Not that it matters to me one way or the other but I think this is all about "optics". How bad has it made them look to have all the churches open and operating all this time and they still aren't ? What does that say about them having allowed the worlds government virtually stop the all important preaching work without so much as a whimper ? What does it say about their trust in Jehovah to see to it that his work is carried out without fail? Didn't I see a tract that showed an elaborate painting of heavenly angels standing by watching a group of JW's go from door to door?
Many churches in our area either defied the Covid rules altogether or went to great lengths to make sure they could still meet safely. Some even set up huge marquees in their parking lot so they could have open air services. Some even had services that you cold drive up and listen from your car. The Mormons have been coming around for at least a year now. They knock and just stand back from the door and keep a social distance. Why couldn't the outdoor literature carts have been operating safely with the same Covid restrictions being used in similar settings these last 6 months?
I have a feeling that between stopping the preaching work and them begging for money for a movie studio, there's been a bit of backlash from a good number of people who are beginning to notice the mixed messages and are seeing the irony of it all .