by changeling 22 Replies latest jw friends
With the public talk being shortened, the "members only" WT, and the bombshell in the Sept.KM comming up, I was wondering:
Has the Society given up hope of bringing in new ones in affluent countries (with the exception of the foreign language field)? Are they thinking that they have to hover around those already "in", and not lose them because, now that they have access to info on the internet, new ones are just not going to "buy" the message?
Is damage control their last resort?
changeling
Who knows what they believe isolated in their ivory tower. They probalby think the end of the world is comming and the internet is a tool of the debil.
I've been thinking. I may be completely wrong, and I'll tell you why
Bethel shortened the meetings becuase of the new, non-denominationals Christian churches. These churches are filling their pews to the brink. I know of one church that went from about 100 people to over 18,000 people in 2 years. They have a fast sermon. The Sesame Street generation can't handle long, drawn out meetings. The information is absorbed better if it's short, sweet, and to the point.
Why I don't think Bethel is trying to be like the non-denominational Christian churches.
Skeeter
I surely think it is damage control. But the 'God is using us, and He told us to bring others into the ark' mentality, is not going away IMO.
They know of course that few are accepting the 'truth' from the outside now in affluent lands. Field Service seems to be just window dressing in many congo's now. It is diversionary IMO. They want the dubs busy in 'Kingdom work' so as not to have time to figure out the sham they are part of - they want to prevent any more leaking of the boat too.
They will not succeed for long. The world is changing faster than they want it to - the old 'slight of hand' tricks they used on us don't work anymore. They will keep dubs out of the internet world to some degree - but not householders who smell a skunk. Hence no increases.
They are becoming Isolationist for sure - and that smacks of cult to outsiders. Some inside will see that too. IF this is a strategy, it is a backfire strategy IMO over time.
Jeff
We haven't seen the new JW only WT yet that starts next year, but I would not be surprised to see the study articles shortened up to 45 minutes max. Get everyone in and out of the KH in about 90 minutes on Sunday. The three meetings on two days during the week has to be their next problem. If they could just declare the preaching work has been accomplished then the school and Theocratic meeting could be eliminated all together.
Is it possible they may be shortening Sundays because so many congs share the same hall? I know sometimes three share one hall in the city my sister is in.
Maybe they're getting ready to sell a bunch of the KHs for the extra $$ and encouraging this "share-a-kingdom-hall" arrangement. Just thinking.
AK J, I agree with everything you said.
ok, questions: What is the bombshell in the Sept. KM?
Has the Society given up hope of bringing in new ones in affluent countries (with the exception of the foreign language field)?
Absolutely. I had heard it said may times by JWs that the field service activity here in the U.S. was now just a "gleaning work". The free flow of information through the internet has destroyed the WTS's ability to keep any secrets anymore. More and more people can do independent research on the WTS within a matter of minutes.
They are having a lot of trouble keeping their young people to stay. I would argue that JW children make up a huge percentage of those baptized here in the U.S.
Soon I hope they are going to crash and burn, burn motherf*&?% burn.
