by Xanthippe 37 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
When I see people on here saying they've looked on several sites before this one, JWfacts, JWstruggle, youtube, etc., and then they make friends here, sometimes meeting up with ex-JWs, it seems incredibly easy compared to leaving in 1989.
No internet, no Amazon to find ex-JW books, no Facebook to link up with ex-JW groups. Still people find it so hard to leave. Just wondering why, not meant as a criticism.
No internet, no Amazon to find ex-JW books, no Facebook to link up with ex-JW groups. Still people find it so hard to leave.
Actually In the 5 years prior to 1975, the number of publishers was increasing at an average of 15% per year. Now Jehovah's witnesses are increasing at about 2% per year. So people are leaving by the truck loads in a manner of speaking.
The experiences you read about, regarding people having a hard time leaving the WT are going through a process. Like any other process, the more you put into researching, the quicker a person gets to the point where it won't matter who he/she leaves behind. Some because of family and work don't have as much time to research, so it take longer to build up the fortitude to leave. Others with very little family or retired have more time to research and are gone within a year.
I do believe we are at a point where most born-in's will leave and very few converts will join. While 7 or 8 million is a drop in the bucket with 7.3 billion people, it is massive enough to be self-sustaining for several decades.
Plus, we don't really know how many are leaving and certainly how many are leaving mentally, but staying officially "in" for family.
Personally, I think the money grabs of late are from an organization that sees a decline of membership and contributions in the future and wants to take the holdings now. People are already becoming secondary to money.
There must be some power behind the powers that wants to maintain WTS for a long time, so they must be using the money to buy goods or services from their own companies or those of their families. I suspect that these same powers have moved their people over to construction and building materials now. They have to build build build while the people are still there. Then they can sell sell sell when the people are gone.
It's almost wide open to view now. So I tend to agree with you. Most of what will be done now will piss off members and they will leave. But people in for a long time will only slowly cause a decline unless a huge event (scandal) gets them out.
Interesting, the perspective of different posters. (I'm not trying to stir anything up here, Please)
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/262050001/theyre-making-impossible-fade
!) Family and friends
2) insurance policy (what IF they are right)
3) That "feel good" mind set that you are "pleasing Jehovah
4) Tradition - its uncomfortable to change things
5) Never been traumatized OR not really that well informed of doctrinal points so the inconsistencies are minimal
6) Feel that cant leave unless they have some where to go to and there doesnt seem to be a clear option
Some because of family and work don't have as much time to research
Really with iPads? I had to go to the library and look in the 'religion' section. Thank god I found Crisis of Conscience there. Sat up reading until the early hours, how could you stop reading? True I didn't have any children at the time.
Yes I realise some stay in to get family out. Not all though, some say they are just not ready.
Millie, fascinating, tradition, insurance policy? Those things never even occurred to me when I found it was all false. We're all different of course, but we didn't have anywhere to go. As for feeling good, we felt terrible.
millie210, "Family and friends"
Ditto. That's the most common reason.
Xanthippe, you and others here who left because it was just plain false are so admirable to me.
I had doubts and squelched them. I just tried to focus on what was relatively "ok" until I got involved second hand in a very corrupt elder matter and saw for myself all the lying and playing that goes on.
My first reaction was I couldnt go door to door anymore because I could not be responsible for messing up someones life by bringing them to this organization but I still kept working quietly to try to "fix" the incident that disturbed me. When I finally realized that the Org only acts when things are well known and not based on when things are wrong, is when I laid down my toys and climbed out of the sandbox.
In a way I was pushed out by seeing what I saw. That is why I admire so much those of you who saw through the teachings intellectually and just walked away.
And you are right about all the support available now. Just finding out you are not alone in what you know and that you are most definitely not crazy is helpful in speeding up the recovery process.
