by minimus 141 Replies latest jw friends
When I joined the JWs in the early 90s, their doctrines kinda made sense.
Then, one by one, their doctrines were shown up for what they were, i.e. nonsense.
The collapse of the USSR (no more king of the north/south), the dying off of the 1914 generation, etc.
The WTS had to make up a new load of crap for JWs to believe - overlapping generation, GB = faithful slave, blood fractions.
Who in their right minds would want to defend the latest bullshit?
Witnesses used to think they knew everything about the Bible(I guess I did too). But I think they've become more humble now, or if they haven't they should be.
I recall going in service and often getting into long discussions with people, but that never happens today. Very few now could "prove" much from the bible.
To me the new format of meetings is totally dull, how hard is it to read part of a chapter of a book?
There's quite a few that don't even do any parts at all, and I'm glad to be one of them.
I remember, but that was back at a time when JW beliefs could be explained.
There was an internal consistency and a method to the madness back then.
The current crop of leaders don't even seem to understand the methods and precepts upon which the previous teachings were built.
^^^ This.
The current GB seems to be intent on modifying bits and pieces of doctrine without thinking much about how they are destroying the overall mosaic. There is very little internal consistency left.
Most meeting content is now behavior control - you should do this, you shouldn't do that, etc.
There is very little internal consistency left.
James Penton laments the collapse of the doctrine's internal consistency in Apocalypse Delayed and that was written 30 years ago.
If we take a close look, it started falling apart soon after Knorr took over. Russell and Rutherford set the foundation and they've just been patching holes ever since. Freddie might have gotten a few things in at the last minute (most notably, the blood doctrine), but at some point the religion grew to a certain size where large, wholesale changes were no longer feasible.
It's the inability of anyone to fill Freddy's role (i.e. Oracle and head theologian) that is at the root of the current malaise...
They've gone from 'solid food' to 'milk'.
Not that it any of it was healthy to begin with.
The big difference is that in years past the GB and the elders sought to explain the Bible and their beliefs., and were genuinely concerned for others, .but nowadays it seems that they try and justify themselves and their own take on the Bible...and have little real love for others..
I use to hang out with a couple of Witnesses whose IQs were in the genius range (170 for one of them). We would research the original Greek and Hebrew, in interlineal books, covering subjects such as the Trinity and Hell. We were a little above the rest of the Witnesses. When I went out in field service I would take the Make Sure of all Things book in order to quickly research any subject that might be brought up.
Yes! Dumbing down indeed....
It really seemed to reach a crescendo around 2012 when the Zone Visit was broadcast worldwide, and the new bible was released.
Since then the online products have just become like junk food...temporarily filling, yet lacking in any real substance.
And don't get me started on the dumbing down of the songs and song book.....
