I would say the main issue for Germany is aging JW population. I remember they were geriatric KH back 20 years so maybe there was a die off. I am not sure on Poland because its demographic is much younger (average age seems to be around 38, little less than in CZ), but I would assume that Polish society became much secular and making JW field service difficult.
Posts by kaik
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28Germany loses 22 congregations and 41 KHs in 3 years (2011-2014)
by Viva la Vida ini just compared the latest data provided by the german wt and data i found searching for the same page in archive.org.
congregations 2011: 2232. congregations 2014: 2210. kh 2011: 1075. kh 2014: 1034. source: http://www.jehovaszeugen.de/statistik.18.0.html - this is a oficial site for germany.
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29
Evidence of Ocean of Water in or under Earth's Mantle.... Will people now state this to be proof of the Noah Account?
by adjusted knowledge in"the transition zone can hold a lot of water, and could potentially have the same amount of h2o [water] as all the world's ocean.".
http://news.yahoo.com/found-hidden-ocean-locked-deep-earths-mantle-181204475.html.
i figured when people read this that there will be those claiming proof of the flood story.
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kaik
People should re-read the article AGAIN. The original article did not mention any water in liquid form, but trapped in mineral and pressured under extreme heat into new material. There is nothing new that oceanic water gets under the mantle. Look into subduction zones around the Earth where deep tranches move oceaning floor deeper into the crust. The water above gets pulled and trappen in mantle. Majority of the subduction zones are accompanied by volcanic arcs where some of the water get released as well.
Past 150 years various researches were on Mt. Ararat looking for arch from Russians to British, Germans, Japanese and others, and they have not find anything on it. Ararat is not extremely difficult to climb, various remote sensing techniques were done over its tiny glacier which is about ~3 SQM2 and no trace of arc was ever produced. Global deluge is myth, it was produced as a moral story to be discussed around tribal camp fire.
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26
Does The Governing Body Have A Plan B For When The End Never Comes?
by frankiespeakin inwhat say all you thinkers out there?.
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kaik
The GB plan is to remain on top of the cash flow to maintain their lifestyle, power, prestige, and control. They do not need anything else. As long there are millions of suckers serving them, they could care less about the end. They never did. You just keep the slaves to be obedient and scare because the God's retribution is just about to happen and the only chance they will survive is within GB umbrella.
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26
In Death lies Glory
by BluePill2 ini was alone at the new branch construction site in ticuantepe (nicaragua).
everybody had taken off for a weekend assembly in the capital and it was my turn to have watchman duty and guard the site.
we had dogs and i only had to walk around the perimeters and check all the gates and entrances.. suddenly a young boy appeared at the main gate, breathless and visibly nervous.
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kaik
Thanks for the reply on my post. However, it is really sad to see that millions and millions of people for thousands of years reject the only life they know for unverifiable promise in afterlife. Nobody ever proved that anyone ever got second chance once they died. All major denominations around the world teach that person needs to suffer, live miserable life as part of the redemption, and die so they can live happily ever after. How many people could have much more productive and happy life if they knew that only chance they got is in time the lived and make much better society without wars, oppression, fear, and enslavement. As a result, humanity devaluated the human life as something that can fixed; yet never ever anyone had done that after their death.
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34
Where do we go when we die?
by bsand20 inmy best friend of 14 years and maid of honor passed away 2 months ago at age 32 after battling breast cancer for 6 years.
i haven't been the same since for many reasons.. as a jw kid i believed 144,000 chosen went to heaven, the good people would be resurrected including those who didn't have a chance to hear about jehovah, and the rest, which were of other religions and bad people, died and would cease to exist.
again, because i was a kid when i left, i never really understood the jw position on death and why they came to their conclusion.
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kaik
Sorry for your loss. I lost a friend to breast cancer and I wish there will be cure for it. It is really horrible disease.
Nobody knows what happens to us when we die. Certainly, our physical bodies will decay and dissolve in the nature. Billions of people went through our planet; lived here; had their hopes, dreams; like everyone experienced joy, love, and pain; and passed in the river of time. Billions of more will do the same, including you and me. Nobody ever came back from the death. Nobody who would share his or her story after their death.
Jews do not have unified opinion on the death and afterlife. OT does not really says much. Midrash adds: " When Moses realized that the decree [of death] had been sealed against him, he drew a small circle around himself, stood in it, and said, “Master of the universe, I will not budge from here until You void that decree.” At the same time, he donned sackcloth–indeed, wrapped himself in it–strewed ashes upon himself, and persisted in prayer and supplications before the Holy One, until heaven and earth–indeed, all things made during the six days of creation–were shaken…What did the Holy One do then? He had it proclaimed at every gate of every firmament that Moses’ prayer be not accepted nor brought up to His presence, because the decree concerning him had been sealed. " Moses weny the way of all humans, all earthlings, and died. Moses did not get any bargain about afterlife, resurrection, or access into heaven.
I would like to believe that there is afterlife, a universe where deceased are there, not tied to time and space of our world. Place where I could meet with dad, friends, romans, medieval crusaders, etc. But I had accepted that only certainity I have is this world, this time. My love ones live in my memories. I do not believe in earthly resurrection, because our planet has finitive resources and is dying. So is our Sun and galaxy. In two billions of years, Earth will be desert as red giant Sun evaporates all these oceans. Later our sun will run out of fuel and will die. Our galaxy is on colliosion course with other and in billions years all the stars we see will die.
Enjoy your life while on earth, use your skills, get plenty of education and use it to your full potential. This is the only certainity you have.
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62
In your memory, what was the nicest day you had out in field service?
by LoisLane looking for Superman infor me, that happy day was in morro bay, calif. it was the fall, oct 1958 or 9. gorgeous weather.
the sun was shining and the wind was coming off of the ocean.. at that time, morro bay was unassigned territory.. talesin on another thread was talking about a lovely day she had, going with her grandfather, talking with a mr languages.
lol.
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kaik
I did not like field service at all. We had always difficult elders (too zealot about field service) and unpleasant DO who was like used car salesman. Elders I walked throughout the Carpathian Mountains were often clueless, they were from city and had no terrain knowledge in the forest. Elders with suit, tie, and dress shoe were unprepared dealing with elevetion drop of temperature, possible snow even in June and played martyr how they sacrificed outfit for a field service. Additionally, they were so stupid that it was embarassing. Not to mention dogs, farm animals, pissed villagers, no back bus connections.. But I do not remember ever the JW men ever helped anyone along the route. I saw old women carrying wood on the back hampers, but they never offerred help. It was so embarrassing.
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This decade - the 2010's - your view of so far
by berrygerry ini had a relative exhort me to attend sunday am of the rc, to which i said no, already read the points online.. i said that i find this decade to be the most enjoyable.. people are relaxed, people have piercings, tats, hair colour du jour, facial hair, yoga pants (okay, not so great with the people of walmart videos), etc., and no one gets a second glance.. the music is awesome, movies are pretty good.. everyone still has their trials and tribulations, bad relationships, economic swings, etc.. but i feel happy.. the posted highlights from sunday am were:.
anticipate future kingdom blessings!.
a world without satan (revelation 20:2,3,7,10).
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kaik
I am not particularly hooked on specific decade, but year. I had some really good years and also bad ones. Certainly I live better today than I did five or ten years ago. Life was never linear, but sometimes it goes bit down before it goes up. I was able to find a job in the middle of the Great Recession, so did my spouse. I took 10% paycut but I managed. I cannot complain and I think I will look back into 2010-2014 as really good years.
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In Death lies Glory
by BluePill2 ini was alone at the new branch construction site in ticuantepe (nicaragua).
everybody had taken off for a weekend assembly in the capital and it was my turn to have watchman duty and guard the site.
we had dogs and i only had to walk around the perimeters and check all the gates and entrances.. suddenly a young boy appeared at the main gate, breathless and visibly nervous.
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kaik
Excellent points brought up here. Unfortunatelly, the low value of the human life in the eyes of the religion is not only domain of JW, but many others Christian religions as well Islam. People trade their ensured living on this planet on this time for unverifable promise of afterlife in future or in a different dimension. Christians and Muslims alike believe that present life is not much worth to live, but there is a HUGE promise of redemption and happiness once they die. I remember quota from KH which said something along the line: "whatever happens in your present life will fixed in Paradise. If you die, you will be resurrected, if you are sick and crippled, you will be healed and fit. If you lack necessities of your life, they will be provided after Armageddon..." Life that we know became secondary and unsignificant because JW, Christians, and others believe that they will get second chance. However, nobody has ever returned from the dead for sure (spear me of Jesus as this is based on belief not on verifiable fact). Billions of people had lived, had their happiness and pains, dreams and hopes, and suffering and injustice, and died. Once people realize that they have this certian gift of life, they may pursue their abilities and happiness much better. Instead for thousands of years people wait for some higher being to solve all their problems, while do nothing about improving their own life around.
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Was Hitler atheist?
by zound ini've heard that hitler did what he did in the name of atheism from various theists - or at least that he was an atheist.
i wasn't sure about it, but found this quote today.
thoughts?.
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kaik
A.H. was mentally insane, but also it is crucial to say that he vehemently denied to be Atheist. I never heard of it until I moved in USA, but in Europe I was always taught in school that he was raised Catholic with Deist view mixed with German neopaganism. A.H. was vegetarian, he did not smoke, nor drink. There was a documentary on History Channel about him where his doctor treated him for infection (before available antibiotics) with mix of pills that caused him to behave crazy. Stalin on other hand was heavy alcoholic and insomniac. He stayed at up whole night and made calls through his empire to check upon his people what they were doing. Therefore, all the directors of the factories, universities, and government slept in their office in case he will call. The question of his religious views were always debated even under communism. As a former seminary priest he certainly knew Bible and used ideas of the Orthodox religion to build a cult of personality.
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Was Hitler atheist?
by zound ini've heard that hitler did what he did in the name of atheism from various theists - or at least that he was an atheist.
i wasn't sure about it, but found this quote today.
thoughts?.
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kaik
Nobody really knows if Stalin believed in Higher Being or not; however, he was raised to be an Orthodox Priest. His mother never forgave him for abandoning the post even when he became a dictator of USSR. Throughout history, there are many men who were religious and bloodthirsty. Emperor Justinian, who is condidered as one the most holy and religous Eastern Roman Emperor ever and strong defendor of Christianity, is considered the most bloody ruler ever before the rise of Ghenghis Khan. Justinian decimated in his war entire post-Roman world, was responsible for depopulating Itay and Rome, Kingdom of Vandals, Balkans, and Levant, and bancrupted his empire into such degree that Constantinople recovered 500 years later. On top of it, brought a plague from Persia into Europe further straining civilization after the collapse of the Roman power. It is estimated that his reing witnessed a decline 1/3 of all humanity in known world. Yet, he is venerated as true son of the Orthodox faith while prosecuting Roman Catholics, Arians, and Nestorian Christiants.