Posts by Village Idiot

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How Many Disfellowshipped Are There In The US?

by Village Idiot in

i've read in the watchtower, as well as observed personally, that 1% of the congregation gets disfellowshipped every year.

i'm not good at the math but i figure that it's 40% since 1975 (yes i know, they're growing).

i know that quite a few return but still, there must be a large percentage of disfellowshipped jws who will never return.

Village Idiot

OrphanCrow, "I have often thought that it is possible that there are far more ex-JWs than there are JWs."

That's what I'm beginning to think. I'm seeing signs of a hemorrhage in JWdom.

80

Ayn Rand - Opinions?

by cappytan in

jw
friends

for those of you familiar with ayn rand and her ideas on morality, rationality and reason, what is your opinion of those ideas?.

i'm talking about her actual ideas, not the ideals that libertarianism has adopted and, in some cases, perverted.

do you think she's a charlatan?

Village Idiot

Evil, without a social conscience. People would starve and go homeless in her utopia simply because there would not be enough jobs.

Hypocrite, she was a chain smoker who suffered from lung cancer and had surgery paid for by Social Security.

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How Many Disfellowshipped Are There In The US?

by Village Idiot in

i've read in the watchtower, as well as observed personally, that 1% of the congregation gets disfellowshipped every year.

i'm not good at the math but i figure that it's 40% since 1975 (yes i know, they're growing).

i know that quite a few return but still, there must be a large percentage of disfellowshipped jws who will never return.

Village Idiot

sir82, sounds good although I wonder how the US is doing.

One thing that I didn't think of was Memorial attendance which are double the number of publishers. They are not likely to attract many "worldly" people but do attract the faithful inactives who only visit once a year.

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How Many Disfellowshipped Are There In The US?

by Village Idiot in

i've read in the watchtower, as well as observed personally, that 1% of the congregation gets disfellowshipped every year.

i'm not good at the math but i figure that it's 40% since 1975 (yes i know, they're growing).

i know that quite a few return but still, there must be a large percentage of disfellowshipped jws who will never return.

Village Idiot

I've read in the Watchtower, as well as observed personally, that 1% of the congregation gets disfellowshipped every year. I'm not good at the math but I figure that it's 40% since 1975 (Yes I know, they're growing). I know that quite a few return but still, there must be a large percentage of disfellowshipped JWs who will never return. Many are still mentally in but quite a few remain, out for ever, seeing it for what it is.

One thing that gives me a clue is my apartment complex. It has 120 some units and a JW manager who, of course, put mostly JWs in. There are 21 buildings of six units each. In there I have counted 1 disfellowshipped person per building! That would make it 16% compared to inactives and active JWs.

Also, I ask what percentage of a regular congregation is mentally out for sure but are still physically in for obvious reasons.

In brief, how many disfellowshipped + inactive + active non-believers?

I ask this question because it seems to me that one of these days (If it hasn't happened yet) disfellowshipped, inactive and mentally out people will outnumber the active Witnesses.

Any clues or facts?

25

My Mission is over!

by abiather in

when i understood, jws are wrong in some vital areas [eg.

woman being viewed secondary, refusal to greet those differing with them ....], but right in other vital areas [such as their teaching that human rule is doomed, and will be replaced by gods rule], i began a diligent search for the right organization.

my search ended with brahmakumaris.

Village Idiot

@ Simon: "Funny - seeing the name "Village Idiot" and Bush ... it just fits, LOL" Smiley

Double LOL! I would not have noticed that.

55

Are we pro-shunning or against it?

by Simon in

just to continue my theme about religious freedom and how we approach criticizing the wts, i've also been thinking about 'shunning'.. i think shunning is the most unifying complaint that most ex-members of religious groups that practice it have in common.

it is the layer that runs under every other complaint - whatever the reason for leaving it seems "... and i was shunned" can be added to it as the final rap on the charge sheet.. of course it seems like a no-brainer to many of us and we hardly ever stop to really think about it - shunning is bad, the watchtower believes in shunning therefore the watchtower is bad.

they need to stop it.

Village Idiot

@ DesirousOfChange: "His "mistake" was not telling them to FUCK OFF and that they have no control over him."

What DesirousOfChange said.

I myself have been in issues where I did not stand up to others in matters that affected me. I am an introvert by nature and I tend to avoid events that could lead to conflict but I regret not having stood up in those moments of truth.

If I were in his shoes I would have challenged the elders and told them to try throwing him out and if they did he would call the cops.

25

My Mission is over!

by abiather in

when i understood, jws are wrong in some vital areas [eg.

woman being viewed secondary, refusal to greet those differing with them ....], but right in other vital areas [such as their teaching that human rule is doomed, and will be replaced by gods rule], i began a diligent search for the right organization.

my search ended with brahmakumaris.

Village Idiot

10

So, every sin can be forgiven, except Apostacy? Right...that makes sense.....

by stuckinarut2 in

ok, so we know that the wt teaches that every sin can be forgiven, but if one leaves the org and becomes a "vile apostate", that is "sinning against the holy spirit" and can not be forgiven?.

so, murderous sick people are ok.. child abusers...ok. violent drug dealers ...ok. war mongering genocidal killers...ok. but, speak against the gb....not ok....you are the worst of the worst!.

makes perfect sense really hey?.

Village Idiot

31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. Matthew 12:31-32 New International Version

That, I believe, is the scripture that they use to justify their position. They consider apostasy to be a crime against the holy spirit but anything else can be forgiven.

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