For any who were raised a JW... (page 2)

wednesday

It is about 60/40 on my age(staying leaving) but close to 100% on my kids age group.

rache31

DJK, are the ones you ran into still in it? Sorry, I wasn't sure. I'm wondering if they're cold and unfriendly because they're so messed up in the head. Know what I mean? Still no excuse..

The vast majority left over time, or just cling on the edges. Oddly, I don't believe any of them left over the reasons I did. They just preferred to leave and believe I think. I think the group of my peers [15 to 20 years of age in 1975] was around 12 or 15. I think only two remain hard core dubs, unless some have filtered back in.

Jeff

Saoirse

I left my hometown years ago but from what I hear through the grapevine about 60% of my age group have left.

Frequent_Fader_Miles

A large percentage of my peer group have left JW and gone on with their lives ... I was one of the last to do so.

WingCommander

I'm gonna be completely honest and say that only 1 in 10 from the congregations I went to and grew up with are still in. That's a 90% rate of leaving the fold. I am 28, and ever since 17 the numbers have been slowly dwindling the after more freedom is granted to the children or they move away, go to college *gasp*, etc.

There remain only the very young being raised in this religion, their parents, and the much older ones. The age of 17 thru 35 is nearly non-existant.

- Wing Commander

onacruse

Most everybody I know are still in, including all my family (except one nephew), and quite a few dozen others. Here and there, over the years, there have been a few "old-timers" who left, but they were the exception rather than the rule: If I had to guess, maybe 10% left.

Perhaps one aspect of this is the age factor: If you've "only" invested 10 or 20 years into the WTS, then as painful as it can be to leave, a person can still feel that a good part of the best years of their life are ahead of them. But when you get to 30, 40, 50 years in, I think the dynamic changes.

Dagney

Interesting.

We were just talking about this the other night. In reading this thread it look like most of you are in the 20-30yr range, and a good percentage of your peers have left. I've been thinking about it, and I am amazed at how many of my peers are still "in," and in fact, pioneering.

We were speculating that as the elderly loyalists die off, it is left to the boomers. I think for the most part they are struggling with it all, but FWIW, it seems the majority are still in. But the next generations, including the younger ones, it seems most will not be taking up the gauntlet.

One can only hope.

Gopher

About 60% of the group of kids within 3-4 years of my age are now out of the organization. I can think of 4 who became elders, and 2 who were married to elders (last time I heard -- I've been out 7 years now). I think they like the position (except for one whom I remember as a truly genuine friend).

sspo

One report from a Bethelite a few years ago mentioned that approx. 80% of young ones in New York were dropping out.

The same might be in every congregaion.

For any who were raised a JW...