So Japan's relatively brief love affair with the Watchtower Society is cooling off. If any people do fads spectacularly well, it's the Japanese. We might take a leaf out of their book on how to let go one fad and move on to another.
Japan closes 638 Congregations!!!!! Why???
by Witness 007 67 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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metatron
There have been rumors about suicides among Japanese Witnesses.
metatron
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sspo
Could it be since land and rent is so expensive and negative growth, they really did not have any choice but to shut down congregations and combine them. Again it's about money.
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Witness 007
I'm not surprised about the suicides. The culture they have is perfect for being a Witness. Dicipline, honour, and a need to worship since the Emporer died and renounced his godship. When the lose thier Witness beliefs it must be hard.
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steve2
Who can forget the heyday of the spectacular growth of JWs in Japan. It seemed that every time we opened a new copy of the Watchtower, the news of the growth was being trumpeted as proof that Jehovah was blessing his people. Since the marked slow down - ten years of nigh on no growth in active JWs - silence.
On a related note, it's been said before, I know, but there's something about the regimented, authoritarian and stress-induycing JW lifestyle that - for a couple of decades, at least - really struck an attractive note among the Japanese who seemed tailor made for the JW mindset.
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Alligator Wisdom
On a related note, it's been said before, I know, but there's something about the regimented, authoritarian and stress-induycing JW lifestyle that - for a couple of decades, at least - really struck an attractive note among the Japanese who seemed tailor made for the JW mindset.
True true oh so true!
And for the dedicated ingrain Japanese JW, they are fitting in perfectly to that regimen and systematic structure in the Japanese congregations. However, you should see their faces when visiting a foreign language congregation NOT in Japan (because foreign language congregations in Japan are basically still Japanese as they are operated the Japanese way).
Some are bewildered in two ways:
(1) They cannot fathom that elders are sitting among the sheep at congregation gatherings. In America, for example, everybody in the congregation serve themselves at their convenience, if it is at a picnic or one-dish party gathering. In Japan, everyone knows that the elders get served first. Also these elders group and sit together apart from the lowly congregation publishers.
(2) The younger Japanese JW (especially teens to pre mid-20's) are so intrigued by the individuality of their so-called Christian brothers and sisters in, let's say England. As mentioned before, fads and trends are important to the young generation of Japan. Once these younger Japanese JW experience something new from their culture, whether JW or otherwise, they will forsake their own culturalistic way of viewing their faith. That is why many many Japanese JW youth will travel abroad to Canada, Britain, America, New Zealand, Australia..etc and attend congregations there while having permission to live there because of a work or school visa.
Yes, Japan JW culture is shrinking.
Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother NOT Exerting Vigorously)
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Witness 007
The end of a era!
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Riley
Japan has an aging and declining population and has no immigration to replace it.