The Emerging 'Schizophrenic' Witness (page 2)

Special K

Elsewhere

Did their numbers drop alot over this 1914 thing.

what was the drop ...approximately and when

I have been away from them for a decade ....

I really want to know

special K

You know, I kinda see the Society as being like the Soviet Union in the 1980s. By then no one really debated the merits of communism vs. capitalism (as they did in the 1920s and 1930s). The system sort of lurched along by its own momentum.

But what if there was no glasnost? Or Gorbachev? Would there still be a Soviet Union today?

I see the Society as going down that road, rather than what the Soviets did. So how long can they patch it together? Twenty years? Thirty? And then what happens? Do they become a Third World religion?

They've got their heads buried in the sand right now, hoping for Armageddon to save them from their excesses.

gumby

He too, in his sincerity, still clings to this fading religion. Maybe he can't survive without it.

Many dubs feel they really could not survive without it. When your a dub, even though you know the Organisation has big problems........you still believe the Organisation itself......is still the truth. You believe there is no truth anywhere else and so you can't let go of the only "truth" you believe exists.

Gumby

Shutterbug

WBTS is an old fart religion.

Lisa, please, give us "old farts" a break. Love you anyway. Bug

ubiquitous

Like Burma Shave or Gillette replaceable razors, the brand continues without much advertising or enthusiasm.

Despite my thoughts, I have to say, that is the funniest thing I have *ever* seen/heard the WTBTS being likened to.

My mom is the same way, she talks about all the corruption she sees in the hall, all the politics and divisions, but she keeps saying we can't stop loving Jehovah because some humans ruin the experience. She will never leave. I don't get it either.

I dunnae, its a fact... people screw stuff up... Its funny though, since I've spent a fair amount of time on both sides of this, I often wonder what it would be like were it to flounder... if any of you are Chuck Palahnuik (Author of Fight Club) fans, or if you've never heard of Chucky P. I hereby demand you read his stuff. I own and have read all his books... good stuff. anyhoo, in one of his books, "Survivor" the character was a member of a suicide-cult that had bit of a snafu. the result of which was public attention to the cult, and suicide en masse. The main char was one of the few remaining members... catalogued and visited by a social worker even... I won't spoil the book by going into the plot further. but what caught my attention was the small details...

I dunnae, one could say I'm involved in a cult inasmuch as any closed-circuit religion or organisation is a cult. whatever, its a point I digress on. but now, were the religion to collapse, firstly, you would see a steep increase in suicides. to some, the failure of the faith would mean no god, would mean that life in itself is pretty much eat/sleep/screw/die, as apposed to eat/sleep/screw/preach/die/ress... the first of whom would be the weak... the same people who would need support or come back were they to get D*d. (btw, I use * as a wildcard to refer to fellowship or association... and I use 'the weak' cuz I'm a bit of a sociopath, but thats way off topic) you figure for every person that a D* would "work" persay on, (people who don't find support groups, or people who take the proverbial kick to the head as a means fly right) these would be the same people who would more than willingly end it. thats a lot of people, enough to create a sitch where potentially every Ex-JW would need a social worker, just like in the book...

we'd all (all refering to anyone thats ever been involved in the faith) be catalogued and marked as the last of a dying subculture. there'd be more JW jokes than there are now... those who know of "the sight" (you know what I mean, and interestingly enough, you can use "the sight" to peg rightist LSD or 7thDayers) would be able to tell who was in or out... mebbe even talk to em... hours of conversations being exchanged between seconds of shamed glances. some D*d people would talk to those survivng people, some taking that ever popular high-road called "I told you so"... then you'd see more "support" groups... some congregations would stick it out, form small circuits and mini GBs... their faith combined with strength allowing them not to snuff it right there...

then you'd have people who would take to the lawsuits... massive suits bigger than any that are going on now... class action, criminal, you name it there'd be one... course there wouldn't be much left to sue anyway, given the collapse in itself would possibly kill off all the people who they'd be suing in the first place...

but who knows what would happen? this is all my take as powered by social theory TM lol

little witch

Metatron,

I shall take this as good news..

sounds like your relative is beginning to come around.

Many times, we have this strange, 'transition' period.

I am glad for your relatives, and hope they continue to feel the insecurity...cause eventually, they will find peace.

Have you shared this site with them? Do they have access to the net?

Maybe you could show them some sites?

Emerging is a wonderful, albeit painful place to be.

It is as intoxicating as ''zeolousnes''...

But far more liberating.

Thanks for sharing,

OICU8it2

So sad. Reminds me of a long term prisoner having the gates finally opened after doing his time and not wanting to return to the world outside. Some people lose something after letting the WTBS think for them for so long.

Max Divergent

I think there are three kinds of JW -

1) the ones who beleive in God and beleive that the JW have the 'truth' (like it or not) and carry on going along with it despite the annoyances of the 'imperfect humans' that keep coming up all the time;

2) those who worship the WT in leiu of God and don't really see the distinction between the two; and

3) those who don't really beleive, but go along with it for some reason (family etc) and just pay lip service to keep the hassles to a minimum

(or a mixture of all three)

Max

lookinlively

There's the name I was looking for for my condition !!!!!!!! Spiritually Schizophrenic!!

Occationally I refer to much the same conditioned garb only to find I am using "sarcasm"

I was told by brother elder 8 years ago - "one day, this org won't look like the truth." well - I think that major change happened about 2 years ago - when the anointed gave up thier rights. talk about the bride running out of oil!!

You were right about kids being worse in the "truth". I've always enchoraged my kid to be well balanced with friends. He has more in the world. Actually he has non in the "truth" cause no one will let their kids be associated with my kid!!!! good thing, he says they are more violent and do more stuff secretly than anyone he's ever know in the world.

The Emerging 'Schizophrenic' Witness

Nathan Natas