2014 Pew Research on US Religion

by adjusted knowledge 14 Replies latest jw friends

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  konceptual99

  There's mormons everywhere and they have huge swanky "temples" and churches.
  They are way more successful than JWw which is why the WTS seems to be trying to copy them.

  The Mormons encourage higher education and professional, high paying jobs. They only soak up a young person's time for 2 years and then they are free to do what they want. JWs still actively do everything to stop young ones have an university education and building a well paid career. They encourage FS and meeting attendance above everything else. What the lack in scale of larger donations they make up for through free labour.

  The WTS might be trying to copy much of the Mormon approach to worship but they need to change the tune on aspiration, education, careers and time commitment to really enable them to change the model from free labour to high income.
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  zarco

  They are a very significant religion, as proof I reference the seven angelic trumpet blasts at Cedar Point, Ohio that rocked the world:)
• 

  dropoffyourkeylee

  Wing's statement

  Well said! And what I am embarrassed to think back upon, is how I was raised and brought up to believe that this religion was so important,

  Got that right!

  Also, Was there anything in the Pew report this time about retention?
• 

  Vidiot

  done4good - "...precisely why I state there is little to nothing strategic about the current changes being made, apart from reacting to the projected effects of a reduction in donations. Purely reactionary, which is typical for authoritarian systems, (religious or otherwise)."

  Hard to argue with... Occam's Razor, after all.
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  moggy lover

  I believe there is a section on retention rates for those born in their various religions. The largest retention rate is found more in the Eastern Patriarchal religions such as the Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists. It is 95%.

  Among the Christian denominations, the Catholics and Mormons have the highest retention rates, about 90% while the JWs compare very unfavourably. Their retention rate for those born in the religion is just 34%.

  What I think is more alarming is the age fluctuation. Seven years ago, when the last report was published, 18% of the JWs were aged 18-30. This has dropped to 15% this time around.

  At the same time however, the aged population within the movement has grown from 17% in 2007, to 23% in 2014. The Watchtower is slowly morphing into a religion of geriatrics.