Anyone think that the 'Secret Subcultures' will bust up the Borg?

by AK - Jeff 12 Replies latest jw friends

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  AK - Jeff

  I mean there seem to be several fairly well rooted sub-groups operating within the ranks of the witnesses now. Many under the continuing premise that it is the 'truth'. I know of a couple. AJWRB is one. They believe that JW is wrong on blood, but many remain quietly working behind the scenes. Subscribers to the ideas of e-watchman is another group that believes it to be the 'truth' to a degree, but they believe a differing set of doctrine. There may be dozens of these sub-cultures at work of whom I do not know.

  I have no affiliation with any of these groups. And I have no bone to pick with any of them, really. I agree with AJWRB that the org has it wrong on blood. Some one of these groups might have it right doctrinally/theologically. I have no idea. The borg would have long ago done what all churches have done - splintered into other churches - if open dissention was permitted. Will this secretive type of dissenter have the same effect?

  My question is not to open a discussion of the various doctrine these groups promote. Rather, will the presence of clearly dissenting groups, in a clandestine way within the borg, have the effect of a 'house divided against itself'? And will that contribute to the house of cards eventual collapse?

  Jeff
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  truthseeker

  I think this is already happening. Many people post on this board who are active JW's, myself included. Now, I know no one personally in the org who I could actually meet face to face to discuss issues with, but it's comforting to know that there are groups out there.

  One consequence of being in a "secret subculture" is that it's generally very difficult to put in the time to go out on service, study etc, when you know it's a load of bull. So, you cut back on hours just enough to maintain the status quo, you don't bother to read the mags, except to see if there's any latest crap, and you're personal study goes out the window.

  The more witnesses access the Internet, the better. The more education that JW's get the better.

  *** Loss of productivity ***

  If you don't work, you get fired. The Society can't "fire" its workers, but there are plenty of lazy "servants of Jehovah" who know the truth about the org, and aren't doing anything about it. The Society is probably the only publishing corporation who can't do anything about morale.
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  daystar

  I was never aware that there were "secret subcultures" with the org. Even today, I find it somewhat shocking to believe. I wish I had known this when I was still a JW. it would have made things a bit easier on me, I think, just to know there were others.
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  tetrapod.sapien

  ya, that's my one regret too. i wish i could have spent more time as an undercover apostate, and you know? had some fun with it all...

  my personal belief is that the internet and related web sites such as JWD will break the org in half long before sub cultures.
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  metatron

  Sadly, I'm a bit skeptical. I think that most of these subculture folks end up leaving the organization behind. It's extremely

  difficult to sit there and listen to the lies preached meeting after meeting - without bursting blood vessels.

  On the other hand, I will assert this: I know for a fact that many old timers - even at Bethel - have their own private view of things

  and keep it to themselves. In addition to this, it's nearly impossible to raise Witness kids apart from the common secular culture

  that tolerates homosexuality, evolution, cohabitation, violent video games and easy access to hard core porn. I doubt that the

  old men who run things have any grasp of how radically society has changed in the past few decades. The only solution is

  to go "Amish" - and with declining contributions, that's not going to happen. Look for deepening hypocrisy and more fantasy-based

  thinking to dominate congregations - they have no choice.

  metatron
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  richard

  There is also another process going on which I would call the development of ''paper membership": people profess to be Jehovah's Witnesses but they are not or hardly involved in any service activities. They may also be (covertly) critical on some or many of the WTS' teachings and practices but prefer to remain associated since they feel this is their social environment which provides a sense of community. They feel they have nothing to gain by being openly critical since disfellowshipment will cut them off from their community. This group must be quite substantial, since the annual amount of baptisms considerably exceeds the increase of publishers.
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  willyloman

  I know for a fact that many old timers - even at Bethel - have their own private view of things and keep it to themselves.

  Quite right, and it's in this sense that there is a JW "underground." Back in the '80s, way before the 1995 "revelation" about "this generation" was published in the WT, a CO's wife who had gotten to be close friends with my spouse, told her that she thought "the generation" that would "see all these things" mentioned in the bible was not connected in any way to 1914. "I think it's this generation," she said, referring to the baby boomers. "This is the most significant generation of all time."

  I've often thought the WTS missed the boat by not coming up with THAT new light. Boomers were born between 1946-64. They'd have picked up another 50 years of wiggle room.
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  jayhawk1

  I wonder if the Watchtower Corp. being divided into seperate Corporations is not already part of an eventual split in the overall orginization. It happened before, so it is not hard to believe it could happen again.
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  sunshineToo

  I think it is true to any religion. And I think many of them are inactive because of that.

  Didn't the WTS try to DF those people not too long ago?
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  Doubtfully Yours

  The WBTS has had many a disappointment due to predictions fallout, doctrinal changes, etc., and still hasn't collapsed.

  It will never collapse. It will just continue to evolve and develop other tactics.

  DY