The rules used to be very clear, you could not progress in the cong if you have an unbeliever in the house. You couldn't even have a book study at your house if that was the case.
Those kids were kicked out of their homes as soon as the parents could so...... it is disgusting. Those kids HAD to go to meetings, HAD to begrudgingly go door to door. It was that or be homeless and lose your family and friends.
It is amazing that so many left so young. I spend my life with 22 year old doctors that still have a bedroom at home and go home on weekends for mums sunday lunch. In Watchtower land, getting booted on to the street aged 16 or 17 happened without a blink of an eye.
It always intrigued me how many JW kids left aged 16 if they had a non believing parent who lived elsewhere. Basically, if there is a choice, by far most left.
snare
p.s. for those that bring up them not knowing doctrine and wanting to break the rules , those kids weren't bad humans, they didn't drive illegally, do heroine, murder or steal. This is important.....because there was no REAL laws being broken, they knew which laws were legitimate (civil law) and which weren't (watchtower law). Again, they were just smarter than you and me. As for doctines, give them a break, I know elders in bethel who were clueless on doctrine, why should a 16 yr old know such garbage when they don't believe it? Again, they were smarter than us.