What would the WTS need to do to become a mainstream religion?

by Deleted 11 Replies latest jw friends

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  Deleted

  This is a Minimus-type question.

  But what would it take for the Society to mainstream, perhaps like the Adventists? My top five in order would be:

  1. disfellowshipping never cuts family ties and is restricted to willful acts contrary to christian ethics.

  2. blood transfussion become a matter of personal choice, no disfellowshipping.

  3. children are permitted to attend school functions so they don't feel so alone, particularly around the holidays

  4. service time is no longer kept and not a requirement for attaining some position in the congregation

  5. it accepts itself as part of the world, opens its books, turns in pedaphiles, and accepts the consequences.

  If this came about I would imagine that 50% of the faithful will leave or just coast along, literature "sales" will drop accordingly and lawsuits would need to be settled. Without the need for expanding factories, the WTS could sell off some property to settle lawsuits and develop a retirement fund for all its full-time workers.

  And yeah, pigs will fly!
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  garybuss

  What would the WTS need to do to become a mainstream religion?

  Have a fire?
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  Lady Lee

  Deleted

  They will tell you that the things you mention are not rules but conscience issues.

  They would have to get rid of the GB and all the unwritten rules and stop using fear and scare tactics to control people

  Won't happen unless the lot of them get into heavy duty therapy with Dr. Phil

  ROTFLMHO

  WHEN PIGS FLY
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  onintwo

  Abandon the New World Translation!

  Onintwo
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  gumby

  You forgot the most impotant one in your list.

  If they would acknowledge that god does NOT have a CHANNELor ORGANISATION he works through, and that any person who has faith in christ and has given their life to what he didand said, then they would at least be tolerated.

  For them to do the above would disolve what we now see them as. Who would follow their standards of living if each person stood before god in their reformation?

  Gumby
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  jgnat

  There is an organization that did just that. The World Wide Church of God. The consequence of this brave decision was that the size of the organization and income was reduced by more than half. Here are the doctrinal changes they made in order, as listed on their website:
  

  1. Revised the church's explanation of what it means to be born again, noting also that humans will never become Gods.
  2. Accepted the divinity of the Holy Spirit.
  3. Accepted the doctrine of the Trinity.
  4. Declared that the cross was not a pagan symbol
  5. It is not a sin to have illustrations of Jesus.
  6. Christians may vote.
  7. True Christians can be found in other denominations.
  8. Christians do not have to keep old covenant laws such as the weekly and annual Sabbaths, two and three tithes, and avoid pork, shrimp and other meats.
  9. Officially rejected the doctrine that the Anglo-Saxons descended from the tribes of Israel.
  10. Permitted the observance of holidays such as Christmas and Easter.

  "Such changes may seem inconsequential to most Christians, but each change was significant for WCG members because each change attacked strongly held beliefs about how we ought to express our devotion to God. "
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  minimus

  This one's very simple. Give persons the decision to accept, reject, believe, disbelieve or not have a 100%opinion on something the Society says is their opinion. If the WBTS gave people some independence-----people would stay in-----just like they do in most any other religion.
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  gumby

  If the WBTS gave people some independence-----people would stay in-----just like they do in most any other religion.

  I agree the dubs would keep more members if independence was allowed. However......would the Organisation resemble what it is today if independence was allowed? Would the "ministry" go on? Would people still enroll in the theocratic school? Would some now stand for the national anthem or even say the pledge of allegience? Would some dubs vote or engage in the military?

  The list goes on

  Gumby
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  minimus

  If JWs were allowed to exercise common sense and conscience, the Society would have more converts, less leaving and MORE MONEY. When more and more people leave, the lawyers and the accountants will have to devise a plan "from God" to keep the money.
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  gumby

  When more and more people leave, the lawyers and the accountants will have to devise a plan "from God" to keep the money.

  I have to wonder if the dub lawyers purposely plan and scheme ways to gain money......or do it with honesty in their hearts, feeling it is justified in Jehovah's eyes? Are they THAT evil?

  Gumby