Do you sense change within the Watchtower?

by truthseeker 8 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  truthseeker

  I have had the feeling this year that change is underway in Brooklyn, but not change that would benefit the membership or lighten their load.

  This is change in response to a) economics and b) readily available information on the Internet

  There was a recent post about a speaker at the DC in Norway who said that as soon as some bad press about JW's goes online, it flashes up on apostate screens all around the world.

  Consider the Cano incident and then Lisa's interview with JR Brown. How many people have since listened to that information?

  Consider too, the efforts of people like Danny Haszard and Randy who go to great lengths to ensure that the world knows about the antics of the Watchtower.

  The Watchtower knows this and has responded.

  In the last year or two there has been a crackdown on lazy dubs - the recent brochure (I forget the name) about what out priorities are, the new release "Keep Close In Mind Jehovah's Day" blaming dubs who DID forgo education and careers and now expect their kids to make their own choices, and the "Deliverance at Hand" district convention advising against having an independent spirit.

  The latest WT, Jul 15, 2006, blames the dubs for murmuring against the "earthly part of Jehovah's organization" for their own mistakes.

  Then the Awake has gone monthly and hundreds of Bethelites are getting the boot.

  There IS something in the air.

  Only time will tell what happens, but I expect the next big thing that will be talked about will be annual meeting held in October.

  For those who think the WT's grip will get stronger, you are probably right. At the same time, the Internet is changing hearts and minds that were once under the captive spell and illusion of the Watchtower.
• 

  metatron

  They have two critical weaknesses - that could bring the Watchtower Society down.

  1) MONEY - this is the big one. Clearly, they have a deepening problem, as they cut everything they can, "remind" publishers for contributions

  and layoff Bethelites. How will they maintain a "ministry" if they have to scale back magazines any further?

  2)Credibility - we are still a ways away from the tipping point here, but the Wizard of Oz analogy still applies, over time. When GB member

  Herd rambles on about brothers questioning "Brooklyn", he isn't helping the issue. If they lose credibility, by repeated scandal and misstep,

  they're finished.

  metatron
• 

  greendawn

  I am not so sure they have real financial problems (though I wish they do) their cut backs could be just against unnecessary expenses. As for the scandals that's where they will lose ground given the war that goes on against them on the internet and the publicity these receive there.
  
  Whatever change occurs it's not likely to benefit the average common dub. The org is out to make money.
• 

  truthseeker

  Greendawn,

  If you search some of Hilary_Step's posts, you will see that they actually brought in non-JW accountants at one stage. I believe they are asset rich and cash poor.

  It must cost a fortune to keep printing all that literature, making bound volumes, DVDs, MP3s etc on a donation basis.
• 

  twain30

  Any army having recruitment as well as internal difficulty screams discipline. This is what the WBTS is trying to do. Its no longer enough to go a convention, now your required wear your badge 24/7. Where you go- eat, sleep etc. on your freee time is metered and measured. If your an elder its even more controlling, you now have reams of paper work to fill out, "just so." If some higher up doesn't like you then it goes something like this, "Brother so and so you did good on these things but you neglected to accurately fill out the holy lipshitz document therefore we no longer think your faithful." Even shepherding calls have now been transformed into a formalistic ritual.

  Gone are the days when Witnesses were urged to prove what's believed and what isn't with their own Bibles. Gone are the days when caring for the friends and consideration for the unoticed humble ones in the cong. trumped documentation.

  The philosophy is that you can slowly weed out anyone who doesn't march in lock-step by using this method. The trouble is that for many, this is an easy game to play, its a nice little charade that some of us are forced into. Sorry- militaristic discipline makes for a very weak religious belief system.
• 

  sspo

  They might be cash poor. In every congragation i have been to the contributions have always been very low.

  At present a congr. of 160 Publishers, the contrib. the end of month they receive approx. $400 for the local and a couple hundred for the society. That's nothing considering the amount of liter. and tapes, dvd the cong. gets.

  The witnesses have always been cheap, they give of their time and that's because they have no choice, have to please the society and the elders.

  yes the Society might have to sell a few more buildings, don't forget also lawsuits agaist them. Very often they have to hire worldly lawyers and they are not cheap at $ 500 an hour.
• 

  Leolaia

  This is what the WBTS is trying to do. Its no longer enough to go a convention, now your required wear your badge 24/7. Where you go- eat, sleep etc. on your freee time is metered and measured. If your an elder its even more controlling, you now have reams of paper work to fill out, "just so."

  When an architect builds a skyscraper, he or she has to design it with a certain amount of flexibility in place so that the structure would be able to give a little to winds or vibrations. Building it as rigid as possible is the worst thing he/she could do.

  I sense a similarity there.
• 

  LDH

  In reference to my interview, I pointedly asked JR Brown whether the 'church' was trying to go MAINSTREAM. He did NOT deny it, instead saying it was 'up to others' how to refer to the JW faith.

  He did NOT say, "Narrow is the door and few are the ones finding it."

  So they will NOT mind being thought of as mainstream.
• 

  ColdRedRain

  The Watchtower will not go down because they still have hardcore believers that will believe the whole bullshit, hook, line and sinker. You will always have your idiots that believe anything and will be brainwashed. There will be no change. Sorry folks, I'm just stating reality.