Posts by dropoffyourkeylee

40

Lots of empty seats at Jehovah's Witnesses Convention in Tucson, Arizona

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

https://youtu.be/5926nhzyz90.

the jehovah's witness 2023 convention theme is, ''exercise patience''...by looking at the attendance at this tucson, arizona convention, it should be changed to, '' jehovah's witnesses...running out of patience''.

.

dropoffyourkeylee

Convention here (US) I attended Friday only and there was a similar scene with a lot of empty seats. Admittedly, Friday morning is typically the lowest attendance, and it did fill out a bit more in the afternoon.

Based on anecdotes, I think it is clear that the convention planners' formula for how many congregations to assign to a particular facility is falling short. Between the high cost of travel/lodging and the aging JW demographic, it is evident quite a lot are staying at home and (probably) watching the recorded online sessions.

Baptism ratio of # of baptisms / # in attendance is a good measure, as both figures can be verified or estimated by observers, and compared with previous years' conventions. Some of the 1970's' conventions had a ratio in the 2% range; nowadays it is running about 0.5% most of the time.

6

Supreme Court Decision on Free Speech this week

by dropoffyourkeylee in

this week's first amendment case has a slant that may sound familiar to jws.

most are aware that the wt won a number of supreme court decisions in the '40s related to free speech (the first amendment of the us constitution).

in particular, the flag salute case in '39, which they lost, tried to argue that not saluting the flag was a religious issue.

dropoffyourkeylee

This week's first amendment case has a slant that may sound familiar to JWs. Most are aware that the WT won a number of Supreme court decisions in the '40s related to free speech (the First Amendment of the US Constitution). In particular, the flag salute case in '39, which they lost, tried to argue that not saluting the flag was a religious issue. Then it was taken to the court again, with a different attorney and new argument that it was a matter of Free Speech to refuse to make a gesture to salute the flag). The JWs won the rematch case in '43 on grounds of free speech.

This week's case (one of many videos here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFVF9YxPLmo)

was about a web designer who refused to create a website for a LGBTQ couple based on his differing beliefs. The couple claimed discrimination based on Public Accomodation laws and the underlying 1964 Civil Rights Act. The web designer and his attorney claimed it was his right of free speech to not create a website to say something he did not believe in.

Sounds to me like the web designer's attorney took a page right out of the JW playbook.

Not saying I agree or disagree with the court decision, but I thought it worth a mention on this site.

11

Are Elders Following Instructions from The Shepherding Book?

by Atlantis in

jw
friends

how safe is personal information when elders do not follow their instructions?.

from spain.

announcementjune 23, 2023for elders1.

dropoffyourkeylee

The WT generally has a shocking disregard for privacy of personal information. GDPR aside, even in countries not subject to GDPR, they seem to have no regard for privacy.

Local congregation here (midwest US) asked for contact name and phone number of someone outside the area who might know our whereabouts if we were out of contact for some reason. Of course I refused; you would have thought I was some kind of apostate or something.

LOL

93

Regional Convention Attendance

by XBEHERE in

jw
friends

elder friend of mine texted me asking what my rc attendance was 2 weeks ago (family and i streamed it since wife is not well).

he told me that his rc in the jersey city assembly hall last weekend was low.

co told them that around 2600 were the total from 16+ congs that were assigned.

dropoffyourkeylee

Based on my own observation last Friday (I attended one day at a convention in midwest US), the attendance was down about 15-20% from what we used to see at the same location in previous years. Admittedly Friday usually has the lowest attendance of the three days, but usually the attendance the first day was about 5500 in this location, but Friday it was 4500 and 4600 in the two attendance counts made for morning and afternoon.

773

Breaking News: Anthony Morris III no longer serving on the Governing Body

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

this has been announced on the jw's official website, in the "jw news" section.

this is not a joke.

anthony moron da turd is out as a gluttonous body member!

dropoffyourkeylee

Here's a thought. Suppose Morris has need of expensive medical care. The self-insured WT doesn't want to take on the cost. Morris (unique among GB members) has vet benefits available to him based on his military service. So he leaves bethel to get his medical care through the VA.

Purely speculation on my part.

93

Regional Convention Attendance

by XBEHERE in

jw
friends

elder friend of mine texted me asking what my rc attendance was 2 weeks ago (family and i streamed it since wife is not well).

he told me that his rc in the jersey city assembly hall last weekend was low.

co told them that around 2600 were the total from 16+ congs that were assigned.

dropoffyourkeylee

A lot of empty chairs in this elderly section…

65

The currently missing 'Titan' submarine. What do you think?

by SydBarrett in

jw
friends

any opinions are just speculation, but my guess, being morbid, is that there was not a hull breach and implosion (although that would have been the most merciful fate for them), but instead the amateur level of building this thing meant that it lost power and communication and got itself tangled in the titanic's wreckage or is sitting on the actual seabed with no way to release ballast to resurface.

terrifying.

what's your gut feeling?

dropoffyourkeylee

I'll be surprised if they are rescued safely.

The whole idea of extreme-risk tourism is just a bad idea. To start a business to offer to take people two miles under the ocean or far out into space is really poor judgment. They are unforgiving environments. Maybe they said the same thing 100 years ago about giving aircraft rides. Eventually the technology might catch up and it would be routinely safe, but it isn't there yet.

44

Need help - the Revelation Climax book

by ozziepost in

is it an original from the graphics department?.

anyone know?.

dropoffyourkeylee

I did a google search for the pictured French actress and found this photo:

Admittedly a different photo shoot, hairstyle and clothing, but quite similar to the Stern photo.

93

Regional Convention Attendance

by XBEHERE in

jw
friends

elder friend of mine texted me asking what my rc attendance was 2 weeks ago (family and i streamed it since wife is not well).

he told me that his rc in the jersey city assembly hall last weekend was low.

co told them that around 2600 were the total from 16+ congs that were assigned.

dropoffyourkeylee

I think there is a way to view a generic session (not your own assigned convention), which the OP might be referring to

26

Has Rutherford's 16-cylinder Cadillac been found?

by under the radar in

jw
friends

i ran across this episode of jay leno's garage on youtube today.

all i know is it seems very similar to j f rutherford's much-vaunted 16-cylinder cadillac.

watch the episode and let us know what you think.

dropoffyourkeylee

Good question, JFR’s may not have been a V16. The video said they made a V8 on the same body design. Even so, the image published in a WT publication during the depression says a lot about him and his sense of entitlement.

for the record, $6500 in 1930 equates to around $135,000-140,000 today.