NEW PEW Research data on Jehovah's Witnesses just released

by Balaamsass2 28 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  steve2

  My guess is that this survey isn't very accurate due to the small sample size. Either that or they got a good number of inactive JWs who were lying due to guilt over their poor meeting attendance.

  Don't be too hasty in your "guess" OneEyedJoe.

  It is not at all unusual for surveys of JWs and census results to show higher numbers of people who identify as JWs than who attend meetings and/or witness. These include individuals who may well be "inactive" from the organization's view but the important point is these individuals still consider themselves to be Witnesses or intend to go back. This phenomenon occurs in other religious groups as well.

  Even disfellowshipped individuals may still identify as being JWs - of course with the intention somewhere in their head of going back some day.

  Census data also includes children of JWs - even babies - these inflate the number of actual "active" JWs (by the organization's view) - so we end up with way more JWs than who attend meetings and/or witness to others.
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  3rdgen

  Faye and Steve beat me to it.
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  OneEyedJoe

  Steve, I totally get the numbers in a census will show more JWs than the cult's official numbers do. My point was that the survey seems to imply that there are more active members than the cult's numbers do, and by a wide margin. Either their's some inaccuracy in the sampling or people were lying when they said they regularly attend meetings. I don't see another option.
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  steve2

  From my reading, Pew research does not measure the actual number of respondents who are actively preaching but the number who go to (church, temple or religious) meetings on a weekly basis. In other words it is a broad measure that does not count the number of times respondents go in a week but whether they go.

  Thus, it is a "generous" measure of weekly attendance.

  On that basis, it is not necessarily inaccurate. I guess it would be tempting for adherents of any religious group to say "Yes" to whether they go to church each week even if they don't - and to a certain extent, researchers are aware of the "social desirability" of answering "Yes" even when the actual number is, "No".

  That said, the Sunday meeting (Public Talk and Watchtower Study) is generally far better attended than the mid-week meeting - although there is wide variation in attendance. Some posters here estimate higher mid-week meetings, others. lower.
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  DATA-DOG

  My money in on the dubs not understanding the questions. Seriously, have you attempted to have a discussion with a Dub that required reasoning on their part?

  The last time I tried to explain what Adventism was and how it influenced CTR, and how Geoffrey Jackson gave video testimony in Australia, the Dub I was speaking to became enraged and tried to push me down. True story.

  The die-hard believers are not too bright or mentally/emotionally stable.

  DD
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  Londo111

  Do JWs believe in hell? Yes, they believe hell is mankind's common grave. It is likely what the 7% were thinking.
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  Balaamsass2

  I found the racal demographic interesting. About 13% of the US is black. Within JWs that number is double.

  The hispanic number is large, and I would expect that is were the US growth is. In the San Francisco Bay Area most of the new congregations were Spanish. A large number of english speaking hispanics attend Spanish cong., personal friends explained to me it was much more fun and family like. Based on spanish Congregation parties and gatherings I attended in times past, I would have to agree.
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  Balaamsass2

  Here is the link to what the interviewers asked: http://www.pewforum.org/files/2015/11/201.11.03_RLS_II_questionnaire.pdf
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  OutsiderLookingIn

  ba2, I was going to say the same thing. I would like to see regional statistics. In NYC, in the public "ministry" (carts or standing with a magazine in hand) is predominantly black and Hispanic. A few Asian. I can count on one hand, maybe two, when I have seen white JWs out. Mind you, I take the subway at least twice a day. So the percentage of whites seems high as compared to my experience, but maybe they're not at the stops I frequent.
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  Crazyguy

  83% believe their religion alone is how you attain salvation, sad. I believe most JW's just like feeling special over anything else.