Did you have dream's of bringing the society down?

sleepy

So when you started to work out all you thought so logical and true was actually rather pear shaped what did you think?
"I'm ging to bring this organisation down"
"when I tell people this (whatever point you like 607 etc)they'll be shocked like me and want answers"
"the truth will end the religion of Jehovahs witnesses"
"my best friend will listen to me"
"maybe my parents"
"my wife, er anyone"
"Why's no one listening?"
Then you realised this isn't as straight forward as you thought.
Will anything work?

Lionel_P_Hartley

sleepy,

I don't think "bringing the organisation down" should be the goal. After all, imagine if the WTS shut down, what would happen to the 6 mill + (15 mill + if you include other adherents)? The trauma that many here feel during and after leaving the WTS shows that exiting may not always be best, although for many it is currently the only option. So, what are reasonable goals?

(i) Abolish the DFing policy

(ii) Abolish the blood policy

(iii) Gradually drop the premise that the WTS speaks exclusively for God

(iv) Tweak doctrines a bit to lose the sense of urgency re: Armageddon

(v) Encourage JWs to engage in more community oriented and voluntary activities

Then it could be a pretty decent religion. Will it happen? Yes, these changes are already in progress although the WTS doesn't like to admit it for obvious reasons. The real question is, how soon?

Access to information will certainly cripple the WTS's growth unless they re-evaluate and strike out in new directions. Their ossified leaders fail to see that the Society has a huge opportunity at this point to renovate and energize it's followers.

Lionel

ItsJustMe

Those questions are remarkably similiar to feelings new Jehovah's Witnesses have, or ones who just started studying. I guess anyone who feels that they have found a truth is eager to share it with others and surprised when not everyone accepts it.

TR

I have frequent visions of a squadron of A-10 Thunderbolts(Warthogs)swooping down and perforating the WTS complex with their depleted uranium cannon shells, then launching 'Hellfire' missles at them to finish it off.

TR

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
—Edmund Burke

Mindchild

When I made my exit two decades ago...I could hardly think of anything more satisfying than the complete and utter humiliation of the Society and then blowing thier headquarters to bits.

These irrational desires of course were fueled by my pain of losing my "life" and family and the resulting anger that comes from pain not being released.

After years have passed and having the pain and anger released through quality therapy...how do I feel now?

I think the most constructive fate for Jehovah's Witnesses as an organization would be for them to become anti-religionists and evolve a new constructive moral and belief system that celebrates life and self growth.

The suggestion of simply "clipping the wings" of the JW's by getting them to modify their stand on shunning, blood transfusions, etc. is both a gross injustice and contributes nothing towards a positive future for all its current and potential victims.

I say there are gross injustices done in the name of this religion that include thousands of deaths done in its name for everything from victims dying from not taking a blood transfusion to committing suicide. This doesn't even take into account all the broken families resulting from the shunning and the ideology of totalization they propogate. Even more disgusting is the millions of wasted lives and potential lost to a belief system that promotes anger, intolerance, and superority over others. This group has actually turned out to be the people they warned their members about!

If I were the judge...they would not get a light sentence. Each current JW would need to contribute the same amount of hours they spent in the ministry doing public service work or in going door to door and showing people how easy it is to be blinded by what we want to see instead of what is really there. They would also need to attend 3 meetings each week to learn how to undo the damage they did to themselves and work on creating a productive and responsible life.

For the Governing Body...they would have a special fate if I had my way. They would be condemned for the rest of their life to carry a large sign on both their front and back (much like the old place signs used by the Witnesses in street Witnessing years ago) that reads:

What has my religion done for mankind?NOTHING GOOD

Skipper

All great deeds and all great thoughts have ridiculous beginnings--Albert Camus

Tammie

ABOLISH THE SHUNNING. And restore families. Infact, tell their flock that they made a BIG mistake, and it is ok for families to beable to reunite families. Stop parents from forcing children to get baptised. A person should only get baptised if it is in their hearts.

TweetieBird

(vi) drop the door-to-door ministry

Lionel_P_Hartley

Mindchild,

I fully agree. However, I was really talking about what may be practical. Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that the WTS will ever be brought to justice for what it has done. It will probably just evolve into a much less toxic form of religion. Any pressure that can make that happen more quickly should be applied.
Ultimately, the WTS itself should deal with the problems it has created, not simply go out of business and leave the rank and file high and dry.

Lionel

OUTLAW

The WTS demise could take a few years.Little bit by little bit,loseing members,income,property,respect in the community.A slow painful death,...sounds good to me!...OUTLAW

Simon

I think change could be forced upon them. Some will follow and believe as people follow and believe many crackpot inventions.

The main thing is that people should be free to choose whether to join or leave. There should not be any shunning or breaking up of families.

I believe that as they are attacked, exposed and embarrassed into change and try and become more mainstream that these sort of changes will happen.

Also, people should be happy!. Why don't they arrange things for the kids to do? Help the less-fortunate in society, do some good !

Perhaps what they need is to suffer some loss of income, membership, influence etc... and have to earn the membership instead of inheriting it. I think burying all the old farts at the top would be a great start. Hey, I'm compassionate... you can even let them die first.

Did you have dream's of bringing the society down?

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