Is it me or has the WTS gotten worse? (page 3)

Finally-Free

I would predict we'll have another "1975" event coming up shortly that will galvanize JWs. Prolly a complete change from the 1914 chronology that will make the endtime close (within a decade). Those who do not learn from history.....

I'm sure they'll come up with another date but I don't think it'll happen too soon. I think they'll wait until the sanitizing of their history is a little more complete. Considering the relatively short shelf life of their teachings they'll probably eventually revert to electronic media for most of their publications. That way articles can be set to expire at a predetermined date and become unreadable. Anything to be printed and distributed would be very basic teachings or fluff articles like "The Resplendent Budgie".

W

TD

I think this is in line with Scully's list.

I remember when JW conventions had real orchestras and all JW's ranging from students in middle and high school bands to professional musicians were allowed to participate.

Not that JW music is especially pleasant to listen to but the camaraderie, the sense of fun and accomplishment both for the performers and the audience is an extremely valuable part of any church culture. Virtually every single denomination in the whole world recognizes this value, which is why you can find orchestras and choirs in almost any church.

This is yet another thing that the leadership, in their boundless stupidity chose to do away with.

This whole thread reminds me of one of Metatron's questions: "How can the leadership demand that JW's be separate from the world while they systematically dismantle and destroy the subculture which supports that separation?"

Finally-Free

This is yet another thing that the leadership, in their boundless stupidity chose to do away with.

The city overseer here told me that it was done away with because they didn't want the people playing the instruments to "become haughty" though I can't see how someone could become "haughty" just by playing kingdom songs. It seems to me that now, more than ever, they want to stifle any sort of personal achievement or anything that could cause an individual to feel any sort of self worth.

W

Ingenuous

You know, I really used to think that all the stuff with the assemblies, etc. actually was for simplification. But it clearly wasn't for the simplification of the lives of the R&F.

My family used to travel out-of-town to our relatives' place down south (7-8 hours) because my Mom has asthma and couldn't be outside (I think our district was the last to hold assemblies outside). She and my sister needed to be inside. It was always a lot of work to track down a store when we got there, buy enough food for the assembly, store it, and transport it to the assembly (in the theocratically-acceptable cooler size). That had to be a real hardship for those who were financially strapped and who had young children or disabilities.

Then my Mother's asthma got worse and she couldn't be around perfume or other strong fragrances. The Org made a specific announcement about there being no provision for air conditioning or "clean rooms" at the assemblies. (Clearly, others were suffering from the same thing.) So we had to run around to find an indoor assembly, run around for food, run around for non-smoking rooms with a reasonable distance from the assembly hall - not just due to travel time but in case my Mom or sister got sick and needed to leave immediately... in the middle of summer...

My Mom has to get the assemblies on video now; her sensitivities have gotten so serious they could kill her.

The "simplifications" don't help those who need help the most: those isolated due to health or socio-economic reasons. But I didn't realize that til now...

inquirer

@Lady Lee
Is it me or has the WTS gotten worse?

inquirer -- Yes (more yes than no), but it depends on what "perspective" you are talking about -- If you are an ex-J dub on this board -- then most assuredly yes!!! But if you are like defd or don't participate on the board then -- ... Actually you might think things are better now than before! Look at the reasons why:

Things look grim now because none of those prophecies ever came true!

*The special annointed generation
*no organ transplants
*Joe "Nazi" Rutherford (imagine living under his regime! -- the man who never preached door-to-door),
*1925 -- that house Joe built for all the faithful people in the Hebrew Scriptures -- Enoch, Abraham, Moses... Beth Sarim I think it was called.
*1975 -- Imagine living back then that sold their houses and businesses.
*Preaching with megaphones -- if any of you remember that.
*Charles pyramidologist --
*I was also shocked to learn they were still smoking in the 1970's -- that's an improvement surely!
I also remember a really old person who's was a JW for 50 years tell me they use to have to go through a list of points on why they should be a JW AT EVERY SINGLE STINKING HOUSE they went to when they went and did door to door work. I was shocked when I was told that! They had to do this until the door was slammed shut! That's definetly an improvement!
*No UN involvement!
*Special annointed generation -- not a continuous one!

Surely if you are a J dub now you don't miss these things!

Look at JW's post 1975:

*Regarding the assemblies it might make things easy by not having to serve in the kitchen -- just bring your own lunch now -- simple!
*Stay in one room on the Kingdom Ministry meeting -- another simple!
*I think one obvious thing that has changed is that J dubs are sloppier now in theachings. They don't argue what their points well at the doors,
*No more false dates -- except 2034 -- I think quotes was streching this slightly... Anyway JW's don't talk about this much.
*I don't think they preach much these days
*I guess they've branced out a bit with their preaching -- now they write letters and do cold calling. At least it's something different. It's a step forward.
*Watchtower CD -- It's great for us and for them.

It's difficult to give points that are positive these days. Both eras are bad! People always think the past as the good ol' times! But I would probably would say that back then post-Rutherford til 1975 was the best era... I say that with butterflies in my stomach... With ALL IT'S FAULTS I would choose this era because they were more strict and more inline with their teachings and they had hope the world was going to end soon! THESE PEOPLE HAD HOPE!!! PARADISE SOON! BABYLONG THE GREAT AS FALLEN!! SELL YOUR HOUSES -- Hey it would have been cool if it was all true!
Now they have become a laughing stock on the world community because none of what they said ever came true. And they appear unsettled on this blood issue because they make exceptions for people in Bulgaria.

So no era was good! It was all bad -- None of it was true and we would have found out about it sooner or later and find helpful websites like this one! So really no era was good. It was all bad -- Charles was a psycho -- his teachings were insane! Rutherford ran it like an army barracks, and everyone after him were pretty weak as dishwater! Choose your poison -- it doesn't matter which one -- it's not going to taste very good!

stillajwexelder

WORSE - Because that d-----h--d and w-----r JARACZ is in charge

ashitaka

I was born into it, and was pretty active during 80's-90's....left in 2000. I remember congregation volleyball games and huge fantastic picnics in the 80s. Sometimes I actually miss those days. For some reason, it all went to hell in the 90's. There was a certain paranoia that was present, that I cant describe. The rules started killing off the good JWs little by little, until only the true fanatics were left. It's really sad. It's all about control. Take away the games and recreation, and replace them with fear of losing family. What else do they need?

free2beme

It's a matter of perspective, your not in the organization anymore, so you notice things more and things seem more extreme. When in reality, you probably thought the same stuff was normal when you were among the organization. Kind of reminds me of what people say when they quit smoking.

LDH

Just fifteen years ago, when we served food at all of the assemblies, you didn't dare bring your own or you risked dirty looks, etc, because you weren't using the provision of the FDS and the food they had 'provided'.

NOW, Jehoober has seen fit to simplify things and you should bring your own food.

A total reversal of position in 15 years, and the witlesses just sit there and take it.

I think it's the same shit, different day.

steve2

I think the religion itself is much more negatively reactionary about change. Witnesses don't seem inclined to vigorously defend their faith the way they did in the past. There seem to be more warnings to "hold on" and "wait on Jehovah" directed at the restless young people who are leaving in droves.

From comments that I hear, the JWs are no where near as zealous in the door to door ministry; in fact, compared to the 1950s and 60s, today's "breed" are significantly less frequent and intense in the door-knocking; they also do it for shorter and shorter spells.

In terms of the R&F's adherence to the governing body, they seem more "bottle-fed", the messages appear more simplistic but no less absurd. In the past, JWs were instructed not to think for themselves. Today's breed, I'm afraid, appear incapable of thinking for themselves, although if other posters jump on me for saying this and give me evidence to the contrary,I may revise my views on that particular point.

The governing body is in a delicate situation here: They can see that an off-putting nominalism is pervading the R&F, but to come down too hard on this complacency could alienate the growing band of inactive ones even more.

I agree: Nowadays there are more overt requests for money,

Is it me or has the WTS gotten worse?

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