Thread resurrection, dontcha love it!
WTWizard,
Only this time, instead of the bomb or poison, they are going to seize absolute control of people's lives. Now, the ban on entertainment that they resolved last summer is starting to look like reality. I can see people spending 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, either in a Kingdumb Hell or out in service of some kind. No sleep. No breaks of any kind for any reason.
I can't see this happening at all. Look at the level of apathy and discouragement in the Borg, which has been a fact of life for at least the past 10 or 15 years. Yes, the demands – the ideal – may well escalate to the level you describe. In fact, this is already the secret ideal that all guilt stricken JW's hold in their hearts. Everyone already "knows," and has "known" for years, that no activity but field slavery service, propaganda Bible study and beating meeting attendance are truly spiritual or even truly justifiable. Yes, I can see where the Watchtower will be more strident about upholding the standard.
But enforcement – how is that going to be any more effective than it is now? Do you really think they can afford to make up another, longer list of disfellowshipping offenses?
Maybe they will. I suppose they are stupid enough to expect it to "clean out" the organization. All it will do is to dig the swampy, muddy hole they are in a little deeper – a little more miasmic. Still more Witnesses will drag their feet; still more Witnesses will find excuses to become less and less active; still more witnesses will begin to suspect that "the happiest people on earth" are – somewhere else.
Except Even out of sheer depression on an organization-wide scale, I cannot imagine very many JW's accepting the Kool-Aid gladly, or at all.
gentlyferal