I predict bold new changes in JW preaching work..want to bet me? :-)

by Mindchild 21 years ago 35 Replies latest 21 years ago jw friends

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  Uzzah 21 years ago

  A possible technology that I could foresee them developing is a Watchtower "NetNanny" style product that could be sold to the brothers.

  I can see the Society releasing this program which will block sites containing a list of 'forbidden terms" like JWD, freeminds apostate and all our user names. LOL

  Terms like "intelligent thought" "independent thinking" would likely be blocked too.

  I see them doing this since it is a way to exert more control which is often more important to them than 'profits'.

  Uzzah

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  xjw_b12 21 years ago

  To keep things short and sweet: I predict revolutionary changes in JW policy regarding door-to-door activity and the means of spreading their memeplex (belief system.)

  I suggest they just drop their preaching work all together. Revolutionary and much more simple. Besides if they were to implement, those changes, how would they monitor the amount of time the r&f are spending in "the ministry"........um, never mind!

  Seriously though. Well those changes are revolutionary from a WTBTS viewpoint, It is the publishing empire that brings in the bucks, and I don't see any other way for them to maintain that level of income.

  Oh and MindChild, if they implement any of these changes, is it you we hold responsible?

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  Mindchild 21 years ago

  I think both dubs and ex-dubs have a chronic failure to grasp the seasonality of Watchtower history and I believe this explains why we seldom have any kind of consensus forecasts about the direction of the Society, and why past predictions of what they would do, so often turn out wrong.

  Consider the problem of predicting the future in general. Everyone living back in the late 1950’s that forecasters predicted that America’s future would be like Disney’s Tommorowland. The psychological experts at the time thought that youth would be well mannered and living in a wholesome culture, that there would be an end of racism and poverty, and steady economic progress for all. All these predictions were of course way off base. Not only did the experts miss the technological predictions, they missed the mood entirely of the coming era.

  But why were they wrong? When the forecasters assumed the future would extrapolate the recent past, they expected that the next set of people in each phase of life would behave just like the current occupants. Futurists know now that roughly every two decades, there is a generational change introduced into society that effects the national mood up and down the age ladder. This top to bottom modification of the American lifecycle gives us a lot of information about why and how America shifted from a mood of consensus, complacency, and optimism to one that has a lot of argument, passion and turbulence. So, if we know what to look for, we can see the generational lineup making its effects felt in the Watchtower Society.

  The topic and explanation of these generational types goes pretty deep, and I’m not sure how many people here are interested in reading up on the sociological dynamics but here is an excellent link that will allow you to explore the subject at length: http://www.fourthturning.com/html/generations___archetypes.html

  When I understood the effects of generational types on our culture in general, I interpolated the generational information as applied to the management of the Society. I immediately began to notice the cycles of behavior in the Society, and located where they are now in the pattern.

  The Watchtower Society, as culture in general in the USA, has been going through a great unraveling cycle, soon to be followed by a great crisis cycle, which in turn leads to dynamic changes to fix the crisis. or something worse happens…

  I therefore stand behind my earlier predictions of the changes in the preaching work.

  Skipper

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  Nosferatu 21 years ago

  I predict that in developed countries, door-to-door witnessing will be phased out and replaced by JW call-centres.

  This isn't a bad guess in my opinion, except for one problem....

  ....How many JWs do you know came into the troof by means of telephone witnessing? Worldly people need the pretty pictures of Paradise Erf to convince them. Paradise Erf is the only lure they really have no matter which means of communication they use.

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  jgnat 21 years ago

  Well, with those cute little cell phones coming out where you can transmit pitchers...I stand by my prediction! Besides, I want to see a call-centre full of sweaty JW's slaving over the phones, being told to get lost twenty times an hour...

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  xjw_b12 21 years ago

  And then of course there is the "Do-Not-Call" Registry to consider. It may have expereinced a setback, but I can eventually see that becoming law.

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  Mindchild 21 years ago

  I match that two cents worth jgnat and raise you four cents…

  When you talk to dub old-timers or read through the old yearbooks it is not difficult to see a Darwinian process at work to weed out what is effective and not effective in terms of inseminating Watchtower dogma and ideology. Do any of you remember the times when dubs used to wear large signs and parade up and down streets? Do you recall why the record players and other neo-preaching technologies went down the tubes? It was simply because they found something that worked more effectively.

  The door-to-door preaching activity became the methodology of choice for three reasons (as far as I can tell.) First, the training to do door-to-door ministry was a propaganda machine in itself to further inculcate JW memes. The Service Meeting and Theocratic Ministry School came about as a result of this. The second reason door-to-door became popular was that the personal and face-to-face conversion was effective in reaching people. The third reason was that it provided a means by which to sell Watchtower literature.

  The popularity of this same type of ministry today is way down; we all know that for a fact. Not only is it not popular with the public, it is even more distasteful for the average dub. Internet Witnessing on the other hand, will make the Witnessing activity much more palatable for both the public and dubs. It requires less emotional “investment” on the part of a dub to sit behind a screen and keyboard than it does to talk face to face with someone potentially hostile. With Internet Witnessing, there will always be JW “supervisors” there to step in and rescue your symbolic ass when the heat is on in discussion or to filter out anything nasty.

  Have any of you looked at the incredible popularity of the online interactive gaming world and how addictive it is? You already know how addictive chat rooms can be, but you haven’t seen anything yet, as new technology coming soon will make the online experience much cooler.

  The world is becoming much more digital and doesn’t lend itself to analog preaching as readily. The Society knows which side of the bread the butter is on. Their new products for “sale” will be software based, allowing for a much higher profit margin than printed publications. They will still have books, but will likely be print on demand at the local Kingdom Hall.

  All said, the increasing popularity of the online world, the infusion of new technology, the clear emotional and psychological benefits for dubs to work through the Internet, and the generational changes in the Society all add up to: huge change.

  Skipper

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  Mindchild 21 years ago

  Heathen said:

  That doesn't sound like anything I would expect to see . I think they have already demonized the web to a point of no return

  Ah, yes but when you look at the JW track record, they have done reversals right and left...new light you know.

  Nosferatu said:

  It doesn't go along with the bible - sitting on your ass preaching through modern technology. JWs eliminated the idea of using modern technology (megaphones on cars, phonographs, radio broadcasts) a long time ago and just resorted to door-to-door preaching.

  You of course are aware that they have been singing a new song in this direction as well. For example, look at the topic of computers at Bethel. Back in the late 70's I was already hot with computers and was taking programming classes and I wanted to go to Bethel. I wrote to them and asked them if they had any need for computers. They told me pretty much the same thing as you said above, but look at where they are now. There are lots of computers at Bethel.

  Little Witch said:

  Keeping in mind the society is in the business of making money with printed material being it's product, the internet would seem a very unlikely tool.

  Jschwehm said:

  The biggest reason why JWs will not do the internet thing is because of money. The organization gets money from JWs for the literature. It is hard to do that over the net. Basically, they have a pyramid scheme in a sense with all of the money for literature going to the Society. People sitting around chatting on the internet are probably not going to be placing literature all the often.

  Well we all know how important money is to them! I contend however that they will make more money by using the Internet and software than they do currently with printed publications. Why is that? When you look at my introductory post, you see subscriber based services and game software. Just check out the profits to game software companies to get a look see at what the potential market is. With a million members or so in the USA to give things a jump start, the JWW will suck in outside interest for good or bad. I would expect the Soceity to dump some millions of dollars into design and development of hot products. If they are successful, it will be very profitable.

  More comments later...

  Skipper

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  jgnat 21 years ago

  *slapping down two more pennies* and I see you!

  Some of Darwin's creatures risk extinction, if they cannot adapt to change. Christendom's Churches (the smart ones) dropped door-to-door some time ago. They read market trend reports like good businessmen, and adapt their package to meet new needs. The Jesus video is one example of this, also the Alpha program, which addresses the yearning for community lacking in our modern society. How about Youth for Christ concerts, full of music, action, and fun for our youth?

  I say the WTBTS, with it's ageing leadership, will be slow to adapt, and is already risking extinction on the continents with ready internet access. Don't forget China, Brazil, Africa, Russia. I know Americans think they are at the top of the world, but I think they will be outstripped by the third world in my lifetime. Imagine a GB made up of Asians, Brasilians, eastern Europeans, and Congolese.

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  Mulan 21 years ago

  Those old men at Bethel are probably waiting for the computer era to die off. Duh!

  Seriously though, when we were still active in the mid 90's, they were phasing out door to door work as unproductive because people aren't home. They wanted us to work bus stops (now that is not allowed in our area anyway............."no soliciting"), and parking lots (also banned in our area), shopping malls (whoops............banned too), so they still go door to door. I think they can't think of another way. At the local circuit assemblies, according to my source, the only ones being baptized are children and teenagers, kids of people already JW's. Not many new ones in this country.

  It wouldn't surprise me at all for them to come out with software (as someone already mentioned) for the members to install that would prevent them from getting to sites like this one. Don't the Scientologists already have that? Seems a logical next step.

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