Before I came into this chat room , LOL , I was a full fledge JW for lifer. I met a few nice folks in the "real" jw chat room and met a few in person( horrors). But let me tell you the intellectual conversations left alot to be desired. I just didnt know it!!!! I have since realize that those who are out of the borg , are the most interesting, open minded, and funny as hell people I have ever know.
I laugh so hard at some of ya'lls post , I almost blow coca cola out of my nose. While in the jw (non apostate lol) chat , anytime a d/f
or d/a apostate would come in they would be attacked, but I would chat with them . I guess I was always drawn to people that had more brain matter. I wanted to understand them, now I do. There is just no comparison of the two, weither it is in a chat room or in the real world, ------ ex jw's are far superior. I feel so much more alive since coming into this room , I feel I belong, something I never did as a JW. For me it has made my exit from JW alot easier, knowing I am not alone and how others have made it thru. It sickens me , how the WTBS down plays the great numbers of so called apostates. They try to convince current JW's that the number is just a few, unruly ones. I think they are way off on their estimate of a "few". Does anyone has any idea how many apostates there are, even if they are closet apostates or d/a or d/f?
Has anyone done the math on how many ex jw's ?
by LyinEyes 13 Replies latest jw friends
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LyinEyes
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dungbeetle
Amazing has posted several calculations, and if given any encouragement at all I am sure he will post them again.
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dungbeetle
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=23982&site=3
I found these so far:
In 1969 the JWs worldwide were about 1,156,802 (based on reverse amortization). ... In 2002 the JWs worldwide are about 6,093,207 (based on forward amortization). This represents about a 5.05% average growth over the last 33 years.
Had no one died or been DF’d/DA’d in the last 33 years, the growth rate would have been closer to an average of 7.05% resulting in a population of JWs around the world of 11,767,623.The “natural” death rate (excluding wars or sever abject conditions) has held to about 1% worldwide for the last 100+ years (used in industry actuarial tables). The DF/DA rate has also held at about 1% during the last 33+ years. However, the net amount of 6,093,207 JWs I use already reflects these changes for loss due to death and DF/DA and any reinstatements. Therefore:
The baptism rate has averaged about 6.6% during most of the last 33 years, some years higher and some lower, especially in recent years. The "Delta change" between baptisms of 6.6% and the net gain of 5.05% average growth, means that there was a loss of 1.55% per year average due to people walking away, (not including those remaining DF’d or DA’d thus, not seeking reinstatement). This means that over a 33 year period, from 1969 to 2002, approximately 1,775,106 have left the organization and are still alive, but were not DF or DA.
These numbers are based on average percentages, average baptisms, and average publishers I have noted from JW yearbooks, etc. and using these to recalculate annual averages and amortizations. Were someone to go back and add together all the “actual baptisms” and then subtract the net number of "actual" JWs on hand today, and factor in the death rate for those baptized, they may have a slightly to moderately different result.
Edited by - Amazing on 20 March 2002 19:32:35
____________________________________________________________________Somewhere on Randy's site is a place where the figures from last years's 'official' tally.
df'ing I have heard is about, worldwide, 40,000 per year, with around 20,000 per years reinstatments---. Estimates are about 1% JW's die per year. (Unofficial)At any given time, about 1/4 to 1/3 of an average U.S. congregation is irregular/inactive.
In at least two countries, it appears Watchtower counts irregular/inactives and even sometimes df'd/da'd that are meeting attenders as members.
In the past, publisher cards were to be destroyed if the publisher was AWOL for five years or more. According to a recent 'BOE' letter published on this board, these cards are now to be kept indefinitely. To all appearances Watchtower plans on expanding their counting irregulars/inactives/df'd and da's as members.
But my favorite part of all is the fact that in spite of propaganda that the 'anointed' are decreasing, they are either staying the same or increasing, partakers anyway---in spite of the fact that, if the percentages hold, they must be losing 50-80 PER YEAR in death, and we know for a fact that partakers are df'd or da'd all the time.
Hee Hee !!!
2003 Memorial Attenders: 15,000,000
2003 memorial Partakers: 6,000,000Hee!! Hee!!
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Marilyn
LyinEyes, I just love hearing how some of us learned the truth about the Troof via the internet. I do think though that you cannot educate someone about the Troof unless there are some underlying concerns to begin with. This isn't too far fetched considering most of us had doubts for years sitting just beneath the surface. I suspect 90% of dubs carry some doubts most of the time.
You said that we apostates are more interesting and smarter than the average witnesses. I don't think it's intellectual coz most here were JWs for years. We weren't too smart then. I think being a JW kinda puts a lid on our spirits and drags us down intellectually. There is so little opportunity for learning and personal growth. In normal society people learn from a variety of people around them, but in the Troof everyone is more or less the same and witnesses are encouraged to only read WT books. When we leave the Witnesses we open up a whole new world of opportunities for growth and education.
The people here are great and though I've been free for over 20 yrs I am totally addicted to hearing the thoughts of other exjws. Every time I read something hysterical or insightful I want to hug the poster. I tell you what too - I've been on exjw internet sites for at least 6 yrs and I think the number of brilliant, witty and amusing posters are mushrooming. Hey, proof that we have God's blessing right?
Marilyn
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moman
Indeed,there are some very good posters on this board.
It is amazing what your mind can do when you free it from the bondadge of the Borg! -
Amazing
Hi LyinEyes: Yes, Dungbeetle has me pegged. Your question is something that crossed my mind at the time I left the organization. I went through all my year books in between 1939 and 1992 (when I left) and figured out how many left. The number has grown a lot sine 1992.
It should be a total embarassment to the Society to know that nearly 1/3 of their numbers have left for good. That is an enourmous percentage of unhappy people ... not all is well in Paradise as they like to claim.
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Scully
dungbeetle:
In the past, publisher cards were to be destroyed if the publisher was AWOL for five years or more. According to a recent 'BOE' letter published on this board, these cards are now to be kept indefinitely. To all appearances Watchtower plans on expanding their counting irregulars/inactives/df'd and da's as members.
Do you know when this BOE letter came into effect? I'm curious because I've been "inactive" for about 8 years. It would be a relief to know that my publisher records have been destroyed!
Love, Scully
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rmayer32
I think the numbers being "few" in the end should be their membership. It seems that the number of people df'd, da'd, and that just flat out don't want anything to do with them because they view them as a cult is probably quite huge
-Rick
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smiddy
The people here are great and though I've been free for over 20 yrs I am totally addicted to hearing the thoughts of other exjws. Every time I read something hysterical or insightful I want to hug the poster. I tell you what too - I've been on exjw internet sites for at least 6 yrs and I think the number of brilliant, witty and amusing posters are mushrooming. Hey, proof that we have God's blessing right?
Marilyn
I can relate to those sentiments ,
I think this is true today , if not more so , than when it was posted 12 years ago .
smiddy
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Crazyguy
someone did some calculations on total jws that have left and came up with a number somewhere over 4 millions. I think they used the numbers provided by the year book going back to 1950. i agree that the ones that leave are the thinkers and the ones that stay are not or forced to stay.