Will they encourage marriage and having many children?

by OnTheWayOut 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  OnTheWayOut

  Since 1995 and the "Generation" change, many JW's have gone ahead and had
  fairly normal lives instead of waiting until the new system. By 1995, the 1975 mentality
  of waiting to get married had died down, but not necessarily so with having children.
  Many (myself included) had previously thought that the world is such a wicked place
  and it is so difficult to raise kids faithful to Jehovah, so we will just wait on having
  children. In 1995, that waiting became longer, and many went ahead and had kids.

  The first batch of those kids are 11 years old now. The WTS is encouraging parents
  to get their kids over 10 years old to get baptized. (Nothing in print to that effect but
  many posters confirm that CO's are actively pushing pre-teen baptism.) Teen and
  pre-teen baptisms are the only virtual growth of the organization in long-established
  countries like the U.S.A and Britain.

  With virtually no growth from the field in established countries, and with JW's trying to
  lead normal lives, here is the question-
  Without admitting that the end is not imminent, will WTS start to encourage marriage
  and having children to bolster it's numbers 10 to 15 years from now? Or will they
  continue just being the Chicken Little Cult and just worry about short-term problems?
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  dedpoet

  Maybe they won't actively encourage it, but I suspect that they won't
  discourage it either.

  As you say, in countries in the west, their numbers are only sustained by
  their own birthrate, and the ability of elders, co's and parents to pressure
  pre and early teens into baptism, and they still experience negative growth
  in many places despite this.

  I can see even younger kids being coerced into baptism in these places
  in the next few years. It's become the only way that they can continue to
  report any kind of growth as those coming in through the door-to-door work
  tails off, adults contiue to leave the org and armageddon shows no sign
  of happening.
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  sweet pea

  OTWO I think you have raised a good speculation point here and feel you may have a spot on prophecy for the future - have you thought about setting up your own religion? :-)
  
  The society must be seriously thinking about how to get new converts. Who knows, maybe we'll see them advertising in the press or producing a more evangelical, professional, interactive, less creepy website even....
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  justhuman

  They don't have any other choice to they? With zero to negative growth in the Western Countries, their children are their only chance for some growth.

  But eventually WATCHTOWER has an expired date. They cannot last long. Their history of false prophesy, the continiously changes of doctrine, the JW's started to get tired.

  I can see it in my country, their zeal for preaching is gone. Good old 80's are gone. I recall when they were 70-80 people on Sunday morning for preaching. Now I see Mormons at the streets instead of JW's.

  All they can do it is to increase the preasure to the parents, so that they will have their children baptized at the young age of 10.

  The funny it is that they are accusing other religions for baptizing their infant children . But a 10 year old Jw it is much superior from the other wordly kids at that age. They are guided by God's Spirit Directed Organization.
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  zack

  You knew the Confederacy was losing the War Between the States when 13 and 14 year olds started donning uniforms and heading to battle. You knew Germany was losing WWII when the Hitler Youth was enlisted with real arms and sent into battle. Anytime a movement or cause is willing to sacrifice their young, you know it is in trouble. Same with the WTS. It is a generation away from dieing out in Europe. The USA will hang on longer. My wife was baptized at 9 years of age. 9 years old. It is shameful that this religion enslaves its children under the guise of "salvation." I am ashamed I was a part of it for so long. The good they may have done or may ever do will never mitigate the evil and pain they have caused.

  Yes, to your question. Have babies. Be a family. That way we can blackmail you into staying because if you leave we"ll make sure you lose everything. These guys are evil.

  OTWO: Hope all is going well with your own situation.
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  emptywords

  I havnt' read or heard anything about baptizing kids under the age of 14, let along 10, if it came to that then I am sure they would lose more than gain.
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  OnTheWayOut

  I havnt' read or heard anything about baptizing kids under the age of 14, let along 10

  They have not printed it, and it won't be verbalized in talks. They are having CO's
  spread it through the elder community to encourage it. This gives plausible deniability
  to the organization.

  I expect most pushes for radical changes to come about this way.

  Even the stuff they do put into talks at conventions and from CO's, seems they
  push harder on the local elders thru the CO to bring about the changes: example is education.
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  sweet pea

  I think all of us that still have some influence with jdubs ought to actively promote children waiting 'til the same age as Jesus was when he got baptised. If it makes one person think at least, it's got to be worth it....
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  GoingGoingGone

  I havnt' read or heard anything about baptizing kids under the age of 14, let along 10, if it came to that then I am sure they would lose more than gain.

  At the last assembly I attended a couple years ago, they interviewed an 8 year old girl who had gotten baptized the day before with her 6 year old sister!!! Of course, the audience clapped, but I could see around me there were several people who didn't think this was right. They will keep "encouraging" baptism younger and younger, because it's the only way to keep kids in the org. If they are baptized before they know what they're doing, and they risk losing everything if they leave later in life, the WT might be able to hang onto them. As it is, the kids are leaving in droves. GGG