How much longer can the Watchtower survive in its current form???

doubtful

I find it amazing that a religious movement predicting the end of the world for almost 150 years, still maintains a following! Soon, all the older zealots will be dead, the baby-boomer JWS will be old and retired, and the bulk of the JW labor force will consist of all the "worldly music - listening", facebook using, living as close to the edge of WT standards as possible, youth of today.

As they mature, grow older and began to seek social status for themselves among other JWs by pursuing appointments like MS and Elder, they will probably morph into a replica of their parents. Yet, how much longer can they continue to predict that the end is right around the corner? Is it sustainable? Can they continue to be an apocalyptic, doomsday, legalistic cult forever? Or do you think they will begin to transition toward a more mainstream Christian interpretation..such as "the Kingdom is in your heart, or it is in Heaven.."?

How much longer can the stalling continue? I can't see another 20 years of this nonsense, but then again, many of you probably said the same thing 20 or more years ago.

designs

That's just it, when you are in LaLa land 20 years flies by and then another and then another.......

Star tiger

Greetings,

I think the GB zealots will keep coming up with the truth keeps getting brighter, lol, if the expansion keeps happening in the third world countries that will help their conversion figures but will not bring in the revenue, and the decline in dare I say it enlightened nations being more skeptical does not fill their rapidly falling bank accounts, I think if the trend continues they will be relegated to a third rate religion with only the paranoid and disturbed following them as if that wasn't that wasn't happening now!!!!!

Star Tiger

Morbidzbaby

More doctrinal flip-flops, more changes in theology (elastic generation, etc), and the number one key I think will be keeping new converts in the dark about Old Light. Cover it up, bury it in the past, so newer converts who haven't been in since before, say, the 90's won't ever know the dirty secrets of former beliefs and predictions.

But, with the internet, anything is possible. People are leaving because of what they are finding out. However, with the WTBTS targeting thrid world countries who don't have access to clean water, let alone the Worldwide Web, I think they'll still maintain a following for a time, and maybe even flourish outside of the US and other major countries.

tresdecu

Good question and one I always have fun speculating on! You're right, within the next 15-20 years the baby boomers will be in their 80s, the old knorr era diehards will be long gone...and all that's left to be the bulk will be as you state "worldly music - listening", facebook using, living as close to the edge of WT standards as possible, youth of today."

That's the class that I'm a part of! Although I'm not the 'youth of today', I still feel youthful in my late 30s. ;-) I like to drink, go to concerts, watch rated R movies, hang out with my workmates etc...and all of this I did while I was a 'spiritual MS' I think things are slowly changing...although the hard core message is the same, it is easily sluffed off by many.

I know of JWs in my hall, that let their kids play sports in Jr High, and HS...one is an MS. And nobody really bothers them about it. When I was young, although my elder dad / pioneer mom were a bit liberal by 80s JW standards, they still would not let me play on our schools soccer team. Today that kind of stuff doesn't really seem to be a big deal. (in my area anyway)

It will be interesting to watch over the next decade, maybe things will change, maybe not. My hope regarding the last part of your post would be to go more mainstream...lay off people!!! Fine, give a sunday talk about being forgiving, that's a good message...have a watchtower study about all in the houshold doing their part within the family...fine, that's ok too. But just F&%*'ing lay off people and kill the lame-ass thursday meeting, and stop the guilt...I'd be ok with that ;-) ok ... over and out. Have a good weekend, and for those poor souls like me who have to endure meeting tomorrow, good luck!

TD

hubert

Unfortunately, I agree with you. The third world countries is their last hurrah. After that, it's all down hill. Look what happened in Japan. Japan was a "second world" country with regard to acquiring new converts ten or so years ago. Now, from what I understand, it has declined rapidly, most probably due to the internet. Once the internet is really taken hold in third world countires, there's nothing left for the Watchtower...."Where else can we go"???

Hubert

steve2

You speak with a dangerously rational mind - the arch enemy of organized religion, Christian or otherwise.

Never under-estimate the limitless stupidity of people caught up in an organized religion. It's a little bit like the seductive cosiness of sleeping in when you know you should be getting up and on with your day. Sleepiness is its own reward - why fight it? To get out of bed takes some exertion and possession of a longer purpose...otherwise, why not just roll back over and get a few more ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZs?