JW's are OBSESSED with numbers

by Jez 9 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Jez

  I went to church on Sunday, for my daughter, with my daughter.

  I noticed something, they don't COUNT how many are there. It got me remembering how JW's COUNT COUNT COUNT COUNT at meetings, then put it up on the back bulletin board, then at assemblys and announce it right away, how many went out in service.

  More numbers=keeping track of bible studies, placements, family studies....

  It goes on and on....WHY? I think to guilt members into doing more, if it were all free choice then it would be OUR decision to come, go, go out in service, etc. BUT IT IS NOT their choice, more proof how they are being pushed, shoved, poked and prodded to maintain averages that are so fake and not from the heart that the averages would obviously quickly deteriote without all this 'reminding.'
• 

  kls

  Yes Jez i would agree that numbers seem to be their obsession but as JWS use many numbers for so many things their numbers just don't add up.
• 

  Nosferatu

  Numbers are a great way to spank the flock. They give their wonderful service report and say "Our average is down this month, so it would be good to see it go up this month".

  When numbers go down, the flock gets a verbal spanking. If someone is inactive in field service, they need to either "encourage" them to go back out, or take away their "publisher" status to get the numbers back to normal. Imagine how shitty their averages would look if the "publisher" status was never taken away from anyone!
• 

  logansrun

  Numerical increases also tend to self-validate the Watcthower Weltanshcauung of theocratic progress and their own version of apocalyptic, Christianized Hegalianism. "The march of history..." they think.

  B.
• 

  shotgun

  Bradley I refuse to play scrabble with you or Leolai

  Watcthower Weltanshcauung of theocratic progress and their own version of apocalyptic, Christianized Hegalianism.

  Jez...the elders asked me onetime if I still was hung up on numbers and chronolgy and I told them to pay attention at the meeting and they'll see its the WT who is caught up in numbers and chronology.

  Oh and the attendance thing, I always liked to ask him a question as he walked by to make him forget his count...did it three times in a row one Sunday...being evil is fun.
• 

  Jez

  Spank the flock...LOL...that is a good one. Sooooooooooooooooooooooo true.
• 

  Joker10

  An interesting statistic for you. In 2002 there were only 44 new Catholic parishes in the U.S, and this year Boston closed 65 of them alone. Churches do count attendance from time to time.
• 

  Happy Guy :)

  The distinction here Joker10 was "obsessive". It is the contention that Jehovah's Witness cult is obsessed with numbers and counting and stats. The fact that other churches (and you only sited one denomination by the way) count the number of churches does not mean they actually do physical head counts at each service.

  To give you an analogy: Just because Ed the Catholic eats 3 meals per day does not make him obsessed with food however Larry the Jehovah's Witness who eats constantly throughout the day and everytime he sees the sight of food he is compelled to eat and is massively overweight is obssessed.
• 

  drwtsn32

  Damn you Bradley and your big words!

  You could make it easier for us, at least, if you would spell "Weltanschauung" and "Hegelianism" correctly so we can find it in the dictionary. lol
• 

  garybuss

  I would venture a guess that every book publishing / distributing and real estate development corporation on the planet keeps very close tract of their production as well as distribution efforts and workers. It's something businesses do. Every business I have ever worked for knew everything about their own business. It's the only way to grow and be profitable. The numbers spot trends and show what is working as well as shows weaknesses.
  
  Most religions I know have a count of attendances too, they are just not as secular about it as the Witnesses are.
  
  The Witnesses actually almost don't try to hide their secular business nature. The Watch Tower Publishing Corporations have the (unpaid workers) members trained to think the god uses secular businesses to do business so they don't mind that the business looks like a business. GaryB