Interesting results -- Another survey from Lee.... SAYS....

by Lady Lee 7 Replies latest jw friends

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  Lady Lee

  Well first I want to thank everyone who contributed to the survey. http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/66426/1.ashx

  Quite frankly I was surprised by the results. Please note that I am not into statistics. I hate numbers and stats. And by no means is this survey representative of all JWs who leave the Borg or even those who post here.

  We have often read or even made comments about how the Internet will be the undoing of the WTS. I think a lot of us really believe that the Internet does have an impact on JWs assisting them to leave the WTS.

  Well the survey seems to indicate something slightly different. 16 people (out of 48) said the Internet had an impact but not directly. Most already had doubts. Some found non-JW friendships on the net. Others were able to verify some things they had read about in the media (mostly about child abuse)

  32 people said the Internet had no initial impact on their decision to leave. In fact many had left before they knew about the Internet.

  The responses regarding the reasons for leaving included:

  • Freedom 11
  • Hypocracy 24
  • Lack love 14
  • False prophesies 4
  • Abuse 5

  It seems the above reasons had a greater impact on the initial decision to leave than finding information on the Internet.

  What many people did state was that the Internet helped them after they had left (once they got on the Internet). The Internet helped people clarify their feelings, know they weren?t alone, and realize they had been in a cult, provided more information, and offered support and healing.

  And while many people stated that they would never have read anti-JW material before they left 28 people stated that once they were out they got a lot of help from the books and the Internet.

  Considering the estimated number of ex-JWs in the world perhaps our greater service is in helping those who have left realize the problems within the organization and help them to remain free
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  shamus

  LL, my fellow apostate and heathen,

  Thanks for sharing this with us.

  I did not vote in your poll, but my leaving was the beginning of a haze leaving my body; when I got treatment for my depression, the first thing that I noticed was the complete and utter lack of love. This lead to seeing the hypocrisy in they're teachings, and just feeling beat-down everytime I went to meetings.

  One thing lead to another, and not one thing was the "true" reason for me to leave. I think it was all of your comments below, just in different stages.

  I am confident now that I would die for my beliefs even "if" the cult was correct. If the "one and only god" used this cult for his one and only channell, what does that say about god?

  Common sense that we are all born with says that it is not god's channell. Witnesses in the high-control group, or, cult only have to wake up one day and see it. I am just thankful that I no longer subscribe to they're propaganda and participate in recruiting work for the cult.
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  Rick Aust

  it was the hypocracy and lack of love that made me look into the internet to see what was really in there, then it was the false prophecy that made me realise it wasn't the truth after all, and I remember the moment it hit me, I felt a quick sense of foolishness then angry and then the realiszain of the life that I wasted , all my best working years were wasted on a cult. I tell myself that I had good intentions, it makes me feel better and not too recentfull.

  regards rick
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  Phantom Stranger

  Thanks for the hard work, Lee. I'm not surprised by the numbers at all. People are motivated to take action by emotion far more than they are by data.

  Of course, I tend to interpret this as a point supporting my "can't take the WTS down with logical argument" theory. (That's the flip side of my "Help people be happier and more fulfilled, and they'll walk out on their own" theory:) But I digress.

  Again, thanks for the work!
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  shamus

  That is a great attitude to have, Rick.

  For months and months I felt really stupid for believing in they're lies. More like hurt. I now realize that circumstances that were not in my control lead to my eventual downfall into the destructive high-control group. It is something that has taken me a long time to get over, and we all need to stop looking back, not at our wasted time in the cult, but our lives ahead now, and what we can accomplish and do.

  The best way to get revenge on the WTBTS is to be happy and always tell people what Jehovers Witnesses (tm) are about.
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  Lady Lee

  Yes it seems the hypocracy and lack of love are the two largest factors in pushing people out the door. The WTS may be their own worst enemy.

  But we can sure do our share in helping them stay out
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  jgnat

  It is nice to see my musings verified.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/66669/1.ashx

  I wonder if the WTBTS has seen a drop in return rate?

  As Room 215 pointed out, the internet can also be an inoculant for any prospective members.

  I also hope we can provide some guidance to spouses whose partners are getting sucked in. It is heart-breaking when the studying partner is far more involved than originally suspected, and all of a sudden the non-interested spouse is in the fight of their life (for which they are ill-prepared).
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  Lady Lee

  I wonder if the WTBTS has seen a drop in return rate?

  well we seem to be getting a fair share of them on the net... and that is a good thing