In the CBS/AP it's reported that "only 37% of those born into the sect remain members." It also said that JW is the fastest growing religion with the worst retention rate. I guess it's that they appear attractive long enough to baptize the people, then they lose them. Also the parenting techniques the JW's used to control and keep their kids in the org. repel the kids from it.
Only 37% raised in JW stay in
by White Dove 20 Replies latest social current
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cognac
I believe that...
CBS/AP
What's that?
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drew sagan
And here all this time I thought they lost only 50%, silly me!
It's only one poll, but the fact that it essentially says the JWs loose 63% of the people raised in the religion is more than I ever would have expected. -
White Dove
CBS news and Associated Press.
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White Dove
Being a raised-in myself and having been friends with and seen many other raised-ins leave as teens even, I believe this study as being darn near close to accuracy. Remember how the kids would talk about doing things behind their parents' backs as teens and later these same ones letting go of the religion all together? I've seen so many do this. I've seen converted middle agers remain for a couple of years or a little more and then get DF, DA, or fade, as well. People move and don't give forwarding addresses and such.
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White Dove
Oh, and of course they blame it all on sexual misconduct that gets them all into trouble and kicked out. I mean they blame sex on ALL of it. They never admit that people have brains and if fed too much sh!t will eventually find out just what it is they are being fed at those "bountiful feasts." They just can't ascribe free will and intellegence to the people.
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drew sagan
They never admit that people have brains
Of course not! What do you expect them to do, tell their members that large amounts of people leave because the think it's not the "truth"? How discouraging is that!
I have long suspected that there are actually more ex-jws on this earth than their are active members of the group. I think this polls helps reinforce that idea. -
JH
More would stay if they weren't an "Extreme Religion" that asks too much and for all your life.
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White Dove
But aren't you glad that they do ask for too much and all of your life so you can get out of it? If the other religions did that, they would experience a bigger loss than they are now. The study said that the protestant religions are losing ground in the US and that those who are claiming no religion affiliation are growing. Athiests and agnostics comprise only around 4% of the population. Check out WBOC.com and there will be a button to read the article for today. It was only one scientific study but interesting, anyway.
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drew sagan
More would stay if they weren't an "Extreme Religion" that asks too much and for all your life.
Technically speaking, you would call this their "commitment factor". In the book "War in Heaven/Heaven on Earth" there is an excellent cusp model described that shows the higher the commitment factor a religion has, the more extreme the drop off is when the member leaves. People that leave low commitment groups usually do so over a longer, extended period of time. I think I'm going scan that cusp model and put it online, I think its worth putting up here.