Survey: How long were you in the cult vs what year you were baptized (page 14)

mimimimi

Raised in

Baptized in 1967

Finally left completely in 2005. I was disfellowshipped previously from 1975 - 1983, but ended up coming back. Was never comfortable with coming back and hated the religion even when I was trying to practice it.

mimimimi

Internet was indispensable to me in finally being able to break the hold this cult had on me.

KiddingMe

1) converted

2) baptized 1995, at age 21, did some internet research but not many sources that appeared to be rebuttable enough to deter me

3) awoke 2013, at age 39, after researching a JW issue on the internet

18 years

MexiBritYank

1) Convert?

2) 1987

3) 1992

5 years in.

Short but sweet

ILoveTTATT2

It will have to be an ongoing study. Ideally in 5 years we should redo it. The ratio of years in over years potentially in (window of opportunity to get out) is what should be studied. For example, now the people who were baptized in 2000 have had 15 years to come out. Let's say 100 people baptized in 2000 respond, and their average length inside was 8 years. In 5 years, more peoplewill have come out. Some baptized in 2000 might take a bit longer to come out, and so the average will increase, let's say, to 9.5 years. More from 1990, 1980, 1970, etc will come out, and their average will also increase. Now we could compare the average of 2000-2020 vs the average of 1980-2000. If the averages remain similar, then it will show that people's length of stay in the watchtower is purely random. But if these averages are going down, then that would mean that people's length of stay within the watchtower is getting shorter. The sad part is, among 130+ replies, the average stay in is close to two decades (and I strictly count from baptism to awakening).

My Name is of No Consequence

Raised in

1998

2010

12 years

sporece

1) were you raised as a JW, or did you convert?

Convert

2) when were you baptized/started seriously being with the witnesses? (Date please, i.e. 1997)

in 1975 at 22 years of age

3) when did you leave/woke up completely? (date please, i.e. 2013)

Left in 2007 after 32 years

Truthexplorer

a/ convert b/ baptised in 1991. c/ fully awake in 2004 after reading coc (still in due to family)

slimboyfat

For me:

1) Not raised

2) baptised 1997

3) stopped believing gradually 2000 to 2006, last meeting in 2015

3 years to 9 years to 18 years depending how you count

I only read the first page so maybe someone has already pointed this out.

The results may appear to show that people stay in the JWs for less time now than in previous decades. But this is not a valid inference from the data for the following reasons. The people who joined the religion in the 1990s, and since, and who will stay in the religion for 30, 40 years or more, before leaving, obviously haven't left yet! Therefore the graph is necessarily skewed toward showing shorter times the nearer to the present you get.

Another major issue with the data is this: two people were both in the religion for only 3 years. One was a member in the 1970s and the other was a member in the 2000s. Which of these two people is more likely to be involved with the ex-JW community online in 2016 in order to report their brief involvement?

Now it may well be true to say that people stay in the JWs for shorter periods of time these days, but we cannot reasonably draw that conclusion from this particular set of data.

HappyDad

HappyDad's stats:

1) were you raised as a JW, or did you convert?

Convert. Mother was a JW and convinced me it was the "Truth". Then married a JW before I was baptized.

2) when were you baptized/started seriously being with the witnesses? (Date please, i.e. 1997)

1971

3) when did you leave/woke up completely? (date please, i.e. 2013)

Started mentally fading about 1998. Started meeting fading about 1999-2000.

Last time I attended was Memorial in 2003.

32 years in.

Survey: How long were you in the cult vs what year you were baptized

Share this