JW Literature-why not public?

AllAlongTheWatchtower

This might be old hat to those of you with more experience in the WTS/witness life, but it struck me as very odd, perhaps even a bit sinister. I started coming here so I could find out just what my wife was getting herself into. On my first day here, I learned about the blood doctrine, and that was enough to convince me. Since then a few people have suggested various books to me that might help get my wife away from the WTS. Usually CoC-no offense to those it helped and loved the book, but I decided right away CoC wasn't going to be of any use to me. My wife would just refuse to read it, and I'm already convinced the Witnesses are full of melarkey, so what's the point of buying it, right?

Jgnat suggested "Combatting Cult Mind Control" to me, and that seemed much more practical; something that I could read, and then try to put to use. So off I went to the local bookstores to find it. I had no success finding it, and eventually had to order it...but what I noticed while I was searching for it is what I want to mention here.

There I was in the religion section (a very odd place for me to be, as I'm atheist), totally lost. Dozens of different versions of the bible; the bible for Catholics, the women's devotional bible, the bible for this, the bible for that. No JW bible. No JW books. Nothing printed by the WTS. There were even ______ for Dummies books on just about every religion from Catholicism, to Judaism, to Muslim, even the LDS (Mormons). No JW for Dummies. Nothing JW whatsoever. The only thing even JW related that was kept stocked on the shelves was CoC.

Puzzling over this, I made the rounds of all the local bookstores in my area with the same results. Up until now I had even wondered if maybe I was overreacting to my wife getting involved with the Witnesses, but the blood doctrine sent up a red flag with me, and now this lack of public literature was, too. Every other religious group out there it seemed, wanted to be heard, and get their message out. And I knew that supposedly that was the entire basis of the Witness organization, to actually WITNESS. Yet no bookstore had any of their books. I'm no statistician, but I'd bet good money that more people can be reached in any given time period by putting books on the open market than by going door to door. So what gives? Why would an organization claiming to be required to get the word out, not do so in the most efficient manner?

Answers began coming to me, ugly answers like control of information, secrecy, increased profit, hidden and/or ulterior motives, all summed up in one word. CULT. It gave me a really creepy feeling. Is there some logical explanation of this that I just don't know as a non-witness? Or is it really a bad indicator like I am thinking?

Elsewhere

Yet no bookstore had any of their books

It all comes down to control. JWs will only give their literature to people who they think have the potential to be converted and who will not question the teachings of the WTS.

JWs are more than happy to answer questions, so long as you accept whatever they tell you. The instant you question the answers they brand you as apostate.

candidlynuts

scary when you think of it like that..

i think its simply that the wtbs isnt trying to get its message to people that way because it cant " count" the hours or placements of library rentals or book store sales..

all my life the hunger for statistics of the wtbs has bothered me.

JH

Maybe they want double the money for each book. When a JW gets a book at the hall, he pays for it a first time, and when he offers it, he puts that money also into the contribution box, so whatever is sold is paid for twice.

Maybe they don't want certain people ( potential enemies) to have access to their publications, incase one day new light contradicts old light.

Maybe a taxation reason?

garybuss

The Watch Tower Corporation(s) is a book publishing, event sponsoring, and real estate developing business. The Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall is the local Watch Tower produced book distribution outlet. The Jehovah's Witness people are the unpaid book distributors. The corporation produces literature is now written TO the Witness people, not FOR them. The Witness people now produce the donations to keep the corporations busy printing, building and sponsoring meetings and conventions. The door to door literature distribution is a straw man. It's not the purpose. The purpose is the production and the exchange of the production for cash. The door to door activity clears out the literature store rooms, delivers the occasional new worker, and develops some additional donations for the group leaders.
The value of the literature is not the message they contain, their value is the cash flow the literature generates. Spreading the message is nothing but more religious dogma. The Corporation's purpose is self preservation, profitability, and security and comfort for the corporate directors. Don't believe what they say, look at what they do.

Bryan

Also, in order to sell in book stores you must go through a distributor. The industry standard is to give the distributor a 55% discount. There is no way the Tower would give away that much profit.

Bryan

Have You Seen My Mother

mkr32208

The door to door work is more (much more) about control than results. Keep them out brow beat them make them do it don't give them ANY time to think! If a jw has an extra second of time then he's not studying or going in service enought! What the hell are you doing sleeping 8 hours a day get up and get out in service! Control control control... Results are really unimportant!

Oroborus21

Dear AllAlong:

Welcome to the Forum. I am sure you have learned and are learning lots of good info. Regarding why JWs don't have bookstores ala Christian Science or don't distribute their literature through normal channels like independent bookstores, and bookstore chains, the reason is not any of those already suggested.

The reason is due to the fact that from the JW-perspective, IT IS NOT ABOUT THE BOOKS.

JWs are not JUST seeking to give their perspective to the world and are not just seeking to sell or distribute their literature. They desire to make converts ("to bring people into the truth"). This is their articulated mission in life.

Thus they believe (quite erroneously actually) that the best way to achive this aim is through personal door-to-door/public ministry. The literature is a tool used in the ministry - it is not itself the ministry! (Unlike say the Gideons.)

By distributing the literature and studying it with persons, they are able (they believe) to achieve their aim of helping others to come to serve the Lord.

If the literature were just available for the taking with no information about who was taking it or reading it, there could never be any "follow-up" and study of it with the person. JWs wouldn't even know whether the person was "getting it" (i.e. "agreeing with it") or had "questions" about the material.

This is one of the reasons that the literature when "ordered" by mail will be followed, if possible, with a personal visit by a JW and why subscriptions to the Watchtower and Awake! magazines are no longer offered.

By the way, the title of your post is misleading as (most) JW literature is entirely public. Incidently, I wonder, since in order to obtain a U.S. federal copyright, two copies of the work must be furnished to the Library of Congress, whether it is possible for someone to access such "secret" publications as the Flock book ("Paying Attention to Yourselfs and to the Flock") and branch manuals, etc.? Anyone in D.C. know?

-Eduardo

steve2

They've painted themselves into a distribution corner - that's why.

For decades they've thundered on about the mark of the true religion being individual door to door knocking; worse still, they've blatantly criticised other religions for not doing so. Hence, even if there are more efficient and more effective means of disseminating Watchtower dogma, they're not "free" to use these means. Besides, keeping the rank and file door knocking gives the otherwise bored people something to do. It sure beats drummin' your fingers on the table top.

mkr32208

They desire to make converts

If this was really true though they would move on to better ways the door-to-door work is a joke if making converts was the PRIME consideration they would find a better way! I think the d-t-d work is simply a method of control! They keep the books off the shelves because of money, pure and simple...

JW Literature-why not public?

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