Yeah, yelling at the elder who is caught in the evil web, doesn't touch the web at all. Pour out the milk of human kindness, and let the poor soul lap it up.
On the other hand, cutting the strings, even one by one, can bring the structure down. Some of those critical elements may have already broken, spelling the ultimate demise (or incredible shrinkage) of the society. I'm thinking of:
- Taxation and the donation arrangement
- The internet and free availability of alternate information.
- Householders these days are rarely at home, and when they are, are tuned out by door-to-door salesmen.
- Sophisticated advertising and service-oriented culture has crept in to the church, which leaves the Watchtower an anachronism.
- Today knowledge and reverence for the bible is rare among the G7 nations. The chains of belief that lead to worshipping the Faithful and Discreet Slave are much harder to establish, except among generational JW's.
- Themselves. A harshening stand will only drive more people underground or away. By harshening the shunning arrangement they created a determined and vocal pool of ex-witnesses.
The Watchtower society these days is not flexible enough to adjust to these changes. They will ultimately fail.