2014: do you see Witnesses ramping up activity? What will the aftermath be in 2015?

by JimmyPage 45 Replies latest jw friends

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  dozy

  I think perhaps some JWs on a kind of subconscious level wonder whether 2014 will be the year of Armageddon ( in the same way that many thought 1984 or 2000 ). But I don't see any evidence of "ramping up". If anything , activity is pretty low and going down, which is why the WTBTS is having to cut the auxiliary pioneer hours to 30 for quite a few months of the year.

  It does amaze me how people can for decades continue to believe that "Armageddon is just round the corner." I suppose it is sustained by constant reminders from the society and a general dissatisfaction with their life , reinforced by continuing world troubles - earthquakes , wars etc.
• 

  Jeffro

  A.proclaimer:

  If something big happens in 2014, whether it's a big political shift or some big catastrophe like 9/11, JWs will see it as a sign and increase their motivation in work.

  'Something' happens every year. Anything can be twisted by deluded minds into supposedly having some 'higher meaning'. And their fallback will be that 'something' happened 'invisibly'.
• 

  Frazzled UBM

  good point Jethro
• 

  sir82

  Nope.

  The WTS briefly drummed up enthusiasm with their "30 hour auxiliary pioneer" gimmick a few years ago, but if my congregation is any indication, the charm has long since worn off.

  They tried to rekindle it by allowing the 30 hour requirement up to 4 times per year, but no one really cares any more.

  They had a "special" campaign" in November and will have another one in August, in addition to the "special" Memorial invitation campaign and the "special" campaign for DC invitiations.

  Pretty much every month is "special" now, which means of course that none of them are.

  They are running out of levers to pull.
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  insearchoftruth

  I think the 'renewed zeal' due to the 100 years is why they have reached out to my wife.....again, and due to her being unemployed and having issues with her son she is showing interest. Hopefully a job soon and she gets busy and the interest fades away, i believe no chance of that until at least the memorial season is over.
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  DATA-DOG

  It won't last. Eventually, even the most obtuse Dub will realize that nothing is happening. Actually, many already do. Subconsciously they know that nothing is happening as predicted, but the right trigger is needed for an individual to really wake up. All the depression, suicides, anxiety, obesity, alcohol abuse, sexual dyfunction, compulsive shopping [true story], are just symptoms. Many just cannot face the fact that they believe in a lie.

  DD
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  blondie

  I don't think we will ever see the activity from 1966 to 1975..........when jws perceived a specific date and were much larger than in 1914 and 1925. Only a convincing date would move older jws burnt during that time and apathetic born-in jws today.
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  DATA-DOG

  The one thing that would truly motivate them is the one thing the WTBTS cannot give them. All that is left is endless guilt-trips and fear of death.

  DD
• 

  NotBlind

  This is an organization in the process of shutting down. Over the past several years:

  They've shut down the bi-monthly Awake magazine.

  They've shut down 32 page magazines for the public, turning them into 16-page pamphlets.

  They've shut down the Book Study.

  They've shut down 2-day circuit assemblies.

  They've shut down all work of District Overseers.

  They're shutting down Brooklyn and having a fire sale.

  They've shut down the 50-hour requirement for auxiliary pioneers to the point that most who do it, only do it when it's 'on sale' for 30 hours.

  They've shut down the subscription arrangement for their magazines.

  They've shut down the Theocratic Ministry School, one of the few beneficial meetings they had, by eliminating constructive criticism and turning 'counsel' into 60 seconds of niceties.

  They've shut down Ministerial Training School and shut out Gilead School from all but the hand-picked elite.

  They've shut down dozens of branch offices, liquidating properties around the world.

  They've shut down hundreds of congregations around the world due to lack of interest, with several more to go.

  This is NOT an organization that's ramping up activity for much of anything. It's all about appearances. Install a high-speed internet connection, pipe in GB talks to local KH's and give the impression that something big is happening.

  It's not. It's an organization that's slowly rotting from the inside due to malaise, apathy, and simply because nobody cares anymore.
• 

  WTWizard

  It depends on how much they are going to take advantage of Saturn in Sagittarius. Saturn, the planet of restriction, in Sagittarius--a rebellious sign--means rebellion against the status quo in many people's lives. Cults can take advantage of this, and expand their ministries. I expect the jokehovians to take advantage of this--and especially if Internet II comes along. That will give the jokehovians the upper hand, and I expect that Internet II could push them up to 10 million.

  On the other hand, and I hope it happens, if Satanism in its purest form spreads on the Internet, people will use Saturn/Sagittarius to rebel against the whole of Christi-SCAM-ity and Islam, and start greeting pure Satanism with open arms. And no, not those cults that hide behind the "Satanist" label. Those cults use abusive sorcery, bind Demons using the nine-foot circle methods, involve gross mutilation of your body (including filing teeth and worse), and abusing animals and using drugs as part of their rituals. In pure Satanism, you never need more than a pinprick's worth of blood, you do not grossly mutilate yourself or others, you never abuse animals in your rituals, and you do not practice abusive sorcery. The hope is that more people will get past the cults and find the pure form of Satanism (which is the pure form of ancient paganism, too).

  I hope the washtowel doesn't find corrupt judges to rule that baptism is a legal contract and that once you are baptized, you are legally bound to serve the organization under breach of contract. This is also a function of Saturn in Sagittarius--a good time to get this kind of rubbish decisions from bad judges, then start enforcing them. This could force many of us back to an organization that abuses people and wastes our time herding us toward our damnation.

  As for the 1914 having an effect, I doubt that it will be any more significant than the changes in the 1990s. Probably not even like the 1975 disaster.