new watchtower mag arrangement

by shadowofbathory 122 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  dozy

  I agree with those who have said that this is a move by the wtbts to try and prevent the study articles falling into the hands of us apostates so easily.

  Totally disagree with this - think you apostate chaps are getting a bit paranoid & above yourselves! Apostates can (and do) get hold of literature very easily. Kingdom Ministries , elders letters , the Pay Attention book - all are freely available online. The idea that restricting study articles to a 6 million distribution to regular meeting attendees will make it difficult for apostates to get hold of the articles is absurd.

  The WTS publishing model worked well when literature was sold - it doesn't when it is given away on a "donation" basis. To mitigate this , inevitably less literature must be produced and the cost of production has to be reduced. Hence paperback books , once a month Awakes , few releases at conventions etc etc. Cutting WT down to once a month should reduce the bottom line by 50 million pounds a year, by my reckoning. JWs are tending to offer 2 WTs and one Awakes at the doors at the moment anyway , so it shouldn't have much affect on donations.
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  If true, this has got to be a way to phase out AWAKE.

  If the once-a-month WT is for the public, not containing study articles, then
  there will be no further need for the [now more scriptural than ever] AWAKE.

  They just don't want to do this in one fell swoop. Expect them to call the
  one for JW's the WT, and the one for the public AWAKE, then the rank and
  file won't see one go away. Later, they will switch to tracts, then that mag.
  will die, but WT will be the study articles and OKM combined.

  I sure hope this is true. I might start suggesting it to the wife as an
  "interesting possibility" and I will be so smart when it happens.
• 

  TopHat

  And I agree with previous posters - it sounds like they are prepping for the introduction of some seriously wacked-out ideas, and don't want anyone outside their "loop" to see just how goofy it is.

  sir82, My thoughts exactly!
• 

  RubaDub

  As long as the Watchtower study articles are used, I don't see how this will restrict anything from getting to new or irregular ones.

  Won't they be given a copy at the meeting anyhow?

  Unless the Society has the elders photocopy only the study articles, anyone attending the Watchtower study will end up with a copy.

  Rub a Dub
• 

  Doubting Bro

  If this is true, which I have no reason to believe it is not, then I think it gives us insight as to the financial straits the WTS is in. I also agree that Awake will either be eliminated or the WT for the public will be merged with the Awake so that only 1 journal will be distributed each month.

  Not sure if they really think they can keep their wacked out ideas from apostates and the like since there are several people just here that would qualify to receive them and would be more than happy to share the crap spiritual feast.

  The internet distribution is a great idea to cut costs and would likely be welcomed by the r&f, at least in the West. It would cut their cuts even further.
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  Won't they be given a copy at the meeting anyhow?

  Yes. They will tell the JW's not to give this to those not coming to the meetings,
  they will act like it is a privilege to get the study articles.

  They will still share it with others, but their hope will be that if the others come to
  the meetings, then they can be recruited. They will also hope that JW's will know
  the information long before others, so they will be better indoctrinated before some
  apostate tears the article apart. It will be common to hear someone who comes to
  the KH for his magazine and WT study to complain about the lesson, but the JW will
  say "I had the opportunity to read this article and all the scriptures earlier this week, and
  you would understand it better if you [became one of us and] received yours earlier, so
  you could study for the meeting. Let me tell you how you can receive the study articles
  beforehand on a regular basis.

  Of course, there will still be many who share their copy with apostates as soon as they
  get it, so IT WON'T WORK.
• 

  dedpoet

  Totally disagree with this - think you apostate chaps are getting a bit paranoid & above yourselves! Apostates can (and do) get hold of literature very easily. Kingdom Ministries , elders letters , the Pay Attention book - all are freely available online. The idea that restricting study articles to a 6 million distribution to regular meeting attendees will make it difficult for apostates to get hold of the articles is absurd

  Actually, I didn't say that apostates wouldn't get literature, Dozy, I am sure that those who want to read it will get it. There are enough with apostate ideas posing as loyal jws these days to make sure of that. I do think that the wts would like to keep their crap literature out of apostates hands, but know they can't do it.

  As for myself, I wouldn't want any of that shit in my home anyway. I am disassociated, but a few jws, not the brainwashed committed type obviously, still visit me on occasion. One thing they don't do is bring wts crap here, I don't allow any wts literature in my home. I had enough of that poison here when I was a jw, and burned it not long after I left. I certainly wouldn't want to pollute my home with any of it again. The only time I see any now is on here, or when I'm writing an article for my anti jw website, and there's enough internet resources, as you so rightly pointe out, around now to ensure I don't need any hard copy of wts crap here.

  dedpoet (wondering what jws are doing on an apostate board anyway)
• 

  Pubsinger

  28 million less copies a month . . .

  What are the odds that they put positive spin on this and continue to quote a circulation of 34 million per issue?(counting the 15th of the month issue as "internal")
• 

  r51785

  Since the "Watchtower" is the flagship brand of the Watchtower Printing and Real Estate Development Corp, I would expect that they will keep the Watchtower to distribute to the general public. The Awake will be phased out and the new Watchtower will become a magazine designed to hook converts. I would expect that the issue of the Watchtower which is designed for cult members will eventually be distributed electronically. Each Kingdom Hall will need a laser printer and PC or they can just send an elder to Kinko's. This will enable elders to control distribution locally. It will also reduce printing and distribution costs for Watchtower corporate by imposing these costs on the local congregation. While I do not think this new arrangement is designed to keep the "Cult Member Edition" of the Watchtower out of apostate hands, the reduction of availability will be a happy side benefit of what is basically just a cost cutting program for Watchtowre corporate. Also we might see the "Cult Member Edition" of the Watchtower merge with the other internal bulletin, The Kingdom Ministry.
• 

  undercover

  Totally disagree with this - think you apostate chaps are getting a bit paranoid & above yourselves! Apostates can (and do) get hold of literature very easily. Kingdom Ministries , elders letters , the Pay Attention book - all are freely available online. The idea that restricting study articles to a 6 million distribution to regular meeting attendees will make it difficult for apostates to get hold of the articles is absurd.

  You're probably correct that keeping any WT literature out of "apostate" hands is unlikely. But if the WTS is looking to keep the general public misinformed about what is taught and believed, then this would be a good way to go about it.

  If the "public" WTs were full of feel good articles about faith in Jesus, God's love, paradise on earth, etc. if would help show the JWs as just another Christian denomination. And if the "JW only" WTs have all the study articles about the blood doctrine, the end of the world, the F&DS slave substituting as mediator, 1914 crap, etc. it serves to keep the rank and file indoctrinated and in line. It seperates even more the information shared between the group and its members and what is shared with outsiders, which is typical cult behavior.