Posts by Weana

87

Is this HARD evidence that the INTERNET is hurting the Watch Tower Society?

by cedars in

these are the countries with 80 to 89.99% internet penetration:.

these are the countries with 70 to 79.99% internet penetration:.

these are the countries with 60 to 69.99% internet penetration:.

Weana

No, this is NO HARD evidence that the internet is hurting the Watch Tower Society.

Rather, this IS HARD evidence that the JWs are growing in particular in countries which have a large population growth rate, and that is not surprising at all.

I have refinded your statistics: I multiplied the 2010 publisher average figures for each country with the corresponding "population growth rate"-figures from the CIA-World-Factbook. That way I could calculate target figures for the 2011 publisher number for all countries. Then, I compared the real publisher figures for 2011 with those target figures. So I could calculate a real growth rate of publishers per country.

Just one example to illustrate that: For Nigeria the growth rate for publisher average figures is 1,80 % (rounded to 2 % in the yearbook). In 2011, population growth rate for Nigeria was 1,94 % according CIA-World-Factbook. So you could expect that the number of 298,476 publishers of 2010 would increase to 304,266 publishers in 2011 (298,476 * 101,94% = 304,266). But the real figure for 2011 was just 303,837. So the "real growth rate" for 2011 is: minus 0,14 % (303,837 / 304,266). That is a much more meaningful figure than the 2 % growth given in the yearbook.

So compare such "real growth" figures for the 10 categories of countries according to internet penetration rate that Cedars presented:

% internet penetration	growth rate (Cedars)	real growth rate
> 90	0,92	0,69
80 - 89,9	1,02	0,62
70-79,9	1,37	1,20
60-69,9	1,07	0,42
50-59,9	1,67	1,01
40-49,9	1,72	1,52
30-39,9	2,89	1,94
20-29,9	1,89	0,09
10-19,9	3,51	2,55
< 10	4,58	2,08

Based on real growth rate, there is only very weak evidence for the influence of internet on the growth rate of JWs.

7

Letter About Bulgarian Blood Transfusion Issue

by Bangalore in

letter about bulgarian blood transfusion issue.. .

.

bangalore.

Weana

@metatron: No, you are not right. They did never say that "the transfusion issue" would be "without sanction." They said that anyone is allowed to get medical treatment without sanction. This was necessary as in some European countries church propaganda led to the accusation that JWs would deny any medical treatment.

The ambigous wording of the agreement between JWs and Bulgaria was a win-win-situation for both side: JWs did not explicitely declare to change their policy; and Bulgarian authorities could officially recognize JWs according to European Human Rights standards without losing their faces.

21

Why did/does there appear to be an unusually high number of "Germanic" names in the Governoring Body compared to others?

by StoneWall in

jw
friends

today as i was researching past and present members of the governoring body of j.w.

's something stood out to me that seemed out of proportion towards other name origins.. the vast majority appeared to be from the germanic peoples.

either they were originally from germany themself or their parents immigrated from germany.. here are some of the ones i researched and you should be able to spot just from their names a hint of their origins:.

Weana

In the early decades of the work, a very high percentage of the publishers lived in Germany.

Field service reports of 1933: (nearly all of the publishers were "anointed" at that time!)

United States 20,719 publishers

Germany 19,268 publishers

rest of the world (75 countries) 18,817 publishers

Considering those figures, the actual rate of German GB members is not surprisingly high.

45

"Extreme physical abuse" only grounds for separation, NOT divorce.

by cedars in

forgive me if i'm a bit slow with the title to this thread.

the true absurdity of the cult that robbed me of my intellect for so long is still beginning to dawn on me.. i'm doing more research into domestic violence as part of a response to the notorious "wife beating" article in the feb 2012 watchtower.. i was shocked to find a question from readers in the w75 5/1 p286-288 which basically said that a battered wife would not be scripturally free to divorce her husband.

my first reaction was that this stance must have changed since 1975, but then i dipped into my own memory from serving as an elder, and of course, adultery (including porneia) is given as the only scriptural grounds for divorce down to this day.. please can somebody correct me if i'm wrong, preferably with a reference?

Weana

Cedars, As you say you were an elder, I trust you know the difference between a "biblical divorce" (right to marry another partner; only one reason: fornication) and a "legal divorce" (no consequences in congregation for such a divorce if reason for divorce was physical abuse [or a few other reasons], but no right to marry another partner).

82

What really ended the book study in private homes?

by Alfred in

it's been over 3 years since the book study in private homes was discontinued and some jws are still scratching their heads over it.

although a letter was read to all congregations explaining that "book study night" would now be "family worship night", there was still much speculation among jws as to the real reason behind this decision (the great tribulation was about to start, jehovah was simplifying the lives of jws, to lessen the burden of poor jws who had no money for gas, etc.)...

but as we all know, decisions like these from the gb invariably have some ulterior motive behind it... and discussion boards such as this one usually finds a way to dig up the truth for all to see... but after reading several threads on this subject, i'm really not sure we've uncovered all the facts yet.... so i have to ask... what do you believe really ended the book study in private homes?

Weana

I think the two most important reason were:

1.) to reduce the workload for the elders.

2.) to make it easier for new ones to join the organisation; people in Western countries were not even willed just to start a bible study if they heard that JWs would attend meetings on three evenings per week...

Attendance of book study was not such a huge problem; in some areas book studies had even best attendance of all meetings (much nearer than kingdom hall; easier for interested ones to visit private homes than to attend a kingdom hall). But the organisation has less and less willed, healthy and capable elders, so their workload had to be reduced.

For reducing the number of weekly meetings, they had two possibilities:

a) to end one meeting in KH, and to develop the book study groups into real field service groups by combining book study and a short service meeting in private homes. (A shorter TMS could have been added to a 30 minutes talk + 45 minutes WT-study, to train brothers to talk in KH) I think that would have been the better solution: strong small field service groups; content of service meetings more flexible according to local field service needs; easier to combine theory of service meeting and practice of field service as group.

But: they have not enough elders anymore for such a change. So they choose possibility

b) to end study groups.

34

Seeking counsel from active or former Elders / COs / DOs

by Nickolas in

jw
friends

a request.

if you are/were not an elder and wish to comment, by all means do so, but please preface your comment accordingly.

if you are posing as an elder, please, please refrain from responding lest you inadvertantly do some damage.. i have been provided hypothetical consequences from the membership at large, now request the answer from a position of authority.. the question.. if the elders in my wife's congregation should decide that i have become a spiritual danger to her, how would they advise her?

Weana

If someone's spouse becomes an apostate, that is usually not an "absolute endangerment of spiritual life" (as that term is defined in the God's-Love-Book). Even if you try to discuss controversial issues from time to time, normally that would not justify a separation: such attempts would not "make it impossible for the mate to pursue true worship", as with the help of God's spirit, of the elders and so on, your wife should be able to stay in the truth, anyway. Of course you might be "a spiritual danger" to her (that's we she is not allowed to spiritually associate with you), but as long as you do not constantly preventing her from studying / attending meetings / every kind of preaching activity, you are not an "absolute endangerment of her spiritual life".

6

Madrid Zone talk

by wantarevolution in

jw
friends

ok - so we were visiting friends in madrid this weekend, and went to the zone talk.

around 13500 in attendance at an old bull ring and the talk was given by david splane.

improvements for the field were to make sure that everyone is preached to - there is a tendency just to preach to south americans and ignore spanish people - also magazine placements are down, they have to be improved.

Weana

The different zone overseers do not speak all about the same theme. Each of them is allowed to talk about his own favorite theme, maybe using the same theme for years. Splane held the very same talk already some four years ago elsewhere in Europe during a zone visit.

7

Do those who make conditional donations to Watchtower ever get them back on request?

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

do you know if any jws who made a conditional donation to the watchtower ever got it back or were there problems associated with this?.

.

truthseeker.

Weana

I know such cases. This is routine job for Bethel; society pays money back without any delay and sends letter of appreciation.

55

Worldwide Service Report for 2010 / Yearbook 2011

by Designer Stubble in

wonder if anyone had a scan available of the 2010 annual report, which can normally be found in the 2011 yearbook.. .

thanks in advance!.

Weana

U.S.A.: publishers average 1,115,786

G.B: publishers average 129,230

Germany: publishers average 162,611

Brasil: publishers average 706,699

Australia: publishers average 63,951

Of the larger countries, there is slight decrease (minus 0 point ... %) in average number of publishers only in Germany and Poland.

38

Reinstatement-Curent elders please reply

by truthlover in

while being reinstated several months ago -- no restriction were given other than no commenting - service was allowed - getting over the average for the cong, not missing meetings - its been months now and the brother met recently with someof the jc members - they praised his hours and meeting attendance but because his lessons are not completely underlined, and he does make notes during the meeting, he has not been allowed to still make comments and become a fully active member of the congregation as they say this note taking is causing a problem with other members of the congregation.. have you even heard of anything so off the wall?

is this the way its done in most cong??

he thought if someone was interested enough to listen and make notes of a good point in their mags, it would be something to be referred to in the future... i know i have seen folks doing this while the lesson is being read.... .

Weana

Of course, field service is always allowed.

As far as I have learned, giving comments is usually one of the things you are allowed earlier after JC than most other priviledges (as TS, public prayer, microphone service,...), because even unbaptized persons or wordly visitors are allowed to give comments during meetings. So forbidding comments does make sense if you had no other priviledge before the JC. And it does make sense if there is any other person in the congregation who knows of your sin and who could really find it inappropriate if just you would give comments on themes linked with your sin.

The reason they've told you (making notes) is absolutely strange and not traceable for me (or are they suspecting you to make notes just for points affecting some other members of congregation you may have problems with?). Kindly be patient; it seems that these elders are unfortunately expecting some more respect and humility as they are encouraged to do. If there is no change within the next half year, you may ask CO at his next visit, if he could give you recommendations how to be able to give comments again.