What changes would stabilize JW membership?

by StarryNight9 38 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  no-zombie

  Sadly I think the time for expecting reform has past. I once held out hope for it a few years ago but its clear now the path that the Governing Body has taken is more and more hard line. The recent readjustment of who was a 'bad associate' only goes to show that the Organization will become only more internally critical and judgemental. Clearly the relative "social" congregations of the 80s are well and truly over and we should expect heaver demands of our loyal.

  Its good in one way ... it will just piss of more people and disengage even more kids from continuing.
  
• 

  venus

  I agree with MeanMrMustard

  They can easily do it saying ‘Jewish historical books put BC 586 as the year of destruction of Jerusalem temple. Hence adding “seven times—360 x 7—would bring us into the year AD 1935 which would be the end of the “gentile times.” Hence generation of 1936 would see the end of the world and survive into the paradise earth.’
• 

  resolute Bandicoot

  Don't give them ideas Venus.
• 

  Still Totally ADD

  Wt. needs to sell everything off pay retribution to all abuse victims then what ever is left give it evenly to the rest of the followers and say they were wrong. Sorry. Do this on a public forum for everyone to see. But then there will still be those who will follow them. Still Totally ADD
• 

  DATA-DOG

  The more arbitrary changes they make, the more they risk losing members with critical thinking and intellectual honesty.

  They will eventually be left with a smaller, less intelligent pool of members who are incapable of assisting financially.

  The public at large is unconcerned with JWism already. Will the public care more, or less in 10 years? What would most people on the street know about JWism, that it’s the cult from Warwick that paid out millions in Pedo-lawsuits???

  DD
• 

  slimboyfat

  Do more till 2034!

  1914 + 120 = 2034
• 

  Half banana

  Yep, this is the way it works --the GB have already seeded the idea 2034, it's not that far away to make it plausible for those who lost out on the 1914 generation and in their minds and hearts it just could work.........until 2035! And then they start off again and bamoozle another generation of compliant zombies.

  Apart from the fact that 1914 was irrelevant and that Noah's ark is a folk tale, the safest thing to do is waste no more time and totally ignore everything the JW org says. They always get everything wrong.
• 

  Half banana

  In answer to the OP:

  this would have an effect:

  1/ Get rid of the prohibition on blood transfusions

  2/ Forbid shunning

  3/ Stop teaching the imminence of Armageddon and paradise

  4/ Quit door to door preaching

  Then they could get back to the key issue; property investment. However it's a pity the rank and file are not involved in the profit dividends.
• 

  mikeflood

  Proclaim that the paradise has arrived! Then do the house to house trying not to get any home more like one or twice a year, a.k.a don't bother people. Be more social to keep the bonds of the flock together, made a festival, bingos, potlucks, a place for the little ones. But, wait, with all that two or three congs in one KH that's a dream.
• 

  Vidiot

  Data-Dog - "The more arbitrary changes they make, the more they risk losing members with critical thinking and intellectual honesty."

  Assuming they even have any left at this point.

  Data-Dog - "They will eventually be left with a smaller, less intelligent pool of members..."

  ...which, IMO, they're actually aiming for.

  Data-Dog - "...who are incapable of assisting financially."

  Kind of ironic to only end up the kind of people who are actually the least useful.

  ...

  Seriously though, this reinforces my opinion that the fellas at the top are full-on True Believers.

  This is exactly kind of boner guys like that would pull, if they were a) completely convinced of their own rightness, b) utterly certain God's got their back no matter what, and c) are - at this point, I suspect - trying to actually fulfill Biblical prophecy.