by shotgun 5 Replies latest jw friends
This weekend I ran into a local elder who has been performing JW marriages for many years. Out of the blue he commented that he recently did a tally and only 25% of the couples he married are still together.
When I started to think about it and calculate all the JW's that I knew which were married after 1985 the divorce rate was around 50% and some of the ones still together should probably have split.
How have the JW's held up in your area, better or worse?
Shotgun
Most of the marriages in my congregation seem to be doing allright, although many of the young couples did have problems due to marrying so young. Based on what I've heard, my hall might be the exception though, plus I wonder if some of the families are really as happy as they try to portray themselves to be.
It goes in streaks. About 50 to 60% of those in my age bracket are divorced. Younger marriages are not holding together as long. I have seen that about 30% are already over in 5 years. Now ask if those who stay married are happy though....
Blondie
The couples aren't happy, but stay married. You can see the misery in their lives.
I'm new to where I am now and have no idea but where I come from the rate is still down for divorce among JWs. I used to think as a JW it was a curse and a blessing. If you were in an area where divorces were so common, who knows how much people will put into it if that was the case, but areas where there were few divorces, well, this meant no eligible brothers. The only ones I knew in the circuit who were 'available' were NOT in a relationship for a reason.
Fortunately my field has changed and I don't date JWs any more.
Doing OK among the older ones -- though I have heard from a friend in Greta Britain where there has been a trend in some congregations of elders geeting divorced -- the main problem is definitely amongst the younger witnesses
