Calm down! Nothing ‘bizarre’ about being slightly surprised by what you wrote.
I assumed you knew something about them and wondered why you’d written that ‘all is well’ - implying they’re a positive exemplar for the present day state of religion in France ? Whereas unlike most Abrahamic faiths, the JWs avoid wherever possible to engage with society.
We visited some time ago, and I can see why it might be described as feeling like a bus station (vast atrium, divided into segments, lots of human traffic, lots of busyness to the appearance). Fascinating building never the less.
They’re absolutely not thriving, in France or anywhere really. I must admit I forget this years numbers but they stopped reporting them at their annual meetings because they showed declines, which for an organisation which exerts tremendous pressure on members not to leave is quite something. There are lists of Kingdom Halls up for sale that you can find if you know where to look (they’re understandably very hush hush about it) and they’ve spent the last decade merging congregations so that they an make things look fuller to members. Covid was the opportunity so many PIMO (physically in, mentally out) members had been dreaming of to just fade away.
Incidentally, I don’t know when that list was written, but just like their fellow cult the Mormons, the JWs have been modernising to attempt to stop haemorrhaging members… men are now allowed beards. Smart casual clothes too! Focusing on all the important stuff there, the shunning, protection of sex offenders and blood transfusion bans aren’t affected, but beards are back in…
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All religions are cults. Just some are bigger cults than others.
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Back in UK, donkeys years ago, we had 2 families of JW’s. Got to know them in vague-friendly fashion and discovered that each JW had a set number (quota) of door-knocking to do (each day/week I forget which).
I was horrified at their tales of threats/abuse etc which they received time and time again as they tried to meet their quota.
I told 'em they could knock on my door if it would help… and sometimes they did so.
Fastforward, SW France… out of the blue a couple of JW knocked at my door… both were Brits from a neighbouring department. Heaven knows how they found me 
but I didn’t mind. They chatted, I chatted… they offered me their pamphlet which I took and sent them gently on their way. (my kindly good deed for the day )
They came every month for some years, but I’ve not seen them in the last couple… perhaps they’ve gone back to UK… no idea… but I don’t wish them ill. they knew they’d never convert me, but we managed a civilised conversation and I helped them meet their quota. 
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My view entirely, I never objected to their calls, which were rare both in the UK and here, because if I had time to spare I enjoyed debating with them and endeavouring to debunk all their beliefs.
If I didn’t have time I would politely say so and usher them away.
And there’s one that’s an actual death cult.
Given what Kirstea so ably outlined above, I’d expect the carpark was full of nearby residents and commerce users because it is free.
Outside our local funeral home the carpark is also always busy.
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I doubt where you live you could find a site as remote as the local JAHQ, it really is in the middle of nowhere. My passenger also noted that not only was the barrier to the full car par l closed but it also had some pretty fancy cameras guarding the entrance. I’m afraid you theory has been blown out of the water.
It would also appear that a previous poster’s post said they are dying out isn’t true here either.
I would have told them to F off. I was much more tolerant until we had a young JW woman come in to have her 2nd baby when I was a MW. Baby one was a bit under 2. It was a normal pregnancy, no problems, birth went well until massive post partum hemorrage. They refused a transfusion and she got moved up to ICU. I think at this point the drs, nurses, MWs had maybe started to get through however there were senior members of the church that kept coming in to make sure they didn’t falter. Of course she died, leaving a newborn, a little fella and a young husband. So pointless, I can’t see any god thinking that is normal behaviour. All the staff at the hospital were traumatised, needed counselling etc. I was luckily not on shift but it still effected me deeply and it upsets me profoundly when I think about it, even now more than a decade on.
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Interesting idea.
Important to see that what you’re calling religion is just a bad belief system.
There are plenty of people who have bad belief systems.
The fossil fuel community, the pharmaceutical sector community and the UPF community - millions of people that believe in the use of factors that’re bad for us.
Scientology is a horrid actual religion - don’t think they have Gods - they have thetans, I think.
Important to see that a religion should be broadened out into any mindless belief system for your idea to work.
Some would argue that Money is a religion - and a really bad one at that,
No one on earth considers it a religion aside from the Internal Revenue Service of the US. Scientologists certainly don’t, to them it’s a ‘technology’. They understand the need for religious cloaking in certain circumstances but would actively scoff at outsiders seriously considering it a religion because they know it’s not.
Wrong. It’s actually complete b******s.
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Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices invented by the American author L. Ron Hubbard, and an associated movement. It is variously defined as a cult, a business, a religion, or a scam.
Scientology - what are the learnings?
That people can believe in REALLY stupid ideas.
Why reply to me with that Wikipedia article?
I’ve already said it was b******s, which should be enough.
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Bit strange - they’re simultaneously correct.
Though it’s a bit strange to describe a religion as ******** as the description isn’t very useful
- it’s just wrong.
This idea is interesting though:
“You don’t get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion.”
― L. Ron Hubbard
and combine with … …
and then jump up to @billybutcher’s thread:
The point of course in that many who don’t believe in religion believe people who believe in a poorly thought through religion are delusional referencing illusion. To believe in an illusory construct.
Is that not a tautology?
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That it is!
But there are some elements that’re interesting in Scientology eg ‘Audit’ (Catholic Confessional?) and ‘Thetan’ (Theta EEG and relationship to human creativity?) … … … should really go through Scientology in detail.