Jehovahs Witnesses - Mainstreaming, Like It Or Not

by metatron 47 Replies latest jw friends

  • metatron
    metatron

    It used to be that pioneers supported themselves with free literature and magazines and put in 100+ hours a month. Then 90, then 70.

    A publisher had to put in at least an hour a month to be counted. Now 15 minutes.

    They used to hand out a Written Review and collect it and grade it! Gone....

    Hardbound books? The Press Room figured that paperbacks were cheaper.

    Over a hundred years of subscriptions to the Watchtower? Gone..... to save money.

    Three meetings a week? Cram the book study into the Ministry School and make it two.

    Eight day conventions? What were they? Now, it's three days and they complain about attendance on Friday.

    Reading? You mean seven volumes of Studies in the Scriptures? Let God Be True? Did I read in Ray Franz's books that Governing Body members couldn't keep up with reading these dumbed down magazines?

    Two Awakes a month. Now one Awake a month. Two Watchtowers a month. Now a public version and a study issue to save money.

    Hour talk on Sunday? 55 minute talk? 30 minute talk?

    Let's prepare for the Ministry School. Heck, let's just have a straight Bible reading so kids don't have to prepare.

    Hours in the "ministry"? Let's compromise those with new hours counted by elder/elderess parents.

    Food service at assemblies? Too expensive. Dump it.

    Books on evolution? or anything beyond grade school level? Nah...not anymore.

    A "Clean Organization"? Really? Do you still believe in that myth just because you disfellowship an occassional teenager who never should have been pushed into baptism in the first place? If you think the organization is clean and loyal, who do you think is spilling confidential information about the Society onto "apostate" websites, year after year?

    And so it goes. They are decaying and they don't even perceive it. We could generate electricity from Rutherford rolling in his grave (if we really knew where they buried him).

    metatron

  • Meeting Junkie No More
    Meeting Junkie No More

    Spot on! I'm thinking of making photocopies of your post and placing a single sheet on each chair at the upcoming Memorial - give the folks something to read while they watch the overbeers counting heads and making sure the tablecloth for the emblems in on the table straight.

    Always love your insightful posts.

  • White Dove
    White Dove

    Very good post! That just about sums it up.

  • Alpaca
    Alpaca

    Metatron,

    Your list is right on.

    I don't know if I would characterize it as mainstreaming. It is more like the way you describe at the end of your post -- decaying.

    What amazes me is that somehow they keep going in spite of the swath of destruction have left in their wake. And, the R&F can't see that the GB are nothing but a bunch of deluded power mongers.

    Remember those long ass assemblies? Most of the Dubs today couldn't meet the standards or keep up with the work load of years ago.

  • keyser soze
    keyser soze

    I agree that decaying is a more accurate word. As long as they go door-to-door and refuse to accept blood transfusions or celebrate holidays, I don't think they'll ever be viewed as mainstream.

  • Meeting Junkie No More
    Meeting Junkie No More

    I think mainstreaming is a pretty good word - you can hardly tell who the Witnesses are these days. I see very few out in the service - mostly diehards/fanatics, those that have no access to information (computer). The meetings for service were pretty poorly attended when I was still in (a year ago). Holidays (birthdays) also seem to be secretly memorialized (still NOT CELEBRATED) but acknowledged, especially by the young (from what I am seeing)...with the fraction loophole, I venture to say that any INFORMED Witness (if they are still a Witness) will be taking a hard look at what is allowed and making their own PERSONAL DECISION which is what mainstream religions are all about - church attendance on the weekends, but mostly personal decisions the rest of the week!

  • WuzLovesDubs
    WuzLovesDubs

    They are definitely going through some changes. Im thinking that now they have had to add BAD ECONOMY for everybody including them. That means that many of their flock are out of work. Many are in the trades and the trades are suffering a lot. And the result of that is tightening the purse strings and not giving to the World Wide Work like they used to IF they used to.

    So yeah...they might have property in Brooklyn they are selling, but in this market what do they think they are gonna get for it when there are other BETTER YOUNGER less complicated properties out there firms could buy?

    There is definitely change afoot. I think this religion will just eventually be reduced to the Farm in upstate New York with a few satellite operations and a few die hards.

    It has NOTHING to offer anyone that they cant get at a local church with NONE of the heartache.

  • Dune
    Dune

    Wow, i forgot about the feeding program. I used to love the turkey subs and the softserve yogurt as a kid. Sometimes someone would try to give me that nasty ass roast beef sandwich though . Its funny that my fondest memories of being a JW was the food at the conventions.

  • Dune
    Dune

    Wow, i forgot about the feeding program. I used to love the turkey subs and the softserve yogurt as a kid. Sometimes someone would try to give me that nasty ass roast beef sandwich though . Its funny that my fondest memories of being a JW was the food at the conventions.

  • minimus
    minimus

    It's true, JWs are decaying. I don't see them becoming more mainstream. I see them becoming even less important (except to themselves).

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