by KW13 10 Replies latest jw friends
Short Term, what do you feel the recent Changes the Organization has seen and is about to see will do to the Witnesses and the Society as a whole?
Long Term do you feel the Changes will do anything positive for the Society?
Its very much like Big Brother with double-speak, mind control and fear.
Most rank and file will roll with the punches.
I think a few loyal JWs will slip through the cracks over some of the issues as there have always been ones that eventually leave. With the Org tightening up the screws in information and thought control, some will see the religion for what it really is.
Of course, with so many loyal rank and file, I don't predict any big changes within the Org, neither short or long term. There will always be ones coming into the religion, while others are exiting. Besides, to them the "light is getting brighter" and Jehovah is "refining His Organization". Most will view changes as postive no matter how much negativity is attached.
R.F.
Short term: some excitement and speculation, always good for energising the congregations.
Long term: increased apathy (based on pattern of fruitless changes) and greater margin of inactivity/defection (due to transparency of "new light" revisions.
I don't expect the post-1975 fallout, because the magnitude of the changes does not equate.
Don't forget that JWs are asleep, for example look to the blood fraction issue. They just don't care about specifics. Just follow along with the Organisation and wait for paradise.
Just where the Governing Body wants them...
Short run? minor changes that will eventually lead to major changes in the long run.
RR
A couple of practical changes....
All of the GB with the exception of Ted Jaracz and John Barr were appointed 1994 and after. (Only Losch was in 94, 6 others have come after.....)
These young GB members are relatively alive. They also have their own opinions and agendas. Most were CO's in the USA and Canada during the 70's and 80's. (Splane, Herd, Pierce, Lett and Morris) Jackson, Losch, Jaracz, and Splane were all missionaries. With the exception of Geoff Jackson, these missonary GB's went to Gilead.
I bring out these facts because as any ex elder on JWD can attest to, the GB is just another body of men with delusions of grandeur. They get together and debate their points of view. The key in my opinion is to look for patterns, look to what has happened since their appointments. (I readily acknowledge that no one can really know what is said behind the closed cultish doors of the GB...)
Since Jackson and Morris were appointed in August 05, there have been a lot of changes. Anyone notice? That includes the notable monthly edition of the Awake, and the new members only WT for 08. While at Gilead, there were a lot of branch committee personnel called back and reassigned. JW's have the new methods to choose DC speakers. The KM School for elders where all elders will be at Patterson at some point in 08. The Public Talk got cut to 30 minutes, the elders got a letter on ALL WT meetings to be conducted in a similar manner. I'm sure I'm forgetting some things....
This indicates to me that the 2/3 majority that Ray Franz first revealed in COC is still in effect. With the latest 2 added, that would be 6 out of 9. (the 3 being Losch, and whoever would be stupid enough to agree with him,,,,, small joke, sorry) You actually have 7 of the 9 appointed since 1994. That is very telling to me. (I would be remiss to point out that there is another "annointed" brother who teaches branch school at Patterson. Everyone says he will be the next member of the GB at some point. If anyone can remember his name, that would be great. I can't remember, but don't be suprised of another appointment in the next year or two...)
The whole point to this to me is that it is all political and about personalities and probably always has been. With new personalities on the GB, and their seeming willingness to go back to the ways of Knorr on a lot of levels, I anticipate more changes. I think these younger guys are putting their stamp on what works for them, and will cut the fat of what doesn't work. (notably the "generation" prophecies and likely 1914 at some point. That would probably happen after Jaracz and Barr are dead)
Thanks for reading that rambling mess of an opinion....
I think that it is going to get a lot harder to slither out of the organization without Brother Hounder taking note. They are also going to put more emphasis on spending all your time in field circus or at the wastefests. Hopefully, quite a few are going to take the field misery and all those boasting sessions and shove them.
WT it will have a SLOW death
I think your analysis is very interesting. To me, the most important aspect is the possibility that they feel they must 'do something'!
Such a motivation would be very valuable to us, because it could lead to making big mistakes that they cannot easily change.
As with most of us here, I realize that there is no hope of 'reforming' the Watchtower. However, it would be most welcome if they
managed to wreck themselves.
metatron
They have been changing for the past 150 years or so...
