by ScoobySnax 44 Replies latest jw friends
I thought about all the people I've known (that I could remember) and still know their status, close to 50% are gone due to fading, DF/DA, this of course, means nothing.
A better question might be -- "If the WTS, today announced that all, Disfellowshipping and Shunning practices, were gone and no punishment would take place...how many people would stay ?
I believe 75 - 80% would leave immediately. I think this % only stay, because they don't want to lose their friends and family.
Ona, if you have an issue with Scoobysnax why not take it off the board?
Hijacking a thread and then pointing to your own thread seems to be a little over the edge IMO
Rabbit,
A better question might be -- "If the WTS, today announced that all, Disfellowshipping and Shunning practices, were gone and no punishment would take place...how many people would stay ?I believe 75 - 80% would leave immediately. I think this % only stay, because they don't want to lose their friends and family.
I agree. If JWs were free to choose whether to stay or not without fearing punishment or social ostracism many more would leave.
Sabrina
donkey...agreed, and post deleted.
I didn't read through all the responses in this thread so forgive me if I am just recapitulating what others have already voiced.
You might be correct, scoob. There may be more active JWs than inactive or ex-JWs on a worldwide scale, though I believe the ratios might break down when it comes to western countries. But that doesn't prove a damn thing. If there was only one ex-JW and 100 million JWs that wouldn't affect whether they are "the true religion."
Basically, this is a moot point.
Bradley
ditto what bradley said!
Jesus did I just type that?????
Rabbit,
A better question might be -- "If the WTS, today announced that all, Disfellowshipping and Shunning practices, were gone and no punishment would take place...how many people would stay ?
I believe 75 - 80% would leave immediately. I think this % only stay, because they don't want to lose their friends and family.
I think you are vastly underestimating the psychological draw of the Watchtower philosophy. Your numbers are outrageously inflated. People stay JWs more than just for the fear of disfellowshipping and shunning. Surprise, surprise -- a lot of them actually believe their religion.
Logan:
I think you are vastly underestimating the psychological draw of the Watchtower philosophy. Your numbers are outrageously inflated. People stay JWs more than just for the fear of disfellowshipping and shunning. Surprise, surprise -- a lot of them actually believe
That is very possible about the underestimating, after all I spent 35 years in it. The last several years tho' I was afraid to 'speak my mind' any time I did, I was beaten down by the other fearful people saying, Oh, you shouldn't be questioning the Elders, FDS, the GB, etc. I could SEE the fear in their eyes...
As far as my own experience about the 50%, as I said, this is from my memory and my particular circumstances... it is not inflated at all. However, like I said, it doesn't mean anything because it will not hold up to an average of everyone else's experiences.
The 70-80% may be wishful thinking on my part, however once JW's could start openly questioning doctrines and practices, I believe they would quickly become disillusioned. It would be VERY easy to stop the now required 'Field Service' and 5 meetings a week...
ScoobySnax,
"...couldn't see where the 40,000 who left tipped the balance."
The numbers I'd hear announced were for the USA only. I have never heard worldwide stats for DF'ing.
Scoob, I believe it was in David Reed's book, Blood on the Altar, that I found this: in any given 20-year period, the turnover rate among Jehovah's witnesses is 50%. In other words, you have an even chance of dropping out sometime within the next twenty years.
So, yeah, given that the JW's have been around for about a hundred years, I can believe that the disfellowshipped, disassociated, and faders equal the number of active witnesses.
GentlyFeral
