Can someone with the current KMs please give us the number of individuals baptized for July and August 2006, and the average number of publishers.
Watchtower Decline Confirmed - Only 1.9% growth in 2006!
by Neo 91 Replies latest jw friends
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AMNESIAN
Its own churned, self-serving published numbers aside--- dismal though even they are---are still not the real gauge of the WTS's decline.
Because the WTS has made the consequences so tragic, it is virtually impossible to "leave" in the conventional sense in which one is usually able to express disaffection with a group--religious or otherwise. JWs, therefore, are leaving in the only meaningful symbolic ways possible; they are 1) shutting their wallets; and 2) merely going through the motions of the "never-to-be-repeated life-saving work."
Sense of urgency? Fuhgeddaboutit.
The extraordinary cost-cutting measures the WTS has had to and continues to implement are all the indicator needed that the spiritual paradise is quickly being overrun with weeds. And the low baptism rate confirms that the vast majority of those "streaming to the mountain of the house of Jehovah" are them what's being birthed in it.
Their own cooked numbers could indicate a 50% increase and yet not convincingly alter the evidence they want one's "lying" eyes to ignore.
AMNESIAN
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DannyHaszard
....According to Statistics Canada , there are 155,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada , down 8.1 per cent from a decade earlier. There are some 6.6 million in the world. Witnesses find joy in baptismal pool
Hamilton Spectator, Canada - July 10 2006
One of 100 people to be baptized in a portable swimming pool at the 2006 District Convention of the Jehovah's Witnesses at Copps Coliseum on the weekend, a ... Dean Raddick took the plunge Saturday and has never felt better. One of 100 people to be baptized in a portable swimming pool at the 2006 District Convention of the Jehovah's Witnesses at Copps Coliseum on the weekend, a grinning, dripping, shivering Raddick sprinted for the change room a new man. "I'm really happy I did it now," said the apprentice machinist from Dunnville as he emerged from the pool. "I grew up a Jehovah's Witness and I figured, at 23, I may as well get baptized. "I'm going to do the best I can for Jehovah." Across the way, Eva Ampofo stood grinning and clutching a camera. She'd just elbowed her way into the crowd surrounding the pool to snap a picture of a friend emerging from the pool. "This is a good occasion," said Ampofo, of Brampton. "They've dedicated their lives and, from here on, they're basically making the truth their own." The midday baptism ritual is the emotional highlight of the annual gathering that draws 10,000 to 15,000 believers to Steeltown. Attendance peaked at 12,500 yesterday for a midday full-costume Biblical drama, said convention overseer Robert Alton. The well-heeled faithful came from across the Golden Horseshoe, the men wearing suits and ties, the women in dresses and skirts. Well-scrubbed youngsters sported frilly dresses and pint-size suits. Jehovah's Witnesses subscribe to biblical literalism and believe in the imminent coming of the kingdom of God following the battle of Armageddon, a term from the book of Revelation describing the final battle between good and evil. They do not celebrate their own birthdays, considering such celebrations a glorification of the individual rather than of Jehovah, or God. They call themselves witnesses in reference to biblical passages, such as Isaiah 43:10: "You are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "and my servant whom I have chosen ..." They are forbidden from using images during worship and from any involvement with spiritism. They do not have a particular Sabbath as they regard all days as holy. Instead, they attend five meetings per week, ranging from a lecture to sessions studying church documents. According to Statistics Canada , there are 155,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada , down 8.1 per cent from a decade earlier. There are some 6.6 million in the world. -
badboy
I WONDER WHICH COUNTRIES WILL SHOW A DECLIMB?
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OnTheWayOut
I was still at the CO's meeting with the elders in early 2006. I remember the push to count the elderly as "active" with the 15 minutes minimum per month. The U.S. has focused on foreign language and Sign Language for a few years now, because that's where the growth was. It's getting harder and harder for them to have the positive growth, and 1.9% is not what they want. Expect more visible efforts to reactivate the inactive, start making children active publishers at a younger age. All the spinning will do is buy another year here and there. Eventually, you run out of children to baptize, seniors to count, door step Bible students.
I ain't happy with any growth, but I enjoy all your thoughts on why it happens, what the future looks like. As far as higher retention rate, the JW's have left in droves already. If you thin the heard, the remaining zebras are faster and stronger. In the congregations, if you skim off the independent thinkers and doubters, the remainder are more loyal and unquestioning. Just as their recruitment of new members is getting harder and harder, the removal of old members will slow up and get harder and harder- but both will continue until the end of this (JW) system of things.
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Dark Knight
I believe the only real indicator of watchtower growth is the number of newly baptised each year. Each year the number of newly baptised "should" increase by about 1.5% (approx world growth) over the previous year.
It would be nice to see a graph of percentage increase in baptismal numbers per year as this would give a nice representation of how the watchtower really is going.
Another great graph would be world_population_increase/newly_baptised per year... I believe this would give the best indicator of watchtower growth vs world growth.
Has anybody been able to generate such graphs? I'd love to do it myself but don't have all the data i need to do it at the moment. Would be nice if someone has all the stats in a form (csv perhaps?) i can load into a database and run some reports and generate some graphs against it.
Cheers
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AK - Jeff
Jt -
I was not stating that I thought the growth of 1.9% to be 'healthy' - only up, and that is opposite by definition of decline, as a short term measure.
I do agree with Neo's overview - as represented graphically - that the trend is declining. I only used the stock illustration to indicate that the next 'tick' on his graph will be green not red, at 1.9%.
Please don't confuse my statement with apologetics of the WTS. No one wants to see decline, both short and long term, more than I do. I expect this is a minor whip-saw statistically, though it could be the start of a positive swing. I truly don't think so, as the long term trend is down.
Jeff
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AK - Jeff
Trying to extend the Resistance Line on the current decline would indicate that the percentile growth will fall below the 0% line within about 5 years. That will be interesting to see if it happens. If support/resistance hold true to pattern, it will.
Jeff
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ozziepost
Trying to extend the Resistance Line on the current decline would indicate that the percentile growth will fall below the 0% line within about 5 years.
G'day Jeff!
Re the above, would it make any difference? Whilst I'd love to see the bastards out of the way, I'm not so naive as to think that their place wouldn't be taken by another "organisation™".
I wonder too what would be the situation if the figures showed an increase? Would it make a difference? The WTS is still 'the Big Lie' no matter what support it has, don't ya think?
Find "the truth" and "the truth will set you free", no matter what happens to the WTS.
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Neo
Wikipedia's Claims to be the fastest growing religion article.