I have updated the article at Memorial Partakers with the figures released for 2014. No surprises here, it has risen yet again, this time by 6% over last year, and is now 14,121.
2014 increase in Memorial Partakers to 14,121
by jwfacts 56 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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prologos
many are called, few are chosen.
time to bring back the "replacement" theory?
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little_Socrates
What would be fascinating if some one wanted to do the research (if it was even possible) I want to know how many cumulative unique people have partaken over the years. The over/under would be 144K. Do think the real number is higher or lower? -
Finkelstein
I'll put forth a previous suggestion of my own toward why this apparent increase.
There are two connecting reasons in my personal observation, one being that yes there is a slight increase of JWS world wide but most importantly that there are many JWS who are now in their senior years who may also been a JWS for many years, perhaps all of their lives.
This long time devotion creates within themselves a greater spiritual stature in their own perception unto themselves, in a sense they personally think they deserve to be anointed for their long time of faithful devotion . Add in the fact that they know they are coming close to the end of their lives this might further influence this wanting desire.
Something to consider given that the organization has never had this amount of elderly people as in great numbers in the organization's entire history.
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Simon
What changed in 2006 / 07 ?
I presume they had some flash of new-light that meant checking the different box now made sense?
{ X ] Yes please - put me down for heaven !
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OneEyedJoe
Simon - in 2007 they gave the new light that the anointed weren't sealed in 1935. So I guess they declared open season on the heavenly calling and quite a few deciced they were worthy. -
AndDontCallMeShirley
All it means, according to WT's view of its own people, is that the number of JWs with mental problems is increasing:
w11 8/15 p. 22 Questions From Readers
Memorial partakers. This is the number of baptized individuals who partake of the emblems at the Memorial worldwide. Does this total represent the number of anointed ones on earth? Not necessarily. A number of factors—including past religious beliefs or even mental or emotional imbalance—might cause some to assume mistakenly that they have the heavenly calling.
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Magnum
How do JWs explain this? In a fairly recent publication didn't the org say something to the effect that a lot of the new partakers are mentally unstable? If so, what does that mean - that half or more of the partakers are cuckoo? This situation is just not working out the way it was supposed to according to JW theology. It's 2015 and the number of partakers is still going up!
EDIT: I hadn't seen ADCMS's post when I wrote the above about mental instability.
P.S. It seems that the number (144,000) should have been filled in the first century. There were several thousand added at Pentecost 33 C.E. alone.
P.S. I've personally known nine partakers. One was an elder who got disfellowshipped and quit coming to meetings. One was judicially reproved and removed as an elder and quit partaking. Three are hillbilly hicks. And the remaining ones are highly questionable; they're oddballs.
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Finkelstein
Yes what an ironic occurrence in that the WTS could see the climbing numbers of the anointed, so what did they do ? they came up with a doctrine to support that increasing number by saying .... hey you know what, god just told us through his holy spirit that the number was not closed in 1935 so that is the reason for the increase we have today.
Thank you god for that timely light.
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jwleaks
w11 8/15 p. 22 Questions From Readers
Memorial partakers. . . . mental or emotional imbalance—might cause some to assume mistakenly that they have the heavenly calling.
Mental imbalance = Balance Disorder = related to the brain = mental disease
And they have the audacity to call former members "mentally diseased".