Now all they have to rely on in born ins to carry their water
Not really LG, it's been mentioned here several times that the young folks these days are leaving as quickly as they can
Trend of Fewer Baptisms Continues: Latest JW Conventions in New Zealand
by steve2 43 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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james_woods
Good point James - although I'd add it is not so much producing fewer offspring but fewer offspring who take the step of baptism and/or even remain in the religion.
That is probably still true for now - certainly was true for the past 2 or 3 decades. But eventually, without a demographically normal segment which is of child-bearing age, (as the young ones leave) - they will indeed have far fewer offspring and accelerate the downward trend.
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steve2
Back in the 50's through the 70's, at least they had ideas, energy, and a viable business mode.
Well said Lostgeneration. They had a message of some substance in earlier decades. I recall how riveting I found the 1960s publication Babylon the Great Has Fallen! God's Kingdom Rules - it was several hundred pages long - more than 500 I think. It provided an in-depth appraisal of history - sure it was heavily framed by the Watchtower lens and gleefully described the "imminent" end of "false" religion and human government, but it credited the reader with active brain cells and a longer attention span than that of a gnat. JWs really knew how to stand their ground in doctrinal arguments too. Today, they turn and run at the first whif of a half-decent question.
In recent years, there's been a veritable dumbing-down of the published information - and even that level of prose is a challenge to many of the rank and file - judging by the increasing trend towards simplifying - and further distorting - more complex issues.
From a relatively exciting and innovative - even if wacky - religious organization to a lumbering, tired one that provides increasing evidence that it would be better renamed the Watchtower Stagnation Central Society.
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man oh man
I wish they would turn the baptism talk into an unbaptism talk. I would volunteer to be a candidate!
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Roberta804
Steve2, you wrote:
Well said Lostgeneration. They had a message of some substance in earlier decades. I recall how riveting I found the 1960s publication Babylon the Great Has Fallen! God's Kingdom Rules - it was several hundred pages long - more than 500 I think. It provided an in-depth appraisal of history - sure it was heavily framed by the Watchtower lens and gleefully described the "imminent" end of "false" religion and human government, but it credited the reader with active brain cells and a longer attention span than that of a gnat. JWs really knew how to stand their ground in doctrinal arguments too. Today, they turn and run at the first whif of a half-decent question.
Oh do I remember that book for the Tuesday night book study. I think they went though it 4 or 5 times. It was greatly inaccurate history-wise, but at least it was history and those who thought they understood it walked around with big heads. The entire exercise was the lead up to 1975.
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steve2
Oh do I remember that book for the Tuesday night book study. I think they went though it 4 or 5 times. It was greatly inaccurate history-wise, but at least it was history and those who thought they understood it walked around with big heads. The entire exercise was the lead up to 1975.
Yes Roberta804, it certainly was a greatly inaccurate tome - but at least back then the big-headed JWs proudly owned what they read and zealously argued and defended their beliefs - even apparently "informed" householders would have a job responding to the JWs arguments back then.
I recall going door to door with a few of the more intense witnesses and boy did they gleefully demolish the counterarguments of householders (I also recall inwardly wincing at some of the witnesses' overbearing approaches).
I'm relieved that - at least in my opinion - I never sought to emulate the argumentative approaches of the hardline witnesses back then. Even at my most zealous in the ministry, I was always a bit of a softly-softly door-knocker - yet, when pushed by a rudely argumentative householder, I could more than hold my own in arguments.
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pontoon
I was baptized in 1968 at 16 yrs old. I shouldn't have been but all the other kids my age were so I did too. But also the sense of urgency at that time was real, even for me a not very serious or spiritual person. Even if you were going to every meeting, out in service, no secret sins, your're not going to survive Armeggdon unless your baptized. Remember, the Noah's Ark pictured baptism. I don't believe that same sense of urgency is felt today.
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PaintedToeNail
These figures show the convert rate is quite low...plus, in years past, they had Watchtower articles about 'Responsible Childbearing' and they actively discourage people from having kids, as kids took time away from pioneering. I bet now they wish they had encouraged having kids, so there would be someone to get baptised!
So many couples in my age group put off having kids until the "New System" or "New World", now some I've talked to wish they hadn't taken the Borg's advice, and had families.
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ShirleyW
I remember the Babylon book too at the Tuesday night study, I just a kid then, even the Dubs had to admit it was a tough book to follow. All that studying and trying to get the true understanding of a book that was full of inacurracies, but then that described all their publications
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Splash
At our last CA we baptised a 10 yr old.
Helping in the changing rooms afterwards he culdnt do his own tie up.
Splash.