Do we have stats on a 'mass exodus'?

by Aussie Oz 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  mentallyfree31

  My former congregation had 100 publishers in 1990. It still have 100 publishers today. I made a list of all those who have left over 20 years, and there are about 60 names on the list. A handful of those are DF and DA, but the majority just left and never came back.

  So this is just one congregation. Most of these people didn't "wake up". They just fell out and became inactive. Probably most of them, except the DAs, are still living in fear of dying at Armageddon and think it's still the truth.

  So a 60% turnover in my former hall. That's real verifiable numbers. I made the list about 3 weeks ago.

  -mentallyfree31-
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  Those same non-conscious faders probably also account for the occasional spike in publishers during times of international crisis to a FAR greater extent than actual new converts. They get scared back to meetings and service.
• 

  Terry

  The growth or the depletion of Jehovah's Witnesses is really not the point.

  The point is effectiveness as an organization with a purpose.

  They either get their job done or they fail according to their own set standard.

  Jehovah's Witnesses don't expect to convert the world. They expect to educate the world about Jehovah's Kingdom and his Christ.

  BEFORE: Nobody knows about it.

  AFTER: Everybody knows about it.

  How would you measure what people "know"?

  How well informed is the average citizen in 2010 vs 1879, for example?

  Ask casually, "What do Jehovah's Witnesses teach?"

  Here is what I think has happened. Jehovah's Witnesses have a "reputation" rather than a message impact.

  They are the folks who knock on your door to sell magazines and books. THE CONTENT OF THOSE BOOKS is unknown to the average householder even after 139 years of the "education work."

  The average church goer only know that JW's DON'T BELIEVE in certain doctrines. They can't really tell you what they DO BELIEVE.

  So, it is not an education work that Jehovah's Witnesses have done about Jehovah's Kingdom.

  No.

  It is a reputation work which has made the name "Jehovah" synonymous with "false prophecy about Armageddon" and "the don't believe in Christmas, Easter, flag salute, blood transfusions, etc. etc."

  This is a NEGATIVE and not a POSITIVE reputation.

  Stop and think about that for a minute.

  To be a Jehovah's Witness means to be a contrarian, oddball crackpot who DOESN'T BELIEVE in such and such, but, who will try to sell you a book about it---which apparently NOBODY READS!

  Is this success for them?

  Is this name Jehovah elevated because of their work?

  Hardly. The name has been damaged and it is shopworn and old-fashioned. YAHWEH is more correct but they've not even taken the honest step of revising their persona to match. It would be more nearly correct to simply become Yahweh's Witnesses. But, hey--that's no going to happen.

  Why? Accuracy and scholarship aren't part of the deal.

  They are a BRAND with a product that nobody uses.

  The religion is not about being effective at all.

  It is about EXISTING as a brand.

  Everybody is kept busy doing an ineffective "education work" just to keep those hamsters on the wheel until Armageddon arrives.

  Do you understand what I'm saying?

  This religion isn't really about what it says it is about. It is a way to keep people busy and controlled and self-deluded, PERIOD.
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  You are 100% correct, Terry.

  However, without growth in numbers there isn't growth in $$$.

  Also, people leaving the Borg is good for US on the OUTside. It gives us hope that those we care about will someday leave, too.
• 

  EndofMysteries

  Taking the total number of 'baptised' for X number of years. The total number of 'active' at the first year, and the total number active last year. That will give a rough estimate.
• 

  sir82

  To be a Jehovah's Witness means to be a contrarian, oddball crackpot who DOESN'T BELIEVE in such and such, but, who will try to sell you a book about it---which apparently NOBODY READS!

  Bingo.

  1.5 billion hours per year preaching, 10's of billions of hours over the past few decades, and what do people in general know about the JW version of "God's Kingdom"? Zippo!

  Surely somebody on the GB has to realize what a sham it all is.
• 

  LUKEWARM

  Here are some stats Blondie put up recently-
  
  Baptized between 2000 and 2009 per yearbook stats:
  288,907
  263,431
  265,469
  258,845
  262,416
  247,631
  248,327
  298,304
  289,678
  276,233
  2,699,241 = Total baptized between 2000 and 20095,653,987 = Average publishers 2000
  6,829,455 = Average publishers 2009
  1,263,416 = Increase in Average publishers between 2000 and 20092,699,241 (baptised) - 1,263,416 (increase)= 1,435,825
  
  Where did they go? They couldn't have all died!

  .
• 

  PRBjr

  There was a CUNY study that I came across a few years ago that stated that JWs had the highest exit rate of all religions. The information in this study show me that the exit rate (at the time) was approximately one out of every three JWs.
• 

  Black Sheep

  Have a look at the Pew Forum stats

  They don't show a 'mass exodus', but they do show a high churn rate, which is nothing to be proud of for a religion that claims to be the happiest people on earth.
• 

  EndofMysteries

  Could this be why keep 'splitting' congregations.

  Also many are babyboomers/teens, so looks like a 20% + constantly leaving.