Posts by ekruks

9

2011 Count: 4 are out, 2 are in

by Quarterback in

with all of the announcements made in our kh this year, we have announced 4 da' s and only 2 that got baptised.

the 2 baptised were born into the jw family.

we also lost 4 elders, and 1 ms.. what was the count for your kh for 2011?.

ekruks

Well, even if no one is 'converted' to the faith, there can still be growth, or enough to sustain the numbers, depending on how many have kids, and how many of those are indoctrinated or shy enough to go along with things and get baptised. Hell, I've never really bought the idea of a God, but got baptised because it was the done thing; home-schooled, etc., sheltered life back then.

For the organisation to shrink, more must leave (death, DFd, DAd, etc.) then are baptised.
The title of this thread suggests such.

It does seem that congregations are not growing in the Western world !!
There is veyr little increase in the numbers of congregations, and for each new one I rarely hear of, well, often two are merged somewhere. It seems that there isn't exactly shrinking of numbers, but just a maintaining of the current numbers.

This means no growth, but means the Watchtower isn't fading.
It's psychological control of people is strong - we all know! For some people, it's difficult to live without a God, etc.. they can't cope.

The fact remains though, that most growth takes place in the 3rd world, where education standards are generally lower, which means people are more vulnerable to manipulation/cults, etc.. Also, the foreign-language fields within first world countries do have some growth, but usually it's an increase for the country JWs move to, but a decrease for their last congregations in the country they came from.

Overall, for the small rise in 3rd world countries, which looks good in the overall growth figures of JWs (some pathetically small figure, but better than many churches!), 'the Truth' is very stagnant/static in the West.

It will avoid shrinking, if:

1) A JW kid get's baptised for each JW that dies/DF'd/DA'd/goes inactive. Most parents have two kids, so both kids have to get baptised to replace them, but about 60% of JW kids leave 'the Truth'. I suppose the one or two getting baptised helps. But when you go to an assembly of 10 congregations, and only see JW kids get baptised, well, it's obvious, few are getting converted, despite all that ministry that is supposedly happening (I wonder how many fake their hours/ministry - I have a number of times after the bubble burst) !!

2) DA'd and DF'd must not be too high. With JWs dying, doing inactive, or facing a JC quite often, I wonder how numbers stay as they are. Perhaps many DA'd and DF'd people return, but not that I have noticed.

40

Weird JW Dreams

by MrFreeze in

i think it's a given that most of us who have left, have had dreams about still being jw's or doing jw related things, even years after we left.

i had one of those last night.

it involved getting a hotel for the next district convention and then it skipped ahead to when i was attending.

ekruks

ps. How do we know if our dreams are visions??!

Reminds me of that comment (was it quoted in a Watchtower publication?) by a priest who reckoned Revelation was just the nightmares of a mad old man - so why was he still a priest?!

Maybe next time I have a dream, I should write it down as a Bible book and make some money - though my conscience halts me, ulike some people we know

40

Weird JW Dreams

by MrFreeze in

i think it's a given that most of us who have left, have had dreams about still being jw's or doing jw related things, even years after we left.

i had one of those last night.

it involved getting a hotel for the next district convention and then it skipped ahead to when i was attending.

ekruks

Religion creeps me out full-stop

Weird thing is, I had dreams as a kid, then when I got deep in 'the Truth' as an adult, being a pioneer/appointed man with all the stress, I stopped having dreams. Eventually, I started having the occasional dream, which probably was a nightmare, a reflection of the frustration.

When the bubble burst, it took a while, but slowly my self-esteem, etc., are coming back, regaining confidence, becoming more positive about life, and having a rich variety of dreams - still the dreams about 'the Truth', which often are weird, but when I think about them, seem to reflect my concerns - but I also have other dreams, about most things, including work and women.

10

Charity begins at home

by Mickey mouse in

jw
friends

i wanted to get this down in type before the thought is lost.. this afternoon, i gave two hours of my time to help a local charity raise money by packing groceries in a supermarket.

the charity provide support to families who have a child affected by a disability that, well, let's just say it's close to my heart.

as i drove the twenty minute journey to the supermarket in question, i struggled with some feelings which i understand are part of something called dissociative disorder, sometimes experienced as part of post traumatic stress disorder.

ekruks

I've always felt a good, deep sense of fulfilment from any kind of volunteering I've done to help people, but the ministry never gave me that, except the odd rare occasion I might show someone a scripture point they didn't already know.

I liked the idea that we were helping people, showing them a way of life that would free them from the oppressive church or the vices of drugs, etc., but we never really seemed to do it - no one was that enthusiastic about it, and instead it was just lots of internal politics - brothers liking the 'privileges' that pioneering had helped them to achieve. It was hopelessly disorganised, and we seemed to ruin each others efforts.

Helping people to have something to eat, or cope with illness, or rather, get their life on track, that feels good, but pestering someone to take a magazine they probably won't read, or join a religion that is giving me stress, well that never was easy, especially when the bubble burst.

@MrFreeze, trying to explain that to an employer or on a CV is a nightmare. I always have found it difficult to explain to 'worldly' people what I did with all that time over so many years, why I have so little materially - I spent 20 hours a week knocking doors - that's almost as much as people work. Most people will think that is crazy.

13

Who tests the pet food?

by Aussie Oz in

jw
friends

i was giving look look oh no oh no budha belly some cat biscuits this morning and noticed the claim on the box.... chicken and rabbit flavour!.

who tastes these to declare ''by god, we got it!

this does taste like rabbit!".

ekruks

The Governing Body eat them every Wednesday morning during their meetings - it explains a lot about the decisions they make!

9

2011 Count: 4 are out, 2 are in

by Quarterback in

with all of the announcements made in our kh this year, we have announced 4 da' s and only 2 that got baptised.

the 2 baptised were born into the jw family.

we also lost 4 elders, and 1 ms.. what was the count for your kh for 2011?.

ekruks

@Quarterback, sounds like a typical congregation - it's not good for the future.

How about over the last few years, which brothers tell me have been exciting, that as well as a number of disfellowshippings/reproofs, the loss of 7 elders and 4 servants (including 2 MTS graduates), as well as loss of half the pioneers.

Congregation is shrinking each year, despite pressure from the COs who seem to be blind as to the real problems (stop elders arguing with each other, sometimes on the platform, and get them to help the flock?!)

No baptisms, other than those within of which some kids haven't got baptised, and only one disfellowshipped person returned. Many publishers are discouraged and inactive in the congregation! Amazing! Hey! This is such a spiritual paradise?! Look at the Holy Spirit at work?!!

40

Weird JW Dreams

by MrFreeze in

i think it's a given that most of us who have left, have had dreams about still being jw's or doing jw related things, even years after we left.

i had one of those last night.

it involved getting a hotel for the next district convention and then it skipped ahead to when i was attending.

ekruks

@ThinkAboutIt - sounds like the Spanish inquisition

@yellow = sleeping with Satan, well, he's got to be one hot guy, living in hell!

28

If You Have Had the CO or DO Stay With You...

by A question in

jw
friends

for those of you who have had the co/do stay with you for the week:.

how was the experience?.

how did they spend their free time?

ekruks

He was pleasant.

40

Weird JW Dreams

by MrFreeze in

i think it's a given that most of us who have left, have had dreams about still being jw's or doing jw related things, even years after we left.

i had one of those last night.

it involved getting a hotel for the next district convention and then it skipped ahead to when i was attending.

ekruks

Oh, as a kid, I would often struggle to sleep because I was worried that the government would come and take me away from my parents, or that we would all die in a natural disaster - I am sure that it was the experiences in the Watchtower - I'm not saying kids must be shielded, especially when older, as they need to learn to live in the world, but the constant doom and gloom is not healthy for a child. Perhaps it would have been good if the government had taken me away from my parents, as I would have grown up away from the clutches of the Watchtower!

40

Weird JW Dreams

by MrFreeze in

i think it's a given that most of us who have left, have had dreams about still being jw's or doing jw related things, even years after we left.

i had one of those last night.

it involved getting a hotel for the next district convention and then it skipped ahead to when i was attending.

ekruks

I had this weird dream last night that the elders and my family were torturing me sadistically - held me down and attacked me with a knife for having missed meetings, then tried to kill me - it seemed very medieval and I had this storng feeling of being forced to do something against my will - I think it expresses how JW life comes across to me; being control and made to do things I think are wrong, but not doing such results in family trying to force me.