The Glory Days Are Over (page 2)

Dismembered

Good points made waiting. Thank you too!

Dismembered

waiting

Lol......remember the account of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the poet, when she ran away to meet the man she was to marry? This is remembered reading of years ago - so might not be totally accurate.

Ms Barrett was a semi-invalid, lovely young woman - with several siblings, and a tyranical father. She also had a small dog, her cherished pet. Mr. Browning came a-calling, love letters ensued and so did secret marriage proposal. She knew her father well (some have speculated too well).

Before running away secretly to marry Mr. Browning, Elizabeth left letters for her siblings. She pleaded with one of her sibling to take her dog to a special friend's house immediately, before her father came home. There was a letter to her father also. After he read his, one of his immediate actions was to look for her beloved dog...........for retribution against her for leaving him. He wanted to hurt her through killing her dog. Thankfully, she knew her father and her pet was safe.

This reminds me so much of the WTBTS. Anyone of the Mother's children who dares to sneak away (let alone walk away with dignity) should prepare ahead of time for the pain that the WTBTS has already told them that they would inflict upon unfaithful ones.

The WTBTS is a tyrant..........and has proven it for decades. "Hard to teach an old dog new tricks."

Nathan Natas

Hi Farkel,

I think that by using Bible Chronology it is possible to date precisely WHEN the glory days of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society BEGAN and when they ENDED.

They began on the day in 1942 when Nathan Knorr and a couple of his associates dug a hole in San Diego California and unceremoniously dumped a body into it. Yes, the body was that of your personal hero, Joseph Franklin Rutherford, and I believe that to this day he "sleeps" in an unmarked and illegal grave in San Diego in the backyard of what was one known as Beth Sarim. I have described the events, perhaps others can supply the precise date.

The glory days ended on the day that the governing body had it out with the prophet Franz (and Knorr - was he still alive then?) and the authority of the President of the WTS was considerably reduced.

Since that time the WTS has been led by as worthless a group of do-nothing, non-charismatic circle of corporate committee jerks as anyone could ever assemble. They are "fit" to sit around and twiddle their thumbs while history lays a massive "corporate downsizing" on them. We see Ted Jaracz's bid to consolidate the power and authority of the President's office to himself, with success that will be short-lived and inglorious.

Edited by - Nathan Natas on 7 September 2002 16:21:8

IslandWoman

Good Grief Farkel !

I object!

I disagree!

And will continue to do so!!

IW

One of the "Supreme Poobahs". lol, that was bad of you!!! :)

RR

Waiting

I believe The Shakers actually still exist - a handful of them. The Seventh Day Adventists still are around with their Reading Rooms. Many small splinter groups, with their small following.

Ah, you can't compare the SDA to the Watchtower. The SDA, are much larger than the Society, and have universities, and other educational institutions. They have the freedom to think outside of the box. Members can agree to disagree publicly. There are several SDA publishing houses, and Bookstores, their literature is available to all for a price. Apples and oranges.

OHappyDay

A problem I see is that nobody can stand up and say, "This isn't working, let's do something else," or "there is no Bible for this, it's just speculation and policy. Let's end it and get back to the Bible."

That is, they can't say it without being shot down.

ErieGuy

Without reading beyond Farkel's first couple paragraphs, or reading the assumed succeeding "atta-boys", I will remind everyone that there are roughly 9,000,000 "hangers-on", many of whom will JUMP into the WTS's Baptismal Pool if and when the WTS sets another date for Armageddon (just like pre-1975), or if there is some sort of significant world crisis.

The WTS can stagnate for decades waiting on such a world crisis, or in a worse case scenario play their date-setting wildcard at will.

Pronouncing the WTS DEAD is a bit premature.

Farkel

EricGuy,

: Pronouncing the WTS DEAD is a bit premature.

You're right. You didn't read the whole thing.

Farkel

patio34

Very good thread, Farkel, imo. Another factor in the WT's glory days was the social climate in the 60s. There was widespread disillusionment with the "establishment" and lots of searching for better things. People were pessimistic about the future. There were worries about the poplulation explosion, the bomb, pollution, etc. Not that these things were solved, but there isn't the frenzy there was then.

The JWs were just "rebellious" enough to attract people, making them feel they were thinking for themselves and not falling for "organized religion." The social environment is much different now and for the past 20 years. This has also contributed to the downslide of the WT.

As pointed out, it may not lead to their demise, but as you said, their glory days are over. Very insightful points in your posts.

Pat

outnfree

Erie Guy,

1/ Nobody said the Watchtower was "DEAD."

2/ I disagree that the 9,000,000 hangers on will jump into the baptismal pool at the next world crisis. Four of the 8,000,000+ that attended the Memorial the year I left were my children who never were and never will become Jehovah's Witnesses! How many more are like us? And the spouses that attend just to make the JW partner happy on their only "holiday"? I knew quite a few of those, didn't you? Did 9-11 result in a sustained increase in membership in the U.S.?

3/ Farkel noted that their were 6-month accelerated Bible studies leading up to '75. The same thing happened leading up to 2000. And now the Society is having to change all the references to things occuring "in this century" in any publications they still wish to keep in print.

4/ More and more ARE tired out and discouraged and there is NOTHING COMFORTING coming from Brooklyn at all! Each CO and DO visit is more of the same: guilt-inducing public talks designed to make [sinful, unzealous] 'friends' feel that their efforts are meager, so they must do MORE, MORE,MORE! because the end can't come without the 'good news' being disseminated. (And, dammit!, don't we all wish the end would get here already!!!!? Because we are so tired... )

Farkel,

Well done, well written. Lots of food for thought for old-timers and newbies alike.

out

Edited by - outnfree on 7 September 2002 18:38:16

The Glory Days Are Over

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