@3dogs1husband wrote:
I have read alot although I dont comment much. I am a fader....
I, too, have read many of the threads posted here on JWN, and while I've posted comments to several threads, but since it would be an impossibility for me to treat the seriously posts made by the sincere contributors to a thread with the respect they deserve -- even if I would vehemently disagree with their sentiments or their opinions -- I typically comment on just a few threads at one time. I came upon this thread of yours and I felt I should add a post or two to it.
@Berengaria wrote:
As someone said, "Living well is the best revenge". I think to move on and forget about the JW's is the very best revenge. To live happier, freer and more content.
@3dogs1husband wrote:
The Starfish Story Original Story by: Loren Eisley One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, What are you doing? The youth replied, Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I dont throw them back, theyll die. Son, the man said, dont you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You cant make a difference! After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said I made a difference for that one. |
Providing the attribution to Mr. Eiseley, as you did here, speaks well of you. I hadn't read this axiomatic narrative (or perhaps it's more of a maxim like "the only certainties in this world one cannot escape is death and taxes") in a bit. which I suppose might be described as anecdotal or a parable, but I liked it. Thanks for sharing it. Here's a variation of it, but I think someone else (not me!) spruced it up a bit:
Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up. As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean. He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?" The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean." "I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man. To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die." Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!" At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one." |
Loren Eiseley also wrote this short one:
"The journey is difficult, immense. We will travel as far as we can, but we cannot in one lifetime see all that we would like to see or to learn all that we hunger to know." |
I would say that this man who died in 1977 (at 70 years of age) is just going to love the new definition of "lifetime" when he gets the opportunity to enjoy life again, but if you knew me as being someone that is actively one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I suppose you would expect to hear something that is so much more than just a sentiment coming from me.
@Berengaria wrote:
Excuse me, I must have misunderstood your post.... I guess you are not familiar with the quote.
@3dogs1husband wrote:
Why would I have to not be familiar with your quote? your quote does imply revenge, and living right - my original post was about neither topic.
<smile>
@jwfacts:
It may feel like affecting just one life out of 7 million is not going to make a whole lot of difference, but it all adds up.
I was thinking how precious one life is, so that if there should turn out to be as many as 700,000 (0.01%) that "come out of the great tribulation" out of some 7 billion people in the world today, that would be 699,992 more than the eight that were the only ones to survive the global deluge back in 2370 BC. (Revelation 7:14; 1 Peter 3:20)
Because of people such as yourself, the rate of growth has dropped from 5% per annum prior to 1995, to 2.5% per annum since 1995. In 1995 there were 5 million JWs. If growth had continued at 5%, there would now be over 10 million JWs, but there are only 7 million. That is a difference of 3 million people - 3 million people that have been spared the difficulties of that religion. It is also a 60% less growth than would have happened if the internet had not come assisted people making a difference, one person at a time.
Having much the same confidence that my mother will be among those resurrected during Judgment Day as well as other relatives (close and not-so-close) that have died in this life that other Jehovah's Witnesses have as to our future prospects, I'm hoping that at least 3.5 million (0.05%) get to be numbered among those who will be the nucleus of the new world here in the earthly realm of God's kingdom or even more.
The only difficulties associated with being one of Jehovah's Witnesses is the possibility that any one of us can become "carried away by anxieties and riches and pleasures of this life" can choke the word so that one becomes unfruitful. (Mark 4:19; Luke 8:14) Also, while overreacting to the imperfections of others (as are manifest in the majority of the local elders!), which has prompted many to leave our ranks (which is not unlike cutting off one's nose to spite one's face) because they never learned how to 'put up with others and to freely forgive those against whom they have a legitimate cause for complaint' might be another factor to consider, lack of faith as well as death could explain the "attrition" you observed over the last ten years. (Many Jehovah's Witnesses have had to seek medical treatment for cancer over the years, which might explain the "attrition" you've observed, since if diagnosed with Stage III or Stage IV cancer, there's about an eight-month life expectancy for them.)
As to the current 7 million in our ranks that you mentioned in your post (actually 7,313,173 as of 2010), I noted that your calculus is based on 1995, which tells me you have no idea how statistical analysis works, and the fact that you imagine there to have been "60% less growth" in the advent of the internet as a factor in our reaching 7 million suggests to me that you didn't do any thinking before you wrote what you did here. I know the numbers, but assuming our growth had, in fact, dropped to 2.5% "since 1995," as you say, what exactly would be responsible for making this rate double to 5%? BTW, should you decide to post a response to this, @jwfacts, keep in mind that your response should be age-appropriate, say, for someone that is older than 12 years of age, ok?
@djeggnog
