Do JW's examine the nature of the imagery of their sect?

Getting to know more about a particular group

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
User avatar
William
Savant
Posts: 14000
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 8:11 pm
Location: Te Waipounamu
Has thanked: 906 times
Been thanked: 1629 times
Contact:

Do JW's examine the nature of the imagery of their sect?

Post #1

Post by William »

Imagery is a powerful device in which to capture the imaginations of individuals for the purpose of enticing them into supporting that which is imaged.

Every business - secular or religious based - know the importance of imagery in relation to attracting investors/supporters of said business.

Q: What are the kind of people who are attracted to JW imagery, and why do these particular types fill a niche in the market?

The organisation is able to be studied in this light, as an example as to how long it takes for a small business to gain popularity and how long it takes for the business to grow in the hustle-bustle of the market place and what clientele the organisation is attracting which are otherwise not accounted for in said market place.

The image below, is just one of many which are used to attract a particular type of human being with the expectation of getting them to part with money, and the method used to spread this organisations advertising involves getting the clients themselves to promote the business by freely distributing the propaganda door to door, not even having to pay said clients for the service, as the clients believe they are doing so for the Christian sects claimed leader, "Jehovah", and therefore willingly promote the JW.Org for free, based upon the promise of reward "When Jesus (Jehovah's representative) returns" - or some similar type promise. "Pay in this life - get your reward for service in the next"

With images of what that promised next life will be like.

Image

There are of course many types of imagery used by this organisation, which gives a clear indication of the types of individuals that the business is focused upon attracting, to build the numbers and maintain their piece of the action in the marketplace.

The image above, represents a white middle-class nuclear family walking hand in hand toward an idyllic scene, appropriately costumed in acceptable garb, and no other humans around.

Q: What does this image invoke in the individual who identifies with it?
Q: Who is most likely going to identify with it?

Obviously the JW organisation is reaching out to white middle class family orientated folk as one type of customer in which they feel their message will take hold and earn money from.

I, for one, can bear witness to the fact that white middle class people representing the organization are predominately the ones knocking on my door, trying to get me to buy into the JW.orgs imagery.

User avatar
JehovahsWitness
Savant
Posts: 21073
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:03 am
Has thanked: 790 times
Been thanked: 1114 times
Contact:

Post #71

Post by JehovahsWitness »

[Replying to post 70 by William]

No problem, do you have another picture you would like to discuss? If so feel free to post it (if you can include a www.jw.org source reference that would be much appreciated)

Kind Regards,

JW
INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681


"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" -
Romans 14:8

User avatar
William
Savant
Posts: 14000
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 8:11 pm
Location: Te Waipounamu
Has thanked: 906 times
Been thanked: 1629 times
Contact:

Post #72

Post by William »

[Replying to post 5 by JehovahsWitness]
Jesus is recorded as mentioning the kingdom of God more than any other topic during his ministry. Indeed it was the main theme of his preaching and the subject he sent his disciples out to preach about. He claimed to be the KING of this kingdom, promised his followers ruling authority and taught as such they would return to earth (after their deaths), to judge and kill off wicked people, give the planet earth to the meek and thereafter to live forever in heaven with God and the angels.
Are there any JWOrg images which portray the bit where you wrote;
to judge and kill off wicked people
?

User avatar
JehovahsWitness
Savant
Posts: 21073
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:03 am
Has thanked: 790 times
Been thanked: 1114 times
Contact:

Post #73

Post by JehovahsWitness »

to judge and kill off wicked people
REVELATION 19: 11-14

I saw heaven opened, and look! a white horse. And the one seated on it is called Faithful and True, and he judges and carries on war in righteousness. ... he is clothed with an outer garment stained with blood, and he is called by the name The Word of God. Also, the armies in heaven were following him on white horses
LUKE 19:27

But bring here these enemies of mine, who did not want me to rule over them, and slaughter them in my presence - Christian Standard Bible
Image

SOURCE: https://www.jw.org/en/publications/maga ... dom-comes/



MATTHEW 25: 31-32, 41, 46

“When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit down on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. .. Then he will say to those on his left: Go away from me, you who have been cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. These will depart into everlasting cutting-off...
MATTHEW 24:37-39

For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. For as they were in those days before the Flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and they took no note until the Flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be
2 PETER 2:9

... unrighteous people to be destroyed on the day of judgment
All passages NWT unless otherwise stated





RELATED POSTS
Is love compatible with killing?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 39#p952839

What does the bible say God will do to wicked people?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 34#p944434

How will God treat the incorrigibly wicked Harmageddon? [garbage]
viewtopic.php?p=1064666#p1064666

What does the bible mean when it speaks about ARMAGEDDON?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 89#p865289

What role will the resurrected Jesus (Michael) play in the out working of God's purpose for humanity?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 86#p916886

Is God more "killer" than kind?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 54#p959154

To learn more please go to other posts related to ...

ARMAGEDDON, DIVINE WAR and ...KILLING IN SCRIPTURE
Last edited by JehovahsWitness on Sun Oct 30, 2022 2:40 pm, edited 7 times in total.
INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681


"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" -
Romans 14:8

User avatar
William
Savant
Posts: 14000
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 8:11 pm
Location: Te Waipounamu
Has thanked: 906 times
Been thanked: 1629 times
Contact:

Post #74

Post by William »

Note.

The image provided does not align with the original quote which we were told that followers of Jesus would be given ruling authority and allowed to return to earth after having died, and Judge and kill off wicked people.

In the image we see a different thing taking place. A bearded European riding a horse and holding a golden bow, coming out of what appears to be some kind of portal from some alternate reality of giant humanoid beings.

What can be seen in this image is the propensity for the Org to have the hero figure appear to be European. This seems to be a standard practice as can be verified in most of the organizations imagery the JW proselytizer brings to this table.

Indeed, the quotes which the proselytizer brings with the imagery also do not fit with her statement quoted in post #72. Perhaps she is confused as to what she was asked to bring to the table, because she appears to have brought a completely different story.

User avatar
JehovahsWitness
Savant
Posts: 21073
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:03 am
Has thanked: 790 times
Been thanked: 1114 times
Contact:

Post #75

Post by JehovahsWitness »

[Replying to post 74 by William]

Opinion noted.


Did you have a Watchtower image you would like to post? If so feel free (source would be appreciated)


JW
INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681


"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" -
Romans 14:8

User avatar
William
Savant
Posts: 14000
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 8:11 pm
Location: Te Waipounamu
Has thanked: 906 times
Been thanked: 1629 times
Contact:

Post #76

Post by William »

William wrote: [Replying to post 1 by marco]

Symbolism is important not only to religious institution, but to every institution.

Imagery is very important as a means to advertise something for sale.

In organised religion, what is for sale may not be presented in that manner - directly - but somewhere along the line, if the imagery does its job, then those who allow themselves to be influenced by it, will eventual buy it.

In the thread:

Do JW's examine the nature of the imagery of their sect?

the focus is on the imagery of that particular sect of Christendom, and I am satisfied that not much thought is placed in examining the nature of the imagery presented by the sect artists and published into the world, by those who go out of their way to proselytize the sect.

The main reason I focused upon this sect of Christianity had to do with the fact that there is prevailing proselyting by sect members in this message board, and that they also claim not to be a part of Christendom and go to some lengths to demonize it.
Yet they still - most obviously use tried and true methods which have been instituted by Traditional Christianity, to promote and sell their brand...and the imagery is pretty much the same. Images of European's are frequently portrayed in the roles of the biblical hero's...
Q: How important are these pictures in Christianity?
As with all advertising, imagery is very important. Taking into account that words form images, a lot of Christian imagery is taken from the bible, and re-imaged to attract a certain type of clientele. Perhaps that is what Paul meant when he said "be all things to all men..."
It appears that this is what Christianity really is...a re-imaging of the parent religion(s) which themselves are children of even more ancient religious imagery, which was re-imaged to suit the prevailing culture.
Q: Would an uglier face of the Lord be less acceptable?
If 'ugly' in this context equals "Less acceptable to the target audience" then - humans being humans - images to worship are less meaningful if they are less identifiable with images one has of ones self.

This is why GOD is often imaged upon a throne, and just as often is costumed in the skin of a European.

To accept such imagery is to imply that IF ones self were GOD, THEN this is how GOD would 'look'.

Culturally, this is understandable enough. But culture is a base human consignment, and has about as much to do with the reality of GOD, as anything else which constitutes base human activity.

The idea of using images as a means of attracting a target audience is at least as old as human beings.

More images the JW proselytizer has offered shows - yet again - the propensity for the orgs artists to paint the heroes of biblical imagery as European, and even the GOD, Jesus, and the Angels are given the European complexions.

Post 46: Sat Apr 27, 2019 6:46 am Re: Does a mythical Jesus make a difference?

Image

Post 49: Sat Apr 27, 2019 6:46 am Re: Does a mythical Jesus make a difference?

Image

User avatar
JehovahsWitness
Savant
Posts: 21073
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:03 am
Has thanked: 790 times
Been thanked: 1114 times
Contact:

Post #77

Post by JehovahsWitness »

INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681


"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" -
Romans 14:8

User avatar
William
Savant
Posts: 14000
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 8:11 pm
Location: Te Waipounamu
Has thanked: 906 times
Been thanked: 1629 times
Contact:

Post #78

Post by William »

[Replying to post 77 by JehovahsWitness]
the propensity for the orgs artists to paint the heroes of biblical imagery as European, and even the GOD, Jesus, and the Angels are given the European complexions.
The reader could be more impressed if the imagery in that link showed the JWorg creates imagery which depicts the GOD, Jesus and the angels as other than European.

Address that. Show us such imagery.

User avatar
JehovahsWitness
Savant
Posts: 21073
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:03 am
Has thanked: 790 times
Been thanked: 1114 times
Contact:

Post #79

Post by JehovahsWitness »

INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681


"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" -
Romans 14:8

User avatar
JehovahsWitness
Savant
Posts: 21073
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:03 am
Has thanked: 790 times
Been thanked: 1114 times
Contact:

Post #80

Post by JehovahsWitness »

[Replying to post 78 by William]

JW illustration - an angel as a "non-European"
Image

SOURCE: https://www.jw.org/en/publications/book ... creatures/
INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681


"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" -
Romans 14:8

Post Reply