In 25 Years Will The WT.Organization Still Be Around?

by minimus 51 Replies latest jw friends

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  villabolo

  LongHairGal

  If the world is still here and civilization hasn't fallen apart and if the governments don't decide to step in and crush religion once and for all - I expect the JW religion will be around in some form.

  

  I think that the health of apocalyptic cults and or high maintenance religions depend on the health of the society they are embedded in. The happier people are, the worse it is for religions that thrive on unhappiness and insecurity.

  I personally think that Society and Civilization itself, will be highly distressed 25 years from now due to the effects of Global Warming and the wars, famine and misery it will cause. Unfortunately, that will provide the Bitchtower ORGANization the steroid shots it needs.

  Villabolo
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  factfinder

  I think the WTS will still be around in 25 years. Numbers may go up and down, teachings will change, but Jws will still exist.
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  startingover

  Just n, that was great!
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  factfinder

  brotherdan- your Mom is only 50? Now I feel old!!!
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  sspo

  They will be around and maybe even in great numbers since the watchtower will have another spin or explanation on prophecies and continue to trick and deceive its members.

  I work for a company where 95% are Mormons and i have to say that they are intelligent, hard working people, much more balanced than the witnesses... this week i found out that all of them, men and women wear special garments, usually a white t-shirt and underwear that go down to their knees, and they only take them off for showering or having sex...reason for doing so, it shows their dedication to their church and provides protection for them and by the way, they are all purchased from the church.

  Now how in the world can intelligent people believe that crap, yet they do, they believe in it and no matter how much you reason with them, it is to no avail.

  The witness are in the same boat, they will continue to believe the crap from Brooklyn, New York.
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  TheLoveDoctor

  Just in

  I really enjoyed reading that. Awsom hope that is all thats left in 10 years not 25
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  MrFreeze

  

  Yes, it will still be here.
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  nugget

  It seems to me that 25 years is still a relatively short period of time to expect the organisation to go down, however I have noticed that the younger generation in the hall seems less motivated and sees the religion more as a social network than as a serious religious commitment.

  I can see the makeup of elders and MS being very elderly and more hard line. People will leave and most of those getting baptised will be young ones from existing jw families. It will be even harder to get out with dignity and young ones will be encouraged to make a dedication at a very young age.

  The time requirements for pioneering will be lower, meetings shorter so more congregations can share the halls that remain. However the society will find more ways to infiltrate the home time, family worship night may be extended to family worship nights with a very clear timetable of what should be studied.

  Remember they are a book publishing company first and foremost and a property company all the time the money and free labour exists so will they.
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  Broken Promises

  Great posts, "just n" - but don't give them any ideas, LOL!!
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  dozy

  Some very well written posts - thanks.

  I agree with the overall analysis that the most likely scenario is that the WTBTS will continue to grow , albeit slowly & primarily in 3rd world countries. There will still be this constant tension between getting more hardline in certain areas & easing off in others. As 1914 recedes ever further into the distant past it will be mentioned less & less (though they do have 2034 to keep on dangling as a carrot.)

  However as Harold MacMillan said concerning what could happen in the future , "events , my dear boy , events." There is always the possibility of a catastrophic event to hit the WTBTS. We are long overdue some sort of GB scandal. Think of an average BOE of 8 - 10 members. Over a 25 year period one of them is going to be caught having an affair with a Bethel sister (or brother). Someone is going to have some sort of crisis of conscience and leave a la Ray Franz. What about the finances? The governance is very weak - they don't publish any accounts and are accountable to nobody. Sooner or later there may be a whistle blower or government investigation. Or they might just run out of money - already the cash-flow is perceived to be poor.

  Perhaps the most likely "event" would be some sort of schism. You only have to read some of the Spanish JW forums to realise the anger felt at the WTBTS selling off the Madrid Bethel , a building that was paid for by the Spanish brothers. There have been problems in Bethels before , such as Ireland & Australia. The WTBTS are closing most of the smaller branches , perhaps partly in an effort to head off this problem and focus resources and attention on the big branches.

  Any catastrophic event is going to make many (though by no means not all) to finally wake up & smell the coffee. The WTBTS could be left with a post 1975 situation when hundreds of thousands left , never to be seen again.