"large but mainstream" brings what changes next?

by agent zero 16 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  agent zero

  in some other threads there has been talk of wether the organization will go large and mainstream or small and hard-core in the upcoming years.

  in the past few years, the sunday public talk has been shortened, the bookstudy eliminated (at least as a seperate meeting night), #2 talks are down to a simple read-through, and a little longer ago pioneering hour requirements have been shortened. personally i would take these as signs of them going more soft and keeping a larger membership.

  if this is indeed the case, what would you suspect of being cut off or changed next?

  A0
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  watson

  Only Vacation Pioneers, Pioneers and Special Pioneers will be required to turn in their time, or some variation of this.
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  neverendingjourney

  Dropping the blood ban or dropping shunning would be the sure-fire signs that they've decided to pursue a mainstream path. You can argue they've taken steps in that direction already by making "fractions" a conscience matter, but those two things, above all else, prevent them from every being seen as truly mainstream.
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  spawn

  The GB converting to Islam so as to have the biggest membership
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  Nephilim

  powerpoint presentations
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  lepermessiah

  I have wondered about that as well.

  Everything in the organization is geared toward statistics, inflated numbers, etc......

  So I would assume it would be something along the lines of getting more pioneers and literature placements.

  The thing with the blood and the disfellowshipping is that they carry that around like a badge of honor.

  "Well, we get rid of those who do not conform to the bible"

  or

  "We are willing to risk our lives for Jah's commandment on blood"

  I cant see those two doctrines going away anytime soon.
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  WTWizard

  I think going mainstream would be just about impossible as long as they are going to resort to control measures like two separate washtowels, legal action against people for posting littera-trash that is by donation only, and keeping people from leaving and rejoining with impunity. The inflated numbers and separate washtowel for the public creates the illusion and false hope that they will go mainstream, while the Kool-Aid Washtowel and Kingdumb Misery all work against it.
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  teel

  How about having some form of "buyable field service time"? As in, you pay a fixed sum of money, then you can report the corresponding number of hours. They could justify this by saying that money will be used to fund special pioneers, so in effect you share in their field service time.

  They would shoot two (or even three) birds with one stone here: it would alleviate the WTS money problems, inflate the numbers, and give a break for those who aren't too hot for FS - therefore making it easier for them to stay in.
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  agent zero

  WTWizard, that was your 10000th post!!
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  JimmyPage

  Hello, holidays!