stuckin-
Who publishes the numbers? The stats don't come from some external auditing company, they come from inside...if they want to fudge the numbers who'd know? Witnesses are purposely kept leary of talking to other witnesses online (they could be apostates!) so they'd have to physically visit a number of different regions in order to confirm that a drop in numbers is more than just a local phenomenon. Even then, the org could print different numbers by region so that the increase is always happening in foreign lands.
Even if they're honest with it, they could spin it as a positive, just like they do with the shedding of 75% of the IBSA following from 1914 through the 1920s. They say that jesus was refining the congregation. It'd be the same thing today: "How joyful we must be to see that Jesus is seperating out those that are disloyal to him. Satan is really stepping up his attacks, knowing that the time left is reduced!"
There's certainly circumstantial evidence that they're intentionally trying to get rid of the critical thinkers. They changed the generation teaching in 2008, then again only 2 years later? Not to mention, the 2008 change was purely academic and made no real difference in when the end would be expected. You'd think the GB would be able to plan unneccesary doctrine changes more than 2 years out. Not to mention that they changed something that seemed somewhat reasonable (the 2008 version) to something thats absolutely rediculous (2 generations = 1 generation). What's the phrase that people often use when they know they're being lied to? "Don't tell me 2+2 doesn't equal 4." Well, now the GB is LITERALLY telling us that 1+1=1.
Then you have the new donation arrangement, and the changes that took place to the deeds while all the unneccessary renos where going on that basically gives the GB the power to disolve a congregation and take their KH. Once the congregations start sending in less money than they owe on the latest reno or new construction, they'll disolve the congregation and sell off the hall. It's easier to do this without people noticing if people are already leaving, and there's a valid reason to consolodate congregations.
As far as what it would take to conclusively prove that they're trying to reduce the number of adherents, you'd have to get multiple independant reports from high-ups at bethel, or some internal memo or GB agenda item or something that confirms it. All of which are unlikely, so only time will tell.
