Where I was pre 75 there was a fairly fast surge of new converts...mainly Vietnam vets disillusioned and desperate. A lot of 20 somethings that had taken to drugs and were ready to come clean. The religion plus the 1975 hype appealed to them. But most gradually departed the religion...of their kids very very few remain these days in the web. Several of the guys that served in that war never did conquer their demons...there were several suicides. I see a pattern though...in that those with poor coping skills were drawn to the religion....and it only perpetuated that problem.
“You know how I know that they're finished out there? The carts.”
by Athanasius 51 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
cofty
They will never make the transition from cult to mainstream - if minor - christian denomination as long as they retain the prohibition on blood and the practice of shunning.
If they relax shunning, apostasy will escalate massively.
I think it is more likely they will retreat into an even more hard-line, 'Us verses Them' mentality.
-
ToesUp
"If they relax shunning, apostasy will escalate massively."
Exactly!
If they get rid of the prohibition on blood, there will also be a mass exit and tons of law suits. WT knows this and this is why those 2 practices are still full on.
-
Vidiot
peacefulpete - "...All the changes of the last 40 years have been consistently along the path from cultlike sect to denomination..."
Dude, are you sure you're talking about the same religion?
The Org is long past the possibility of authentic mainstream reform.
Hell, if they tried it at this point, they arguably no longer be "Jehovah's Witnesses".
-
Vidiot
cofty - "I think it is more likely they will retreat into an even more hard-line, 'Us verses Them' mentality."
Agreed.
Remember folks, authentic reform shattered the WCG...
...and in the case of the WTS, it would almost completely undermine their claim of being "God's Exclusive Organization".
And considering that actually being a JW isn't really all that enjoyable, without that special distinction, there's virtually no real incentive to stay.
-
redvip2000
I personally think the carts were a brilliant idea. The Watchtower recognizes that they don't need to speak to anybody at all to keep things going. The money comes in from existing members, not from the public. Therefore by having the carts, the money keeps coming in, the hours spent on preaching go up, because it's super easy for Jdubs to rack hours up. JWs don't actually engage anybody at a door, so less chance of conflict and bad reactions. Jdubs that hate going door to door, are more disposed to standing next to a cart looking at their phone, so they will preach more.
The only curveball with the carts is that it exposes them to apostates more easily, but even this is not so much a problem, because they just pack up and leave.
-
Vidiot
Agreed.
It's mickey-mouse reward duty that serves as incentive for the hard-core loyalists (not unlike the possibility of a cushy gig at the Warwick compound, incidentally), and also potentially mitigates any accusations that "pedophiles are knocking on your doors trying to recruit your kids".
And any potential XJW exposure is probably viewed as an acceptable risk, since the loyalists who get rewarded with trolley-work are already somewhat immunized against "apostates", simply by virtue of being loyalists.
-
Simon
The door to door ministry is the most painful part of being a witness for many and it's totally ineffective. So this gives them control of the message and makes life less unpleasant for the members - they can just stand around and have a chat and a coffee with their friends and only have to talk to people who look interested (far less feeling of rejection)
It's actually quite genius.
The door-knocking was also becoming a caricature used in comedy sketches.
-
Finkelstein
Sorry to disappoint anyone but as long there is vast amount of power and wealth for men to bask in, the JWS religion will stick around.
It may shrink in participating numbers but the basic structure of the Org will remain for that very reason, power and money .
Its such a godly thing isn't ?
-
Finkelstein
Serving Jehovah the easy way, the literature is still full of apostate false doctrines but that's what allured people to the JWS in the first place .......
Just yesterday I came across some JWS standing on the street very early in the morning with no one in sight (7 am.) and thought to myself shit I used to do that.
I'm sure there were people driving by and must of thought what bunch of crazy batshit people they were.
