Just in case you slept in this morning and didn't get to the KH, here's an MP3 of the letter being read....
No More Bookstudies (Look To The Right of the Screen: 2007427_announcement.mp3): http://www.divshare.com/download/4361643-f65
You will notice that the announcement says that the Bookstudy is now to be referred to as the Congregation Bible Study. Who are they trying to kid? We have never studied the Bible. It has always been a book written by someone in the organization telling us what the Bible says.
It also mentions that gas prices is one of the reasons for the elimination of the Bookstudy. Well, even though gas prices in the United States have skyrocketed, there are other places in the world that pay far more for gas than we do. If the part about doing it because of gas prices were true, they would eliminate the study immediately, not six months from now. Maybe they have special communication with Jehovah who told them that they should wait six months?
This is all just spin. The real reasons are entirely different and non-spiritual. Remember when we stopped selling the Watchtower and Awake from door to door and gave them away for a contribution? Well, the organization said at that time that the reason was that more people could receive lifegiving information. Bull crap! The real reason was a lawsuit against one of the televangelist and it was decided that religions would now pay tax on all goods sold. So the Watchtower, seeing the writing on the wall, stopped asking for money and gave the magazines away on a contribution basis. The publisher was still expected to pay for them though and all contributions were given to the organization. Quite a little racket.
3 comments:
Hmm, I guess there was an announcement at the Watchtower Study about a change in the Book Study.
I am not sure if I agree with your conclusions, but the information you acquired appeared to be correct
The fuel reason is so specious. Most JWs know that the book study was setup to be closest to one's home. They are spaced out fairly evenly in a congregation's territory. I guess one could say that one less trip would help with gas. But then why eliminate the shortest trip. What about field service? Why not simplify that? Allow people to count activities close to home or even in the home that is pastoral or ministerial in nature as time? That would save fuel, money and build family relationships. All they seem to care about is studying. Note their suggestion that the book study be replaced by a family study. It amazes me just how insular these old men really are. They are disconnected from the people that they claim to serve.
When I was a JW Bethelites were sometimes sent to congregation 50 miles away. Also in other countries there reports of JWs walking long distances to the meetings. Such is not usually the case in most of the U.S., but you need to take into account these other areas
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