The reason behind why the ex-JW community can never match Jehovah's Witnesses' success.

by Stand for Pure Worship 187 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  jgnat

  Let's play scripture.

  Matt 10:34-37

  34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn

  “‘a man against his father,
  a daughter against her mother,
  a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
  36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ [a]

  37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

  On that premise then, which religion is the most warlike? Muslims have the Witnesses beat on that score.
• 

  Suraj Khan

  Absolutely disingenous. People have and will continue to be DF'd for visiting apostate websites to do their own diligence with research. As you might yourself if your activity were ever discovered.

  Regarding the Governing Body, eight men have just as much capacity to be wrong as one man. Numbers alone guarantee nothing. You also should have done your research before making such a statement: while the Scientologists are indeed led by one man (David Miscavige), the Mormons are led by several, including the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church and Quorum of the Twelve as governing bodies. Sounds like more 'checks and balances' to me than the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses.

  And why would checks and balances be necessary at all if Jehovah's blessing was upon them as the Faithful and Discreet Slave? I can't imagine rancor or dissension would be possible if all of them were blessed with the same Holy Spirit.
• 

  Giordano

  You need to sit down before you read this: http://ed5015.tripod.com/JwPewSurvey121.htm

  The findings related to Jehovah's Witnesses

  One major finding was that Jehovah’s Witnesses “had the lowest retention rate of any religious tradition” – only 37 percent of those who were reared Jehovah’s Witnesses still identified themselves as Witnesses as adults (2008, p. 26).

  Education

  The Witnesses had one of the lowest levels of education of all the religions surveyed. Nineteen percent had only a high school education or less, the lowest education level of all religions surveyed (p. 56).

  Income

  About half (42 percent) of the Jehovah's Witnesses had incomes below 30,000 and only nine percent had incomes above 100,000 dollars. Only those involved in historically black churches had incomes below the Witnesses (p. 60).

  Also of interest is the fact that 14 percent of the Witnesses were divorced or separated, higher than all groups except historically black churches and “other faiths” (p. 67). No doubt the strain of Witness teaching also strains mixed marriages.

  Summary

  This extensive survey confirms several common perceptions about the Witnesses. They tend to be female, poorly educated, and in a lower income bracket then the general population. They also tend to leave the religion of their upbringing more often than members of most churches. This is not unexpected considering the conflicts that Witnesses have with society and the pull of the secular values in modern culture on Witnesses youth, a pull which is also true of all youth.

  Reference.

  Miller, Tracy (Editor). 2008. U.S. Religious Landscape Survey. Washington, D.C.: The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
• 

  Stand for Pure Worship

  Jgnat, who said the sword Christ spoke up was meant to be taken, literally? If I were to call you a son of a gun, that doesn't mean you were the seed of a literal pistol.
• 

  braincleaned

  Love it redvip2000! :D
  
  // Nobody can get DFd for studying or researching with outside sources. // The mountain of disingenuous bullshit that can be swallowed by some is facinating to me.
  Of course, they can't hold it and HAVE to puke it all on us!
  
  Okay, I have better things to do that debate a robodude governed by the BORG.
• 

  Dagney

  An average of five Kingdom Halls being constructed daily, almost 8 million brothers and sisters, dissemination of Bible literature in 595 languages, 111,795 congregations worldwide, distribution of 179 million Bibles available in 116 languages, 239 countries where Jehovah's Witnesses have a presence, etc.. Need I go on?

  On the other hand........... Crisis of Conscience, FreeMinds, The AWAA, Jw.net, ummmmmm........hmmm........IDK Six Screens or something? Not exactly working out for you guys. Acts 5:38, 39 come to mind.

  Apples and oranges. But I'm sure you are smart enough to know that.

  Give it another 5 years and they will be force building the same KH's again and collecting the payments from the same people. Poor kids. The RBC is a scam.
• 

  jgnat

  Let's say for argument's sake that the mark of a "true" Christian community is not warlike tendencies and shunning, but love. Are there scriptures to back this up?

  They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. - Acts 2:42-47 - NIV

  22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23 - NIV

  1 If I speak in the tongues a of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, b but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. - 1 Corinthians 13:1-10 - NIV

  41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life - Matthew 25:41-46 - NIV
• 

  jgnat

  Are you saying that scripture is not admonishing the disciples to be prepared for battle?
• 

  BizzyBee

  Almost eight million JWs?

  And how many ex-JWs do you suppose there are?

  Based on what we see here, I would guess that at least 50% of JWs are just going througth the motions in order to preserve family relationships - "hostages."
• 

  Stand for Pure Worship

  Giordano,

  One major finding was that Jehovah’s Witnesses “had the lowest retention rate of any religious tradition” – only 37 percent of those who were reared Jehovah’s Witnesses still identified themselves as Witnesses as adults (2008, p. 26).

  Matt 7:13, 14 stated that the far majority of mankind would be on the side of opposers. Why should we expect anything less within this time considering Satan has increased his attacks. He does so just like a roaring lion, and what kind of prey do predators such as lions go after? The inexperienced, the young, the weak, the ones who've strayed from the flock.-1 Pet 5:8

  The Witnesses had one of the lowest levels of education of all the religions surveyed. Nineteen percent had only a high school education or less, the lowest education level of all religions surveyed (p. 56).

  The apostles had limited education but no one in their right mind would deny that God was using them with the exception of the religious leaders in that day who were concerned about their own position.-Acts 4:13

  About half (42 percent) of the Jehovah's Witnesses had incomes below 30,000 and only nine percent had incomes above 100,000 dollars. Only those involved in historically black churches had incomes below the Witnesses (p. 60).

  Jesus indicated that he was of little means, but that's what kept his focus where it needed to be.-Luke 9:58; Paul set the fine example in that Christians have to support themselves, but we only seek to earn as much as is needed to further Kingdom interests-2 Thess 3:10

  Also of interest is the fact that 14 percent of the Witnesses were divorced or separated, higher than all groups except historically black churches and “other faiths” (p. 67). No doubt the strain of Witness teaching also strains mixed marriages.

  2 Cor 6:14 reminds us to avoid becoming unevenly yoked. Certainly the majority of those in this study you've linked Giordano, were ones that became believers after already being married. Jehovah's Witnesses certainly don't encourage divorce in situations like this.-Malachi 2:16; We'd like to see the spouse take notice of the good Christian qualities manifest by his/her wife and then act upon it appropriately-1 Pet 3:1