....and don't forget that many of those baptized could have gotten baptized awhile ago, but may have wanted to wait for the international convention or might even have been asked to wait. In other words- the percentage this year was reflective of an unusually higher number.
International Conventions
by tenyearsafter 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Listener
Also, the average age of those getting baptized is probably getting younger and younger, so the declines will be noticed more and more in following years.
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AnnOMaly
Because of the 'centenary of the Messianic kingdom' hype, along with all the new, shiny things being dangled in front of the r&f at the moment, I would not be at all surprised if there is a spike in baptism figures for 2014.
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ikhandi
I was there and was shocked at what looked very small children getting baptized. They are certainly getting them young.
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Ocean1111
The real growth is in stumbled and disillusioned people and JWs. And not by "theological" reasons, but by Bethel scandals, unscriptural policies and questionable alliances (UN NGO). (Bethel's actual "growth" could actually be a decline easily sold off with the baptismal rate, that is miniscule in context of the scale of the loss. Saying four times as many people are stumbled away from "the truth" is conservative. There may be more stumbled and disgusted people than there have ever been JWs since 1930.)
Thus the entire nature of "the opposition" has also shifted more and more to using Bethel's lawless record to establish discredibility. In effect Bethel's own merely denied lawless policy structure and dictatorial hierarchy is their own worst enemy. People are fleeing for good reason, Bethel is criminal by it's own record, not "theology".
Thus most people do not see this twenty year old transformation. (2Cor11:13-15) And in effect JWs and their critics are both subverted from comprehending what is really happening, Bethel is exposing themselves, by their own rules on "Christendom", as the latest classic apostasy.
Bethel has a technique to divert this awareness of their own major apostasy. They shift focus to the opposition.
It is so ingenious to be beyond "accidental". The transformation of the overall Bethel condition also shows intelligent design, rather than the surreal hypocrisy and stupidity they project as but another veneer to conceal the Biblical apostasy that always applies to the leadership in history, not the man on the street, or whipped and beaten sheep in the pews. It is Bethel itself that is the core apostasy among Jehovah's witnesses.
Thus focus on others and projecting surreal stupidity aids concealing the development, and it's gradual implementation is why it is not recognized by many.
To see the brilliance of the diversions and cover up is to indicate a design is at work, just as thorough as any organized religious brainwash on earth. It is now by it's own descriptions a "part of Babylon the Great" and "rides the wildbeast" real-time as the latest "new girl on the street".
It is just interesting how people are incensed about Bethel, but are not seeing Bethel is defining their own apostasy, by their own rules of apostasy in past cases, that forms in the "priesthood", that is the big defection that occurred in Israel and organized institutional mainstream Christianity.
Bethel also has a theological fictionally applied framework to further conceal their downfall as "prophecy fulfilling", but it won't be the prophecy JWs are misled to believe will be fulfilling.
So Bethel to have all this, and a theological "self fulfilling prophecy" that can cover Bethel's legal "desolation", is showing design, an organized subversion. Now Bethel to go into heightened legal justice for various criminal policies in writing and practice, can be sold to JWs as "the world's attack", when it is actually Bethel's own criminal activity that will aid Bethel's legal problems of the future, that are merely state justice being applied to pedophile harborers and dictators of life and death commands that have affected human life and death in some cases.(Bethel inquisitional overkill and capture of the JW conscience is how this kind of liability formed. Had they just let people's own conscience dictate their own decisions, then Bethel would not have liability written into their policy "commands of men". The disfellowshipping complex of overkill is what is Bethel's own gallows).
It is as if Bethel has set-up and documented as policy that leg of their legal deconstruction. They are an overdue global target for many many lawsuits. In my opinion it will be in the context of major financial set-ups that will also aid the seizure of Bethel for legal reasons, not the "attack on Babylon the Great" that Bethel has set up to sell that downfall aided from within, to JWs a "prophecy is fulfilling brothers!"
Thus Bethel also has a well inculcated "prophetic" smokescreen in place as well.
It is Bethel, not the world, that is bringing its own self down, and they want to sell that to JWs in their well engineered "self fulfilling prophecy" by misapplied and fragmented "Bible prophecy" as the fault of someone else as a "persecution", when in fact Bethel's own criminal network is merely being prosecuted globally however that must unfold, FOR IT'S OWN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
Now a growing wave of public disgust with Bethel will also aid the set-up and fervor to see it all as legal justice from the national legal powers who clearly see the Bethel humpty dumpty set up on their own wall for accelerated deconstruction when the national debt condition starts to really unwind in more serious ways globally.
Bethel is a bowling pin and they set themselves at the head of the rack. The final diversion is selling that legal justice as "the attack of the Assyrian". In Bethel's case the "Assyrian" has every right to shut down that corporate criminal racket, it is not "persecution", in Bethel's case it is justice long overdue. -
eyeuse2badub
attending Long Beach convention. 9,000 in attendance, 40 got dipped. .4 %. LOL
jujst saying!
eyeuse2bDUB
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tenyearsafter
eyeuse2bDUB...that baptism percentage is lower than the average death rate...tough to grow when members are dying faster than they can be replaced!
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Dismissing servant
Some new figures. At the international/scandinavian convetion i Stockholm there were some 400 who jumped in the pool out of some 55 000 attendants. Less than 0,8% -
steve2
There is a separate thread on the Stockholm convention - but I don't know how to include links.