How many TRUE BELIEVERS do you think are left in the Organization? (page 2)

GregW

Maybe they should publish a book on how to fool millions, create power and wealth by the writings you make, could sell that one for few bucks I'm sure.

Good question. I'd love to know the actual answer. It's going to be interesting to see what happens when the older group you mentioned dies off. They're the last ones from the old JWdom - when the material was deeper, the org was bolder and more scholarly, etc. They remember F Franz, the thicker prophecy books, the exciting conventions, the excitement of really believing the end was imminent, etc. JWdom is just so different now. I don't see how it could produce the kind of real true believers of decades past - those who lived and breathed for the religion and were willing to die for it.

I think a lot of those from the 60+ group, even though true believers, are confused because "this system" should have been long gone by now. Also, they've seen the org change so much in ways they don't necessarily like or understand. I'd love to know what they're really thinking.

I haven't really talked with any younger ones in the last decade or so, so I don't really know what the current mindset is. Would love to see more input on this topic. I hope I live long enough to see what happens. I'm really shocked that the org has survived this long. If you had asked me in 2014, I would have guessed that it might have crashed by now.

P.S. I think the org might want all of the older group to be gone because those older ones remember a lot of the failed predictions, embarrassing history, doctrinal shifts, etc.

FedUpJW

JWdom is just so different now. Also, they've seen the org change so much in ways they don't necessarily like or understand. I'd love to know what they're really thinking.

My mother was baptized in 1942. Was a firm believer up to the point she developed Alzheimer's dementia and died. She said shortly before she lost what rational thinking ability she had, "If Jehovah's Witnesses had been then what they are now, I would NEVER have become one!"

My father who was what many have termed a "WT heavy" for many decades (although he did imitate Jesus examples of forgiveness and compassion much to other elders irritation) said shortly before he followed my mother in death, "This organization has love on their lips, but NONE in their hearts any longer!"

I know I have commented on their words in other threads.

joey jojo

I agree with what most of you guys are saying.

The gb has done an incredible job in substituting themselves as the only way to attain salvation.

The last time I spoke to a jw in depth about their beliefs, their faith in the GB was all that counted. As an elder friend said to me in 2019, 'to question the gb was to question jehovah '. I told him, if he truly believed in God, then his thinking was dangerous. He hasn't spoken to me since then.

Magnum

Damn, FedUpJW, that's interesting! You might have commented on that before, but I don't remember it; glad you posted it. Enlightening. I know some old-timers who died in the 90's. I'd love to see what they would think if they could come back now and see the religion they loved - what it is now. I'd also love to see what they'd think about the fact that in a little while it'll be 2021 with no "new world".

GregW

The top leaders of the WTS/JWS were novice bible theologians who wanted to sell literature

.......end of story.

They created alluring bullshit for the masses, they somewhat succeeded .

The inter-net is awakening people to that fact.

WTWizard

Counting only those who believe it is virtuous and not doing it so they can ruin others' lives, I estimate closer to 500,000 to 800,000 total. If you only count those who, according to their own theology, would survive Armageddon were it to happen now, that is how many I would expect left. If that.

waton

define true belief.

In my day in the 50s, some had pet beliefs, mine based on Rev 11: !8, god will destroy war mongers. others were virulent anti clergy, because of abuse they suffered.

I now see belief in the GB among elders and elderly to sustain their hope, hope is not faith or belief. however.

As was said, wt wants [us] old ones to go, take their embarrassing knowledge with them, ,but leave their estates to wt $ inc. (or elders who have been known to be fellow-harvesters).

how many are true believers, or just doing the best bet , reverse insurance option? Playing for the crowd? on a power trip? hard to put a figure on the unknown.

Guard

I am convinced that faith and religion are directly opposite concepts. Religion is not a Christian concept.

True Christianity is not a religion. True Christianity is the acquisition of the mind of Christ. This is the path from receiving the right beginnings of Christ’s teaching to achieving full love for the Father and personal maturity.

Therefore, "true religion" is a myth.

Phizzy

I have a job to put a figure on this, as some have said, exactly what we all feel is a " true believer" is also problematical, it is so difficult to determine what "doubts" an individual has, and how deep they go.

In my case I was 2nd generation, baptised at 12, served as a regular pioneer for a while, a MS etc in my nearly 60 years in. And yet I never believed ALL of it, I particularly never bought in to the Armageddon ideas they had, or in to, more importantly, the Cult of the Governing Body.

From the outside you would say I was a " true believer", but I was not, not in the way the Governing body would want me to be. I guess what we are trying to measure is " Depth of Delusion".

Those that are sufficiently deluded will follow straight away without question whatever the G.B says and whatever direction they go in. I would take a stab and say that is in fact only about 2 million of them or even fewer than that. The next level kind of tries to believe it all, but doesn't fully, then you have the half awake, then PIMO's, but stuck in , and then those that are really fully awake too, but are not stuck in, just in by choice.

Before long the lower 6 million will start to drift away. 2 million will remain, in a mainly on-line religion. My estimate.

How many TRUE BELIEVERS do you think are left in the Organization?

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