"Wondrous expansion is now taking place!" - the reality...

by cedars 26 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  cedars

  Hi everyone

  I've uploaded a new article to my blog on jwsurvey.org. It can be found at the following link:

  http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/under-the-microscope-the-watch-tower-societys-claims-to-divine-direction-part-1

  I've been inspired by recent threads on this forum to write a four-part discussion of the Watch Tower Society's claims to being divinely directed as God's sole channel of communication with humankind.

  The first article answers the question of whether worldwide expansion is evidence of divine backing.

  Using a series of illustrations and hypothetical scenarios, I go to great lengths to demonstrate how infinitesimal the number of JWs is in comparison with the Earth's population of some 7 billion, and how this fits with the carnage that would ensue if God were to destroy all those who aren't JWs.

  I also look a little closer at the "hours to baptisms" ratio, and explain how it now takes as many hours to convert someone as it takes for a baby to gestate in the womb.

  Anyway, I would be grateful of any feedback or comments as always.

  Many thanks,

  Cedars

  PS - I apologize if the title of this thread has evoked any irritating kingdom melodies!!
• 

  LostGeneration

  Nice article.

  I'm assuming in the article some of the stats are compared to a zero population growth worldwide?

  The longer Jah waits for Armageddon, the more people he has to slaughter, much more if you look at tools like this:

  http://galen.metapath.org/popclk.html

  Try plugging in a few dates in the future and you see how many more throats Jah has to slit if he delays Armageddon further...
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  cedars

  Thanks Lost Generation, I may well try that! I can always update the article once the projected figures are given.

  Cheers!

  Cedars
• 

  Londo111

  Bail the Theocracy, ever decreasing!

  Wondrous contraction is now taking place.

  Share in the hedge fund that gets greater by investing,

  And in the real estate work gladly take part.

  Boldly warn those who are the Slave’s name defaming;

  Tell all such men 2014 is nigh.

  And all the while the generation keeps overlapping

  shun the conscientious ones who sigh.
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  Phizzy

  Well done as usual Cedars, just one addition I would like to see, the time it takes to make one convert, put in terms of how long it would take a 10hour a month publisher, I think that has a much bigger impact on active JW's to read.

  They then think to themselves, " if I did 10hrs a month, chances are I'll not make ONE disciple in my lifetime !"

  They then begin to see that the Dto D work is not what is billed as, a "life-saving work".
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  cedars

  Thanks Phizzy, that's a great idea. I'll include that angle when I next get a moment to edit the article.

  Cedars
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  baltar447

  I love that. If you're a 10 hour a month publisher, it will take you 54 YEARS to make on convert. If you are a regular pioneer you'd make one convert for approx every 7.7 years of nonstop preaching at 70 hours per month. [if my math is off, please let me know]

  These figure ALONE prove the futility of the whole d2d work.
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  cantleave

  LMAO Londo111 - I now have that crappy tune going round my head!
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  cedars

  I've taken up Phizzy's excellent suggestion, and amended the article to reflect how long it takes, on average, to produce a new convert in real terms. The average hours-per-month for each publisher, based on the worldwide report, is 18 (which took me by surprise). Based on this amount of monthly hours, it takes 30 years (360 months) on average to produce each new convert.

  Astonishing stuff. And they told us the "truth" was simple!

  Cedars
• 

  irondork

  Very nicely done!

  Do you honestly believe that only one in every 500 people would be considered by Jesus as being a good person, worthy of salvation?

  I can hear a JW answer "yes" to this, citing the conversation between Jehovah and Abraham prior to the destruction of Sod′om, Go·mor′rah, Ad′mah, Ze·boi′im and Be′la.

  The other thing that caught my eye was the assumed rate of 2.4% growth as a constant, moving into the future. I understand too much data would cloud the point you were making with long term projections, but I wonder if a one-sentence statement on how that growth figure has plummeted over the last several years might impact the overall sense of futility in the JW inclination to be excited about future growth. Just my .02