by Osarsif 22 Replies latest jw friends
teejay,
Yes, I think the generation change was part of the problem at that time -- it took quite a psychic toll on many JWs.
The other factor, right about that time: The emergence of the Net into people's living rooms. 1996 was the year things really began to explode in the online world. By '97 and '98, it was an inexorable force. By 2000, grandma was emailing her grandsons.
1995, “sheep” and “goats” (Mt 25):
1996, civilian service in lieu of military service:
1997, transfiguration vision (Mt 17; Mr 9; Lu 9):
1998, duration of new covenant (Heb 13:20):
1999, ‘disgusting thing standing in a holy place’ (Mt 24:15; Mr 13:14)
But this question in the 1997 WT shows that there was still some unsureness in the R&F.
*** w97 6/1 28 Questions From Readers ***
“The Watchtower” of November 1, 1995, focused on what Jesus said about “this generation,” as we read at Matthew 24:34. Does this mean that there is some question about whether God’s Kingdom was set up in heaven in 1914?
Another thing I never thought of! (Smacking self in forehead.) Every magazine, business, etc. puts their statistics in graphs. Why doesn't the WTS?
Thanks, Osarif, for that information. I'll be printing it out and putting it on my coffee table for JW relatives to see!
Pat
Graphs are too revealing. Can't spin them as well.
What happened in 1997 that precipitated the beginning of the decline in baptisms?
Careful! 1997 was the beginning of decline in baptisms world-wide, but the statistics aren't the same all over the world. 1997 was the year when the decline in many countries was not compensated by the increase in other countries any more.
Take a look at the baptisms statistics for pretty much every country of Europe, or Canada, or Australia. Baptisms peaked around 1990 (+/- 2 years) and went down from there. What happened at the beginning of the 1990s?
f.
By 2000, grandma was emailing her grandsons.
Funny, Seeker!
Conjures up a cool mental image: retired, frosty-haired grandma and grandpa types arguing over surfing time; discussing isp's, browsers and gigabytes. Funny, but waay cool... finding out the truth about the truth. I like it.
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Blondie,
Thanks for your input.
By 1993/94 I was teetering already, but 95's sheep and goats change did it for me. I was not only deeply pissed about the change itself but even more angered by the cavalier, blasé-blah way they went about announcing it... very disrespectful of longtime members like me. So, I said, "f**k this. Seeya."
The change in military service I knew a little about, but the rest of it is news to me. Oh well.
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patio34
I'll be printing it out and putting it on my coffee table for JW relatives to see!
Good idea, Pat. Might stimulate a nice conversation. I think I'll do that, myself. Email might work, too, ya think?
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[b]All[b],
One thing I can't understand. After all, it is said I'm clueless. But, how could the membership be increasing if baptisms are dropping. Seems that more of the dubs are sticking around, living longer or SOMETHING.
Maybe it's the way publishers are counted. Like me, for example. I'm not da'd or df'd, just (very) inactive. Am I counted as one of the 6 million, even though I haven't been to a meeting in years?
WassUP wit dat?!!!
: Every magazine, business, etc. puts their statistics in graphs. Why doesn't the WTS?
That's easy! Dubs can't read graphs!
teejay,
: But, how could the membership be increasing if baptisms are dropping.
It's "publishers" that are increasing, not "membership." A non-baptized person can be a publisher. Does that mean a lot of little dubbie kiddies are running around counting time and/or does that mean there are a lot of interested persons counting time, but unwilling to take the dip in the pool? Or does it mean that there is a huge increase of ex-dubbies jumping back into the fold? ..... Nah!!!
Farkel
"I didn't mean what I meant."
Hey Farkel,thats exactly what I thought.How can the publisher numbers go up if the baptisms are going down?That dog just won`t hunt!Who do they think their kidding?...OUTLAW
How can the publisher numbers go up if the baptisms are going down?
Because people are still being baptized, just at a slower rate. If your buissness usually made a profit of $1 million (50,000 baptized), but in later years you only made arofit of $500,000 (10,000 baptized), you're still making a profit (increasing membership), just at a slower rate. In other words, it will take a lot longer time for the Society to get from 6-7 million members than from 5-6 million (which I believe only took 1 decade). They're still growing, just at a snail's pace.
Go therefore and baptize the people in the name of the father and of the son... what the hell, we just need to bring up the yearbook numbers!
Hello Osarsif,
thanks for the excellent link.
I'll come back with more specific
comments. Greetings, J.C.MacHislopp
P.S. Good documents for the files!
