HOT OFF THE PRESS: ZO talk in Japan (page 3)

moshe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=gEmJ-VWPDM

copy paste the youtube address-

then leftclick highlight the text, click the chainlink icon- paste the web address text into it, click update

Glad Chris Mavor is getting to travel. He has worked in the executive offices for years and plays French horn in the WT orchestra. Really nice guy. It's about time he gets some perks. IMO he's too smart not to have awakened, but like so many, his gig with WT is more appealing than what would be available to him on the outside.

blondie

When non-jws would ask me where to start reading the bible, I would always suggest the Gospels...short, Jesus words, more about how to live life today, practical, short concepts. Not living in the pre-Christian past.

Evidently people are not moved to turn to Matthew in any bible and read it. The WTS is spoon feeding the Japanese. One book is smaller less intimidating and the WTS can control information. Interesting that they picked a book that has the faithful, discreet slave section in it (Luke has it too).

I remember when the discontinued Theocratic News (last one July 1999) in the KM featured Japanese increases . no more

1998 - Publishers Peak 222,912 Congs. 3,802

EIGHT YEARS LATER----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2006 - Publisher decline 217,519 {Loss -5,357} Congs. 3,164 {loss of -638}

Basically no growth in 10 years with huge losses about an entire "District." Any ideas why? What made the Japanese who had 20-30% Increase each year for decades, drop off for the last 10 years?

Japan

At first it looks a bit like a post-2000 drop off, but on inspection, problems seem to start even as early as 1995-1997 with publishers reducing their hours, the repurcussions of that being felt years later with less baptisms in the pipeline, and the study-to-baptism conversion ratio. That would certainly fit in around the time possible-san mentions regarding prevalance of internet use, and this possibly combined with the theory about the '95 cult attacks mentioned by Billy the Ex-Bethelite.

(Will try fill in the blanks tomorrow)

	Population	Peak pubs.	Ratio of 1 pub. to:	Av. pubs.	Inc. over prev.	Baptized	Av. Aux Pio.	Av. Pio. Pubs.	Congs.	Hours	Bible Studies	Memorial Attendan.
1985 (yb86)	120,007,812	103,117	1,164	97,823	12	10,290	(incl. in Pio.)	39,384	1,722	46,483,981	142,547	258,728
1986	120,720,542	113,062	1,068	108,702	11	10,900	(incl. in Pio.)	46,390	1,809	53,608,147	146,316	263,302
1987	121,371,798	120,722	1,005	117,308	8	9,211	(incl. in Pio.)	49,503	1,934	57,151,828	159,499	277,553
1988	TBA
1989	122,335,313	137,941	887	133,846	7	10,596	(incl. in Pio.)	58,203	2,124	65,946,087	170,784	317,785
1990	122,744,952	147,622	831	143,399	7	11,166	(incl. in Pio.)	63,484	2,355	71,480,915	190,256	329,422
1991	TBA
1992	123,587,297	171,438	721	165,823	8	12,364	(incl. in Pio.)	75,956	2,875	85,383,755	222,012	364,980
1993	123,957,458	183,097	677	177,611	7	13,000	(incl. in Pio.)	80,293	3,126	89,838,835	220,906	368,618
1994	124,322,801	194,608	639	189,586	7	12,158	(incl. in Pio.)	85,075	3,365	95,777,051	235,882	375,131
1995	124,655,498	206,617	603	201,266	6	11,546	(incl. in Pio.)	87,289	3,552	97,721,628	241,221	378,586
1996	124,914,373	213,961	584	210,290	4	11,421	(incl. in Pio.)	87,476	3,691	99,115,637	236,158	377,223
1997	125,257,061	220,663	568	217,970	4	10,962	(incl. in Pio.)	89,513	3,771	99,600,126	197,570	376,853
1998	125,568,035	222,912	563	222,347	2	7,779	(incl. in Pio.)	85,930	3,802	96,257,029	160,011	366,637
1999	TBA
2000	126,071,305	221,364	570	220,538	-1	4,388	(incl. in Pio.)	77,972	3,538	76,418,770	141,674	350,618
2001	126,714,000	220,113	576	218,866	-1	4,139	(incl. in Pio.)	73,695	3,305	73,324,070	134,769	345,223
2002	126,478,672	218,731	578	217,971	0	3,925	(incl. in Pio.)	71,584	3,213	72,436,323	143,281	343,852
2003	126,688,364	217,508	582	217,020	0	2,639	(incl. in Pio.)	70,993	3,163	72,007,415	151,039	344,967
2004	126,824,166	217,555	583	217,097	0	6,055	(incl. in Pio.)	71,158	3,163	72,574,886	159,434	348,397
2005	126,869,397	218,262	581	217,227	0	3,785	15,743	(72,154) 56,411	3,164	73,502,684	159,834	338,330
2006	127,655,345	217,519	587	217,181	0	3,781	17,477	(74,953) 57,476	3,171	75,325,913	166,488	336,240
2007	127,756,815	218,691	584	217,929	0	4,308	18,728	(77,568) 58,840	3,177	78,588,916	164,674	331,172
2008	127,767,994	218,091	586	217,339	0	3,806	18,116	(79,197) 61,081	3,177	79,347,398	172,236	332,986
2009	TBA
2010	127,078,679	218,698	581	217,240	0	3,268	14,724	(79,145) 64,421	3,118	80,533,101	167,353	322,845
2011	126,536,000	218,057	580	217,352	0	2,892	19,301	(84,341) 65,040	3,078	81,553,752	167,987	323,211
2012(yb13)	126,536,000	217,154	583	216,692	0	2,787	18,187	(83,342) 65,245	3,055	81,447,987	168,138	314,111

Selected graphs:

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/175707/3/10-Years-Japan-losses-5-400-Publishers-and-638-Kingdom-Halls-Why

moshe

The growth of the Internet age seems to parallel the decrease in publishers-

Theocratic Sedition

Does Japan's population decline and decreased birth rate possibly play any significant role into decreased JW activity?

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2013/03/28/Japans-population-decline-highlighted/UPI-11001364445270/

steve2

Highlighting the book of Matthew makes sense: It contains the "seat" of the Governing Body's claim to existence: "the faithful and discreet slave"

Yet, quite apart from the growing stagnation of active door-knockers over a period of more than ten years, they've got quite a job ahead of them that will require more than the musings of Matthew if their intention is to reverse the dismal downward trend:

Memorial attendances:

1995 378,586

2012 314,111

Baptisms:

1993: 13,000

2012 2,787.

DATA-DOG

" Basically no growth in 10 years with huge losses about an entire "District." Any ideas why? What made the Japanese who had 20-30% Increase each year for decades, drop off for the last 10 years? "

Traditionally, and culturally, the Japanese have a disdain for individuals who break their own rules and lack honor.

Satanus

They follow the leader, ie, tend to not think individually. Are groupthink, hive mentallity. Wt was the alt-hive for a while. Not, anymore.

S

steve2

Likely to be due to a combination of factors.

Two main ones:

1) The exponential rise in the number of witnesses in Japan coincided with va period of relatively unproblematic economic prosperity for that country and,

2)a potential "weakness" of that exponential growth was in consisted in several districts in Japan of almost 100% females so hundred of congregations were literally starved of sufficient ministerial servants, let alone bodies of elders (female membership of religious organizations is usually higher than male membership anyway - but in Japan female religious membership is even more a female-dominated pursuit).

I spent some time in Japan in the 1980s (when JWs were in the first "bloom" of huge growth) and was struck by how fully 90 to 95% of some congregations were females).

His Excellency

Are there Apostates in Japan?

HOT OFF THE PRESS: ZO talk in Japan

moshe

DNCall

blondie

moshe

Theocratic Sedition

steve2

DATA-DOG

Satanus

steve2

His Excellency

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