Posts by dozy

16

Watchtower Languages

by cameo-d in

a few years back, a jw friend told me that the watchtower houses the largest language library in the world because they have the magazines translated into every known language.

do any of you know if that is true?

everytime i see the babble fish for translation on a website, i wonder if her story was true and if perhaps watchtower has contributed to the internet powers or some of the groups that have provided these translations and if more language translations would be available in the future as more countries are opening to internet services.

dozy

The Watchtower doesn't have a language library as such , though they do have lots of translators (5,200 at the last count) , most of whom ae involved in translating WTS publications from English into another language. They don't have any translators capable of translating original Bible Greek or Hebrew into modern languages though - they left that up to Fred Franz and other experts in the past.

Do the witnesses still believe that there will only be one language spoken in the new sysytem? One universal language?

Yes

What other institution would have such a collection of languages?

See above.

Do you think watchtower has shared their language information with other repositories?

No. The WTS doesn't have "language information"or any resource as such , they have teams of volunteer translators ( of various abilities) who get given a Watchtower or Awake , or new publication and told to translate it. A couple of translators post on JWD. The WTS wouldn't share any information as they don't have any to share , though I would imagine that they would use repositories and libraries for research purposes , as they did , controversially , in the case of the UN library.

3

My Story: Part 6 Their World Is Not Enough

by truthseeker in

part 1: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/163998/1.ashx.

part 2: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/164136/1.ashx.

part 3: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/7/164163/1.ashx.

dozy

Thanks for sharing your experience , brother

Fascinating...

11

One possible reason for current changes

by dozy in

jw
friends

i know that the wtbts generally dont give two hoots about the elders (this weeks wt describes the elders as imperfect , make mistakes etc while making no such admission for the fds) but it is interesting that the thrust of much of the recent changes is to reduce the elders workload.

notice three recent changes.

reduction from taking an hours book study every week to an occasional 30 minute study.

dozy

I know that the WTBTS generally don’t give two hoots about the elders (this weeks WT describes the elders as imperfect , make mistakes etc while making no such admission for the FDS) but it is interesting that the thrust of much of the recent changes is to reduce the elders workload. Notice three recent changes…

Reduction from taking an hours book study every week to an occasional 30 minute study.
Deleting two of the three elders talks at the TMS.
Reduced time & number of items on the service meeting.

All of these are changes that quite dramatically reduce the elders workload. It could be in a reasonably sized cong that an elder only needs to take the book study once every couple of months , perhaps one service meeting every month or even six weeks and only needs to give a talk on the TMS once every three months (MS are also allowed to take bible highlights & service meeting items (I assume)).

Are the WTBTS especially concerned about the lack of elders and the number coming off with burnout or disillusionment? I heard one report that the number of elders in the USA is the same today than it was in the 1970’s. There also seems to be very few coming up through the ranks. A few years ago I looked in at a MS Kingdom Ministry school to see a friend. The MS were virtually all older journeymen Jws who had reached the peak of their potential - very few younger brothers who would stand any chance of gaining “elder status” in the future.

1

My Story: Part 4 The Pursuit of Happiness

by truthseeker in

my story: part 4 the pursuit of happiness.

part 1: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/163998/1.ashx.

part 2: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/164136/1.ashx.

dozy

Well written & fascinating. Thanks for sharing...

99

Pioneer hours change

by JWFreak in

jw
friends

it's just a label who cares

dozy

Start date new service year (1.9.08)

99

Pioneer hours change

by JWFreak in

jw
friends

it's just a label who cares

dozy

There is an obvious correlation with the hourly requirement for reg pios now being the same for aux pios that the WTS hopes that many "regular" auxiliarys will just step up to becoming regulars.

There is a lot of research into models of pricing - companies spend millions in research trying to place their prices at the optimum level. The concern that the WTS will have is that existing pios will just slacken off without enough new ones coming forward. My gut reaction is that most of those who are already pioneering are already on the list , though the new levels may tempt a few. The other problem is that this process is a one way street for the WTS - they can reduce hourly requirements but not increase them.

What I would have suggested is retaining the existing "bands" and introducing a new "baby pioneer" level designed as a "step-up" for potential pioneers and a realistic occasional attainment for full time workers. I wouldn't have included this as a "pioneer status" though & would have stressed the transitional element in the title.

99

Pioneer hours change

by JWFreak in

jw
friends

it's just a label who cares

dozy

Why change the hours & why such severe cuts (consensus at the DC was 60 / 40)? No doubt the WTS will say that it is due to "the increasing pressures from the world" , "difficulty of making a living in these troubled times" & "increases in gas , energy & food costs" but I just don't see the point. The number of aux & reg pios ( at least in the UK ) is increasing sharply on the current hour requirement.

My assumption is that there is almost a new "benchmark" being set - maybe they are trying to set a level where they feel that virtually all JWs should be in some time of "full time service" , with almost an assumption that all elders & ms should share at least once a year. If you aren't at least aux pio a few times a year , then you will be regarded as "spiritually weak". "With this new loving provision from Jhs org , many more bros will be able to enjoy the privilege of sharing in full-time service."

18

SHOULD A JW GET INVOLVE WITH THUGS?

by badboy in

jw
friends

would wt disapprove of such a person?

dozy

SHOULD A JW USE CAPITALS?

SHOULD A JW PRESS "CAPS LOCK" OCCASIONALLY?

16

"No Pioneer has ever starved to death"

by B_Deserter in

ever hear that little nugget of wisdom?

you want to know why that's true?.

because it is darn near impossible to starve to death in the united states!!!!

dozy

Even the WTS has admitted that some witnesses , no doubt including pioneers , have starved to death.

***

yb02p.153Ukraine***

In 1944, seven brothers from one congregation in Bukovina refused to join the military and were sentenced to from three to four years’ imprisonment each. Four of them starved to death in prison. That same year five brothers from a nearby congregation were sentenced to ten years each in a Siberian prison camp. Only one of them returned home—the others died there... In the late 1940’s, many of the brothers from Ukraine, Moldavia, and Belarus starved to death in Soviet prisons

14

Proof the GB don't know what the hell they are doing

by slimboyfat in

another poster (dozy) mentioned this briefly on another thread, but i don't think anyone picked up on it and it deserves its own thread i think.

you know how there was a special announcement a few weeks ago saying that book study groups are stopping from january 2009?

well take a look at these comments in the new book ("keep yourselves in god's love") released at this year's conventions, under the heading "be obedient to those who are taking the lead" on page 48:.

dozy

I go for the “incompetent” label as well , sad to say.

I don’t see a lot of coherence or strategy from the WTS. I suppose if you have a few old(ish) men without any business experience trying to run a large organisation you are going to have problems. Throw into the mix the fact that they sincerely think that they are God’s channel.

If we assume that much of the current changes are influenced by lawyers and the perceived threat of liability , then nothing much has changed. The GB have always seemed to be very ready to listen to their lawyers and take whatever action they recommend. For example in the UK , the WTS conformed with great zeal to Data Protection legislation , scrapping S8s and going far beyond what was anticipated in the legislation.

I’m assuming that a presentation that insurers were refusing to cover the WTS for potential liability for home bible study groups and an increasing financial burden to look after COs & their wives has triggered the current moves.

Next move : looking ahead , I can foresee a time where Jws sign a written “contract” of sorts with the organisation - something already several churches in the USA have adopted. This would mean that , for example , the witness agrees to abide by the rules of the organisation and that the JW would be bound to be unsuccessful in suing if they were disfellowshipped. It would formalise in writing the two questions asked at the time of baptism and the questions in the OD book.

Speculating here , but what about meetings for service held in private homes? Surely these have to be under threat as well.