Ministry School conductor, when they stopped calling it the "Oral Review" suggested from the platform that the decision may have had something to do with the prevalence of oral sex.
-
LoveUniHateExams
Along the line of thought that they don't want to say "country" because you might get horny - erm, I don't get horny when people say the word 'country'. Just want to make that clear.
the Theocratic Ministry School conductor, when they stopped calling it the "Oral Review" suggested from the platform that the decision may have had something to do with the prevalence of oral sex - this doesn't surprise me.
-
St George of England
In the YB they use the term "Britain", it should of course be "Great Britain", The British Isles or the UK, depending on which countries they are talking about.
However their Britain includes Southern Ireland which is not part of the UK, nor the British Isles. I wonder if they include the Channel Islands with "Britain" or France?
I guess geography is not one of their strong subjects, along with arithmetic, chronology.......
George
-
Vidiot
Technically, one "country" can contain many "lands", so it lets them boost the numbers.
-
Phizzy
I went in to this matter when I was an active JW, as I wanted to prove wrong the contention of a number of JW's that the preaching work was being done all over the Globe.
I came up against the same brick wall, i.e what on earth (pun intended) do the WT mean by "Land" ?
I concluded that they did not conform to any recognised way of defining "lands" or Countries, and so had to drop my quest.
It was another straw to my Camel like back, a suspicion that they were being crafty began to grow.
-
Bungi Bill
LUHE
- by Crikey, you may just have a point there, too!
-
Phizzy
It has just come to mind that when we were naughty teenage boys we used to sing a little ditty that started " I'm a c**t, I'm a c**t, I'm a country boy......"
Older people never knew whether to reprimand us, and show themselves familiar with the word, or let it pass as accidental ignorance, wonderful fun.
So, LUHE, you may well have a point !
-
OrphanCrow
Phizzy: I concluded that they did not conform to any recognised way of defining "lands" or Countries, and so had to drop my quest.
A made-up world.
The GB - rulers of Watchtowerland.
It's an alternate reality, isn't it? Those old yearbooks offer quite the maze to sort out into recognizable geographical boundaries.
The WTS shifts and changes the borders unexpectedly too at times. Newfoundland - the home of an all JW cemetery in small remote place - was a "land" all by itself and then...it suddenly gained Canadian status. It is tricky. Just like chasing snakes.
