This too Shall Pass (RC Commission vs WTS)

undercover

While I'm glad that the practices of the WTS are under review and the Australian commission is taking them to task, I'm not really expecting huge changes in the long run. Oh, they may have to agree to some changes in how they report crimes brought to elders' attention, but this excitement over the supposed expose of WT practices shall pass, and JWs will soon be canvassing neighborhoods and rolling their carts, looking for converts. Conventions will go on. Money will be begged. Property bought, property sold. Lies told. Old JWs dying with no sight of a Paradise Earth.

As in organized crime, you can only impede their growth, not stop them. Same way with organized religion (which is pretty much the same thing). You can disrupt them in small degrees, embarrass them, but you'll never break them up, or get them off the streets.

Jackson speaking before the RC is not much different than Michael Corleone testifying before the senate sub-committee on organized crime activity. Everyone knew he was Mafia, yet he walked away. We know all about the WTS, and the commission either knows or suspects, but Jackson will lie and maybe some low level capos will take the fall, but the leadership? Never.

The odds of the WTS being brought down by a government investigation, or even an expose from inside is slim to none. It's about the same odds as Frank and Ray exposing government corruption in the final episode of this season's True Detective. You might burn down a casino, and kill some mid level Russian mobsters, but the whole corrupt syndicate continues grinding along.

StarTrekAngel

True. It will pass, but with every similar occurrence, the reputation of the group will be ever more damager to the point of difficult recovery. Truth as you said it, is like a cancer in remission. It may never go away, but it will remain small enough to cause no trouble.

If it helps us wake up loved ones, is a welcome blessing.

ABibleStudent

Although I applaud and greatly admire what the Australian Royal Commission is doing, nothing will change unless the (Tax/Charity) laws are changed.

Enacting legislation like tweaking the American Tax Code as described in the draft bill and its executive summary at https://www.dropbox.com/sh/lbrkte086omivtt/AADN7PQHNylsdKwbltjHxBUea?dl=0 , is the most effective and reasonable way to protect children in organizations like the Watchtower and prevent organizations like the Watchtower from victimizing its members. Too bad most JWN members would rather post on JWN than write to their members of Congress to affect real change!

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

done4good

It is not about all or nothing and has never been. It is about small changes forced by social evolution. This is happening for sure.

Just look back at the last 15 years and it becomes clear to see the organization is feeling the pressure. Don't go by the numbers. They can always find ways to spin those positive, since their accounting methods for membership and finances are proprietary to them. The anecdotal evidence is very compelling. The organization has been bleeding its best and brightest for some time.The intelligent that remain are apathetic at best. The quality of the writing is almost infantile, and the authoritarian controls are at an almost all time high. These changes are a reflection and microcosm of what is happening to all authoritarian groups, especially those religiously based.

The RC will not "bring down" the organization. This is part of a long term death of 1000s of cuts, and is following the trajectory of the demise of religion in general, (don't go by the US Midwest or South either, those are outliers on a world scale, along with the Middle East; Both regions have high representation of authoritarian types). That said, the RC is different in its approach than a conventional civil or criminal court trial, in that it is not performing within the protocols of a typical court system. This is allowing it great ability to expose information that is educating many people about the inner workings of the organization, and this will continue long after it is over.

This trend will continue elsewhere. It is not over by any means.

d4g

JW GoneBad

Jackson speaking before the RC is not much different than Michael Corleone testifying before the senate sub-committee on organized crime activity. Everyone knew he was Mafia, yet he walked away.

Actually there is a big difference. Francis Ford Coppola invented the character 'Michael Corleone'. All the other characters in the 'The Godfather' were make-believe as was the story line.

There is nothing make-believe about Watchtower, the Royal Commission, Geoffrey Jackson and JW's lies, mishandling of child abuse and protecting child molesters. These are all real characters and the story line is very real. So there is a very high likelihood that Geoffrey Jackson, Watchtower and Jehovah's Witnesses as a whole will 'eat crow' before this is past!

Xanthippe

Social change is always very slow. It is only when we look back that we can see the defining moments in history. The ARC will probably be listed as one of the things that worked towards establishing the rights of children after the world fought for racial equality, women's rights, gay rights and animal rights in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

undercover

Actually there is a big difference. Francis Ford Coppola invented the character 'Michael Corleone'. All the other characters in the 'The Godfather' were make-believe as was the story line.
There is nothing make-believe about Watchtower, the Royal Commission, Geoffrey Jackson and JW's lies,
So there is a very high likelihood that Geoffrey Jackson, Watchtower and Jehovah's Witnesses as a whole will 'eat crow' before this is past!

True. The Godfather example is a fictional tale, but one that borrows from actual crime syndicates and how they operate. True Detective is fictional as well. But in these tales of corruption and crime, it is art imitating life. And in life, corruption and organized crime may suffer some defeats, but they continue without letup, and without being stamped out, and with absolutely no remorse.

The WTS will suffer some PR nightmares, but they will never eat crow in public, I guarandamntee you that. They will feel absolutely no remorse. They may change some rules, in order to placate government agencies, but they'll spin it as direction from Jehovah himself, and the vast majority of JWs will lap it up like a kitten to milk.

But as long as it slows em down, that's good. The more stuff on the Internet that can be used to show doubting JWs and people considering joining that this is not a benign religion, the better.

OnTheWayOut

It probably will pass without much change. But many children should be safer in Australia. The RC might go a bit further than just making them report allegations. One child getting justice makes it all worthwhile.

Still, I know what you mean. Ex-JW's get all excited, but in the end, it does little to retention and recruitment. Most JW's don't even hear about it, and when someone tries to tell them, they refuse to listen to lies from Satan's media and governments.

But just suppose another possibility. Suppose recruitment in Australia becomes zero and retention is so far down that they experience negative numbers. It is highly possible.

Watchtower may reach a tipping point where growth is just impossible after enough negative press and money problems. I am confident we won't see the end of Watchtower in our lifetime, but we might just see that tipping point.

freddo

It is nice to have the moral high ground. God's one and true religion is being held to account, shown to the world and found wanting IN HOW IT CARES FOR CHILDREN. Look at that slimebag Bowditch on the RC who says he would warn his worldly friend but goes silent when asked about warning worldly children?

Instead of people leaving in shame because they've shagged each other or had a cigarette or wanked to porn they can take the moral high ground and go up to the trolley dollies and their minders and embarrass them and say "How can you profess to be a representative of the creator when your leaders are defending child abusers? You white washed grave!"

Sorry for the rant.

Vidiot

Original author Mario Puzo pulled a lot of the mafia's portrayal in The Godfather straight out of his ass.

He even admitted it.

This too Shall Pass (RC Commission vs WTS)

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