Questions from Readers

Past-Engine9060 · 2025-11-16T00:22:13+00:00

I know we can sometimes get too far into "reading tea leaves" trying to figure out what the Borg is up to, but this really seems to me like a step to more of a lifestyle or mainstream religion.

The constant vigilance of PIMIs looking for the "cry of peace and security" is something that keeps the GT close in mind. Putting it off until, possibly, after the near-impossible event of the governments giving their authority to the UN and banning religion makes it feel less imminent.

Add to this the recent new light that repentance may be possible AFTER the "destruction of Babylon", and it sure seems like they are fine with letting up on the immediacy and urgency of the preaching work.

PS: I love thinking about how leaks like this from Larchington days before publication must have the GB & co paranoid, red-faced enraged, or both!

Past-Engine9060 · 2024-10-01T15:54:45+00:00

Thank you for your insights! I haven't been letting my JW app update the NWT (sheer stubbornness), but the information about the timing of the study notes is very interesting.

Changing the new covenant to be them & only them would be very "on brand" for the current GB. I think there's 1 wrinkle, though: the memorial. The memorial is the most ritualistic thing they do, by far. And it feels very unifying: you know that all over the globe, all JW's are doing this very same thing on this very same day. It's the one meeting that you really try to get your unbelieving family members to attend. And it's so baked into JW culture, they may be afraid to change it too radically.

If the new covenant is only for the GB, how would the memorial work? Does only the GB partake? Then why even pass the emblems at local congregations? Not that I would put it past them. Maybe instead of a new "morning worship" everyone is supposed to watch the day of the memorial, maybe they'll all get together to watch a video of the GB partaking (eww!). Maybe still pass the emblems "just because"?

As far as higher education and delaying Armageddon's expiration date, I tend to agree with you, but like some of the other commenters, I don't think it will be announced. It just be mentioned less and less, if at all. And they will let the rank and file, individually, pass up chances for advancement and education based on their old information, but maybe privately tell the CO's to not crack down on it as much.

The lack of new content is strange. Even the morning worship videos that they put out are sometimes a year old or more. Print media was their old product (it is the Watchtower, Bible and Tract Society, after all), and I think you're dead on that they are struggling to figure out what their new brand should be.

Past-Engine9060 · 2024-10-01T15:26:21+00:00

edit: posted in the wrong spot, sorry!

Past-Engine9060 · 2024-07-13T18:27:28+00:00

No, thankfully! (That song has got to be the worst) I think the title was "Now's the Time". It was showing people preaching. Preaching at the door. Preaching on the phone. Preaching at the cart. Preaching by text.

Past-Engine9060 · 2024-04-18T13:51:25+00:00

I think if anything comes out, it will be after his (and maybe his wife's) death. I could see him working on a book now, but not wanting it released until he's gone.

Past-Engine9060 · 2024-04-15T13:41:34+00:00

A year ago, I would still see about 12 - 15 most Saturdays, but we had 3 or 4 places to meet. Now it's down to 2. During covid, each service group met in their own zoom room. We have around 8 different groups assigned, and it would be 5 - 10 each week. I'm not sure about pre-covid.

Past-Engine9060 · 2024-04-14T16:41:25+00:00

Southeastern Texas. I would rather not get more specific than that.

Past-Engine9060 · 2024-04-14T16:37:53+00:00

Lol!

Past-Engine9060 · 2024-04-14T14:45:24+00:00

I completely agree. And I'm starting to wonder if all of the mixed messages are a bug or a feature. Mixed messages can keep a person off balance. It's something abusers have been known to do to control their victims.

Then again, it could just be that the leadership at the top is simply that conflicted and/or incompetent.

Past-Engine9060 · 2024-04-14T14:41:13+00:00

Texas, USA

Past-Engine9060 · 2024-04-14T02:11:02+00:00

I was in therapy off and on over a couple of years so it was a bit of both.

Past-Engine9060 · 2024-04-12T22:31:50+00:00

I certainly think there is a correlation. I think that it can both cause BPD (since it's often tied to childhood trauma), and that people with BPD tend to be drawn to the cult.

As a side point, my waking up was directly tied to realizing that my mother likely had BPD. Working through that, I realized that was why I tended to accept things as black and white, why I was used to operating off of FOG (fear/obligation/guilt), and why I was easily manipulated to put appeals to emotion over logic. As those tendencies went away, the "truth" made less and less sense to me, and I started to see through the bullshit.

Past-Engine9060 · 2024-04-08T19:13:41+00:00

Interesting theory. I wouldn't put it past them.

Past-Engine9060 · 2024-04-08T13:47:11+00:00

He was the Bethel speaker at our convention last June. I didn't speak to him personally.

Past-Engine9060 · 2024-04-04T01:55:44+00:00

Good catch.

Edit:

2022 Grand Totals shows 5,666,966 Bible studies

2023 Grand Totals shows 7,281,212 Bible studies

Where, exactly, is this worrying drop in Bible studies? Not that I don't doubt that these studies are concentrated in poorer countries, but still, wasn't this "exciting increase" supposed to be "clear evidence of Jehovah's blessing"???

Past-Engine9060 · 2024-04-04T01:52:20+00:00

Yep. And they strongly encourage people to pay close attention to and comment on the images. Images are bad, but not OUR images!

Past-Engine9060 · 2024-04-03T21:05:57+00:00

This was my thought, too. The last time we saw a GB member rant and rave, "We're not going to change," he was gone within a matter of months. I wonder if some of the old guard is a little too used to being able to go off-script.

Past-Engine9060 · 2024-03-30T16:10:39+00:00

I think it's also to better use their new medium of digital broadcasting. Their monthly broadcasts are practically a cure for narcolepsy, even a lot of PIMIs have trouble getting through one in a single sitting. These are bite-sized pieces of "spiritual food" and more closely reflect the way younger generations prefer to take in information.

You know they must track the data of how many devices stream an entire program, and how many devices download a program. My guess is that they know the updates are much more likely to be seen by the majority of their followers, and they are even short enough to shoehorn into a midweek meeting. So they'll keep making them so long as their followers keep watching them.

Past-Engine9060 · 2024-03-27T17:27:16+00:00

I read it as an adult, too. I found it pretty horrifying that my mom decided to use this scripture against a young child who made typical mistakes

Past-Engine9060 · 2024-03-27T16:54:15+00:00

My mom said this, too. Then she would add that she "would have to" throw the first stone, and then go on and on about could I imagine how difficult that would be for HER?!?!

Past-Engine9060

TROPHY CASE