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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2006 21:02:21 GMT -5
I have lived many places, and it has been my observation that where there are many professing people, the children in the area tend to mostly profess 75 to 80 percent. Ie pacific northwest. On the otherhand, children raised in areas with few professing people seem to profess at a much lower rate, about one third stay in. Have others observed this?
I can share some general statistics although they are about a decade out of date. I think the numbers have held fairly consistent. Dan Hilton was quite a statistics person, and yes, he DID keep records, these are his numbers.
He estimated 65 to 70 thousand active professing people in the US. This number is probably quitfe accurate, it is based on numbers of home churches and the number of members per house as opposed to convention attendence where many get counted multiple times. Less accurate is his estimation of world wide adherents, roughly double the number for US alone. Dans theory was that in a hundred more years this will become a regionally based religion. It will die out in the areas where it is weak ie New Jersey and continue to be strong for a long while in places like the Pacific Northwest. Thoughts?
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Post by CherieKropp on Jun 12, 2006 21:33:27 GMT -5
I came up with 143,000 worldwide about 10 years ago--for the Oxford Ecyclopedia of Religions. Using the convention numbers and reducing them a percentage for those who attended twice.
So I'm proud that I was so close!!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2006 21:41:08 GMT -5
You are good!
I just meant he had the full info more than most people do.
The 5k he wasn't sure about were spouses and childrn that he wasn't sure if were in or out. As I am sure most know, he had a fettish for counting things!
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Post by ex-teenager on Jun 13, 2006 4:38:55 GMT -5
I have carried out some research myself, listing the countries and then filling out 'rough estimates' alot of which I have gathered from emails, info from workers and so on.
Off all the countries (76) I have estimates for, the total comes to around 120,000. Therefore I would reackon that Cheries estimate, could be very close.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2006 5:15:45 GMT -5
I have wondered about the "immersion" factor in 2x2ism. Obviously, people allow themselves to be immersed in 2x2 doctrine in vastly different proportions. I would guess that in many areas, far less than 25% of official membership really involve themselves in more than nominal doctrinal obedience. Hardliners with their cult extemism probably don't make up more than 5-10% -- but this is the segment that construct and enforces policy.
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Post by jxr on Jun 13, 2006 7:43:47 GMT -5
I think it is a socal circle critical-mass issue. I maintain that the social element of the F&W is as important as any spiritual issue. That is the reason why meeting attendance is not far from compulsory. If you gather the troops together on regular occasions, firstly it supplants any other alternative social events, and secondly forms the networking base for extra-curricular social interaction.
Of course, if you don't have the critical mass to develop the social networks, then the offspring only have the hour of sermon to look forward to, rather than the combined sermon/social interaction. With some workers, the result is not particularly inspiring.
I know from experience that, as a teenager, meetings were attractive as much (or more so) because of the social interaction than sitting through a sermon. I have since moved from my home town, and now having spent nigh on decade in a new location with a much smaller congregation base. The opportunities to develop an F&W social network are not as obvious. Along with that, my enthusiasm for meeting attendance has also waned.
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Post by works based on Jun 13, 2006 9:39:33 GMT -5
A "works based" system stimulates competition. But some are able to see beyond the competition.
"What are we competing for?"
"Approval". (From parents, Workers, and the general 'professing' community.)
"Who needs it?" ("Not me." 2\3s, "I do." 1\3.)
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