ExBethelitrnowPIMA ... can you explain your point below, a bit more?
"... now they are saying pretty much everyone will make it through and then during the 1000 year reign everyone can decide if they want to live in paradise ..."
thanks
1. doctrinal changes how new light comes about.
the gb raise questions then talk about it, unless it’s unanimous they wait, then years later talk again if it’s unanimous it then gets announced as new light.. 2. the gb are imperfect and sometimes make mistakes.
they are not to apologise or even admit they were wrong.
ExBethelitrnowPIMA ... can you explain your point below, a bit more?
"... now they are saying pretty much everyone will make it through and then during the 1000 year reign everyone can decide if they want to live in paradise ..."
thanks
looks like we can expect a kinder, gentler jehovah and jesus during the great tribulation.
the door will not be closed to all non jws at the start of the tribulation.
but will have time to repent after false religion is destroyed.
Maybe ... just may be ... this is the real reason why Tony M got the chop ... mmm.
looks like we can expect a kinder, gentler jehovah and jesus during the great tribulation.
the door will not be closed to all non jws at the start of the tribulation.
but will have time to repent after false religion is destroyed.
I'm with nowwhat? on this one.
Not because it really make much sense for the GB themselves and their power, or for those who have done the 110% in the Organization ... but only because going mainstream is the only chance the GB has in stopping the rot.
Of course this 'new light' trend needs to be continued; to elevate the power of an individual's conscience, to come clean and admit it had/has a child abuse problem, and modify the disfellowshiping rules into some kind of kinder arrangement.
While having a truly social religion would help in stemming the tide of young ones leaving, you have to ask if it is all a bit to late?
Only time will tell.
this is going to break the hearts of a lot of uber-jw's!
reddit has now removed the video link of samuel herd telling jw's they will no longer have to report time or placements - just tick a box which says "active.".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akdshyx79rm&t=13s.
While some people may think that this change is part some kind of master plan, I'd like to remind everyone that the GB have always made decisions reactivity and never proactively. Either have they demonstrated a collective wisdom that has amazed us. A great example of this was their multiple explanations of the 'overlapping generations' prophesies, which was stunning for all the wrong reasons. Rather I see this new reporting policy, as an attempt of GB Gen 3.0 (or what ever is the newest generation) to make their mark in steering the Society, to reverse the death dive trends, so clearly seen by all.
However, just as the move into the digital space, did not connect with younger people to build publisher numbers, you can be sure that while a few more people might start tick the field service box ... many, many will take the opportunity to stop witnessing all together.
Finally, it must be remembered, that no matter what the GB does, the quality of the Brotherhood will not change by this move ... and as the quantity of effective witnessing hours continues to decrease, so must the real number of new publishers.
this is going to break the hearts of a lot of uber-jw's!
reddit has now removed the video link of samuel herd telling jw's they will no longer have to report time or placements - just tick a box which says "active.".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akdshyx79rm&t=13s.
If this is true ... the Annual Report is finished and it will be impossible for anyone (in or outside of the Organization) to track any of its markers. And it seems that someone in the GB has finally understood the Brotherhood's attitude towards witnessing and has made the call, thus covering up the fact that no one cares about it ... or wants to go.
In summery ... just another cover up.
i see this phrase a lot: "the indication of a cult is what happens when you leave.
" i'm not sure where that originated, but it is a faulty categorization.
"cult" is almost always used in a derogatory way.
LongHairGal
While I do appreciate your comments (and I actually do) , you must also know that Islam is not just practiced in nominally Muslin countries. You can find it in the US, the UK, all over the world in fact... as you can the honor killings, female genital mutilation, polygamy and child marriages done by members of that religion in the west, quite regularly. But if want to exude this religion, we could talk about the Satanic death cults that operate in Europe ... or the sex religions of North America. Modern Japan has a fascination with these kind of things too.
I'm sorry but people just can't cherry pick their sample data. Otherwise objectivity goes right out of the window.
i see this phrase a lot: "the indication of a cult is what happens when you leave.
" i'm not sure where that originated, but it is a faulty categorization.
"cult" is almost always used in a derogatory way.
Thank you LongHairGal for your considered and thoughtful reply.
However my comments were based on the original question on high control religions in general, which would naturally include those that have existed throughout time.
Many here still refer to the Jonestown suicide cult of 1975 and others like the Japanese Aum Shinriko (Supreme Truth) suicide cult of the 80's, so I thought that it was relevant to include a thought about the Spanish Inquisition. And as the original question was not limited to North American, not traditional, Christian faiths with the numbers of worshipers less than 10 million ... I thought fair to include Muslim religions.
And finally I don't think that you appreciate the structure of Arabic theocratic governments. While there may be a elected President at the top of the political tree, REAL and INSTITUTIONAL power lies directly with the head of the country's Islamic religious faith ... just like the Pope of Rome directly controlled European Kings of the past. Iran is not a political organization with a religion flavor ... no, it is a religious organization that operates in the political space. Thus Iran's morality police are legally able to beat 16 year old girls into a comatose state, over a tuft of hair or the palest of lip gloss.
Religion is a snare and a racket this is for sure, just a Russell said. However the WBTS is not the center of the universe, and there are bigger religions (and non-religious organizations) that fit the BITE model, with problems that are far more worrisome.
If you doubt me, just research Iranian modern history and battle tactics (regarding the willingness to martyr waves of 10 year old Iranian boys on bicycles against Iraqi heavy armor) ... and now think of Ayatollah Khamenei with nuclear weapons.
i see this phrase a lot: "the indication of a cult is what happens when you leave.
" i'm not sure where that originated, but it is a faulty categorization.
"cult" is almost always used in a derogatory way.
Funny that ... another incident involving Iranian morality police.
Do you still believe that we are in a high control religion?
when i was interested in things jw two decades or so ago, i never came across these mentions of hailstones.
it crops up so often now that it's almost a meme!
when did it become a thing in jw speak, and what does it refer to?.
If the GB want to end door to door witnessing done by the Brotherhood, then just bring in the 'Hailstone' message. Because no-one will be going out witnessing when that's announced, that's for sure.
an elder with half a brain (and they must exist 🧐) is going to see the writing on the wall with the way the wt is manoeuvring them into taking the fall over csa cases.
can an elder in good standing step down with no consequences, official or social?.
I resigned similar to BluesBrother's comment, which I truly was ... but the exElders club, is a real funny one. You end up sort of a nobody. This is because for years the only people that were really your friends in the congregation, were the other Elders. And when you step down, they move on (to busy really to give you much attention) while the general publishers that you know, are quite distant socially.
Yeh ... being a exElder is a bit strange, but our numbers are growing.