Dad said JW's number 6.5 million and are growing -- can anyone verify this?

by Gopher 26 Replies latest jw friends

  • willyloman
    willyloman

    Every time this topic comes up, we are treated to a lengthy analysis of the numbers. In the end, the consensus is always the same: The dubs are growing, but not very fast. I'd add a couple of caveats to this discussion:

    1. Most of the growth is from children of JWs, baptized in their early teens (or before), whose level of life long commitment is suspect.

    2. The growth of JWs, whatever it is, 1%, 2%, 3%, is almost always the same or less than the average population growth on the planet, which means they are NOT gaining on the rest of the world.

    3. We already know their OTHER numbers are suspect (hours reported in preaching, for example, which raises questions about the number of "publishers" who turn in time -- some report time when they weren't really active in the work). Why should we believe any of their reports are accurate? They are not above manufacturing "growth" (i.e., the 15-minute field service provision which artifically added about 2% to the number of publishers last year).

    4. Finally, there is no question their growth has slowed, especially in countries like ours. Almost all the growth I've ever "witnessed" in the past two decades is from JWs moving into the territory and attending a new hall, NOT from converts from the field. In my last two KHs, spanning a period of several years, I can only think of a handful of people who moved into the congregation who were actually "new" witnesses; they were all either move-ins or formerly active dubs who'd been reactivated in some fashion (and what a revolving door that is).

    In summary, I am not concerned over whether JWs grow or not. Unless they start growing at 10% a year, I see no cause for alarm. They will, at present growth rates, continue to be a small blip on the screen among the world's religions, hardly worth anyone's notice. If they were growing at the rate of the Mormon church (as was mentioned on another thread), and were organized to flex their political muscles, that would be a concern. In Under the Banner of Heaven, author Jon Krakauer cites a sociologist who says that by the end of this century, the U.S. Government won't be able to pass any legislation without approval from the LDS church because of their rapid growth. This is due to the fact that they register to vote and vote the way they're told.

  • blondie
    blondie

    I might add that in 1975, 5,674 were added weekly to the ranks and how many JWs worldwide were there then? Only 2,179,256.

    6.5 million bringing in 5,000/week

    compared to

    2.2 million bringing in 5,674/week

    Hmmm.....

  • dh
    dh
    But if numbers were proof that the WTS is the true religion, then Islam, Mormons, and Roman Catholics have them beat.

    that's exactly what i always used to think when people would tell me 'it must be the truth, look how many jw's there are'

    their figures are so bogus.

  • Scully
    Scully

    Wow, Blondie

    Imagine if the growth from 1975 continued over the 29 years that followed:

    5,674 per week x 52 weeks x 29 years = 8,556,392 new converts + 2,200,000 = 10,756,392.

    Damn, they've been slacking off!!

  • GermanXJW
    GermanXJW

    Is it only in Germany or is it a change that they are now talking of "members"?

  • blondie
    blondie

    members as opposed to "publishers"?

  • GermanXJW
    GermanXJW

    for example. In Germany they would avoid the term until 1999.

  • jaredg
    jaredg

    86.4% of all statistics are made up on the spot

  • NeonMadman
    NeonMadman
    Is it only in Germany or is it a change that they are now talking of "members"?

    I'm guessing that Valis picked up the statistics from the JW Media site, which is intended as a public relations tool for giving info to the media. It would only make sense that they use a more generic term, like "members," than a "theocratic" term like "publishers," which would only be likely to confuse the issue.

  • Double Edge
    Double Edge
    These numbers only represent a net growth rate of 2.5% per year. Hardly impressive considering the billions of hours and billions of pieces of literature dubs spend and use promoting their religion.

    I think a more telling number, if it could be found, would be the percentage of people who have left the JWs in the past ten years, with the increase exposure of the internet.

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