by JH 14 Replies latest jw friends
Probably you all noticed that when disasters strike, news papers sell better. The tsunami was a good example. Is it that people love to read bad news rather than good news? I was just wondering if this could also apply to religion...
Since the Watchtower talks so much about Armageddon and total destruction, maybe this is their way of selling their religion better...
Other religions put emphasis on love and helping one another.
Any thoughts?
Considering they were running from the amageddon doctrine like from a 100 foot wave a few months ago they may decide that this whole knew "good news" only campaign is not as interesting to their house holders as the old shock and awe. Maybe they will simply turn the old man vs man doctrine into man vs nature (ie man vs his weaknesses) so that they can have a politically correct armageddon.
G'day JH,
I haven't posted in a while & am enjoying your threads tonight.
Even the humblest publisher will tell you JW's aren't a "badnews religion". Atheism is a badnews religion. In fact I plan to start preaching door to door on that basis. I think athiests should go preaching to JWs in their own homes:
Athiest Preacher: knock knock ..
Jehovah's Housewife: who's there?
Atheist Preacher: (Thinks: not Jehovah that's for sure heh.. heh..) goodmorning I am a Darwins Athiest and I have come to tell you the bad news ..
Jehovah's housewife: I'm not interested
Atheist Preacher: Is it me your not interested in or my message of self empowerment?
Jehovah's Housewife: I have my own religion.
Athiest Preacher: That's why I'm here .. to bring you the bad news that leads to eternal ... well ..non existance.
Jehovahs Housewife: I'm busy
Atheist Preacher: This won't take long - JEHOVAH DOESN'T EXIST!
Jehovah's Housewife: Prove that from the bible!
Atheist Preacher: Perhaps I can interest you in a free home evolution study?
Jehovah's Housewife: ... ooo you need an AWAKE! magazine.
unclebruce
I don't know if the bad news moves more magazines in general, but it is the right bait to catch potential JWs and keep the current ones. Fear of the world is an essential quality in an active JW, whether they know it or not. Lots of people would take the literature if it featured rosy ideas like "God Loves You", but only a small percentage would have so little to live for that they would be willing to become JWs. Among the population that embraces the anti-human, anti-government messages that the Society propagates, a much higher percentage is going to be dissatisfied with life and more willing to be brainwashed.
Bad news certainly seems to grab everyone's attention faster than good news, but people can only take so much before they don't want to hear it any more. For example, when Princess Diana died, the media coverage lasted for months. I admit being glued to the TV when it first happened for 14 hours straight. However, it was such a saturation that it got to be too much. Ditto for 9-11 and when JFK Jr. was killed.
The WTS is very similar. They go on and on and on about all the bad things going on in the world today and they offer people a hope to see "an end" to all this badness. Who wouldn't want to see an end to war and crime and death? Even though the promise is built on sand, it sounds wonderful at first. However, like the media, they dwell so much on the negativity of every bad thing on earth, that it gets to be very depressing. That, coupled with the fact that Armageddon has been a non-show makes it even worse for many because there's no promised relief in sight. It would be like a small group of people in Sri Lanka telling the people that live there that help will be there "soon", but 130 years later, help still hasn't arrived.
The WTS has survived by setting doomsday dates for over 100 years. I hac some experience with one of those dates, 1975 and, believe me, it worked very well. Literature sales went thru the roof and the society, no doubt, made a lot of money. It's difficult to see how they can continue to survive unless the set another date for "doomsday."
Yes.
This is an odd fact, but the religions that gain the most gross converts are religions like the JW's, SDA's and LDS's (Of course, when you add net and turnover, it's not that impressive.)
I don't think bad religions "sell" any better than any other religion.
You have to remember that every religion is selling something different: Faith, live after death, perfection, being cured of all diseases, control, rules, world unity, etc...
Each religion has a certain market that it is targeting and each of these markets have a certain number of people who are attracted to the nature of the religion.
Some people are attracted to the idea of the world coming to an end with only a few "special" survivors... other people are attracted to a warm and fuzzy god who loves everyone.
I would say that sensationalist, gossipy papers grab attention. As do religious denominations. As do gossipers in the office. What they gain in membership, though, they lose in credibility. Over time, how is the office gossip treated by co-workers? Is he/she kept in the loop of anything of value?
I would suggest, however that denominations can chose a better path than fear or fluff. They may not grab the headlines, but I bet they are the ones at the front line in the soup kitchens.
http://www.svcn.com/archives/cupertinocourier/03.08.00/salon-0010.html
