If preaching is so important, why not use the Internet and email? Why Hide?

by WingCommander 15 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  gitasatsangha

  They aren't likely to get as many "donations" as they would placing books and mags in the door to door work, even thouhg most of the donation money comes from the rank and file themselves. Also the internet is not a hierarchial platform. If it was, and if access could be controlled top-down, as it can be on other computer networks, then no doubt the Watchtower would be offering an ISP service to its members on a donation basis. All they can do is have their few official websites like an outpost in a hostile frontier.

  But they probably do use the internet more then we think. They spy on this forum, for instance. A few years ago they also had (but did not advertise) smtp.watchtower.org. So they were using a mail server. It's since gone silent. Had open telnet on it too. Big security hole, there.
• 

  Nathan Natas

  Money, as has already been pointed out, is an issue.

  ...and there is a solution to every problem! The Watchtower Society needs to open a PayPal account so that they can receive payment for the "water of life" they dispense.

  Hopefully no enterprising apostate will run over to PayPal and set up a bunch of accounts with names like

  Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses

  Watchtower Bible & Tract Society

  WTB&TS

  Jehovah's Witnesses

  Watchtower

  etc., etc., etc.

  that would be wrong.
• 

  dustyb

  the majority of old JW's don't know how to operate a computer, and they don't want to learn because they think its a tool of satan.........silly old people. also read garybuss' thread, its interesting.
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  Blueblades

  Appointments to positions of honor in the Society is based on the publisher's record card.How many hours is he, she, spending in the field ministry, door to door work?If they used the internet, there would be no way to appoint any one to these positions.That in turns means no one to lead those who would follow.Collapse would come,no more money etc.

  Blueblades
• 

  gaiagirl

  One other reason which hasn't been touched on yet is that on the Internet, WTBTS dogmas are much more easily refuted. A year or so back, on the About site for Alternative Religions, a JW who called herself Iris attempted to start several threads in which she posted material taken directly from a CD-ROM published by the borg. She claimed that they were her original compositions, but someone recognized the material (she posted them complete, with paragraph numbers). Because her posts were there for all to see, in a public forum, they were easily refuted, on a point by point basis, and after several long, long threads, in which she argued the WTBTS position like an unthinking automaton, she quietly slinked away.
• 

  wednesday

  Wow. I didn't know that. They'll actually cut off shipping publications to a congregation if they "owe" money for "outstanding" debt? And this is supposed to be a donation only arrangement.

  yes they do. I have been a jw all my life and i have heard this occ happens. I remember a letter being read once to the effect that xx amout was needed or they would not be getting any more shipments. Then we were reminded what a great work the WTS does and to be honest in all thngs and yada yada yada. They do not supply the cong for free.. They used to suggest a contribution,but don't know if they still do that.

  I have observed that on many occ i was watched to see if i was contributing for literature.Apparently thaye think some of us are not contributing and mooching off others.