WTS web article: Is the Work of Jehovah's Witnesses Propagandistic?

by M.J. 11 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • M.J.
    M.J.

    see: http://www.watchtower.org/library/g/2000/6/22/diagram_01.htm

    Notice how in this article they redirect their own question! Of course their organization doesn't spread propaganda for Jews, Communists, or American imperialists!

    The simple fact is that Jehovah's Witnesses are none of the above.

    No duh! But that ain't the question you were asking! Does your organization spread propaganda for ITSELF?

    How does your media media compare against your own criteria for propaganda as laid out in the previous article?

    The cunning propagandist loves such shortcuts—especially those that short-circuit rational thought. Propaganda encourages this by agitating the emotions, by exploiting insecurities, by capitalizing on the ambiguity of language, and by bending rules of logic.

    Does the following ring a bell?

    Another very successful tactic of propaganda is generalization. Generalizations tend to obscure important facts about the real issues in question, and they are frequently used to demean entire groups of people.

    Christendom, "apostates", anyone?

    How about addressing whether or not this is ever done:

    Some people insult those who disagree with them by questioning character or motives instead of focusing on the facts. Name-calling slaps a negative, easy-to-remember label onto a person, a group, or an idea. The name-caller hopes that the label will stick. If people reject the person or the idea on the basis of the negative label instead of weighing the evidence for themselves, the name-caller's strategy has worked.

    Not guilty?

    Playing on the Emotions

    Even though feelings might be irrelevant when it comes to factual claims or the logic of an argument, they play a crucial role in persuasion. Emotional appeals are fabricated by practiced publicists, who play on feelings as skillfully as a virtuoso plays the piano.

    For example, fear is an emotion that can becloud judgment.

    Doesn't happen?

    Hatred is a strong emotion exploited by propagandists. Loaded language is particularly effective in triggering it. There seems to be a nearly endless supply of nasty words that promote and exploit hatred toward particular racial, ethnic, or religious groups.

    No hateful language toward "Christendom"? How about those WT articles describing how we should hate apostates?

    Some propagandists play on pride. Often we can spot appeals to pride by looking for such key phrases as: "Any intelligent person knows that . . ." or, "A person with your education can't help but see that . . ." A reverse appeal to pride plays on our fear of seeming stupid. Professionals in persuasion are well aware of that.

    "rightly disposed", "true Christian", anyone?

    The propagandist also has a very wide range of symbols and signs with which to convey his message—a 21-gun salvo, a military salute, a flag. Love of parents can also be exploited. Thus, such symbolisms as the fatherland, the mother country, or the mother church are valuable tools in the hands of the shrewd persuader.
    Need I even comment?
  • daniel-p
    daniel-p

    "Is the Work of Jehovah's Witnesses Propagandistic?"

    No. And by no, I mean yes.

  • M.J.
    M.J.

    bump..

  • hartstrings
    hartstrings

    M.J. I have actually been thinking about this for some time now. I think, in all the years I was in, the magazine that sticks out in my mind the most as being the most hypocritical was the magazine on propaganda that came out in the last 90s. I remember reading it and feeling sick to my stomach. It was like they were condemning themselves. I shoved those doubts back into my mind but that really changed me view of the society. Now, of course, I can see very clearly how much propaganda they used, but I can't imagine that others that are in thick can't see that the society uses propaganda like no other.

    Thanks for bringing up the topic!

    HS

  • lilybird
    lilybird

    M.J.- everything in your post describes the org perfectly..and they are so sickenly smug about it too

  • daystar
    daystar
    Some propagandists play on pride. Often we can spot appeals to pride by looking for such key phrases as: "Any intelligent person knows that . . ." or, "A person with your education can't help but see that . . ." A reverse appeal to pride plays on our fear of seeming stupid. Professionals in persuasion are well aware of that.

    Hahah!! I love this. And yet in the online article you mention - http://www.watchtower.org/library/g/2000/6/22/diagram_01.htm

    Obviously, these conflicting accusations cannot all be true.

    Obviously... (well, actually, in this case, perhaps, but I could imagine such an org with a stretch. It's still persuasive.)

  • M.J.
    M.J.

    Here's the first part of the article...

    Is the Work of Jehovah's Witnesses Propagandistic?

    Some opponents of Jehovah's Witnesses have accused them of spreading Zionist propaganda. Others have charged that the ministry of the Witnesses promotes Communism. Still others have claimed that the work of Jehovah's Witnesses promotes the ideals and interests of "American imperialism." And there are those who assert that the Witnesses are anarchists, fomenting disorder with the aim of changing the social, economic, political, or legal order. Obviously, these conflicting accusations cannot all be true.

    The simple fact is that Jehovah's Witnesses are none of the above. The work of the Witnesses is carried out in faithful obedience to Jesus Christ's mandate to his disciples: "You will be witnesses of me . . . to the most distant part of the earth." ( Acts 1:8 ) Their work focuses solely and exclusively on the good news of the heavenly Kingdom—God's instrument for bringing peace to the whole earth.— Matthew 6:10 ; 24:14 .

    Observers of Jehovah's Witnesses have found no evidence that this Christian community has ever been a force disruptive of the good order of any land.

    Here they just get through explaining what defines propaganda in the previous article, then they turn right around and build a "straw man" definition (contradicting their previous definition) in order to claim they're not propagandists!

  • jstalin
    jstalin

    WAR IS PEACE

    FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

    IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

  • carla
    carla

    Where are the jw apologists?

  • Check_Your_Premises
    Check_Your_Premises

    MJ,

    Every once in awhile I read something they put out that is SO ironic, that I can't help but wonder if there isn't a mole inside the writing department.

    This would be a classic example!

    CYP

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