I don't think you should exaggerate your importance by stating 5,000,000 more would have joined, or even 500,000 a year. When a peak growth year meant some 350,000 being baptized, I don't see how one could expect a growth of close to a million without the net. Apart of course, from those wishing it would have been like that. In Japan, it wasn't due to the net, it was because the branch overseer left and that naturally created a lot of fuzz, obbedient to their authorities as Orientals often are. I agree there IS an impact, but not that big. The net is a great thing, it makes it so much easier for me to get books and articles, which before I had to wait for for months IF I knew of their existance. Now it takes a week. People to discuss with etc. But then you have the question of the validity of what you read online, and that is why I prefer old-fashioned books and magazine articles to more or less anonymous online stuff. I saw a funny cartoon, two dogs sitting at a computer, and one of them says to the other, "On the net, nobody knows you're a dog."
Would there be more JWs if the internet did not exist?
by cultswatter 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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steve2
Interesting topic, driven more by self-serving speculation than actual evidence. I disagree that the internet has caused a decline in numbers of JWs.
Most people simply and boringly drift away from the Watchtower out of sheer apathy - compare the numbers who are disfellwoshipped for "apostasy" with the numbers who just lose interest.
In my local congregation, I could count on the fingers of one hand the number who left because they realised the Watchtower was not "the truth". However, from the same congregation, I once lost count of the number of once-active JWs who yawned just a little too often and got sick of stifling them so stopped attending.
Yes, the internet gives already active-thinking doubters a forum to meet and connect with others. But I seriously doubt that anyone "happening" upon this website would be coming across information that their own searching brain wouldn't bring them to sooner or later. Hey, before the internet there were plenty of books written by ex-JWs (Franz, Penton and even the awful Schnell) and even small-town local libraries had at least some of those books.
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TheOldHippie
Amen to that.
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ESTEE
Most people simply and boringly drift away from the Watchtower out of sheer apathy - compare the numbers who are disfellwoshipped for "apostasy" with the numbers who just lose interest.
Steve , so true!
I didn't identify my feelings at first when my interest waned, (I suspect we weren't supposed to have any feelings). Everything was head knowledge. But now I look back and see that the WT religion simply did not serve my needs any longer, spiritually speaking.
It was time to move on.
ESTEE
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BluesBrother
How many were like me when this was printed
* km 11/99 p. 4 par. 13 Use of the Internet—Be Alert to the Dangers! ***
It has become apparent that the opposite is true. Some Web sites are clearly vehicles for apostate propaganda
Oh boy! I have to get onto that....and I did and here I am
BTW This made me chuckle, in the same article
*** km 11/99 p. 4 par. 12 Use of the Internet—Be Alert to the Dangers!
***The congregation also provides spiritual support and assistance for those associated with it. Therein, you can find a group of loving, concerned, and caring friends—people you personally know who are ready and willing to help and comfort others in times of distress. ..............Can we expect to find these same loving arrangements when associating with others via the Internet?
The Dubs are always telling me about the lack of love at the KH...whereas on here we feel among friends
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Ténébreux
why 81 ?? 80 would be more reasonable!
It's actually 80.5 - one of them is sitting on the fence and attending occasionally, but still has some nagging doubts thanks to the internet.
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jwfacts
I don't think you should exaggerate your importance by stating 5,000,000 more would have joined, or even 500,000 a year. When a peak growth year meant some 350,000 being baptized, I don't see how one could expect a growth of close to a million without the net.
I don't agree Hippie. If the baptisms had stayed at 350,000 a year that would have still led to 1 million extra in 10 years than at its current 250,000. But it would be more than that, as those extra people would convert extra people. Add to that the even bigger difference that has come from the increase in the % leaving and the lack of growth is compounded.
As cultswater shows here http://jehovahs-witness.com/12/142972/1.ashx countries with internet access have less growth. There is still growth despite the changed generation teaching, books etc in countries without access to the internet.
A huge affect is on the number of hours to convert a person. People research on the Net prior to any decision (movies, restaurants, bank products) and weigh up what makes sense, what is rubbish. The Net makes it a lot harder to convince a Bible Study it is the truth. When a person has invested their life to the WTS it is hard to admit to oneself false prophecies prove it is wrong. But for a Bible Study with nothing to loose by facing the facts, Watchtower history instantly proves it to be a doomsday cult.
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38 Years
I think many would not have quit if it weren't for the internet information. Since Brooklyn wants to start deceiving the world with the upcoming "public only" version of the Watchtower, I hope this gets more people to start getting the facts from the web.