konceptual99

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Posts by konceptual99

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  13

  How baptism rate at conventions relates to yearbook growth rate (Discussion)

  by bohm in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we had a number of posters report on the baptism rate at conventions which is usually less than 1% and rates lower than 0.5% is by no means uncommon.

  despite this there is still a positive growth rate in the us (0.71% according to the yearbook) and i wonder how these numbers relate.

  i wonder if anyone can help me out if these assumptions are true:.

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  konceptual99

  I appreciate your thinking and time you've spent on this bohm but I think the above is over egging the pudding.

  The number of baptised witnesses is never published. The figures that are used to calculate growth rates are for publishers. Publishers are not all baptised.

  Also, the figures always are based on peak publishers. They are massaging peaks through things like having 30 hour pioneer opportunities when the CO is coming.

  As you say, baptisms happen at CAs as well as RCs.

  Trying to get these extrapolations is IHMO a little bit of a waste of time as the variables are too great. I think the overall trend analysis of the YB presents a more useful indication of the actual health of the organisation. To that end it's quite simple....

  More and more time is being spent converting less and less people.

  
  
  
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  17

  All downloads no longer hosted on jw.org

  by neat blue dog in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  whether it's videos on jw broadcasting or pdfs on jw.org, all downloads used to be archived in-house at "assets.jw.org/" followed by the items name/code.

  now clicking a download link retrieves the items from akamai.net, a web services company..

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  konceptual99

  The WT have used external lawyers for years. I don't have documents on this but I am sure there will be a paper trail to support this around the web as the WT has never hidden it and it's hardly a scandal - "multi-national corp uses external lawyers to support internal legal capability" is not exactly news.

  The printing side of things is all rumour as far as I can tell. I think we just need to wait and see as the paper trail confirming this, if it is true, will come to light sooner or later. Again, even if it is true it's not exactly a scandal except that the WTS has pumped it's nuts up about doing things inside the organisation for years and years as evidence of Jehovah's blessing and how the organisation will be able to do anything in the New Order.
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  6

  This Completely Batshit Week In British Politics, Explained For Americans

  by snugglebunny in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  https://www.buzzfeed.com/lukebailey/the-crisis-explained-maybe?utm_term=.iiaglnrkb#.yxmd5eg2o.

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  konceptual99

  That's political analysis for you! 👍👍
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  24

  Elder who taught at private school for JWs accused of abuse

  by Robo Bobo in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  http://www.presstelegram.com/article/lb/20160630/news/160639983.

  note: southwestern longview was a private school that catered to witness children.

  buena park – a south carolina man who worked as a teacher at a private school in long beach a decade ago has been arrested by buena park police officers on suspicion of the “continuous sexual abuse of a child” who was a student of his, authorities said today.. jason gorski of fort mill, 43, was arrested on june 21, said buena park police sgt.

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  konceptual99

  JWs who are aware of this are (a) excusing the elders of any mandatory reporting responsibility and (b) reverting to the catch all argument that the victim and or their family had every right to report the crime.

  i have tried to argue that congregation procedure and the culture of deference may, even unintentionally, deter the victim or their family from reporting but it's like putting up a big sign saying "I am a closet apostate who hates the GB".
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  44

  Expanding number of DC/RC's

  by DwainBowman in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  according to my elder in law, by next year the number of dc/rc's will increase by 143. the size of conventions will get smaller.

  the elder in law says the goal is to make them all have around 2,000 or so at each.

  they are going to make more manuals detailing each job and it's responsibilities.

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  konceptual99

  There has been discussion about the future of RCs before and there are some who think it's too much of a money spinner to move from larger hired venues.

  My personal opinion is that the idea of RCs being 2 days at assembly halls is not that far fetched. I have also wondered if they might do a combination event where the RC is in an assembly hall with a bunch of kingdom halls tied in. Why? Firstly because they may not have enough RC capacity. Secondly the streaming technology is increasingly there and is being tested and proven with regular smaller event. The question would be can they make more money this way? Perhaps they could if they fill the RC with invited members, elders, pioneers, older ones, baptism candidates/family - i.e. the cohort of RC attendees most likely to contribute anyway.
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  17

  All downloads no longer hosted on jw.org

  by neat blue dog in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  whether it's videos on jw broadcasting or pdfs on jw.org, all downloads used to be archived in-house at "assets.jw.org/" followed by the items name/code.

  now clicking a download link retrieves the items from akamai.net, a web services company..

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  konceptual99

  Unsurprising move. Akamai facilities scalable hosting. Shame it will be offline as soon as the big A hits :-)
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  18

  What were the Bible Students expecting in 1914, after all?

  by EdenOne in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  skimming through old watch towers, i encountered this statements on the 1914 january 1st edition of the watch tower (vol.

  xxxv, p.5373), in the article "views from the watchtower":.

  "so far as our judgement goes, the year 1914 is the last of what the bible terms "gentile times" [...] the end of their "times" marks the date for the beginning of messias' kingdom, which the bible declares is to be ushered in with a great time of trouble, just such as we see impending.

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  konceptual99

  This is from the page on 1914:

  The current understanding is significantly different to the original teachings. Prior to 1914, the Watchtower believed:
  - The Last Days began 1799
  - Jesus Parousia started 1874
  - Jesus started ruling in heaven in 1878
  - The Gentile Times would end in 1914, resulting in the:
  -- end of Armageddon
  -- fall of false religion
  -- end of all earthly governments
  -- heavenly and earthly resurrections
  -- paradise on earth

  The establishment of God's Kingdom would result in earthly benefits from 1914. I am not sure that is out of line with the quote from the Jan 1 1914 WT.
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  38

  JWs destroy archaelogical artifacts

  by John Doe in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  thousands of years old.

  this makes my blood boil.. http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/jehovahs-witnesses-destroy-ancient-indigenous-temple-in-mexico-20160628-0009.html.

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  konceptual99

  The NY times article has a couple of interesting comments within. Firstly, it's suggested that the vandals are recent converts to the religion. If that is the case then they would be acting out of line with typical JW behaviour.

  Secondly, the WT representative does not completely deny it. He says "as far as we have been able to investigate". That suggests the facts are not clear to them which could be for a number of reasons. Perhaps it's an isolated group, perhaps they are some offshoot, perhaps they are trying to distance themselves from an act they know to have an association, even loosely, with the Witnesses.
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  18

  What were the Bible Students expecting in 1914, after all?

  by EdenOne in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  skimming through old watch towers, i encountered this statements on the 1914 january 1st edition of the watch tower (vol.

  xxxv, p.5373), in the article "views from the watchtower":.

  "so far as our judgement goes, the year 1914 is the last of what the bible terms "gentile times" [...] the end of their "times" marks the date for the beginning of messias' kingdom, which the bible declares is to be ushered in with a great time of trouble, just such as we see impending.

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  konceptual99

  Hi Eden,

  These links may help:

  http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/failed-1914-predictions.php

  http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/1800s.php
  
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  38

  JWs destroy archaelogical artifacts

  by John Doe in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  thousands of years old.

  this makes my blood boil.. http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/jehovahs-witnesses-destroy-ancient-indigenous-temple-in-mexico-20160628-0009.html.

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  konceptual99

  Really? I am surprised as it's virtually unheard of for Witnesses to take any kind of direct action like this.

  Are there any corroborating sources or anything that adds further information that confirms it's proper JWs?