Posts by TheListener

14

The end of the 2006 (dis)Service Year / Statistics

by Skimmer in

jw
friends

yesterday was the last day of the wtbts 2006 (dis)service year.

are there any posters here with inside information as to what we can expect?

some five years ago i predicted that 2006 would be the peak year for the wtbts and i'm not changing my forecast.

TheListener

From the numbers I put in my post, which are current for the first part of this service year they should only be expecting an increase between 0 and 1%.

Also, to get a 9% increase they'd have to baptize 90,000 people during the service year! For the months posted they've only averaged 2,149 a month bapitzed. If they baptized more than usual they'd be crowing about it in the KMs. (to reach a baptism number of 90,000 they'd need to baptize 7,500 a month - about 5,000 is their summertime max +/-).

I will agree that in the past the increase and growth of the organization seems to follow the increase/decrease in bible studies. It remains to be seen whether they truly attain the growth they desire with the new publication.

14

The end of the 2006 (dis)Service Year / Statistics

by Skimmer in

jw
friends

yesterday was the last day of the wtbts 2006 (dis)service year.

are there any posters here with inside information as to what we can expect?

some five years ago i predicted that 2006 would be the peak year for the wtbts and i'm not changing my forecast.

TheListener

I posted this near the end of March 2006. Can't someone simply update it with info from the KMs? I will look around my home to see if anyone has left a KM lying around and fill in what I can.

KM PUBS # Baptz.
Sept ‘05 1,001,583 1,612

Oct ‘05 997,714 2,152

Nov ‘05 989,543 2,683

Dec ’05In April KM – Someone please post
These were the service year 2004-2005 figures: KM PUBS # Baptz.

Sept ’04 990,551 1,791 Oct ’04 993,476 2,680 Nov ’04 990,086 2,331
Dec ’04 997,250 1,923

71

Bizarre November 2006 KM

by yakata in

the insert is called "how do i view blood fractions and medical procedures involving my own blood?

" i will attempt to transcribe the more salient points for everyone here.. paragraph 1 (verbatim): the bible commands christians to "abstain ... from blood.

" (acts 15:20) thus, jehovah's witnesses do not accept transfusions of whole blood or the four primary components of blood-namely, red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma.

TheListener

Coming from yet another individual who is on the front lines of this argument:

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They are driving me crazy with this crap! I intend to use the pizza analogy in my next round. ding ding.

54

What ever happened to homosexual GB member Leo Greeenlees, is he dead now?

by chiddy in

jw
friends

TheListener

My two cents:

1. Wasn't there a WT article not long after Greenlees and Chitty left the GB about homosexuality and other sins? Wasn't it mentioned in that article that sometimes even those with heaps of responsibilities fall victim to serious sin?

2. I believe it was Chitty who had his life story in the WT. If so, I remember reading it at the behest of some on this board. The life story did lend itself to viewing him as homosexual - not that there's anything wrong with that.

my two cents.

50

Good news: No longer an elder; Bad news: Disappointed wife

by doinmypart in

jw
friends

my wife & i have a good relationship except when it comes to things dealing with the wts.

over the past few years we've both made concessions, and i even made some headway in getting her to think about some things.

but from time-to-time we would end up arguing about something wts-related and there would be days of tension between us.. well, a few weeks ago we were having a casual conversation about wildlife in our area, she mentioned something about jehovah ruining those who ruin the earth.

TheListener

You have a pm.

Also,

The advice you've received is excellent. The people on this board continue to impress me.

Work your hardest on becoming the husband you want or need to be for her. She deserves it. There will be times that she is angry with you and nothing you do or say will help that. The anger comes from an inner place that isn't caused by you but by her perceptions of your spirituality. There are wives/husbands that will not seek marriage counseling. The reason? Unless the marriage counselor can convince you to go back to the truth what point is there. That's the only thing wrong that needs fixing in their opinion.

Good luck. Please feel free to pm me any time. I've been through this and I still am going through it.

33

I have a question(s)

by I.Wonder in

jw
friends

i am new to the site, although i have been a lurker for quite some time.

i was very nervous to create an account.

all of the people i work for and with are jw's and we are all family.

TheListener

Welcome I wonder.

I was right where you are now not that long ago.

I went out once a month. That seems just often enough to keep of the "let's bother the publishers" list. Hopefully that will also be enough to keep some peace with your husband. When I went in service I offered the tract "what do jehovah's witnesses believe" and offered to read a scripture. I would read something about Jesus and say how important it is to have faith in him and what his life and death meant for us. Trust me, I never got very far at all. Most people wouldn't even take the little tract much less let me read them a scripture.

Good luck. The further out your mind becomes the more dificult it will be to force your body to go.

59

Statistical effect of disassociating the inactive

by AuldSoul in

jw
friends

it has been tossed around several times on the forum, and invariably someone pipes up that the wts will never do it because of the adverse effects on the numbers.

there is a glaring flaw in that reasoning.. the inactive are never counted as publishers.

the numbers that are reported are of active, reporting publishers.. if they disassociate every single person who is inactive and refuses to reactivate themselves, the numbers will not be negatively affected at all.

TheListener

Perhaps, rather than it being some set in stone directive handed down from on high it will be more insidious.

The WTS could harp on the subject for 3-6 months or even a year. Bringing up those that have faded and refused the help of the local congregation. How it would be better if the congregation let elders handle spiritual topics with them. They could subtly make it known that having spiritual discussions with these persons would be similar to doing so with a DF'd person. Currently many friends feel it is their duty to convince the fader or inactive the correctness of the WTS teachings which opens the way for 2-way communication which can prove dangerous to the helpful JW.

With this method they avoid making some sort of announcement and instead let the information be hammered in slowly over the course of time.

Witnesses with a heart and those with faded family will be soothed because they'll know that as long as they don't discuss anything spiritual they won't get in trouble. The WTS is happy because if spiritual discussions aren't had then there is much less chance of their flock being infected with reality.

59

Statistical effect of disassociating the inactive

by AuldSoul in

jw
friends

it has been tossed around several times on the forum, and invariably someone pipes up that the wts will never do it because of the adverse effects on the numbers.

there is a glaring flaw in that reasoning.. the inactive are never counted as publishers.

the numbers that are reported are of active, reporting publishers.. if they disassociate every single person who is inactive and refuses to reactivate themselves, the numbers will not be negatively affected at all.

TheListener

Just some points of clarification. 1. If you don't report time for a one month period you are considered irregular. 2. If you don't report time in a six month period (consecutively) you are inactive. These are established criteria by the WTS. I would say that the WTS is constantly warning the friends about worldly 'leaven'. That includes family members. The WTS doesn't need to go out and hunt down inactive witnesses to DA them. They simply need to make a mention that if someone who was a baptized witness in good standing is no longer among us, and hasn't listened to the good counsel provided by the spiritual shepherds then ----poof. you know the rest. The WTS doesn't care if you, the inactive person, knows about your standing or not. They can't control you. They control the congregation members. They control their thoughts and actions. As far as current elders and witnesses who associate with DF'd relatives. Yes, that has always happened. It sometimes causes contention in the congregation. However, it is wrong according to the WTS. If the those ones break the DF rules then they will probably break the inactive rules too. That doesn't mean the WTS wouldn't make those rules though. Someone who is weak and in need of tender loving care won't get DA'd. Someone who is staunchly refusing to have a bible study or attend meetings or meet with the brothers for shepherding would be the primary target. The WTS has to find a way to keep faders from infecting their flock.

59

Statistical effect of disassociating the inactive

by AuldSoul in

jw
friends

it has been tossed around several times on the forum, and invariably someone pipes up that the wts will never do it because of the adverse effects on the numbers.

there is a glaring flaw in that reasoning.. the inactive are never counted as publishers.

the numbers that are reported are of active, reporting publishers.. if they disassociate every single person who is inactive and refuses to reactivate themselves, the numbers will not be negatively affected at all.

TheListener

Unfortunately I agree with you Auld Soul.

I believe they have been setting the stage for this over the past couple years.

The only downside I see, as you already mentioned, is the compassion and love some of the friends have for those who are weak.

They will go along with it, I don't believe this would cause a mass exodus or anything. In fact I agree with your comment that initially their numbers will improve.

Over the long haul though this could bite them.

We've always said that the WTS would probably prefer a small hard core following than a large freethinking following. This would be a major step in that direction.

But, they would risk having their hard core members be even more disconnected from society and thus more unable to properly preach and bring in new ones.

90

I'm new and nervous!

by kitten whiskers in

jw
friends

i am new here and have been "lurking" for several months.

the discussions have helped me tremendously to break free from the society.

i want to thank you all for your help and heartfelt posts.

TheListener

This is just a wonderful thread. Welcome to all new ones. I am so glad you took the step of posting. I lurked for a couple years before I had the courage to post. I wish I had begun posting sooner. The love and support I've received from this board has saved my sanity.

Welcome and enjoy. I look forward to hearing your stories and reading your input on various scriptural topics.