Running On AutoPilot is the Borg's Achilles Heel

by metatron 13 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  metatron

  Please forgive the mixed metaphor. Nevertheless, it summarizes
  what I feel about the Watchtower's present - and ultimate
  fate.
  As to the present, it should be plain that the organization runs
  on a kind of "auto-pilot". Consider Writing , for example.
  We have that now infamous quote from a Governing Body member (Carey
  Barber?) that the GB has nothing to do with writing the Watchtower.
  They just rubber stamp the process. Ray Franz claimed that Henschel
  didn't keep up with reading the latest magazines! It shouldn't be
  surprizing that the Watchtower is mostly cut and paste editing of
  previous articles - often with the same dated quotations.

  These are signs of a leaderless organization - their collective
  direction of the organization means, in effect, no one is in charge.
  Sure, Jaracz has enormous power as the "Boss", but is his influence
  merely used to continue intransigence? Does he have any grand vision
  or plan? or is his authority simply "deny, deny, ignore, ignore".

  Why doesn't it surprize more elders that the Legal dept. dominates
  the organization? Imagine a RELIGION run by LAWYERS! Can you imagine
  anything more absurd? It's like having the Ku Klux Klan run a
  charity to promote civil rights! Yet, it all makes sense - if you
  think of the WTS as basically leaderless - the lawyers dominate it
  by default.

  This leads us to the great coming danger for the WTS.
  Being basically leaderless, they have no effective response to decay
  within the organization. I HAVE BEEN AMAZED OVER THEIR LACK OF
  RESPONSE TO ATTACKS and security leaks over the internet - a few
  warnings about "apostates", and that's it. As decay advances,
  the greatest danger to their sick enterprise is simply the thought
  that the organization is dying, fading away into history.
  It's also a difficult belief to argue against - can you imagine
  a convention talk on "The Organization Isn't Fading Away!".
  It's easier to talk to Witnesses about - next time you argue with
  Joe Hyperloyal, don't bring up doctrine, just point out that in the
  last 3 years more than 200 congregations in Japan have been shut
  down. Tell Joe Zealous that in 5 or 10 years, the average Witness
  won't be any different from any member of any church.

  This, I think, will be their Achilles heel. Their leaderless
  lack of response to decay - coupled with the perception that the
  organization is dying - in the minds of the rank and file.

  It's just a matter of time, therefore.

  metatron
• 

  unclebruce

  Heeeey ... what's this good thread doing down here with no replies?! Show some respect peoples and answer when yer spoken to!

  unclebooze on auto pilot and bringing it back up.
• 

  terraly

  Oh, I dunno if it's all that bright a picture.

  I think the borg can survive without changing. Now, to increase membership in the US and other developed countries probably requires certain changes to bring their more easily exposed faults more into line with common sense, but a slow steady decline for a while here is acceptable, and it will take a heck of a long time before these small losses (offset by gains elsewhere) actually _force_ the borg to change in order to survive.

  And change has great risks too. I've seen several people here who have said it was the generation change that caused them to leave.

  The GB runs the same risk with changing any major doctrine/practice. Loyal witnesses have the easiest time of it when there are no changes, and they can just keep running on autopilot instead of having to stop and think.

  So I think it's probably best for the GB to keep its head in the sand and sulk back among the ships, sending out Patroklos to fight instead. Um, I guess I'm not sure who he is in this metaphor, perhaps the legal dept.

  Anyhow, yeah- so they'll be able to survive for a long time running on autopilot. Worse luck..
• 

  Thirdson

  Terraly,

  I think the borg can survive without changing.

  I think it has survived by changing all the time. Unfortunately, if it doesn't change there will be some difficult questions. The GB members will die, that's change. They have three "young" annointed and pretty soon the first non-annointed GB members (already hinted at)will be appointed. That is if they keep a GB, since they don't do anything anyway. So the org will be run by young annointed and "Other Sheep". I guess that will answer the question as to whether any of the annointed will be left on Earth when the end comes....nope, they all will have died.

  The numbers are declining in the western world and the ones that remain are becoming tired and apathetic. Money donations will drop and despite the increases elsewhere it is primarily the US where the money is.

  Without dates to hope on, no generation dying off, no "King of the North", no annointed leadership, no converts, and no good found by being a member they will be forced to change or die. And that says nothing of the pending situation with the blood doctrine or the haboring of pedophiles.

  My view anyway.

  Thirdson

  'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing'
• 

  TR

  Just curious, has there been any other sizable religions such as the WTS that have bit the dust in the last century? Somehow, I just don't see the WTS disappearing. Slowing down for sure, but there will always be those that just like their strange doctrine and get sucked in by cult tactics. Then THEY will leave, and more will come, then THEY will leave.....

  TR

  "Kults Suk"
• 

  gsark

  I read a book (yeah,please don't laugh!) that was written in the mid-seventies. It is called 'Jehovah's Witnesses and Prophetic Speculation'. I don't remember the author but I believe he is well known even today. The point is made in this book that the average milleniaist/apocalyptic (spelling..) religion dies afters its third failed prophecy. The JW's are now on their fifth failed prophecy at least. Perhaps this is finally the end. As for other religions...I would love to find out also. I've always thought of the 'major' religions as businesses, so why should their fail rate be any worse than any other big money-making org.

  By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.
• 

  Stephanus

  Although the 'Tower has made more than three failed end-date predictions, they have been spread out over a fair expanse of time. Since they only average about one failed prophecy per generation, the damage of such failures can be limited. It should be noted that the gap between 1925 and 1975, two pretty big dates in the calendar, were two generations apart; more than enough time for memories to have faded. It's unlikely that any new dates will be made for some time; although 1975 was one generation ago, the more recent failed dates of 1994 (the end of the "Generation") and 2000 are still fresh.
• 

  metatron

  Sure, no matter how much of a joke a religion becomes
  they'll always be a small core of true believers hanging
  on. This holds true for the Armstrong group or Communism.
  So, they'll be Witnesses around, looking tired and worn
  out, selling magazines on street corners or in bus terminals for years to come.

  However, what I look forward to is first, is a "gelding" of the
  organization, where growth in all developed nations stops.
  The whole sick thing goes sterile. After that, the realization
  FINALLY sets in that the glorious Theocracy is fading away.
  The old timers are dying, the young people are leaving,
  the middle aged aged are skipping meetings.

  You see, I think the Society and Witnesses in general are still
  in a denial phase. They're extremely stubborn - it will take
  a lot of rot to really get their attention. I'm hoping for the
  opposite of that quotation "nothing succeeds like success".
  I hope their growing failure grows and feeds on itself
  with the rank and file quietly melting away.

  It would be nice to see the Watchtower Society become a kind
  of religious 'Flat Earth Society' in the next decade.

  metatron
• 

  worf

  Metatron,
  I agree with what you're saying.And the borg is really fading right from the inside.I use whatever chance i get to question those who are still in about what they believe and a lot of them don't even believe some of the core beliefs anymore such as how we were taught that j-dubs are the only ones who will be saved.Talked to a sister in a drug store 2 weeks ago and she told me personally that a person does not have to be a j-dub to be saved.She also said that when it comes to what is written in the literature, she accepts what SHE feels is right and the rest she does not believe or follow.In other words she does what she wants to do.Yesterday in bklyn near bethel 3 j-dubs were manning a big wooden stand the size of a newspaper stand which had displayed on it a whole lot of literature so that people could just walk up to it and find out what it was all about.2 sisters and 1 brother.Being the "rebel" that I am I engaged them in conversation.They could not answer one question from the Bible.they grabbed for literature at every question I posed to them.No Bible knowledge.Pathetic.Except for when I asked the brother to tell me at least one thing that j-dubs do that no other religion is doing and he told me that since j-dubs put in over 1 million hours last year that proves that they are the true religion.I asked him where in the Bible does God say that the amount of time spent preaching is a factor in his favor.The pathetic j-dub turned to Mark 13:9,10 and said this scripture proves that time spent preaching is a factor.Read that scripture and you will see why in addition to the above things that i agree the borg is self-destructing.Their people don't know their bibles and a mounting number of them are losing belief in what they were always taught.And with our efforts with the pedophile stuff and blood issues, their world is going to be rocked.
  worf
• 

  Maximus

  Worf, my followup e-mails have bounced ... BTW, not many have had the first-hand experiences with top-rung organization players that you have had. Thought of you when Swingle died.

  ::I read a book (yeah,please don't laugh!) that was written in the mid-seventies. It is called 'Jehovah's Witnesses and Prophetic Speculation'. I don't remember the author but I believe he is well known even today

  I'm not laughing, and no, you're right. The citation above is actually an article from the American Journal of Sociology and was published early '70s, prior to 1975, which makes it all the more interesting. Believe it was "prophetic failure," though.

  The author is Joseph Szygmunt, a trained professional from whom many took heart. In retirement, I believe in Arizona. His thesis was that JWs would simply have to become more mainstream or tighten the grip and dwindle.
  Anyone have the full article or excerpts?

  As to changes: Herbert Armstrong's CofC was vastly reformed and a very different group today. The Mormons have certainly reinvented themselves very successfully. I'm essentially pessimistic, as I've watched hope spring eternal for decades. Denial is the operative word.

  Maximus