by Qcmbr 14 Replies latest jw friends
I fall into the category of mature adults that are burnt out, many just coast along doing the minimum, eventually just fading away. Not as many because there is so much to lose. Freedom sometimes is nothing left to lose.
I fall into #3, Blondies comment sums it up good for me (went out with a bang instead of fading though) although I should have been #1 if I was smart and not get involved with JW women at that time in my life.
Around here I would say that the WTS is leaking at the start. Fewer children of JWs getting baptized and drfiting away when they reach 18, if they do get baptized, due to family pressure, they get caught up in smoking, drugs, immorality and end up being df'd.
I fell into the got baptized and the went crazy category.
I fall in group 1. I started fading around ~21 (junior year of college).
Even growing up, hard to say I ever meant ANY new converts that didn't have a family member in the truth. I was raised a witness and my dad was an elder.
However, most of my friends at my age are not religiously active (don't go to church). The difference is that with JW (and probably LDS too) is that more activity is required to be considered one. for example, I know lots of people who consider themselves Catholic even though they haven't been to church in several years. by definition, they still are. it's sad witnesses aren't that way.
The reason the Witness group will never have traditional members is that they aren't a religion, they're a printing and real estate development company. They need active literature distributors and volunteer workers to build and maintain their real estate investments.
The literature says Jehovah told the anointed to publish (print) the "good news". The good news is printed in literature format and the Witness people distribute, or publish, it as associates of the anointed represented by the Governing Body. If they do this, God likes them. If they don't distribute literature, God does not like them.
Witnesses don't sell the literature any more but they are reminded to explain the "donation arrangement" to customers.
Like Blondie's comment about single mothers being the lowest on the social ladder, but if you don't have a spouse or family in the JW's you are also lowest on the social ladder.
GaryBuss--I empathize with you on what happened when you told a family member how you really felt. My JW sister has a pretty good relationship with me right now, but I know I won't be able to hold in my feelings about the WTS much longer.
