WTS Writing Department (Brooklyn) 1976 - 1982

[JW Insider]

I was looking for some tax papers today, and found a stack of about 500 pages in my own filing cabinets. These were items from Brooklyn Bethel that I hadn't looked at in nearly 40 years. Thought someone else might get a kick out of them before I toss most of them out. One includes a first draft example of an actual assignment given to someone who worked alongside the Writing Department but who was not actually in that Department. I thought it might give some insight to the types of assignments that a "junior researcher" might get back in those days. It's also seems so odd now that we had filing cabinets filled with clippings, photos, and unused articles and experiences back before the days of scanners and pdfs.

One two-page bit of correspondence was for someone asking about alternative medicines, quartz, Native American herbs, etc. I'll include that one first.

I'd say more, but I just heard that Notre Dame in Paris is burning, and must get back to my taxes.

[Melinda Mills]

Quite a nice letter. 

[JW Insider]

Here's one that Brother Swingle wrote to the whole department:

 

[JW Insider]

The experience file he mentioned contained approximately the following headings at the time:

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

I have many, many times shared Bro. Swingle's opinion that " ..if the lives of actual people were brought more into the write-up" it would carry more power.

Intellectual integrity naturally intrinsically generates good journalism, and answers the questions "who, what, when, where, and how much" .... and sometimes "why", which is the most important.

For me, "Bob and Alice, pioneers in a city in Estonia  ..... " .... just does not cut it for me.

If it cannot be independently checked ... it didn't happen ... is bad journalism ... and lacks intellectual integrity ... AND IS NOT WORTHY OF BEING BELIEVED!!

... and should NOT be believed at face value.

... The stuff Novels are made of.

I find it completely amazing that adults putting out a publication of global scope .... ignore principles that I was taught in the 7th grade English class, and are still true and valid today.

 

 

..... sigh ....

 

 

[Srecko Sostar]

To read and find out the experiences of other people have great value.

However, this may become a problem if the solution to some of the life situations, that somebody has achieved, wishes to imitate in full or in full imagined detail (details that are not known to anyone who read the article).

Another issue, even bigger, arises when publisher's article tries to direct his readers to the idea how this is the way. And how that process of attempts to act, in similar or the same  way, would be blessed by God.

And as more dangerous is idea, how exactly this way is the only right way.

[TrueTomHarley]

5 hours ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

For me, "Bob and Alice, pioneers in a city in Estonia  ..... " .... just does not cut it for me.

Very well. Bob and Alice Goodenov, pioneers in a city in Estonia, caught the two Russian journalists, actually named people, so you know they are credible, recording a congregation meeting to see if there was any way they could rearrange things to make JWs look nuts, and blew them into Estonian intelligence, who banned them for five years.

https://www.theworldnewsmedia.org/forums/topic/78948-estonia-cancels-visas-of-russian-television-journalists-over-a-discriminatory-film-about-jehovah-witnesses/

Another way to look at it is that it is the play that the HQ brothers are following, not the actors in the play. You don’t have to know the names of the actors to follow the play. It can even be a distraction if you do.

Best regards,

One person who writes in the United States 

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

 

5 hours ago, TrueTomHarley said:

Very well. Bob and Alice Goodenov, pioneers in a city in Estonia, caught the two Russian journalists, actually named people,

I have it on good authority that the two Russian Journalists were Boris and Natasha Badenov, working under the direction of those notorious American rascals, Moose and Squirrel.

When you see a flying squirrel, and a moose pulling a rabbit out of a hat ... always suspect there may actually be a Russian Bear in the hat.

[Chloe Newman]

These historic letters are very interesting ... please share more.

I especially enjoyed the first one ... excellent, balanced advice re alternative health treatments.

Many in the congregation today are not following this council ... esp those into herbal and

holistic medicine!

WCL

Chloe

 

[JW Insider]

13 hours ago, BillyTheKid46 said:

To me, this is exactly as it looks. A Bethel Member stealing unauthorized material from Bethel. Perhaps in the hope of someday using it against the Watchtower, somehow.

LOL. I'm always happy to address a challenge. In this case you have claimed that I stole unauthorized material, perhaps hoping to use it against the Watchtower, somehow.

I did not steal anything. And I'm not sure what would make certain material "unauthorized." I suppose you could argue that only material that was published in our publications was authorized. But does that mean that everything else that any Bethelite saved or collected must be destroyed? Really?

Also, this first letter I shared actually went out to a sister and was therefore "published" (with only minor alterations) and the material was reused for future letters on the topic. I have three letters from Governing Body members that were written to me personally. Should I destroy them? One was a letter of recommendation to help me get a secular job after I left Bethel. Do you really think we should be ashamed of or hide anything that goes on behind the scenes at Bethel? You think that we shouldn't talk about any of these things, or that we shouldn't share anything that was written?

You appear to be afraid that this material I saved could be used against the Watchtower, somehow. Anything that I kept, I saved out of a spirit of appreciation for the experience I had at Bethel, which was a wonderful experience. I wanted to remember it and I kept things that would help me remember it. If I had wanted to find a way to use them against the Watchtower, I don't think I would have waited about 40 years to share them.

I admit that I have also shared experiences from Bethel that we could (and should) learn from. Even a negative experience could be profitable to others. I find that most people hold back on this count because they think that certain types of negative experiences cannot be profitable to anyone. This flies in face of scripture. Did Paul hold back from telling the Galatians and Corinthians about negative experiences? Did Jesus hold back? Did not Paul say we should be imitators of Paul himself?

(Acts 20:20) while I did not hold back from telling you any of the things that were profitable . . .

(1 Corinthians 10:6-12) . . .Now these things became examples for us, in order for us not to desire injurious things, as they desired them. 7 Neither become idolaters, as some of them did; just as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink. Then they got up to have a good time.” 8 Neither let us practice sexual immorality, as some of them committed sexual immorality, . . .  11 Now these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for a warning to us upon whom the ends of the systems of things have come. 12 So let the one who thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall.

(1 Corinthians 4:14-5:6) 14 I am writing these things, not to put you to shame, but to admonish you as my beloved children. . . .  16 I urge you, therefore, become imitators of me. . . . 18 Some are puffed up with pride,. . . 5 Actually sexual immorality is reported among you, and such immorality as is not even found among the nations. . . 6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven ferments the whole batch of dough?

Neither Jesus nor Paul held back from sharing things that were profitable, both old and new.

(Matthew 13:51, 52) . . .” 52 Then he said to them: “That being the case, every public instructor who is taught about the Kingdom of the heavens is like a man, the master of the house, who brings out of his treasure store things both new and old.”

(Mark 4:22) . . .For there is nothing hidden that will not be exposed; nothing is carefully concealed that will not come out in the open.

[Chloe Newman]

Nice reply ... however remember "love is not easily provoked"! (1 Cor 13:5).

WCL

Chloe

 

[JW Insider]

1 hour ago, Chloe Newman said:

Nice reply ... however remember "love is not easily provoked"! (1 Cor 13:5).

A good reminder, especially in view of the assembly theme.