Business as usual. They are continuing to encourage each other..."just hold on, baby hold on, its closer than you think, and we're standing on the brink" sounds like a Kansas tune to me.
SOP
for those still "in" what's the mood
by lastchance 55 Replies latest jw experiences
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whathappened
I was a true believer and now I have become an athiest. There is no difference. When I believed in God I always wondered why he didn't help us. Now I know that he is just not there. Now I have satisfying answers...he isn't there.
Bottom Line: Life is a struggle whether or not you believe in an invisible sky daddy or not.
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LostGeneration
TTATTElder.
Imagine 20 years from now when their kid is graduating high school. Hopefully they remember how you helped them out.
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Magnum
TTATTelder: I look forward to seeing how the dubs look back on this 2014 year. I don't think it will be the pivotal year in people's minds like the WT is trying to make it. The desperation of the org seeps through regardless of how much they try to spin it. The lack of real substance is hard to deny as well.
I look forward to that, too. I also don't think it will be pivotal in JW minds. I agree with you that the org is trying to make it pivotal and that the desperation seeps through. If it really was pivotal and there really was substance to it, they wouldn't have to try so hard to force it to be pivotal.
OneEyedJoe: It may well be a pivotal year, just not in the way that most expect. With any luck it'll mark the beginning of a significant decline as the manufactured excitement wears off and people realize that there's been 100 years of nothing.
I hope it is pivotal in that way.
That's a good way to describe the situation - "manufactured excitement". It truly is all manufactured. It's not like there was something there for them to be excited about; they had to manufacture something and then force excitement about what they manufactured.
Apognophos: As for my congregation, they're one of the zealous ones, tons of pioneering, record meeting attendance, ear-to-ear smiles.
I know a cong that has a lot of smiles and a significant number of pioneers, too. HOWEVER, every one of the pioneers is a clueless, GB-worshipping, org-worshipping, JW.org-idolizing drone. Not a single one has knowledge of the org's crazy history or could defend JW doctrine. In fact, they don't even really know JW doctrine. So, to me, that's all a veneer; there's no substance to it. The rest of the ones with the cultish smiles are also clueless. So, to me, their moods don't even count. The only moods I'm interested in are those of the few that have some sense.
Are the ones you refer to clueless drones, or are they intelligent and knowledgeable?
DesirousOfChange: Even the most zealous ones are just riding around counting "windshield time".
Of all the time counted, much is fabricated. Of the time reported that actually reflects time that people were out and about in the field, a large percentage of that is wasted as windshield time with JWs packed in minivans, or calling on clueless deadbeats, or leaving lit in laundromats, or giving tracts to bums, etc.
whathappened: They come in mini vans so they don't really have to make many calls.
A few years ago I met at the KH one morn for service. The reg-pio PO was there. There was a sister there with a minivan. The PO actually said "let's go in xxxxx's minivan so our calls will last longer." He was totally serious and saw nothing wrong with it. Whether he realized it or not, he was saying "let's all pack in the van so we won't have to work as much; let's be as inefficient as we can."
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Apognophos
As far as the ones in my congregation, I think ignorance is bliss. I don't really do much service so I don't know how knowledgeable they are about doctrines, but I'm sure they're ignorant of the seedier parts of the org's history. That's why they're happy! To me, even if someone's happiness is based on ignorance, it's not less genuine happiness. Of course I fully realize that just because someone is smiling, that doesn't mean they aren't hiding serious issues, but the question of the topic was what the mood is, and I can only report what I see. What I see is a "strong" congregation, so I assume the religion is working well for them.
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Magnum
Apognophos. Ignorance is bliss. I say that all the time.
even if someone's happiness is based on ignorance, it's not less genuine happiness
I agree.
but the question of the topic was what the mood is, and I can only report what I see
I understand that. I'm just desperate to know what the few intelligent and knowledgeable JWs remaining are really thinking - what their mood is. Almost all of the old-timers - the intelligent, knowledgeble, studious, well-read ones - that were around when I was baptized are dead now, and I live far away from the others. There's nobody in my local area to talk with; all are clueless.
I guess in a way I do know what the knowledgeable and intelligent ones are thinking; they're on this forum.
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DocHouse
The congregation I'm is now is very STONG of God's Breath (spirit); the last congregation was foul!
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Phizzy
" I guess in a way I do know what the knowledgeable and intelligent ones are thinking; they're on this forum." - Magnum.
Well, if not here, then I would wager already gone from the Org. or preparing to do so.
To be a fully "in", fully believing JW now you have to be devoid of useful knowledge, deny your natural intelligence, and definately, NEVER think !
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DocHouse
How would YOU know, Phizzy?
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Magnum
Phizzy would know because he's aware that JW history is full of crazy, wrong, deceptive, hypocritical stuff, and the org is trying desperately to hide it and distance itself from it. So a JW today, if he's aware of JW history, would have to be either lacking in intelligence or dishonest to not be disturbed by it. If he's not aware of the history, then he is, by definition, ignorant.
Phizzy would know because he's aware that current JW doctrine is full and holes and is indefensible, so JWs who unquestioningly accept and promote it would have to be either ignorant or lacking in intelligence or a combination of the two.
Phizzy would know because he's had vast exposure to JWs and through first-hand experience has a feel for their mental state and abilities (or lack thereof).