Has The WTS Reached Its Kobayashi Maru Moment?

by metatron 28 Replies latest jw friends

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  metatron

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobayashi_Maru

  They observe decline. They cut back most everywhere. They see youth -their future- leaving.

  So, they compromise here and there. No Home Book Studies. Easy Reader magazines. One less meeting when the CO comes by. Shorter assemblies. Coerced contributions to come.

  Yet. they are stuck with plenty of men who will be forced to realize that they wasted their lives - Bethelites, District Overseers, Missionaries, Building volunteers who end up with tropical diseases from working in the 3rd world.... and so on.

  They drift towards becoming a denomination while knowing that they will sacrifice a number of their most loyal workers.

  I think they've reached their Kobayashi Maru moment.

  metatron
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  Oubliette

  The problem with your thesis, it that the Kobayashi Maru test implies intelligence on the part of the test taker. Rather than comparing the leadership of the WTBTS to Star Fleet captains in training, I believe they are more like Pakleds:

  We are Pakleds
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  TTATTelder

  Something weird is going on that's for sure.

  What do you mean by becoming a denomination?

  Do you mean the leadership is backing off the "we are the only source of truth on God's green earth" stuff? Or do you mean that they are moving away from being a doomsday cult and more of a place just to worship?

  -TE

  Pakleds ....funny stuff Oubiette.
• 

  DesirousOfChange

  The problem with your thesis, it that the Kobayashi Maru test implies intelligence on the part of the test taker.

  ROFLMAO

  Doc
• 

  Vidiot

  TTATTelder - "What do you mean by 'becoming a denomination'?"

  Just another small-time Protestant group of little consequence.

  TTATTelder - "Do you mean the leadership is backing off the 'we are the only source of truth on God's green earth' stuff? Or do you mean that they are moving away from being a doomsday cult and more of a place just to worship?"

  They can do neither, both for the same reason...

  ...for nearly a century, the WTS's entire raison d'etre has been (as far as they were concerned) to serve as both A) God's exclusive channel of communication and B) humanity's exclusive means of could surviving the inevitable Apocalypse.

  Take those away, however, and what real incentive would there be to stay? Or for the WTS to even bother to continue existing, for that matter?
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  Apognophos

  Oubliette, I think metatron is trying to say that it's a no-win situation (though I do like that Pakleds clip). This is a religion that makes high demands on its members based upon high-stakes claims. If the claims begin to look more dubious over time, then it becomes hard to motivate people to meet the demands.

  I actually don't think this is a no-win situation for them except in the growth department, which is certainly something that's always been of great importance to them, but it's not doctrinally required that the Witnesses continue to grow until the end comes. I think the group either has to mellow out or shrink down to its hardcore members. It is probably trying to combine the two approaches, retaining only the ones who will 'obey any directive whether or not it is logical' (resistance is futile, after all), but also making it easier to be a Witness.
• 

  Finkelstein

  Personally I think its the old tired doctrines by the WTS. that are the cause of the aggressive melting of the organization.

  The entire organization built and based itself on fear mongering bullshit all through the 20th century,

  now the 20th century has passed with nothing to show of any of what said was going to happen.

  .

  So what do you do ? you slowly resolve into something quieter and less aggressive and perhaps easier to be a recognized full fledge JWS.

  The WTS. build its organization on coercive lies, ignorance and fear mongering to gain public support, now it has copious amount

  of wealth and power, all it has to do retain what has been achieved is to be more evasive and careful with its expenditures.
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  Oubliette

  Apognophos: (resistance is futile, after all)

  I understood the OP's point. I was just having fun because his analogy compares the WT leaders to Star Fleet cadets: those are the Good Guys!

  Even you identify them more closely with the Borg!

  

  TIP: Count the borg drones in the foreground.
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  Apognophos

  Yeah, I should have realized you were just having fun with the ST references
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  TTATTelder

  I think the group either has to mellow out or shrink down to its hardcore members. It is probably trying to combine the two approaches, retaining only the ones who will 'obey any directive whether or not it is logical' (resistance is futile, after all), but also making it easier to be a Witness. - Apog

  Interesting take. I see the same thing myself.

  It is like an abuse cycle of ramping up control and then rewarding the captive with a treat.

  They say "Do what we say even if it's crazy sh#%"

  then throw the dubs a bone like:

  "You can have one day off during CO week"

  Pretty sick culty crap, but what else is new.

  -TE