The self-made PARADOX of "witnessing" without Television or Radio (page 3)

Giordano

The Door to Door work compared to Radio and then T.V. would seem to have no advantage. The paradox is that this model was the most effective tool in the JW tool box for a long time because it was a better fit for the message. The WT message does not translate well to T.V. it's really to slow and banal for TV. It must really be presented in the home by two well groomed sisters with a calm manner. Like vacuum cleaner and encyclopedia salespeople or Fuller-Brush it's really about that personal visit.

My Mom was typical she honestly thought she had made two new friends! Many living now will never die was the perfect sales pitch for an over protective mother. Those sisters carefully built a solid foundation by inspiring trust in their version of the bible.......... then in their organization. It took a good year but the investment paid off. Attendance at the Kingdom Hall added more loving friends and in a relativity short time other family members joined.

This model did work and it could be used successfully in just about any country and with any culture.

The Society doubled down on presses, paper, ink and of course real estate.

By 1975 most followers, especially those who had sold their homes and quit their jobs failed to realize that the Society wasn't eating it's own cooking. Who knew how much prime Real Estate the WT was buying at that time....... Nor how successful they would become as a real estate holding company and would become in the next decades.

Unfortunately for the WTBTS by 1980 society itself was changing and stay at home mom's rapidly found careers and decent jobs. In the decades to follow the door to door work diminished in importance. Their bigest concern in the 1980's was how to start DFing apostates And how to get all the old light publications confiscated and destroyed.

In the 1990's and 2000'sThey discouraged the internet but finally realized that they had to join in.

In doing so they have made a bet that they will lose..... that the faithful will not search or stumble into sites that will paint a more accurate picture of the Society and it's problems.

When my lovely, 68 year old JW cousin called me the other day to tell me that she was buying a tablet and finally getting on the internet........ because the society had a new web site and it was ok..... I realized that the Society's goose was now in the oven.

wha happened?

Do we have any solid evidence that Television or Radio would actually gain significantly MORE converts?

I don't think the data backs that. But I do think that many would LEAVE if the current arrangement disappeared. As much as the r &f whine about the door to door activiuty, I think it keeps them in, as a sign they are in the right place. Even if it's just a pyramid scheme to sell mags

scotoma

The Christian Broadcasting Network of Pat Robertson is an interesting success story.

There is no reason JW's couldn't have supplemented their knocking activities with this strategy.

In fact you can see from the Watchtower's internet activity that they have learned a few things from CBN.

Read the history of CBN and you will no longer be able to argue against the effects of satellite broadcasting.

http://www.company-histories.com/The-Christian-Broadcasting-Network-Inc-Company-History.html

Julia Orwell

Witnessing d2d also serves the purpose of keeping people busy. Keeping the r&f busy is a classic cult tactic because it consumes their time and energy, keeps them surrounded by the propaganda and exposes them to the pressure of the group, and also eats up time that could be spent reflecting and researching.

jwfacts

Do we have any solid evidence that Television or Radio would actually gain significantly MORE converts?

The Watchtower does not claim their primary goal is converts, they claim they need the message to reach the farthest corners of the earth. Only 8 survived the flood, so the death of people is not their concern, they are simply the Watchman that needs to spread a message. For that reason, it is ironic that the methods that reach the most people are not being used.

Pubsinger

Spot on JWfacts.

And totally agree Terry

SAHS

“tenyearsafter”:

“It is clear that the effort is what is valued, and not the results.”

“Julia Orwell”:

“Witnessing d2d also serves the purpose of keeping people busy. Keeping the r&f busy is a classic cult tactic because it consumes their time and energy, keeps them surrounded by the propaganda and exposes them to the pressure of the group, and also eats up time that could be spent reflecting and researching.”

That hits the nail right on the head! All this effort at having coffee . . . sitting in the car talking/reading/sleeping . . . squeezing in some shopping/running errands – I mean, working at effective door-to-door preaching is really, when you think about it, actually just a show of loyalty to and support of the Governing Body – a show of their elitist solidarity. (Oh my, they sure have their act together. Their worldwide “pavement-pounding show” certainly appears to rival that colorful display of unified choreography at those North Korea festivals.)

It serves the purpose of keeping the appearance of “accomplishing” this grand philanthropic work of saving as much of humanity as possible. (Oh, look at all those poor people dragging their kids around to people’s doors on Saturday mornings and even New Years’ Day and Christmas Day. Aren’t they so precious – they’ve sure earned their salvation.)

Yes, it seems to me that when all those JWs go about their Saturday morning service ritual, they’re really doing a good job of reinforcing their own indoctrination as corporate pawns . . . and they don’t even know it!

Great thread. Thank for the post, Terry.

Band on the Run

My mom said the radio station was better than any meeting. According to her, it was dropped because the DJ was more popular than the president. He was framed. Many good bros were framed.

This is it in a nutshell. What is the purpose of knocking? It is offensive in contemporary society. Further, scholars now believe Paul talked to gentile syngagogue goers by business and social conversations. He did not go poking at any tents. I've seen charts of how Christianity gathered steam. Slow, steady growth would yield the numbers that exist in historical records.

Knocking to enforce social order and control makes much more sense. Knocking to knock to enforce cult behavior. Has anyone heard of Google, TV, or the radio? You Tube.

This idea should be stressed more here. Jesus took the time , as did Paul, to produce quality believers. How many Witnesses can discuss anything in the Bible once you take away the WT lit?

Also, I've seen charts which show the progression in philosophical and religious thought from the Roman Catholic Church to Jehovah's Witnesses. Their appearance was nothing holy or magical. If it were true, we would all be Mormons or Christian Scientists. Wacky religions were born during that time period.

Band on the Run

Can anyone who has endured the boredom of meetings believe that the WTBTS can produce content for today's short attention span?

whathappened

I have said it before but will say it again, "WHY DIDN'T WE SEE THIS WHEN WE WERE STILL IN?"

The self-made PARADOX of "witnessing" without Television or Radio

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