Jeffro

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Posts by Jeffro

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  141

  My Prediction Regarding New Space Telescope That Will See Back to 100 Million Years From the Big Bang

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a new space telescope launched a few days age that will supposedly be able to see to within 100 million years of the big bang.

  wow... only 100 million years from the big bang.

  that is pretty early given the 12 billion year age of the universe assigned by scholars who adhere to naturalism.

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  Jeffro

  Sea Breeze:

  But it doesn't contradict a creationist model at all.

  A ‘creationist model’ makes no specific predictions. It has no criteria. Anyone can just say anything is ‘consistent’ with vague magical thinking.
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  141

  My Prediction Regarding New Space Telescope That Will See Back to 100 Million Years From the Big Bang

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a new space telescope launched a few days age that will supposedly be able to see to within 100 million years of the big bang.

  wow... only 100 million years from the big bang.

  that is pretty early given the 12 billion year age of the universe assigned by scholars who adhere to naturalism.

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  Jeffro

  Sea Breeze:

  The experts are saying that there is hardly an empty space to be found.

  Wow. Almost as though there was less space between things before the universe had expanded to the extent that it has now. 🙄
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  169

  Are the statistics out yet?

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  isn’t it about time they released the report for the service year?

  or have they stopped publishing it?

  did they released selected figures at the annual meeting as they usually do, such as the memorial attendance or record number of pioneers?

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  Jeffro

  I wonder if The Watchtower will soon take another jab at people claiming to be ‘anointed’ maybe being mentally ill. Except of course for the ‘governing body’ who are definitely legitimately ‘anointed’ because reasons.

  https://jeffro77.wordpress.com/index/pure-worship-ezekiel-revisited-part-3/#Tribulation
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  169

  Are the statistics out yet?

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  isn’t it about time they released the report for the service year?

  or have they stopped publishing it?

  did they released selected figures at the annual meeting as they usually do, such as the memorial attendance or record number of pioneers?

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  Jeffro

  slimboyfat:

  But if this graph doesn’t put JW growth, or ‘decline’ in Britain into perspective then I don’t know what does.

  It’s almost as though people in other denominations are more free to leave. It certainly is a mystery. 😂
• 
  169

  Are the statistics out yet?

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  isn’t it about time they released the report for the service year?

  or have they stopped publishing it?

  did they released selected figures at the annual meeting as they usually do, such as the memorial attendance or record number of pioneers?

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• 

  Jeffro

  Wow. Much poorer than expected. Good luck with those motivational comments at the meeting in February when reviewing the stats. 🤣
  
• 
  169

  Are the statistics out yet?

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  isn’t it about time they released the report for the service year?

  or have they stopped publishing it?

  did they released selected figures at the annual meeting as they usually do, such as the memorial attendance or record number of pioneers?

  1. 
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  3. 
• 

  Jeffro

  slimboyfat:

  Personally I would be surprised if the report shows greater than 2% growth. My guess would be between 1 and 2%.

  It will likely be reported as higher than 2% because they’re still catching up with ‘publishers’ from the decrease in 2020. Lower than 2% would represent particularly poor growth/retention since 2019.
• 
  169

  Are the statistics out yet?

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  isn’t it about time they released the report for the service year?

  or have they stopped publishing it?

  did they released selected figures at the annual meeting as they usually do, such as the memorial attendance or record number of pioneers?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Jeffro

  slimboyfat:

  All I have claimed on this thread is that JWs are still growing while most churches are declining. The data bear this out. I didn’t say that was good, bad or I different. It’s just a fact.

  To the extent that it is true, it is mundane and unimpressive when the reasons are considered. (Though in the two examples considered, they are not even keeping up with population growth.)

  About 476,000 people left South Korea in 2021 but only 19 people left North Korea in the first half of 2022. So impressive that North Korea is doing better than South Korea. 😂
  
  
• 
  169

  Are the statistics out yet?

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  isn’t it about time they released the report for the service year?

  or have they stopped publishing it?

  did they released selected figures at the annual meeting as they usually do, such as the memorial attendance or record number of pioneers?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Jeffro

  JW Yearbooks were discontinued in 2017. But the ‘service report’ will likely not be too far off. It is somewhat interesting that in 2021 they boasted about memorial ‘attendance’ (even though people didn’t even have to leave home to ‘attend’) at the annual meeting around October of the same year as well as at the end of that year, and again in the January 2023 Watchtower. Yet apparently not so much to boast about for the 2022 stats. But as I said in my earlier post, the predicted inflated growth since the Covid-related declines will be milked for all it can.
• 
  169

  Are the statistics out yet?

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  isn’t it about time they released the report for the service year?

  or have they stopped publishing it?

  did they released selected figures at the annual meeting as they usually do, such as the memorial attendance or record number of pioneers?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Jeffro

  I predict a stated increase between 2% and 3% in the JW-reported figures for the 2022 report, which will be touted as ‘impressive’, but will actually constitute poor net growth since 2019. See also the footnote under 2nd paragraph of the Letter section here.
• 
  169

  Are the statistics out yet?

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  isn’t it about time they released the report for the service year?

  or have they stopped publishing it?

  did they released selected figures at the annual meeting as they usually do, such as the memorial attendance or record number of pioneers?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Jeffro

  slimboyfat:

  It doesn’t alter the fact that JWs are growing while most other groups are declining. That’s all I claimed and that’s what you originally objected to.

  No. It's not. I originally objected to your incorrect assessment about the way JWs count membership.
  

  To the extent that it is true that mainstream denominations are in decline, this is fairly mundane and some of the reasons have already been provided.
  

  At the same time, it’s worth noting that Christadelphians and Brethren also disfellowship and yet they are declining. So disfellowshipping alone doesn’t seem to be a magic bullet for growth.

  Christadelphian 'disfellowshipping' does not require social shunning. I don't know much about the Brethren, but according to what I've checked, shunning those who simply leave (as opposed to committing other specific ‘serious sins’) has not been mandatory since 2002, at least among the Exclusive Brethren.