Lessons require less thinking

by TheListener 13 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  TheListener

  I have noticed something for the last couple of years. The lessons appear to me much easier and less meaty (this has been discussed at length). However, something I haven't seen discussed too often is the changes that have occurred in the thinking portion of preparing for the meetings. Meaning there is less thinking required.

  For example, the Kingdom Ministry articles that are question and answer. In the past, if you wanted to participate, you had to study fairly diligently because you didn't really know what questions the brother would ask (except for the easy basic ones). Now, the questions are printed at the bottom of the articles - voila! no more thinking - by speaker or audience.

  Another example are the questions before and after the circuit assemblies and special assembly days (not including district conventions). We've discussed the upcoming program for years, but now there are actual questions to be reviewed before and after. Either the friends weren't getting the main points or they were forgotten too fast. Now you can take your KM with you to the assembly and note down the answers to the specific questions in print.

  These are just a couple of examples. The friends I speak to always say the same thing: "This just makes it easier for us to get the main points - Satan has us soooooo busy; the FDS is trying to make things easier for us". Then they follow that comment with a "but you still have to study as hard as ever or you'll lose your faith".

  Just a thought
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  eyeslice

  Hi Listener,

  I believe you are right. I notice that even the reviews of the videos have pre-scripted questions.

  I believe this has to do with the fact that there are plenty of aweful elders out there who could never stick to the assigned material and wander off with their own pet rants. So, the society takes out any scope for individuality. Service meeting items are marked 'introductory comments should be limited to less than 1 minute' and then into the pre-set questions.

  It all part of dumbing down and and greater control policy. You just are not encouraged to think.

  Eyeslice
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  seven006

  Listener,
  

  The watchtower company uses the same technique that lawyers use to manipulate key witnesses in a trial. The old rule for lawyers is, don't ask questions that you do not already know the answers to. When preparing their witness they ask questions and then tell them how to answer it. They also anticipate questions that may come from the opposing counsel and tell the witness how to answer them. This manipulation of facts is key to sway thinking away from the truth and create an alternative truth that fits what the lawyer wants the listeners to think. Having their witness answer a question on their own may cause a tiny bit of actual truth to slip out that may cause the judge or jury hear something the lawyer does not want them to hear. Lawyers care more about winning a case then finding the truth. The JW leaders care more about manipulated and controlled thinking then they do about truth. Without it, they would be out of business.

  The watchtower uses this question and answer technique repeatedly to train the minds of their people not to think, but rather, simply to answer. When their people give the programed "correct" answer, they are under the illusion that they themselves are "correct" and thus, so is their religion. This Pavlovian action, reaction, exercise has worked perfectly for them and along with the fear factor, has kept their people from thinking, or learning to think for themselves. They have reinforced the concept of thinking for yourself is wrong, by convincing their people that thinking for yourself is simply the boogie man devil doing your thinking for you. As long as their people buy into these concepts and willfully let the watchtower do their thinking for them, they will never have to learn to think for themselves or ask questions on their own. This technique has worked so well for them, their people now equate thinking for your self as a prelude to death. This is the epitome of mind control and their twisted definition of "true" faith.

  Dave
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  vitty

  Even in the assemble programmes they have a "rehearsed" question and answer section.

  My family and others were asked to put our hands up as stooges, in the audience, so it looked more realistic and impulsive answering.

  Then they selected the rehearsed answer. I was terrified the person asking the questions remembered the real ones who were going to answer. NEVER AGAIN

  When I told my sister, she wouldnt believe me, she thought they were real !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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  JustTickledPink

  When you "study" you actually do research, in fact questions are encouraged... going to school and STUDYING requires more than rehearsing questions and answers, requires more than memorizing answers. That is not studying. That is memorization and repeating.
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  new light

  The thing that strikes me the most with the Society's dumbing down of the pubs is the pre-packaged presentations on the back of the KM. What's more, most of the publishers and even many pioneers use these cookie cutter conversations.

  They usually go something like this:

  JW: Have you noticed how (world or local problem/crisis) really sucks?

  HH: Uh..yeah...sure.

  JW: The bible shows us God's promise to eliminate (world or local problem/crisis). Notice what God's word says here.

  (Read provided passage. Warning: may be five verses or longer) This magazine shows us from God's own word, the Bible,

  how God's Kingdom will solve the problem we just talked about.

  One of the last times I gave one of these schpiels, the recommended scripture was ALL of the signs of the end in Peter, which takes about a full minute to read, while the saintly homeowner is freezing half to death. Good times.
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  AK - Jeff

  I knew of one elder who made trips up and down the aisles of the KH to observe just how many were 'studying' for the WT study program. What he really looked for was how many had 'marked' his/her lesson with nice bright yellow lines! He actually reported his findings to the CO!

  As previous stated; there is no studying going on here - just underlining the main points of indoctrination!

  Just My Opinion

  Jeff
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  VM44

  Seven006 used the correct word, "programmed"

  The Watchtower uses programmed learning in their articles, with the "questions" already printed for the reader, and the "key point" boxes.

  This "Programmed" methodogy has been used for years by large corporations and the military in their training programs.

  It is used when you want to teach people how to do tasks in an "approved," "standardized" manner.

  The Watchtower teaches in a cafeteria style manner. They dish out the same-old same-old every week.

  Except in a cafeteria you can at least choose (sometimes) what vegetables you want!

  --VM44
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  BluesBrother

  The watchtower uses this question and answer technique repeatedly to train the minds of their people not to think, but rather, simply to answer.

  Brilliant! Dave, sometimes the simplest most obvious truths only strike you when someone puts it as well as that.

  The current crop of WT conductors are not even skilled enough to handle an answer that is not parroted from paragraph. "Sisters" who do so get the blank stare and moving on quickly to someone who answeres what he wants to hear. Your comparisom to a court witness is spot on on...
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  ozziepost

  thinking????????? huh??

  good grief, you can't do that. Don't you know that it's not the mark of a mature christian!!