Are more long standing JW's leaving?

by cantleave 51 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Mad Sweeney

  I don't know if more people are leaving. I think it is a different demographic that is leaving.

  Growing up in the 70s and 80s I recall those who left were mostly teens and "spiritually weak" ones.

  I only remember one elder ever leaving the Borg while I was in and it was right around the 1980 apostasy-purge period.

  I was frankly shocked to see ANY elders here when I first joined the board but we're seeing elders and MS joining here all the time. The Borg was content with losing "weak" ones because they were easily replaced with born-ins and converts. Plus, those weak ones sometimes come back whenever there's a war or earthquake or hurricane or new disease found (Emotion control - FEAR). But now the Borg is hemmoraging their best and brightest. Even the elders who don't leave the organization or join JWN are often stepping down, putting further burden on middle management. The headquarters has to be approaching panic mode and don't dare alienate any more thinking JWs. The overlap was an insult to everyone's intelligence last year and I just don't think they have the balls to try anything else like it again just now.

  Why else cancel the book release for this summer and drop whatever explanation they were going to float about the toes of the image?
• 

  RagingBull

  I do see more older ones leaving...then there's the push for young brothers to take the lead. There are about 5 ELDERS in my area that are 32yrs of age or younger. It seems that more young bros. get appointed as elders these days than do ministerial servants. Plus with some congregations folding due to lack of members and congregations being combined you loose track of who's where and doing what.

  I think in this information age (Age of the Internet) many witnesses young and old can visit sites like these, and read newspaper articles and blogs from all over the world without fear of "getting caught by another witness at the checkout line" for them to squeal to the elders about you. So, everyones starting to hear and read the NEGATIVE things of the organization. Eyes and Minds are being opened. Plus...as a person (anyone) gets older, you just start to not give a crap anymore and begin to stand up for yourself. You say to yourself...."Wait! I'm letting a handful of MEN...in Brooklyn NY (of all places)...tell me what to do with my life and how to do it?"

  Time to END the MENTAL MOLESTATION! (maybe the TOES are the WTBTS and the boulder is THE INTERNET!)
• 

  LongHairGal

  cantleave:

  I believe there are more of them leaving now as opposed to the past when it was only teenagers who fled. I am also in the category of 20+ years baptized, except I am a ten year "fader". I don't think anybody really misses me because I was considered "weak", i.e. I work full-time and refused to be targeted by the users. They don't have any use for anybody they can't exploit.

  I think the religion changing their generation doctrine yet again is what is doing them in, along with the bad economy and older, thinking people just being tired and fed up (mentally and physically) with the stifling phoniness of it all. Is it any wonder they want out?
• 

  DesirousOfChange

  Recent CO visit, he HAMMERED on "Social Networks" and specifically FACEBOOK. It has been mentioned on this board about reviewing if elders/MS and their family members are on Facebook. After this talk, I believe that to be true. It may not be direct orders from the bOrg, but I can easily see how some independent thinking COs could implement such thinking.
• 

  JW GoneBad

  Are more long standing JWs leaving? Yes, Si, Oui!

  The R & F who have many years under their belt are wising up to who the real snake in the grass is.

  The old saying "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" is proving true with long standing JWs. The many changes and adjustments of recent on the WTBTS' part is causing seasoned JWs to question whether the 'Truth' is really the truth.
• 

  agonus

  I would imagine some "long standing" JWs (read: elderly) are getting fed up with the comparatively young punks on the GB denigrating them.
• 

  SouthCentral

  Most that I talk to are in just going through the motions. JWs have great parties. If you have had friends for 20 years, why give it up for doctrinal reasons. Most Witnesses could not go to a church because of brain-washing, so living a lie and having great friends is the only option for many.
• 

  agonus

  Yeah, the "toes" No Light is something straight out of Monty Python, or, better yet... wait for it... Fawlty Towers!
• 

  moshe

  I wonder, if I can go to the KH and get one of these convention invitations with the question marked feet? JWs would sure hate to have this invitation thrust in their face at the door and asked- "so wadda did the GB say those tooties was anyway?
• 

  DesirousOfChange

  Most that I talk to are in just going through the motions. JWs have great parties. If you have had friends for 20 years, why give it up for doctrinal reasons. Most Witnesses could not go to a church because of brain-washing, so living a lie and having great friends is the only option for many.

  Good observation SC. I think it would be fair to say that more long standing JWs are MENTALLY LEAVING. They are there in body, but that's it. And frankly, they are not there in body as regularly as they used to be. HUGE problem with meeting attendance everywhere. Our circuit, meeting attendance 20-25% lower than publisher count.