Just a survey

Homer notsimpson

Just to get others opinions and experiences. Out of everyone in the jw organization, how many do you think never get caught doing a "gross sin "? And how many do you think actually get caught? How many people confess? How many do you guys think practice gross sin and not get caught?

Finkelstein

Most get away with sinning of some kind, even sexual activity.

Child abuse, crooked dishonest business dealings, the list is long, but it has to be realized and accepted that many people who are involved in the JWS are there to cover themselves over with a white sheet of righteousness.

The wicked old worldlies are evil and unrighteous as they try to portray pretentiously that they are not to boost up their own self personal image.

Sanchy

I downloaded copyrighted software often when i was a JW 😂😂

millie210

I would say at least 50% KNOW they have done something considered "elder worthy" but dont tell.

Most of that is young couples about to be married.

I think the number I gave is a conservative one.

vienne

Got caught? Most recent information I have is very old, late 1970s convention talk outline. Then it was 50-60 thousand a year disfellowshipped. The number 'reproved' is not given.

scratchme1010

how many do you think never get caught doing a "gross sin "? And how many do you think actually get caught? How many people confess? How many do you guys think practice gross sin and not get caught?

I find it hard to be accurate since many of us were JWs for a longer time than others, also because some of us were nosier than others, and also because some of us were in different congregations and therefore knew (of) more people.

I'm also basing my answer in the presumption that you are using the WT's definition of a "gross sin", which includes my very own existence.

As a gay JW, and growing in a culture and medium that wasn't too kind to LGBTQ+ people socially, legally or any other way-ly, I got to know quite a few JWs with a double life. Never counted how many, but through my entire life in that organization there were many people in the congregation who had double lives.

Me personally, I can fill the entire quota of "gross sins" based on their definitions of things that they believe people should get killed for, regardless of how decent and morally clean they are. Their criteria for sin is ridiculously, insanely, stupidly narrow and specific, so pretty much every single person at some point will do something that is considered a "gross sin".

Getting caught in the sense of people knowing, a lot. Getting caught in the sense of anyone in the congregation taking any actions, very few. I think those two last statements also answer your last question.

fiddler

The other question might be: how many self report? I know (I was one) that many are so indoctrinated that when they do something along the lines of 'serious sin' they turn themselves in.

Island Man

It's hard to say. I personally think the rate of sin is about the same as with other churches, it's just more hidden because of the disfellowshipping policy. The disfellowshipping policy motivates JWs to go to greater lengths to keep their serious sins hidden, and that in turn creates the illusion that there is less sin among JWs than other churches.

berrygerry

WT used to report the number of those DF'd, stating one year that it was 1 in 80 - the majority for immorality. They then stated that an even greater amount were in a JC, but not DF'd.

Based on this, and the number not "confessing," and the number when elders did not want to do the paperwork, it is then a high percentage.

Old Navy

My involvement with the witnesses began in the summer of 1957. One of my close friends in high school was a witness and that is when I became aware of it. I was baptized by the witnesses, but back then it wasn't a baptism into the society - it was done biblically in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I attended meetings at the Kingdom Hall, participated in the Ministry School and was a publisher who went from door to door. The young people in the congregation frequently had parties where dancing and kissing were indulged in without any adult supervision or chaperoning. Apparently we were trusted to not to go too far. We had normal relations with our worldy classmates and friends and even dated them if we desired. My witness classmate was steady with one of the girls in class who was a Presbyterian. Looking back to those days, while comparing things with how the society operates today, clarifies poignantly the degree of increased control and cultish procedures.

Was that congregation unusually loose? Have any other old-timers had similar experiences?

Just a survey

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