org is dying (page 8)

wallsofjericho

the org has survived so much in the past,,,, but..... the internet has only been big for the past 20 years or so. a generation of young adults that have never known a world without the internet now exists and they are spawning a 2nd generation of cyber dwellers.

the generation of kids entering grade school will never know a time when they couldn't IMMEDIATELY verify a fact.... or disprove a false one.

All those fanciful antitypes that Freddie used to dazzle the R&F with are gone. They could never get away with such garbage today. If 2/3's of kids are leaving the org today, imagine in 20 years how bad that number will be

woj

PS - nice quote Vanderhoven

Separation of Powers

@ Vidiot

Lack of relevance is not always an indication of sure demise. The cell phone is one of the single most utilized products in the world, yet the land-line is still visible in may households. The land-line has become increasingly more irrelevant, so too, the organization.

The vitriol that is spewed now is an indication of their own recognition. They know they are becoming irrelevant. They are now grasping at straws. They are trying to rebrand themselves, promoting the once demonized internet, ramping up the fear card, and obligating donations. The problem is systemic, but the outcome will not be its death, unless of course, all other religions die at the same time. If that happens, then they will play that card all the way to the end!

SOP

Finkelstein

I don't see the JW organization dying out of existence very soon, what I do see is kind of Reformation from its past,

such as dropping the Watchtower identity completely to something that still invokes the image of this is God's Kingdom here on earth

or the true Christian Witnesses.

The Watchtower identity carries with it a bunch of failed proclamations and prophecies that the new leaders would like to relinquish and separate themselves from.

.

A matter of fact the start of this Reformation has already begun, call it Jehovah's Witnesses - Lite.

SuperBoy

All they have to do is push the 'separating work' is happening now, and the drop off is nothing less than that fulfillment of 'the love of the greater number cooling off'. Raise your heads erect for your deliverance is near!

Or, in other words, no matter what happens to the organisation, it will be filtered to be good. Even if it closes down - it will just be for a while, like it did when the governing body were jailed in America. And then an angel let them out or something.

So, no need to get excited about the end of the bOrg. It's just a new beginning...

redvip2000

They are in it for the social structure! Get dressed up for the convention and have a fun time visiting with old friends, then go out to eat. That is what they look forward to in this religion!

This is true! But the religion itself is NOT dying. And they have not hit their peak either as they are still growing.

Some said here that most young ones in the organization are completely clueless about the doctrinal stuff inside the Org. Totally true! It has become a social club. A way to get dressed in fancy clothes once in a while and go try a new restaurant after the meeting. A way to have instant friends all over the world because you belong to a brotherhood.

My facebook was lit up this weekend with posts about the international convention at the Metlife stadium in NJ and all of the posts had nothing to do with the content of the program. It was all about traditional clothing of the delegates, how many business-like cards you collected from people you met, and other peripheral tidbits.

steve2

redvip2000, you have acurately nailed the "mentality" among young ones but perhaps overstated things when you say of the organization "they have not hit their peak as they are still growing". Growth is still evident in third world countries but, in general, is either stalling or declining in western democratic countries. Worldwide memorial atendance in 2011 was higher than in 2013, baptisms show a definite downward trend and it takes much longer for average publishers to "catch up" with peak figures.

Pistoff

The org will survive if:

1. They keep walking away from the blood doctrine.

2. They back off of shunning people.

3. The figure out how to keep people coming back after they have gone to college.

4. They stop changing doctrine all the time.

These are traits of sophisticated, mainstream religions; they don't take their myth seriously, and are not purely ideological.

That makes it unlikely the WT will adopt those traits, and will likely wither slowly over time.

Fencing

They can't remove shunning without simultaneously going totally mainstream in their belief system. Disfellowshipping is what keeps everyone in line and following all the rules. Without that effective threat of punishment, the whole thing collapses. You keep all the crazy rules and take away the threat of losing your entire social structure, and there's no reason for anyone to do anything the GB says anymore.

Pistoff

From Fencing:

"You keep all the crazy rules and take away the threat of losing your entire social structure, and there's no reason for anyone to do anything the GB says anymore."

Right; the rank and file are not used to any kind of intellectual freedom that is informed by the life and experience of Jesus, like many religions.

They really know nothing of unity; only enforced conformity and toeing the ever-changing company line.

The leadership has raised generations of people who must be told not to fornicate, not to be greedy, not to be fameballs, etc.

Still, if they did those things, over a period of time, they would keep those who value the fellowship of friends and extended family.

DATA-DOG

All I can say is that if YOU want the ORG to die a swiftly as possible, then YOU must actively fight against it. Are you a fader? Are you stuck going D2D? Just do the 'ol fake door knock and "place" a Jwfacts.com flyer in the door. If YOU don't do something, who will??

DD

org is dying

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