Why the number of "anointed" will never decrease...

by dozy 37 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  dozy

  JW theology suggests that the work of gathering in the "144,000" has all but ended , particularly since 1935 , and that the number will inevitably diminish to nil. Indeed , some JWs maintain that all the anointed will have died and resurrected before Armageddon arrives. The Watchtower claims that the fact (?) that the number of genuine anointed is diminishing proves that the end is close. Half of every Memorial is spent telling the flock that there is only a very unlikely chance of anyone being anointed and that anyone who takes the emblems unworthily is guilty of a serious sin. Yet the number of those who claim to be anointed has flatlined at 8K - 9K for the last 20 years - indeed , in some years , it has actually increased. Why?

  From a statistical point of view , essentially the number of "new" anointed only needs to be a tiny amount each year to maintain or grow the anointed figure. This is because the pool of possible anointed is taken from 7 million witnesses , plus over 250K who are baptised each year. Assuming about 100 anointed die each year , only 0.001% of JWs need to become anointed each year to maintain the overall figure , or about 1 in 70,000. Simply put , there only needs to be about 2 new anointed each year in a country as large as the UK to maintain the figure.

  In reality there are far more than that. I know of at least 5 new anointed ones to my knowledge over the last 10 years. And my experience is that one anointed person invariably triggers off another one , from their close friends , associates and family members (especially husband and wife "anointings"). In other countries , the "hurdle" involved to becoming anointed is far less - a friend who is a missionary in Africa says that virtually all new JWs are convinced of their anointed status.

  There are other factors at play here. Being anointed carrys a huge spiritual status in the Org. Most new JWs come from a Christian tradition which teaches them that they will live forever in heaven. And the "epiphany" of being anointed is a well documented unquantifiable psychological / religious experience in all cultures that affects 10% - 15% of all people. The reflex is suppressed in most vulnerable JWs , but inevitably some succumb.

  Summary - the number of reported anointed will never decrease. I boldly predict a small increase this year.
• 

  jwfacts

  great statistics, makes sense.

  I know that if I ever went back to the WTS I would 'become' anointed. That way there would be a whole world of opportunities open. Governing Body, here I come.
• 

  bubble

  Most of those claiming to be anointed are all fruitcakes, but because they partake of the emblems they have to count them. LOL.
• 

  crazyblondeb

  I know I'm annointed!! That's what Jose told me!!
• 

  geevee

  Hey jwfacts.....if you went back? I get the point though. It would be the only way. Who can question it? There was a sister who claimed to be of the annointed that I remember. NO BODY believed her. She was so badly hurt by the whole denial thing that she fell away. I guess for everyone else that proved that she wasn't. She died sometime later. She is probably laughing at the all now!
• 

  AuldSoul

  CBB was FILLED with the spirits! Praise Jack! Praise Jim! Praise Jose! If you don't have much money, praise Pepe!
• 

  AK - Jeff

  Most of those claiming to be anointed are all fruitcakes, but because they partake of the emblems they have to count them. LOL.

  Actually, no. The elders routinely reject 'partakers' from the 'official' count, if they haven't 'confirmed' the annointed status. As far as the number of partakers remaining constant - this was a point that caused me grief over the doctrine for years. Using the actual mortality percentages for the years 1941 thru 2000, I became aware that statistically the 8500 partakers was a lie or misrepresentation of some sort. I have lost the charts and graphs - due to the untimely death of a previous computer - but by 2000 less than 2000 partakers should heve been alive from the original 1941 group. [I used 1941 because the organization was 'shaking out' the GC and Annointed bunches from 1935 till 41]. The mortality rate for that age group - old enough in 1935 for God to seal them - would now be extremely high. If I recall, the 90+ age group has a annual mortality of about 20% [in the US]. I would have to confirm that with the Berkley charts again to be sure. If that is correct - then about 1700 of them should be dying each annum. If an equal 'got newly annointed' each year - it would amount to nearly .03% of the 6000000 total witnesses. 1700/6000000=.0002833 or .0283% The number does not seem high - but something else is at work here IMO. The consistency of the number is wrong somewhere. How do 'new annointings' so consistently happen year to year.? I don't buy that - although I have no alternative explanation. Couple this with the high level of suspicion leveled on those claiming to be annointed anew, and the pressure to 'make sure' by both elders and the person, and you have a combination of pressures that make this difficult to believe it is coming from those who find themselves jumping classes. I have not seen a 'new annointed' surge in this area. I have not known of anyone - other than a CO who later became a member of the GB - who had declared himself a class-jumper. All the 'annointed' that I knew - and we had one or two in nearly every congregation in this area when I first became a witness, have died now. And no replacements have appeared, at least not here. Of course, we know the whole thing is wrong and rotten to the core anyway - but I can't see anything close to a reasonable explanation for how the number stays constant, from the WTS perspective. This doctrne will continue to aid some to 'get out' as it did me. But one wonders how long the organization can keep reporting the same number with no explanation, other than 20% of the 'annointed' are proving unfaithful. Just my 2 cents Jeff
• 

  moshe

  Around 1985 I became suspicious of the quoted numbers of anointed. I called an actuary and gave him some details about the ages of the 1935 generation of those remnant. My recollection was that instead of about 9000 anointed the actuary said it should be no more than 3000 people. I went to the elders and showed them my findings. They were not happy with my independent research and told me to NOT discuss this with others in the congregation. No surprise.
• 

  dozy

  The elders routinely reject 'partakers' from the 'official' count, if they haven't 'confirmed' the annointed status.

  This might be the case in the USA but not here. The slip that is returned by the cong secretary includes a box for "number of partakers". Most secretaries will return a figure for any partaker claiming to be anointed , arguing that it isn't up to them to determine whether or no the claim is valid. I know of one cong where the partaker was a classic "fruitcake" type who actually rarely attended the meetings , but she was still included in the return. There was some dispute in the B of E over this , and the CO wrote Bethel who advised that the policy was - if they partake , and they are baptised , then they count - we don't judge their status. If they aren't baptised , then don't count them.
• 

  looking_glass

  Mathhead also did stats on this as well and showed the inconsistencies of it all.

  In the early days the American JWs that had a "heavenly calling" out numbered the rest of the world. I don't know if that has changed. But I always thought to myself ... why in the world would God want the Americans to rule as princes anywhere! If that was not cause to question the religion, I don't know what is!!!!