Is it possible for today's youths to remain in the religion?
How Will They Keep JW Youths In?
by minimus 47 Replies latest jw friends
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LostGeneration
Shunning. Its all they know, its all they have.
Check the WT comments here : http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/207436/1/June-15th-WT-Trap-Your-Kids-in-the-Cult
They want them getting baptized even earlier, that way less of a chance they can leave later.
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NewChapter
the kids were raised on the internet. It's a losing battle. Ban the internet and lose the kids. Leave the internet and lose the kids. They are trying to find the middle ground by just frowning on certain aspect of the net---won't work. JW world is no longer all they know. They can access the rest from ANYWHERE, from phones, computers, vidoe games, ipads, libraries, schools, parks---sheesh they must really hate this loss of control.
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minimus
I think it's a losing battle too.
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steve2
They want them getting baptized even earlier, that way less of a chance they can leave later.
Locally, it seems the younger they are when baptized the sooner they leave. I've never heard of the youunger the baptism, the less chance they'll leave. Unless there truly is something spiritually magic about the baptismal water?
On a related note, their emphasis on baptising children is a recent move from holding out the option of baptism until mid-adolescence. I guess it's a symptom of the aging state of the religion: Most of their new blood comes from those born in the religion whereas until a few decades ago they were recruiting lots of completely new people. In Western countries, recruitng of new ones is occurring significantly less nowadays. Hence, a potential pool of new baptisms is evaporating so the emphasis goes on baptizing younger born-ins.
I have heard that it is not uncommon at some conventions of thousands for only a handful to present for baptisms. What a contrast to the 1970s when each convention of thousands had huge lines of men and women presenting for baptism.
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St George of England
No. of baptisms in 2010 - 294,368
No. of baptisms in 2011 - 263,131
So 31,237 FEWER baptisms last year. I think they have passed the point of no return with youngsters. Why would any normal, healthy, reasonably intelligent kid want to be a JW?
No sex, no education, no fun, no future. And for what? To survive some crazy battle of Armageddon that has been on its way for the last 130 years but is still a no show. The WTS has a 100% failure record in everything they have ever forecast.
In the words of that fabulous WHO song "Won't get fooled again!" Todays kids won't get fooled for the first time.
George
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LostGeneration
Steve2, I wasn't clear in my reasoning there. What I should have stated is that the WTS wants them baptized, period. The link posted references an article showing a very young boy (10-12 years) getting dunked.
I know there have always been a small percentage that get dunked very early, but now the WT is promoting this idea more and more, because I think it is in their long term interest to have them committed, that way they can hold the shunning sword over them in their late teens. Sure plenty will leave no matter what, but some that have all of their family "in" will grin an bear it, and stay in as well. My theory is that they don't want them entering their late teens (16 -18 yrs) without getting dunked, because there is a much better chance that they will find out TTATT and just stay unbaptized for the rest of their life. They may be informally shunned, but not hardcore DF shunned because they simply didn't commit.
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lostinthought
by fear
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outsmartthesystem
The sad answer is yes. Not as many as in the past....but yes. Those that have timid and less inquisitive personalities will be more likely to obey the master and not research anything that isn't approved.
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TOTH
The compound in upstate New York will probably have breeding facilities where pioneers will be mated by the gb and the environment will be controlled 100%...
All kidding aside, I bet they lose it eventually.