I know now what was behind many of the simplification procedures that were adopted at the assemblies over the years. The books and food were given away to avoid tax problems. I know that now. But what did you think about it when you were a JW?

Here is what I thought. When the society eliminated the orchestra for canned music, it was a shame because the quality just wasn't the same. What happened to art? Eliminated for cost reasons. The music our orchestras produced had soul, and now we had canned "art." Still, it saved those poor brothers countless hours of practice, so I accepted it.

Then other changes came. Books that used to be plentiful, we could only have one per family "because Jehovah's organization was growing."

Unlike Jesus turning water into wine and multiplying loaves and fishes, nutritious meals were miraculously transformed into junk food. It was explained that because they now had so many people to feed in such a short time, that they had to adopt the marketing strategies of McDonald's. Didn't that make you think? Didn't you begin to wonder? My nephew called it "the pudding meeting." All of those cafeterias we worked so hard on in all of those assembly halls! What good were they now? So we started eating sandwiches mashed in tin foil. So there we were at assemblies sucking our brains out on frozen orange juice. And the only thing on the menu that could actually be considered nutritious was the fruit bag, except most of the fruit in it was still green. After eating it you had to make extra trips to the restroom, where we were allowed only one towel.

Did you begin to feel like less of a person and like more of a number? Did you begin to resent that you had extra meal tickets unused on Sunday because they "ran out of food?" Did your stomach ever growl on Sunday because you hadn't found any hoagies left? Basically now those tickets were a donation, unless by chance you were one of the few who liked Shasta lemon-lime.

I began to dread assembly time, and the KM that announced more simplification procedures. I began to resent my hard earned vacation time being used up for these days of hardships that left you hungry for more than a gassy burrito and bone weary at the end of the day.

Go this way. Turn that way. Don't park there. Keep moving. No talking in the halls. Take your seats when the canned music starts (25 minutes before the talk). I got so blasted tired of it!

Why? Why? Why? I asked myself. It didn't used to be this way. We used to be able to eat what we wanted, get hot vegetables with our meals, and dry our hands. What happened?

"Jehovah's organization is growing by leaps and bounds!" was the answer. I really began to wonder then. 6 million JWs worldwide and Jehovah couldn't take care of us? He did with the Israelites? What was going on here? What was he going to do after the big A? How would the WTBTS take care of us after armageddon? What would happen when all of those people were resurrected? If the WTBTS couldn't handle large numbers now, how would they ever manage in the "new system?"

Sitting there at those boring assemblies I thought about all these things. The next summer I didn't use my vacation days to go to the District Convention. I made up the excuse that I had a project I was working on that I couldn't afford to take time off for. I went only on the weekend.

The summer after that, I didn't go at all. By the next January I sent in my DA letter.

So did you think there was something wrong when the simplified stuff started?

Tammy

With all of that so called simplification, I have to wonder why circuit assemblys in the Toronto area, that use an assembly hall owned by the society and that has been paid off long ago, continue to have 'expenses' in excess of $4,000 per day. Multiply that by the number of days it's used in a year, and they're raking in over $400,000 a year on one building alone.

Not a bad business, eh? Maybe we should start our own cult and make some $$$

Walter

Simplification is just another way of saying "We're running out of money"

Brilliant post Swan.

I just wish we had read more into the changes at the time and we might have got out sooner.

The one thing we did understand was the change to paperback books. We then saw this as cost cutting and not "simplification'". I cant remember what year that happened though.

Anglise

Having an orchestra at an assembly never cost the WTS one thin dime.  Getting rid of live music performed by individuals seems to me to have been a tactic of keeping people with any kind of talent from "showing off" or drawing attention to themselves.  We can't have people with some spark of imagination or creativity, now can we??

When we left, the books were still hard cover.  The binding was done very professionally, with special sewing machines.  The books were designed to last a long time.  Now the pages are glued to the spine and the books are paperback bound.  They'll fall apart before any New Light™ starts to flicker.  People will toss them as soon as they start to lose a couple of pages, and there will be fewer "original" editions out there to compare newer editions to for changes.  That was a very clever move on the WTS's part.

Bringing your own meals to conventions... again, this is just another way of saying "This facet is not bringing in enough revenue".  I seriously doubt that any sisters who have get up earlier in the morning to prepare meals for their families and drag the food around in a cooler consider their lives to be "simplified" where conventions are concerned.  Particularly when they are already responsible for the most part for making sure all the children are dressed properly before leaving for the convention, usually get up earlier and go to bed later than anyone else in the family.

Love, Scully

 

that is an awfully good point scully, never really thought about that. genius.

Rush

I knew a guy in the pressroom when they started to print paperback books.

The Society had the cost savings down to the penny on each book.

Most of the motivation for 'simplification" was money -- but I think a lesser motivation

involves the deepening lack of ability and intelligence among Witnesses, especially elders and MS's.

The organization has been dumbing down for quite awhile - and it shows, particularily in the reading level

required for the publications.

Try talking to ANY adult Witness about anything that requires deep thought and watch what happens.

You can discern a silent transformation into opinions that would befit a three year old child.

Some congregations can't even find brothers who are competent to do the accounts or run the sound

for meetings.

 

metatron

Well the tendancy is always toward the crushing of individual expression. Think upon the loss of such things as the snow cones, provided by some brother whos selling them, sure, but its a personal touch that sticks in memory.An eradicated practise now. I left in the late 70s when books were still hard bound, thank god. Its like approved forms of Art under Hitler I suppose. Monumental. Impersonal. Doubtless in the "new world" there would be classes of people allocated for extermination, and the bread would fall apart while you were trying to get a slice out of the wrapper.

I thought swans posts in this thread very good. Thought provoking.

I would say that many of them are capable of lateral or creative thought on other issues. Except religion. On the subject of religion they fall back onto predictable stereotypes in thinking. The mind control they are under relates to the religious ideas sphere, not to every sphere of thought and possibility.

Having known meta a long while I would imagine he was referring to religious thought in JDubs. Metas no idiot.

Most cults DO have mind-stopping phrases for their members.  It doesn't mean they're dumb people - but as met brought out (after his dumbing down comment) - that they've been taught not to think any further.   Btw, the WT is dumbing down the literature.  The WT is also writing more in a convoluted style so even if you can read it.....it doesn't make sense.....but most people can't even try to really read it.  "That WT study was soooooooooo deeeeeeeeeep!" 

JW's have the capabilities to think upon anything (we're proof) - but they have to open their minds to do it.  JW's also do quite well in many businesses - proving their not ignorant and/or dumb in all areas.  They just stop thinking (or at least expressing their thoughts) on subjects they're not supposed to think about.

And JW's are proud of this fact, btw, because it's proves they're not "stiff-necked, independent thinkers, rebellious like ________________, " 

As for the little independent things we lost over the years?  Countless. 

•  Letting our kids have crayons & paper at the assemblies. 
•  Letting our little kids have their own pillows to take a nap after 6/8 friggin' hours of boring sessions.
• No strollers in the hallway.
• No walking in hallways during sessions.
• STUPID attendents with their STUPID signs saying "No talking"  "Return to your seats" etc. 
• Cherry pies waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back when sisters donated their cooked goods.

The WT wants a "large army" - they've got it.  Sterile, grey, saluting, no independent thinking.  Uniformed in benign smiles, canned phrases, - all for the sake of a United Brotherhood.

Ugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Sooooooooooooooooooo glad to be outta there!

waiting