Cedars

Fernando

Nothing serious just thinking aloud...

A moment ago I wondered what the big picture looks like...

How many millions of JWs, have shunned how many millions of friends and family members, for how many billion hours a year, for how many years?

How many parents are shunning their own children at the moment?

How many children are shunning their own parents at the moment?

How many siblings are shunning or being shunned?

I had up to 5 disfellowshipped aunts and uncles my entire JW life - from birth until leaving at age 44.

A number of these were shunned until death.

My own brother was shunned until his suicide.

My SIL was shunned on and off, and now again.

My mom's brother largely shunned our whole family for being JWs.

Fernando, I totally understand your curiosity, but it's impossible to say with any certainty. You would need some statistics to go off for how many are disfellowshipped, and unfortunately we simply don't have access to those statistics. Even if we did, there is no way of knowing how many of those disfellowshipped left family members behind, and if so, how many? Of those family members who are JWs, which are obediently shunning them, and which are continuing to have dealings in private? It's simply unknowable stuff I'm afraid.

Shunning is just one of those things that are encouraged by Jehovah's Witnesses for which the damage cannot be measured, but is certainly extensive - touching the lives of unknown millions. We don't know precisely how many are feeling the pain of this awful control mechanism, but just one person would be too many - let alone the countless millions that are undoubtedly effected.

Cedars

Fernando

Thanks Cedars.

May the survey continue to go from strength to strength.

Fernando

JWOP

I'm speculating that there are at least as many ex-JWs as there are current JWs, but I could be wrong.

Captain Obvious

There could EASILY be as many ex-JWs as JWs. I saw the Pew survey results mentioned in another thread and checked it out... If that figure of 37% is true and it easily could be, the actual figures would likely be staggering.

JW GoneBad

Interesting thread.

'How many millions of JWs, have shunned how many millions of friends and family members, for how many billion hours a year, for how many years?'

That amounts to a great deal of loathing, hatred and horror on the part of Jehovah's Witnesses; a people who claim to follow in the foot steps of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ whose primary teachings are based on the law of love!

I'm not sure there could be as many ex-JWs as JWs. Imagine your last congregation, and then imagine an equal amount of ex-JWs living in your congregation's territory. I just can't see it somehow. However, I can see at least 2 or 3 million ex-JWs dotted around the globe. Even more if you count those born into JW families who left before they were baptized.

Cedars

slimboyfat

Of people who have ever been baptised as JWs there are more inactive/ex-JWs than there are active Witnesses. I think that can be shown quite clearly by comparing the baptisms, publisher numbers and the death rate over the last half century or so. One caveat is that many inactive Witnesses still consider themselves Witnesses in some sense or still believe it is "the truth".

Cedars - just thinking aloud about big picture shunning statistics

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