Are EXJW's predominantly atheist? (page 12)

cofty

I'm drinking Tetley Bitter right now while cooking Sunday dinner - yum

I think the rate of atheist/agnostic is higher among born and raised ins. If you have been taught from infancy or early childhood about a ficticious, evil god and that all other gods/goddesses and religion is evil and false, then when you wake up, what do you conclude? You are often greeted with the idea, which isn't accurate, that scientists are godless.

I'm not really sure there is a way to know the answer to the question raised on the subject line to this topic. We see plenty of people who have left who still believe. In life, before the JW's entered mine, I've come across people here and there who tell me they "just do not feel anything up there." I recognize that some do not feel anything and some do. I'd compare it to knowing you are male or female. The sense of god is that strong in many of us, while others do not feel or sense anything.

Then moving beyond what an ex-jw senses or not about god. There are personal conclusions made based on observations about science, nature, creativity, love, etc. How can we really know the answer to this question of how many become atheists in comparison to those that don't? Looking at JWN though, it would seem a significant number of former JW's do become athiests.

FlyingHighNow

I have the feeling that JWN is predominately athiest - maybe about 60/40 that way. James Woods

However, I would have said JWN is more 80/20 in favor of atheists... Christ Alone

I think it's probably more even to maybe even 30 or 40 percent atheist. There are a few atheists who have been prominent in the past year or so, with their posts and threads on the subject, making it seem like JWN is lopsided on this subject.

rather be in hades

there's a way to know. polling with some statistical analysis. not the easiest task, but not impossible by any stretch.

i think what this question is missing is WHY exjws who become atheists..become atheists.

there's a lot of misconceptions as far as why some go this route. it's not always a simple matter of bitterness as it seems it's being portrayed here.

from my own personal experience, years after leaving i most certainly wasn't an atheist. it was a rocky relationship with god to say the least, but still...i believed.

it wasn't until i started studying probability and statistics that i felt free of the belief of god.

FlyingHighNow

there's a way to know. polling with some statistical analysis.

That would be interesting to see if you could find all exjw's and poll them. For JWN: you'd have to include people who do not post regularly, too. We have a lot more members who do not post regularly than those who do.

mythreesons

This is why...LOL

rather be in hades

doesn't have to be all. just a decent sample size. i haven't done much stat work lately and i have big ears. stuff goes in one great. falls out the otherside faster than i want it to :P

the trickier part is getting to underlying root causes. it's one thing to note whether many are atheists or not, the meat is WHY. ok, the meat in my opinion is why :P

then there's the tricky bit with agnostics. i suppose that could be an "i don't know" but is that an "i don't know" that leans to belief or not?

FlyingHighNow

I've been posting here 9 years and reading here longer. I have never gotten the impression that JWN is mostly atheist or that ex jw's were mostly atheist. I have noticed that a significant number of atheists/agnostics here have been born or raised in the org. I have seen that some who became JWs as older teenagers and adults have now adopted atheism, but there also many who have not adopted it.

rather be in hades

it's a tricky one. your point about born ins....i could see that being the case. without data and some number crunching, it'd be hard to say for sure. i still question why. i think that would lead to some interesting revelations as far as what happens to people coming out of high mind control cults.

or at least our high mind control cult.

i'd also be interested in seeing the same data for people who joined on their own.

as well as why they came into the org.

hmmm and some hard data as to social/mental problems from being raised in.

with some good polling data, we could probably show how awful this cult is with numbers. the problem is, if we're getting this from jwn and the other exjw forums, that could lead to a high bias.

i certainly wouldn't trust jws to be honest about their thoughts and feelings as far as the organization. especially when they've been brainwashed to not speak ill of the cult. i kept my mouth shut for years and years and years because i didn't want to stumble a nonbelieving family member who could potentially be "saved" in armageddon.

this would come with all kinds of statistical noise that wouldn't be easy to sort through. or, in my slightly inebriated state, i can't think of one off the top of my head. then again, i'm sure there's others on here far better at stats than i am.

rather be in hades

on a sidenote, and perhaps i should start a new thread asking this but...what was it like posting when this forum first got started? i can't imagine it would have been easy as back then, the internet was practically straight from the devil. i didn't have the stones to even look at the site until earlier this year and that's after not having been to a memorial/dc/ca in maybe 3-4 years? not being regular at meetings in...probably 6? haven't gone out in service in 6 either, not from my recollection.

i would think that took a ton of bravery

Are EXJW's predominantly atheist?

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