Hello all. I am new here. In fact I've never posted on any site before so please excuse me if I am uncertain of the appropriate etiquette.
I left the church about fifteen years ago. I have recently been contacted online by several witnesses I had grown up with. Some have left the church, others disfellowshipped, and others are inactive. I am surprised by how much has changed culturally within the church since I had been involved. It seems much more relaxed and even more liberal to some exten, certainly amongst the thirty something types who have grown up as witnesses.
However what has remained consistent throughout the various stories I have heard is that this system of things is drawing to a close. My mother recently raised this issue with me. She told me that one of the primary strands of current witness thinking is that there remains only one last prophecy to be fulfilled before Armageddon hits. The prophecy is that the government will turn upon the witnesses. So there seems to be some anticipation having been advised that there is just one thing left to be fulfilled. Of course, this progression toward the end of this system has been very carefully constructed by the organising body behind the institution. I recall when I was young that the governing body would make a directive for all witness literature to be available without cost when armageddon was literally at the door. I understand that they have already implimented this directive which of course would build up the anticipation of those who have been waiting decades for some sure sign. I have also become aware that witnesses have been advised to prepare some type of emergency kit which is readily available if things start to become chaotic. The kit is to contain water, gas masks, salt tablets, identification, the blood directive etc. This directive seems to have been created to work in two ways. Firstly, by being given very specific and practical advise on preperation for armageddon, the anticipation will of course continue to grow. Secondly, any witnesses who were beginning to doubt the immediacy of armageddon would of course by pursuaded that it was imminent and therefore will not leave the church at this time. Over the years since I left the church I have noticed this pattern of increasing suspense along with ensuring that membership remain constant. It seems a well employed tactic. The organisation knows exactly what they are doing.
Cheers.
surely another way in which the organisation is able to not only increase the anticipation of some action, but also ensures that any witness who was beginning to doubt how close the end is
