by jwfacts 76 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I think people pretty much know where I stand on this subject by now.
For those who are still unclear on my position, this song pretty much sums up my views on the Society's chances of survival.... enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSep7QJXKlE
Cedars
The WTS sure has to do something for the kids! Growing up in this crazy world isn't easy. Kids don't need extra burdens. Your real youth doesn't last long, Wearing suits and ties a few times a week and boring door to door is so stifling. No extracurriculars, no organized sports,no dream for a stimulating profession if inclined.
Since it is the JW youth getting baptized for the most part (at least in first world countries) but most of them leaving when getting into adulthood, should cause a re-consideration. They 'burn out' their best resource. If the JW youth remain and bring in a "third generation," those parents(of 2nd generation), remembering their own youth, are often 'softer' and seem to try harder to make sure their kids have more opportunities of 'personal enrichments.' Who of them would want to impose possible DFs, JCs, marking, shunning on their 3rd/4th generation, when they had to grow up with such threats. But it will have to be the 'parents' to 'speak up' for their kids. The GB would have to be forced into it.
Doctrinally, I think JWs like it mostly the way it is,,the name Jehovah, no hellfire, most really like the Paradise hope,,I think most JWs would be content about 1914-1919 being adjusted that the Watchtower brought in a New World Enlightenment then, still could always believe the end coming at any time, just always be prepared no matter. (there are lots of religious groups that believe some sort of variation like that.)
One thing, since grandparents (first & second generations) have died, and longer and longer in "nothing" land, this is not very exciting. Maybe they (GB) should invent for these that had the Paradise hope and died , to actually be spiritually alive in a "holding" pattern place, a second heaven, a good 'limbo' (but not in presense of Jehovah, because the GB only have dibs on that spot). Make it exciting to JWs that these ones are in a way 'special' ministry schools and training, preparing with knowledge on how to direct (of course, still under the GB) the grand earthly resurrection schools/centers.
Cults water down, otherwise, at least slowly dry up.
Good point Besty made upthread. In the last 20 years the WT have baptised about 5.5 million people. The average publishers in 1992 was about 4.5 million, average publishers today is about 7 million. That means around three million publishers have left, died, been d'f'd or faded in 20 years.
JW membership has an extremely high turnover. It seems to me there is a demographic 'hollowing' out now. The congregations are full of old people, mentally ill people and single sisters. It seems like the teenage boys disappear but their sisters stay in. Strange really, since JWism reward system is inadequate for women.
Doctrinally to survive, they don't need to do anything. They lost any remaining intellectual coherence with the 1995 generation change. The further we get away from 1914, the more the 'last days' concept plausibility is stretched, but that doesn't really hurt them. People join for the paradise and stay due to emotional blackmail.
They are already a religion of insignificance. .01% of the world's population is nothing. Everything said about the state of the organization is true though, they are struggling and they are hurting bad. I just found out my old congo just got a butt reamer and all but one elder is left. They've been replaced or will soon be replaced by elders from the branch.
IMO, the end IS in sight, the end of the organization. I really think the next few years things will escalate to the point where their numbers will be decreasing.
I've successfully been able to pull someone dear to me out and on her way to becoming inactive and she questions the organization a lot more. There are many more like her on the verge of leaving, all they need is a slight nudge in the right direction.
it came to me about 7 years ago during a wt study at the hall (aka house of torture)....Do you know why they are called the last days?....because they last....and last....and last....we could call them viagra days i guess........oompa
The one thing there gonna have to do is be more liberal about their stand on blood, sex, holiday celebrations, etc. As time goes on their beliefs are gonna become more bizzare to the average person.
Do you know why they are called the last days?....because they last....and last....and last
You've just fulfilled a prophesy.
Do you know why they are called the last days?....because they last....and last....and last
3. Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. 4. They will say, "What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created." - 2 Peter 3:3-4
Maybe the Watchtower could offer Armageddon Insurance. If Armageddon doesn't come before a specific year, the policy pays out.
The hardest days for the witnesses are to come.
In the whole history of the religion, there has always been a marker, some obvious, some subtle, and as they approached the marker they had New Light™ that moved it just a little bit further. Since it was a small change, people grumbled a bit, but accepted it and moved on.
The last marker was the 1914 Generation. They made the massive mistake of removing the marker rather than moving it. The overlapping generations excuse isn't understood and people are still looking at where the old marker used to be. The Watchtower is still preaching "the end is near" but for the first time, en masse people are starting to ask "why?"
1975 is coming back to bite them with more of vengance than it did 37 years ago. The kids of the Boomer Generation have watched their parents grow old, screw up their finances and are now at retirement age, but very few had the resources to retire. They will be bitter and that bitterness will grow. The advice to their kids will be "Don't make the same mistake I made, get a career, save for retirement, look after your family".
With that the unthinkable will have happened, while not intended, parents will essentially be telling their kids to "ignore the council of the Faithful and Discrete Slave".
The other factor is, growth is in decline. There are a great number of witnesses that feel that the growth of witnesses is an indication of Jehovah's blessing. Growth is already slowing down, once it hits negative growth it will start to build momentum as people start to wonder where Jehovah's Blessing is and be more open to thinking for themselves.
In all, they need to find a new marker, but I think they have exhausted almost all of them, Barring that, they will need massive reform to stem the tide. I quite agree with Jwfacts list, but would also like to add one to it. Publically making blood transfusions a conscience matter and dropping the liason committee as well as legal challenges.
