Clearly There Have Been Some Changes Since The 80's!

The Rapster

I'm fascinated by such widespread use of the word Apostate in these threads. Has something happened with the term since I began ignoring JW dogma in the 80's ? It appears a weird turn was taken somewhere in the last 25 years.

Such liberal sprinkling of the word must mean one of several things: either the death grip of Brooklyn has tightened around followers necks by expanding what an Apostate is these days, OR many are simply overplaying your card by dousing this Most Unholy description into everything from watching R rated movies to (Jehovah forbid!) joining Facebook.

Whichever it is, this site is further proof (to me anyway) how screwed up being a JW really can be. The residue of your persecution is 2 inches thick.

An old bookmark for this network caught my eye and I clicked through, spending the last two hours just shaking my head, laughing, and posting. I had forgotten all about it. Well, it's been time well wasted this morning, with exception of finding an old mentor/friend with his amazing story of life as a J.W. in Beverly Hills. Nice surprise there.

Nothing has changed, has it? Still the most ridiculous, hand wringing, back stabbing, hyprocritical, self loathing, self serving, insecure, unrealistic, pompous, history challenged, closed, uptight, contradictory and dirty organization it ever was!

It's a trainwreck. I can't wait to return to view more carnage!

Later, y'all.......

Quandry

Nothing has changed, has it? Still the most ridiculous, hand wringing, back stabbing, hyprocritical, self loathing, self serving, insecure, unrealistic, pompous, history challenged, closed, uptight, contradictory and dirty organization it ever was!

You're right-these things haven't changed! But there have been changes-book study is now in with another meeting at the KHall.

Generation was changed in 1995 to the "contemporaries of the time" that don't believe in Jesus' return (not jws), then it changed again a few years ago to all the annointed.

Public talk is only 30 minutes.

New "members only" WT and a different one for the public (sanitized with less 'theocratic' terms).

Elders and MS can lose their positions if they encourage young ones to go to college.

Maybe more new stuff, don't know because I don't go anymore, but folks on this forum keep us posted.

babygirl30

Hi Rapster!

I don't know if it's become more widespread (I was a kid in the 80s but still raised in the org) but I only recognized 'apostate' becoming more prevalent in the past 5 yrs. Once the org started those 'tract campaigns' every year...it seemed like they were harping more and more on NOT taking OTHER peoples literature (while readily shoving JW literature down THEIR throats). I think the fact that the internet has become SO readily available to everyone makes it necessary for the org to start trying to 'isolate' their people even more and have less exposure to any information OTHER then their own...I believe that throwing around the term 'apostate' and defining it as often as they are now, leads the rank and file to FEAR even being called such a thing!!!

WTWizard

Before the 1990s, it was difficult to get hold of apostate material. You needed to get a book and risk the hounders catching you with it, and the ability to communicate with other apostates was very limited. Now, all you have to do is type "Jehovah's Witnesses" or Watchtower Society" into any search engine and click onto any link on page 2 and beyond, and you are suddenly getting apostate material right on your computer screen. And the hounders will not know what is going on until it's too late.

Gayle

use of the word Apostate in these threads. Has something happened with the term

Things have changed tremendously. "Internet" happened. It's powerful!

Thus, a new kind of 'networking' developed. People leaving JWs have always been happening, but often it was alone and very lonely for awhile. JWs have a local networking (non-Internet) of about 80 people or so in a very controlled atmosphere, with an occasional CO visit (more control) and some assemblies (more control), a suffocating little 'box' type life.

Now, JWs can network all over the world so conveniently. Except the authority and control of the JW Headquarters is weakend by this network and they try to keep their people in fear of the internet. However, the headquarters sees the power of the Internet and that they are losing. They admit "the youth are leaving in droves." The internet is as accessiable and comfortable to the youth, as well as we older ones, as turning on the radio.

So much information exists now than ever, the 'information' age. Now ex-JWs can link up and they can network, and therefore they learn and grow faster away from JWdom. They become mind free and independent more easily. They know with their personal growth that the WTS doesn't like it and can quickly be labeled 'apostate.' They see their growth is not something 'crazy', 'evil' but they can get historical and recent facts, that result in freeing and energizing them. They are not intimidated by the WTS ridiculous label of 'apostate.' There are so many Internet sites like this and popular Facebook is exploding and connecting people, like ex-JWs.

More than ever, it seems the WTS is trying to change some things, very little too slowly though, bit it only remains dangerously negative. They try to tighten their ugly control. However, there are many ex-JWs, though moving on with their lives, that are speaking up, not going away quietly as the WTS would wish. We're watching the WTS and 'onto' their every move.

dgp

I agree with Gayle about the role of the internet. This unbeliever would not have remained an unbeliever were it not for it. Free speech, the availability to find information, has always been the biggest problems for authoritarian people.

Heaven

My impression is that there are more and more people leaving. The internet has definitely had an impact on people staying or even signing up. I'm the same as dgp. I had considered starting a study with the JWs to see if things were different than I remembered. Luckily, I did my research on the Internet and it set me straight pronto.

I think the increase in the term apostate is a control tactic to try and keep their membership. The bleeding continues...

thetrueone

Nothing has changed, has it? Still the most ridiculous, hand wringing, back stabbing, hypocritical, self loathing, self serving, insecure, unrealistic, pompous, history challenged, closed, uptight, contradictory and dirty organization it ever was!

well said

Recently being that the head honchos of the WTS. know of the huge amount of information about them and aganst them.

As a counter measure to that, they are getting more vigilant against the said Apostate, there has been a recent directive to not associate

with anyone who was once a JWS and is not one now, even family. Thats how nervous they're getting.

Clearly There Have Been Some Changes Since The 80's!

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