by Coded Logic 9 Replies latest watchtower bible
Most people on this thread seem to agree that the internet is having a harmful effect on the WTBTS ability to gain new recruits and retain JW children. My question is do you think this has to do with the fact that those who leave are learning TTATT? Or is it that people are just spending more time of FB and Instagram and don't really care much about studying and FS all the time?
Is the internet corrosive to faith - or just a competitor for time?
The internet is the DEVIL INCARNATE of the WTS.
Doc
Both, it depends on the individual.
Hopefully, more younger JWs...teens especially.....will discover this website and will share it with their JW friends. That might develop into a whole 'underground' network of 'double life' youngsters following along on here and learning TTATT. They will be waiting with bated breath for the day they turn 18 and can tell their JW parents to piss off and then move out on their own, Watchtower-free.
How little ye people understand the inner workings of youth. They do not as a rule give a flying fig about doctrine or policy. If they do, they are clear exceptions, worryingly old before their time
Let that which should be obvious become more obvious still: Apathy killed more meeting attendances than apostasy has ever done. The internet's treasures to youth are not things biblical, exegetical and exposing - bor-ing - but things bright bold and worldly-naughty. Sex is better undressed, religion, not.
As I have said before, you can stop people thinking (especially when thinking is not their strength or desire anyway) but you cannot stop 'em yawning. Young ones have found the ultimate cure for yawning by entering zones marked No Kingdom Hall Here.
Bethel is now the main actual corrosive element, the Web is where it is globally discussed and analyzed. I think the Web aids the transformation of the nature of the "opposition's" tactics. A very convenient synergy of the Web and the Bethel lawlessness thereby transformation of the critical focus works together now at global scale. And Bethel regularly is who actually fuels the fire.
Here is the Bethel transformation rationale and why it is significant with the Web information expansion:
At one time people argued with JWs predominantly over Trinity, hellfire, divinity of Christ, paradise earth, immortal soul, God's name, who Michael is, what role Christ plays, and so on and so forth, issues of scripture—shoot, JWs were a virtual Bible study even in those long winded endless debates, they had the floor on spiritual matters. The focus was in the right place: the Bible.
But alas, let us pay attention well here: ALL THAT HAS CHANGED.
For quite some time in this evolution of the nature of the "attack" on Jehovah's witnesses, now, today, tomorrow, the main arsenal is NOT theology any longer, but now predominantly a review of Bethel's OWN public scandals, hypocritical alliances (UN NGO), cold hearted policies, predatory sexual aiding and abetting, and so on and on and on and on.
In other words, Bethel's actual criminal lawlessness is the NEW focus of the critique. Believe it or not, that changes the whole game, because the whole game has indeed changed. Bethel IS a spiritual and legal transgression. It is no longer opinion, it is reality.
In other words the whole problem with Bethel is a real problem and it is Bethel itself and its behavior, not Bible and theology issues. Bethel has TRANSFORMED the entire nature of the controversy, they have checkmated their own self. Now the main subject matter is not God, Christ and Kingdom, it has shifted global focus to actual Bethel criminal activity, in the public record, continuing to be carried out regularly, that ECLIPSES all former subject matter of theology. BETHEL did that transformation, not "the opposition", Bethel provides for public view and scent, their own filthy laundry and actual lies. (Zech3:3, 2Thess2:11-12)
That is a very significant transformation. The Web aids it being made public globally and easily accessible information to verify.
JWs imagine people are repulsed by them because those people are "goats" who do not agree with the theology. Au contraire, many people are now repulsed because Bethel is a repulsive criminal racketeering operation under the guise of a religious veneer that actually aids their monetary profitability. Their laundry IS dirty, and that is why informed people stumble and reel when they see a JW UN NGO toting hypocrite streetwalker coming their way. In addition to all that, now Bethel is a spiritual prostitution and escort service, plain and simple. It is not theological other than Bethel now being an organized apostasy reality outlined by scriptural principle basics.
TODAY the brunt of the weaponry of the "opposers" is they are pointing out what is actually CLASSIC APOSTASY (and actual criminal behavior), right from Bethel, by Bethel's own global record; whether the "opposers" know that is the real issue or not, it is. The nature of the opposition is now a review of actual, public, unaddressed, unrepentant, brazen criminal LAWLESSNESS that Bethel is actively involved in and not just condoning but planning and carrying out regularly—it is POLICY at Bethel. It is so blatant and effective at stumbling people in general, in the MILLIONS, it is like the Devil is who lives in the Bethel corporation top command, it has to be ON PURPOSE.
Bethel stumbles probably 4 TIMES more people than they "bring into the truth", that is how much reproach Bethel has fertilized with the aid of the Internet.
Because that is the truth, and has nothing to do with theology and the Bible, other than it exposing Bethel for what it is, Bethel is just starting to reap what it has BEEN sowing. Its going to get far worse in time, imo. The "writing on the wall" is pretty clear, imo. The Web intensified the effect of global information of this compounding actual evidence.
Everything adds to the effect. TTATT certainly is not helping the WT numbers, it is the truth about Bethel's true anatomy. But the main spiritual acid is produced right at Bethel, they are the modern day "confirmed drunkards" and sheep beating con men.
OCEAN1111 - Not only the internet is eroding JW.ORG'S facade, the Glorious Ones have made a beautiful and powerful rod for their own backs by giving us a fantastic weapon to use - the Watchtower CD ROM Library! The information contained within that tool is self-condemnatory and contradictory.
Hence the reason for them trying to put the genie back in the bottle by creating the "online library". Too late!
Apathy probably does kill more meeting attendances, but it's TTATT which stops people from going back.
@The Searcher
Overall it is a trend of ministerial destruction that will not remain static, imo. I don't think it's as random as it wants to appear to be. Once there is a ton of money involved other motives come into play, and JWs have probably a couple billion for the taking that can easily be aided by Bethel's own criminal policies and racketeering by national and global legal means when the time comes and the case is already made by Bethel itself for the seizing parties.
And that cannot be that well designed and real if someone does not know what is being developed in this set up. It is clearly a dangerous legal set up aided from within that will require only the concerted national tsunami of litigation to aid that part of the takeover. Purposeful malinvestment at hedges and derivatives scale is the possible area where most of the spoils of this "spiritual war" will be had on the other end. That is the actual capital that is dissappearing at the front of the process, made official at the end of the process, but even now Bethel is being looted at the front end into the hedges. Years of Bethel led JW actual spiritual negligence just aids the whole overall development, the JW target is spiritually weak.
But as usual follow the money, it will go to what really controls Bethel and for that age old purpose. There are no doubt other objectives, and this will be no simple affair, but someone other than JWs will end up with that loot and it is a big big bag imo. Decades of hard working JW slaves made this black investment very lucrative for the amplified ROI factor that kind of motivated slave labor adds to in the equation.
The Bethel score will be unique in many ways, imo.
Ocean1111, very astute observations about an undoubted trend, well argued.
My "reservation" is the heavily implied impact (referenced in earlier posts) of the internet on youth who drift away from the religion of their upbringing. The exposure to the internet is credited with waking them up to what is happening inside. I doubt it.
I think "causality" is far more straightforward:
Young ones are bored out of their skulls with the sheer repetitive drudgery of not only the message itself but the round of stifling "theocratic activities".
They are hardly likely to "investigate" the origins of their apathy. Hell, as many as drift away continue to believe at an implicit level that it's the "truth". We all know of oodles of people who stopped going to meetings last century, yet when you meet up with them, they express an intention to return 'before it's too late'. Dullards - disinterested for the main part about the ins and outs of their organization's disgusting conduct behind the scenes.
So, although I think some young ones have the cerebral wherewithal to think issues through, in the main the drift away is the result of plain old-fashioned apathy. Although I can only concur with another poster who stated that when such ones drift away and THEN discover TTATT, they are much more likely to stay away.
