What happened in 97-98 to reduce the increase?

by Splash 22 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Splash

  Looking at the yearly stats, it's apparent that something happened in 1997/98 which caused the increase %ge to drop off a cliff and remain low.

  Take a look:

  YEAR	PEAK PUBS	INCREASE	INCREASE %
  1981-82	2,477,608	115,712	4.899
  1982-83	2,652,323	174,715	7.052
  1983-84	2,842,531	190,208	7.171
  1984-85	3,024,131	181,600	6.389
  1985-86	3,229,022	204,891	6.775
  1986-87	3,395,612	166,590	5.159
  1987-88	3,592,654	197,042	5.803
  1988-89	3,787,188	194,534	5.415
  1989-90	4,017,213	230,025	6.074
  1990-91	4,278,820	261,607	6.512
  1991-92	4,472,787	193,967	4.533
  1992-93	4,709,889	237,102	5.301
  1993-94	4,914,094	204,205	4.336
  1994-95	5,199,895	285,801	5.816
  1995-96	5,413,769	213,874	4.113
  1996-97	5,599,931	186,162	3.439
  1997-98	5,888,650	288,719	5.156
  1998-99	5,912,492	23,842	0.405
  1999-00	6,035,564	123,072	2.082
  2000-01	6,117,666	82,102	1.360
  2001-02	6,304,645	186,979	3.056
  2002-03	6,429,351	124,706	1.978
  2003-04	6,513,132	83,781	1.303
  2004-05	6,613,829	100,697	1.546
  2005-06	6,741,444	127,615	1.930
  2006-07	6,957,854	216,410	3.210
  2007-08	7,124,443	166,589	2.394
  2008-09	7,313,173	188,730	2.649
  2009-10	7,508,050	194,877	2.665
  2010-11	7,659,019	150,969	2.011
  2011-12	7,782,346	123,327	1.610

  Anyone know why this was?

  Splash
• 

  Julia Orwell

  Absolutely! The generation change in 1995. It took a few years to sink in , but a lot left or went inactive in the following five years as a result of the 1995 generation change.
• 

  zeb

  Perhaps people who had children in '75 were still 'in' when their little kids became young adults 1998 who were leaving and going out into the world and making their own way. I didnt put that very well did I. The 75 ers kids grew up and left then so did the mum and dad.
• 

  88JM

  The internet.
• 

  Julia Orwell

  According to a bit of a survey I took on JWN, those who left over the 1995 thing took up to 2000 to actually grasp it and fade. Some left earlier in 95, 96, but ty were out by 2000 at the latest. I'd post the thread I started on it if I wasn't using my phone n knew how to copy n paste links on this contraption.
• 

  rmt1

  I got out in 1999 and AOL enabled me to realize and appreciate that there were good souls out there that had nothing to do with JWs. Combined with knowing, and having known for a long damn time, that it was all BS, this use of the Internet allowed me to get out with confidence that my social prospect was not doomed forever.
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  I believe 1995's change in "generation" had more to do with it than anything else. You had many waking up. Also, many members stopped taking "soon" so seriously for Armageddon and may have reduced their actual effort to reach new recruits in the door-to-door work.
• 

  WTWizard

  Most likely it was a combination of things. Back when I first joined the cancer, I thought the religion was "privileged information". The Internet blew that, along with that this information kept changing. "A generation" probably helped, but it was the Internet that blew it for studies. Once they find out that the witlesses are not "privileged information" but simply rubbish, they quit studying or refused to accept any littera-trash. Not to mention, if they find out that the jokehovian witless religion actually currently has connections with the Agenda 21 crap, and the members are not told about it, there goes the "privileged information".
• 

  notsurewheretogo

  Are we sure it's not a typo?
• 

  LongHairGal

  Splash:

  I would have to agree with most of the other posters who say it is the aftermath of the 1995 changed teaching on "generation" sinking in.

  This was serious business and a linch-pin teaching like this one was just pulled out from under everybody like it was nothing. These bastards insulted everybody's intelligence one too many times.

  This teaching did it for me and I started my "fade" the end of 2000. They weren't playing with my head anymore. I knew it was time to abandon this ridiculous religion.