As far as a “tipping point,” I would think that it could only apply to each JW on an individual basis, and perhaps eventually to the entire rank-and- file JW community as a whole (long way off, though – don’t hold your breath). But as for any major “tipping point” on the core policies of the WTS (blood, disfellowshipping, beards, birthdays, etc.), I can’t really see it happening. I think the whole WT enterprise would be forced to either change or be shut down by the government (can anybody say “1918”?) before the WTS would change their draconian measures on their own.
The "Preaching" Work As A Dead Parrot
by metatron 41 Replies latest jw friends
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NewYork44M
It has long since died as a means of obtaining recruits or even collecting donations. However, the field service concept allows the society to control the r&f. It is a source of coercive control and keeps the minions busy.
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metatron
I'm talking about WTS leaders, not the idiot zombies they control.
Does a point in time arise when they realize they simply have no great need for publishers anymore? That it's futile?
What is so wonderful about being in command of 8 million passive-aggressive fools? Does it ever get tired? Boring?
Take a good overview of the recent changes being reported on this site and ask yourself if we could be observing these kinds of thoughts emerging.
metatron
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NewYork44M
Met, I think they know the preaching is a worthless activity - but it serves a function totally unrelated to bringing in converts.
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BucketShopBill
"Idle" or "Busy Work" is used to keep people from thinking, that's what this work is all about! How many JW Apologist are you aware of, how many are giving a "Question and Answer" program at Universities instead of a rusty table with Watchtowers and books sitting on their perch? The new Literature Carts are "dead Parrots", we know the preaching work as done by JWs is 80% ineffective if not higher, how do we know? According to Fred Franz and all the individuals he questioned while he was still at Bethel,he learned that most JWs come to the Watcthower via family, friends and co-workers. It's obvious to everyone who visit's this site the Watchtower is nothing more than a Ponzi Scheme to benefit the Top Dogs at Bethel. Rutherford was evil, he "lifted" the proceeds from hard-working Bible Students to live a life of luxury. When you were in their truth, would you have believed everything the Internet has brought forward on his life-style? I know it hurt when I read my first non-JW book on Cults, I returned it as fast as I could because it really hurt to realize I was in a Cult. Those doubts laid dormant until I saw how things really work, the corruption, the lies, Peter Principle and Ass Kissing was how people were appointed! The Governing Body know they have stolen life away from us but justify that "They are better people now than they were before!" ideas.
You buy something hoping to benefit greatly, because you researched it with great-great-great due diligence only to see it's now worth 50% of what you paid. Instead of selling it, Hope set's in and you wait and wait, you refuse to sell until it's worth 10% or 1% of the value. It happen's all the time, the Great Meltdown of 2000 "Dot.Com Bubble", the Real Estate Implosion, Subprime Debt. The Elite Professionals knew this was going to happen, it was unsustainable so they bought Credit Default Swaps, Sold Assets Short, Bought Put-Options and only a few who knew the inner workings of these products made a killing.
The Governing Body is not stupid, they know that people are afraid of admitting "I was wrong preaching for Fifty Years, or Ten years, ect.." The benefit of coming forward even if you realize it's a total lie is harsh because your friends and family might not be like you, these concepts are too painful and thought-consuming so they remain in a state of anxious-chosen Ignorance. What you are thinking is happening now, the kids younger than us are realizing this is a lie but refuse to stand up because they figure the Watchtower is the lessor of evils. There is some research that try's to get in to the minds of Cults and High-Group-Mind-Control like the "Millerites" who blindly followed this false prophet of the 1800s because there were reports of War, Earthquakes and the "usual suspects" of life that alerted "the elect", "chosen by God" to survive the Second Coming. Nobody learns, look at Harold Canby (American Preacher and False Prophet) who was deluded. Instead of learning from the Past and his own mistakes in 1995, he thought he was the "Faithful Slave" and Jesus revealed a secret code to his followers the "Chosen" (Dr. Canby believed in absolute Pre-Determinism, you were either going to Heaven or Hell and there is nothing you can do about it! Yet his message created fear because of the events during 9-11-2001) via the Bible. Miller, Russell, Rutherford, Canby all were False Prophets with lots of failed prophecy and these facts are readily available to all who wish to look. The problem is "Followers" are conditioned not to think, to disregard logic and reason because that shows faith!
The Watchtower and it's leaders have proven to be False Prophets and are now testing the limits of their powers in a declining religion by telling the Elders and Sheep "If you hear something come from the Podium that sounds illogical, you must obey without questions or thinking, Just Do it!". Ask yourself, how much heart-break and pain did your break-away cost, some have little to lose and others lose their entire World, it's how it works. No amount of "Forced Revelation" will ever make free-will agents do the right thing and the Watchtower is hoping they can keep this Con going on as long as they can. Notice how they don't have much growth with educated, able-body and healthy people, it's always people with lots of issues who long to end their pain the Watchtower attracts.
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Apognophos
It's true, we talk a lot about shunning but much less often is it pointed out that a person's own pride can be the main obstacle to learning TTATT. Nobody wants to face up to the massive amounts of time they've wasted in the religion.
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metatron
OK, Bill -you raise a fair point. Perhaps they need to maintain the "preaching" work because they cannot face the horror -whether personal or organizational - of admiting that it was all a waste.
or do they?
Perhaps they write it all off as "fulfilled" - or........
Consider a possibility: should we believe that 100% of the WTS leadership fully believes in the "Truth" ? Is it possible that some of them may be agnostic or atheists?
What "lesson" did the Watchtower teach everyone (with half a brain) about 'what happens if you sincerely lose faith in the Organization and just want to leave? How did they hunt down and persecute Ray Franz - instead of just letting him go?
I have known various responsible older brothers through the years and many of them "have their own (contrary) ideas" which they keep very quiet about. If you doubt, the wise course is to shut up and not lose everything.
Is it possible that - without intending to do so - the Watchtower may have created a profoundly rotten facade that conceals the faithlessness of its leadership?
It might be instructive to take a close look at body language/ facial expression expertise in regard to GB talks. There's a whole TED lecture on the topic.
metatron
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Apognophos
Unfortunately, metatron, there's a significant gulf between having doubts about teachings, and actually doubting it's the truth or doubting God exists. I've mentioned this experience a couple times before and I don't want to sound like a broken record, but I witnessed a DO say from the platform, "It could be that when we get into the new system, we'll look back and say, 'We thought that was the truth?!'"
This ties into the comment that various Witnesses can be heard to say, that "it's the closest thing to the truth". We even find people coming on here who know it's not the truth and still think that most of the doctrines are right. It's difficult for any Witness to come to a full realization that it's not the truth. They hold onto this idea that, 'One day God will sort it all out. We just have to make it to the new system and then we'll have perfect knowledge of his will."
Higher-ups like COs and DOs know there are problems with the Society, but they just repeat the "closest thing" mantra to themselves and keep slaving away for the religion. So I just don't see a thought revolution happening one day where they all turn against the organization at once. The ones with most serious doubts probably fall away or leave on their own over time, so the group naturally tends to preserve only true believers. Even someone with doubts about teachings can still be a true believer in the organization.
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NewYork44M
What is so wonderful about being in command of 8 million passive-aggressive fools? Does it ever get tired? Boring?
Power is a wonderful concept.The leaders have spent their lives to gain a level of power. Boring - hell no! Being able to push around zombies is what the live for.
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metatron
I don't foresee them "turning against the organization all at once". That's not it.
The Organization turns against its past all at once! When you observe recent changes, do you think this could be happening?
If you acknowledge that widespread doubts exist - and that they could even be "universal"- what then could happen?
It's the "truth" ......................but we can dance and sing like Pentecostals.
It's the "truth".......................but we are ditching printing everyway we can
It's the "truth".......................but maybe we don't need publishers anymore.
They can just repeat "the truth" over and over - even cynically - and change whatever they wish. They don't have to believe it, Witnesses are eager to be lied to.
metatron