What would happen if a copy of Crisis of Conscience and a short well-written covering letter were sent to every single Jehovah's Witness worldwide?
I realise this is not practical and probably dubious morally, but that is not the point of my question. Call it a thought experiment if you will.
What do you reckon would be the net effect? Would Witnesses start to "wake up" en masse, or at least enough of them start talking about problematic issues, and build up momentum in leaving or changing the organization? Or would it have the effect of helping a few unhappy Witnesses put the dots together and make the final leap to leave whereas before they had been dithering. On the other end of the spectrum would the net effect actually be to embolden the Witnesses in their resolve not to believe apostate propaganda? Would it dent Witness growth sizeably, not at all, or would it actually perversely help Witness growth? I am really interested in your opinions.
The reason I have been thinking about this is that a few posts and experiences I have read on this board recently have really made me think again about what makes a Witness leave the organization and what brings it about. At one extreme you might take the view that Witnesses only ever leave "when they are ready" within themselves, and that outside information has little impact. It just happens to come along "at the right time". I have begun to wonder however whether this is a bit fatalistic. It also rather conveniently absolves me of any responsibility to try to convince others that the Witnesses are wrong. I can just leave them to figure out for themselves whether it suits them to be Witnesses or not and not worry about influencing them one way or the other. On the other hand, what if a sizeable number of Witnesses would leave the organization if only they were exposed to enough damning information? What if they are really just waiting to be told, and "woken up" as it were. If that is the case, then doesn't that make us all a bit responsible for helping them?
When I think about myself and my history, I really do wonder if I might have realised the Witnesses don't have the truth much sooner if only I had access to the information I now have earlier. Of course I might have just brushed it aside because I was "not ready to hear it". But I really doubt that would have been my response to be honest. I think I would have just got to this point faster. My life might have been a whole lot different. It makes you wonder doesn't it. But then you can never tell I suppose.
But rather than sending apostate information unsolicited to homes like in the thought experiment above, I like the idea of simply making books available in public libraries and other public sites, and the Internet of course. Not to shove the information down the throat of Witnesses, but let them know it is there if/when they want it.
Slim