Tightening of the Cult Handcuffs.

by passwordprotected 21 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  passwordprotected

  I've been saying for almost a year that the WTS can only go one way, and that's to be come more hardline and more cultish by tightening their grip on the R&F.

  If the recent rumours seen here (and one of them was actually banded about last year) are going to pan out, then the WTS is well on it's way to become more cult-ish.

  1. changes to the disfellowshipping arrangement. Moving away from judicial action, leaning more towards the person disassociating themselves due to their actions, either of commission or ommission. Included in this is the resurfacing rumour that the WTS will "go after" the faders by announcing them DAd by their [lack of] actions, i.e. no field service and meeting attendance. Let's face it, the WTS needs to close the fader's loophole
  2. the alleged future change to the meetings. We've already seen them close off the meeting in private homes and create a new 'mega meeting' held on a midweek evening. This new rumour suggests that the Sunday meeting will be 'public only'. While there's no additional info to flesh this rumour out, I think this makes perfect sense and fits in with their cult status. And I'll explain;

  What possible benefits to having a Study Edition Watchtower are there if the public are on hand when it's being studied at the meeting? If they wish to disseminate information that has cult stamped across it in big red letters, having a public and a Study Edition version of the Watchtower is the way to do it. But having the public at the meeting where this information is discussed and studied (worshipped?), by default - remember, the Sunday meeting includes the Public Talk - it sort of defeats the purpose of the Study Edition.

  Making the Sunday meeting a proper public meeting would make the WTS, on the one hand, look more mainstream Christian (remember, many churches have two services on a Sunday - one that's more for the public, usually in the morning, and another that's more study orientated, usually in the evening). By removing the study of the Study Edition from this meeting, they can present a more socially acceptable front; offering fine Bible topics to the public without the public overhearing all of the cult talk that goes on in the Study Edition.

  When will they study the Study Edition?

  Perhaps it could be moved into the program of the midweek mega-meeting. Are they planning on phasing out the 'Bible' Study part of the midweek meeting and replacing it with some KoolAid consumption instead? Remember, they don't seem to be producing books that fit the old Book Study model. Or, and I think this is less likely, they have a stand-alone Study Edition meeting, perhaps later on a Sunday? Or, and this is what they used to do, they have a 15 minute break after the Public Talk so that the public can......leave?

  Some points to bear in mind;

  • the public aren't generally invited to the midweek meeting
  • unbaptised people who attend the midweek meeting are usually at a sufficient level of mind-control to be able to absorb the KoolAid without any side effects as they are either long-term Bible studies heading towards baptism or children of existing members
  • the WTS probably needs to start tightening the control over the R&F so that they can continue to bring in the Governing Body's organisational changes (including the change to the disfellowshipping procedure), new policies and other cult practices; the primary method of disseminating such information is the Watchtower magazine
  • if they do remove the Watchtower study from the Sunday meeting, what will replace it, or will they leave the meeting at a socially acceptable 40 minutes (including songs and prayers)?
• 

  Hopscotch

  Good points passwordprotected.

  Hopscotch
• 

  zombie dub

  if sunday is public only though, how many will be there? all the congs I have ever attended or visited, there are a MAX of 2-3 public there, most have 0-1.

  Gonna be a bit weird, 2 people in a hall that can seat 200?
• 

  TheOldHippie

  He did not mean that ONLY the "public" would be there, but that both JWs and "public" would ................
• 

  dinah

  All these changes seem to indicate they are scared sh*itless of losing control of the flock. As someone said on the other thread, the change in disfellowshipping could be a way to eliminiate the faders so they can be shunned into "coming back to Jehovah"

  The internet (and people like us) are having an effect on them, imho.
• 

  passwordprotected

  I don't think the Governing Body is interested in growing numbers. I think they're more interested in whittling and winnowing.

  Think about it;

  • 7 million Jehovah's Witnesses, 50% of whom (random figure) aren't really die-hards and are more interested in being socialites than Bethelites

  or

  • 3 million Jehovah's Witnesses who have proven their loyalty to 'mother' by sticking with the Governing Body, no matter what they're told to do

  Which is more easier to control or extract 'donations' from?
• 

  zombie dub

  "He did not mean that ONLY the "public" would be there, but that both JWs and "public" would ................"

  But that's exactly how it is now? and has been for decades? If PP meant that then what is different?
• 

  yknot

  Here is my question....

  If the mid-week meeting falls to the FWN ...... how does this reflect Christendom's schedule?

  In my area the religious majority (Protestant) chrurches (not sure of RCCs so I am staying silent) have Sunday Service and then another Wednesday Worship. So I can see the idea of an hour-long sermon/singing session and shuffling the WT (or other vehicle) into a Sunday school mode and perhaps reducing the mid-week meeting to a scriptural lesson that focuses on the control aspect. I just don't understand the direction of the alleged rumors should the FWN engulf the mid-week entirely.

  While I can see Pass's points I can also see the GB wanting to 'chunk' as much of the inherited goobly-gop for a slicker, modern and streamlined system which would include e-books and other technologies long held as 'evil'. If they can appear more modern and mainstream then the chances of new conversion alongside of those still believing inactives rises compared to today's method.

  If things boil down to choosing control over amassing greater numbers and increased $$$$ ........ I think the WTS is desperate enough to take the numbers because the uber loyal (and regularly donating) crowd consist of those in their 60s-90s.
• 

  passwordprotected

  "He did not mean that ONLY the "public" would be there, but that both JWs and "public" would ................"

  But that's exactly how it is now? and has been for decades? If PP meant that then what is different?

  ----

  That's what we're trying to figure out. If this rumour is true then it suggests that the Governing Body don't really want the public to be on hand when the Study Edition is being 'studied' at the Sunday meeting. They used to have a gap between the Public Talk and the WT Study on Sunday, and some old timers thought that the reduction in length of the Public Talk was going to bring this arrangement back in again.

  If they're planning a PUBLIC public meeting, ie. a 'wholesome, 'upbuilding', 'Bible-based' sermon on Sundays (and obviously, JW attendance would be mandatory), it would be to create a real demarkation between what's for PUBLIC consumption (like the PUBLIC edition of the Watchtower (which JWs are supposed to read, too)), and what's for the R&F.

  The model for this is already in place within their literature output.
• 

  passwordprotected

  In my area the religious majority (Protestant) chrurches (not sure of RCCs so I am staying silent) have Sunday Service and then another Wednesday Worship. So I can see the idea of an hour-long sermon/singing session and shuffling the WT (or other vehicle) into a Sunday school mode and perhaps reducing the mid-week meeting to a scriptural lesson that focuses on the control aspect. I just don't understand the direction of the alleged rumors should the FWN engulf the mid-week entirely.

  Churches locally have the following services;

  Sunday -

  • morning service consisting of worship, notices, Sunday school, a reading and teaching from the Bible and (depending on the church) communion
  • evening service consisting of worship then very focused teaching on various Christian topics/practical Christian living, etc

  Midweek

  • community/small groups, usually meeting in private homes for times of worship, discussion, prayer etc
  • Bible study groups, usually meeting in private homes for study and prayer

  My own church has the following;

  Sunday -

  • Family Service - 12noon till 1pm - worship, notices, Sunday school, 30 minute reading and teaching geared towards the public, i.e. non-Christians, new Christians
  • Evening Service - 6pm till 7.30pm - worship, prayer, short readings with some lay-teaching, communion and a 30 minute talk aimed more at the needs of existing Christians

  Monday -

  • Monday Group - small group meets at the church for either a time of extended prayer, a Q&A session (questions submitted to the elders in advance) or a focused study programme

  If the Governing Body were to introduce a Sunday Meeting-lite where it was a 'wholesome, 'upbuilding', 'Bible-based' sermon aimed at the public (JW attendance would be compulsory), then they'd be fitting a more 'normal', less cult-ish pattern.

  The Study Edition would move to the mega-meeting and everything else would be foisted onto Family Worship Night.

  This would work for them on a number of levels, not least they look more like a regular church, they shield the public from the cultdom and they relieve the elders of much of the teaching.