Folks, The Word Is "Syncretism" ( Or Why I Agree With The Governing Body)

by metatron 16 Replies latest jw friends

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  metatron

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syncretism

  Yup, I can honestly say that I agree with what the Governing Body is trying to do !

  Because the more they integrate with the internet, the more they evolve towards becoming a typical half-burned out Protestant sect such as Methodists or Adventists.

  And there's a nice word for what we're observing: Syncretism. They take a bit of "Family Worship Night" from Mormons. They grab a little mid-week Testimony meetings from born again churches. They set up their own version of the "700 Club".

  Ya know, with all this JW TV coming, why bother with so many meetings? Aren't these programs a kind of meetings, really?

  And the door to door work? Why not just witness on the 'net? Or drink coffee while hanging out with a literature cart?

  And feeling that we weren't clued in on recent changes? Should that bother us? No, because this has all the earmarks of a helter-skelter attempt to "run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes" ! They seem to be just waffling and "trying anything" with little thought as to the long term. It also appears that they have reversed/flipflopped themselves in public - and private, consistent with blindly grabbing at avoiding obsolescence.

  No matter what they do with the internet - or literature dumps, they still must cope with the fact that the organization wrecks extended families, opposes holidays, has almost no 'infrastructure of care" and is a failure at raising kids. And are often seen as an obnoxious cult.....

  metatron
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  Pistoff

  I disagree that this is syncretism, which is the blending of beliefs.

  This is more a dumbing down of beliefs, an abandoning of the intricate interpretation of prophecy.

  It IS the appropriation of customs and practices, ie, the embracing of the internet, the mainstream look of evangelical TV and the bland look of promotional literature and carts.
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  metatron

  Depending on how the word is used , it can include a melding of traditions or practises. That's what I'm seeing....

  metatron
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  Vidiot

  It's pretty much a foregone conclusion by now that for a religion to thrive in the Information Age, it has to mainstream, i.e. progressive reform...

  ...however...

  ... authentic mainstreaming also involves abandoning stances that have been shown to be fundamentally flawed;

  a) shunning/demonizing former members
  b) forbidding medical treatments
  c) covering up criminal activities of members
  d) creationism/Biblical literalism
  e) male privelige/mysogyny
  f) forbidding association with non-members
  (I'm sure there's more)

  Sorry, but I dan't see the org reforming those policies any time soon; they have, in fact, reiterated most of them very recently.

  With JW.org, JWTV, and the like, the WTS is successfully presenting the appearance of mainstreaming... but that's all it is.

  Appearance.
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  joe134cd

  One thing I'm sure of. They had to have a stronger presence (and I'm not talking of the invisible kind here) on the internet, and they have reacted to it. I think the next step will be allowing the R&F to set up Web sites. There is just to much negative information out there. Weather this will drown out sites like this making them harder to find time will tell.
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  sir82

  It does seem to be that they are copying ideas that other groups are already using.

  Here's what I'd like to know: Are the GB sitting around saying "I like how the Mormons are growing, we ought to copy them", or are they saying "We need to hire a consulting firm to help us grow our product", and they happened to pick the same one used by the Mormons?

  I still fully expect some form of tithing to be announced within the next 4 or 5 years. Different name, of course, maybe even a different percentage than the standard "10". They've got to be green with envy over the decadent wealth of the Mormon church.
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  Apognophos

  It could be simply convergent evolution.
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  metatron

  How about a bunch of consultants suggesting stuff from other churches and then laughing their a$$es off later over drinks?

  What really got me was an Awake about meditation (don't have it at hand, past couple a years). Anyhow, they suggested repeating some relaxing words over and over. I thought, "$h*t! they're trying to imitate a mantra !"

  And now what? Grabbin' bits and pieces of Christendom?

  metatron
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  NewYork44M

  It is turning into two separate religions - one for public consumption and the other for internal followers. The internal piece has not changed.
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  done4good

  Vidiot-It's pretty much a foregone conclusion by now that for a religion to thrive in the Information Age, it has to mainstream, i.e. progressive reform...

  ...however...

  ... authentic mainstreaming also involves abandoning stances that have been shown to be fundamentally flawed;

  a) shunning/demonizing former members
  b) forbidding medical treatments
  c) covering up criminal activities of members
  d) creationism/Biblical literalism
  e) male privelige/mysogyny
  f) forbidding association with non-members
  (I'm sure there's more)

  Sorry, but I dan't see the org reforming those policies any time soon; they have, in fact, reiterated most of them very recently.

  With JW.org, JWTV, and the like, the WTS is successfully presenting the appearance of mainstreaming... but that's all it is.

  Spot on.

  d4g