2009 Drama - Kudos to Bethel. Sorry.

by Open mind 25 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Open mind

  My overall impression of this year's modern-day Prodigal Son drama was that it was one of the best I've ever seen. "Best" if the goal is to try to convince young JWs to stay in the Org.

  The amount of cheesiness was at an all-time low, IMO. There were a few exceptions, but I got the impression that Bethel is getting pretty good intel from the field and incorporating it into the program.

  The biggest cheeseball exception was several minutes of "new music" at the end of the drama. It was soap-opera, elevator muzak at it's worst and got tons of "WTF"? looks from people throughout the audience.

  Good work Bethel. Excellent piece of propaganda.

  om
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  truthsetsonefree

  Intel from the field. Heck, they read some of the best of it right here!
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  out4good3

  They've always done well at putting together those BS scenarios that bare no resemblance to reality and do nothing but push whatever "thought" they want you to go with at that particular time. Everyone I've ever seen revolved around someone being enticed to leave their troof and as a result suffering for it before finally coming back and reconciling.

  SSDD

  Same S___

  Different Day
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  Doubting Bro

  OM

  I agree that they used a lot of lines that many JW kids (and even older ones like me who grew up in it) would use. Like, "they've been saying the end is coming my WHOLE life" and some thing about playing the elders, etc.

  Obviously the whole senario about the "prodigal son" deciding to go to work outside the family business and having the ultimate result being a huge auto accident where they almost lost their life was unrealistic. BTW, I know when I was a JW "youth" - there were lots of parties with alcohol flowing, going to clubs, concerts, etc. Being a JW had no bearing on any of it nor the sometimes terrible consequences of drinking & driving.

  They also made a big deal of being a part time JW. The thing is, it is my belief that the majority of the JW kids today are just that and its been that way for awhile now. That's why so many kids leave. Putting a guilt trip on them may work for a few and even then it won't last more than a month but they are merely addressing the symptoms not the disease. For the WTS, the disease is the terrible retention rate of those who have grown up in it. Losing members that they don't have to indoctrinate or convert is just bad business for any religion. Kids and adults leave for a variety of well discussed reasons. Bottom line, for many the WTS doesn't offer them something good enough to stay. If it did, they wouldn't have the problems they have.

  Also - that song at the end was probably supposed to be moving. I saw several folks (including me) stiffling back the laughter. Others had that WTF look and then about a thousand or so decided it was time to hit the hallways! That was a serious error in propaganda 101 and I'll bet it discounted what was a moving scene at the end with the prodigal son running to his crying parents arms.
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  White Dove

  Leave, suffer, repent, return, rinse, repeat...
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  WTWizard

  Since when is getting a decent job "living a debauched life"? The last I remember, the prodigal son wasted his inheritance and did nothing to try and build a future for himself.
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  OnTheWayOut

  I haven't seen the drama, won't see the drama, couldn't care less about the drama but...

  I think I know what you mean. They are trying hard to reach the young people by trying to appeal to them.

  For the most part, I don't think that WTS can really reach the vast majority of young people as long as they condemn normal growing-up dating and going to college. Maybe they could reach teens and young adults by some new radical way of presenting themselves in a hip-hop kind of way, but they will still lose them as soon as they realize it's the same old message in a flashy package.

  This is presented in a way that stuffy older ones (Sorry, Open Mind) will feel addresses youths in a "cool" way.
  That way, the parents will think there is no excuse not to embrace the religion, and the adults will try harder to reach their kids.
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  seek2find

  Is it posted online anywhere?
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  sir82

  They are trying hard to reach the young people by trying to appeal to them.

  I see your point, but...

  What is the message? "You should stay, don't leave, remain a JW, remember your spiritual heritage..."

  OK, so the kids decide to stay - then what? They pioneer? The vast majority don't care to. Reach out to be MS or elder? Why? So you get more thankless responsibilities? Go to Bethel? Oops, they'll fire your @$$ as soon as you hit 40. Go to meetings, go out in service, underline your Watchtower? Bo-o-o-ring stuff to the Twitter generation.

  In addition to the stultifying drabness of JW life, you get 0 encouragement, and perhaps active discouragement, to develop talents, get an education, find an interesting career, explore hobbies, etc.

  The WTS is good at making appeals to stay. But to those who take them up on the offer, they offer nothing in return.
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  shamus100

  IT WAS SOOOOOO BADDDD,,,,,

  So bad Reinna didn't even go....