1995 was to the next generations 1975. The Borg recovered from 1975 but do to the internet really picking up steam in 2000 the Borg is not recovering from 1995. They have quit trying to push for huge numbers of recruits in third world countries and are now just focusing on trying to retain members in countries like the US, Canada and western Europe. There is a YouTube channel called Mike and Kim and they have only about a thousand subscribers but are always reporting the numbers of those that have contacted them that say they have quit the Borg. These numbers are telling. I believe the Borg is loosing a lot more members then we are being told by their published numbers. Its also worth mentioning that countries that had huge growth not to long ago countries like Japan and Brazil, their numbers are now stagnant. The internet is having a huge effect!
2005 - The year the Society began its decline (without anyone noticing)!
by cedars 112 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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notsurewheretogo
I'll play Devil's Advocate on this and advise that EVERY company is doing what the WT is doing, slashing costs, cutting operations etc...it's the way of things at the moment...very few companies are actually in growth to the extent pre-world recession.
Whilst the WT has to slash costs because of factors Cedars mentions they are not the sole factor...I work in the publishing industry and the entire publishing industry is struggling with many publishing companies slashing costs or outsourcing departments...
I think to look at the decline of the WT in terms of them closing branches or cutting costs as as sign that they themselves are in decline is not entirely true, the WT, is in effect, a publishing company as the cost to print soars (ink and paper are going through the roof) then the WT simply has to do what all other publishing companies are doing and cut costs.
Of course, other publishing companies don't have to worry about falling donations or child abuse compensation...
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Fisherman
Actually, at the turn of the century, WT stopped mail subscription to the mags. People noticed something amiss, they just did not publish it. People also noticed how the tax threat on "placed" literature affected contributions- tax threat on parking, tax threat on food served at assemblies- This also affected the abundance of literature available and distributed freely for years. It costs money to print and publish books and to run and finance an organization. The government put a stop to the WT major forms of funding. The purpose of the JW movement, preaching work and literature distribution was to announce Christ's invisible presence (God's Kingdom) to the generation that "saw the sign." That generation is almost non existent (run out of Bible meanings for generation.) 100 years or so is about the absolute max time to announce that there is a new sheriff in town. It seems to me that the wt is not going to preach and distribute literature for another 100 years. There is really not much more to say in terms of deciphering the Bible message and the interpretation of Bible prophecy and prophetic books. Throughout the 100 years of preaching, the WT has been publishing its research and findings and new findings. Everything has been said and published. Another factor in the equation is that internet has severely affected the printed page. No one needs to go to the library any more and read through books to extract information, just Google it This has affected all printing of books including the WT publishing. In most modern countries people just go to the internet and get all the information they want. All of the JW message is being broadcast over the net 24/7/360. True, a lot of people still read the printed page, but even the old timers in the KH have tablets.
The WT factory buildings in NY and other WT properties in the Heights are located in a prime and most desirable and most expensive residential area. NYC also needs housing. Laws are being passes, and pressure is being put on commercial properties located by the NY harbor. The WT does not need to be located in an affluent residential real estate area.
Despite many efforts throughout the 20th century to stop JW, they all failed. And the JW marched triumphantly every day for almost a century through the Court streets in Brooklyn, and the WT buildings towered over and overlooked all of the Courts in downtown, and every judge and counselor must notice the WT. The WT does need to run the org anymore from the Heights. Since that generation that looked at the WT is all just about dead, WT has moved to a more suitable location yet higher than Brooklyn Heights.