by cedars 112 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
JWs know they are in the truth because any evidence -- favorable or unfavorable -- proves their organization's claims.
JWs see increasing statistics as proof that the WTS is God's organization because Jehovah is blessing them.
JWs see decreasing statistics as proof that the WTS is God's organization because the world will persecute the truth, apostasy will rise, and men's heart will grow cold in the last days before Armageddon.
cantleave, that's pretty much what I argue in my article. In it, I include a brief summary of the figures given in the worldwide report according to developed countries versus developing or newly emerging countries. Unsurprisingly, the growth in developed countries is almost completely stagnant and the overall growth figure is propped up by the expansion in developing lands which, as you say, can't be serviced forever.
It wouldn't surprise me if an exit strategy is already being implemented as you suggest, but whatever the case the Society IS in decline, and whoever says it isn't is being very selective with their information.
Cedars
Look forward to reading the full article, cedars.
On the 'New Zealand branch closing' thread, it suddenly hit me about the reduced magazines and how it would ease the load on the printeries which have been reduced to ... how many now (big changes began late '90s/early 00s)? One random thought led to another ...
Like Gayle said, more pieces need to be added to see a wider picture.
AnnOMaly, you spiked my interest, so I decided to check the trend for branch numbers over the past few years.
Here are the figures...
As you can see, the branch numbers edged erratically upwards reaching a peak of 118 in 2009, and are now apparently in freefall. It will be interesting to see the figure on the next worldwide report. (Now I've said that, the Society will probably cook the numbers on the next report - lol!)
Cedars
Could the decline in producing printed products be a result of the actual costs involved in the printing process itself ?
Of course this could be relative to where the printing is done and how much money would be coming in supporting those individual branches.
Where those branch are located and how much money ( donations ) comes toward those printing operations may have some bearing.
Finkelstein, the price of paper and ink would need to have sky-rocketed pretty dramatically to justify slashing monthly magazine printing commitments by 50% in only 7 years! Everything else, such as labor, is virtually free. The cost of the machinery is a one-off investment, and parts are manufactured in-house wherever possible.
Cedars
The WTS has its bean counters to be sure, perhaps those branches have been sold off because they were too much a financial burden to keep up
in maintaining staff and printing costs as well, measured against what those branches received in financial support.
If thats so, the WTS knows very well of the value of those properties where those branches were located, making for more
of an argument to sell them off and move the printing production to one of their other locations.
The WTS is well aware of moving themselves around if and when its necessary to improve the bottom line $$$ of their operations.
Thanks Finkelstein. Whichever way you look at it, re-allocating resources and consolidating operations is essentially just re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. The rot has already started, and we're in the end-game now. It's only a matter of how long it takes to reach a climax - which for me would be the last printed version of the Watchtower rolling off the press. The Society's influence will never diminish entirely, but it will shrink to almost inconsequential proportions as an organization. I believe that's inevitable. I think they know it.
Cedars
Finkelstein, the price of paper and ink would need to have sky-rocketed pretty dramatically to justify slashing monthly magazine printing commitments by 50% in only 7 years!
Pretty hard to make a accurate comment unless your in the printing business, I'm not.
Based upon the amount of printing those select branches usually did make on a continuing basis I would say there were
substantial costs involved.
Certainly in the more richer countries such as the States and Canada with their greater populations, there would be more money being donated
toward those branches in comparison to poorer less populated countries.
The Society was really just Going Green, fewer trees cut down for magazines, how humble of them not to draw attention to their noble efforts.
