by Jim Dee 18 Replies latest jw friends
Lets review this year
UN Debacle, Silent Lambs Roared, Panorama, CNN, Dateline, March on Brooklyn - all unheard of 12 months ago.
Where has it got us, WTBS is still there - un moved and unphased.
Have we done any damage - or did we get it wrong?
I'm no lover of the Society - but will anything move these guys?
Jim
Few leave the WT overnight. Few became JW's overnight and years of 5 meetings every week are not easily left behind.
I doubt few will leave the WT in a year or less even with serious doubts. Things heard and read along these lines are always going to haunt an active JW in the back of their minds. The WT is being hit from all sides and Sept. 11 was like a gift from God to them. It is inevitable that the problems will be reflected in their statistics sometime soon.
Path
It makes one wonder if God is not in back of them(lol). They are tough and can take a punch. But as long as they have people attending, money coming in, lawyers defending them, they will keep on existing. They must see Satan in back of all that bad publicity, so it strengthens them. I'm afraid that it will take alot more to hurt them.
It makes one wonder if God is not in back of them
I'm sure that no amount of activity on our part will "move" them. Consider this:
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.." - Romans 8:28 (NIV)
What is God's reason for allowing them their "place" as an abusing cult? Who knows, but that text assures us there is a reason.
BTW you only mentioned the things taking place in the northern hemisphere. What about including "Silent Witnesses" (Sunday program)?
Cheers, Ozzie
Edited by - ozziepost on 26 November 2002 18:49:46
I think Path makes a good case.
I read B.G. Harrison's Vision's of Glory one year after my baptism, and her criticisms stuck in the back of my head. Then, I got upset about certain blood fractions being okay a few years later. It still took until 1995 and the "generation" definition change to get me seriously contemplating leaving the Borg. And it wasn't until I plucked up the courage to investigate on the internet and read Crisis of Conscience that I finally made the decision to disassociate myself. TEN YEARS PLUS. Start of doubts to finish. And I don't think I deviate from the norm that much. It starts with nagging doubts and grows... The fallout from 2001-2002 has hardly begun, IMNSHO.
outnfree
The declaine and fallout that we're seeing now is probably all to do with things like ht change in the generation teaching in 1995 and growth of the internet.
It is affecting them and they are altering their procedures (15 min reporting rule and direct to book study reporting) to try and put pressure on people to keep the figures looking good. All this will do is make the crash more dramatic when it comes ... and it is coming.
They will try and twist and spin things as long as they can and may even keep increases going but it is all in ex-war-torn countries where any western religions do well (and even so, JWs tend do so badly by comparison)
Look at witnesses plodding the streets ... they are not enthusiastic or happy. They know it is baloney and as more people leave they make it easier for still more to leave.
Will the last one out please turn the lights out and lock the door.
I think that before I grab my book bag and head back to the hall, I'll give it a bit more time. I haven't seen anyone claim that they are not a well-organized cult that has hit on a strong, repeatable formula. When things go well they telI everyone, including themselves, that God supports them. When things go poorly, they blame the wicked system of things and claim it is further evidence of the impending doom. - Tight as a drum. Don't forget, these are the people that rationalized away the embarassment of 1914, 1975.
I don't picture any cataclysmic collapse. At best, I see a slow sinking under the weight of fase prophecy. But no time soon.
Look at all the crazy religions that are still up and going with all there BS....the mormans.....I was watching a program the other day and this much older man had 5 wives and he married some when they were 15! Two of his wives were a mother and daughter duo...how sick is that?! He had 26 children and they lived in the middle of no where in these beat up trailers.He has all these young girls..dreaming of how beautiful he was going to make their homes.Gawd he has them going to peoples door selling book subscriptions. I was sickened by this man,trying to make sense of his beliefs.Oh,because girls are able to reproduce at a young age...etc,etc..... barf! At the end of the show, during 1999 he was being takin to court,so I have no idea what become of them.
The JW's are no different,yeh they have good laywers,so did O.J.So does the mob....
I don't think anything will move those that don't want to be moved.
I was like that once, but fortunately I was not tied to the cult by having too many family members or whatever keeps the "flock" in their place.
I saw the light by their actions which did not comply with their doctrine and thank goodness, I managed to slowly get out before (hopefully), too much damage was done!
But as for those life-long-saddo's that have no-where to turn or that lack the balls to do anything about it.........as you say..........they will remain unphased.
By the way Jim, Did you find anyone from Newcastle upon Tyne?
