Pride in Statistics. How well are the JW's doing, really?

by jgnat 12 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  jgnat

  This week's study article is: PEOPLE "OUT OF ALL THE LANGUAGES" HEAR THE GOOD NEWS (December 1, 2005 WT)

  And they state "Eagerly embracing that commission, Jehovah's Witnesses are active in 235 lands, distributing literature in more than 400 languages."

  A recurring theme with Jehovah's Witnesses is pride in statistics; the volume of literature they place, the number of lands where their version of the good news is preached, their growth, and the number of translations available. Never breathed is a word on how other religions or churches are doing in these same areas.

  I did a quick browse for modern religious champions. I found missions or churches that meet or exceed the Jehovah's Witness in volume, growth, variety, or creativity. I notice that many of these groups distribute a larger volume of bible literature with a much smaller complement of staff. The plain truth is that dynamic churches are using modern media and modern management techniques to reform their ministries and reach more people than was ever possible before. I doubt the WTBTS could keep up; too much is invested in their old-style management style to allow them the flexibility to compete with this dynamic growth.

  The WT claims I quote here are either from the December 1, 2005 article or from www.jw-media.org . I also provide links to each counter-claim.
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  jgnat

  WT claim: Active in 235 lands (WT December 1, 2005)

  Counterclaim 1, Other Missions: Other missions, number of countries www.wikipedia.org

  Assemblies of God World Missions - 212

  Baptist Bible Fellowship - 108

  Baptist International Missions - 90

  Baptist World Missions - 53

  Southern Baptist Convention Missions - 153

  World Gospel Mission - 15

  Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) - 165

  Counterclaim 2, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons):

  www.wikipedia.org The LDS church is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with around 56,000 full time missionaries worldwide [1].

  http://www.lds.org/newsroom/page/0,15606,4037-1---6-168,00.html

  The Church operates more than 330 missions in the world.

  Each elder or sister missionary accepts an assignment from Church leaders to serve in a specific mission. Missionaries generally work 60-65 hours per week, for two years (elders) or 18 months (women and couples), teaching the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and participating in community service.

  In addition, about 5,100 individuals (including couples) are given special service assignments. Health specialists and doctors go to developing countries where the Church's health services program teaches preventive care. Craftsmen, artisans and construction supervisors train members in local building projects. Agricultural experts train people to produce food more effectively and economically. Other mission assignments include education, family history research and leadership training.

  Counterclaim 3 Short Term Missions:

  http://www.adventures.org/

  Adventures in Missions - 306 short term missions for 2006, 175 in US, remaining 130 in 13 countries around the world.

  Counterclaim 4 World By Radio:

  http://newlins.net/wbr/index.php

  World by Radio is an association of international Christian broadcasting organizations who are committed to seeing that every man, woman and child on earth is provided the opportunity to turn on a radio to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ in a way and language they can understand so they can become responsible members of His Church.

  Total Population of World by Radio People Groups that now have access to Christian broadcasts: 421 million.

  Number of distinct languages, all stations 332

  Number of languages, World by Radio project - 144

  Total population of people groups we serve 23,986,279,250

  Total broadcast hours per day, all stations 1,186.55

  Number of countries with broadcasts on local stations 106

  Number of regions/countries to which international broadcasts are aimed 296
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  jgnat

  WT Claim: The Watch Tower Society publishes in 410 languages and calls on the services of more than 2,100 volunteers to assist with translation worldwide. (My note: What the Watchtower society fails to mention is that their version of the bible, the New World Translation, is only available in 52 languages. Other publications, such as the Watchtower and Awake, are regularly published in the "410 languages". )

  Counterclaim 1 - Wycliffe Bible Translators:

  http://www.wycliffe.org/

  Wycliffe Bible Translators, USA is part of an international association of Wycliffe organizations comprising of over 5000 active members from 46 countries. Within the USA our role is to provide the links for churches here to help build the church around the world and give people access to the words of life.

  Already Wycliffe workers have helped to complete 611 translations, making God's Word available to more than 76 million people. This has always been done hand in hand with local communities. But now more than ever we are able to pass on our skills through partnership with churches and agencies worldwide. ... More than 380 million people worldwide still need God's Word in their language. At the past rate of translation, they would have to wait for another 100 to 150 years. That's too long!

  Vision 2025 - Wycliffe's mission is to assist the church in making disciples of all nations through Bible translation. Our vision is to see translation in progress among every language group that needs it by 2025 -- Vision 2025.

  Counterclaim 2, Gideons International:

  http://www.gideons.org/

  Members of The Gideons International place and distribute scriptures in 179 countries in 82 languages. We focus on five primary areas:

  • Hotels and Motels
  • Hospitals, Nursing Homes, and Domestic Violence Shelters
  • Schools, Colleges, and Universities
  • The Military, Law Enforcement Personnel, Firefighters, and EMTs
  • Prisons and Jails

  The demand for Scriptures in these areas far exceeds our supplies that we are able to purchase through our donations. Much more could be done- if funds were available. However, we are placing and distributing more than 1 million copies of the Word of God, at no cost, every 7 days in these areas.
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  jgnat

  WT Claim: The Watch Tower Society has produced 19 documentary videos on a variety of historical and Biblical topics, in 46 languages.

  Counterclaim 1 Top Quality Music Videos:

  http://www.interviewwithgod.com/playprayer.htm

  Online flash music video of Lord's Prayer, the 23rd psalm, the love verses

  Counterclaim 2 The Jesus Film Project:

  http://www.jesusfilm.org/

  The Jesus film project by comparison, has been translated in to 599 languages and reached an audience of 6,036,662,22 since 1979.

  http://www.jesusfilm.org/progress/statistics.html

  Counterclaim 3 Adventures In Odyssey, quality children's animation:

  http://www.whitsend.org/

  Adventures in Odyssey - 17 titles

  Counterclaim 4 Big Idea Video Productions, quality children's animation:

  http://www.bigidea.com/

  Producers of Veggie Tales - 41 titles

  What We Believe

  • The irresponsible use of popular media (TV, film, music, etc.) has had a profoundly negative impact on America's moral and spiritual health
  • The same media, used responsibly, can have an equally positive impact
  • The best way to improve people's lives is to promote biblical values and encourage spiritual growth

  Our Core Values

  • Personal and corporate integrity
  • Creative excellence and design innovation in all we do
  • The prioritization of people over products and profits

  Our Core Purpose

  To markedly enhance the moral and spiritual fabric of our society through creative media
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  jgnat

  WT Claim: Increase over 2004, 1.3 percent

  Counterclaim, Megachurches are on the rise:

  http://www.outreachmagazine.com/article_archive/unknowndate/article_17.html

  Outreach Magazine, "The Exponential Church"

  Twenty years ago American megachurches (more than 2,000 attendance) numbered just over two dozen. Today, they exceed more than 830, with more than 30 now exceeding 10,000 worshippers—launching a whole new category we call the "gigachurch." This growing number of large churches is also indicative of a shift in church attendance. Today, fully 3 million church attendees go to a megachurch vs. 897,000 only 10 years ago. Thirty-five of these churches are less than a decade old. The landscape of the Christian church is changing faster than at any other point in American history.

  ....

  Since 1970, we’ve seen the number of megachurches grow from 10 to now 835. And congregations are reaching mega-church status in less time. Since the late 1950s, the time it has taken for a church to grow large has been cut in half almost every decade. Ten of the churches started in 1990 reached attendances of 5,000 to 18,000 in one decade.
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  greendawn

  That destroys one more crucial myth about the JWs their claim that the end of the world is near because they preached the gospel to all the lands and that they are the only ones preaching.
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  Honesty

  No wonder they will counsel any JW's that admit to using the internet.

  Jehovah’s Witnesses have developed an unparalleled worldwide organization capable of providing free Bible education to all who wish to understand the Bible better.

  I bet more than half the posters on this board do not meet WT qualifications for free Bible education.
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  garybuss

  I have two friends who started a church with nothing but a Bible, 11 years ago here in town, and they are seeing 800 a week at worship services in 3 services and they have a new building bigger and better than both the Kingdom Halls put together. The Witnesses are lucky if they have 400 total in 100 years.
  
  The church people I know are happy to go to services and they look happy. The Witnesses look like they are going into a funeral chapel for a funeral when they go in the Kingdom Halls for meetings. They shuffle. Even the kids shuffle.
  
  
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  Honesty

  The church people I know are happy to go to services and they look happy. The Witnesses look like they are going into a funeral chapel for a funeral when they go in the Kingdom Halls for meetings. They shuffle. Even the kids shuffle.

  Same here, Gary.

  It's hard to have any joy in life when the god you are a slave to is the ruler of this world.
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  jwfacts

  Good work Jnat

  In 2004 over 600,000 people were baptised as Baptists outside of the US. That is several hundred percent more sucessful than the WTS results. It is amazing how narrow a persons thinking becomes if they only read the Watchtower.