u/Jesus-Christ u/Newlight This is a great conversation!

My wife (who left the org with me) was baptised at 12. Funny how they absolutely scoff at the Catholics for baptising babies, but think that a 12 year old is a fully developed and cognisant human being that can make decisions that will have lifelong ramifications.

I think most people are grown into it, as in it's probably around their families a lot and it's normalised. I don't think anyone with a different background would be willing to join unless they're absolutely desperate to find meaning and their lost.

Very true, and as I understand it, the numbers have stagnated somewhat in recent years. The numbers being baptised come from the few coming in from the door to door work, but mostly from kids growing up in it.

Those that are vulnerable, poor, single parent, mentally ill, or looking for community etc are prime targets.

She thinks all ex-JWs are losers, and that their information would be biased.

This is part of their programming. At every opportunity those on the outside are talked about as "the other" and simply by way of not being a JW they must be cocaine sniffing alcoholic child raping prostitute using deviant. They press hard to increase the wall between those in and those out.