JW morale reaching new low

by kneehighmiah 70 Replies latest jw friends

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  kneehighmiah

  Many friends I've spoken with are becoming discouraged. Because of this it's becoming tempting to privately share my views with friends, but I know this is still too dangerous. Most witnesses in my circle are intelligent free thinkers. It's not surprising that the ones I've talked to don't belive the GB has special knowledge. They just go along with it and "wait on Jehovah." We even joke about it. Nobody I know actually (MS,Elders Pioneers) enjoys going to the midweek meetings. We also are not exactly overjoyed about extra meetings for the CO visit/ yearly pioneer meeting etc. Why does every form of "encouragement" invole a long talk or an extra meeting nobody wants to attend (including the CO and elders)?" Thus it's no surprise that the "big shots" look for 100's of ways to avoid being in their seats or paying attention during assembly programs. It seems most go along with things for the sake of personal appearances and peace with family and friends.

  I asked a MS friend yesterday if he had read about the new generation teaching. He said no. However he added with a laugh, "I don't think the Slave expected the system to last this long."

  We discussed how they once believed the end would come before all the anointed who were alive in 1914 died. I then asked "why do you think they're changing it again?" He smiles and says, "I don't think they know what Jesus was talking about." We then joked about how everyone is going to be confused at the upcoming watchtower study because the teaching doesn't make any sense.

  I think that the new generation teaching will begin the fading process for many. The lesson is scheduled to be studied late March early April. I've read every "Interview with an Apostate," and it's interesting to note how many began their departure after the 1995 teaching change.
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  maninthemiddle

  The 2010 Generation change was a big wakeup call for me. Not my number 1 issue, but close to it.
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  Splash

  @kneehighmiah I am seeing the exact same thing in my congregation and nearby ones.

  I have recently been out for meals or other social events with different groups, both locally and away from my own cong.
  I'm finding that the latest teachings are constantly discussed with a laugh and an eye-roll.

  My take on this is that there are very many who only go for social or family reasons, and if there was an easy way out (no repercussions) there would be a large scale exodus tomorrow.

  Meetings are tedious to the point of being a waste of time and effort - not simply my view but those who I speak to and who are actively still 'in'.
  The demo's are childish, as is the study material.

  If the new GB 2.0 format is anything to go by, it's appealing to the less educated while disengaging the long timers.

  Splash
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  ABibleStudent

  Hi kneehighmiah, Your best defense is to ask simple questions like you have been doing and showing/telling your friends that you will not shun them because Jesus Christ did not shun people. The greatist danger for the WTBTS is for JWs to critically think for themselves.

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  Robert
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  Oubliette

  kneehighmiah: everyone is going to be confused at the upcoming watchtower study because the teaching doesn't make any sense.

  Interesting thread. Thanks for sharing!

  Could you please clarify, which WT Study article are you specifically referring to?
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  alanv

  If we are talking about the overlapping generation, surely that is not new, and has been previously discussed in the Watchtower.
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  Emery

  I have observed similar things but unless something emotionally drastic happens to these people, they will remain in to keep the boat from rocking.
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  FadeToBlack

  But it is coming up again in the January edition. I just got my copy in English yesterday and already marked up the 2 offending paragraphs. I am going to use if for discussion with the wife. Plus we get a bonus timeline in the same issue that again shows the 'flood' occured in 2370BCE and then only 100 years later the buggers were already building the tower of Babel. So they all moved from Ararat to plains of Shiinar and breeding like rabbits, managed to build cities and civilizations with enough support to embark on this project. Not bad!

  In the same timeline, they did not want to 'speculate' on what year Adam and Eve were ejected from Eden so they did not post a date.
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  adamah

  Emery said- I have observed similar things but unless something emotionally drastic happens to these people, they will remain in to keep the boat from rocking.

  Unfortunately that's the case.

  I suspect that except for the most-naive, most JWs quietly have doubts about the organization, but it's another matter entirely of expressing those doubts when faced with DFing and losing contact with one's own family when a BOEs in a JC asks the "big question" (if you believe the GB is the sole channel, AKA the 'make or break' question). They really don't care WHAT you believe, just as long as you answer "yes" AND don't spread such doubting thoughts to others: you've got to put on a happy face and speak the party line: that's kinda the POINT of WHY it's a cult. Such seditious talk is verboten, and could trigger an investigation if someone in the group suddenly got a guilty conscience about stumbling others and reported their 'sin' to elders, triggering an investigation by ratting out the others in the name of "protecting them".

  Kneehigh, I think you're simply catching on to how the JW game has been played for over a century, and it's not so much that morale is now lower overall (which is impossible to determine anyway, since no one is able to survey JW's actual beliefs), but that you're just starting to notice things you may not have picked up on before, and the inherent narcissism of humans to think the times of their lives are the most important times, ever. So signs of discontent weren't even on your radar before now (and it was likely just dismissed as normal venting), but now it is, since your doubts are growing; it sounds like a classic phenomenon from psychology called "Baader-Meinhof phenomenon" (more accurately called 'frequency illusion', i.e. selective attention followed by confirmation bias, due to heightened awareness).

  Adam
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  mrquik

  Most of the older generation still in are "institutionalized". They can't conceive of life on the outside. I believe that their children will be less gullible and as each sucessive generation comes along, less will stay. This, hopefully will dwindle this cult down to just the brain dead in the future.