2004 Natinal Council of Churches Yearbook

by Amazing1914 34 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  gumby

  This is a little off subject but.......you know what depresses me? The fact that the Catholic Church has had more negative media exposer than David Koresh......and they STILL grow in numbers. This is one reason I never get too exited when a big scandle is uncovered in dubland. People think...."oh boy, the dubs are going to crumble after people hear about this big event"!!! (whatever the new event is)

  Sadly, all this uncovering of the dubs doesn't seem to stop them, although many escape the cult from the exposer......they still prosper and funtion. They are like weeds that even "doomsday" will not completely destroy.......they just come back again.

  Gumby
• 

  XQsThaiPoes

  That helps my case that the GB is trying to slow the growth of JWs to retain control. The JW growth is retarded. The seem to like to DF or DA anyone that stays long enought to catch on and change things or make the religion so burdensome by proxy that most people leave after the place a few 100 mags.
• 

  jgnat

  Yeru, I do think we can compare the two organizations, though their agendas and structure are very different. This is the way I see it:

  FOF - Large non-profit publishing company.
  WTS - Large non-profit publishing company.
  FOF - 86% of income from contributions (FOF suggest donations for their products, but their flagship magazine arrives free forever, once you request it)
  WTS - assume majority of income is from contributions
  FOF - publishes their financial statements
  WTS - does not publish their financial statements
  FOF - magazines go to 2.3 million people a month - on request
  WTS - Watchtower article circulation 16 million - distributed free, cold-call, by congregation members. Also, all 6 million members are required to keep a copy to study.
  FOF - Founded 1977.
  WTS - Founded 1884.
  FOF - Non-denominational, encourages subscribers to first support their local church.
  WTS - Single organization, encourages members NOT to associate with any other group, and discourages outside reading.
  FOF - offer tours of their Administration and Operations buildings in Colorado Springs.
  WTS - offer tours of their facilities in Wallkill and Brooklyn.

  You may be right about FOF contracting out it's printing, but I remember clearly they build a significant property a few years ago, consolidating their organization somewhat. That is why I included the link. They spent 50 million on building improvements last year.

  From my point of view, the WTS and it's publications are stale, compared to the relatively youthful FOF.
• 

  Joker10

  I can't agree, especially in the case of Southern Baptists.

  Take a look at this: http://www.adherents.com/largecom/baptist_fewerSBC.html

  Mormons : Sociologist Armand Mauss states that "75 percent of foreign [LDS] converts are not attending church within a year of conversion. In the United States, 50 percent of the converts fail to attend after a year." 88 Website: http://www.cumorah.com/report.html
• 

  Nosferatu

  Joker10, that really doesn't have much backing since the WTS includes people who are inactive.
• 

  RunningMan

  since the WTS includes people who are inactive.

  Actually, no they don't. They count only the number of slips received during the month. If you are inactive and put in a report, you are no longer inactive. However, individual Witnesses pad their numbers, sometimes outright fabricating them. I know this for a fact, because I did it.
• 

  RunningMan

  since the WTS includes people who are inactive.

  Actually, no they don't. They count only the number of slips received during the month. If you are inactive and put in a report, you are no longer inactive. However, individual Witnesses pad their numbers, sometimes outright fabricating them. I know this for a fact, because I did it.
• 

  logansrun

  Sorry, but I'm inclined to think that the Catholic Church does count infants and anyone who has ever been baptized as part of the Church. The same might go for other Churches as well.

  Over all, there is possibly no other major religion that is so incredibly preoccupied and pedantic with numbers. Blondie said the JWs baptize six year olds. While true, that is still a rarity. I'm inclined to think the JWs are pretty accurate about their figures. I cannot say the same for other religions.

  FLASH -- This does not mean I'm a Watchtower apologist or feel they are right about a lot of things. I just feel it's unfair to think the JWs are wrong or silly about everything about them.

  As for the "Focus on the Family" and other such nonsense: Were those buildings built with volunteer labor? What type of profit do they make on their literature, programming, etc. ? Personally, I find the JWs to be a little more righteous then the Evangelicals when it comes to money. Or most religions for that matter.

  Bradley
• 

  blondie

  One thing to remember is that the WTS counts unbaptized publishers although they are not official members. That includes minor children as young as 5. Most families are "pressured" to have all their family members either baptized or in the unbaptized publisher status. If you consider the ones who turn in phantom hours and inflated hours...

  They also count irregular publishers that can spend as little as 2 hours (1/2 hour if elderly) over a 12 month period. It was no surprise that the WTS used to push pioneering and getting out in the service program in the months of April and then 6 months later in October to get those irregular people out so they don't fall into the inactive class.

  Blondie
• 

  logansrun

  So, what's your point Blondie? That there really aren't somewhere in the neighberhood of 6 million people who generally follow the Witness belief system and lifestyle? Is that what your saying? If so, I tend to disagree.

  Bradley....(gently shouts: Publishers as young as 5 are the exception to the rule. Beware the composition fallacy)