...and yet one more thread about the Book Study...

by undercover 9 Replies latest jw friends

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  undercover

  I just had an epiphany of sorts...

  I've been of the opinion that the change to the Book Study arrangement was all about control. Controlling the subject matter discussed at Book Studies; controlling the atmosphere of free-thinking comments or, *gasp* questioning type comments from apostate-leaning attendees.

  But what if this is just the beginning of the Society and the JWs trying to become more mainstream? What if they're looking to re-invent themselves into a more moderate religion, dropping meeting nights, eventually dropping meetings, maybe even dropping field service. All of this would be done to the point that after the old-timers die off and the disgruntled leave in a huff, the newer members and younger members would welcome less rigidness of rules, less meetings and would love the requirement of preaching from door-to-door to be dropped. In time, the JWs could just be another off-center sect of Christianity instead of the cult they have become over the last 100 years.

  Since the field ministry is no longer profitable, I can see them dropping field service bit by bit until it becomes no longer an identifying mark of the religion.

  Since meeting attendance is dismal; because so many people are so busy in life, be it work or play, they can make it easier to be a JW by only requiring one or two trips to the hall a week instead of the 3 or 4 (including service) that are happening now.

  They could then lighten up on "rules" of being a JW. Maybe DFing becomes less of an issue. Maybe a little more independant thinking is allowed. Maybe certain holiday celebrations become a conscience matter, or better yet, a don't ask, don't tell policy. Maybe voting and flag salute prohibitions are dropped...it becomes another conscience matter. The blood doctrine is slowly changed and then dropped, or becomes yet another conscience matter. They've already become less rigid in certain matters where legalities are involved. They could just continue to drop the heavyhandedness on anything that could result in bad press or reputation.

  In the course of a couple or three decades, this religion could no longer resemble the religion that it was previously. Hell, it already doesn't resemble the religion that it was when I was a kid.

  Someone hinted on another thread that there may even be a name change sometime in the future. That would conclude the change over to being an all-new, improved religion...ready for the next 100 years or so. Times change and religion changes. Maybe the newer GB members have realized they have to change to survive. All they need is the last of the old guard to die and they can really roll out new changes.

  Then again...maybe not...I dunno...
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  DT

  I'm sure most cults have ambitions of becoming mainstream. The problem is that it's a hard to start a religion that doesn't really stand out from the crowd. Later, when these extreme differences become a liability, it is often convenient to start distancing the religion from them.
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  Finally-Free

  The Book/Bible Study is all a crock anyway.

  Exactly. Book study or bible study - it's all BS to me.

  W
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  undercover

  There's too much of a contradiction at this time because JWs are routinely being told more cultish things than ever before....very bunkerish mentality.

  Maybe there's a power struggle between the old guard and the newer guys who realize that things have to change.

  Whenever you've got a group of people leading, instead of just one or two, there's always going to be shifts in power and in how conservative/liberal the teachings/rules will be. I think in time the Society will become more mainstream in their teachings if not with the strictness of rules.

  The thing is they can't change overnight. If it was to happen, it would have to happen over the course of decades in order to hide their tracks...just like they've done with the Russell years, the Rutherford years and the 1975 fiasco.

  It's all speculation I know, but sometimes they do things that just don't jive with other things they've done or with their core philosphy.
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  Marvin Shilmer

  Undercover,

  The Watchtower organization is in the religion business. It knows the “sky is falling” hysteria it sells will, eventually, lose its thunder. If for no other reason, from sheer exhaustion of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Hence a need to prompt change making it easier to have the religion. In effect, as time moves along the Watchtower organization will enact change so individuals can have a religion and a life, rather than just a religion.

  The Watchtower organization will end up with a theology where it teaches adherents to always be on the watch for “the end” despite no knowledge of when that end will occur. This has been an initiative since at least 1995, and probably even sooner. Make no mistake; the Watchtower organization is maneuvering its business for the long haul.

  Marvin Shilmer
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  NewYork44M

  I can't help but thnk that the only reason the society dced the book study is because of lack of attendance. the R&F are not going to use this extra time for study. Nor will you ever see Tuesday evening successful for field service.

  The effect of this is that the r&f are now ever so slightly disengaged from the mothership. Which does not make sense if we are truly in the last days. But does make sense for an organization that now views the r&f as a liability.
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  NewYork44M

  And by the way, you can never have too many threads about the bs change. The more the better.
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  Tired of the Hypocrisy

  If they do it is just more proof to me of hypocrisy and booshit. I can still remember talks and wt studies about how christendom tickles the ears of teh people while jah is the only god with an org that doesn't. No compromise, no giving in, no changing because jah is consitent.
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  MidwichCuckoo

  I posted this on JCanon's thread - I think the FS will need to be adjusted because of the BS change. I think, possibly, that's why THIS change is not being immediately enforced, as the Org needs from now until January to somehow change the FS arrangement. The reason (I gave on other thread) is that without the 'informal' atmosphere of the BS (which I'm sure most JWs are comfy with), the only 'informal' gathering left is FS meetings (in private homes), and human nature, being what it is, will overcompensate for the 'missing' socialising....hope you're following me, lol...and this would be damaging for the Org.

  I think the WT is afraid of itself AND its members (locally, I know of JWs who are taking college courses in 'internet use'), not 'apostates'...it's a case of ''Divide and Conquer''
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  Mickey mouse

  The more I have thought about it the more I am coming to the same conclusions undercover. It's kind of what my "closing the ark door" thread was getting at. All businesses go through a period of consolidation after a period of growth. I can really see them declaring the preaching work "over" which the r&f will interpret as Armageddon being due tomorrow. This will give them at least a couple of years of strong morale and high meeting attendance.