Are anymore people attending meetings due to the bad economic condition of the world right now? From what I read here I don't think they are. If they can't grow in this environment I think they will even get smaller when things get good again.
The Watchtower's big chance to grow
by I quit! 9 Replies latest jw friends
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drew sagan
IMO I don't think the Watchtower can really use this kind of an enviroment to grow as much as they could have in the past.
I think most of the growth during times of "excitement" had much to do with the actual levels of excitiment going through the membership. Just look at how fanatical people got for Rutherford. They equally got as dedicated in the 50's and 60's. Then the late 60's came with the predictions of 1975.
Post 75 the Watchtower got it's members excited by end times and world events by resting on the 'generation' argument. Now that is gone and there is a vaccum. The members don't have such a immediate rallying point.
What was once new and exciting had now become a tradition an routine that has lasted for over 100 years.
The religion grows, but it is no where near as welcoming to new members. Additinally the United States (and many other western countries) have been trending towards a more pluralistic/non-religious attitude. This is not that conductive to their message.
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Alpaca
The local KH that I drive by at least several times a week usually has a packed parking lot--sometimes the cars are double parked in front of one another.
I don't get it really.
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Meeting Junkie No More
Alpaca, I noticed that at my old KH as well.
All it means is that family members come separately; all the young ones have their own vehicle. In some instances, the brothers come early to open up the bookstore, etc...wives roll in just before the opening song in the other vehicle. More cars, less people. Looks impressive from the outside. Inside is a different story, though - tons of empty seats, mostly at the front!
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WuzLovesDubs
If the Watchtower Society decided to open a Mortgage Company and give really cheap mortgage loan to members in good standing...youd see a quick increase. People expect something for their dedication.
Right now being a JW is a JOB by itself with no return and no guarantees.
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Alpaca
Oh there are guarantees.
Being a Dub is guaranteed to wreck your life, strain family relations with non-Dub members, leave you uneducated, working at menial jobs that provide no satisfaction, insure that you will always be just treading water financially, leave you with no retirement.....
Lots of guarantees.
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Quirky1
We always drove separate as a family, that was four autos on the lot. I knew of many others that did the same thing. The lot was full but the hall was half full. Just the hard core and lonely were there. The ones that didn't take it as serious either showed or they stayed home for some lame reason.
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oompa
my old hall is rual and dying...down to fifty
my wifes has has split twice in ten years and is jam packed and shares with two others in a suburb town near 600k pop.
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WuzLovesDubs
Oh there are guarantees.
Being a Dub is guaranteed to wreck your life, strain family relations with non-Dub members, leave you uneducated, working at menial jobs that provide no satisfaction, insure that you will always be just treading water financially, leave you with no retirement.....
Lots of guarantees.
I should have been more specific LOL! No guarantees that your place is saved in PARADISE or that you will be SAVED or that you have any TRUTH to speak of. LOL And yes, what you wrote ARE all guaranteed.
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WTWizard
Sure, they can get them while they are down. Promise better conditions, but only if they stay in the Washtowel Slaveholdery, work for nothing all their lives without a retirement, and always do what the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger tells them to. In the meantime, they will never get out of the economic depression (for the witlesses, it is a depression).
Then, after they die, they find out that it was all a scam. They die, and there is absolutely no resurrection (I think the members of the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger know there is no resurrection, so they want everyone to waste their lives and give all their money to the Worldwide Pedophile Defense Fund).