Familes - the WTS Biggest Problem

metatron

There are a lot of interesting obstacles facing the Watchtower.
Potential lawsuits, legal challenges to the door to door work,
declining revenues, general loss of zeal, exposure on the internet,
and loss of publishers in Western nations come to mind.

Yet, there is no obstacle greater, in my opinion, than the
continuing decline of Witness family life. Some elders and
C.O.'s have come to accept divorce coupled with df'ing and
a repentant return in a year as nothing out of the ordinary. Indeed,
STABLE, HAPPY JW marriages are becoming out of the ordinary!
I know a brother who still goes to meetings but has privately
given up with his kids - he sees lots of kids in his nominal
Witness extended family - almost everyone df'd or drifted away.
"Double lives" have now become the norm for Witness kids.

The Society emphasizes having as little to do as possible with
df'd relatives recently because they realize how this drift
is wrecking whole families (from their sick perspective).

No matter how bad it gets, the old men just wag their finger
while the organization's future walks out the door. Too bad for
the half senile old farts, they created a structure of more and
more rules in an era when only individual conscience will triumph!
Porn, drugs and contrary information are more easily obtainable
than ever before, in this part of the world, to anyone of any age.

So, even if they miraculously fend off all the political and legal
challenges, it won't save them. Far from being inspired, they
privately wring their hands and don't know what to do next - other
than figure out some new way to cut expenses, reduce legal
exposure, fill the Watchtower with platitudes, or invent clever
fictions to conceal the decay that won't stay hidden much longer.

Spirit - directed? I don't think so.

metatron

Simon

Half the kids going only put up with it because they are leading 'double lives'. The rest get discouraged by having them held up as examples when they know what they are really like and get upto.

In the end, they all get fed up and leave.

Room 215

Hi Metatron,

Once again, an astute observation. I touched on this in a recent post, which proved non-responsive... here goes:

``JW Obligations Mitigate Against Strong Families''

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
``Hi all,
We've all read and heard reports of what JW shunning polices do to families. My experience is that even for faithful and active JWs, strong families are rare, despite WT rhetoric to the contrary. The reason: The Society exalts what it considers to be ``spiritual obligations'' above all else, and these more often than not cut into time that could otherwise be spent with loved ones.

As an elder, I wish I had a nickel for every time a conflict of meeting schedules, assemblies, elders' meetings, etc., etc. prevented my wife, me, our married chldren and close JW relatives from finding a mutually acceptable time to simply get together over a meal, a picnic or the types of pleasant family occasions that truly bind human beings to each other.

The week between Christmas and New Years? You can bet they ruined it by scheduling an elder's school or some such nonsense.

I used to encourage my JW kids, for example, never to go to the District Assembly where they were assigned. By so doing, they ``bought out'' one free weekend which were totally free of JW obligations with nobody around to snoop or intrude. So once a year, they could experience the euphoria of a ``worldly'' weekend.''

ISP

Yes.....and does the WTS lifestyle attract typical families..?

No offence but most that are drawn these days to the WTS are dysfunctional types. Just think back to your old hall.

ISP

TMS

Probably some of you older elders remember when the circuit overseer report used to critique the individual servants.

Next to my name were usually words like "mature, thinks things through, uses good judgement, etc."

In 1993 when my then 22 yr old son was disfellowshipped, I made a quick, but reasoned decision to allow him to remain in our home. There were Watchtower references I could have called upon to back up my actions(destitute, sick, endangered, etc.), but I did not. What I knew I had before me was not, by any measurement, a wicked person. The subsequent nine years have reinforced that assessment incontrovertably. Not for a single millisecond have I regretted my decision.

But my action destroyed a four decade theocratic standing and the associated privileges and aspirations.

Its dilemmas like this that so frequently threaten JW families.

TMS

proplog2

Disfellowshipping has become a right of passage.

TMS

proplog2: "Disfellowshipping has become a right of passage."

Yes, proplog2, a rite of passage it was. We grew closer, stronger. As the anger dissipated, all of us found creativity that had been latent.

Although my wife and I are fully aware that several decades went down the tubes, our son thinks it all worked out for the best.

Had we acquiesced to the "theocratic" mindset, our family would have been destroyed. We would have been dead people walking.

TMS

lostboy

true...true...

LDH

And the biggest joke of it all is their new ads about 'love building strong families.' Like they would freaking know.

Lisa

metatron

Room 215 and proplog, you both have solid observations.

The Society has never really understood normal family
life or children - it was always easier for them to preach
singleness or tell the 'Jonadabs' not to have children.
(Rutherford). Now, a bunch of dried up old geezers give
counsel on how to raise teenagers - it's like going to
a suburban AngloSaxon for information on black ghetto life.

If I had to pick just one topic that shows the organization's
utter impotence, it's this one - and their failure to
deal with child sexual abuse just amplifies it.

metatron

Familes - the WTS Biggest Problem

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