Welcome to JWsurvey.org, the online voice for Jehovah’s Witnesses
of the past, present, and future.
JWsurvey.org is the proud home of the 2013 Global Survey of Jehovah’s Witnesses. If you are, or ever have been, a Jehovah’s Witness – please take this survey. Even if you were never actually baptized or have been away from the Witnesses for many years, we encourage you to have you say and share your opinions regarding the Watch Tower Society, and its leaders the Governing Body.
If you are a current or former Witness, you will know only too well that doubts are not permitted among the brothers, and the Governing Body expects and demands your unquestioned loyalty. If there is any teaching you are uncertain of, you must “wait on Jehovah,” which effectively means burying your doubts and pretending they never existed. Over time, these suppressed doubts accumulate until you are nothing more than a robot, going through the motions and doing what is expected of you – but never truly believing it 100%.
Jehovah’s Witnesses who have doubts are expected to “wait on Jehovah” by effectively burying them
If this describes your current situation, then please be assured that there are hundreds if not thousands like you who are at various stages of waking up to the reality of the JW faith. As you probably suspect already, there is more to this religion than meets the eye, and the Watchtower literature has not been telling you the full truth about the organization’s history.
The trouble is, even if you no longer agree with the Governing Body on a number of issues, you may feel (as many do) that you are bound to the organization against your will through the cruel practice of shunning. Though the Society argues that shunning is scriptural, it is actually anything but. Shunning was instituted by the Apostle Paul to keep congregations clean – not as an instrument for tearing families apart.
This and many other damaging practices are dealt with periodically on my blog, which I encourage you to check from time to time. I do my very best to keep Witnesses informed as to what is REALLY going on in the organization, rather than giving them the kind of carefully-manicured information you will find in JW.org articles and press releases.
Please enjoy using this site, and treat it as though it is yours. After all, here you are free to be yourself and exchange opinions about the organization with others. All we ask is that you do NOT try to use our website as a platform for evangelizing religious or atheistic views. This website is religiously-neutral and has been set up as an indoctrination-free sanctuary. We appreciate you help and cooperation in keeping it that way.
We hope you find the information on JWsurvey useful, and that our efforts can play some part in your spiritual journey. Remember: You are no longer the silent majority. Your opinion matters. Now make it count!
New to the site, look forward to reading more of your material.
Hi Cedars,
Congratulations on your 2012 survey. You clearly have engaged in a labour of love and no doubt some financial expense as well. Just having an opportunity to voice concerns regardless of our current status and involvement with the faith can be cathartic. To what extent will the Governing Body read your report? Unless they directly responded one could never know. Nonetheless having a substantial package delivered by UPS as you’ve arranged no doubt has some impact — even if it was just thrown away.
Consider too what current GB members might hear from the average member. No doubt much of it is praise and we-so-love-the-organization type of comments. Nice, but not really intellectually stimulating. Thus I would not be entirely surprised if some of those in leadership positions pay a fair amount of attention to dissenting voices, especially when expressed with respect and well articulated. I know when I served as an elder and Bill Bowen had setup silentlambs.org when the circuit overseer talked privately to the elders he said several things about Bill, whom he said he knew.
On March 24, 2013 our ex-JW meetup groups (West Phoenix and Chandler) have organized a “Shun Run”. We did this last year too and 9 came out for the walk/run. Prior to this event I wrote to one specific individual at HQs, using the code from his letter to me (SDB:SSY). He doesn’t write back, but I too hope our concerns about shunning don’t fall on deaf ears. But even if they do, I still hope our Shun Run is of help.
Cheers,
-Randy