Historically, not all religions survive over time.
What is most likely? Will the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses:
A) Eventually evolve into a mainstream religion
B) Maintain its role as a "minor player."
OR
C) Become extinct ...
The Future of Jehovah's Witnesses
by The Berean 25 Replies latest jw friends
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TJ Curioso
d) Survive to Armageddon and live eternally forever and never… lol
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leavingwt
Paradise Earth for Eternity
Yes We Can
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mindmelda
To be honest, any one of the above could happen, depending on their own actions. I notice there's some small splinter groups still around that broke off the original Bible Students, who had in turn broken off of a whole Adventist movement that was fairly popular in the mid 1800s, so it could go that way, with them becoming a more and more obscure splinter group with a few die hard loyal adherents. The fact that they have such a poor rate of retention among their new generation speaks volumes. They can't attract nearly as many young people who have a lot more ways to break through the isolation and lack of alternative information required to keep the Witness power base intact.
If they keep compromising their more "out there" beliefs to get the legal and financial heat off of them, they could end up more mainstream, but since that's one of the main appeals of the religion, their doctrinal differences from Christianity, one they're always harping on and are so proud of, they risk losing the die hard faction, but may gain more of a looser, less committed following. The more a religion demands of it's followers, remember, the more fanatically loyal they tend to be.
Extinction is a real possibility too, as there's a general decline in certain kinds of religion in most of the first world, even mainstream religion. We're transitioning to a rather decadent period in history, or at least Europe is, (America is a bit behind, which is why we still tolerate more religion, especially unsocial ones, than Europe does) which has less use for religion now unless it's either non threatening and traditional or else quite modernized to fit modern sensibilities.
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shopaholic
I see them going more mainstream.
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wobble
I agree Shops, unless they are really stupid as well as deluded and believe their own Bull**it, which I don't see evidence of.
I think they will have to go more mainstream, but as has been said, they then risk losing a lot of loyal ones, who have only stayed BECAUSE of the weirdness being a kind of guarantee that it is Da Troof.
Love
Wobble
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compound complex
And therefore as a member of JWN give it welcome.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Governing Body,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. -
steve2
When you consider the modifications on the following doctrines, it looks like they're going more mainstream: No blood (but you can have specific blood fractions), No voting (but it's your business what you do inside a voting booth), Stay out of the military (but if your conscience allows you to do non-combatant duty, you can) 5 meetings a week (now 4). Multiply this easing up by a few decades and you have a mainstream group. Don't forget that, about 150-200 years ago, Baptists were a fringe religion in the States, now they're as mainstream as apple pie.
Along with the mainstreaming, you'll also get some splintering off by those who feel the Watchtower has deviated from its "true" course. All of this speculation is interesting to a point and, the good news is, with the world refusing to end, we'll get lots of opportunities to see at least some of thsi unfold.
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warmasasunned
nice comment STEVE2, the church of england was once considered apostate by rome, i`ve voiced the opinion for a couple of years now that the jw`s will calm it down, just become main stream. it wont be a suprise that soon they will say we dont need to knock on peoples doors anymore because everyone knows who jw`s are....stopped saying the end of the world is nigh,no date on it anymore. just be a sunday morning thing.
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wobble
I still would not go back. They can never undo the terrible harm they have done.
Wobble