by exjdub 57 Replies latest jw friends
In early 1990s they said that there are about 5 million jws in the world. By year 2000 it became 6 million. There hasn't been much growth in the U.S. according to their kingdom ministry newsletter. But other ethnic congregations are growing, so I was told by my mother whose congregation splitted in to 2.
I think many people already know that the WTS is a cult, but they don't know how dangerous it is, though.
"If this is of God, it will endure, if not, it can do little harm." Queen Elizabeth; regarding another "upstart" religion. Unfortunately, it does do harm to many folk, and for this, it's fate is sealed. How long that will take and how soon it will fracture, I have no idea, but I do agree that this infernal electronic machine will be the vehichle of its demise. Knowledge produces freedom, whether gained with ease or fought for inch-by-inch.
Personally, I could care less. What will be, will be!
carmel of the "detached" class
Actually, they're NOT big, and they ain't getting any bigger. There's been 6 million Witnesses earth-wide for nearly 10 years........virtually NO growth at all
Ten years ago there were 4.7 million Witnesses compared to the more than 6.5 million today. They are dispersed around the world; many religons are not.
The only place where there's any sort of growth is in Third World countries where the people have absolutely no idea about what goes on behind closed doors.
They are growing in Central and South America and Africa. Also they are really growing in Eastern Europe.
By all accounts it is considered either a sect or a cult by most.
You know this isn't true.
Huh??? Really growing in eastern Europe????
They are dispersed around the world; many religons are not.
Which major one isn't??
Of course, as they diminish in numbers, the WTBTS will just print study articles claiming that it's the 'prophecy' coming to be that in the last days the 'love of the greater number will be scarce'.
DY
At the moment they are too wealthy -- they have huge buildings around the world --sell them - improve cash flow - distribute magazines from Paterson, London, Brazil and Germany possibly Japan -- close all other branches, sell off the property -- they are a long way from being finished - unless those child abuse lawsuite really start to hurt IMHO
Am I selfish for hoping the WTBTS doesn't make a gradual smooth change in which they can abbandon their falsehood without causing too much of a stir, and fit in with mainstream christianity? I hope they don't! I hope they fall flat on their life destroying asses.....that's what I hope!
Would anyone want to see Hitler make it through a court system in which he could come to be in good standing as a human once again? The attrocities commited by this Organisation doesn't deserve to go unaccounted for. I hope they fall like a rock when and if they do, in my lifetime. To be able to see them disolve would give many great pleasure.
Gumby
There is one growth area that makes me nervous. In Africa and other disturbed areas of the world, the Catholic church still holds sway, chaos or death are knocking and the door, and it really does seem that the end of the world is coming. They do not have easy access to the internet to fully investigate WT claims. These places are fertile fields for the WT message.
I disagree with this. When I was in Africa there were large numbers of Christian faiths who preached against the JW's. Even though the internet isn't as widely available there as it is here, they are still connected. The major towns have internet connections in Universities, libraries and internet cafes. We stayed in a tented camping lodge in the middle of the Mara and still had AOL connection available in the main building.
Devon
The WTS is offering people a product (religion)... I'm inclined to think that the WTS has simply saturated the markets in most of the western countries. Places like Africa are new markets that they are just now starting to really exploit. In time those markets will be saturated to. They are like any other company that sells things to a given population... you can only sell so many refrigerators to a given population before your sales start to plateau and go down.
Once all of the markets are saturated, the WTS will stabilize as a small marginal cult.
Am I selfish for hoping the WTBTS doesn't make a gradual smooth change in which they can abbandon their falsehood without causing too much of a stir, and fit in with mainstream christianity? I hope they don't! I hope they fall flat on their life destroying asses.....that's what I hope!
Gumby,
I guess that is why I started the discussion in the first place, because I also wish they would fall flat. Alas, I think that it is just wishful thinking, but we can always hope.
