by koolaid-man 81 Replies latest jw friends
Hi Nickolas!
Thank you for mentioning the upgrading of the Canada printery!
What I meant was when they abanded plans to build another printery at 85 Jay Street in the 90's and then in 2004 moved the Brooklyn printing operations to Wallkill.
Yes, the magazines for the US are being printed at Canada, but that began in September 2010. The magazines were still being printed for the US in Wallkill during the 2010 SY- about 260 million copies!
They were just labeled the fastest growing religion in the US. New peaks in DC and memorial attendance worldwide. I think they're a cult as much as the next guy, but, whatever it is they're doing, it's working (My take - at least for the US - the big push on foreign language immigrants, especially hispanics). Unfortunately, ain't nothing coming down anytime soon.
Here's an interesting statistic to me though - South Africa - only 90,000 witnesses. Most are, of course, immigrants, many of whom live in the shantytowns. Then you take Zambia, 160,000 witnesses with a far less populated country than South Africa. Also, much less access to education, internet access, etc. This is all simple information control, JWs have a good control of information through their watchtowers and kingdom halls, especially to people who have little if any other infromation sources. As long as there are places with populations like that, even the immigrants in the US, the watchtower will do well. It's that simple. No tabloid sensationalistic site will take them down. Neither will any neutral discussion board or just-the-facts-ma'am site. But you will have a larger group of less educated individuals that are into the extra authoritarian style of living only to be found in all religions, but especially ones like JWs.
Whatever keeps the checkbook above $50,000,000.00
Circuit Overseers being deleted
There's nothing invalid there.
You sure about that? I must have missed a thread.
how can countries like Zambia keep them rich. aren't they dependent on the deep pockets in US and some european countries. i've noticed more african americans/hispanics being recruited and how sad for them to give up their education and end up w/this dead-end future.
lovely lil -- hope your sources are accurate about the $$$$$!
JWs have resorted to ghetto combing. Let's face it; if you're thinking about joining a new religion you've never really heard much about, you're going to check it out. Anyone with Internet access or who isn't ridiculously lazy will really give it a lot of thought before making any commitments. When I was still preaching, I prided myself on having several studies with intelligent people, when the precious few who could muster a study had them with people in styrofoam helmets and shut-ins who just wanted some company. I hated going to other people's studies, because it was embarrassing and uncomfortable.
The current JWs can't establish their beliefs except from JW literature that nobody cares about. They're all out looking for someone totally ignorant about the Bible to 'impress' with things like Psalm 83:18 or Rom 6:23. Then they're caught by surprise when someone hands them their NIV, because they don't realize "Jehovah" isn't in Psalm 83:18 in the NIV. They don't know anything about any translation other than the NWT and a few cheesy parlor tricks with the KJV. They know nothing about JW history, early Christian history, the Inquisitions, the Reformation, or what any denomination teaches - except for JWs and whatever they came from (and often not much about that).
They believe stupid things like "On Jeopardy, Alex Trebek said the NWT is the most accurate." Then, when they're summarily dismissed by someone with an education or intelligence, they label that person a goat or Wiccan, which they believe means "Devil worshiper". From looking at old literature, it was at one time intended for an intelligent, educated, Bible-savvy audience; anymore, it's for retards and ignoramuses. It's dumbed down to a grade-school reading level and relies heavily on the reader's ignorance. It's come to the point where anyone with any brains at all is forced into "apostasy" or pulling some 1984, self-hypnosis brainwashing stunt.
The quality of JWs is getting lower and lower, along with their incomes. Unless the Watchtower can figure some way to accept food stamps, I don't know where the money is going to be coming from. The only JWs I know who have any intelligence or income to speak of are long-timers. They come from a kinder and gentler organization and I don't believe most even realize what will happen to them if they are caught saying something that doesn't fit this month's WT dogma. They are so blasé about the religion, most probably aren't paying much attention, feeling they already know all about it and are just going through the motions. I doubt most born-ins and old-timers really see the power grab trend of the GB, because if they're probably so bored they're not paying attention.
Since I became aware of the problems, I pay much more attention at the meetings, because they piss me off. No, I'm not saying "amen" to a prayer thanking the Creator of the Universe for a song book that sucks. When someone comes right out in a comment or talk saying the Watchtower is "from God" or that the GB is inspired - recently happened and I was mortified - I just cringe. Nobody else there notices, even though they all seem to be looking at the platform. Are they listening to the same thing I am? Are they listening at all? If a guy got up there and just started reading the phone book, would anyone notice? No wonder they always clap the same, no matter the quality of the public talk: They didn't hear a word of it.
Rick,
You are a newbie in this ex-JW "opposer" thing, and you are acting like one.
Sometimes you just need to know when to shut up.
This is friendly advice. Chill.
Look at Alan F and his posts in the "Best of" section. You might learn something.
I'm on your side, by the way. I just think you need to re-think your tactics.
Farkel
Kool-aid spam.
Hardly a roaring current i think.
maybe an undercurrent of changes too subtle and well planned/explained to be roaring,
They may be changing things around and if anything, the iron fist will tighten not relax.
Now, a roaring change would be abandoning the blood and shunning teachings,
not selling off real estate and deleting C/Os...
oz
There were more upheavals during the Rutherfordian era. The organization actually lost a substantial number of members and was fragmenting into sects. They survived. Now that there are greater numbers, they are likely to perpetuate themselves indefinitely even if they were to lose 80% + of their membership.
Sorry, but as much as I'd love to see it happen, there is no apocalypse for apocalyptic religions.
Villabolo
