I understand Magnum's and others feelings about the mistake with the 144,000 but as a non jw and talking to many non jw's about the cult you must understand that non jw's cannot wrap their head around jw theology at all. When I tell a non jw about the 144,000 and the paradise earth scenario they will say, "you mean they don't want to go to heaven?!? no, you must mean that 144,000 get to go and the others get stuck on earth?" or something to that effect. They cannot understand that a jw may truly have no desire to go to heaven.
Boggles my mind too.
Then they start doing the math of only 144,000 and they start asking how that works out? ha, yeah well it doesn't does it? at least in the non jw mind.
The non jw's I refer to either are Christian or have a knowledge of Christianity growing up going to a traditional church of some sort. The jw and Christian view of heaven is miles apart as is their view of God, Christ, etc....