A Speculative Question

by cantleave 10 Replies latest jw friends

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  cantleave

  I know there is no definitive answer to the question below. I reckon that in my Congregation there are at 30 people who don't really believe the WTB$ in its entirety. These are the ones who attend and do just enough so as to please family, maintain social circles / business contacts or need the organisation to give them a sense of purpose.

  Based on your experience and the knowledge of those in your congregation what percentage of JW's do you believe would stay faithful if they had to choose between the org or their life?
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  Mickey mouse

  25%
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  Found Sheep

  10
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  willyloman

  When I was in there were three "classes" of dubs.

  The "true believers" constituted a small minority, probably about 20% in the typical congo. These were the super zealous or self righteous among us, although often respected by the rest of the group.

  About 30% fell into the "walking wounded" category, meaning they were troubled souls with many problems, often but not always of their own making, and they were likely to hang on firmly to their membership because of the perceived long term health benefits (the promised perfection). As for the body of JW doctrine, most of them just didn't know what it was since they seldom read the dispatches. They knew what they were taught when they first started and rarely progressed from there.

  That left another 30% somewhere in the middle, matching your description of doing "just enough" and maintaining their social circle and family or business ties, but clearly not intellectually committed. They paid lip service to but were often flexible in their support of many JW rules.

  Obviously, the percentages are estimates and there's some overlap between groups. But I came to think this was pretty universal, at least in the U.S.
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  inbetween

  in our congo, I would say about 30% die hard jw,

  50% try to have a life in real world but also swallow most of the instruction, and

  20% are struggling, but mostly due to mental problems or "sinful" tendencies,

  so far, I know only one, who really knows about the org, its "me"..
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  wobble

  I think a sub-question could be ,how many would stay if you could leave with dignity and all social contacts in place ?

  I would say 10% staying would be on the high side, after say, a year.

  And I think the GB know this, so in the interests of keeping their comfortable life, don't expect anything but more and more control, even a tightening of the D.F policy.

  Love

  Wobble
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  cantleave

  Interesting comments.

  Willy I think the UK and the US are probably similar in terms of zealous:lazy ratios.

  I agree with wobble, that the GB will address this not by leniency but by introducing higher levels of control, applying more guilt and trying to increase the emphasis on the urgency of the times. The 10% - 30% die hards will be used more and more to reinforce the discipline and will be given greater status not only now but also in the new system (remember when it used to be said that Elders will be princes in the NS?). The Koolaid watchtower is being used more and more to introduce more radical, controlling thinking, assemblies are also reflecting this, and in my opinion it is just going to get worse.
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  creativhoney

  speculatively if it came to the absolute crunch some would definitely follow their heart but despite beliefs, I still think some are just scared, they dont believe but its habitual and ingrained.
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  cantleave

  Creativehoney - yes your right, that's why this board exist, because many have already made that decision.
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  dozy

  I think Willyloman’s analysis is broadly accurate. As very few new ones are baptized (other than born-ins) , increasingly JWs look at “the truth” in terms of deep family & social ties built up over many years and often encompassing several generations.

  The meetings often seem to have taken on a meaning of their own , divorced from any reality. Brothers who never go on the ministry give 20 min service items on “preaching with zeal”. Elders whose children have all long since left the truth give talks on bringing up your family “in the lord.” Nobody bats an eyelid (assuming their eyelids are open when the talk is given). As such , they have become almost a crude form of entertainment – a time to meet up with friends and family. Ministry seems to be very much a token ½ an hour Saturday morning then coffee shop operation. Sunday ministry (where I live) has long since died.

  The problem the WTS has is how to successfully keep the 80% of social JWs & misfits comfortably on board while trying to motivate & guilt trip the zealous 20% “true believers” into either doing more or falling into the 80% camp. What they have done in the past is to reduce the commitment in some ways (shorter and less meetings , reducing hour requirements etc) while tightening up in others (banning further education , dress codes etc). This gives both parties something to work with. I suspect that the WTS is quite happy with the results and will continue this twin track approach.

  I have to respectfully disagree with Wobble’s coment that only about 10% would stay if dignity and social contacts could be maintained. For most JWs , there isn’t anything “outside” and nowhere to go.