by stuckinarut2 6 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
We have all noticed this and commented in other threads...
But isn't it interesting that in times past, Witnesses earned a reputation of being so determined to share "the kingdom message" that they would put their foot in the door at a house to keep the conversation going!
Now, the apathy and lack of effort in service; particularly with the Literature Carts shows the complete opposite!
YET...The end is supposed to be EVEN CLOSER right? So the determination should be GREATER?
Idiots....
I was looking for a word the other day to describe what the owner of a Jeep Wrangler 4x4, an owner who likes to take on muddy trails, thinks of Jeep selling a small SUV, the Renegade, that's made to look like a Wrangler on the inside. The word was PURIST: a person who insists on absolute adherence to traditional rules or structures, especially in language or style. A synonym could be "stickler."
I was reading Renegade reviews and they described Jeep enthusiasts who did not like the vehicle because it wasn't what they wanted. All I could think was that those people could keep buying Wranglers and not worry about the people who buy the other vehicles with that Jeep brand name.
Okay, application time. It is possible that we are a wee bit on the side of purists when it comes to the recruiting work of Jehovah's Witnesses. Similar to military units and college fraternity members having gone through initiation that included some kind of hazing, many purists in those same units think the initiations and hazings should continue the same as they used to be, but new people in a different society frown on it. Could we want JW's to suffer for their hours? Could we say "I did it the hard way, they should too." ?
I am aware that there is a group of purists who would say that it's not jealousy over today's JW having it easier, but it's the power of conviction that JW's should have if they want to spread their word. And that conviction would make them be like the "foot-in-the-door" Witnesses.
But other than the fact that I want things to be tough on them so that they will dread the recruiting and young ones will often leave the religion that is so tough, I am glad they aren't really bothering people so much. I guess I am not a purist on this, but have mixed feelings.
After seeing the Scientology documentary, GOING CLEAR, I realized that Watchtower is reaching a similar point as the Scientologists. Weak members are becoming a liability instead of a source of profit. Watchtower, like Scientology, is rich in properties and could benefit from losing members that are not so hardcore, then sell Assembly Halls and Kingdom Halls. Literature is definitely becoming a liability, so they probably prefer the members sitting/standing around and sipping their coffee and gossiping instead of actually "placing" that literature.
YET...The end is supposed to be EVEN CLOSER right? So the determination should be GREATER?
Yep. Doesn't make sense. They used to put feet in doors; now they should be knocking them down. They do not act like a people who think the end of the world is imminent.
Somewhere along the line the focus switched from "studies" and "placements" to "hours". Of course hours were always part of the equation, but now they make up 90% of the focus of most JWs.
So you get this environment permeated by apathy. Nothing else matters except punching the time clock. Especially for those oh-so-special JWs, the pioneers, its all about counting the hours as they crawl on by.
Its truly pathetic no matter how you look at it.
I am aware that there is a group of purists who would say that it's not jealousy over today's JW having it easier, but it's the power of conviction that JW's should have if they want to spread their word. And that conviction would make them be like the "foot-in-the-door" Witnesses.
I think most here couldn't care less about how they go about the work now....it's more a matter of pointing out the irony they see. I'm glad they aren't sticking their foot in the door or are being required to do as much but it does irk me that they once held scriptural reasonings over our heads as biblical proof that we should be working harder and doing more as the end drew near....not less.
I don't really care about today's JWs having it easier, what bothers me is the hypocrisy of a religion that pretends to be all about the preaching work, it's what they say sets them apart, what makes them different and special, but the reality is very little preaching actually happens.
Most individual JWs don't care about preaching, only about "getting hours". If they stopped reporting hours, how many would be standing by those carts, do you think? They know they won't be converting anyone, or even having any meaningful conversations, so the only reason to be there is to "count time".
The Watchtower is just as complicit. They know they won't be getting any converts that way, but only care about the money from the magazines that comes mostly from individual JWs. They know most of those magazines end up in the land fill, unread and unwanted, but they dont care, not do they care about the fact that those JWs could be spending their time in a more productive way.
I hate waste, and this is just a lot of waste, wasted time, wasted paper, wasted resources, and for what? To feed a parasite like organization that serves no useful purpose.
