Skills Gap

by M*A*S*H 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  M*A*S*H

  The JWs have now been discouraging higher education and critical thinking for a long time. We have all seen the 'dumbing down' of the WT literature. On a personal level I have seen many of the perceivably intelligent younger members of congregations leave. Pursuing a decent career is frowned upon.

  Studies have show the low economic status of JWs... it seems the jokes about "window washers" could be accurate (eg. http://users.adam.com.au/bstett/JwSocioeconomic86.htm)

  It seems to me that such a large organisation needs many highly skilled and very intelligent people to survive. Perhaps it will be this ever increasing skill gap that leads to the downfall of the WTBS?

  Increasingly when I meet the odd witness out and about they seem almost incapable of holding a sensible discussion, often do not know much about current doctrine, much less able to understand views counter to their own (especially from an atheist perspective). Without attempting to create a flame war... IMHO the older generation (in the traditional sense, not WT current light) just seem more intelligent and in my experience the younger JW's seem often to be a little slow? (Apologies for the wide sweeping generalisation).

  I would say the knowledge of the average member in the 90's when I was a teenager was greater. Would people agree with that?

  Surely there will come a point where the WTBS will need to use more and more 'worldy' organisations for support? Copy writers, solicitors, architects, logistics experts, etc... etc... do we have any evidence for this?
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  OneEyedJoe

  Agreed. Smart kids aren't sticking around like they used to because education and the internet has made it too easy for anyone with an ounce of intellectual curiosity to find real truth that doesn't force you into a mental prison.

  That said, I remember as a pre-teen in the 90's asking my parents why it seemed like most of the people in the congregation weren't as smart as worldly people, so it's by no means a new trend.
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  M*A*S*H

  In my experience many of the congregation elders where I grew up did come across as being quite intelligent. We had a journalist, dentist, logistics expert, civil servant, engineer and even some of the other less qualified elders were pretty accomplished public speakers with a very good knowledge of the NWT. Maybe this was an exception to the rule!
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  OneEyedJoe

  It's a mix around here, there were some (and still are a few, mostly retirement age now) very intelligent elders, but I came from a poor area so growing up there were definitely a lot of idiots (not to say poor people are all idiots, just that idiots tend to be poor)

  It does seem like the WTS is aware of the problem and that it may be getting worse, since they now have the simplified watchtower (and that's saying something because the regular WT is like 5th grade level) and they had to revise the bible to dumb it down as well.
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  DJS

  OneEyedJoe,

  You are spot on that the Dark Lords are having to dumb down the literature for the rank and file. However, they started dumbing down the processes long ago for much darker reasons - to discourage independent study, individual comments and evaluation, etc. in order to control the message at all costs.

  They appear to be paying for that. Excellent. But as long as they can outsource what they need or find enough dubs with the intelligence to do their bidding they will trade stupidity and a lack of education for the alternative.

  They will continue to bleed the best and brightest. And that is most excellent.
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  OneFingerSalute

  the younger JW's seem often to be a little slow?

  This is so very true. Just yesterday the young up-and-comer MS that attempted a "Bible" talk held up a dollar bill and proudly proclaimed that the picture on the front was, "George Washington, I think, I don't know because I don't keep up with that sort of thing!"

  What sort of idiotic comment was that? Especially form someone who is supposed to be able to "teach" others.
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  OneFingerSalute

  it may be getting worse, since they now have the simplified watchtower

  I commented in a conversation with another JDubya that back in the 50s and 60s the WT seemed to at least try to "educate" the members. I remember WT teaching people to read, etc. Now instead of raising the ignorant up to a higher level it is all about lowering the bar to the lowest common denominator. That will push out almost anyone who has any real intelligence, at least mentally if not physically, for whatever reason.
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  Caedes

  Certainly the ones that knock on my door don't seem able to defend their beliefs anymore.
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  sir82

  It is quite amazing. JWs, as a group, are willfully ignorant and proud of it.
  
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  done4good

  DJS-

  They appear to be paying for that. Excellent. But as long as they can outsource what they need or find enough dubs with the intelligence to do their bidding they will trade stupidity and a lack of education for the alternative.

  They will continue to bleed the best and brightest. And that is most excellent.

  They are indeed paying for it, and the long term prognosis for the WTBTS is not positive from their perspective.

  The one issue I still see however, is that the better educated older Gen Xs or younger Boomers amongst the JWs typically still have decent enough lives that they are too comfortable to make a change, and see things for what they really are. They are often apathetic concerning many organizational related ideas, however riddled with cognitive dissonance, so they cannot see the forest for the trees. It usually takes something to make them uncomfortable enough to get them to wake up beyond that apathetic state. For this reason unfortunately, the organization has some life left.

  d4g