Rude Awakening?

by Elsewhere 7 Replies latest jw friends

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  Elsewhere

  With so many people drifting or DAing recently, as indicated by the Sheparding Call thread and the Assembly Demonstrations thread, I am wondering how the average JW is reacting. How do they view it?

  Usually when someone leaves the Org the other members react with astonishment and shock. One of the first things they do is try to figure out who is restricting the person from attending meetings (Wife, Husband, Employer, etc). In their narcissistic nature, JWs always assume some form of persecution or the actions of an evil apostate.

  Right now all that is really going on is people are tired on the burdensome rules, the cruelty, and the lack of love. People are also seeing that the WTS does not have the truth. There are also those who were raised in the WTS and are now old enough to think for themselves and are leaving.

  The R&F cannot ignore the fact that people are leaving by the droves.

  Edited by - Elsewhere on 8 January 2003 13:43:52
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  MegaDude

  Unless the Watchtower begins to hemorrhage a significant percentage of their membership they will continue to ignore it. And even if they do lose a large number of their membership in the future, it will be spun as "Jehovah sifting the disloyal out of his true organization." No matter what the Watchtower says or does, there will always be people to follow them. Hopefully a smaller number in the future.

  It is my understanding that most people who are disfellowshipped (over 30,000 in any given year?) return back to the Watchtower.
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  RunningMan

  I agree. The growing ranks of inactive and completely gone members must be having an impact on morale.

  I would also like to add another reason to your list for why people are leaving: The doctrinal system has become decrepit. Their unique teachings center around chronology and numbers (1914, 144000, etc). Well, time has ticked by, to the point where it is painfully obvious that they are just plain wrong.

  The same thing happened in the 1920s. After the 1925 failure, it became untenable for Christ's presence to have begun in 1874. Most of the members left. So, the entire chonological system was moved up several decades. It's time for another overhaul, but they don't seem to have either the management skill or intelligence to see it.
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  Country Girl

  Like MegaDude says ... it's a hopeless exercise. Another poster recently started a thread about them "dying from the inside out" and another started a thread about "reform" being hopeless. It is. People in the JW's, especially those in for 30 and 40 years, are hard core types... and I just don't think there is any chance they will get out no matter what evidence is placed in front of their faces. There are just those that REFUSE to accept any outside evidence, because they have been trained to believe that outside evidence is from Satan. I sent my my relative the actual NG letter stating that the JW's were a member of the UN.. and she just said that the UN was lying, and that it should "spend more time teaching the Bible." Goes to show the unlimited depth of their delusions.

  They just have to see it for themselves. If they refuse to accept logical premises, well, then, what else are we to do? People only change when they are in danger of death is what i say.

  Country Girl
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  LyinEyes

  I agree Mega,,,,,,,, the ones who stay will pat themselves on the back for making it thru the sifting process,so to speak. They think since the end is so close the bad seeds , or weeds lol....... are being thrown out by Jehovah for their evilness. I bet alot of those who know WildTurkey and me, probably say,,,,,,,,well, we knew something just wasnt right about them. That pisses me off, but if I ever get the chance ,,,,, I will tell everyone I know about the Real Truth,,,,,,,and it is not JW.

  But I think those that stay in,,,,,, will have the mindset that the end must be just around the corner, the world is getting so bad ,that even those who once loved Jehovah are falling victim to Satan.

  Eleswhere this is a good topic,,,,,,,, I think today's youth,,,,,,,,,like my son, who is 15, almost sixteen in a few days,,,,,,,,,, started seeing the lies and bullcrap before we did. We had no clue. For everyone who talks bad about this generation of young people I have to say at least the are free thinkers for the most part. Yeah, some are rebellious but all youth in all generations were. But on tv, the commercials for a stronger youth,,,,,, are to be yourself, think for yourself, and don't conform for anyone. I like that idea really,,,,,,, when I was my son's age, we were told that the older generation had all the answers,,,,,,,, they didnt either.

  My son put this on our computer about 3 yrs ago as a screen saver.....Knowledge is Power. Boy was he right.
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  roybatty

  It is my understanding that most people who are disfellowshipped (over 30,000 in any given year?) return back to the Watchtower.

  I've wondered about this. Most of the JC that I served on didn't result in the person being DF'd but there were a few. None of these individuals came back. Was it differnt in other congregations?
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  BluesBrother

  Goes to show the unlimited depth of their delusions.

  They just have to see it for themselves. If they refuse to accept logical premises, well, then,

  Quite right Countrygirl ! I am getting tired of banging my head against a brick wall with family members who just refuse to consider that the Borg could be wrong. Every revelation , ie "Panorama" or the U N scandal is accepted as human error . "Whatever you say they know more than you" , I am told .

  It makes you want to give up , but I cannot.
• 

  BluesBrother

  Roybatty,

  I would guess that at least half of the disfellowshipped that I knew came back, some 2 or 3 times!

  Most of the cases were for fornication ,and one or two for adultery. Once the passion of the affair had passed, a lot felt lonely and wanted to come back, even if just to be able to speak to their family.

  Mind you , I can think of several who really took up the "Truth" stronger than before and really made it their life after reinstatement