How the Shrinking of the Awake! has Affected Many!

by God_Delusion 34 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Quendi
    Quendi

    Yes, as steve2 says, there has been a noticeable decline in the writing quality of WTS literature over the decades. I remember attending the book study in 1968 when the Babylon the Great Has Fallen! book was examined. I learned a great deal and the writing was first-rate. Yes, I was only a boy, but I also attended Catholic school at the time and the education I received there was an excellent one. So I knew outstanding writing when I encountered it. Furthermore, in those days there was a conscious effort on the part of the WTS to raise the literacy standards of its readers. Uncommon words and sentence constructions were used to pique interest and stimulate thinking. That is certainly not the case now.

    You can see that in comparing the two Theocratic Ministry School guidebooks. The older edition, which was released back in the early 1970s I believe, is far superior to the one in use now. I've known of public school teachers who used the old guidebook as the template for teaching public speaking to their students.

    The last WTS publication I can honestly say I enjoyed was Life, How Did It Get Here: by Evolution or by Creation? I know many on this board despised it, but I thought its arguments were very well presented and put forth in a way to engage readers. I am not an evolutionist in the classic sense and still believe that much of what is advanced in that theory is claptrap and nonsense. Scientists are certainly not above embracing myth and fable either as I know from working with them down through the years. But this book had something that is rare for a WTS publication: footnotes and references so that the reader could go back and check. That told me the writer(s) had taken the subject seriously and had made a conscientious effort to present this fascinating and controversial subject authoritatively.

    And I agree with steve2 on the use of graphic illustrations in WTS publications. After all, if people can get their entertainment from video games and intense movies, then surely a still picture is nothing to get their pants in a bunch over. But overall I have to say that there has been a nosedive in the quality of WTS publications and I don't see that trend reversing itself anytime soon.

    Quendi

  • James Brown
    James Brown

    There was a time and there were times when I read the Awake cover to cover. And sometimes the watchtower also.

    That was back in the 60's and 70's.

    I used to read readers digest cover to cover.

    I have read the bible cover to cover 7 times.

  • THE GLADIATOR
    THE GLADIATOR

    James - Reading the bible from cover to cover is easy for me.

    Since I removes all the nonsense, all I am left with is Ecclesiastes and the cover.

  • shamus100
    shamus100

    I'll give you the jist of a typical Washtowel / Awake! (snort!!!)

    - paragraph after paragraph of generalized problems without going into much detail

    - end of article shows how god will wipe every tear and clean up the problem of bla bla bla...

    Any questions? Wash, rinse, repeat.

  • shamus100
    shamus100

    P.S.

    The entire blog is a real scream! :D Check out the wedding crashers story where the witness wedding is halted by confetti being thrown and the bride running away screaming...

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