Hiding the Truth: Watchtower Goes After FaithLeaks

The Watchtower has a history of criticizing other beliefs – calling them “false religions.” But the Watchtower has had innumerable changes in policy, doctrines, treatment of its members, and preaching methods during the past 150 years. It’s most prominent leaders promoted failed prophecies that “Armageddon – The End of the Present System of Things” was about to happen several times since the late 1880s.

Watchtower’s leadership has attacked those who have exposed them for anything they’ve done or do now – even when “anything” is factual.

An article providing some of the details was written by Hemant Mehta for the “Friendly Atheist” on patheos.com. You can read the original using the link [HERE] and [HERE]. 

The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, which oversees the suing The Truth and Transparency Foundation and its founders Ryan C. McKnight and Ethan G. Dodge are alleging copyright infringement.

The point of the article seems to be that the Jehovah’s Witnesses are always out promoting their religion, preaching, and bragging about their theocratic beliefs and many acts of love they show toward each other. They hold themselves up as being better than other religions because of their truthful teachings and love for each other. They actively promote their meetings and their larger conventions – especially those held on an annual basis at various locations around the world. 

And, of course, they now actively promote their websites and online video presentations to both the organization’s members and the public on JW.org. Their expanded use of the Internet has mostly replaced door-to-door preaching and distribution of printed literature that they have become famous for over the years. It was only a few years ago that the leadership finally decided to embrace the idea of using electronic transmission via the Internet to expand their ministry.

But when someone else makes their videos available to the public and (in some cases) adds commentary or criticism, the Watchtower is offended and often takes legal actions against those critics. 

Why? Because they can’t handle accurate and effective criticism. The Watchtower’s leaders think threats of lawsuits against their critics are the best way to beat them down and discourage them from informing the public about “the Truth.”

The article points out the real issues involved leading to this lawsuit:

The Jehovah’s Witnesses are apparently suffering because more people may have had a chance to watch their propaganda films. The irony clearly escapes them. (If the videos are out there at all, the group wants people to watch them on the Witnesses’ own website, where they can be seen without any kind of criticism or context.)

Considering TTF doesn’t make any money from the videos and that believers who want to see the films aren’t about to see them at FaithLeaks (choosing instead to go through JW channels), I’m not sure how strong this case is. But if a judge says the videos must come down, the Witnesses will be able to shield the public from seeing what believers are exposed to at a major event. That would be devastating.

The article also makes it clear that the writers and FaithLeaks.org do not make any money on their publications and critiques and are always careful to report the facts as they are – using only the Watchtower’s own words and publications to support their critiques and document their accusations.

Published May 2, 2020 / J. Hoyle