by Mickey mouse 5 Replies latest jw friends
Sorry if the title is obtuse, I couldn't think what to call this.
I was thinking about all the rationalizing and downsizing going on in the organization. It strikes me that they know they have the die hards whatever they do. Even if they reduced the meetings to 5 minutes per week and named Mickey Mouse the president the old faithful would say "where else would we go?" The ones they are trying to appease with the changes are the weak and fringe elements.
Yes, when it comes to religious belief and dogma, Jehovahs Witnesses would be the laziest students you'll find anywhere.
It's very comfortable to be told what to think and how to think. No effort required and you'll be patting tame rodents as soon as you can say "M I C you real soon"
Look at the mind set of most JW's. they are content to be janitors, painters, carpenters. These professions (I use the term loosely) do not make you use much of your grey matter. The JW's like to be told, What to think, How to think. Heck, they have to be told when to stand and when to sit at the meetings, assemblys etc. For the most part they have no ambition, sad but true. Yes, I know there is the occasional exception but it is few and very far between. What part of your life do they NOT control- I cannot think of any. They have a say in the your personal support (job), marriage including sex, raising children, how to dress, grooming including hair. The kind of car to drive(no 2 door cars). The list goes on and on.
While I agree that they are trying to keep the fringe JW's attending and active, there
is more at stake. By enabling the elderly and unhealthy to "count" 15 minutes per
month and by making field circus into handing out tracts or leaving flyers under the
doormatt, they are trying to squeeze out positive numbers for growth and attendance.
If they don't get positive numbers, then the old faithfuls will think Armageddon is
"this year." If they don't get Armageddon or positive numbers for a couple of years,
then old faithfuls will wonder what went wrong. Some will feel lost and join the
faders, even if they never really stopped believing before that. Appeasing the
lower denominators will keep the higher ones believing.
Also, they need more middle-managers. As long as the burden upon elders is
so much, hardly anyone wants the promotion. If they lighten the load, then maybe
more average middle-manager types will take the job.
It does appeal to the witlesses on the fringes, at least in the short term. However, it is very stagnating work to be continually placing wastes of paper under doormats or using two-liner presentations at every door (which are written up by the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger). In the long run, no one can be happy in this stagnant environment.
And it is getting worse. The deletion of the Book Study, probably for more field circus, means the one somewhat stimulating experience is going to be gone. This will take out the goodie nights, in-depth comments, and the deep socialization with it. All that will be left is an extremely stagnant lifestyle that is worse even than the government programs in the world. People will become machines that screech around at 160 MPH all the time distributing wastes of paper. True, it will create short term increases. But, eventually the balloon is coming due. Those who join or go back in those circumstances are going to stagnate out in a couple of years, and then there will be nothing left. They will drop out of the cancer, and numbers will crash. I can only hope the balloon comes due before they reach 7 million publishers.
Also, they need more middle-managers. As long as the burden upon elders is
so much, hardly anyone wants the promotion. If they lighten the load, then maybe
more average middle-manager types will take the job.
Noooo! I don't want my husband to be an elder!
All good points. I like the point about the best JW's being the ones who don't like to think. Maybe that's why I'm no good at it.
