Growth? What Growth?

The Society used to say that the droves flocking to their organisation was proof of divine blessing. The scripture about the ten men out of the nations grabbing the skirt of a Jew, saying "we will go with you people, for we have heard that God is with you people" was once one of the most common verses used. Today it is hardly ever mentioned. Why? Because the organisation is losing vast numbers of members each year.

Neither Australia nor New Zealand has had an increase of more than 3% in the last five years. In the last five years Australia has seen negative growth (more leaving than joining) in three out of five years and New Zealand has only ever had more than zero % growth once in the last five years. In the last twelve years, only New Zealand has achieved growth of more than 5% and only once (in 1990).

The trend is unmistakable. More and more witnesses are leaving the organisation.

So, where is this growth?

Not in:

Alaska -3%
Australia -1%
Austria -1%
Belgium -2%
Britain -1%
Canada -1%
France -1%
Germany -1%
Italy 0%
Japan -1%
New Zealand -1%
Poland 0%
Sth Africa 2%
Spain -1%
Switzerland -2%
USA 0%

Statistics above are from the 2000 service year, as stated in the 2001 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses.

That's right - all over the world droves of witnesses are leaving, resulting in negative growth, that is more leaving than joining. The organisation is not experiencing any real growth anywhere in the world. Surely then, what is "clearly evident" is that God's blessing is not "on the greatest Bible educational work that has ever been done in all the world...".

Why are so many leaving the organisation?

The actual reasons vary, but a common thread is their lingering doubts about the organisation - its role in their life and its changing doctrines.

These doubts can either be ignored, or they can be explored. Which will you do?

Jude 22 reads (TEV) "Show mercy towards those who have doubts". What does this mercy mean? According to the 1988 edition of the Collins Dictionary & Thesaurus "compassionate treatment, a relieving or welcome state of affairs".

Most witnesses would not feel welcome to express their doubts to anyone in the organisation, for good reason too - they know they would end up disfellowshipped for apostacy. Is that how you feel? I guess this is why anonymous message boards and forums on the net attract so many witnesses - and why the society continues to publish material "encouraging" witnesses not to use them.

1914 Generation

How did you really feel when you were told that generation that "saw 1914" was not The generation?

This has been a central doctrine of the society, like their anti-trinitarian view. For over a hundred years the society taught (and enforced) this doctrine around the world, only to discard it in 1997 when it became obvious it was in error.

How many millions of faithful witnesses died believing in the now infamous lie that "millions now living will never die" uttered by Rutherford and repeated for decades in the WatchTower? If any one of those witnesses ever had the courage to stand up and say they thought the "1914 generation" doctrine was wrong, what do you think the society's response would have been? Yes, they would have been disfellowshipped for apostacy. In fact, disfellowshipped for refusing to believe in a false doctrine.

An interesting article on this subject written by Michael R. Pendley, is "The Palliative Prophet: An Analysis of the article 'Living for today or for an eternal future?' Appearing in the 15 august 1997 issue of the Watchtower" available here. It is detailed and a little long, but well researched and well worth reading.