Are we going to see a mass awakening?

by kairos 109 Replies latest jw friends

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  steve2

  Again my biggest fear is mass suicide when the walls of Watchtower come crashing down.

  I think you underestimate the human capacity for saving face and changing views. In religious cults in which suicide has occurred, leaders have promulgated the idea very,very slowly but perceptibly over a long period of time (and even provided the means).

  There is no meaningful precedent with the GB and to suggest otherwise borders on mischievous.

  I would suggest that those who catastrophize the prospect of "mass suicide" need to acknowledge the huge role played by their own (private) imaginations.

  None of this discounts how individuals might react - and in fact do react - with the loss of faith which for some includes drastic responses such as self-harm and/or suicidal behaviours. But that is hardly confined to JWs.

  Crises of faith have led individuals to choose suicide as the ultimate way of avoiding reality. But that is quite different from the ludicrous "mass suicide" scenario some have feared will happen in the organization.
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  steve2

  I don't think there will be an awakening.

  True,; however, there are other ways a religious group can falter such as mass apathy among the rank and file.

  I should think that, among the hundreds of thousands who have become inactive and/or dropped out of the organization in recent years, is a sizable number of Witnesses who simply became utterly bored with the whole 'being a Witness' deal.

  You do not have to become apostate in your thinking to leave; it is far easier simply to slide into an increased level of apathy - which is a bigger threat to the organization's viability than apostasy.
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  done4good

  Steve2 - You do not have to become apostate in your thinking to leave; it is far easier simply to slide into an increased level of apathy - which is a bigger threat to the organization's viability than apostasy.

  Apathy is certainly a more practical threat. Unfortunately, it is still a big departure from people actually "waking up". Many of the apathetic count would defend the organization in a heartbeat if we were to openly criticize it in some manner.

  That said, the apathetic serve their purpose. They typically contribute very little, (in time or money), tend to be a distraction to the efforts being made by the organization, and alas, it does not take much for them to wake up, when the time is right.

  d4g
  
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  steve2

  Good points done4good.

  While apostate individuals are more acutely disruptive of a congregation's unified appearance, apathetic individuals are more chronically undermining of a congregation's unified zeal and hardiness.
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  _Morpheus

  The problem is an apathetic witness is a coiled spring. Given the right stimulus they spring into cult mode and become engaged, at least for a while. This cult, by its nature and cutlure, weeds out the apathetic by natural selection. There are plenty who awaken and remain for personal reasons but few are genuinly apathetic but still active
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  sparrowdown

  I have found apathetic fringe dwelling dubs to be more frustrating than the regular active dub, simply because they don't attend enough meetings or pay attention enough when they do to actually see and experience that all is not well in paradise.
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  Phizzy

  I am hoping for an accelerated awakening, rather than a mass one.

  Since the advent of the Internet the numbers leaving have increased, but now we have a lot of factors contributed by the JW Org itself that will, I hope, cause more to leave than formerly.

  The blatant money grabbing and constant begging for money must make some wonder. The de-valuing of the "preaching" work to merely pointing people to a slightly dated and wacko Web Site will mean even fewer recruits, and make the whole thing seem a waste of effort.

  But all this takes time, do not expect your loved ones mentally imprisoned within to be "sprung" anytime soon.

  But, when they are ready to question, even if in only a small way, be there for them, with ready and thought provoking answers to their questions.
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  blondie

  The 2 biggest dips in members was shortly after 1925 failed to bring the end

  and when 1975 failed to bring the end. Three or four years, the "disappointed" filtered out and then new people bought into the old story.
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  R. Jerome Harris

  The 1914 teaching, the foundation upon which the WT organization has built its prophetic utterances has already crumbled. Many of my former Brethren have not realized this yet. Neither have they listened to what Christ said at Matthew 24:36, Matthew 24:42 and Acts 1:7.

  No human or angelic organization can know what Christ himself does not know. Yet, the WTBTS has long claimed that it DOES know what Christ does not know. (Matthew 24:42)

  There will be no mass migration out of the Watch Tower organization or within any organization within the religious system (and impostor) called by men, Christianity. Why?

  Because the proverbial figs on the trees are not rip yet. In other words, this is not the season. In fact, what we will see is just the opposite: more persons going into the organization. Yes, the organization will lose members, but they will gain more than they lose.

  The ruler of this world has to create a stubborn and hardened heart towards the truth about God and Christ. That JWs believe that they are already "in the truth" it is that mentality that the Devil will enhance upon. We will see JWs cease to be logical, rational and reasonable thinkers and will become illogical, irrational, and unreasonable thinkers so as to support and believe ANYTHING given them from the Governing Body. That body - not Christ - is their Head at present. (1 Cor 11:3)

  Their mental faculties will be even more assaulted to make them more loyal and faithful to "an organization" than to the one who is our true Head, Christ Jesus. The mental assault will be so heavy (coming down from the Governing Body), that what Christ has actually stated will be rejected ... and indeed some of what Christ has said has already been rejected. (Matthew 24:42)

  But one must keep their senses and think and Christ would. Neither should JWs or anyone be condemned or given lashes because they are all innocent. JWs like persons belonging to any religious organization are like children. In the case of JWs, the mother is "The Organization." And the child believes and does as "mother" has taught them.

  As an African American, I would not fault a small child for calling me by the n-word. No! The child is innocent. I fault the parent who taught it.

  Any who have been truly freed by the Master should be concerned persons, not vindictive because of what the organization did to you or who it treated you. You should be happy and count it as a blessing from God through Christ that you are free. Not just physically, but mentally as well.

  What do you do now? You do not allow yourselves to be taken captives by any religious organization again. You stay away from all of them. You will realize that Christ is "without of them" not "within" any of them. (Hebrews 13:11-14)

  True followers of Christ do not have a "city" (organization) to go into. It has not arrived yet. Thus, his true followers NOW find themselves in the same place as our Lord: In a wilderness.

  In that wilderness, we will be constantly tempted by the Devil. On of the Devils primary devices is religious organization. But just remember what Christ told the Devil at Matthew 4:4:

  Man must live, not on bread alone, but on every utterance coming forth through God’s mouth.

  No, not man's mouth! No, not the mouths or voices of religious organizations. BUT GODS MOUTH. And, since Christ is The ONLY Word of God, it is also what comes out of his mouth. (No, the Bible is NOT the Word of God. Christ is).

  Yet, in that wilderness, the devil uses religious organization to tempt and mislead many into believing what comes out of the mouth of religious organization. See how subtle the Devil is?

  In that wilderness millions have been tempted and have come to believe that a book - not named or authorized by God - is ALSO the Word of God!

  They have two Words of God: Christ and The Bible!

  I often times explain to my former Brethren that it is hypocritical for them to articulate to those who believe in the Trinity teaching that there is only one God. If they believe that there is one God, why are they teaching that there are two Words of God? If there is ONE God, then there is only one Word of God.

  A visit to the homepage of the official website of the JWs, one can count the number of times Christ is mentioned as opposed to the Bible being mentioned. It is astounding! At the top of the website page their is a link that says "Bible Teachings."

  So the Bible teaches? I thought Christ teaches and that he is our only Teacher. (Matthew 23:8)

  Christ is not even promoted as Teacher. The Bible is.

  See how subtle the Devil is?
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  Driving Force

  One of the last assignments I had in the congregation just before I left was about JW.ORG, how we can lead people to the website.
  I flatly refused to do this.

  My reasoning was that this website does not in anyway glorify Jehovah or Jesus, but just a man-made organization. The brother who did carry out the assignment was very good in glorifying the website and the organization, Jehovah and Jesus were never mentioned.