Posts by konceptual99

74

The Watchtower's Real Crisis

by JeffT in

jw
friends

when discussing the watchtowers financial problems, i've generally been of the opinion that they probably are not in a real financial crisis.

i've come to believe that money may be something of an issue, but its wrapped up in a much larger problem.

this came to me this morning when reading about the annual meeting.. i think the society's leadership is just plain out of ideas.

They have a massive issue in that nothing is panning out in the way they expected. Time goes on and the world keeps turning. 1914 and the generation has become a joke even amongst the faithful. They cannot make any statement that has any meaning about TKOTN since they know they don't have a clue. Predictions about the outworking of events leading to the big A and things like Gog of Magog are woolly and predicated on future events that can always be alluded to but never firmly established with concrete certainty. The figures they publish show the exact opposite in terms of indicators that were used to imply the nearness of the end 20, 30, 40+ years ago. Sustained large increases in certain fields have slowed, in some places reversed.

The doctrine and predictions are as unsatisfying when peeled back as everything they have ever criticised Christendom for and I think they know it. They seem to have accepted that the only route to sustaining some kind of base is to lock in the born-ins and try and offset yearly losses through some organic growth but mainly by getting kids to get baptised.

7

Door-to-door Going Forward

by berrygerry in

i found that the sale (placement) of books and magazines was always a challenge, but it was still attainable.

when the magazines switched from semi-monthly to monthly, magazine calls were automatically cut in half.

return visits that were made "just to say hi" were hugely awkward.. i never participated in the "please watch a video on my tablet" work, but i would imagine that the fail rate compared to magazine placement is massive.. reducing magazine frequency yet again would make me worked up inside.

konceptual99

I actually think that their approach has been changing to try and claim they are concentrating on reaching as many people as possible. The carts are in public places, where people are. JW.org is available 24/7 in hundreds of languages so that (in principle) anyone anywhere can access Bible Truth (tm) without the need to wait for someone to knock on their door. The D2D work continues in exactly the same way in terms of organisation and with the same visibility and focus.

The latest reduction in magazines and the shift to essentially a round robin of brochures means that Witnesses shall be encouraged to push route calls to being progressive studies or drop them for more productive work. The use of electronic media is natural for many people now and saves precious resources.

The R&F don't see a reduction in focus on preaching and are lapping up the changes.

Of course, the reality is that all of the above allow the WTS to reduce the manpower and resources needed to produce the literature. It saves an enormous amount of monthly burn and will make what they have last longer.

I've no idea if there is any knowledge or understanding that they are increasingly going through the motions, have no hope of realistically reaching let alone converting vast numbers of the global population, are actively undermining the sense of urgency they try and create elsewhere and are sacrificing whatever efficacy with preaching they had simply for fiscal gains.

What I can see is that they are increasingly open (desperate even) about getting born in kids baptised at as early an age as possible, perhaps recognising their only hope for long term survival is to bag the hearts and minds of young people as early as possible.

37

Do They Still do Door-to-Door as Much as Before?

by cofty in

since the advent of the trolleys do the majority of jws still go door to door like we used to?.

do they still have meetings for field service on sat mornings and sun afternoons where most head off to the local territory while one or two go to do trolley work or has the importance of door to door work reduced?.

with the reduction of printing wts and awakes what will they offer at the doors?.

konceptual99

The door to door work has not decreased in terms of opportunity. There are still the same number of meetings for field service as their always has been through the week and at the weekend. Territory is still worked in exactly the same way.

Attendance and participation in the door to door ministry is still as much a requirement for MS and elders as it ever was.

Most congregations organise the carts so as not to conflict with field service events, especially at the weekend. I suspect this is an instruction from the org but don't have a reference to hand. So those on a cart on a Saturday may start at 10:30/11:00 for example, and then it be manned until perhaps 12:30 or 13:00.

The Metropolitan Witnessing arrangement, which is basically the same cart work as everyone else but with a fancy badge so only the select few can take part is slightly different in that this work takes place for far longer, all day into the evening typically, but because it's essentially limited to pioneers then it's OK to conflict with congregation FS events.

So standard congregation cart work is not meant to be a substitute for other FS activities. The reality is that there are undoubtedly some who offset door to door work with standing for hours babysitting a trolley.

The other thing to consider is that Witnesses are encouraged to use videos on the ministry now far more. It's back to the days of the phonograph except now the literature side of it is not printed but electronic.

I don't have any insight on the impact on the ministry in terms of how regularly maps are worked but my wife does not seem to think there are less people out and she goes midweek and on a Saturday. She has not done the cart yet.

14

Simplified study watchtower

by Saltheart Foamfollower in

there seems to be some confusion over what is happening with the study edition of the watchtower - i notice it isn't mentioned in the letter to be read out.

if, as seems likely, it is going to be dumbed down even further then i think this could be the first step to shortening the watchtower study (to 30 mins?

) - it is the only meeting not to have been reduced in recent years.

konceptual99

I would speculate that is not just because the Spanish field is where they have had significant growth over the past few years but that this growth has been especially in poorer, less highly educated communities that still have a relatively high proportion of religious adherents. I don't think it's coincidence that they wanted to simplify the text for this audience.

14

Simplified study watchtower

by Saltheart Foamfollower in

there seems to be some confusion over what is happening with the study edition of the watchtower - i notice it isn't mentioned in the letter to be read out.

if, as seems likely, it is going to be dumbed down even further then i think this could be the first step to shortening the watchtower study (to 30 mins?

) - it is the only meeting not to have been reduced in recent years.

konceptual99

The Spanish edition of the study was turned into a single edition a while back. This uses simplified language. This same approach is being implemented with the English language version.

The reasons?

Firstly there is only one document to produce. Less cost.

Secondly it means that ideas are presented in a way that can be easily assimilated. You'd think that simplification would fail to satisfy those with some intellectual capacity but I think the evidence is that people like having this stuff on a plate. Those who wish to have a pseudo intellectual toss off session over things when answering, having private conversations or posting on jwtalk can still do so.

Thirdly it paves the way for a future reduction in the meeting length and/or merging with the CLAM workbook.

11

Why I think the Trinity doctrine is an irrelevant talking point with JWs, and what I believe could be a better approach.

by Island Man in

there are no authentic/uncontested bible verses that prove a trinity.

the trinity doctrine is arrived at by inferences - not unlike the way that jws arrive at the doctrine that jesus is michael the archangel.

the jw proof texts against the trinity are at least as strong, if not stronger than, trinity proof texts.

konceptual99

I don't think the majority of dubs under the age of 30 could debate the doctrine anyway. It's becoming all about emotion.

130

2017 Annual Meeting

by Jules Saturn in

this just in from the 2017 annual meeting:.

1. watchtowers and awakes won't be released regularly, at least three watchtower and awakes per year.

6 magazines a year.. 2. a new book is being released: remain in god's love, more of an update like how they did for the what does the bible really teach book.

konceptual99

Spot on Gorby.

20

Just Got Dubbed..

by snugglebunny in

jw
friends

so there i was earlier today, enjoying a spot of lunch in a pleasant little cafe whilst out shopping, when up came a fella i vaguely recognised from the dim and distant past just as i was tucking into my highland soup with bread roll and butter..

"i would never ignore you you know".. "eh?

what" i ventured wondering wtf is this all about.

konceptual99

Agree with joe. When I was waking up I made a concious effort to acknowledge the DFed and inactive I came across. His manner may have been awkward but I think it shows that there are those in the org that struggle with the exclusion of those who are DFed or inactive.

I get the cynicism over some of these acts but better that than a perpetuation of cult tactics IMHO.

42

U.K. NHS Attitude to Blood Transfusion and its Safety

by BluesBrother in

while visiting someone at the local hospital i saw this leaflet " will i need a blood transfusion ?

- patient information" .

now i was raised in the belief that doctors are transfusion-happy and just give you one willy nilly if they operate , further that a trans.