Where do you THINK the WT will be in 20 years? (Not what you hope)

by UnConfused 19 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  OnTheWayOut

  I expect to be around for the next 20 years so I will see.

  Do you think growth will have stopped?
  Yes. They will be in decline, but still millions of them.
  
  Do you think membership will be up or down?
  Same. New members will be extremely rare- problem people seeking attention.
  
  Do you think financially they will be in trouble?
  Yes and No. They will have changed many things. They won't be the giant of
  publishing literature they once were, but they may very well have relocated to
  a country welcoming them, sold off all the Brooklyn land. They will sell many
  properties thru-out the world (KH and Assembly Halls) as well.
  
  Will they be more liberal or have tightened up further in 20 years?
  I think they will go through a few pendulum swings in desperation, but ultimately
  be more liberal to keep remaining people around.
  
  What will be the situation of the Governing Body as all the old timers are gone?
  New light on how other sheep can join the Governing Body will be well established
  some time after 2014 or so. New members will try many different methods of
  recruitment and retainment, with varied degrees of FAILURE.
  
  ....what do you think will be happening in 20 years for the brothers and sisters?
  Some issue will get to many of them, perhaps different issues for different ones.
  Many will see the changing light as a problem, others will be exposed to the
  SilentLambs issue. There will be some hardcore members who are sure that
  the end is "right around the corner."
• 

  greendawn

  It's hard to tell but given their qualities of ideological conservatism and an inability to change substantially but also that they are masters at adapting to new conditions they will most likely still be around in 20 years in basically the same form. Unless their opponents find clever ways of exposing them to the public for what they are.
• 

  greendawn

  Remeber they got over the 1975 debacle with relative ease a lot of people left but then their numbers rose as new members unaware of the scum came in. Also they got over the change in the 1914 generation from a literal one of 70 to 80 years to a figurative one that can be indefinitely long, almost without any problems when we were expecting a rebellion. Speaks volumes about the intelligence of the dub masses.
• 

  reneeisorym

  Do you think growth will have stopped?

  YES
  
  

  Do you think membership will be up or down?

  0%
  
  

  Do you think financially they will be in trouble?

  Yes. I think somewhere there will be a lawsuit to make them stuggle so they can call it persecution.
  
  

  Will they be more liberal or have tightened up further in 20 years?

  Liberal
  
  

  What will be the situation of the Governing Body as all the old timers are gone?

  They will be "governing from heaven" as new non annointed ones are put on the governing body to 'rule'
  
  

  ....what do you think will be happening in 20 years for the brothers and sisters?

  I think blood transfusions will be considered wrong and forbidden but changed to a conscience decision and thus not punished by DF
• 

  UnConfused

  Interesting thoughts on the future of blood.
  
  I'm scared actually that it will go on as it is now for the very reason several of you have pointed out - nothing, not the 1975 thing (heck it's almost a myth now only even mentioned by malcontents) not the 1995 Generation change, nothing seems to make a dent.
  
  I'm afraid that they will have so successfully pulled away from their bad doctrines that they will as someone mentioned morph into another religion basically.
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  In the year 2027

  1. All of the special Anointed Class (144,000) will be dead.

  2. Their teachings on blood will be resolved with all blood products being eatable.

  3. Women will be giving Sunday talks from the stage.

  4. There will be no more home book studies because of the rise of rape in the homes.

  1. There will somehow be between 8 and 9 thousand partakers.
  2. They will have strange rules on blood, making it a personal decision.
  3. The woman will have to have a discussion with another woman on the stage.
  4. The bookstudy will be merged into the single weeknight meeting.
• 

  JWdaughter

  I think they will be much smaller-perhaps 40-60%. They will no longer have brooklyn. They will have given into internet publishing to a great extent and putting their money elsewhere. Maybe tv/radio? They may try to be more mainstream and lose the blood policy officially, but it will still be there lurking in the shadows. It will be a bunch of really old people. I think they will eventually die off like the Shakers. I am not sure what will happen with the money. Maybe the last few hundred will divide the assets among themselves (they will have saved a lot by not publishing as much, still get donations and be able to support the work on interest for a long time)I don't know how that works.
• 

  LanDi

  Interesting question, if Armageddon has not arrived it's going to be very interesting. Brothers/Sisters will in bulk start to doubt, although due to the structure of the Organization, in secret. The Society will reclarify things at the last minute as always with new light and say that it is Gods way of testing us and that Satan wants us to fall away. It does seem disappointing at least to me, that all those who do not sell WTS literature are to be destroyed in the day of Gods anger. Must be good to have friends in high places.

  It must be sad, to think that Witnesses are four times more likely than the rest of us to suffer paranoid schizophrenia - a result of the huge stress placed upon them, feeling that even a thought out of place may be almost condemning and that they could be destroyed any minute if they dont stick to the 'Org, and that thier family members are all in terrible danger if they do not show unwavering devotion - causing major tensions within the Unit .

  The finance situation will be interesting to watch, maybe they will have to charge and pay tax to avoid any thuimping losses. The scandal of the two witness rule will haunt the org for years, I wonder know how tough they must have it knocking doors and having people go nuts about them protection their brothers rather than thinking out for the kiddies. Walk into any Social Services dept here in the UK and there are posters saying "Child protection is everyones business" So one again, Satans world show greater morals than Jehovahs.

  It's going to be interesting to watch the society sink. Quite how the Governing Body ( who are contrary to the Bibles statement that we dont need anyone to teach us ) can then go and contradict all the worldly experts and say paedophilia can be changed is beyond me.

  I think the Org will be a shadow of its former self- exposed by Satans Media and neglected by the populous with only the few remaining, who will beleive only what they wish.
• 

  Save My Soul

  First, Great post Blondie, love all the facts you present!!

  Do you think growth will have stopped?

  No the machine will continue. After visiting Bethel, I discovered this was the largest slave labor camp in the country. When you get sick, they send you home as a special pioneer. How can they lose money? Most current members will be replaced by new ones. I know several elders from when I was a child that have said they were disapointed they had to die in this system. After such grandiose promises throughout the years. The growth will stabilize. They will only change if the goverments change laws, otherwise the ship will continue. GB members will be replaced with new ones.

  I wonder how the chronology issues will pan out. 2014 may cause problems. The generation change caused me to lose faith. I think a change in doctrine may stir the faithful, not sure how.

  Most stable old timers will never leave. They have nothing else after a 30+ year investment of their life. I live in a wealthier area, most of the witnesses just go to parties and socialize. Nothing sincere. Some elders almost laugh when saying how close we are to the end. My attitude is, "We just talked about your 401k retirement in 10 years and how your 13 YO is preparing to be a doctor, yeah, the end is close, very, very close".
• 

  yaddayadda

  It will be the same as it is now but there will be a general contraction/rationalisation of operations. The organisaton will just a bit smaller and a bit more more dumbed down than it already is.
  
  There will be some relatively small changes of interpretation (new light) but nothing major. Speculative creeds tied up with the 1914 chronology (such as in the Jan 1, 2007 Watchtower) will simply be mentioned less and less (embarassment minimisation mode). Otherwise it will be the same old stuff ad nauseum.
  
  There will be a fair bit of organisational/administrative tinkering, mainly derived from a need to cut costs and make life a bit easier for the elders. Egs, the Watchtower will only be issued monthly (ala the Awake); the bookstudy will be moved to a Saturday morning; pioneer hours may be reduced even more; the number of assemblies per year may be reduced or the number of days for each assembly reduced further.
  
  Things will pretty much just carry on as usual but in ever decreasing circles.....yawn