Seems like protesting has been on the rise for a while... do you think Jehovah had us switch up the way we preach to protect his people from violence?

[comtemplate]

This is an article about the statistics and the rise of violence and protesting globally along with how some of the main reasons are due to anti- governmental protesting. I found it to be interesting. What are your thoughts?
 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/30/mapping-major-protests-around-the-world

[Shawnster]

I think we've switched up our ministry because there is a global pandemic that has taken the lives of 2.8 million people and counting. In order to protect all of us and our neighbors, especially those most vulnerable to this deadly virus, we have suspended door to door and public ministry in order to do our part to minimize the spread of coronavirus. 

 

Could you imagine how people would get mad at us or mistreat us if it looked like we were going door to door spreading this virus? 

[Lee49]

10 minutes ago, Shawnster said:

Could you imagine how people would get mad at us or mistreat us if it looked like we were going door to door spreading this virus? 

It seems like the only ones welcomed at the doors are Amazon deliveries, Door dash  and Instacart and no doors being opened, leave it on the porch and walk away!

[Brandon]

1 hour ago, comtemplate said:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/30/mapping-major-protests-around-the-world

What are your thoughts?

 

well, according to the graphic from this article...

 

...my thoughts are:  europeans appear to be very angry people

[M.J.]

"Seems like protesting has been on the rise for a while... do you think Jehovah had us switch up the way we preach to protect his people from violence?"

 

I think that this situation allowed everyone, especially the GB, to take a pause and reassess the world situation and how we function in it. And we can personally look at our lives and how we've been doing. In terms of the ministry, I know it's different in other countries, but here in the USA, at least in the city, it is no longer normal to have strangers knock on your door. The only people who do this are delivery persons. Salespeople or anyone else are simply ignored. No one opens the door. It's not socially acceptable anymore. People see it as extremely strange. Add to that, morning service is a very old habit, started over 100 years ago, when most women stayed at home. Morning service is now just a really bad habit. No one is ever home. Evening service, by phone, is much more productive, yet a lot of congregations are reluctant to implement it, and even when they do, it's only thought of as secondary. Morning service is still though of as the default primary mode, and that is reinforced by the CO when he comes. We are constantly told to behave like fishermen, fish when the fish are out, yet most people are creature of habit, and habits die hard. Factor in the economy and how two adult incomes are becoming more needed to survive, and less and less people will be able to preach in the morning. Add to this the violent element, where mass shooting are becoming commonplace, and people are developing a very violent disposition. On the other hand, we saw on the videos that in some places like Venezuela, despite the danger and violence, our brothers continue to preach, and gain the respect and tolerance of others in the community. In some countries, gang members will allow Witnesses to go through and preach because we are well identified as neutral and they know we stick to our ministry. But we also know that in some countries, things get so dangerous that even the missionaries are pulled out. Yet we know that the most effective way of preaching is face to face (now over zoom.) So yes, there is a lot to think about. 

[Shawnster]

27 minutes ago, M.J. said:

yet a lot of congregations are reluctant to implement it, and even when they do, it's only thought of as secondary. Morning service is still though of as the default primary mode, and that is reinforced by the CO when he comes.

That's one way to look at it. Yes, you have a point, but there is more to it.  Even when implemented, evening service is not as supported as mornings are.  Neither is Saturday afternoons nor Sundays after the meeting for congregations with Sunday morning meetings. 

 

This is understandable. Most Witnesses who work secularly work during the day and the last thinf they want to do after leaving work at 5pm is meet the group for service at 6pm 

 

Yes, you are right in that thus is the best time. Many a Watchtower and CO have encouraged evening witnessing as prime time to find people home. 

 

And, yes, it would be interesting to see a CO take the lead at least one evening during the week in the ministry. 

59 minutes ago, Brandon said:

 

well, according to the graphic from this article...

 

...my thoughts are:  europeans appear to be very angry people

"Data does not track US protests?" Why not? The US had at couple of protests in 2020.  

Edited March 31, 2021 by Shawnster

[M.J.]

21 minutes ago, Shawnster said:

Neither is Saturday afternoons nor Sundays after the meeting for congregations with Sunday morning meetings. 

And when you think about it, it makes so much more sense to preach in the afternoon. The average publisher works all week and wants to sleep in late on Saturday. AND, the person in our territory feels the exact same way. They hate when we knock on their door to early. So why don't we all sleep in late? LOL. Get some good sleep, sleep late, have brunch, and then start service, refreshed and ready to go. You can do about 3 hours, and still have time to go home, change, relax and plan a nice evening.

 

Example: 

Sleep in until 11 am

Dress and eat 11- 12

Preach 12-3

4 go home, shower/change, relax more

5 - start having fun 

 

If your a pioneer, you can also move the 3 hours of Sunday preaching to Saturday:

Preach Saturday from 12-6, and then have all of Sunday off (except for mtg) and you still slept in late on Saturday!

Edited March 31, 2021 by M.J.

[Dages]

3 hours ago, Brandon said:

europeans appear to be very angry people

In France, strikes and riots are like a national sport. 😅

We even have tshirt with : Je suis français, I ❤️ râler (I'm French, I love grumbling)

[.Ivan.]

i think nothing will be the same anymore, when states and cities open up after a pandemic, it will be slow, when we start meeting in halls and it will be slow, and when we go to people at the door, it could be interesting. due to long-term isolation, people are likely to be distrustful of strangers, so if they want to talk, they will choose any alternative form of communication instead of face-to-face .. unpredictable.

[Bob]

I don't personally see a link with the ministry and protests. The ONLY way I can see the door-to-door work being affected is if there is widespread violence. For example, the Capitol riot triggered a reminder to be careful and perhaps arrive home at an earlier time. 

 

If there was no pandemic and the BLM widespread violence and riots happened anyway, I'm sure the branch would have taken steps to protect us. But that would have been due to the murder and violence, not the protests themselves.