Is it normal that the Watchtower treats people the same way throughout the world even though there are different cultures and ways of living?
Since the Watchtower says it represents God, why should everything be based upon US standards?
Watchtower blueprint for the world
by JH 10 Replies latest jw friends
-
JH
-
Matty
They haven't even bothered to translate the Watchtower into other English languages other than American-English. Fortunately this has weakened the Watchtower society's claim to be an international religion. People on the doors can plainly see that the Watchtower and Awake are very American publications.
-
berylblue
They haven't even bothered to translate the Watchtower into other English languages other than American-English.
I have an honest question. What do you mean by that statement? Generally, I like to use the term "American" to describe the language I speak, as it did differ in many aspects from that of my English ex-husband. So, there's what I call "American", and what I call "English". What else is there? Candians, do you feel your version of English differs greatly from that of Americans?
Rosemarie
-
anti-absolutist
JH - I never thought about that before, but that is very true!!!! In many cultures nudity is very normal, but I suppose the JW's would teach them how evil it is, thereby creating a greater separation from the JW's and the rest of the region.
I think the witnesses get a lot of inner strength from that SEPARATION from "normal" society. It is their own DRUG, it seems. When they become a lot like other religions (paedophile - Catholic thing) they seem to ignore that and try to emphasize other ways that they are so different.
It seems that the best way to show a Witness that they don't have THE TRUE RELIGION is to constantly remind them of how much the rest of the world is like they are: well-intentioned for the most part, but still being guilty of imperfection.
Brad
-
Stephanus
That Brooklyn shows disrespect for non-American cultures through its mags is one of my big complaints about the Tower. The "American English is good enough for all English readers" attitude is the one I find most annoying. Even though we have a Watchtower printing works here in Oz, that services the entire Southern Pacific region, with many non-American English speaking nations, the Tower insists on words ending with -ize, -or, -er and, our favourite, "aluminum" in the publications that come from the Aussie Bethel. They'd be done for spelling errors in most Aussie and NZ educational institutions. And yet they claim the Awake! is the equivalent of a college education - Aussie Dubs can't even spell properly!!!! </rant> LOL
-
Oroborus21
this may be a dead thread but I thought I would chime in anyway,
First of all the Society is sensitive, in fact you can see in some photos of friends around the world in other cultures that they are not wearing what would be considered the appropriate suit&tie uniform of the US. many go out in service without a tie in some lands.
the rule of thumb applied (whether it is truly appropriate or not these days) is to dress corresponding to what would be considered appropriate among the "business class of the locality". (of course in an age wear Bill Gates goes tieless and where every company has casual Friday, i think even our Western stodiness can be relaxed but just my preference)
It is a good point made about language and American Standard English but I raise this in counterpoint. Every language has idiosyncracies, local dialects and other variant forms. For the most part there is no standard English, standard Spanish, or Standard whatever that would serve for all of the same language group. thus it doesn't seem completely inappropriate to settle on one "standard" in each language group and attempt to use it across the board. So American English is the standard used for English. "Educated" Spanish (usually without the Spanish of Spain differences) is used for Mexico, Spain, Latin America, South America and other spanish language countries despite the fact all of these countries have their own brand of spanish. I don't think it is wrong to stick to one "standard" spanish or one "standard" english and to do that is not insensitive to the locality it is just reality that to accommodate every potential variation would be overwhelming.
-Eduardo
-
Stephanus
Eduardo: Ever hear the saying "When in Rome..."? Or the Biblical exhortation to be "all things to all men"? How hard would it be for the Bethel for the entire Southern Pacific region to do a hunt, delete and replace of words spelt the US way to make the Watchtowers and Awake!s they are printing conform to standard English in this region? I just think that the GB are incredibly rude using their own native spelling and turns of phrase when it is US foreigners they are supposedly trying to spread the Gospel to!
-
DIM
um...who cares? It's all garbage anyway.
-
Ed
They haven't even bothered to translate the Watchtower into other English languages other than American-English
They do translations in one or two varieties of Pidgin English I believe.
-
Abaddon
The Borg's dress sense, grooming ideals, sexual moralities, and family relationships are, for reasons that escapes me, modeled on some Stepford Wives '50's thing. You have to be pretty screwed up to think that beards still effect peoples' perceptions in the way that the Borg says it does.
They make few consessions to regionality; some traditional dress is allowed, but you're not going to have someone giving a Public Talk in a penis gourd and a feathered head-dress.
I don't know if the Spanish literature in Europe uses Traditional Spanish or Latin American Spanish; there are differences, just as there are differences between British English and American English.
The Borg only use one version of English (pidgen isn't really English, it just uses mostly English words). Virtually every other publication that is published in two areas with difference versions of the same language produces two versions.
The Borg get away with it because it isn't a commercial product, and the consumers have no say in its presentation or contents.