Musings on WT transformation

by aintenoughwiskey 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  aintenoughwiskey

  Contemplating the Watchtowers attempt at washing away 100 years of cult stink, I had another thought. The WBT$ could be transitioning from a growth model to a retention model, particularly in 1st world nations. The signs as I see them are:

  Growth in western Europe and North America is grinding to a halt, most of the tiny growth they have is from born in's. I would guess if you remove born in's from the numbers, you are looking at a decimal point number. Even the most rabid JW can count and knows when they are wasting their time (ministry). The WT reps comment on a previous thread about getting away from the old foot in the door ministry, could be blamed for the lack of growth. The whole Sophia and Caleb bits are aimed squarely at retention. Post toddler baptism rant by TM3, lock em in before they know what's going on. The asset real estate liquidation, cost slashing, and big cash grab from the congregations could be a way to become 100% self sufficient. All cash requirements coming from investments. Growth is not always good, I think the 3rd world growth is a resource suck for WBT$. They can't keep crying wolf forever, they have to settle in and go mainstream, this IMHO is what we are seeing.
  
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  joe134cd

  I seriously do believe Wt has to have a more internal focus (e.g it youth and existing members) rather than external (trying to get new converts). I look at these other churches and they spend big money on their youth with programs and activities. Wt chooses the cheaper option of disfellowshipping them when the problem gets out of hand.
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  DesirousOfChange

  Wt chooses the cheaper option of disfellowshipping them when the problem gets out of hand.

  Jehovahs Witnesses shoot their wounded.

  Doc
  
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  OrphanCrow

  aint: All cash requirements coming from investments.

  The WTS cannot do that and still retain their tax free status as a nonprofit. The WTS' books have to show that the organization is supported by donations - any profit it makes can only be shown as incidental and those profits have to go back into charitable work,

  That is why the KH mortgages were forgiven - the mortgages were listed on the books as "long term investments" and the taxman doesn't like that. The primary source of income for nonprofits has to come from donations, not investments.
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  oppostate

  Interesting OP. I do think they want to beef up retention rates, with so much bleeding out of young talent and strength, it would make sense to me if they are making efforts to keep the next generation within the Org.

  However, I think they are also aware that they cannot succeed if their efforts are mostly coercive. They've not given a $h¡t about losing members who were able to think for themselves and live successful and comfortable lives. Coercion just drives these sort of people away.

  All they'll be left is with followers who can't think for themselves and don't live successful lives and are uncomfortably stuck in low paying jobs. These folks may be easier to control, but they require more maintenance, more attention, more commendation, more guiding, more counselling and even more reprimanding, The final outcome may likely be toxic and untenable for the WTS.
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  done4good

  Good OP. I agree with 100% on a high level.

  d4g
  
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  sir82

  All they'll be left is with followers who can't think for themselves and don't live successful lives and are uncomfortably stuck in low paying jobs. These folks may be easier to control, but they require more maintenance, more attention, more commendation, more guiding, more counseling and even more reprimanding, The final outcome may likely be toxic and untenable for the WTS.

  This ^

  There is an extraordinarily strong inverse correlation between the intelligence of a JW and the level of his loyalty to the organization.

  There is an equally strong inverse correlation between the intelligence of a JW and the level of his salary.

  That is the conundrum of the WTS. They can beg and wheedle and plead all they want to on their TV program, but guess what? That approach only works on the loyal, who, as the correlations above imply, literally have nothing else to give.

  There aren't any innovative thinkers left at Bethel (innovation, creativity, and the like not being "theocratic qualities", as the WT study from last Sunday made abundantly clear), so they are utterly clueless about how to come up with the funds they want. The only thing the dimwits up there can think of is to do exactly the same thing they've been doing for the past X decades, but even more so. Coerce, cajole, wheedle, and plead. Appeal to a sense of guilt. Smile and blather about "Jehovah's blessings" and "spiritual paradise" and all sorts of intangible nonsense.

  They are pathetically inept, and there is no prospect of anything improving any time soon. They've managed to juggle enough to make things appear relatively rosy, but the facade in unsustainable.

  The cracks are in the foundation. The only question is when, not if, the structure collapses.

  It won't spell the end of the WTS, but it will spell the end of the WTS as we recognize it today.
  
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  done4good

  Oppostate - All they'll be left is with followers who can't think for themselves and don't live successful lives and are uncomfortably stuck in low paying jobs. These folks may be easier to control, but they require more maintenance, more attention, more commendation, more guiding, more counselling and even more reprimanding, The final outcome may likely be toxic and untenable for the WTS.

  It will be untenable. Social evolution is killing them slowly.
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  steve2

  The enemy of authority is education.

  Your capacity to tell people what to do depends on your authority (of course) but also the capacity of people to conclude you should have authority over them.
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  Syme

  There is no "turning mainstream" possibility while the shunning rule applies, and never will be.