It seems like the Organization is hunting down PIMOs. Maybe the Mark O Donnell lawsuit is just the beginning.
This leaked survey in Canada is asking some very weird questions from select publishers. All I can say is that this will help wake up some PIMI straddling the fence.
Over the past few weeks the organization has sent out a survey to select congregations in Canada. This is like nothing I have ever seen or heard about before. The rank and file, being bombarded with hundreds of questions that by all rights should wake up even the most PIMI. lets-b-pimo posted about it a few hours ago, along with a link to a pdf of the survey. I also took the entire survey recently, and had copied and pasted some of the questions that stood out to me the most. Everything in italics is a direct quote. Sorry if this post is a bit disorganized and long, but here's the gist of it:
Background
It was developed by survey researchers in consultation with the Office of Public Information at the World Headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses.
The branch office asked the body of elders to inform active baptized publishers within certain congregations that they had been selected to participate in an important online survey of Jehovah's Witnesses.
It is an anonymous online survey to help gather scientifically accurate information about the beliefs and values of Jehovah's Witnesses. Participation is voluntary and survey responses are supposedly anonymous and confidential.
The hour-long survey includes some 350 questions on topics related to religion, health, values, family life, relationships, and conduct.
The survey has been reviewed by the University of Sheffield's Faculty of Social Sciences Ethics Review Panel (in the UK) to ensure that questions are reasonable, and that the study considers participants' needs. The survey answers will be combined with the answers from all other participants, and used for social research purposes only.
There is also an invitation to share your email address if you wish to be contacted for any follow-up study that may be planned in the future.
No information will be revealed in research reports which will lead to the identification of individuals or their congregation, and no identifying information will be provided to any researcher or institution, including Jehovah's Witnesses, without your prior written permission.
Big specific questions
We will ask you some questions about your religious beliefs. We would like to know what you honestly believe, even if you would not share these thoughts with others. Please indicate which statement below comes closest to expressing what you believe about Jehovah God:
I don't believe in God
I don't know whether there is a God and I don't believe there is any way to find out
I don't believe in a personal God, but I do believe in a Higher Power of some kind
I find myself believing in God some of the time, but not at others
While I have doubts, I feel that I do believe in God
I know God really exists and I have no doubts about it
Don't know
Prefer not to say
Which of these statements comes closest to describing your feelings about the Bible?
The Bible is the actual word of God and it is to be taken literally, word for word
The Bible is the inspired word of God but not everything should be taken literally, word for word
The Bible is an ancient book of fables, legends, history, and moral precepts recorded by man
This does not apply to me
Can't choose
There were two questions about what initially attracted you to Jehovah's Witnesses and what keeps you attracted currently, with a list of options to answer with:
I wanted to learn more about the Bible
I was attracted to the logic of the main teachings
I was attracted to the clear moral guidelines
I wanted to make better life choices
I was attracted to the position of non-violence
I had family who were Witnesses
I wanted to be closer to God
I wanted to receive help during a difficult time in my life
I wanted hope for the future
I wanted to receive material support from the Witnesses
I felt accepted by the Jehovah's Witnesses
I was attracted by the goodhearted qualities of Jehovah's Witnesses
None of the above
I would prefer not to answer
The agree or disagree statements
Most of the questions in the survey are phrased as statements, with the option to select a range of how much you agree or disagree with the statement. Here are some that stood out to me:
I accept the collection of information on the personal opinions. beliefs, attitudes and behaviours of Jehovah's Witnesses
I am always courteous, even to people who are disagreeable
There have been occasions when I took advantage of someone
I sometimes try to get even rather than forgive and forget
My spirituality gives me a feeling of fulfilment
I maintain an inner awareness of Jehovah's presence in my life
I try to strengthen my relationship with Jehovah
Maintaining my spirituality is a priority for me
Jehovah helps me to rise above my immediate circumstances
I experience a deep friendship with Jehovah
Jehovah's Witnesses acted kindly mainly to convert me
Jehovah's Witnesses pressured me to be baptized
When studying the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses, I felt pressure to believe what the Witnesses teach.
When studying the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses I felt that they were trying to control me.
More Questions
There were so many questions. Questions about if you go to meetings mainly because you enjoy seeing people you know there. Questions about your parents religious background before becoming Witnesses, how much of your extended family are Witnesses, how often you pray and attend meetings, specific questions about what you do during Family Worship (read the Bible and publications, learn about Bible characters, act out Bible events, sing songs, do research, prepare comments, etc). There was this question:
People vary in their degree of commitment to religion. Some have doubts or are less active, and others are highly engaged. On a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is not committed at all, 3 is average and 5 is highly committed, where would you place your commitment to being one of Jehovah's Witnesses?
There were questions about which aspects of your life became better or worse when becoming a Witness, such as: parenting, relationships, anxiety, anger, harmful habits, managing money, etc. Questions about the ministry such as these ones:
The ministry brings me satisfaction
The ministry does not seem worthwhile
The elders require everyone to participate in the door-to-door ministry
To reach those who are not religious, using social media would be better than talking to them in person
In the ministry, I get to know those in the congregation better
I resent the time we are expected to spend in the ministry
The ministry is an expression of my loyalty to God
God is important to me and l'd like others to know about Him too
The ministry is a way to help people with their problems today
The ministry helps save lives in the future
I worry about what people will say to me in the ministry
There were questions about if you left and came back, what kept you away and what brought you back, including asking if you "joined online groups that criticised Jehovah's Witnesses". Questions about how you were treated when out, like if Witnesses would avoid eye contact or briefly engage in conversation, if their demeanour was warm or critical, etc. Questions about how you felt about disfellowshipped family and how you treated them.
There was even a question about what motives you have for shunning, including these options:
I should follow the elders' decision
I want to make the person feel pain or shame
I want my interactions to help the person to come back
There were questions about medical issues, such as if you think doctors care about you, if you think you should listen to them unconditionally, get a second opinion, or if parents should seek the best treatment for their children. There was even a question about if you felt that "People should only pray to God to heal them"
There was a series of questions about if your doctor recommended the following treatments, how likely or unlikely is it that you would accept them: Chemotherapy, kidney dialysis, radiotherapy, antidepressant medication, vaccination, blood transfusion, and transfusion alternatives.
There were questions about social values, moral values and trust. About if Jehovah's Witnesses as a global religion value men and women equally, value men better than women, or value women better than men. There were these questions on a scale of how much you agreed with them:
Homosexual couples are as good parents as other couples
It bothers me that women are not allowed to be elders
Questions about your personal attitude towards members of the following religious groups: Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, Muslims, Non-believers, atheists.
When thinking back on your time growing up, how far do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
My parent(s) wanted me to have the same religious beliefs as they held
My parent(s) taught me to think carefully about my life decisions
My parent(s) tried to control my life choices
There were just so many questions.