Having just come back from the UK and spoke with some witnesses to find out how my old congregation is doing, I realized I am now the age that my elders were when I was a kid. In my 30s. And I wonder what the elders who are now in their 60s and 70s are thinking when they look in the mirror and an old face looks back at them. Many of the elders in my old hall are now retired. Do they really still believe the end is near?
The elders of the 1980s are now in their 60s and 70s
by truthseeker 41 Replies latest jw friends
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truthseeker
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Ignoranceisbliss
Yes they do. At least for the most part. Totally deluded. -
Zoos
Are you kidding? Now the end is even closer! -
SoCal101
My dad is an elder in his70's and all I hear when I speak with him is how close we are to the end or how deep we are into the last days and how I should come back. He has become more militant into it, as well!
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James Jack
They are begging younger Brothers to "reach out".
We have 7 Elders; 2 in their 70's, 4 in the 60's and 1 in his 50's.
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The Rebel
They may look themselfs in the mirror, but are they talking about the RC in Australia?
I would answer your question by saying the elders now in their 60s and 70s may have had thoughts, but the difference between a thought and thinking is the same as black and white thinking.
The Rebel.
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SecretSlaveClass
After having invested so much of their lives seriously doubt the vast majority would start contemplating alternatives to the Borg at this late stage in their lives. -
done4good
My experience has been that beyond a certain age, (~50), people either begin to lose interest and become more apathetic, (and sometimes end up leaving), or become much more hardcore. I believe a lot of it has to do with missed opportunities, (or what is known as the "sunk cost" fallacy), where someone that spent their lives chasing a belief at great cost to themselves, begins to feel that they have no other choice than to stay the course. They will double down on their beliefs just as the problem gambler does when nearly broke.
As a bit of an anecdote, not long after a I left, I was speaking with a JW friend that you and I both know, (he of course was trying to convince me to come back). In speaking of his father, (who was well into his 70s at the time, and an ex-elder), my friend had asked him one day if he still believed. His answer was actually quite honest. His father said that "Since I had believed this long, and lived this life this long, what else can I do?". Deep down he recognized it was probably all for naught, however at 70+ years old, could not face that reality. Very sad, and very typical of those in this age group.
d4g
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Fencing
I know my parents used to recoil in horror when I mentioned I was saving for retirement because The End was coming Real Soon Now, so saving for the future was a sign of a lack of faith. Now within the last few years they seem to think it's a good idea I have a 401k. So their outlook on the future has definitely changed now that they are dealing with retirement relying almost solely on social security. -
adjusted knowledge
truthseeker, I'm the same generation as you. I'm 38 now and am close to the ages of the Elders were in the 80's. My mom is still a JW and these elders visit her. Two of the Elders from my youth died of old age related illnesses. The others look so tired but still believe. They don't have retirements and two are still working in physically demanding jobs in their mid 60s.