Two Futures - Which Will Prevail?

by metatron 9 Replies latest jw friends

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  metatron

  Recent events in Watchtower-Land (part of Fantasy-Land?) bring into sharp focus
  the two possible futures that the organization can take:

  Future one: The Rehoboam Strategy

  Crack the whip (or scorpions). Shun everyone who isn't 100% zealous. Break up families
  with disfellowshipping. Lie to the public and media whenever it creates a temporary
  advantage. Explain away all downsizing - or hide it. Change dangerous doctrines and
  suppress all dissent with threats of being df'd.
  Work hard to increase isolation of Witnesses and discourage their education.
  Make the magazines and literature more vacuous and platitude laden.
  Repeat "faithful and discreet slave" over and over, especially after scandals that
  prove it isn't true. Give up on Western nations and go after the poor and ignorant
  in the Third World as more pliable targets.

  Future Two: Moderation

  Reduce the atmosphere of opposition and negativity that grows and feeds on hateful
  Watchtower policy. Change whatever doctrine needs to be changed. Allow dissatisfied
  Witnesses to leave without threat or recrimination. Change the meetings to emphasize
  real brotherhood and fellowship. Get rid of nearly all disfellowshipping, leaving it
  to individual conscience. Start talking about the "Lord Jesus" like 1st century
  Christians actually did - without cringing or feeling 'funny' about it.
  Emphasize real love - and remove all brothers from responsiblity who feel
  compelled to lie or deliberately deceive the public.

  I actually wonder if # two may follow # 1 - after a disasterous attempt to repress
  the organization fails. It will take a while - but the Rehoboam Strategy doesn't
  look like a long term 'winning' plan. Eventually, Witnesses would end up being
  looked upon as a sad collection of emotionally stunted, mentally ill, and poorly
  educated people nobody (not even Paterson Theocrats) wants anything to do with.

  But , we still have remnants of the KKK and admirers of Nazis in the world,
  so - with the "Boss's" men in charge, who knows?

  metatron
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  cellomould

  I don't know what you're gabbing about, metatron...JWs are the happiest people on earth, with a very promiscuous (sic) future.

  cellmould
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  JeffT

  I read recently some history on the World Wide Church of God. After Armstrong died they made a big shift in how they operated. They ended most (if not all) of the cult-like qualities of the church and brought all of their doctrines into line with mainstream Chistianity. They are now recognized as a Christian religion by all other Christians. In the process they lost about 90% of their members. I don't have any idea where they went, maybe to the Watchtower.

  I think something very similar will happen to the Watchtower. Change is coming, one way or the other.
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  sleepy

  I think the wathctower will split , one part future 1 but the bigger part future 2.
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  Analysis

  When Rutherford confiscated the Organization, they did split into splitter groups. But, who is going to have enough power and nerve to do what Rutherford did?
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  Mum

  Analysis: I believe that Rutherford did not have either power or nerve. He had delusions, a narcissistic, bullying personality and a blood stream full of alcohol.

  Just my perspective. Regards,

  Mum
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  Nathan Natas

  Jeff is correct about Herbert Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God. As for where the 90% went, they found "new" organizations that offered much of the "oldtime" Armstrong flavor. The liberal "reformed" WOGgers became the minority and many high-control "orthodox" WOG variants appeared.

  After Russell's death and Rutherford's coup, a number of "liberal" Bible Students left the Rutherfordian Watchtower and continued in the path that Russell had shown them. They 've remained a small group because they didn't have a publishing empire pushing them to earn their salvation by works.

  Rutherford was the wrong man in the right place - history gave his publishing empire circumstances (WWI, the depression, WWII, Korea, the cold war, hippies, Viet Nam, etc) that kept the seas of mankind agitated - better circumstances than they could have asked for - and into that rich nutrient broth of fear and uncertainty Rutherford cast his spores.

  There will be hardcore Dubs for a long time to come - even if the WTS folds up and goes away, there'll be an Elmer Gantry out in the hinterland or the ghetto calling for Armageddon "any minute now" - but we can hope there won't be many.
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  The Alchemist

  Having some friends who were former WW Church of God (Armstrong).What happened there was a too quick change. Their small churches were as uncomfortable as KH's There everybody knows everybodies business and there were are allot of hurt feelings and bad memories. So when they (my friends and others) were set free they decided to make a complete fresh start. The Church fragmented into several or a dozen different groups. I am sure that this is a lesson not lost on the WT.
  To liberalize they need to go slowly perhaps over 10 years or so. Eventually they may become an attractive healing sort of place like many churches are today. Then from their base they could grow. Certain doctrines may have to change to besides blood and disfellowshiping. My guess the love of God on a personel level should be strenthened and getting away from the elite 2 class system.
  I doubt if anyone in Brooklyn/Patterson has the vision for such a change. Certainly not the will. The WWCG changed because their leader the President Pataki become born again and felt what was right was right. Ambassador collage is now sold and whatever happened to the Plain Truth magazine I do not know.
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  Dismembered

  Jeff T said "I don't have any idea where they went, maybe to the Watchtower." They did. I know of one case anyway.

  Dismembered

  Edited by - Dismembered on 28 August 2002 18:48:11
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  UnDisfellowshipped

  Rehoboam Strategy:

  Brand-New Update to the "New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures" (this is Fictional, so far at least):

  1st Corinthians 5:11: But as it is, I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who is called a brother who is a whistle-blower, or a child molestation victim, or a rape victim, or a person who is speaking out to help the victims, or a "spiritual drunkard" who keeps insisting on following Jesus Christ instead of the Governing Body, or a man with a beard. Don't even eat with such a person.

  I would love to have more people add to this "2002 Rehoboam Edition" of the Watchtower Bible!