Why WT reform would never work

JimmyPage

I used to think how great it would be if the WT finally made long overdue changes. Higher education would no longer be frowned upon. Men could have beards. Celebrating holidays and accepting blood transfusions would be conscience matters. Neckties would be optional for brothers, and sisters wouldn't have to only wear skirts. The songs could even have a peppy backbeat. Wouldn't that be great?

Yes it would. Except that all of these things are already being done in other religions- and being done better. What would stop JWs from leaving the WT completely and going to the church of their choice?

Really the only thing that could keep everyone from straying off would be familiarity with each other. People who grew up together and spent a lot of time together out in service. But I think we all know that most would realize how shallow a love they actually have for the mentally unbalanced people they often only tolerated because they had to.

And of course, many of us after examining the WT went on to examine religion in general... and found it all to be nonsense. So you tell me- could the WT ever successfully be reformed?

JimmyPage

And please forgive me for neglecting the real areas where the WT needs to be reformed: like the two witness rule that protects pedophiles and the cruel disfellowshipping policy. All of this jw.org rebranding has me thinking more of the mainstreaming that is being done on the surface.

3rdgen

Jimmy, if Watchtower made all the changes you listed as well as made it ok to question the GB, research doctrines and quoted sources, leave without any stigma, then it wouldnt be a cult but just another garden variety religion. The hook with JW's is the paradise earth- the carrot that makes the followers put up with the rest. Once you realize there is no Santa Claus/paradise earth why bother with reform?

I quit!

The Watchtower is a rediculous mean spirited organization. If they ever made enough changes to make it not rediculous and mean spirited it just wouldn't be the Watchtower. There are just too many problems for reform.

JimmyPage

Exactly! While it badly needs to reform... it would crumble. But as it is it's stagnant. It smells of death, as aging congregations lose elderly members to the inevitable.

sparrowdown

Reform would be possible but it would mean admitting they were wrong, and they don't wear egg-on -face very well.

Plus there would be a back lash from the ones who have been faithfully "doing just so " for years.

Imagine you have been shunning the hell out of family members for years effectively burning all your bridges

and then GBZILLA decides to change their mind about it, only by now the damage has been done,

relationships ruined- how would you feel?

What about those whose loved ones died from no blood policy, if GB did an about-face on that there would be a shit storm of law suits.

JimmyPage

They've painted themselves into a corner. So we see them ramp up the control on the inside while outwardly trying to appeal to the modern public.

JimmyPage

I do have a certain amount of respect for the Worldwide Church of God for admitting they were wrong. My opinion of the GB would go up a notch if they did likewise. That would put them at notch one. Interesting discussion here: http://www.jwstruggle.com/2011/09/jws-and-the-worldwide-church-of-god/

HowTheBibleWasCreated

Give me 20 people. We could overrun the congregatuon of 80 older guys. Then the netx then.. it goes ont until betheal takeover Yesh right?

Nope it accoplishe nothing but s chagover... a doctring needs to end not and organization... that is later

joe134cd

I don't think they could reform even if they wanted to. They have painted themselves into a corner. But a step in the right direction would be to put a bit of life into the songs.

Why WT reform would never work

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