by larc 54 Replies latest jw friends
TR,
That fear you are talking about goes way back. When I was a boy they were called the "evil slave class". I remember one time an "evil slave" came to the home book study. As he came up the sidewalk the older sisters recognized him and warned those of us who didn't know him. He sat through the whole study and never said a word. I was in great fear the whole time, believing that I was in the presence of demons that he brought with him.
For the new ones
Hello All ,I'm new here and enjoy this topic.
I to saw problems with the org. and how many were treated as dirt. Many just wait for a long time hoping things get better but they don't. I saw such foolish behavior amongst elders, at elders meetings, and there supposed to be examples? Well guess what, they were very good examples for me to get out in time to have a real life. Now I'm starting to enjoy things that would always be put off to serve the time thieves, life thieves, family thieves, feelings thieves, ect. . The net is a great help , once you see the inner workings and history of the wbts , there is no going back.
HCM
Hi.
Mac put up a thread of statistics. Here is another discussion of the same subject.
Hi Larc,
Great post. The statistic page Simon referred to I think (I don’t know for sure) is put together by Sam Muramoto. Anyway when the decrease in number is showing up in the year book Brooklyn will have a problem. As it is now it seems a few east European and third world countries are helping them to show an over all growth. The day the statistic show decrease worldwide, the “Jehovah is blessing us look at our increase” will become a problem. As with so many other things the Watchtower Society has done through the years this will backfire on them. No matter how much bleating to the contrary is done in the Watchtower, a decrease in publishers will have a serious psychological effect on the Witness community.
After the different failures with dates where Brooklyn has put the publishers into a frenzy with articles about the imminence of Armageddon, damage control is always done by articles like “Are your serving Jehovah with eternity in mind?” and crap like that. Usually quoting some GB jerk saying, “It doesn’t matter to me when the end comes, I love Jehovah and will serve him forever”. Then they go right back on the same bandwagon again, bleating about how incredibly short the time is, why do they focus on it constantly if it doesn’t matter?
Anyway, here follows the result of a short search on the Watchtower CD which demonstrate that they are milking the “increase-is-a-blessing” for all it’s worth:
*** w96 6/15 16 Blessings or Maledictions-There Is a Choice! ***
What about Jehovah’s obedient servants today? The worldwide increase and expansion under way in the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses are the result of God’s blessing on the earnest efforts of over 5,000,000 proclaimers of the good news of the Kingdom.*** w95 9/1 16 Christian Witnesses for Divine Sovereignty ***
10 The rapid increase in the number of true worshipers in this 20th century bespeaks the blessing of Jehovah.*** w94 5/1 20 Kingdom Proclaimers Active in All the Earth ***
20 With Jehovah’s blessing on his people, the work of Kingdom proclamation continues to move ahead at an extraordinary pace. Since 1935 the number of publishers has increased almost eightyfold, and the rate of increase in the pioneer ranks has been 60 percent greater than the rate of increase in the number of publishers.*** w92 10/15 27 Truth Saturates the Village of Many Waters ***
With Jehovah’s blessing, there will be further increase that will render still more praise to the heavenly Father, Jehovah God.*** w88 1/1 17 The Last Days-A Time of Harvest ***
14 Of course, God’s people are not interested in increase just for its own sake. They know, however, that all those new ones pouring into Jehovah’s organization are “desirable things” in Jehovah’s eyes. Many were “sighing and groaning over all the detestable things” they witnessed in Christendom. (Ezekiel 9:4) They all stream to “the mountain of Jehovah” because they want to be instructed in God’s ways. (Isaiah 2:2, 3) What a powerful evidence of Jehovah’s blessing—that in this corrupt and materialistic system of things, hundreds of thousands of new ones each year manifest themselves as Jehovah’s “desirable things”!*** w87 3/15 22 A Joyful People-Why? ***
No doubt this increase is evident in your own congregation or circuit. New ones are coming to meetings and making necessary changes in their lives so as to be able to serve God. Does this not point to the fact that the preaching work has Jehovah’s blessing?*** w85 1/1 19 Witnessing Brings Kingdom Increase ***
8 The 1984 Service Year Report of Jehovah’s Witnesses Worldwide, appearing on pages 20-23 of this magazine, shows how abundantly our God, Jehovah, is blessing the efforts of his humble witnesses. In all, 203 lands are represented. Of these, 172 lands report a publisher increase.*** w61 4/1 205 Exercising Patience ***
The evidence of the outworking of Jehovah’s purpose can be seen in the continued expansion and growth of the New World society. In 1914, when the second presence of Christ began invisibly, there were only a few thousand publishers active in the ministry. In 1938 there were 59,000. Now there are over 916,000. Jehovah’s blessing has been on the planting and watering work, and he has given the increase.
With such a massive focusing on the increase being a blessing from Jehovah it is going to be very difficult to tell the Witness population that a decrease isn’t a sign of the opposite. They have very little going for them in Brooklyn at the moment and this will be another serious problem. I do not think it is beyond them to doctor the numbers in order to avoid this serious problem.
Norm.
Yes Larc,
You mentioned the fear you felt when young about the 'evil slaves.'
I remember as a boy walking towards the entrabce gates of a big London assembly
and ahead of us were some men giving out leaflets. My parents warned me and my
brothers that they were 'evil slave.' We were not to look at them, talk to them or
even get close. As we approached we quickened our pace and rushed by.
We all sneaked a quick look with a mixture of fear and exitement half expectin them
have two heads. To my surprise they looked very ordinary, were of normal size and even
smiled at us. I was quite disappointed.
AH! The risks I have taken with my life!
Hello everyone,
just to tell you that some points are ...
really "excellent expressions of reality"!
(my personal opinion) i.e.:
**ozziepost:
"You might have had doubts over the years that you have put to the back of your mind, but then something happens, that I call a 'catalyst' that causes you to stop and think. That's when you turn to the internet/Franz's books. Once you have been there, it's not possible to continue in the same blind obedience in the spiritual paradise. What is it that acts as a catalyst?
**Norm:
"The day the statistic show decrease worldwide, the “Jehovah is blessing us look at our increase” will become a problem. As with so many other things the Watchtower Society has done through the years this will backfire on them. No matter how much bleating to the contrary is done in the Watchtower, a decrease in publishers will have a serious psychological effect on the Witness community. "
and :
"With such a massive focusing on the increase being a blessing from Jehovah it is going to be very difficult to tell the Witness population that a decrease isn’t a sign of the opposite. They have very little going for them in Brooklyn at the moment and this will be another serious problem. I do not think it is beyond them to doctor the numbers in order to avoid this serious problem."
and amylhassed:
In developed countries, people, mostly youngsters, are going to universities, they are reading more, they are searching for information, they are becoming conscious of their existence, they want to ‘control’ not to be controlled. Consequently, the Watch Tower is facing acute problems in holding the reins of those who are becoming THINKERS. Because they want something here and now. They want to leave something to their children. They are aware that what really matters is the present."
Great stuff, it realyy make you think...
Agape to you all, J.C.MacHislopp
Hi Martini,
you have made a good point there:
"I would love to know is how many there are like myself who have become inactive and are not officially leaving until
1)there is a common mass exodus or
2) more favorable conditions are given to allow members to leave without haviing to face the strict shunning policy from family and friends."
I'll do something with the last 30/40 years
WTS figures and I'll post the result!
Agape, J.C.MacHislopp
Trevor>>You mentioned the fear you felt when young about the 'evil slaves.'
I remember as a boy walking towards the entrabce gates of a big London assembly
and ahead of us were some men giving out leaflets. My parents warned me and my
brothers that they were 'evil slave.' We were not to look at them, talk to them or
even get close. As we approached we quickened our pace and rushed by.
We all sneaked a quick look with a mixture of fear and exitement half expectin them
have two heads. To my surprise they looked very ordinary, were of normal size and even
smiled at us. I was quite disappointed.
-------
LOL! Thanks for that mental picture!
The internet is certainly partially responsible for reinforcing doubt many JWS may have had. It also opens your eyes to items you never even considered. ( Real estate, previous doctrines,Annuities.... to name a few)
My firm feeling on this though is since 95 when the "this generation passing away" changed both from the moniker in the awake! and in the body of some articles. people felt real unsure of their future which by that time was suppose to be in the new system already.
The ones who expereinced the 1975 scenario, know the sacrifices that were made then, and looking at it with perspective , many children ,teens, and young couples were ROBBED in a royal way of a life they may have lived. Its an education, I am not crying in my beer(that would be a waste of beer) just merely pointing out, many, like myself who are in there 30's have to plan as RR said for the realities of life since the WTBTS , leaves us quite empty.
On another board, I posted a message regarding house to house work and child safety. One reply came back,
" It is the least effective way to evangelize. Why people do it, I'll never know. "
Which is interesting to me. If there was real interest in CONVERTING people, invitations would be printed locally in the newspaper, open houses would be had at local congregations to inform the community of the beleifs and views. This would also go along way towards befriending the community as opposed to alientating it.....
I know this is all a pipe dream for the WTBTS..because its about pushing paper...otherwise there would be no $. Other forums show me quite clearly with all the hours spent inthe door to door work., people still have little or no clue as to who the JWS are or their beliefs.
quite funny still.
-------------------
Doubt ........is like a drip of water on a stone.......
