by CaptainSchmideo 26 Replies latest jw friends
I just love the way they dress up the idea of all those donations and the benefits getting cut....LOL...
They like to sugar coat it by saying..."lucky you....now you won't have to see that pesky magazine servant...he's an officious prick anyhow...twice a month for your awake. Now you can schill with it ALL month....not just for two weeks."
That's about like my car club cutting out my newsletter subscription but still raising the dues. Poor schleps.
Ern
Thanks, Captain - very interesting read!
I was fascinated by the spin they're putting on the move to go monthly - notice they state "In most languages, Awake! is already a monthly or quarterly publication"
Hmm, when will they ever learn to just tell the truth?
What was that about "the father of the lie"?
Look at the last page: Instructions are given on how to pray on a Bible Study. First, a sister accompanied by a brother would have to have her head covered, if she is the one who prays. Well we've known that for years!
But get this! It says we should ask for Jehovah's blessing on the study, we should mention Jehovahs's organization, but no mention whatsoever is made about Jesus Christ.
Come to think of it, I guess that's not new either.
Bonnie,
Is it any wonder that the Dubs aren't viewed as christians?
This study will provide for a riviting Q & A period! They made a 2 line announcement into a page long one, people will be snoozing for the answers.
Kwin
brothers making jazzed up - or rocked up versions of Kingdom Melodies and then distributing them receives an unequivocal NO
OMG - you mean - they actually tried to do something creative and self motivated - on their own? - without the societies input, review, approval, and modifications? What the hell were they thinking?!
For an extensive discussion on this topic, check WTS Official Spin on monthly Awake: 'More emphasis on the Bible!'
If you're having problems with the above PDF file or don't want to download it, you can read a scan of page 1 at: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/84383/1405082/post.ashx#1405082
They take a whole page to say what they could have said in about 2 sentences.
That's called damage control.
Neo
Thank you, CaptainSchmideo, for posting the link to this KM. I've taken the liberty of posting below the text of the article about the upcoming change to publication frequency of the Awake! magazine. My comments will follow in a subsequent post.
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From Our Kingdom Ministry, March 2005, For United States of America, km-E Us 3/05 Vol. 48, No. 3
More Emphasis on the Bible!
1 On October 1, 1919, the first issue of the magazine The Golden Age was published. It proved to be a most valuable tool in the preaching work. Why? Because it was specially designed for the public. That was not the case with The Watchtower, which for many years was viewed as a magazine largely for the "little flock." (Luke 12:32) Kingdom publishers responded with such enthusiasm to the new publication that for many years the circulation of The Golden Age was far in excess of that of The Watchtower.
2 The magazine The Golden Age was published to show people that the real solution to mankind's problems is Christ's Millennial Reign, which will truly usher in a golden age for humankind. In succeeding decades a number of adjustments were made to The Golden Age to meet the changing needs of the times. In 1937 its name was changed to Consolation. In 1946 it became Awake!, the name we know it by today.
3 From its beginning, this magazine has contributed mightily to the great witness that has been given since 1919. (Matt. 24:14) However, in view of the urgency of our times, it seems wise to make further adjustments to Awake!
4 Millions of people enjoy reading Awake! because it covers a wide variety of secular topics in an appealing way. No doubt the majority of those who attend the Memorial each year are regular readers of Awake! Still, if anyone hopes to be concealed in "the day of Jehovah's anger," he will need help to do more than be a regular reader of our publications. -- Zeph. 2:3; Rev. 14:6, 7.
5 Hence, from January 2006, Awake! will place greater emphasis on God's Kingdom. It will encourage readers more straightforwardly to look to the Bible for the solutions to their problems and will highlight more prominently the Bible's explanation of current events. In this way, readers will get a better understanding of current events and perhaps be moved by what they read to learn more about Jehovah. -- Zech. 8:23.
6 Awake! will continue to feature topics of general interest. However, more emphasis will be laid on the Bible. (1 Thess. 2:13) Since The Watchtower contains deep Biblical information and Awake! will feature more material that is Scriptural in nature, it does not seem necessary to continue publishing Awake! twice a month. Therefore, beginning with its January 2006 issue, Awake! will be published as a monthly magazine. This will result in considerable simplification in the preparation, translation, and shipping of our literature.
7 This change will affect about 40 percent of the languages in which Awake! is published. In most languages, Awake! is already a monthly or a quarterly publication. There will be no change in the publication of The Watchtower.
8 Publishers may offer each month's Awake! with either issue of The Watchtower for that month. Those who feature Awake! will be able to use the same issue all through the month without having to change their presentation in the middle of the month, as at present.
9 Since its first issue back in 1919, the magazine successively known as The Golden Age, Consolation, and now Awake! has played a major role in the preaching work. We pray that Jehovah will continue to bless the distribution of the magazine in its revised format and that it will help many more people out of "all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues" to turn to God's Kingdom as their only hope. -- Rev. 7:9.
1. Originally, for whom was The Watchtower primarily published, and for whom The Golden Age?
2. What is the name of The Golden Age today, and what has been its purpose from the beginning?
3. Awake! has been a powerful tool in the fulfillment of what prophecy?
4. (a) What does a person need to do if he is to be concealed in "the day of Jehovah's anger"? (b) According to Revelation 14:6, 7, what does the "angel flying in midheaven" call on all to do?
5. (a) Starting with the Awake! of January 2006, what will be featured more prominently? (b) What may many be moved to do, and in fulfillment of what prophecy?
6, 7. (a) How will Awake! seek to help many to apply 1 Thessalonians 2:13? (b) How frequently will Awake! be published, and how many languages will be affected by the change?
8. How may publishers use Awake! along with The Watchtower?
9. What role will Awake! continue to play?
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AlanF
My comments on the explanation for the change to publication frequency of Awake! as given in the March, 2005 Our Kingdom Ministry:
> More Emphasis on the Bible!
Yeah, right.
> 1 On October 1, 1919, the first issue of the magazine The Golden Age was published. It proved to be a most valuable tool in the preaching work. Why? Because it was specially designed for the public.
Uh huh. It soon published many articles advertising the many benefits of the quack device called "the Electronic Radio Biola", which was supposed to be a miracle cure for just about all of mankind's ills. By about 1926, enough lawsuits had been filed against the inventor of this quackery that the Watchtower Society was forced to quit advertising this quack idea. Golden Age published many, many articles advocating all sorts of quackery, such as on the ills of being poisoned by aluminum cookware, the evils of vaccination, and the fact that the entire medical profession was nothing but a bunch of charlatans.
> That was not the case with The Watchtower, which for many years was viewed as a magazine largely for the "little flock." (Luke 12:32)
This is a fine example of the Watchtower Society's penchant for lying while appearing to tell the truth. When The Golden Age was first published in 1919, all of the Bible Students -- those who would today be classified as rank & file members of the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses -- were said to be "anointed" and members of "the little flock". This was, from the very beginning of Charles Taze Russell's teaching career, a fundamental doctrine. So, when the writer of this Awake! article states that The Watchtower was for many years "viewed as a magazine largely for the 'little flock'," it's pretty much a non sequitur. Of course Watchtower leaders were oriented toward the concept of a "little flock" that would ultimately rule all of mankind. They were the ones who would soon begin ruling. The writer is deceiving his readers by implying that the notion of a "little flock" was then the same as it is today -- an exclusive group that doesn't include most JWs.
> Kingdom publishers responded with such enthusiasm to the new publication that for many years the circulation of The Golden Age was far in excess of that of The Watchtower.
In view of the cultural milieu of the 1920s, an increase in the circulation of a goofy magazine like The Golden Age is only to be expected. But because the membership of the Bible Students dropped by about 75% between about 1924 and 1929, it's obvious that the circulation of The Golden Age, along with The Watchtower, suffered greatly. But the writer gives no indication of this. His goal is to put the best possible spin on WTS history by keeping to fuzzy generalities. He keeps to that theme in the rest of the article.
> 2 The magazine The Golden Age was published to show people that the real solution to mankind's problems is Christ's Millennial Reign, which will truly usher in a golden age for humankind.
Uh huh. Promotions for devices like the Electronic Radio Biola certainly did that.
> In succeeding decades a number of adjustments were made to The Golden Age to meet the changing needs of the times. In 1937 its name was changed to Consolation. In 1946 it became Awake!, the name we know it by today.
Actually, this indicates that the reason for the change is not so much to meet the "needs of the times" in terms of the readership, but in terms of Watchtower personnel. By 1946, the editor of Consolation/Golden Age, Clayton J. Woodworth, had become too decrepit to continue the pace of publishing nonsense, so he was put out to pasture and a whole new magazine, with a different focus, was initiated. I think it's the same today. Awake!'s long time editor-in-chief Harry Peloyan is pushing 90 years old, and is likely no longer capable of handling the chores.
> 3 From its beginning, this magazine has contributed mightily to the great witness that has been given since 1919. (Matt. 24:14) However, in view of the urgency of our times, it seems wise to make further adjustments to Awake!
Sure, like Peloyan can't handle it anymore and they can't find someone to replace him.
> 4 Millions of people enjoy reading Awake! because it covers a wide variety of secular topics in an appealing way.
And it presents a good deal of nonsense as if it were truth from God. In my own case, it was some articles in Awake! that finally convinced me that the Society is run by a bunch of idiots.
> No doubt the majority of those who attend the Memorial each year are regular readers of Awake!
More likely, they see the magazine and throw it away.
> Still, if anyone hopes to be concealed in "the day of Jehovah's anger," he will need help to do more than be a regular reader of our publications. -- Zeph. 2:3; Rev. 14:6, 7.
Right, like dedicate oneself to the holy Watchtower organization.
> 5 Hence, from January 2006, Awake! will place greater emphasis on God's Kingdom. It will encourage readers more straightforwardly to look to the Bible for the solutions to their problems and will highlight more prominently the Bible's explanation of current events. In this way, readers will get a better understanding of current events and perhaps be moved by what they read to learn more about Jehovah. -- Zech. 8:23.
I can't wait.
> 6 Awake! will continue to feature topics of general interest. However, more emphasis will be laid on the Bible. (1 Thess. 2:13) Since The Watchtower contains deep Biblical information
Like the nonsensical fulfillment of prophecies in Revelation. Even many of the Witnesses hate that garbage.
> and Awake! will feature more material that is Scriptural in nature,
Like showing why one should believe that when Adam sinned, that automatically changed the nature of some vegetarian animals into predators.
> it does not seem necessary to continue publishing Awake! twice a month. Therefore, beginning with its January 2006 issue, Awake! will be published as a monthly magazine. This will result in considerable simplification in the preparation, translation, and shipping of our literature.
No doubt. Stopping publication altogether would result in considerably more simplification.
> 7 This change will affect about 40 percent of the languages in which Awake! is published. In most languages, Awake! is already a monthly or a quarterly publication. There will be no change in the publication of The Watchtower.
Answering the inevitable question.
> 8 Publishers may offer each month's Awake! with either issue of The Watchtower for that month. Those who feature Awake! will be able to use the same issue all through the month without having to change their presentation in the middle of the month, as at present.
A total non sequitur if I ever heard one.
> 9 Since its first issue back in 1919, the magazine successively known as The Golden Age, Consolation, and now Awake! has played a major role in the preaching work.
A great deal of garbage has been distributed, alright.
> We pray that Jehovah will continue to bless the distribution of the magazine in its revised format and that it will help many more people out of "all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues" to turn to God's Kingdom as their only hope. -- Rev. 7:9.
Yes, Jehovah's blessing is upon the Society's activities, whether it's expanding or contracting.
It's interesting how the Society can't just make a simple announcement about this, but has to couch it in "spiritual" terms. Damage control is right!
AlanF
However, in view of the urgency of our times, it seems wise to make further adjustments to Awake!
Yes folks, we're not sure if this is a good thing or not, but it seems wise to do so. . .
- CF
