by minimus 28 Replies latest jw friends
Having lived through the incredible experience of the total failure of the 1975 prophecy - I am convinced that only about 10 to 20% of them could EVER see that there are things which should be seriously questioned.
I agree. That particular prophecy really hurt people, lots who had sold everything believing the end was there. And then they all accepted it as new light and just carried on.
At that time, many people figured they'd hang on for a few years, as the chronology could've been off because they didn't know when Eve came onto the scene.....LOL
Unfortunately, the vast majority of JWs seem to have given up any questioning of the organization by the time they get baptized.
"It's God's organization."
No contrary thoughts will be considered no matter how strong the evidence.
They equate that blind devotion with loyalty to Jehovah God.
And they dump on the Israelites because they did 't always listen??? JWs are the real apostates.
At least Harold Camping admitted he was wrong.
But then, about 80% of his people said they were still going to hang on to his BS too.
i think it'd have to be huge. i forget the reason, but a lot left in 1918/19 right?
so something incredible has to happen to snap people out of this.
if jesus came down and started healing people to prove it was him and then told the jws they were wrong...that'd do it.
maybe...actually they might just take that as proof of satan looking like an angel of light.
aliens?
at the very least, i think if a video of the governing body having a gay orgy made it to the internet...at least a few would have to question it
Related to what James Woods said, it really shows why there is no point in wasting your life trying to "bring down the org" and the like. A failed date prophecy like 75 is the worst case scenario. Yet negative growth only hit 1 or 2% in the years after. Then in the early 80s, it churned ahead at 3-5% for years. WTF?
Yes the internet is a game changer, but it will take decades as the old guard dies off and the new generation to fully discount the religion as total bullshit. In the meantime, the org as a whole will chug along in one form or another for another century at least. We aren't going to outlive it!
If you are "in" and lurking, get out ASAP. Don't sit around waiting for reform. If you are trying to get your family out, set a firm timeline, but if you can't get them out, get out yourself. You only get one life to live, wasting those precious hours in the KH will only drive you to insanity.
My opinion: I think it takes a "perfect cocktail" of circumstances.
- Personal mistreatment by other JWs causing you to question the "Love" in the congregations
- Missing meetings and "theocratic activities" is KEY. Without the constant mind numbing cult bullshit, your mind and body can have the breathing room and reduced stress to actually start thinking for yourself again.
- Addressing doubts instead of letting cognitive dissonance take over. Giving yourself the permission to question and use your god given brain (if you believe in him/her/it) to apply real reason to the teachings.
It's hard to tell.
A lot of the time, when they are in the crap, they just deny they teach, or taught, the problem doctrine/behaviour. You'd have to ask a psychiatrist what goes on in their heads.
Give them the WT with the article they pretended doesn't exist, and let that do the talking for you. Act offended that they tried to get away with treating you like a fool. Let them know you expect an apology.
Yes, JW's would leave in droves if the GB abandoned any of their core teachings, ie, if they went the way of the former Herbert Armstrong Church of God after his death and adopted the trinity, said eternal torment in hell is real, and the human soul is immortal, or if they also said that the great crowd go to heaven. Any of those four things would be viewed by a great number of JW's as an apostasy and splinter the organisation.
