by the_dude_abides 43 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I'm sorry to keep on repeating this, but people including me are donating less $$$$$.
eventually they will have very little property to sell to fill their bank accounts.
years ago they had tons of $$$ in the stock market, this crash probably scared them silly and they cashed out the losses.
they are making less literatrash due to financial constraints. this is just a band-aid
They do have a cash flow problem, so they need new recruits in the prosperous parts of the World.
To do that they need to get on the WWW a bit better,but that is fraught as they have found out.
I think they will push FS even more in an attempt to up the donating suckers, so anything we can do to warn the public is all to the good.
A scandal they can brush off as "Imperfect men being purged by jehoober"
They need to be wacked in the recruiting station.
Love
Wobble
I'm with OTWO. They have already laid the groundwork for extending the end to 2034:
w08 02/15 pg. 22 par. 4
An Extended Period of Time
4 The fact that the word pa-rou-si'a refers to an extended period of time harmonizes with what Jesus said with regard to his presence. (Read Matthew 24:37-39.) Notice that Jesus did not liken his presence to the relatively short period of time during which the Flood occurred in Noah's day. Rather, he compared his presence to the much longer period of time that led up to the Flood. Included therein were Noah's building of the ark and his preaching work, right up until the time that the Flood finally arrived. Those events occurred over many decades. In a similar way, Christ's presence includes the events leading up to and including the great tribulation. -2 Thess. 1:6-9.
w08 01/01 pg. 8 Footnote:
Jesus’ statement helps to correct the wrong idea conveyed in the way some Bible versions mistranslate the word “presence.” Some translations render it “coming,” “advent,” or “return,” all of which imply a momentary event in time. Notice, though, that Jesus did not liken his presence to the Flood of Noah’s day, an event in time, but to “the days of Noah,” a climatic period of time. Like that ancient era, Christ’s presence would be a period of time during which people would be too caught up in the day-to-day affairs of life to take a note of a warning being given.
This allows for the 120 years (they will count this from 1914) as OTWO mentioned. I wrote to the WTBTS and asked if they were now going to promote this as the new end date. No Reply (since 1/08) and I'm sure I was not the only one asking this question.
If you want to take the time you can easily take apart the argument they present in par. 4. Luke 17:26-28, which is a parallel account, points to the end as an EVENT not a PERIOD of time.
But, none of this matters, There is an apathy that has set in that is going to be hard for them to overcome. Perhaps more statements from the platform like this one during the SM last night: "If you don't obey the direction from the Branch, when Jesus and the angels perform the separating work you will be marked as a goat." My guess is that we will see more of this instilling of fear and blind obedience will be pushed.
As mentioned, the real toll may well be in the young ones leaving, leaving older ones as the majority. This will take time but it will be interesting to see what they will do to to motivate the flock. Maybe a new slogan: "Keep alive to 2034"
oldseeker
The money. If the CID of the IRS audits them, they can find all the lies the organization told to become non-profit status, and bust them. If that hits the mainstream news, people are going to see them as tax cheats (while they are proclaiming to have the highest standards). At the same time, the IRS could seize their property for tax evasion (probably the first act of value creation the CID has ever done) and their profits. At that point, they will no longer be able to put out new washtowels and asleeps, or spread the cancer into Nigeria, as they are now. That would effectively shut them down.
Something seems to already be happening. The org. is in a free fall. It's ready to implode. The monkey died the circus is over.
The mass exodus has has begun! http://www.sixscreensofthewatchtower.com/massexodus.html
Here’s a few counter questions to “What do you think will happen to cause an exodus or at least push JWs into further obscurity?” Why is this important to so many of us that have been in this religion? Vengeance? The warm cozy feeling that others won’t get duped? Saving others? At the end of the day if this religion fails, what will it matter? Most will flock to some other religion in an attempt to be enlightened anyway. And if they don’t they will still believe in some form of all mighty creator, keeping the invisible shackles, because false hope is better than no hope for most humans. Religion and god is a tool used by the elite class of this world to keep us subjugated and ignorant. The sooner we understand this as a species the faster we will concentrate our efforts on making governments, large corporations and the elite class accountable for the demise of humanity’s right to be treated as equals, with the right to have clean water to drink, clean air to breath, and food that isn’t poisoned by chemical products that cause more disease than nutritional value, a monetary system that is equal for all, opportunity to be educated for everyone, a true and honest legal system that protects and serves ALL peoples and a medical system that serves mankind instead of large corporations. While we’re house cleaning, in my book god had his chance, it’s time to rethink religion and make them accountable for spreading false truths and beliefs in entities that do not exist and has kept us in the dark ages. Organized religion needs to be banished, if individuals want to keep there beliefs, so be it, it’s there right, but organized religion needs to be banned. When humans actually stop identifying themselves as believers, they will start looking for solutions that actually get things done. The fantasy ride needs to end sometime, our existence as a species on this planet demands this.
My opinion
Atomahawk, can't say I agree. My leaving of the religion was immediately followed by my complete rejection of the notion of the supernatural dictatorship. It was the most enriching thing that's ever happened to me. Any time a religion like this one which falls very much on the high control group end of the spectrum becomes a shadow of its former self, the world becomes a better place.
What do you think will happen to cause an exodus or at least push JWs into further obscurity?
The exodus began some time ago. People have been leaving for years and years.
But if there was one thing that started to make a big change, I would say it was the Internet. The Internet has caused the biggest damage to the Society and has allowed many, many more people to research their doubts. The result of more people having easier access to real information has caused more and more people to leave. Now, the scales are tipping to the favor of the enlightened.
Yet even after all the evidence so readily available about JWs (or any other stupid religion) people are still going to join and become indoctrinated by it (or what ever religion they fall for).
As for obscurity, JWs have always been on the fringe. They're known for knocking on doors and little else, except maybe the blood doctrine. No one really cares about them. They're insignificant in the large scheme of things. When the Catholics screw up, it's big news. They've been around for a couple thousand years, give or take, they are considered "THE Church" and the Pope is special and there are many millions more of them than those in fringe sects. When a fringe cult screws up, it's expected and non newsworthy. Only when a cult committs mass suicide/murder do they get press.
Slow and steady departure.
Any increase in Pioneering will be temporary as discouragement is taking over the R n F. My dissed niece, who still has comunica with her active JW mom, says as soon as you get a study, they get snatched away.
Even when they start a study, the web, family and friends are loaded with ammo. Its not like the old days when a person would fall prey and find it difficult to answer the 'trooth'.
Todays studies are locked and loaded with the JW history.
In the end, its the 'trooth', the JW 'trooth' that will slow them down to a snails crawl.
"They said what!?" "They did what!?"
Dissed, I agree. I find it so hard to imagine a reasonably intelligent person being approached by Witnesses, subsequently doing research and comparing this with what the Witnesses say about themselves through their literature and website (neither of which do a good job of answering the arguments, the website is nothing more than vague rhetoric) and still deciding to give it a shot. This religion's influx will more and more come from the very ignorant or emotionally desparate or the unfortunate souls who happen to live in the third world countries where information isn't as available and where Witnesses are reporting their "record growth".
