On the other hand the Internet has tended to promote the "fade" as the form of exit from the Watchtower, which in many ways helps the Watchtower to silence local voices of dissent.
Interesting thought. A couple of opinions of mine on the value of dissent where JW's are concerned.
- We all know that dissent has long been handled by disfellowshipping for apostasy, esp since 1980. So there is no such thing as a real dissent movement.
- In the past, people who decided that JW's weren't the "truth™" simply left. Any attempt at talking about personal doubts or efforts to expose factual history regarding WT lies always resulted in disfellowshipping, thus limiting said dissent. If a few people left on the way, well, to the GB, that is the cost of doing business. (i.e. leave all you want, we'll baptize more teens )
- Many who were distressed JW's prior to the internet often stuck around, emotionally going through weeks where they psyched themselves up to convince themselves, and spent other weeks depressed. Dissent never was at the top, or even bottom, of these people's lists.
- Prior to the internet, these distressed JW's were stuck. Post internet, they are either faders or potential faders. The internet gives them the one option they didn't know they had pre internet, the information to keep their friends and family, the only reason that these distressed JW's ever wanted to really stay in.
- There is only one reason to fade, and that is to avoid shunning via disfellowshipping, thus keeping friends and family. These ones are not interested in dissent, they just want to have access to loved ones. It is the only option, it is a loophole, and it really wasn't a relevant idea until the mid 90's, where 2 JW/Dickinsonian coincidences occurred: 1) The teaching of the Generation that saw 1914 changed, causing a noted loss of zeal and motivation. 2) The internet exploded. The mix of the 2 roughly at the same time caused fading to be a theory/option that many who wouldn't have thought of it for themselves now had as an option introduced by others.
Dissent is totally a different subject imo. Dissent is a misnomer. I think "protest" more accurately describes what we internet apostates engage in. In short, thanks to their own bylaws, there exists no real way for dissent to occur. Thus a JW who wants to leave has two options, leave with both middle fingers in the air or fade. These are the only purposeful, proactive exits a JW who wishes to leave can engage in.
Sorry for the dry language, it just helps me to organize my thoughts....