I wonder if the Jehovah's Witnesses didn't actually "go mainstream" in the 80's here when they built a decent looking new Kingdom Hall on a busy street. When I first went to meeting in 1950 they rented a store front between two bars on bum's street. Then in the late 50's they built a concrete block building on a residential lot on a back street with a staggered block top front facade to look like a Watchtower. It was stuccoed and painted a cat puke green. It had "ODD" designed right into it.
Now the buildings are on main highways and they are decent looking buildings (for buildings without windows). The odd parts of the message are hidden, waiting to be discovered by the newly baptized. Back in the 50's the message at stranger's doors was "You are wrong!". There was very little attempt to hide that message. Now the message is "Would you like to pet a lion in paradise?".
The Company Servant and his assistants' jobs were essentially to distribute literature and arrange for meetings and service. Now the elder's primary job is to keep watch on the other Witnesses.
I'd say they have done a pretty good job of hiding "ODD". They "look" mainstream, if zealous. That's why most people are surprised to hear of the secret trials, the two witness rules, and the shunning practice.
The Mainstreaming of the WT Society
by barry 11 Replies latest jw friends
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garybuss
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jaffacake
Interesting. I will read the article more carefully later. Things are changing since my day. Btw I have replied to ur pm.
One danger for JWs of going mainstream is that if they were to stop deminising other religions, their members might take a closer look at 'sister' religions, and see how much more Christian they actually are.