by minimus 20 Replies latest jw friends
Like Winston Churchill once said "It isn't the beginning of the end, but it is the end of the beginning"
The organization is collectively "just going thru the motions" of pretending to be zealous.
Next stage is a feeling of resignation, "well, what can you do?"
After that, a sense of defeat begins to emerge.
metatron
Nowadays, too, the missionaries are there to handle the WTS administrative projects. It has been just recently that people native to the country, serve on the branch committee. Most of that has been done by missionaries. Missionaries act as COs, DOs, and POs in congregations to train local JWs how to run things the WTS way. Not much preaching nowadays done by the missionaries. Or that is what I hear from ex-missionaries that have returned recently.
They need those missionaries to make sure people toe the WTS administrative lines.
Blondie
hmm...so missionary is another code word. I can hear the brothers now, "Oh no! Guess who's coming to our land? It's the missionaries!!!"
One problem of many, is that the rank and file witnesses have nowhere to go. They have not allowed themselves the chance to learn other religions and viewpoints. Many are scared to death to think of going to another church.
So some do leave, and do nothing. Still, something is missing, and it drives them nuts. They need to be properly taught what is really out there, and then they can step away.
The fear of the unknown is one of the biggest fears out there.
I would doubt they are throwing in the towel . They seem to be growing in countries like russia where they are persecuted . They are now planning to build a state of the art publishing facility , this does not sound like giving up to me .
Is there any source that we can look at on the Internet which would show the average run for an apocalyptic religion? How are the other ones doing, e.g., the Adventists and the like?
CG
Money is what guides the Tower. As long as there's a trail, they will find the money. But I think that from a spiritual viewpoint they KNOW everyone is dying inside. The best they can do is tell, "encourage", or guilt a person into staying on. I believe the leadership knows that they have millions of Witnesses ON PAPER but not in their hearts. Loyalty to the organization is at its lowest point that I personally can remember.
Judging from the recent study articles, they are laying on the guilt and parading examples of model witnesses like never before. Nothing but counsel, counsel, counsel coming out of Brooklyn these days.
They need some new light bad, things were getting very stale in 'towerland when I left in 2001, it can only be getting worse. But then again maybe that staleness was my perception. All I know is that it sure seemed like the JW world that I found in 1992 still seemed to have a spark, the 'oracle' Freddie Franz was still alive and the 1914 generation was still literal (though I'm sure many JW's by that time were expecting new light more than they were expecting the big A, after so many years of it being "real soon now"). Nine years later I'm sitting at the London Ohio assembly hall, looking around at the zombified faces, I had to leave early because it was too depressing.
Zombies-----That's what they are! It's the Night of the Living Dead in the organization.
Giving up?....I doubt it, not from those control freaks.
Remember the Borg - they just kept on pursuing until they slapped that tractor beam on and cut through the hull.
