I wonder how many JW's would actually be happy if the Org crumbled?

JH

I wonder what percentage of witnesses would be happy if the Org. crumbled, and they could be set free and live a normal life?

Any clue?

Not everyone has the courage to leave, although they would like to.

JustTickledPink

I would guess over 50%... most do it because they feel pressured by their parents, their "click" which includes employers, family, etc.

I ran into a JW friend from my childhood on Sat and she ranted about how much it hurt her family, yet she is still loyal and going out of duty. I am sure there would be a mass exodus. But what do you do with the people who can't handle NOT being in the routine?

iiz2cool

I think the majority would be happy if the org crumbled. For many it's little more than a social club.

If the org crumbled, I'm sure the people who would be the most unhappy would be elders and ministerial servants. After all, where else can uneducated morons gain power over people?

Walter

Preston

I think the majority of them would be devastated

This is not a statement of support for the organzaion but when its what you've known your entire life how do you deal with God's selected voice falling to pieces on such a massive scale (6 mill +)? I would anticipate an immediate psychological and physical breakdown in lots of JW families, lots of ties breaking and the possible re-emergance of a couple of off-shoot religions taking up where they left off.

- Preston

Big Dog

I think quite a few would be happy. I know my sister secretly confided in me she goes because that's all she knows and the family would give her grief if she quit. But she said she no longer believes any of it as not one thing they ever said has happened. I also think shrinks would see a huge influx of patients.

FlyingHighNow

Most JWs would need some kind of alternative hope, or they would be very frightened by this.

Like all of us though, they'd soon discover that there is a whole world out there waiting for them to bite into and they'd go looking for other answers to live their lives by.

Doubtfully Yours

I'd say 60% in total.

90% of the JW's children would be soooooooo happy to lead a normal life.

Let's stop dreaming, though. That won't happen.

DY

HadEnuf

My guess would be a whole lot of them. I've heard of so many cases of people just staying in the org. because they don't want to suffer the consequences of losing their family ties when they leave.

I still remember looking around our KH and thinking..."These people don't look very happy to me!" I betcha many would jump at the chance to gain their personal freedom back again.

Cathy L.

frankiespeakin

I would think the youger they are the higher the % that would be happy. The real old timers that gave many years to the Organization would of course be very unhappy.

But what ever the outcome I would still try to dismantle the the Org if it was in my power to do so. More people suffer the longer thay last, just like pulling off a band aid the slower you take to pull it off the more pain,,on good quick yank and you hardly noticed any.

willyloman

I think the "rule of thirds" applies here as in so many other things. It's been my experience (nearly 30 years a WT slave) that the typical congo can easily be divided up into three roughly equal parts.

One third are "true believers" who are getting a huge payback from their membership and will follow the WTS off a cliff.

One third are just going through the motions and would leave in a heartbeat if they weren't being held captive by family or business ties.

The other third could go either way, depending largely on who went where.

The first two groups are independent thinkers, in a sense. The first doesn't care what the evidence is, they "think" they have the truth. The last "thinks" the WTS has lost its way, but they are tied to it for the above reasons.

And the middle group doesn't think, they just go along.

So... to answer your question: I suppose it would depend on what you mean by "if the Org crumbled?" If JWs were outlawed and their KHs dismantled by the government, many of the middle third would assume the end was near and they'd follow the true believers. If the WTS went on a downward spiral in terms of money and membership and lost what's left of its credibility with the rank and file, then many of those "floaters" in the middle would take join the 33% who by then would be leaving in droves.

Having said all that, none of these things is going to happen. The WTS will continue to grow, just like the Mormons did, and go mainstream. They will eventually own hotels and grocery stores, too, purchased with the fortune they are going to make by buying all of Brooklyn, converting it to condos, and selling it.

I wonder how many JW's would actually be happy if the Org crumbled?

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