the world wide jw publishers increased by only 1.6% in recent years, so it is only a matter of time until the wts will have to start showing a decrease in publishers.
here are some reasons why.
1. many young jw are 'rebellng' against wts authority and are becoming just like mini satans according to a recent wt article.
I sometimes wonder if the expansion in the third world will actually hasten their demise. If you think about it, where will the money come from? Certainly not the third world. With numbers, (and donations), dropping off in the more developed countries, any real expansion, (expense), in the third world would only contribute towards financial hardship for the WTS. Numbers won't help them here.
j
the world wide jw publishers increased by only 1.6% in recent years, so it is only a matter of time until the wts will have to start showing a decrease in publishers.
here are some reasons why.
1. many young jw are 'rebellng' against wts authority and are becoming just like mini satans according to a recent wt article.
1978 -1.4%
Oh, that just figures. The year of the biggest decline in membership is when my brain dead anut introduced our family to the WTS...Gotta love it...
j
ok, so you deny the existence of a god, or you lack belief in a god.
my question why do you get so angry over a mythical being?
no one gets as upset over the tooth fairy, santa claus or the easter bunny, as i have seen some of the atheists on this board get over the slightest mention of god.
I'm quite certain that Einstein was agnostic,
Einstein did not believe in a Judeo-Christian-Islamic, (or any other specific), god. He was deist that had a particular take on what he perceived as a "greater power" that put the laws of physics into motion. His reasearch has been elaborated upon to present day, in such a way, to bring disagreement to his argument. He would probably not be a deist based on today's understanding of quantum mechanics, and other physical studies.
j
i knew of 1 person that should've been reported to the authorities for fooling around with his sisters when he was an older teen and they were much younger.
it was hushed up by the elders, as this was considered a very prominent family.
the allegations were made probably 20 years ago, well before i was ever in that hall.
Yes. The bastard is still living the good life in the Millville, NJ cong.
j
i don't.
it's not that i won't.
funny thing, is i've collected over 100 different bible versions and translations..
No. But I do occasionally look up certain scriptures, even in the NWT, that the org never used to even MENTION, and find it amazing that I believed their bullshit for so long. There are many scriptures that completely blow jw theology out the door. You would have been yanked off the platform if you ever mentioned them during the BRH.
j
many, like dawkins, think that religion is the root of all evil.
hypothetically, if all religion was eliminated and all people stopped believing how would you see the world in a few years?
with atheism on the rise do you think that society will improve or deteriorate?.
Many, like Dawkins, think that religion is the root of all evil.
Actually, if you read Dawkins, he is careful to say religion is not the root of ALL evil...
Anyway, I would argue that we are just not ready for this yet. If tensions continue, (Islamic, ultra-conservative Christian, etc), then it may be forced upon us. That will be a scary day. Not in the jw "great tribulation" sense, but quite the opposite. People will certainly rebel, in the worst possible way agasint such an effort. At the moment, I see no good comming of it. Maybe in another couple hundred of years, but not now.
j
<!-- .style1 { font-size: 24px; color: #cc3333; } .style2 { font-family: arial; font-size: 16px; color: #cc3333; } .style3 { font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; } .style4 {color: #000000} .style5 {font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; } --> you must marry only in the lord!how many times do you recall that expression blaring from .
the sound system at a district convention or circuit assembly?
you must marry only in the lord!
I recently heard from a "inactive" friend of mine, that his mother, (he's 35), was talking to my ex's mother, (they are both in the same hall). My ex's mom heard that my buddy was divorcing, and actually tried to talk my buddy's mom in getting him to date my ex! Only in jw land does stupid shit like this happen....
j
the current heated "(monotheist) believers vs. atheists" threads tends to overlook, imo, this rather commonplace but relevant issue: how modern atheism continues (and thus is tributary to) a line of religious, philosophical and scientific thought which runs from ancient polytheism through monotheism, both in greek and jewish traditions (which are the two main sources of western culture).. in the greek-speaking world, homeric-like polytheism went out of fashion, and although political authorities stood for the conservation of popular worship of the gods (atheism being a capital offence, ask socrates), an intellectual monotheism came to the fore, especially in platonic tradition, along with more or less "underground" forms of early atheism (democritus, epicurus).. in judea, for mainly political reasons ("one god, one temple, one priesthood, one king") the "deuteronomistic reform" of the 7th century bc promoted the active rejection (1) of all other gods than yhwh, and (2) of any representation of yhwh himself, henceforth branded as "idolatry".
it also (3) reinterpreted most "natural" features in older israelite religion (linking yhwh, just as baal, with the cycle of seasons, especially the rain and dry seasons, vegetal and animal fertility) into historical (or pseudo-historical) celebrations: the feast of spring became the celebration of the national foundation in the exodus from egypt, etc.
(4) the development of a doctrine of creation, increasingly construed as creatio ex nihilo -- mere "fabrication" of the world out of nothing instead of the older theomachy (struggle between the gods) wrestling for order out of chaos contributed to emptying "nature" of its numinous, sacred or divine presences: the sun, the moon, the stars, vegetables, animals and humans became mere "objects," vessels designed and made by a master craftsman, but devoid of intrinsic divinity.
I would agree it is a logical progression. But a BIG step, indeed. Obviously, with 90% of the world still clinging to a basic belief in some god, be it theistic or deistic, there seems to be a disconnect getting from monotheistic, (or deistic), belief to atheism.
j
ok, so you deny the existence of a god, or you lack belief in a god.
my question why do you get so angry over a mythical being?
no one gets as upset over the tooth fairy, santa claus or the easter bunny, as i have seen some of the atheists on this board get over the slightest mention of god.
I truly believe that what many ex-jws, (and members of any totalitatian religion), have a problem with, is tolerance, myself included, sometimes. The average never-been-a-jw, dosen't get that worked up about someone's, religious, (or lack thereof), belief system. It usually is far easier for them to have a balanced view, as well. That said, there is nothing inherintly wrong with either belief or disbelief in god, within itself, and taking a stand for such. We do, however, need to take a chill pill sometimes here. It only becomes a life and death matter, if we make it such.
Now I am going to flame....
Another thing I have noticed is that the Atheist XJW's are'nt nearly as friendly as the christian JW's, and they seem to lash out more at everyone, no matter what the subject involves, be it politics or religion. Atheists hate Bush, they hate the Bible, they hate traditional american life, they hate just about everything except other atheists.
Junction Guy, your ignorance is a testimony that speaks for itself.
While I no longer claim to be atheist, (I really do prefer agnostic), your comments against atheists are uncalled for, as well as simply untrue. You should really consider studying American history if you think "traditional" American life was religious in nature. Despite what you might believe, our nation's founding fathers were secular in nature, as was the basis for our entire constitution, and believed in a clear separation of church and state. That is what most politically active atheists, (and other secularists) ask for, a separation of church and state. It's that simple. You spend way too much time listening to Sean Hannity.
Jason
as a fader i felt delighted at clinking glasses at a pub.
it may seem trivial but it meant a lot to me.
what is the best thing you have done since leaving the truth?.
Learned to stop caring about what other people think!
j
