Could There Be Another Mass Exodus From This Cult? (page 4)

kaik

WT reached saturation point in industrialized countries. The membership there peaked and is actually decreasing. This is happening through much of Europe, including the Eastern, Japan, Northern America. However, I would not underestimate 3rd world which is and will be fertile land for obscure, american based organization. These countries have rather young population; they are not affected by past fiasco and unfullfilled prophecies. The organization can and will come with a new date which will boost membership. Everywhere in the world are people who have problem and do not see a solution in this life. The WT promises quick fix in imminent rescue in Armageddon. The governing body can without problem survive with a stagnant membership of several millions world-wide.

WTWizard

They could lose 80% of the membership and still rebound. The cancer is designed to make leaving stressful, and mainstream society has as many equally binding taboos (just a step farther out) where, if people reject the washtowel but accept worldly taboos (such as the ones the anti-defamation league and Rockefeller systems put out), they really haven't left the cult mentality and could backslide into the washtowel or join an even worse cult. To rout out these cults, it is necessary to rout out the meta-cult that the Establishment has set up. "Political correctness" is the same disease, just a bit broader, and it too needs to be routed out or these cults will continue thriving.

And that disallows for their trump cards. Internet II could allow the gullible to join the cancer instead of going online and doing their own research. And, all it takes is one bad judge to rule their baptism as a legally binding contract, and people could be court-ordered right back into the cancer under the guise of having signed a legally binding agreement to serve them forever. With Saturn headed for Sagittarius, this is a real threat--remember, all it takes is one bad judge to rule it a legally binding contract regardless of the problems within the washtowel itself (they could say "You agreed to do whatever service they require. Just don't do the pedophile part.")

factfinder

If they lost 75% of publishers they'd still have 2 million which is what there was when I began studying.

OneEyedJoe

I think when they came out with that generations chage in 1995.and again in 2010.and people didn't leave in mass that was the Que for the gb to realize that those that are left are really stupid and will believe whatever we say. Most now leave because of the way there treated and not over doctrine. As the decline become more obvious they will then lie about the numbers.

I'm not so sure that it'll be completely ineffective at pushing people out. The overlap doctrine was the final straw for me to wake up, and I didn't catch it until this latest article.

I was pretty young in 1995, and judging by their reactions to the new overlap doctrine, a lot of people completely missed the 1995 generation change. Everyone seems to see the change as having gone from "people born in 1914 will still be alive" to the overlap BS.

This year's article where they re-inforced the overlap also seems to be when everyone picked up on it. My life was pretty busy in 2010 and I must've totally missed out on the first article about it, but I don't think I'm alone in that either. I never heard anyone talk about the overlap from 2010 to 2014 specifically, and the only times it was talked about, it was really just a vague idea that "there was new light on that..." but no one seemed to have really understood it. Now it's gotten people talking a lot more, and I've not heard anything positive about it. recently, in a meeting for service, the conductor was talking about our old understanding and the new overlap stuff and as he was finishing he said "I don't like it though, it puts the end farther off." He and another elder present then had a brief conversation about it, where the other elder suggested that the GB only changed it because "everybody's dead, so obviously they were wrong." Unfortunately that elder is rather soft-spoken and not the easiest to follow his thoughts in conversation, so I don't think it really hit home what he was saying to anyone there.

Long story short, I believe we'll see some younger, thinking people leave in the coming years due to these changes. Sometimes it takes a while for it to really hit home that things don't make sense. Many will likely "wait on Jehovah" but will eventually get tired of waiting and will look online for support that they can't get in the congregation. Then it's all over. Unfortunately, it's so much more difficult for older people to get out, because it would require them to acknowledge that they've waisted most of their life, and they don't want to risk the chance that the organization is right just to have the last few years of their life free. It's like a poker game where you're 90% sure that you've got a losing hand, but the pot is huge and it doesn't cost nearly as much to call as what you've already put in, most people will call.

Vidiot

Has it occurred to anyone that maybe we are the exodus?

LongHairGal

mrquik:

I don't know if it would be a "mass exodus" but simply more of the conscious class heading for the door. It remains to be seen how large this group will be. The departure might be gradual, like what happened after their 1995 changed teaching on Generation. People didn't up and leave right away, but left several years later like I did.

All these changes, including this pledge-wanna-be tithing thing will be the last straw that gets more indignant JWs to leave and they will join us on this forum at some point. However, I think the die-hards won't budge and even if Jesus Christ came smashing through the walls on a wrecking ball, they might not leave.

I just feel there are too many gullible or trapped people in the religion who are stuck because of family or because they work for other JWs.

Vidiot

LongHairGal - "I don't know if it would be a 'mass exodus' but simply more of the conscious class heading for the door."

Considering the sheer numbers of new JWN contributors every week, month, and year, I'd say we could arguably justify calling the growing number of conscious-classers a "mass".

Still, an exodus doesn't have to be large-scale walkouts of indignant rebels, loudlly proclaiming their exit; it can simply be quiet, steady - and more importantly, irreversable - hemmoraging of the membership over time.

It should also be noted that virtually everything in the Information Age happens much more quickly than it did in the past, to an unprecedented degree.

wallsofjericho

I say NO

most aren't in it for the doctrine, they probably couldn't tell you what "they believed" before the recent changes. They don't care.

they're on the "ark" .... thats all that matters

you worry too much about silly doctrines. People that care about doctrine don't become JW's

TTATTelder

I think the basic loyalty level (to the GB) is dropping.

More JW's seem to know not to take things completely seriously coming out of the Watchtower. (doctrine could change next month)

Now I'm not saying that it's everybody, just a lot more seem to be waking up a bit.

.

You don't hear out-and-out complaining of course because that is not allowed. But you see it in how they say things now. You see it in their body language.

There's a hint of frustration, a rolling of the eyes, an underlying, "Well I better look out for myself, then, since they don't have jack figured out."

It's not much, but its something.

And, again, they will have more time to think after this glorious 2014 year passes without anything significant to look back on other than down-sizing, increased control policies, and money grabs.

There is a lot of pressure on these International Conventions to provide a distracting spiritual parade.

People are impressed by crowds, so it will work to a certain extent, temporarily.

.

The loyalty level is bleeding, though, under the surface.

Of course that explains the desperate grab at power, control, and money that is going on now.

I think the GB knows the jig is up (at least long-term). The shunning policies are the only thing slowing any bonifide exodus.

It will be a slow and agonizing death, unless there is a huge, public scandal.

It would be so cool if there was an Enron/Madoff type scandal to give all the doubters an excuse to run for the door!

-TE

DJS

TTAT,

In your opinion, how many current Dubs would leave the Borg, or at least stop going/contributing/preaching/etc. if the disfellowshipping rule was eliminated? Like many others on this site, I do not believe the current numbers provided by the Borg, and I didn't believe them 20 years ago when I was an elder. Your thoughts kind sir?

Could There Be Another Mass Exodus From This Cult?

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