SIAM - The only point that I disagree with is that the WTS does not realize there is a cancer and that the future viability of the org is at stake. All the minor changes that have been made both procedurally (cutting Awake to once a month, having a study WT, consolidating the CBS with the TMS/SM, cutting the PT to 1/2 hour, etc) as well as doctrinally (2 changes in the last 3 years regarding what Jesus "evidently" meant when he said "this generation will not pass away, dropping the 1935 annointed cut-off, etc) show me that they realize there are issues. They somehow think that it's the world that is causing folks to begin to doubt, to step down or not reach out, to become inactive. They can't see that it's the way they act, the demands for endless service, the guilt they put on folks for not doing enough, and the harmful shunning that splits friends and families that is really causing the decline. They're cutting costs and changing doctrine when they have no other choice. They seem to be grasping at straws for an answer.
To me, the reason most businesses fail is not that they don't reconize there are problems but they either 1) incorrectly identify the source and/or 2) the actions they take to address the problems don't work (even if the correct source is identified).
I totally agree with you that in order to survive long term, the WTS will need to change their business model to give people what they want out of a religious community. If they took an honest look at themselves, reduced the controlling behavior by dropping the whole DF/DA structure or at least the shunning aspect of it, moved more to the mainstream in terms of things like blood (making it a matter of conscious) and make the meetings less like corporate sales meetings and more like religious services catering to the needs of their flock (like break out sessions for kids, moms, dads, singles, so on and so forth). Also, instead of promoting the door to door work that is basically one of the greatest wastes of time in a JW's life, they could instead promote charity work and community service to spread the Word.
Time and time again on this board, it's the lack of love and the lack of a feeling of community that really pushs people to doubt. Of course, the doctrinal issues are readily apparent when you look at them with an open mind. But, I really think its the behavior of others that allows members to take a hard look at what the WTS teaches.
I'll bet if they made it more user friendly, the doctrinal issues would be a lot less harmful to them.
