What's "THE END" going to look like?

by Coded Logic 45 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Coded Logic

  Okay, so it’s no secret that many of us are hoping to see the downfall of the WTBTS (or at least a mass exodous of JWs away from them anyway). I was wondering if you had any thoughts on what this might look like?

  We all know that most every JW has their doubts, large and small, but is afraid to speak due to The Illusion of Unanimity and Self Censorship . When the doubts finally come boiling to the surface - as JWs realize that everyone shares similar concerns about the Society as they do - will there be a volatile reaction?

  I feel like this sort of collective awareness isn’t that far off (though I might be biased by my own awakening). And I feel that once it reaches a certain tipping point there will be no stopping it. If a person's friends and family start to leave there’s not much incentive to stay.

  Anyway, I was hoping to hear some of your thoughts on this. What do you think could be a potential catalyst and in what manner do you think JWs will choose to leave? What do you think the downfall of this religion might look like? In what kind of time frame? And how will the WTBTS react?

  P.S. If you have some extensive ideas and you want to start a new thread that's cool too! Just so long as I get to read your ideas somewhere :)
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  Fernando

  "The Illusion of Unanimity and Self Censorship".

  Interesting, and whilst I'm sure these play a role, I doubt I ever thought that everyone believed everything the GB said, except maybe in regard to their divine appointment over us dumb sheeple in 1919. How stupid we were...
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  The Searcher

  (Luke 11:17) "Every kingdom divided against itself comes to desolation, and a house [divided] against itself falls."

  JW.ORG's global fleecing of the sheep via the "donation arrangement", coupled with the dramatic & ongoing changing of long held "truths" for "new light", is alienating many who will become inactive in both ministry and contributions but who simply cannot leave because of the penalty they will pay.

  As such, the Org will want to weed such ones out by introducing more "obedience to the FDS" directives.

  Direct bank payments for "donations" will become the norm in the future, thereby alerting the shepherds to the non-contributors.
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  stuckinarut2

  With study articles like the one for this weekend, the org will always set up a mentality of "watch out for the evil apostates"...hence there will always be gulliable ones ready to keep the org going.

  Even when logic and truth abound, new ones will be ready to take the place of the weak minded ones in the org...hence it will always survive...only the members will change
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  Jeannette

  I think the Watchtower will always have members-they just are too mentally controlled. Hopefully, many, many more will leave for one reason or another. That's why its up to us that are already here to keep up our good work in exposing the wts, exposing the bible, and actually for exposing the god they worship.
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  Zoos

  I always picture them getting caught in some financial scandal like Jim Bakker, caught so red-handed they have no choice but to confess. That should shake loose so many people there won't be anything with which to prop themselves up.

  I would hate to think they just fizzle out. I'm hoping for severe public shame. Although... fizzling out to irrelevancy would be a pretty shameful way to die for an organization as haughty as the WT.
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  Gustv Cintrn

  Hi,

  As much as so many are salivating over the imminent demise of the Organization, it just won't happen. The bigger the fansasy, the bigger the disappointment.

  If they got away with so many flip-flops over the years, among some of the biggest ones are the 'generation change' and the 'blood fraction' allowance, believe me, they ain't going down; actually, out of these debacles they've emerged stronger, with more new members and stronger 'party affiliance' from us older folk.

  We'll just continue to evolve with the times and currents.

  Find your nitch within and be happy; get out, leave it behind and be happy; either way you go, be happy.

  GC
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  OnTheWayOut

  Start at close to 8 million of them (where they are today) and I expect reduction by attrition. Eventually, you will only have hardcore believers as born-ins rarely will stay and recruitment is already a joke. Your average hardcore believer is now in his 50's to 70's, but there are enough younger ones to keep them going for decades as they shrink due to death without replacements. There will probably be a big campaign to have many many babies eventually, and serious efforts to maintain those babies via some kind of Sunday School despite how they view such a thing now.

  They already stole the money from congregations and have used all their legal might to prevent the money from going out to pay lawsuits. They will lose some, but not that much. The ivory towers will be safe as the great shrinkage goes on.

  But I don't see a mass exodus, except in dreams. I wouldn't be surprised if it takes 50 years to get down to 4 million, but maybe it will go faster. By that time, it should start to pick up steam as virtually all of the hardcore members will be elderly. Another 10 years to get down to 1.5 million and then 5 more years to be below 1 million.

  Factors that can speed it up are governments recognition of them as the cult they are, a scandal that shakes their members out, drying up of funds faster than anticipated by successful lawsuits or just wasting of literature. But they will eventually stop printing the literature.
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  LisaRose

  I think it will be a gradual shift as more and more younger ones leave. They already have a poor retention rate among young people, I think that will get worse. And even those who stay are probably more internet experienced than their parents were, so they are one or two clicks away from TTATT. Troubling thoughts are easily confirmed, more chances of accidental exposure to things like this site. I don't think the Watchtower will ever go away, but I think it's possible they will start to shrink in the next twenty years. They may even reach a tipping point where the effects of Disfellowshipping will start to work in reverse, if you have enough members of a family that are kicked out it might cause the remaining ones to go, causing a melt down. Hey, a girl can dream.
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  keyser soze

  It's hard to imagine that an organization like the WT can survive, or at least prosper in any meaningful way, in the information and technology age. I see a gradual reduction to mostly hardcore born-ins.