The Watchtower - The Most Widely Read Magazine in the World

[Brother_Bliss]

And yes, it's official from an outside source...

http://nyrm.org/2010/05/13/the-most-widely-read-magazine-in-the-world/

By Joel Meares

It’s the first Saturday of March and a perfect day for Jehovah’s

Witnessing. The sky is clear, the air is crisp and a fresh copy of The

Watchtower, stamped March 1, 2010, is ready to be distributed.

At least, I assume it’s a good day for Witnessing; this is my first

time. Frank and Lydia Tavolacci — from a Jehovah’s Witness congregation

in Glendale, Queens — have invited me along for a morning of

door-knocking in their mostly residential neighborhood. A longtime

recipient of the Witnesses’ famous “good news” wakeup calls, I jumped at

the chance to see what it’s like on the other side of the door.

More...

http://nyrm.org/2010/05/13/the-most-widely-read-magazine-in-the-world/

- Bob

[Brother_Bliss]

Someone just sent me another story on the same subject...

What is most widely read magazine in world?

A lot of magazines are struggling in this era of the Internet. But a few are doing well. Many North American think the most successful magazines around now are either The Economist or O, The Oprah Magazine.

But the most widely read magazine in the world is not the rigorously-edited global affairs magazine with a business emphasis, nor TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey's contribution to health, happiness and spiritual growth.

No, the world's most popular magazine is religious.

It is The Watchtower.

It is the official publication of the Jehovah's Witnesses.

A recent story in The New York Times explored the theologically conservative magazine's remarkable success, which is based on several factors -- particularly that it's free and distributed by an army of volunteers around the world, especially in rural areas and the Third World.

Here is an excerpt from the NYT feature:

"Every month, nearly 40 million copies of The Watchtower are printed in more than 180 languages and sent to 236 countries. There are no subscriptions and you won’t find it on newsstands, but it’s still hard to miss. Thanks to the efforts of Witnesses ... The Watchtower is the most widely distributed magazine in the world, with a circulation of more than 25 million. Last year, the world’s 7.3 million-strong Jehovah’s Witnesses spent 1.5 billion hours knocking on doors and “street Witnessing” — stopping folks in parks and on streets — to preach the “good news” with a copy of The Watchtower. Its closest competitors are AARP The Magazine (circulation 24.3 million) and Better Homes and Gardens (7.6 million). It doesn’t hurt that The Watchtower has been free since 1990, with the option of a small donation."

The Watchtower, published in the U.S., is a doctrinal guide to Witness beliefs. March’s cover features a bearded scribe writing at a desk — over the cover line: “The Bible, Is It Really God’s Inspired Word?” Inside, a table of contents provides the answer. Page 4: “The Bible Really Is God’s Inspired Word.” Page 8: “Why You Can Trust the Biblical Gospels.”

The Jehovah's Witnesses formed in Pennsylvania in the late 1800s, and its ultra-convervative Biblical literalist beliefs are considered outside the Christian mainstream. Since its inception, the Watch Tower Society has taught that the present world order is in its last days and will soon be destroyed at Armageddon. It has stated that only Jehovah's Witnesses "have any Scriptural hope of surviving the impending end of this doomed system," but that God decides who will survive.

Despite rumors to the contrary, says the NYT, women can write for The Watchtower magazine, but not on scriptural matters. “That’s what the Bible indicates according to our concept of it,” assignment editor John Wischuck tells the NYT. “If they wanted to write something about dressmaking, a sister could do that. It might be in another case that she interviews another woman and writes up her life story. That would go through an editor or a rewrite.”

Article Source: The Vancouver Sun

[marcello]

How very fitting and logical that the Watchtower has attained this status, at this point in time,..and especially in view of the prophetic words of Jesus recorded at Matt. 24;14. I feel so honored and privileged to carry copies on my hip to people of the world. We could never do the job at hand without the great help of the written word. I am so happy for the FS who also may have heard this news about the Watchtower. They are doing/have done their God given assignment, and may Jah give us each the strength to do ours as successfully.

[HeKS]

It has stated that only Jehovah's Witnesses "have any Scriptural hope of surviving the impending end of this doomed system," but that God decides who will survive.

I wish they'd provided a citation for that one.

“If they wanted to write something about dressmaking, a sister could do that.

Egads! Did he really have to use that unfortunate example? What about a female doctor who wanted to write an article on a medical issue not related to doctrine? It seems to me that there would be nothing barring a woman from writing about any given subject that is not doctrinal in nature.

Ryan

[ReadYourBible]

"Egads! Did he really have to use that unfortunate example? What about a female doctor who wanted to write an article on a medical issue not related to doctrine? It seems to me that there would be nothing barring a woman from writing about any given subject that is not doctrinal in nature."

Ryan, I could give you a hug for that quote! Jehovah's Witness women come from all walks of life, and all educational levels!