The uptake...

by Thisismein1972 22 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  freddo

  Excellent post David Jay.

  For me 1975 should have woken me up but in my defence I was only a teenager then, being brought up in it. But 1995 (first big generation change) should certainly have woken me up - although looking back that was when I think the doubts started.

  I have lived through the only reported reverse of numbers (1977 and 1978 I think) and it didn't make a difference to me.

  But I think that seeing another reverse in figures would help me in that I believe this would be the beginning of a decline rather than a blip before a further large increase.

  A "ship of fools" as you describe them puts it well.
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  Vidiot

  I think some of us have a need to see the Org die.
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  dubstepped

  David Jay nailed it. Why care if the Borg grows? Has nothing to do with me or with proving they have the truth. They are the ones obsessed with numbers. Don't let them control your life even after you leave. The opposite of love isn't hate, it's apathy. Who cares how or if they grow. I'm done with them.
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  stavro

  As they spend nearly 2 billion man hours actively trying to recruit new members each year, it surely makes them the most active of all recruitment organisations on the planet. The fact that despite this monumental effort they can only grow by about 1 to 2 percent per annum is a testament to their failure to convince all but the most gullible, vulnerable and desperate. Their growth comes mainly from countries whose populations have a high percentage of these groups of people.
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  sir82

  If conditions head south during Il Trumpe's reign, I expect the number of JWs in the USA to go up. Similar to, as noted above, the reaction to 9/11.
  
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  steve2

  Perhaps I am missing a key element here, but I am not sure what growth or stagnation or even diminishing numbers has to do with how we feel about the religion we have left.
  

  Good comments David Jay. Really good.

  For me, with a BA in Sociology and Psychology, I am fascinated with growth patterns of religious groups in general, and because of my upbringing, JWs in particular.

  Besides, JW organization itself trained us well in trumpeting every conceivable "evidence" of "Jehovah's blessing" as seen by constant parading of numbers. For some here, all we are saying is, Isn't it interesting how extremely selective JW organization now is regarding numbers?

  But do numbers confirm the truth or otherwise of a religious movement? No one here has said that - although as Witnesses we did. Even Jw org still links attendance numbers to something they think is momentous. For example, in promoting this year's Memorial, JW trolleys sported a billboard that said, "Millions will be there. Will you?" The numbers game still rears its head - but far, far more selectively than in the past.
  

  My JW sister said to me a few years ago something like, "You seem more interested in how much the organization is growing than we [active Witnesses] are." To which I said, "That's true - I blame our upbringing where the literature was always linking the growth with Jehovah's blessing."
  
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  scratchme1010

  I completely agree. What I see, however, is absolutely nothing new in the horizon. Never, not once, religion, especially Christian religions, have had anything good to say about the current state of affairs.

  The number one thing that I see in organizations that want to manipulate people, is that catastrophic view of the world. I don't see anything new.
  
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  schnell

  I guess my concern, David Jay, is where my family will be in the next few decades. My mom, my brothers, my wife... But I know the answer. It's not a question without an answer. I'll do my best and take it one day at a time.
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  Vidiot

  steve2 - "My JW sister said to me a few years ago something like, 'You seem more interested in how much the organization is growing than we [active Witnesses] are.' To which I said, 'That's true - I blame our upbringing where the literature was always linking the growth with Jehovah's blessing.'
  

  Oooh.

  Razor-sharp. :sunglasses:
• 

  shepherdless

  OP: with recent events pointing at watchtower growth...

  I have seen a couple of oblique mentions of this. Has there been some data leaked somewhere?

  Perhaps I am missing a key element here, but I am not sure what growth or stagnation or even diminishing numbers has to do with how we feel about the religion we have left.

  For me it has no effect whatsoever on how I feel about JWism. However, I do care about where this evil cult might drag my kids, and other people's kids. Hence I am interested in the statistics.