Is The Internet The Worst Thing That Could Happen To The Organization?

by minimus 55 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  drew sagan

  Yes & No

  It is problem because many people are comfortable researching things they are interested in on the net. So in places where the internet is available, I could see it possibly deterring some from joining. However, there is a 'digital divide'. People not familiar with the net or who have limited access obviously can't utilize it. Additionally, I think that for the most part the WTS has pretty good influence over current members. People who grew up in the faith or converted years ago probably are not likely to go "asking questions" at any higher rate simply because the net is there. Considering all of the places on the earth that have limited internet access (i.e. developing nations), it is likely that WT growth in these countries will continue to grow no matter what kind of technology is around.

  I believe the Watchtowers biggest problem would be people who share their theology and beliefs (to some degree) rather than those that reject them."Apostates" on the internet pose a very little threat to the organization imo. People will continue to leave, as they always have (just as people will continue to join). I think the big danger for the WTS is if one day members begin to get frustrated and want reform within the group, with the possibility for fragment groups to form facilitated through digital communication.
• 

  cantleave

  Lets hope so.
• 

  poppers

  The Borg doesn't have enough fingers to plug all the holes the internet is putting in the dike.
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  It isn't so much that there are more total people leaving as a percentage, it is the quality of people that are leaving that hurts the borg. It's a major brain drain. The ratio of intelligent brothers who are qualified to lead anything competently has been steadily declining over the past couple decades. They practically beg brothers to become (or return to being) MS and elders but the smart ones are saying, "no thanks," if they're even still in the congregation at all.

  Look around here at this site. Look at the bright, insightful, former elders, bethelites, etc. The borg drives out the free thinkers and those willing to learn things on their own via the Internet and what are they then left with? Sheeple who can't tie their own shoes without "direction" from the "faithful slave." And a great number of these are burning out, too, with being overburdened as a result of the Peter principle.

  So the Internet might not be hurting them in huge quantities but the quality is suffering greatly.
• 

  OUTLAW

  The Internet is the Ultimate "Pain in the Ass"..

  For the WBT$..

  ......................
• 

  Cadellin

  I think Mad Sweeney is right about the brain drain. So much of the increase is foreign language groups where the level of education is really, really low--I mean, I've talked to some who still believe that if you cut your hair it grows even faster and other silly superstitions. That's not to imply that immigrants are less intelligent--not at all--but that the degree of education which would help in critical analysis and investigation of some of the WT claims, is often not there. Plus, no much of the info onthe internet is primarily in English.
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  minimus

  Smart people come here.
• 

  wobble

  I think the Internet is the biggest problem the WT faces. It takes very few clicks of a mouse to find out the truth. And when you find out ,it is not just a bit here and there , the whole thing falls apart.

  They will hang on as long as possible, after all, where else can they go, as they have often asked, but the problem is getting bigger for them .

  GOOD.

  As to how long it will all take, I don't know, but what with t'internet and cash-flow problems the writing has been on the wall for a long time.

  What will be interesting will be to see the panic moves they implement to try and save the whole sorry thing, they have rarely been anything but re-active, which is usually way too late, you would think that Holy Spirit would direct them so that they could be pro-active, and pre-empt problems, but in all their history they don't seem to have ever managed that. I wonder why ?

  love

  Wobble
• 

  miseryloveselders

  Minimus-Smart people come here.

  I'm not the brightest guy, but I try to think regulary. The internet is proving to be a thorn in the WTS side. I've always had certain reservations and doubts regarding our clergy class in NY. I just didnt realize how many other people felt the same way until the Internet came into it's own. Without giving too much information away about myself, I was born some years after 75". Every now and then I would hear things about it, but nobody at the Hall could give me any specifics. I was a kid when Ray Franz did his thang. So I was never all that familiar with who he was, or what he did. Ray Franz and Fred Franz were the same people as far as I knew even in my teenage years. The internet changed all of that. I vaguely remember selling magazines for what I think was 25 cents a pop. Then I remember that changed. I didnt know the reason involved Jimmy Swaggart though. Had it not been for the internet, I wouldnt have known any of these things. Thank you Al Gore!

  The other thing I like about this forum and internet in general, is there are people on here who've thought these things out, and it's helped clarify my thoughts on things WT related. Dogpatch and his site, On The Way Out, IsaacAustin, Undercover, Blondie, Mary and many others have posted things that rocked my foundation. To be fair, some things on here made me agree with the WT, other things, many things actually, helped me to take a darker view of the WT. It's not the tickling of my ears either. It's reality based upon fact and historical documents, and scriptural support in theological discussions. All of this because of the Internet. Crazy right?

  I wonder if the WT provided a WT based Internet filter would JWs bite?
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  Following up on the foreign language growth comment, much of the growth in the foreign language congregations comes from brothers and sisters leaving their English congregatons and joining the foreign language congregation. These also drain the English congregations of many of the smarter brothers and sisters because these are the ones bright enough to pick up a second or third language.

  So your English congregations and circuits are left with brothers who aren't sharp enough or driven enough to learn a second language. The English congregations are literally begging for brothers to "reach out" while many of the foreign language congregations are stacked. A typical foreign language congregation of 35 people may have 6 elders, 6 MS, 20 pioneers, and half a dozen native speakers of the language.