"Apostates can only criticize , tear down and destroy " say the active dubs, "Where is their hope of something better? What is their message to mankind ? If they have nothing better to offer, how can they attack our faith, which at least offers a hope of a better world?"
Such is a frequent criticism that we have to encounter, but like many other facets of the J.W. reasoning...It is entirely fallacious and a smokescreen put up in the face of legitimate criticism.
The individual Witnesses who make this application are not entirely to blame . They are repeating what the Watchtower has printed.
"And while the apostates may also present certain facts, these are usually taken out of context with the goal of drawing others away from the table of Jehovah. All their writings simply criticize and tear down! Nothing is upbuilding"
and this particularly gory comment, presumably an attempt at sick humour.
"Shortly, the great tribulation will suddenly break out, moving quickly to a climax in “the war of the great day of God the Almighty.” (Revelation 16:14, 16) It will reach a crescendo as Jehovah destroys this system of things and the figurative table at which the world’s nations have been feeding.[stet. included is political and apostate information] Jehovah will also overthrow the entire invisible organization of Satan the Devil with its hordes of demons. Those who have continued to feed at Satan’s spiritual table, the table of demons, will be forced to attend a literal meal, no, not as partakers, but as the main course—to their destruction!—See Ezekiel 39:4;
{To birds of prey, birds of every sort of wing, and the wild beasts of the field I will give you for food.”’}
both quotes Watchtower 1994 7/1 p 16
So your past friends and your relatives are well primed in their condemnation of adverse information, they are simply repeating the party line.
In so doing they reveal a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of "apostates" - If you are lurking and have read so far , I would like to assure that there is NO organized resistance movement to the Watchtower Society . The magazines like to give the impression that there is an "Evil Slave Class" who are mounting a co ordinated attack on "Gods people" . That this "class" has a structure and is a united body of international proportions, using the internet and other means, to tear down "The Truth"
I have news for anybody that believes this. Those called "apostates" are a bunch of unnumbered people that communicate via the net and may vent their personal feelings about the way that the Watchtower has affected their life. Individuals may post up their own writings of refutation of Watchtower teachings. Some people are able to set up websites that bring together the writings of refutation and counter argument. But there is no coordination, no chain of command , no unified plan of attack.
So called "Apostates" are all sorts of people. Some have become atheists , some have found other faiths. There are old ones, young ones, male , female, fat, thin, but mainly good humoured and genial ...just like any other group of people that you know .
I am reminded of that character in George Orwell's political fiction "1984". I am thinking of Emannuel Goldstein. He was constantly held up as the great enemy of The Party , the one who had broken away from it and was plotting its downfall.. In fact , as the story unfolds it is unlikely that he really existed. But it was useful to "The Party" to have him held up as a constant threat to the individual members,, whose writings must be avoided like the plague. It kept the party members together, in a state of distrust of any "unauthorised" information.
The controlling nature of the Watchtower Society is revealed in the way that claims to "protect " the flock from outside information. In fact it prevents its adherents from receiving alternative information that may cause them to raise questions about their faith The Catholic Church once wanted to keep The Bible in Latin for the same reason.
So fear not. There is no International conspiracy plotting harm and able to tear down the Watchtower Society. Any harm that it comes to will be self inflicted.
In fact - we are quite nice people when you get to know us