Big Announcementitis - JWs and 'Postates

slimboyfat

What is it with Jehovah's Witnesses and apostates and "Big Announcements" - they are as bad as each other.

Witnesses are always on about big announcements in the pipeline - just to end up being disappointed. Like the time they reduced the pioneers hours - big wow.

And then there was the announcement about the literature being "free" - that didn't quite turn out as advertised.

Of course Witnesses always think it is going to be something to do with the end of the system of things, and naturally it never is.

What about apostates? Anyone who Witnessed the whole "big announcement" hype on this forum a few months ago can see that apostates can be just as bad at this sort of thing. It turned out all the excitement was over a rather ranting article on blood written by someone with an axe to grind that said nothing new - yet people on the forum were building this up for weeks beforehand.

And before we all gulp down this latest "big announcement" fever going round - remember the supposed "new light" that was coming in this summer's Convention? Never happened! Remember the articles on "new light" that were supposedly leading the way for big changes - came to nothing!

So everybody calm down. The Watchtower is not going anywhere, it is not going to change in any dramatic way any time soon. Watchtower watchers need to be like birdwarchers, or fishermen - in it for the long haul, satisfied with small catches, observing the significance of small changes, shifts in the sand.

Of course we all wish for something dramatic. Of course it is the eternal prayer of engaged human beings to "live in interesting times", but sadly wishing does not make it so. After all, the desire for a bit of drama probably played a large part in how many of us were attracted to the Witnesses and their tales of doom and destruction in the first place. It gave even the most mudane world events deep "spiritual" significance and infused ordinary occurrences with meaning.

Old habits die hard, but we now have to create our own worlds of meaning, and try to get away from the burning desire for the great eschatological denouement. Then we will truly live in interesting times - of our own making.

Slim

looking_glass

Ahh, Slim, come one, let people get all worked up if they want to. It is fun to hear about the "latest" w/i the religion, because 1) it allows me to anticipate what relatives will be telling me; 2) it is funny to watch the JWs get all worked up thinking to myself "thank god I no longer buy into this crap" and 3) it is similar to the other threads where people have posted that various other belief systems have anticipated the upcoming end of the world but the world continues to spin on and on.

Blueblades

Slim, I'm with you on this one. There are no more big announcements. The only big announcements that I can see in the future would have to be about a change in the Blood policy, the child abuse issues and the 1914 date.

Blueblades

fullofdoubtnow

The only big announcements that I can see in the future would have to be about a change in the Blood policy, the child abuse issues and the 1914 date.

Quite so, but I'm not personally holding my breath for any of those policies to change.

I can see where you are coming from on this slim, we get advance news of a major wts announcement, then when the time comes, it's a case of nothing new under the sun again. I wonder sometimes if they don't drop these hints to keep those who might be wavering a bit in line, like this talk that seems to going around that this year might see the last dc's.

I didn't go to a dc, but some said that was at least inferred from the platform, which will certainly keep the committed ones on their toes, while most of us on this board know very well that the only way this years' dc's will be the last ones is if the wts stop having them altogether, an unlikely scenario to say the least.

I think the big announcement rumours are just that - rumours, but it'll keep the dubs in a state of excitement for a while, and give us apostates something to speculate on.

dozy

JWs seem to fall into 2 camps - those who are completely overboard with excitement about any "new thought" or WTS news and those who are completely blase , "heard it all before" and suitably bored (put me in the second camp).

I suspect that apostates are the same - those who have had their Damascus conversion suddenly expect that the whole of the Org will come crashing down imminently , whereas those who have been out for many years tend to tire of the activity and are immune to any "Big News / Snooze stories".

Although many would like major reform of the WTS , the fact is that the WTS is more like an oil tanker than a "celestial chariot" , and is run by deeply conservative (with a small c) , completely institutionalised and (mainly) geriatric men , with a job for life as long as they toe the party line and keep their heads down. Anybody who has any initiative or new ideas is quickly weeded out long before they get to any position where they can influence decision and policy making. So nothing dramatic is going to happen , just a painfully slow evolution , such as the gradually softening policy on blood products.

Sweetp0985

<--- still wishing for a big announcement of "the end is so near WBTS is shutting its doors"

aniron

Those of us have been JWs and lived through "big announcements" in the past.

Will know that they usually turn out to be nothing.

So we await the "Big annoucement" with complete boredom.

Finally-Free

Yup, there's nothing but big yawns both in the cult and out. I get it at work too. I get much more excitement watching reruns of old 1960's TV shows.

W

AK - Jeff

The only big announcements that I can see in the future would have to be about a change in the Blood policy, the child abuse issues and the 1914 date.
Blueblades

Blood doctrine changes will have to be [as they have been for decades] gradual. This reduces legal exposure and keeps the flock unaware that the doctrine has moved much.

Child abuse issues will be on the front burner at some point due to legal issues with this. But like the Catholic scandal, it will be shuffled around in a way that will minimise adverse effects on the central body, while perhaps sacrificing local elders. The policies will remain in flux to accomodate the need to retain solvency at Brooklyn, and for no other reason. And they will remain cloaked in obscurity to most witnesses who are completely unaware of the undercurrents here.

1914 is the one that will undo them. But there is no easy way out of the corner they have painted themselves into here - even if they let the date fade into obscurity, the time will come when without the date, there is no basis for the exclusive position they claim. Catch 22

Nothing changes quickly - I agree with SBF on that one.

Jeff

DannyHaszard

1914 is the one that will undo them. But there is no easy way out of the corner they have painted themselves into here - even if they let the date fade into obscurity, the time will come when without the date, there is no basis for the exclusive position they claim. Catch 22

Big Announcementitis - JWs and 'Postates

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