False Prophecy in Two Years?

by metatron 8 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  metatron

  If present trends continue, the organization may go into statistical
  decline (as measured by its own standards) in two years.
  It is important to realize that this would be the result of
  long term trends, not just a reaction to false prophecy, as occured
  in 1978.

  Thus, I would hope that some Witlesses start asking "if the
  disciple making work is over, why is the world still here?".
  They've been waiting for Jehovah to 'say enough' - without ever
  specifying how that's supposed to happen. Yet, there it will be,
  right in their collective laps, if the trends continue.

  I suppose they will likely treat the problem as they do so
  many other critical issues - like child abuse - by doing
  nothing. That was Henschel's response to obvious problems
  following 1975 - 'stop talking about it, it will go away'.
  By not reacting to long term problems, they will fade away
  into the footnotes of history.

  metatron ("iceberg!, dead ahead!")
• 

  openminded

  I just had a witness tell me that people are flocking into Jehovahs organization. This person is a programmer for IBM. He really believes this. Sad
• 

  waiting

  Hi metatron,

  If the WTBTS is GROWING, jw's tend to say: "It's merciful of Jehovah to extend the time of the End so that more people can be saved. Wait on Jehovah's time."

  If the WTBTS is DECLINING, jw's tend to say: "Remember the scripture which says that 'In the last days, the love of the greater number will cool off.' This is proof that we're in the Last Days. Wait on Jehovah."

  Either way - the WTBTS has covered their bets for a positive spin - and to "wait on Jehovah" - which translates to "Don't ask questions, go to meetings & remain active in field service."

  waiting
• 

  Room 215

  Hi Meta, Openminded

  The delusion that ``people are just flocking into Jehovah's organization'' against a ton of objective evidence to the contrary is one of the most persistent, and baffling phenomena of the movement.

  It fuels the quick-build Kingdom Hall craze and ranks with the fantasy that out there over the next hill are congregations where everyone is/does exactly what they should be.
• 

  Moxy

  in large dynamic systems like this, the ideas of negative and positive feedback are central to understanding rate of change. for example, if a decine in numbers encourages people to work harder to bring up numbers, this is a negative feedback. negative feedback is a stabilizing influence. if, on the other hand, a decline lowers morale therefore decreasing activity, this is positive feedback, it feeds itself.

  normally systems exhibit a combination of negative and positive feedbacks at different stages of development, and that is certainly the case here. it goes without saying that, despite the impression one might get from the WT, that not everything that can happen to the organization is all equally good. not any kind of change in numbers can equally indicate jehovah's blessing. no matter what is said, there will be influences felt on the individual, and therefore on the system, because of declines. so it becomes a question of whether one thinks the decline will overall feedback positively (more decline) or negatively (stabilizing.)

  i believe that, for at least a few years, the feedback will be overall a positive one.

  mox
• 

  metatron

  I've seen that movement within the organization to build
  unneeded Kingdom Halls - I guess it substitutes for real growth
  in some areas. Yet, if elders keep quitting, that's not gonna
  work either.

  metatron
• 

  ISP

  They need a new prophecy that is about 10 years away...as with the '75 fiasco...which was causative directly or indirectly of our involvement in it. Without the '75 stuff the WTS would have faded into obscurity long ago.

  ISP
• 

  FreePeace

  ...not just a reaction to false prophecy, as occured
  in 1978.

  What happened in 1978? Do you mean 1975, or did I miss something?

  Thanks,

  Doug

  FreePeace
  "The World is my country, and to do good, my religion." --Thomas Paine
  TruthQuest: http://beam.to/truthquest
  Who Am I? -How to Reinvent Yourself After Leaving the WTS
• 

  metatron

  Freepeace, in 1978 they reported an actual loss of total
  publishers in the yearbook, for the world.

  It took a few years after 1975 for Witlesses to realize
  they were duped. Crisis of Conscience tells what was
  discussed behind the scenes.

  metatron