by JonathanH 13 Replies latest jw friends
http://www.salon.com/2013/01/16/religion_may_not_survive_the_internet/
congrats to our very on JwFacts for getting a shout out from salon. The part where the mention Jehovah's witnesses links to JwFacts.com.
Good article for discussion. They really nail the problems facing the society, but unlike all the other religions that are taking modern tactics and spending money, the society is just doubling down and thus crumbling.
Enjoyed that article. Thanks for posting it for us. There is hope!
Thank you for posting this!!! This paragraph is a humdinger!!!
Supportive communities for people coming out of religion. With or without the net (but especially with it) believers sometimes find their worldview in pieces. Before the internet existed most people who lost their faith kept their doubts to themselves. There was no way to figure out who else might be thinking forbidden thoughts. In some sects, a doubting member may be shunned, excommunicated, or “disfellowshipped” to ensure that doubts don’t spread. So, doubters used keep silent and then disappear into the surrounding culture. Now they can create websites, and today there are as many communities of former believers as there are kinds of belief. These communities range from therapeutic to political, and they cover the range of sects: Evangelical, Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness, and Muslim. There’s even a web home for recovering clergy. Heaven help the unsuspecting believer who wanders into one of these sites and tries to tell members in recovery that they’re all bound for hell.
This paragraph reminds me of the old saying about how tyrants used to hang people by the rope, now they do it by the pen. Same with organized religion, especially organizations like the WT/JWs. People with their mentality used to burn people at the stake, and think about all of the ingenious methods of torture that came to fruition during the Dark Ages. Today, they can't physically do people like that any more for legal concerns, and the WT has even acknowledged that their hands are tied due to the legal ramifications. So they resort to killing someone socially, financially, spiritually, emotionally, amongst other ways shunning destroys a person. In some cases the WT even gets lucky and a person commits suicide. It's nice that the internet has provided a social cushion to combat the sometimes deadly affect of shunning.
I think denominational churches are going to decrease. But I think that non denominational churches will increase. Christians are not wanting to be answerable to a human organization in matters that are personal and involve their personal relationship with God. At least in my experience Christians are wanting real freedom in Christ instead of religion. The internet has been great in that it opens up unlimited research in all things. Religious organizations can no longer hide under a cloack of secrecy. I think people are getting sick of religion. But organized man made religion and a relationship with God are 2 very different things. The internet may damage organized religion, but it's also very useful in helping others strengthen their faith and knowledge in a creator.
Thank you for posting this. It was one of the best written, well-thought-out reads I've had in a while. All I can say is--TRUE!!!
The great thing about the internet is that people will find what they are looking for.
The bad thing about the internet is that people will find what they are looking for.
Great article, thanks for sharing it.
Theocratic Sedition, beat me to it!
The whole article is really good, but I especially like the paragraph that TS highlighted about the importance of Supportive communities for people coming out of religion.
Thank you JonathanH for posting this article.
And thank you again Simon for providing us this playground and thanks for everyone that has come together to provide support and encouragement!
00DAD
That's a great article. Thanks for sharing!
