by Joliette 13 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Well put, brotherdan.
I think there was a bit of a shake up when Ray Franz was disfellowshipped. A lot of Bethelites "saw the light" at that time and then his book caused a lot of witnesses to take blinders off and break away. That was huge!
Edited to add: Not to mention the Internet, Silentlambs and most recently, Barbara Anderson. Each on it's own may be considered a small ripple but if you get enough of them going you will eventually have a tidal wave.
What is happening to the Borg over the last couple decades is perhaps worse than a mass exodus because while they are still increasing in number at a fairly steady rate they are DEcreasing in numbers of "qualified" brothers to "reach out" and "take the lead" in the congregations.
There are the thousands who have left, many of whom are here on JWN, and there are the thousands who have remained in the organization but stepped down from positions of responsibility either as conscious class members or just because they grew too tired and/or old to keep on doing the job.
Cut off the head and the rest withers. At this point a mass exodus of the rank and file might actually help the Borg manage its lack of leadership.
I do think there is going to be a small but significant decline in growth due to 2014. The psychology of being 100 years late seems likely to be powerful.
I think this is a question that keeps surfacing every few weeks. It is a valid point though, because so many are asking the same question, and I do truly believe that within the next 4-5 years some type of exodus will happen, or shortly thereafter. The org is getting more restrictive, more rules, more do this or else and bolder in their writing. So it's bound to push the divide wider.
I don't think that a "schism" will happen again though. The org will continue to plug along, clamping down the R&F. It will be an exodus, how large we can't really say, but something is brewing.
