Young JW's

by XPeterX 36 Replies latest jw friends

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  WingCommander

  I can vouch for that 70% leaving, numbers. Of around the 10 kids my age whom I grew up with, 7 of us are out. Many of those were BEFORE the age of 18 even!! I was one of the last at about 20. Some of these still come to the Memorial once a year to appease the parents/grandparents, but when they do it's in khakis or jeans as a sign of defiance. Classic!!!!

  I am now 31. I went to the Kingdom Hall about 3 years ago. Fairly new Hall (ok, maybe 20 years old, but well kept and damn nice) and it was a Sunday. Maybe 1/4 to 1/3 of the Hall was filled, and they were spread out in order to make it look "fuller". I'd say there were 50 people there, if that. That is SAD. As a child growing up in the early 1980's, I remember the Kingdom Hall having at least 100-125 people for the Sunday meeting. Can you imagine how dead and empty the Theocratic Ministry School meeting night must be? That was always the meeting to skip anyway (freakin boring) so can you imagine???

  I left that last meeting after looking around and said to myself, "Truly, Jehovah God Holy Spirit has left the WatchTower". Actually, it wasn't really like I said to myself in my mind, it was more of a deep-down feeling that I had. I mean seriously, if it was there, where were the fruitiages of the Spirit?? Other churches in my area are overflowing; I don't see this great multitude of people fleeing Babylon The Great, as the JW's always used to predict. If anything, I see a departure from the Kingdom Halls back to more mainstream Christianity. This is mind-boggling for someone like me raised as a JW, but yet there is evidence of this very phenomenon. The people that were at the Kingdom Hall were in age 38+, and if they had kids they were 16 and below. The 18-35 year old demographic was practically non-existant. The people who were there looked as though their asses were dragging, and it showed. It was depressing to say the least.

  - Wing Commander
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  pr0ner

  I agree young born in's are leaving in mass numbers...even the ones that are not leaving seem to have a more lax attitude about things. I take that as a good sign that the org will get more and more liberal as it gets older...well liberal to us, it will probably be just as old and stuffy to folks who just come in the door.
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  Soldier77

  I highly doubt they will get more liberal. If anything they will get more hardline and up the pharissaical rules and regulations. There are changes coming (new elders book with new training) that will enforce the rules and regs to an even more suffocating degree. I really think another split or major falling out is going to happen in a few years time. At least in the next 10 years. Even though I'm speculating, there are too many telling factors going on that make that a high possibility.
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  brotherdan

  So we all agree that children are allowed and accepted to become baptized ordained ministers in the congregation, right? Anyone have a dispute about that claim?

  Then why did the WTS make this claim to the European Human Rights Committee in 1997?

  "As regards the alleged involvement of children, the [WatchTower Bible and tract Society] submits that children cannot become members of the association but only participate, together with their parents, in the religious activities of the community. In respect of the refusal of blood transfusion, the applicant association submits that there are no religious sanctions for a Jehovah's Witness who chooses to accept blood transfusion and that, therefore, the fact that the religious doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses is against blood transfusion cannot amount to a threat to public health." {Sworn testimony submitted by the Society in evidence before the European Human Rights Commission Jul 3 1997}

  I would personally like miseryloveselders (or any other current JW) to comment. Was this a dishonest claim by the Watchtower?
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  Magwitch

  In my family the retention rate is almost 0%. I am a fourth generation witness with 24 1st cousins - all raised very strictly as obedient Jdubs. Of my 4 siblings and 24 1st cousins, ONE cousin remains a witness (and she is a closet lesbian)
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  miseryloveselders

  So we all agree that children are allowed and accepted to become baptized ordained ministers in the congregation, right? Anyone have a dispute about that claim?

  Then why did the WTS make this claim to the European Human Rights Committee in 1997?

  "As regards the alleged involvement of children, the [WatchTower Bible and tract Society] submits that children cannot become members of the association but only participate, together with their parents, in the religious activities of the community. In respect of the refusal of blood transfusion, the applicant association submits that there are no religious sanctions for a Jehovah's Witness who chooses to accept blood transfusion and that, therefore, the fact that the religious doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses is against blood transfusion cannot amount to a threat to public health." {Sworn testimony submitted by the Society in evidence before the European Human Rights Commission Jul 3 1997}

  I would personally like miseryloveselders (or any other current JW) to comment. Was this a dishonest claim by the Watchtower?

  I swear this forum is going to get me fired. I'm spending wayyy to much time on here, but we're a lil slow at work right now. BrotherDan I'd say I agree and disagree with that statement. Forgive me if this comes off like something Johnny Cochran or Bill Clinton might say, but there's some truth to that statement as well as the obvious smokescreen typical of WT doublespeak. Most "children" don't get baptized or even pressured to get baptized. There's exceptions, one even being my own mother. She was baptized at age 9. Most don't get baptized at that age. Fast forward a handful of years though.......then the peer pressure starts. Its mostly teenagers ranging anywhere from 13 to 18. I got dipped at age 16. The pressure was on me too, cuz a couple of my close friends had gotten baptized before me. One of which recieved a hug from a grandmotherly member of my home congregation. She hugged him, and said hi to everyone of us with the exception of myself. The reason being was because it appeared that I was holding out at age 15. Between Fall of that year, and the following spring, my folks put the screws on me. So I did what was naturally expected of me. As a man now, I've noticed the trend hasn't changed much. There's still the exceptional preteen or child, but mostly is mid point teenagers and young adults.

  On a side note, I'd say for those who resist the pressure of getting baptized beyond age 18, the chances increase greatly that they will never get baptized. You'll see them every so often at an assembly, convention, or The Memorial.
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  brotherdan

  Yeah, I was baptized at age 12 (almost 13). But to make a flat statement like "children cannot become members of the association" can be nothing more than a lie. Also, a "child" is defined as anyone under 18. I'm unsure if that's the same in Europe...I'm shocked that they did not get into trouble for perjury.

  MLE, you're right about the pressure though. I got baptized with 5 other kids around my age. I know that when kids were around 16 or 17 people would begin to view the person as "unspiritual" if they were not baptized by that time. I would venture to say 90% of those that make it to 18 without getting baptized never will.
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  garyneal

  marked
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  poopsiecakes

  My family's retention rate is 1/3...I have one sister in (very in) and my other sister and I are OUT so there you go...

  Youth baptism has always been a bone of contention with me - even when I was still a JW...I'd always refuse to clap when they announced a 10 or 11 or 13 year old getting dunked.
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  brotherdan

  I agree with poopsie. I am 30 years old and being held to a commitment that I didn't fully understand that I was making at 13 years old. I thought I was dedicating my life to God and the pursuit of truth, not an organization above all else.