Children Who Leave Always Come Back to the Society (page 4)

booby

from Blondie's link

Jehovah's Witnesses have the lowest retention rate of any religious tradition. Only 37% of all those who say they were raised as Jehovah's Witnesses still identify themselves as Jehovah's Witnesses.

The Catholic Church used to boast the same thing, " once a Catholic always a Catholic". I do think with jws it is a bit the same, once a jws, it can be really hard to shake those beliefs off. I have heard them boast that even if you leave jws, you will never join "false religion"

The other has to do with family has we all know, many just stay to be with family or if df get reinstated for family. It's hard to raise our children without any family so many of us will do most anything so our children will have so sense of family.,

The Internet has changed many things. those that leave now have support and life is not quite as grim.

ataloa

Thanks everyone. All your replies were helpful.

from Blondie's link
Jehovah's Witnesses have the lowest retention rate of any religious tradition. Only 37% of all those who say they were raised as Jehovah's Witnesses still identify themselves as Jehovah's Witnesses.

Unofficially, I've heard COs refer several times to the thought that ONLY 1 IN 8 of those raised JW stays a Witness. That was very close to the percentage I got when I unofficially surveyed several congregations, and I would bet it's pretty accurate. That translates to only 12.5% of those raised JW actually stay. The rest leave

This makes me feel better. I was a little concerned because I was there in my daughter's formative years, and I thought maybe it was because of the teachings.

Now it seems to me, that a lot go back just because of the emotional blackmail, for their families. Thanks goodness, none of my family are jw's.

bluesbreaker59

I can assure you, I'll never set foot back in one of those hell-holes, EVER AGAIN!!! I don't believe in the Gov. Body, and there trying to replace Jesus. I don't agree with the dating structure, I don't agree with the blood matters. Basically I feel you should try to be the best person you can, and if you claim to be a "Christian" then try to follow the Bible too, but "Do not go beyond what is written".

Shawn10538

This is true of cults in particular, cults and drug and alcohol addicts. At some point all junkies (even religious ones) go back to their fix. Sadly, even many who will post on this very topic/thread may one day go back to their opium.

jaguarbass

I was born and raised a magazine salesman.

I escaped the tower in 83 and havent been back yet.

freydi

On another forum there's been a discussion lately about the identity of the FDS. There's nothing substantive happening because that big sign in Brooklyn that says "Read Your Bible," never also adds in the mags, that you must agree with the FDS when you do, whether it's scriptural or not. The mistake that all people make, when they become dubs, or are raised dubs, is the acceptance of this fact, that they are what they claim, which is a lie. Who can blame them when they have the Volumes locked up in the police station(KH Libraries) and are only to be venerated rather than actually read. Babylon III

jgnat

Us evangelicals used to console ourselves with this scripture:

Pro 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

I am sure that JW's do too.

Thank you very much, Blondie, for posting that statistic.

I think an adult child is most vulnerable to return when they have small children. The natural instinct is to raise your child the way you were raised. This is the time for non-Witness spouses to be alert, and to bring in extra supports and helps around parenting. Show a better way.

White Dove

I am a 4th generation born-in. I left, went back, left, and haven't been back yet. Also, I went through periods of off agains on agains meeting attendance in my adulthood before I left the first time. I went through a couple of months of non-attendance a couple of years before the first leaving.

muse

I was a born in and grew up in the congregation with 18 others around my age. Out of us 18, there is one that still attends. Her sister got disfellowshipped and then got reinstated but that was so she could speak to her family. She has now since faded and gone again. So no, that is not true at all.

Children Who Leave Always Come Back to the Society