A few months back I remembered a newbie asked in this forum what would it take for a current Witness to "go over the edge". In other words what would it take, personally as a witness, to stop going to meetings – or to just quit being a JW? What would you have to learn or see? Of course the person who posed this question never got the adequate answer he/she was looking for. No "good" / faithful witness would ever really visit a site like this. Of course only ex-jw's answered and responded.
I've been a Witness and baptized since 1992 – I still am. I first visited this site over a year ago and have been reading it off & on since then. (In my opinion it's always good to see what "the other side" says -- to be balanced; to know what others currently think of the society & the Witnesses).
I’m sure this topic has been talked about before but it bears repeating. As you know there are about 8000 or so remnant left here on earth. They are all getting pretty old. What happens when they all die off before Armageddon comes around? Think about it, with all the faithful & discrete slave class (F&DSC) gone, who will we (the "rank & file") turn to? I know the slave class is very old but they still make the final decisions. They still write all publications & literature intended for the Witnesses (with the help of the Writing Dept to edit & publish of course).
Everyone at the meetings, the elders, the brothers & sisters have been saying we are living in the last days. Even the "last hours" some say. And I can believe that. You can just see that things are getting worse. BUT how do we know that the JW's F&DSC are "THE" ones -- the ones that God has chosen to keep watch over all his belongings? And was 1914 really th year when the Kingdom was established in heaven & the end of the Gentile times? Is anyone up there at all? That has always been open to interpretation & always will. Those are things you can’t prove as factual. Personally I believe what has been said; I want the society to be right. Who wouldn’t want the worldwide peace, free of problems? (I know, I know wanting doesn’t necessarily make it true. That’s my version of faith & hope).
But here is a FACT that cannot escape anyone’s attention and the KEY POINT. (This is not Bible scripture interpretation or opinion). I can’t see them living here on earth much longer. I guess regular publishers with an earthly hope will have to run the whole thing. All 144,000 can't rule from heaven during this old, wicked system of things. All opposers & apostates will have a field day with this. They will be all gone; no one left to persecute & make fun of. No one to say, “Look at what new rule the annointed came with this time”. We will all be looking around as if in an empty room saying, "Now what?" All 144,000 will be in heaven ruling with Christ over the earth and we STILL will be living in this old wicked system of things? Hmmmm.
This would be a big shift. The organization/society would have some major explaining to do. The end would not be as close as everyone thought. They are setting themselves up big time. (It’s almost getting to the point of no return). The end will have to come in about 20 yrs or so. “This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur". Sound familiar? I know there has been a new explanation & understanding on the term 'generations' that came out in Watchtower a few years back. I guess they are leaving themselves an out so to speak. Maybe the 1914 & 1935 thing is running out of time.
So the bottom line for me is this: If all the remaining slave class dies off and our yearly report says zero partakers of the emblems worldwide at the Memorial -- that will be the turning point for me. I would wait a very short time for an official explanation. If there's not a satisfactory given explanation I would leave. I know many would leave the organization if there were no more anointed ones left here on earth. The Witnesses are the only ones that claim to have “THE” F&DSC and that we’re living close to the time of the end / 1914.
(I would still believe in God of course … but this would be a major blunder on the society's part. Think about this, the end will have to come within the next 20 or 30 years or so. No new shed light or new understanding will ever cover for this).