Remember When Jehovah's Witnesses Took Pride In Themselves?

by minimus 26 Replies latest jw friends

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  minimus

  There was a time when a Witness would PROUDLY tell others that they were Jehovah's Witnesses. Now, more JWs skirt away from expressing what they are and who they represent. In the old days, you could comment at a meeting and express the research you did on a subject. Now, they want canned answers, sticking only to the words in the paragraph.

  Years ago, Witnesses would tell all they knew about Bible chronology. They would explain intricate Bible prophecy and their meanings.

  Now, JW's seem content to just go through the motions. They seem tired. They have no more real vim and vigor. The oldsters have lost that gleam in their eyes. The vast majority of younger ones are in the religion simply because their parents are.

  Longtime elders are tired. Many good men are no longer elders because they could not measure up to the Organization's extremely high standards. Some have forfeited their families in order to retain their positions.

  Where will it all go from here??
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  leavingwt

  Sounds like a positive development, to me. Fewer people PROUD that they belong to a destructive, apocalyptic, fundamentliast, millenarian mind control cult.
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  BabaYaga

  I hope you're right, Minimus, and I certainly agree with your observations. They certainly seem to have lost what hope, spunk, and confidence they had in their own faith.
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  OUTLAW

  Where will it all go from here??

  ........................ ...OUTLAW
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  minimus

  How can they call it the "Truth" when in FACT, they have been usually wrong? They don't want you to read older Watchtower publications because their own words condemn them, make fools out of them! They're supposed to speak in Jehovah God's name but their prophecy fullfillments are merely speculation. They've been wrong SO MANY TIMES, they should be ashamed of themselves! Somehow, I think many are.
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  sir82

  I think it is due in large part to the dumbing down of the literature. Compare a WT study article from the 60's to one from today. Of course it was just as theologically unsound as it is today, but at least cogent arguments were presented, with actual points that could be identified and reasoned on.

  And of course the literature had to be dumbed down because the doctrine can't be intellectually defended. Creation / evolution, blood, Noah's ark, 607 BCE, the Exodus....all stuff that is thoroughly debunked beyond doubt by anyone with an education beyond an 8th grade level and an inclination to do more than 30 minutes of research from non-WT sources. So the literature is written in hopelessly fuzzy generalities, and the JWs become progressively incapable of defending any belief to anyone who is familiar with it.

  And that in turn discourages the JWs, who thus become more and more embarrassed to take a stand....

  What hath the WTS wrought?
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  minimus

  Well said: they can't take a stand without looking foolish.
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  tjlibre

  minimus

  This is a very interesting topic. Maybe the ‘new’ new ones will not be able to notice the difference. But I do remember when I got in, (in the 90’s) that the comments and some parts used to be better researched, more thoughtful and personals. I know that it sounds contradictory, but at least within the WT’s intellectual confinements, some where able to display pride and conviction in their conversations and comments. Now, that spirit is dwindling, the majority are in the meetings physically, but not mentally. Almost 95% of the comments are nothing but a mere parroting of what was written in the paragraph. As a matter of fact, when an insightful comment comes along, there is hardly a word of encouragement or acknowledgment.

  I’ve noticed how the young-ones, in order to cope with the door-to-door ministry pair up with buddies and avoid as much as possible getting assigned a house to knock at.

  Funny…..

  I watched the documentary “FOOD INC” the other day. While looking at it, for some reason…I couldn’t help but to find a lot of comparison (similarities) between the Food Industry and the Watchtower Corp. In essence, the “spiritual food” dispensed by the WT is highly processed, with not real nutritional value, appealing to the eyes but detrimental to your mental, emotional and intellectual health. Pack of empty spiritual calories, an apparent variety but in essence homogeneous. Only good to fill you up for a while; but lacking lasting satisfaction. In the highly streamlined food industry, a worker is of no value because it could easily be replaced, in the WT’s world, individual witnesses are of no value if they are not generating profit to the WT. McDonalds = KHs, Caned Goods = Watchtower Publications, Slaughterhouse = Convention (assembly) Halls, unscrupulous Cattle Raisers = Org. Man elders, Cos, etc…. Monsanto board of directors = Governing Body of JW.
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  SirNose586

  Pride? No, I don't remember when JWs took pride in themselves. I was always embarrassed to tell others I was a JW. It feels better now that I can say "I used to be one, but not anymore."
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  minimus

  tjlibre, You are right, when a person does make an insightful comment they often look at it as an inciteful comment.