i have had a quick look and found no references to this, so - here goes..as in the mag we picked up on sunday.. worldwide % increase over 2004 = 1.3%.
memorial partakers 8524 (compared to 8570 in 2004).
most european and nth american lands show pretty static figs - britain 1% increase, canada 0%, germany 0%, france 1%, usa 0%... but spare a thought for the inhabitants of zambia where 1 person in 90 is a reporting witness, must be hell going down to the local market!
The reports from elders, COs and DOs is true... they really are loosing people faster than they are coming in. If they had more coming in than leaving then the number of Publishers Increase would be greater than the number baptized.
Well you don't have to be baptized to be a publisher. So an increase in baptizims doesn't mean an one to one increase in publishers. Right?
Enter into a long term relationship with someone you really like having sex with.
I always say in regards to my wife, "at least the org isn't sleeping with my wife".
Of course they dictate what is allowed....
i thought the photography was awesome and enjoyed the story.
i loved the books when i was younger and i'm glad they finally made it into a movie.
swalker.
My wife won't see it because BigMother doesn't approve of it.
I tried to explain to her that it is Christian allegory and that C.S. Lewis is about the most loved Christian apologist there is.
BigMother doesn't approve.
I told her actually, it isn't even really Christian allegory. It is more of a "supposal". Suppose God created other worlds, and one of those worlds was entered by man with all his sinful nature. Then how would God set that world to right. The rest is just a backdrop so kids will want to read it.
She will probably watch it on dvd.
It isn't that big of a deal or likely to open her eyes to the truth about BigMother. I just like it when she does things not approved by BigMother.
CYP
please send letters to stephen bates requesting an article on this issue.
many of you may not see immediately how important this matter is.
beyond the other legal ramifications, i.e, the wts lying about secular info., intentional deception, etc., the blood issue is a huge one.
the use of such statistics is completely irresponsible and detracts from a good message about reform on the issue.
True, we don't have any such statistics. As a result, any attempt to come up with such statistics are speculation.
One really neat way for such info to become publicly known fact is for someone to sue the WT over their bogus blood policy.
I can't say if such a thing is feasible from a legal standpoint, and only time and events will tell.
It sure would be neat to have that info made public.
Why not make it public without the trial WT? Jesus said in John 3 that those who do good seek the light so their goodness can be seen, and only those who do evil seek the darkness. If you believe it WT, tell us how many brave JW have been willing to lay down their life.
CYP
if the big news is legit, someone will file suit and win.. if it is the big snooze one of the above will not happen.
nothing we do or say here will bear on the outcome of the above.
if you think it is the big news, by all means promote it as such.
I don't see any fighting. I see something healthier: People freely expressing their opinions - and oftentimes in the real world, opinions vary and it's no big deal. As difficult as it may be to see an opinion that is different than mine, I'd rather acknowledge it exists that play the old game of, "Let's just all agree."
Well said.
I agree that healthy debate is a good thing. Friends just need to realize when an impasse has been reached, and agree to respect eachother's conclusions. The point of my post was to attempt to signal that such a point had been reached.
Part of me was a little embarrassed. I felt we were airing our dirty laundry. I imagined the old coots in brooklyn having a good old time watching the board spin out of control.
On the other hand though, history shows that free and open debate always leads to a stronger sense of truth then any small group that demands unanimity from a place of authority. Like the old Soviet Union, the WT will crumble under the weight of it's internal contradictions. Men were never meant to have the authority or monopoly on truth that they claim.
So such open and heated debate looks unseemly, but I would rather have that any day than the "organized" WT fantasy land.
CYP
if the big news is legit, someone will file suit and win.. if it is the big snooze one of the above will not happen.
nothing we do or say here will bear on the outcome of the above.
if you think it is the big news, by all means promote it as such.
I have to agree with Steve2. What good is a discussion forum with a bunch of nodding bobble-heads? We ALSO support and comfort and console. But this is a discussion forum. Discussions get heated on certain issues. No big deal.
I do feel much better with you saying this. You are one of my favorite people on this site, and you have always been a good friend.
I saw you in the thick of the fray, and naturally I didn't like people taking shots at you.
if the big news is legit, someone will file suit and win.. if it is the big snooze one of the above will not happen.
nothing we do or say here will bear on the outcome of the above.
if you think it is the big news, by all means promote it as such.
Wow!!! I can't believe you just said that!
Well my point is that I think (I get to put my thoughts out there also) that the discussion reached a point of impasse.
And naturally it began to take a darker turn. Nobody was convincing anybody of anything anymore.
I started to read about people questioning motives and character of others here.
It just didn't seem to me that the discussion was any longer productive.
And as I stated above, all our discussions here are not going to determine anything.
The only question is can this argument withstand the scrutiny of the judicial process. That can only be answered by the duly appointed legal representatives.
if the big news is legit, someone will file suit and win.. if it is the big snooze one of the above will not happen.
nothing we do or say here will bear on the outcome of the above.
if you think it is the big news, by all means promote it as such.
However, I think it is similar in that a lot of people are turning this away when it is a good thing because they were expecting the Org Killer...
ahhhh. Making good enough the enemy of perfect.
if the big news is legit, someone will file suit and win.. if it is the big snooze one of the above will not happen.
nothing we do or say here will bear on the outcome of the above.
if you think it is the big news, by all means promote it as such.
If the Big News is legit, someone will file suit and win.
If it is the Big Snooze one of the above will not happen.
Nothing we do or say here will bear on the outcome of the above.
If you think it is the Big News, by all means promote it as such.
If you think it is the Big Snooze, then don't. If you think all the Big News promoters are morons, why is it any skin off yours if they promote this?
I just don't see what all the disagreement is about. We are all friends here right? We all long to see the tower fall right?
Why get all worked up. Let the coming events speak for themselves.
i have been a jw all my life, my sister and i are now in our late twenties and are so unhappy and after desparate attempts to keep up meeting attendance are not spiritually motivated.
we in last few weeks have found some very disturbing things in our search such as the un involvement.
after research on these things and use of the wt library the society speaks for it's self on these issues calling the un the "disgusting thing" that the book of daniel spoke about(wt 85' para.
Welcome.
Well here is the way I think about it. There are most assuredly people who are truly dedicated (but perhaps mistaken) to Jehovah and in possession of repentant hearts outside the org.
Additionally, there are unquestionably people who are within the JW who are not truly dedicated to Jehovah and in possession of a repentant heart.
So you must ask yourself, would Jesus have a pure or impure organization for the sake of making it visibly human? Isn't it more likely that Jesus is interested in those that have truly repented and come to him for salvation?
Does it make sense that Jesus would grant salvation to those who have not repented but were in the right group? Does it make sense that he would destroy his faithful ones just because they mistakenly
I therefore think the one true group is all of those who have repented from sin and practiced faith in him.
CYP
