by run dont walk 47 Replies latest jw friends
subscriptions to any magazine, are payable in advance, and the publisher agrees to send the next (usually) 12 months issues
I wonder if they are uncomfortable doing that, since their doctrines are being challenged so quickly. It may be harder for them to print issues in advance, what with all the ''new light'' needed applied so often. LOL
Now they have the ability to just upload the current issues on their web site and the individuals could just download then in pdf format and print them out and then underline the answers to all questions asked in red pencil. No need to print millions. Especially for the Western nations and the technology they have embraced. If it was about the needy distribution of pertinent information, free downloadable information would work fine.
But it's obviously NOT about the needy distribution of pertinent information. It's about profits made by a book publishing corporation who copyrights their literature, the same literature they say is written under divine direction, under divine mandate, for distribution to all people on earth.
In my experience the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation is working very hard to keep that literature written under divine direction from being freely distributed to all the people on earth. They seem to be working much harder to keep the literature FROM being distributed than they are in seeing to it the information is distributed.
Clearly, the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation's motivation for the distribution of information printed on paper in the form of literature is financial reward. That's the ONLY reason they would copyright the work and refuse to freely distribute it by Internet download.
They seem to have failed to realize that the reason for the existence of the publishing company is to make the progressively revealed (to them) word of God known to the world by means of the literature. This is their purpose. To be a Witness means to distribute the publications printed by the book publishing corporation. Distributing the progressively revealed word of God by means of the printed publications is so important, God supposedly instructed that those doing this work be identified as "Publishers", and keep tract of placements of that literature on another piece of printed literature, the "House To House Report" form.
The exclusive access to the printed literature is paramount to the purpose of the group and critical to the doctrine of reward for book distribution by immortality. Without the printed literature, there is no work. If there is no distribution work, there is no identifying members as "publishers". If there are no publications, there can be no measure of faithfulness to the God of the progressively revealed information by means of printed literature. Unpaid distribution of religious literature is the measurable religious behavior of the group and all merit in the group is based on this one thing. Recognition of the publishing corporation having exclusive access to the channel through which God is channeling His progressively revealed information is a prerequisite for "approved for association" status within the group. All to do with printing.
None of this makes any sense if this group really had access to the progressively revealed word of God. It only makes sense if this is a book publishing group identifying themselves as a religion, relying on their one and only produce, the hard printed literature. Without the printed literature to manually deliver, there is no purpose,and ultimately, no group. The information contained in the literature is secondary and dispensable. The hard printed product is primary and indispensable. GaryB
Well spoken, and right on, Gary
I was in a similar situation about a year ago. Much to my horror, there was an Awake sitting in the hospital waiting room. I saw a guy pick it up to start flipping through and I informed him it was from the Jehovah's Witnesses. He promptly dropped it as if he was holding a poisonous snake. I later grabbed it to be placed in a more suitable location (my trash at home).
But even so, I've patrolled those same waiting areas on about a half dozen other visits, looking to do my duty and save people from this brainwashing. But I never saw the magazines again. Either somebody else is helping rid the waiting rooms of them too or people just aren't dropping them off like they used to.
I heard about subscriptions going away. The only way to get those magazines is to go to the hall. I know things like the Watchtower CD has instructions that it is only for JWs and not for the outside world. Again, as has been pointed out, why not the outside? Why does "food at the proper time" from the "faithful and discreet slave" (and presumably from God Himself) need to be restricted? Shouldn't all of God's children have free access to it, like they do the Bible? Kinda suspicious.
Costs are going up. They've switched books from hardback to paperback to save money. Gas prices have driven up postal and shipping costs, raising production costs all around. Perhaps the "donation" program isn't working as well as they had hoped. Maybe they wish, as an organization, to become more secretive. Perhaps they feel that apostate claims are harder to prove if you actually have to go to a hall (on their home turf) to get literature and check it out.
I did find it suspicious that my dad didn't give me a copy of the new release for children, now that I have little ones. He gave me some book about a happy family life as a wedding present (and no, that wasn't the only thing). I thought now that I had kids, he'd try to pass one of those along to them. Maybe they're too new and they only have their assembly copies. Maybe he feels my kids are too young (they can't even read yet), or maybe my dad is respecting our truce on religion. Or, maybe they are instructed to only share books where they know there is an interest.
run don't walk,
Because I am not JW, I have no idea how many magazines used be distributed, but ever since my daughter had a JW boyfriend, I have actively kept an eye out for them. A couple were dropped off at the ballet school where my daughter dances. The teacher felt sorry for the young lady handing them out so she took some and then tossed them in the garbage later. I found a set of Awake and Watchtower in a medical building with all the free advertising magazines at the front door. I grabbed those like trophies...you see, I haven't seen many of these gems, and I was curious. I don't know why, seeing it in black and white just makes me hyperventilate. . But, in three years of looking......that's it.
I live in a nicer area, and the JWs NEVER come around knocking on the door. The Mormons missionaries are very active all over the West end, nice young men who offer to mow the lawn for me....uh..no, thanks.
Garybus------- That is a good point . When they made the switch from suggested donations to the now no suggested donation I did hear some members mention they thought it would create a better cash flow .As has been mentioned on this board , these people will take mazazines and leave them anywhere anyway so what is the big friggen deal about the internet ? It does seem as though it has to do with law suits and creating more cash flow .Alot of these decisions from the WT are coming from very old people who probly can't ballance a check book anyway .
Run,
the new publications used to be in print in the monthly Km. No more! Once a month during the service meeting they announce the publications that are available and then post it at the back for a few days.
the new publications used to be in print in the monthly Km. No more! Once a month during the service meeting they announce the publications that are available and then post it at the back for a few days.
Really? I hadn't noticed that one. When I was "active", I always used to look in the KM for what was available.
I used to find it funny how publications would pop up in the strangest ways. When I started dating my ex, she had copies of the Revelation book and YPA. She told me that someone at school had given them to her. I found that kinda strange because my ex wasn't even close to religious.
I also recall seeing a stack of old Awake & Watchtowers in the trash. Now nothing. They say "Preach the good news of the kingdom", but they're clamping down on who gets the magazines. Something's not right here.
Once they said "Preach the good news of the Kingdom!". Then they said, "Distribute the publications printed by the Watch Tower Publishing Conglomerate!". Now they say, "Pay no attention to the little man behind the curtain! and send us your wills and trusts and your cash and your jewelry and deeds to your real estate!".
The focus is certainly on member retention, tighter control of information the members can see, more warnings more often about bearers of information critical of the group leaders. It can't be a lot of fun being a Witness these days. GaryB
Gary, I always enjoy your comments EXCELLENT.
Let's take this one step further, with the internet, Why wouldn't the society have their weekly Sunday talks and Watchtowers accessible by internet connection for all to hear and even the assembly talks. Would this not help "preach the good news in all the inhabited earth."
It just seems to me that less and less info/publications are available for those on the outside looking in.
