Another hammer blow for the WTS from the Internet

by besty 38 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  besty

  I know that SBF is not an apologist for the JW's - merely reporting what he sees locally :-)

  When I born captive in 1969 there was one baptism for every 2000 hours of preaching. In 2010 it hovers around 5000 hours.
  
  More significant is the number of hours required for an additional publisher. Due to the large increase in Witnesses leaving the religion, the number of hours preaching required per additional publisher has doubled from 4,000 in the early 1990's to over 8,000 since 2000.

  Those numbers reflect the fact the JW's are running twice as fast just to stand still - yes they report nominal numerical growth, but factor in population growth and they are more or less static.

  It just isn't an attractive religion - otherwise they would be signing people up much faster - like say the Pentecostals or the Mormons even.
• 

  therevealer

  And what does it say about their being commissioned to get the good news to all those that will be jah's friends. Surely jah is more popular than the numbers would suggest. jah looks better if it is suggested that the catholic church is his channel. Now there you got some numbers at least.
• 

  thetrueone

  Could it possibly have something to do with the unpopular publicity the JWS get in the media when the organization is spoken of ?

  Just recently David Letterman made a crack about them on his show and there are many more that take a hit at them as well.

  Ironically as it is the Mormons go to door to door as well but they don't get the same amount of jibs the JWS get.

  Put the enormous amount of negative information about the JWS on the Net and you can confidently see the Organization going into

  a downward free for all in their membership.

  No wonder in their recently put out video by themselves that the words (We are "preaching the Truth ")

  was used over and over again. I think the boys in Brooklyn are starting to get a bit paranoid.
• 

  therevealer

  the other thing that the letterman et al jokes suggest to me is how they are generally viewed. not with respect of any kind but more like silly, not what they would have one believe.
• 

  thetrueone

  I think its the annoyance factor that brings so much condescension by the media.

  Oh no here comes those religious nutbars trying to sell their religion again ...quick close the curtains and don't answer the door.
• 

  slimboyfat

  Those numbers reflect the fact the JW's are running twice as fast just to stand still - yes they report nominal numerical growth, but factor in population growth and they are more or less static.

  They are growing faster than world population. Someone worked it out for me, and I posted it a few months ago, that at current rates of growth everyone would be Jehovah's Witnesses by something like 2300.

  You are right I am no apologist. I would like to see the Watchtower collapse. But so far they have done quite well, especially if you compare them to mainstream Christian churches that are in steep decline. And I do not agree the Mormons are growing at all. There is a lot of evidence to show that by any reasonable measure they are shrinking. They only continue to have increasing membership figures because they baptise much more freely than Jehovah's Witnesses (often within six weeks) and once a person is a member they are considered a member for life, despite the fact the vast majority drift away from the church.
• 

  slimboyfat

  Although we don't have the actual numbers, anecdotally, it is believed that significant growth in the U.S. is mostly within the immigrant community. Is it the same in the UK? If not, the economy could also be a factor, I suppose.

  It amuses me slightly whenever people say, "ah but they are only converting immigrants these days". Do immigrants not count or something? The population growth of Western countries itself is heavily influenced by immigration. You might as well say the population growth of the Unites States doesn't count, because it's only driven by up by immigrants.
• 

  therevealer

  C'mon slimboyfat. We all know that 2300 will see the whole paradise earth populated with Jehovah's witnesses. And to maintain their status as witnesses they will be irritating each other with their tripe. And it will not be an easy task pioneering, still cleaning up the last of the bones and such sundry tasks. Some will be questioning the validity of the door to door work since they are all witnesses. But the gb will still insist on its requirement from their heavenly abode.
• 

  slimboyfat

  Watch you don't go beyond the things written therevealer.
• 

  LV101

  SLIMBOYFAT --- you're killing me here --- they can't be growing faster than the pentecostals who recruit a few million per yr. i hope you are so wrong and know you're wishing for the same hope as the rest of us.

  WHY WHY WHY.

  LV101