To TruthB Known. Your point is valid about people unwilling/unable to emotionally and financially deal with leaving the org Later in life. Along with that imagine an older person/couple who is either childless or whose children are still in. Who will care for them if they leave? Occasionally, it happens though. I am a few weeks shy of 60, born in,3rd generation and I just left last month!!!!! Thanks in part to this site. :)
Will the WT stats take a dive in 2014?
by Aussie Oz 30 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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gutted
It won't matter at all, there is no significance to 2014 for the typical JW.
A thousand years is but a blink of an eye to Jehovah, wouldn't be suprised to see that in one of the Watchtowers as a specific reference to this date. Only 900 more years to go!
I do find it funny that only ex-JWs care about stuff like this, I forsee most dubs not even giving it a passing thought.
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LongHairGal
Aussie Oz:
Well, if the Mayan calendar is wrong and we are still here after 2012, I am sure some JWs might take notice of the 100 year anniversary of 1914 and perhaps a few might leave.
However, like Wobble says, anybody who hasn't already figured out the religion is B.S. isn't going to let this date bother them. I am sure it will be business as usual and talk about "not serving for a date, etc." You have to remember that this is a religion that keeps reinventing itself.
I doubt if even this date will matter to most of them and they will ignore it like 1975.
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Mad Sweeney
If "most JWs" don't care about 2014, that means SOME JWs DO.
Their growth barely surpasses the birth rate in the developed world NOW. It will only get worse by 2014.
When the "generation overlap" was floated at the 2009 Borg Annual Meeting people said the same sorts of things. JWs don't care about that stuff. Most JWs will let that slide without a second glance.
But this forum has several members that left the Borg BECAUSE OF the overlap doctrine.
If you think 2014 doesn't mean anything to ANY JWs then you're wrong. Some will leave over it. I think the numbers will be at least as significant as 2000.
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Aussie Oz
I don't think 2014 will be major turning point and if the stats dive they will go back up like they always have.
The reason for the up might be different to the 70s etc because they may well cook the books so to speak.
They are reminding me of my wifes river rowing club that was established about 1900 or something... a rich long history but slowly dying from stale blood. athey have huge challenges attracting young people and most of the members are up in the 60s to 80s.
For them, it is only a matter of time.
oz
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breakfast of champions
I think MAD SWEENEY has got it right. And the advantage in 2014 over 1975 or even 2000 is THE INTERNET.
I really think the possibility of an "Arab Spring" for the WT is possible, especially with so many like myself o n the inside.
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Balaamsass
LOL - NO- I think they will "Cook the books". Look at what was done to pioneer hours to make Stats not look bad. Aux. pioneering. Publishers only require 15 MINUTES to be "Regular". If need be 15 MINUTES one time per year if needed to look good. Most congregation secretaries will do it for the publishers if will save the hassel of getting hounded by the Circuit Overseer.
In the US most of the growth come from foriegn language groups now. P.S. is JVN available in Spanish?
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EmptyInside
A Witness told me the other day,she feels the end is so close. I know we hear that a lot,but I could tell she really believed that. It could be a rude awakening as time lingers on,and no paradise.
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stillstuckcruz
I believe that the only ones who will leave MIGHT be those who were already having doubt. In 75' and other dates, such as before the 2000's, they outright stated armageddon coming on of before them. But 2014 has never been given and sort of mention. Type in 2014 in the WTlibrary and only 2 results come up...none of which have to do with anything.
I think "damage-control" was already done with the overlapping generation thing. Now it could be anytime!
But most people won't give it a second thought. So many have been through so much in the borg and taken so much through "God's organization" that at this point in time, there's nothing else for them. They will accept it and move on to other things.
Of course we can always hope......
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breakfast of champions
The spin will be (and already actually is) that we are already almost 100 years into Christ's millenial reign- how happifying! But even if you use the day=1000years nonsense, that means JC has spent the first 2+ hours his reign doing nothing.
Well not nothing, exactly. He is directing the preaching work, one of the most ineffective warning campaigns ever undertaken. When it comes down to it, most of the people ever given the warning message are already dead from old age. And in 100 years time, a mere 1/10% of the world population are true servants of god. Remarkable.