Interesting.
I think that the process of acclimatization is one that all new religions go through, as they shift from bein composed primarily of converts, to being made up primarily of individuals born into the religion. When I was still loyal to the org, I could see the process going on, and it disturbed me that Jehovah's Holy Organization was following the same sociological pattern as every other, man-made religion.
The Half-Way Covenant allowed partial church membership to individuals who had not had a 'conversion experience', which was required for full church membership. Many of the 'raised-in-the-faith' Puritans were not having conversion experiences. This exemplifies two problems that religions face in this transition.
1. They are no longer self-selecting. Conversion only brings in people who are passionate about the religion. Birth brings in people who may turn out to be apathetic, but will stay out of habit and circumstance.
2. Individuals raised in the faith (call them RITFs) are often not emotionally affected by the beliefs or ideology. The problem is that they hear these beliefs before they are capable of understanding their import. Personally, I know that happened in my case. By the time I was old enough to fully appreciate the idea of the ransom, for example, I had already heard it repeated so many times that it was a cliche to me. Many ideas that are strong and beautiful--whether or not they are true--can be reduced to powerlessness by being turned into cliches to young ears.
Many RITFs do have an emotional attachment to their religion, but it's usually to the organization or the institution, rather than the beliefs. After all, that's what actually mattered to them growing up. That's what affected them emotionally. And so that's what's impressed on their minds, for good or for bad.
That's evident among Witnesses today. Many, if not most, of the Witness RITFs have never gone beyond the basic level in doctrine. It was never important to them... it was something they were forced to learn out of duty, rather than moved to learn out of a questioning spirit.
Also, the bulk of their knowledge usually comes from meetings--where teachings are usually presented with little proof, and WT ideas are fluidly mixed with actual biblical concepts--rather than from formal, analytical study. By the time that a JW parents studies the Knowledge book with their child, the kid has already heard at the meetings all the teachings that it contains. The reasoning and argument--such as there is--matters little to him, because he already knows and believes the teachings. So he (or she) never develops the ability to actually think about doctrine.
