Knock, knock. “Hello, I’m stopping by briefly to share with you some good news. Many people feel under pressure because of the stressful times in which we live. Do you think God intended that we live this way? So many people are depressed. I bet you know somebody who is. I have this excellent magazine, the Awake!, that discusses Help for “Sufferers of Depression.”
Sound familiar? In this audience are people who have done the knocking and given a similar message to the person who opened the door. Or some of you have heard such a message from Jehovah’s Witnesses (JWs). Certainly, the message doesn’t sound dangerous. Why be afraid of JWs? They don’t handle snakes, rip your heart out, or make you drink poisoned Kool Aid. They won’t ask you to be a suicide bomber either.
For the most part, Witnesses look and act okay. They frown on wild parties; illegal drugs and guns. They don’t steal, kill, smoke cigarettes or marijuana, and cursing is frowned upon. They have less health problems—no lung cancer from smoking, no AIDS.
The Witnesses call themselves a brotherhood and claim good association with like-minded people who obey God’s word. And they remove law-breakers or sinners from their midst.
All in all, they sound like pretty good associates. So how can associating with them be dangerous?
Do I Have the Right to Make Such an Accusation?
First of all, what right do I have to examine this religion, to call it dangerous?
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948 asserts the right of human beings to hold any faith or none; Ok, I held to Jehovah’s Witnesses faith for most of my life; I had that right. Now, I ascribe to no religious affiliation and I have that right.
OK, let’s look at that Declaration further: It says human beings have the right to change religions. Well, I did that too. I was born into a Catholic family and changed to Jehovah’s Witnesses when I was 14.
Now, here’s my favorite: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states each of us have the right to enjoy freedom of expression, which by any open-minded definition includes my freedom to agree or disagree with the tenets of any religion.
When I was part of JWs Writing Department during the time I lived and worked at the world headquarters of JWs in New York for over ten years, I prepared an article about the U. S. Bill of Rights. It appeared in the December 8, 1991 Awake! magazine and tens of millions of copies were distributed by JWs. The article discussed what exactly the Bill of Rights was; why it was needed, and what liberties it helped to preserve in the United States. My efforts writing the article turned out to be a labor of love as I saw that JWs were definers of freedom by testing the principles of religious freedom in the U.S Supreme Court.
I was proud of JWs struggle in the highest courts of the land for the freedom to exercise the courage of their conviction. “From 1919 through 1988, petitions and appeals in a total of 138 cases involving JWs were made to the U. S. Supreme Court. The decisions were favorable to JWs in 47 of the cases that the Court considered.”
In their short history, JWs challenged any law or ordinance that interfered with their religious activities, and through their litigation, helped set in place insulation for religious organizations from lawsuits. They had the lawful right to preach in unorthodox places using unorthodox methods. They won for themselves and all other religious groups, constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and worship. This amounted to almost complete protection under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution free exercise clause. That certainly is something to be pleased about.
What I’m going to say now will sound quite harsh, but my close association with this group gives me authority to say this: After having successfully defended and legally established their right to practice their religion however they saw fit, this once oppressed group went from being the oppressed to being the oppressor. They silence freedom of speech. They silence dissent. How? By using fear as the weapon! The fear of excommunication or disfellowshipping with its severe life-altering sanction, that of shunning by the whole community of JWs including relatives such as parents and adult children.
Actually, my life as a JW was pleasant. Of course, there were ups and downs because whenever there are so many people interacting together as there are in this group and then at their world headquarters where there were 4,000 people, there’s bound to be some friction. But all in all, I was a happy Witness. The major reason for that was because “ignorance was bliss.”
JWs Became the Oppressors
Witnesses hear and read a great deal about the positives of being a Witness at their meetings and literature. The leadership makes sure they don’t forget how fortunate they are to have the “Truth” that no other religion has. Since I have been guaranteed the most important of the freedoms JWs fought so hard for, freedom of expression, I’ll acquaint you with the harmful side of this organization and why I say they are now the oppressors.
Taking advantage of a Bible Study with JWs can be tempting to those who are curious to see what’s in the Bible, information they believe might answer life’s questions. Well, what folks are not aware of is that associating with them by accepting a home Bible Study could lead to losing family and friends or maybe even their life. I should know—I was a zealous Witness for 43 years. At the end of that association, I lost most of my family and all of my friends. Sometimes when someone loses family, they take their life. Further, thousands of JWs lose their lives every year by adhering to one particular teaching of JWs.
Belief Causes Harm
If I were to stop a number of people on the street and ask each one, “What do you know about JWs?” the reply would unfailingly be —“They don’t take blood transfusions.” This has been done.
The public knows refusing a needed blood transfusion can cause death or disability and that’s why JWs makes the news, especially if refusing blood involves a child. Witnesses primarily object to receiving blood transfusions on religious grounds – they believe that blood is sacred according to some ancient Bible texts which actually were talking about eating or drinking blood. Witnesses are also quick to highlight possible medical problems associated with transfusion.
The Witness attitude is, “If I lose my life for God it’s worth it. If I die now by obeying God’s law, in the future it means I’ll be resurrected and live in a perfect new world. However, it’s not likely I would die if I don’t take blood transfusions because in the past early transfusions were whole blood, but modern medical practice primarily uses only components or ‘fractions’ of the blood. And now we can have most blood components so there shouldn’t be a problem. Fractions are safe. Blood transfusions can transmit HIV or other diseases.” Is that really so?
Literally, thousands of Witnesses die each year when there is need for whole blood or some blood components that JWs don’t approve of. Witnesses are being misled into a false sense of security. In case of massive bleeding, by not accepting blood, Witnesses can and do die, and, conversely, by accepting certain blood clotting products, Witnesses can and do die. For instance, there’s a clotting fraction that’s given to those with hemophilia which Witnesses are now allowed to receive in cases of massive bleeding. However, studies are showing that this clotting product, when given to healthy people, can and is causing heart attacks and strokes.
Witnesses also assume they can’t get HIV if they take fractions. Fractions are blood and if a transfusion can transmit HIV, so can blood components which most often are made from many donations of blood that have been pooled and more difficult to test; however, the risk of contracting HIV from a blood transfusion is extremely low nowadays, something JWs are not informed of.
Although these so-called components or “fractions” are made from blood, Witness leaders tell followers that each fraction is a “minute” part of blood so it’s okay. The truth is that all of these “minute” fractions would equal a whole unit of blood if added together! Jehovah’s Witnesses are not told this fact. In brief, Jehovah’s Witnesses’ blood fraction policy is akin to not allowing a slice of pizza to be eaten. But it’s okay to eat the cheese, crust, tomato, salami, etc. separately.
Flip-Flops and Misrepresentation
Most Witnesses don’t know that from 1934 to 1945, the organization allowed blood transfusions. Then in 1945, the procedure was banned, and in 1961 its followers were told they would be excommunicated for taking a blood transfusion. Hemophiliac treatments went through a similar flip-flop in the 1970s. Likewise, a treatment called hemodilution was sinful in 1972, but allowed in 1983. The procedure entails the removal of blood from the patient immediately before an operation and simultaneous replacement with appropriate volume of special fluids. The removed blood is then re-infused after the procedure is completed.
Only through reading the Witnesses’ old literature, published by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, you can see that the only constant in the blood policy is change. Many died following a blood policy that later changed. And the blood ban is still changing. One thing I found out when I researched this subject is that taking blood in the veins is in no way comparable to eating or drinking blood and simply put, it is drinking or eating animal blood that the Old Testament prohibited. If you were starving to death and put blood in your veins, you would still starve to death. It just doesn’t make sense to die for being obedient to a law that is not applicable to receiving a blood transfusion.
Witnesses are thoroughly misinformed about their religion’s blood policy. Adults should have the right to make a decision regarding medical care, but not based on misrepresentation and coercion, but by making an informed choice.
Coercion—What Coercion?
Often JW visitors, including JW elders who represent JWs Hospital Liaison Committee, visit the patient’s room and lurk outside in the hallways in an attempt to make sure there is no blood going into the room.
Did you know that JWs are encouraged to report on other JWs who break a medical doctrine such as the ban on blood? JWs will do this to attain status with both Jehovah and with peers. They will tattle-tale even if it breaks medical or legal confidentiality laws.
If a Witness accepts a blood transfusion, the policy of JWs now is not to directly disfellowship by announcement at the Kingdom Hall. Here’s the policy statement found in Watch Tower literature.
“If a baptized member of the faith willfully and without regret accepts blood transfusions, he indicates by his own actions that he no longer wishes to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The individual revokes his own membership by his own actions, rather than the congregation initiating this step.”
This represents a procedural change instituted in April 2000 in which the congregation no longer initiates the action to revoke membership in such cases. However, the end result is the same; the individual is no longer viewed as one of JWs because he no longer accepts and follows a core tenet of the faith.
The word disfellowship is not used, but the results are the same: To not be viewed as one of JWs means you will be shunned by all those you love who are Witnesses because this group will disfellowship anyone who questions the teachings of the organization or who stops worshipping the Witness way, or joins another church. Then the label “apostate” becomes attached to the former Witnesses reputation.
As a side note, I didn’t know that vaccinations were forbidden up until 1952, when Witness leaders reversed course. I became a JW in 1954 and no one told me about a ban on vaccinations. Now, virtually all JWs will accept a vaccination, and many are unaware that it could be derived from blood.
Organ transplants were favorable in the 1930s through the early 1960s, then demonized as cannibalistic in the late 1960s, only to be re-allowed in the 1980s. I was a JW when organ transplants were considered cannibalistic only to be re-allowed later. Why did I not question this? Because becoming a JW at age 14, when it was difficult to obtain information about the group, I had no idea how to critically evaluate anything, much less this organization’s tenets.
And, as time moved on, I knew that to think outside of the Witness mindset, I would be thinking independently, something that was a negative.
JWs Can Not Change Religion
Remember that July 2009 Awake! I showed you before? Well notice these words on page 29:
“No one should be forced to worship in a way that he finds unacceptable or be made to choose between his beliefs and his family.”
This statement is extraordinary because that’s not the way it is in the Witness organization. Members that no longer believe are forced to stay in the group otherwise they will lose family and friends.
JWs strictly shun the disfellowshipped and those who disassociate themselves. Also, JWs can be disfellowshipped for not following the shunning rules.
More Danger
There are other reasons beside the blood ban that makes it dangerous to associate with JWs:
- The neutrality of JWs in time of war can lead to imprisonment or death
- Refusal to salute the flag can lead to ostracism and bullying.
- Non-observance of any holidays, religious or national: outcast & boredom
- Being a martyr is not psychologically healthy
- Higher education is a no, no. Young JWs clean houses, wash windows, etc. waiting for Armageddon. They suffer from poverty, disappointment, depression, and low self-esteem.
Yes, there are many reasons that it is dangerous to associate with JWs. However, if none of what I just said concerns you because you believe that JWs do what they do to please God and not themselves, keep listening.
Failure of Witness Message of Doom
Jehovah’s Witnesses are discouraged from doing extensive personal research into their modern-day history. Such action can cause a Witness to be labeled “apostate” and then be shunned.
Right now the Witnesses are getting press coverage because their world-wide conventions are announcing that soon the “end of the world” will take place. Do you know how long they have been saying this? The founder was C. T. Russell who began to publish Zion’s Watch Tower in 1879. He was a date-setter and looked to 1914 when the end of the present world as he knew it would happen. He said that Christ had returned invisibly in 1874. Russell died in 1916 and his successor, Joseph F. Rutherford, changed the doctrine and taught that Christ returned in 1914. Instead of the end of the world happening then, he said it was the “beginning of the time of the end.” The group pointed to 1925 as the end when “millions now living will never die” after Armageddon, of course. Then the date for the end was 1975 which they now deny they ever pointed to. Here’s flip-flop examples:
- 1889: “In the coming 26 years, (1914) all present governments will be overthrown and dissolved.” Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. II, (1889)
- 1908: “The battle of the great day of God Almighty which will end in AD 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth’s present ruler ship is already commenced.”
- 1914: “The present great war in Europe is the beginning of the Armageddon of the Scriptures.”
- 1918: “Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the faithful prophets of old, particularly those named by the apostle in Hebrews chapter 11, to the condition of human perfection.”
- 1922: “The date 1925 is even more distinctly indicated by the Scriptures than 1914.
- 1923: “Our thought is, that 1925 is definitely settled by the Scriptures. As to Noah, the Christian now has much more upon which to base its faith than Noah had upon which to base his faith in a coming deluge.”
- 1925: “The year 1925 is here. With great expectation Christians have looked forward to this year”
- 1925: “It is to be expected that Satan will try to inject into the minds of the consecrated the thought that 1925 should see the end to the work”
- 1926: “Some anticipated that the work would end in 1925, but the Lord did not say so.”
- 1931: “There was a measure of disappointment on the part of Jehovah’s faithful ones on earth concerning the years 1914, 1918, and 1925 which disappointment lasted for a time; and they also learned to quit fixing dates.”
- 1968: “Why are you looking forward to 1975?”
From what I just read, it’s obvious that the Witness organization is not honest in its presentation of the “truth.” BTW, JWs are told what to believe on nearly everything—music, TV, movies. JWs are discouraged from reading the Bible without their own literature explaining it. Doubt and criticism regarding any doctrine taught by the Witnesses is seen as “ploy” that Satan uses to lead them into apostasy.
JWs Are a Cult
After hearing all of this, would you consider JWs a cult? Cults are everywhere. Good religious intentions can slide easily into taking away God-given freedoms. Then a cult is born. What is the definition of a cult? Some newer and accepted religions like JWs, Mormons, Scientology are being called cults by some.
The difference between a cult and a religion is not easy to define. Who fits the accepted criteria?
I read the following on the Internet, information that I didn’t have when I was an active JW:
A cult is a group of people who share a common belief. A cult, as it is commonly understood, is a highly rigid and usually strictly enforced total belief system. Almost always, it is led by an authoritarian leader who tolerates no dissent. Any teaching which does not respect human life fully cannot be consistent with belief in a God who created human life in His image.
When I was a JW I would have categorically denied that I was part of a cult because I didn’t know what really constituted one. I thought that cults demanded that their members wear strange clothes, different hair styles; lived in communes and are stupid and gullible and don’t believe Christian beliefs; that they had one charismatic leader. I thought it was simple to leave a cult anytime you wanted to.
Those were the standard definitions of cults back then and I said, “No,” that’s not me” as I went out in the door-to-door ministry to convert people to the “truth.” My husband and I converted over 80 people. I thought people joined cults, but they don’t. Actually cults recruit people and I was participating in a recruiting work when I went door-to-door. Yikes, I was dumb-founded when I realized that after I left JWs.
Yes, I was a recruiter and didn’t realize it. I appeared self-confident and sincere, just the way the lady was who converted me. She seemed knowledgeable. She was so happy and really displayed a ‘genuine’ interest in me, a kid. She was non-threatening and invited me to have a free Bible study. Guess what? I followed in her footsteps and behaved the same way with people I met.
I was showered with love and attention by JWs; I did the same thing to those interested in the Witness message. And sincere people are impressed with the Witnesses’ devotion, sense of community, and ‘one-of-a-kind’ message of hope and change.
Some Questions to see if JWs Fit the Criteria of a Cult
Is the leadership considered the supreme authority, a self-appointed authority, an individual or body of men who claim to have a special mission in life? Yes, the Governing Body (GB) – now 9 men, call themselves “The Faithful Slave” or other special terms. These special terms were used in a lecture by one of the GB about ninety-six times in thirty-five minutes instructing the audience to have faith in them. That’s nearly three times a minute.
Does the organization have double standards? Are members encouraged to be honest and confess all to the leaders but at the same time encouraged to deceive and manipulate outsiders? Yes. It’s called Theocratic Warfare and can include lying.
Does the organization have two purposes: recruit new members without regard for bettering the lives of their members? Yes. Members are told to wait until the new world when life will get better.
Does the group make social contributions? No, only unless it fits in with some sort of agenda. It just prints and distributes literature that JWs donate money for.
Is the leadership offering the only viable system for change that will solve life’s problems, denouncing all other systems? Yes.
Do the leaders expect absolute obedience? Yes.
Does the organization expect you to jeopardize your family relationships or isolate you from society in some way? Yes.
So it appears that JWs fit the definition of a cult. So be wary, if you believe in God, are lonely, insecure, idealistic, recently divorced, widowed, elderly or new to town you are at risk. Or are young and going through identity crisis or maybe a college student having trouble finding direction or friends, you are at risk if you accept a Bible Study with a JW not knowing you are associating with a group that is dangerous to your future happiness.
JWs look just like everybody else, and probably better than everybody else because it’s important to impress and attract people. One lady consented to a Bible Study with me because she was a hair stylist and she said I looked and dressed well and didn’t look like a religious fanatic.
They might not have just one single charismatic leader but they do have a body of men acting as one that governs the group.
The Witness Viewpoint
The Witnesses are convinced that ethically and morally, their leaders are, for the most part, and the members too, exemplary, above everyone else in the world. Most JWs believe there is little abuse/crime/dishonesty in their organization, even when presented with evidence that indicates otherwise. Abuse of woman and children by many devious Witness men are a fact, yet most Witnesses refuse to believe it.
To leave the organization is to fall into darkness and that’s why Witnesses will ask, “Where will we go to if we leave the organization?” The prevailing attitude fostered by Witness literature is that the whole world is evil and must be destroyed…soon.
Witnesses appear to be happy, successful, at peace, and united. It’s all a show though. They are typically depressed, lonely, have low self-esteem, are overly dependent on the organization, frustrated and confused. The reason for that topic in the Awake! magazine I showed you in the beginning of this lecture is because so many Witnesses suffer from depression. In many congregations, it is estimated that as many as half the women are taking anti-depressive medication. Why is that?
Because they believe they have no value, except to serve God through his organization. They only feel valuable when conforming to what the role model is as portrayed in Witness literature. Witnesses feel guilty that they don’t do enough for the “work,” as it is called. Witnesses are on a perpetual treadmill, trying to run faster and faster to gain approval. That’s why I call it a “performance religion.” In reality, organizational status and reputation is the most important thing to a JW. They say announcing God’s purpose is the most important thing, but it actually is secondary.
Critics Suffer
After a lifetime of service to an organization that we foolishly thought was God-directed, my husband and I exited the religion. I left in 1998 and he in 2002. I was excommunicated (disfellowshipped) in 2002 by JWs a few weeks before I appeared on NBC’s popular Dateline U.S. news program for “causing divisions” and this was before I had actually caused any divisions. The purpose of my disfellowshipping was so JWs, who saw or heard about the program, would not believe what I said, in that they are told disfellowshipped people are unrepentant sinners and not to be trusted or believed. However, I was disfellowshipped because of exposing the religion’s defective child sexual abuse policies which protected pedophiles rather than children, and not for committing some secret sin. My husband, a long-time elder, was disfellowshipped in July 2002, for siding with me. Along with disfellowshipping comes shunning, and so we are shunned by our family, which includes our son and our nine-year old grandson who we haven’t seen in nearly seven years, and also thousands of friends.
What attracts people to this religion? There are many reasons, but for most people, it is fear of what they do not have the power to control, so they elect to escape into mystical solutions such as offered by JWs. And fear is what keeps multitudes of members in after they discover the deception.
JWs do not have freedom of speech. If any Witness asks questions about the fraudulent and harmful policies of this group, they are disfellowshipped and shunned; consequently, this breaks up families. Tens of thousands of people want out of this group, but can’t get out because they don’t want to lose their families. Accordingly, they stay in and do what they are told because of the fear of shunning.
In Conclusion
You’re on the right track by coming here tonight to find out why it is dangerous to associate with JWs. Maybe this does not apply to you, but I like this clever remark of Will Rogers: “Even if you’re on the right track you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” Many JWs suspect that something isn’t right with their religion, but they just stay with it waiting and waiting for something to happen.
Rather than continue to wait for the end of the world and have their hopes dashed to pieces when it doesn’t come in their lifetime, they should do what JWs are taught not to do—hitch a ride with a world that is continuing to move on to make life better for all of society in the here and now. Life is too short to waste on JWs fantasies and dreams. If we love our neighbor as ourselves, we will help humanity, not hope for destruction of everybody not a JW. And if you want to help JWs when one calls at your door, mention what you have heard here tonight.
Yes, it’s difficult to get out of a cult. If you do, you lose your closest relationships, your cherished beliefs, and your whole way of life goes up in flames. More often than not, you end up with nothing.
However, if you choose to associate with JWs by becoming one of them, despite the dangers that you heard here tonight, understand when you do, you will give up your freedom of speech, freedom of choice, your family and friends, the community you belong to and perhaps even your life.
That choice is yours.
I had friends who where Jahovah whitnesses i went to the Kingdom hall i wasn’t part of their religion but when I attended their meetings I felt uncomfortable with what i was reading it was more like scenes in a horror movie. Extremely unreal plus i had heard They where brain washed and it was a false religion a dangerous cult i was warned by family to stay away from it as it was dangerous to associate with a religion that was false ..My friends said They where honest didn’t vote that no crimes where ever commited in their religion yet I knew of many hidden Sexually abuse scandals in the religion that had been hidden or ignored by the watchtower. I read the magazines I read their bible but wasn’t taken in by Thrir fantasies world they where living in.I wasn’t going to belive Thrir complete and utter rubbish it was one big lie and none of what thry where practicing was real it is and always will be a false religion cult look at the dates in Thrir bible it changes Charles tate was crested it it is and always will be false it seems they have simply made it up As their are diffrent dates It seems to chsnge and alter All the time. It’s I’m sorry to say a load of garbage..To associate with any cult can Ruin your life ..I WILL NEVER JOINT THEIR RELIGION they shunn family members who dont comply with their religion ..In other words you dont follow their rules you can loose your mum or dad or your whole family Or your children..How can a Society that say they care about god Jahovah as they put it How if they seem normal descent kind peoole who dress normal who Have a lot of friends who work like most people Who have families look so perfect and who think they are superior better than you or i Who basicly are show offs Who Think they are absolutely perfect butter couldn’t melt in their mouths if they act like that you know it’s a false pretend act..As knowone is perfect And if they can abandon family members for a religion such as Jahovah I’m sorry but they are not Christians and never will be they are sick And pure evil who millions of people who are disfelowshipped each and every year By their own families because They love Jahovah more than they love you as a family member ..My advice is to be very careful before you consider joining a religion like that it most likely will ruin your entire life. NO BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS NO BIRTHDAYS OR CHRISTMAS OR EASTER OR VALENTINES DAY Only anniversaries ..They even tell you what you can do in bed with your husband..Your whole life is ruled by Jahovah you have no freedom You are controlled throughout your life unless you leave the religion your self or They shunn you…Stay away from them. I DIDN’T join because i was not going to be taken in by their false lies ..I read up about them I managed to say no but thousands Don’t find out first before they join..If your thinking of joining find out about their religion first go to a library do your home work Even if they are against it who cares your life is at stake So Find out anyway before you even think about joining them I’m glad i found out before hand and i refuse to join a false religion because i found out about it first
My father and mother emigrated to Perth Australia many decades ago when I was very young. I am now in my mid 50’s. We were a typical Jehovah Witness family. Shortly after arriving in Australia my parents divorced. Given the shunning practice it destroyed our family with my mother staying in the JWs and my father and the children my brothers and myself leaving. When we grew up we all went separate ways and hardly seen each other let alone communicated to any standard. I got closer to my father after a failed marriage but hardly seen my mother who remains in the faith. The shunning certainly had the desired effect of destroying our family. My father remarried a non JW and is very happy.
Decades later I was going through a very difficult time and started to get closer to my mother, I had a normal life up until then but was depressed with relationship issues as well as work and health issues. I started to look at going back into the JW faith through my mother and ended up cutting the rest of my family and friends out of my life who were all non JWs. I ended up only knowing JWs.
I now go through stages of utter depression at my life which has been ruined by the JWs and Watchtowers critical execution of a faith that is full of contradictions, false predictions, outright cruelty and disregard for any way of life that is not dictated by the Watchtower. At times you feel they make it up as they go along. They have zero tolerance for other faiths, yet all other religions practice Harmony to all others, JWs don’t.
While the JW faith is not new it is relatively new compared to the mainstem religions. I am convinced that if it was started in more modern times it would be considered a cult and banned in most first world countries. They prey on vulnerable people who are down, conflicted or going through tough times. These are their bread and butter converts, who join with promises of a better more fulfilling life. That is not the case, you end up frustrated, confused, depressed and more importantly alone with no friends out with the JW faith. This is exactly what the Watchtower wants. I have never felt so alone or depressed, with no real friends outside the Witnesses, I have lost all my family except my JW mother. I even gave up emails, social media etc and my lifestyle, hobies. Again this is what they want as the last thing they want is you getting unbiased information especially from ex JWs who out number practising JWs. My life is destroyed which has caused me to make several attempts to end my life. You are in effect brain washed.
I would urge anyone who has family or friends who in a moment of weakness consider joining JWs to not abandon them. You need to be there for them when they are spat out or when they realize the magnitude of the mistake they are making. I don’t have that support network. This is exactly what the watchtower wants. They don’t care they are ruining lives.
I have no idea what I will do or what life holds for me as I don’t have a non JW support network. I even gave up the man I loved dearly because he had no intention of being a JW! Life is very tough being a JW. Its full as I said of contradictions, false predictions and extreme lack of tolerance to non JWs and cruelty to practising JWs.
So please do not abandon any friends or family who get sucked into this false faith, they will need you. We need to do as much as we can not to loose people to this cult which ruin’s lives. They have no regards for countries laws and traditions which can be seen in all the child abuse hearings that seen to be happening in a lot of countries. This is the tip of the iceberg and not the only abuse they practice or cover up. I hate to think how many people take their life when they can see no way back. I have been and still are there. I would give anything to turn the clock back. While I don’t agree with what has been happening in Russia and their lack of tolerance to religion and human rights I do think their approach to ban this religion may not be a bad thing.
So please think twice before joining this religion they are masters of manipulation and preying on vulnerable people while at the same time practicing zero tolerance for others or other countries laws. Not the ideas you would associate with any other religion.
Amanda Jane Moore
Perth Western Australia
I am sending you a little prayer that something will happen which will allow you to find peace–to get out without pain.
I think it is important to know that not ALL other religions believe in harmony as you stated.
I am a witness, but I refused to give up my family and friends outside of the religion. They tried that, but my mother said she would mince their backsides then feed it to them, and after that, pull out their little curly hairs down below one by one, slowly. She might be 86 now and five foot nothing, she was younger, in her 70’s then. The elders left with their tails between their tails and they have never tried it again. My friend Valery in the congregation has said not to have friends outside, but, I refuse to give up on my friends just because I have religion and they don’t. You don’t give up on friends for such a trivial reason. Nothing else has been said about it. I have never agreed with shunning. It is puerile and damaging. I refuse to practice it. If they want to disfellowship me so be it. I have a life outside with family and friends. I am doing another degree, I think for myself, I will not tolerate being told what to wear, say or do, read, watch….. I told them I know what I was taking on, I knew about shunning and so on because I had done my research before joining. I am a loner anyway, and not that fussed about people, and that I can take or leave them. I don’t participate in meetings because I have an anxiety and social anxiety condition, and multiple health conditions, one being I cannot sit long due to coccyxdenia, and painful feet, so don’t do door to door now. I am thinking of leaving myself.
thank you its sad for them to be raised in this
I have no doubt your family’s involvement in this despicable cult utterly ruined the first part of your life, Abbey
Can I now urge you to begin the next part of your life, post-JW and post-damage, move forward, and live happily and contentedly 🙂
I was married to a man that was a J.W. growing up and wanted back in so he could spend more time with his family. So I was used to get that time was mentally abused daily had shepherding calls a lot for him to be told he was doing wrong but they never stopped him. I am now penniless, disabled and have over $150,000.00 in bills he was given in the divorce but wont pay. I will be homeless soon because of this evil man. He should be in jail for what he has done to me and made to pay everything and more. Seven years I have been begging, pleading, and crying for help and nobody cares.And he still has his 8 million J.W. Family and friends that laugh and joke about how he got away with this. Evil liars.
I too was married to a man who was verbally, and emotionally & mentally abusive. He cheated on me & gambled all our money away, me & my two young children were also penniless and about to lose our home. I did what any women in this situation would or should do, & that is to leave. The Elders who make these shepherding calls are only visiting you to help encourage you. They are not the police and quite frankly how are they supposed to stop your evil husband from doing any of his bad behaviors? You are in charge of your own life. If he did something he should be in jail for, then why didn’t you call the police and make a report or file charges. What kind of help are you begging, pleading, & crying for??? No matter what religion he was or wasn’t, why didn’t you separate or divorce or call the police??? Blaming an entire religion for what your husband got away with is ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong, I empathize greatly with you when it comes to what he did to you, but there comes a time when you have to take responsibility for your own happiness. You may be bitter, angry, and resentful at him for the rest of your life for all the things he did to you, but the religion is not to blame; your husband is to blame. Be clear my dear, God will be the judge of what your husband did, but you have to decide when you want to be happy again. It’s VERY hard but it is possible. It starts with letting go of the victim mentality. Stop blaming, it’s over and done, and in the past. Now start your new chapter where you take charge of your life and choices and happiness!! Reach out in prayer. I wish nothing but the best for you!!!
The religion is to blame, totally for practising shunning and breaking up families. Shunning is a typical cult tactic, used to cause fear and keep adherents from leaving. Shame on you for being judgemental.
Exactly! And it’s a proven fact that people need to be anchored to family and friends to avoid falling into a state of anomie, which sometimes escalates into depression and or self-harm. Shame.
If a person goes on the internet to rant about any religion, government or group of people that are controversial, I would think that they would at least proofread or spell-check their comments before posting the tirade. I am no genius but I am smart enough to know that if a person wants to be taken seriously, don’t misspell every other word. Especially the easy ones. If you have some sort of issue that makes it difficult to communicate then at the very least ask someone else to proofread or show you how to operate spell check. I can’t take one word of this seriously let alone make a decision as to whether I can believe one word of this. You basically are talking about the welfare of humanity in relation to God. If you were posting on Pinterest about how to get a stain off your shirt then I could let the laziness of not spelling words correct slide. This post actually made me laugh, shake my head and say “You have got to be kidding. This is ridiculous”
The lady might have dyslexia, so don’t be so bloody judgemental. I understand what she has written, maybe you have comprehension issues, so sort that out before being nasty.
I was a silly JW….Now I regret i knew how dirty JW is for protecting pedolphiles! I am finished with JW because JW hates our USA flag while JW was founded in our country USA. Deport all JW out of USA then!!!
Jw protects pedolphiles!
Not really….I currently know a woman who is JW and other “sisters” reported her ex husband who is now in jail for being a pedo. The association my indirectly protect them, but not all of those in the association do. That’s false information because of the fact I just mentioned.
It best not associate with their kind god judge them in the end. Its not my business if people so idiotic to fall for a obvious cult they just have that vibe to them. And the whole outcasting people not like them so unchristian like so obvious its a cult that’s what cults do if cannot figure that out sorry you may be just gullible fool I feel sorry for those fall for it. However it does not mean perhaps they are little bit idiotic just like quoan conspiracy people crazy despite people who do stupid things.
I befriended a JW on a course a few years ago and my goodness it was a nightmare experience. His mother wouldn’t let me in their house because I wasn’t “one of them” and she told her son to tell me I’m not welcome. The two visits I made I spent in a cold garage and had to whisper when I spoke. The guy had no sense of humour at all and was blank when I said something funny. To make things worse he battered me because I revealed I had severe OCD and anxiety and because he thought I was gay. I never reported it because I was on his property (though invited). I was bombarded with over 150 texts that night with quotes from the JW bible. I never contacted him again and changed my number.
I then met up with a new guy at work two years ago who revealed he was also a JW my heart sank and he also avoided me socially. I may be judgemental but I despise them and I never despise anyone.
Karl, I understand 100%. Personally I think you had a lucky escape despite the guy beating you up it could’ve been worse my friend. Best to avoid these delusional people. Oh and you’re right to feel the way you do.
Thanks Tony. Glad people like yourself understand. Like you said I’ve avoided them like a plague now. Thanks for replying. 😀
I know that JW are against gay people and might avoid them but I didn’t think they would beat up someone who was gay as they don’t believe in violence even towards gays also but why Brest up OCD people and why beat up against people with anxiety??
Why were you beaten up for having OCD and anxiety issues ???
I don’t understand!!!
Sorry for the late reply I was offline for a while. The point I was trying to convey is that he felt that people should have no psychological problems when they can have “clean” minds by believing the rubbish that he believes in.
Also he saw me as a threat because I wasn’t in a relationship with anybody and he assumed I was interested in him so he got the wrong end of the stick and flipped. Now I admit that this could be plain homophobia but his rants were religious. I’m actually straight.
I hope and pray have found peace and happiness now.
Karl, this is not the actions of a true Jehovah’s Witness at all!!! All of your conclusions regarding the religion are completely false. It sounds more like he has some sort of mental obstacles that are causing him to completely misinterpret the scriptures that Jehovah’s Witnesses try to live by. I would guess if you went out on a limb and asked the person at work that you said was a JW that he would also confirm this. By the way whether you were invited or not, if you are being beaten, you have every right to call the police. That’s like saying a women who is being beaten by her husband can’t call or report it to the police because she’s on her own property???? Your reasoning is not logical
The men have been known to be abusive and controlling. There are many incidences of rape of children that are covered up and never reported to the police, the elders deal with it. Do your research before making such ignorant comments.
I agree with you totally. Growing up my friend in schools stepmom was a JW. She was forced into that religion. She was the most miserable and depressed girl I had ever seen. That was 25 years ago. Now she is married, IS NOT A JW, has children and a VERY HAPPY LIFE!!! And she believes in God!!!
They are evil. They fill people with guilt, and even cause people to suicide. They should be prosecuted for pushing themselves into people’s lives, causing devastation. The religion is evil.
My Mother and younger brother areJW’s, but my Dad was a Christian. The two of them pretty much neutralized each other until my Dad died. My younger brother proceeded to dig into my Mother’s cash which was supposed to be for her elderly care, but then they reached further into my Dad’s Will, and sold the property that was supposed to by my inheritance. They did it all covertly, so I didn’t even know it had been sold until I was contacted by an attorney to coerce me into signing the release papers. Everything they did was totally dishonest and schemed outside my knowledge. The worst was that they attempted to poison my Grandchildren against me, with my Mother playing the wounded bird victim because I objected to what they had done. The final result is that some of my Grandchildren won’t even talk to us, and I am out nearly half a million dollars that was stolen from my Dad’s Will, and I am somehow the bad guy. I know that ultimately, I am blessed, because I have received the Grace of God through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, but it is a cross to bear with your Mother and brother scheming against you and shoving you aside like you don’t matter. I would not trade places with any of them for anything on Earth.
Yup I’m going through the same thing basically but with the sisters that wanted to study with me..
I’m trying to get my daughter away from them. I’ve been studying everything about them and it makese sick. I’m a Baptist but I have still have free will. Its breaking my heart that she doesn’t want to celebrate any holiday. Plus the lady that talks to her is telling her that I’m pagan and or Satan. I hope I have enough information to.show her what this cult really is.
Thank you for writing this for all of us. God bless you.
Terri, I would urge you to check out: jwfacts.com It has a wealth of information from the JWs own literature that exposes them for the lying hypocritical control freaks that they are.
Thank you Mary. I have been researching every site possible. One piece.of information I found says: Our beliefs were.not completely in line with the Bible, So we used whatever translations that was available and formed our beliefs accordingly. We believe Gods kingdom is a real coherent, not just the condition of the heart. That came from the watchtower people. I have filled up a notebook with all of their disbeliefs and lies. Don’t any of these people see that when they die, they will not see the kingdom of God?
Guys, I highly recommend a book called, Combating Cult Mind Control, by Steven Hassan, America’s leading cult expert. He is a former member of the moonies before he got out. He tells you what a cult is, and how JW fit into the cult as a whole.
My granddaughter is 5 and her mom and my son are divorced. Her mom remarried and her new husbands family is JW. They are taking my granddaughter to these so called “meetings” and I am extremely frightened! I’ve seen what it did to a friend of mine growing up and I DO NOT want my sweet granddaughter to feel like that! My Dad is a Baptist minister and our family is in shock! Not that we feel she has to be Baptist, but she shouldn’t be “forced” into these “meetings” and go house to house with her step-grandmother “witnessing”!!! I’ve had them come to my house on several occasions and they always seem to bring a child as if they are “using” that child to get into your home! NOT MY GRANDDAUGHTER!!
you cant stop it all my grandsons are not allowed to see me because my daughter married a jw , they are strange people and i tryed foryears to stop it all it resulted in was me losing my daughter and my 4 grandsons
your hands are tied unlesss uou kidnap her xxoxo
I’m going through the same thing. I’m a Christian, my son started dating a JW. Of course she wasn’t allowed to date a non-believer. So he’s converting. He’s pushing us away and now not participating in holidays. It breaks my heart. My younger son passed away 11 years ago and he’s all I have left. He and I have always been extremely close until recently. He’s very defensive of JW and has quick responses. There’s no conversations because he “knows” he’s right. My son is 22. I’m praying he’ll come to his senses and realize how important family is. I’m trying to keep a connection with him and not let him slip away. But I’m watching him erase himself for her and her family. He was very patriotic and planned on military after graduating, that did not happen. Now he doesn’t vote and has given up his love for his country. He refused to join us for thanksgiving yesterday saying it’s materialistic and people should give thanks everyday. I can’t believe he believes this. I can’t believe the son I raised believes these people over his own family.
I miss our closeness and pray he’ll come back to us.
God bless you,
KM
IF U need for me to talk to him I would. My Whatsapp [Removed private mail address – Editor] Berlin, Germany I am officially out this coming Wednesday after a few decades being in.
All you have shared in your article is true. Sad to admit. I left the Wt organization in the year 2000, not because I sinned, but because I began to do my own Biblical research and found several of their teachings incorrect. Especially their teaching on ‘who the other sheep are”… ( the scriptures are clear, they are simply the gentiles who are invited to join Christ’s followers) Another is their teaching on the blood covenant. Jesus died for all, but the Watchtower says, ‘not all”… this is contrary to scripture. ( 2 Cor 5:15, “that he died for all,”) And the blood covenant is for the forgiveness of sin; the Wt teaches the blood covenant is for just a few 144,000, yes the scriptures say, “All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven” The number 144000 is a drop in a bucket compared to thousands of years of man’s existence.. so what they are actually saying all will not be forgiven of sin except a very small few. This does not say much for a forgiving God. ( 1 John 1:9) “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” No where in scripture have I found where God forgives only a few. I do not believe those 9 men were appointed by Christ to feed his sheep.. for he would not approve of them feeding error. Michael is not Jesus, the scriptures are clear that God was to appoint a man to sit on the throne of David, not the angel.Michael ( Hebrews 1:12-14, ” But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” …… A JW judicial committee was formed against me because I shared my disagreement about their teachings. My friend called an elder and things moved along rather quickly.. even though I was born and raised in this religion, gave most of my life to it. So yes, Barbara, you are correct, this religion is a cult. We are admonished to follow in Christ’s footsteps, but the Watchtower gov body says, “keep in step with JW Org. There is a huge difference!
You are glad you made it out of JW trap.I wish I could get out but I am scared that I will loose everything if I do including my family and my two jobs because my bosses for both jobs are witnesses.I am the one who studied the Bible with JW first.I got babtized then my husband and two daughters.my two younger daughters are not babtized yet.I don’t want them to.i want them to grow up having a normal life with normal friends not only witnesses.i want them to be real.know that normal people make their own decisions, normal people make mistakes and learn from it, be forgiven but not shunned.
Re blood transfusions what was the significance of 1934? The technique of transfusing blood successfully was mastered in the year 1916. With no guidance either way from the Watchtower Society J.W.’s would have been giving and receiving blood from 1916 to 1945. I’ve always wondered why, if blood transfusions are (apparently) such a big deal for Jehovah God, why didn’t He provide some “increased light” on this in 1916, or earlier? Why wait till 1945 to issue the ban by which time there must have been thousands of Witnesses who had either given or received blood all with His implied consent and certainly with His full knowledge!
Blood then became bottled and and sold also the second world war groups in other countries could have american blood.l personally believe it is possible the org invests in bio blood technologie or an invisible hand is profiting from JW rules such as this one.
Great presentation Barbara. Clear, concise, and SO TRUE.
One question please.
In view of the fact that they (the Watchtower) are now officially in the real estate business (couldn’t bear the thought of all those MILLIONS in real estate commissions on the sale of the Brooklyn properties going into a realtor’s hands), COULD that leave them LEGALLY OPEN for law suits from former witnesses (or even witnesses) to sue the organization due to deciet, since the ‘brothers and sisters’ volunteering all these hundreds of thousands of hours in maintaining this real estate over the decades? They honestlyTHOUGHT they were doing this for a NON-PROFIT religious organization? Do U get my point?
Does this new move (www.warchtowerbrooklynrealestate.com) open a ‘Pandora’s Box’ for them???
My thought exactly! They R NOW in the REAL ESTATE business & I HOPE the authorities go after them, but I think they have “covered their ——-“!
OMG! Just read the last paragraph on the main page of WT Brooklyn RE:
“We invite qualified buyers to visit the individual property websites, sign a Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement, and learn more about the properties.”
Who else but the WT would make a stipulation of signing a “Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement” BEFORE learning more about a property (like LIST PRICE, etc)… ?!?!?! Man, are they paranoid or WHAT!??!? LOL!!
they are secretive and have many many things to hide. With a nda they reasure them self nothing seen inside is going to be disclosure.
I think there is a lot of Misguided people here that have created there own Cult , by definetion of there own personal issues..? If you can’t live up to the High standards of JWS then just get on with your life’s… If you can find a better represented Belief then good luck with that. What ever makes you feel better.aboit yourselve get on with it. If they arnt killing., raping , extorting, people like maniy belives, then worry about your own
Or maybe you should get.imto Politics and see.what great difference you will make . live life ,to the Full while you can , eat drink and be Merry…..
Misguided? You are also misguided or you wouldn’t be on here. You want it both ways. Ours and theirs. You know something is wrong about this cult. I have every right to expose wrong. So you just get use to it. They are a cult and home breakers- child abusers- real estate business- stock market crooks- liars- 1975 lol–1925 lol–1914 lol–1942 lol– Did I miss any? Now its your turn Beer.
What high standards?
Your religion does not have high standards. If your religion had any high standards, they’d do the following.
1. Where are the JW’s community services? Like soup kitchens, food shelves, addiction recovery services, and the like?
2. How a you say you have such high standards when your religion allows children who don’t recieve blood transfusions to die, you exommunicate the mentally ill, and your religion has repeatedly failed to report spousal and child abuse to the proper authorities?
3. How can you say your religion has high standards when your religion excommunicates who no longer believe anymore?
The difference between obedience and morality is this: If you’re moral, you do the right thing, even when you might risk losing everything in life to do it.
Obedience is when you listen to other people no matter what. JWs don’t have high standards nor are they moral. They’re obedient. And obedience isn’t a virtue.
You are lying…women aren’t part of the writing committee . Tell your lies elsewhere
I don’t believe Barbara is lying in regard to her doing some of the writing. Nevertheless, she has enough “information” onThe Boys from Brooklyn that that point would B irrelevant anyways° WAKE UP man!
That’s only because you are totally ignorant on the subject . You’d believe anything she says . You probably still believe jws don’t believe in Jesus
And ty for putting information in quotes . Exactly where it belongs . Meaning not true!
Totally ignorant on the subject? An I take it U R completely “informed”. correct? Notice the quotation marks! Quotation marks can also B implemented when the word is meant to say something other than the reader is used to. That was the reason, same reason I incl quotation marks on informed. IF U R a witness, then being on this site is not recommended by the society, to say the jeast. And think of it Ms. Jody, IF Barbara IS lying, then the society could take legal action against her because she is claiming to the public she di something that she did not engage in. The society would B after her faster than they deduct contributions from the credit cards of “fleeced sheep, and opening hedge fund accounts on offshore bank accounts WITHOUT informing the sheep. All $$$ going to the kingdom work is the same old, hackneyed line. Wake UP man. ”
None so blind as those who will not see.”
But we do know you do not believe jehovah lives on the star Alcyone in the Pleiades constellation anymore. You see he left watchtower’s reporting location, in 1954 and didn’t leave a forwarding address. At least it wasn’t ‘channeled’ yet. You know like spirit mediums do? It’s condemned in both testaments? Yeah that command. But that’s okay you go on believing. Maybe one day you’ll be the lucky one to get the new address.
JODY–Name calling? Shame on you–Typical jw. Cant stand the heat in this kitchen lol
Actually women are used by the writing committee to handle research and even write articles for the Awake magazine. But not the Watchtower-right Barbara?
This site is created by an upset person who may have received discipline in a GODLY way for something against Jehovah’s will and not the brothers and sisters of the organization. It’s amazing how people will go against anything they really know nothing about. You say the JWs are a cult but you can leave anytime you get ready. Your leaving doesn’t affect a human being but GOD. You are mad because we try sincerely, wholeheartedly and whole souled to follow GODs commandments in the Bible word for word but remember people didn’t listen to Noah and look what that got them. There are many who did not obey Jehovah and lost their lives. Just as their are many who followed his commands and were blessed beyond measure like Job. I was disfellowshipped for 18 years then came back and left again for 4 yrs and was welcome backed again. Others have left and come back. All I can say is continue to listen too and follow bitter idiots. Try having your own minds and do your own research. Millions of people across the US and in so many countries are JWs and doing the work they were commissioned to do by our lord and savior Jesus who did the same thing. He set the example. Enjoy life as you know it to be now. GOD is not one to be mocked. BEWARE Jesus said at Matthews 28:19, 20 (19) Go, therefore, and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.”
Just in case you don’t believe Jehovah is GOD’s name – “That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.”
Oh by the way, I am working on my degree. 🙂
Thank you! Not to mention most of this article is not legit.
Yes, it is legitimate. She speaks the truth. I am a witness at the moment, but might leave soon. So I know she is not lying.
What are you – a Jehova’s Witless bot, posting false counter-intel to stave off the general belief that your cult is despicable and evil?
Or a soon-to-be-ex-JW, trolling sites like this in an effort to stave off the inevitable schism with your cult elders by being cultier-than-thou?
Just one thing – one thing – that tells you the JW cult is evil: shunning children, brothers, sisters, parents.
And then lying to your children about the shunned person in the family circle *never having existed* in the first place (as happened to me).
OOh, A degree in religious studies or theology? About as useful as a degree in Alien abductions or Unicorns. You may as well have a degree in Mother Goose for all the good it would do.
Witnesses are no more idiots than the rest of religious society. One unsubstantiated crazy faith is no more worthy of ridicule as any other.
The great ” enlightened one” has spoken! Thank U great “enlightened one”! What do U do with the asinine theory of atheism oh “enlightened one”? About as serious as a Porky Pig flick!
Dear JFS-KB thank you for supporting. let me add more..1John 5:3 Jehovah’s rules are not burdensome..just because we JWs we follow the rules that doesn’t mean we are brainwashed. we are proud that 5000 and more people are being baptised evry week all year round..so if you don’t want to be part of us don’t talk what you don’t have proof and don’t lie about us
You are working on your degree you say? Judging from your grammar, spelling & sentence structure, I was under the impression you never graduated high school. Seriously. Good luck!
Thank you very much Egbert. Appreciate your insightful rant. By the way writing the incorrect attributive adjective ‘your’ in your 2nd sentence instead of the correct contraction ‘you’re’, shows U might need some schooling as well
. How did U know I wear panies?
Panies is swahili for panties! If U believe that, I’ve got some swamp land in Florida I’d like to sell U.
Tearing spelling up is a sham. Cant you do better than that. How about pedophiles? Did I misspell that?
I know U probably mean well, but U address none of the serious issues that the organization has now been exposed for. Pedophilia that has been ‘swept uner the rug’ for decades to the great harm of thousands of young witnesses whose lives have been forever scarred ALL in the name of ‘bringing no reproach on the organiztion’! If this organization can B summed up in TWO words, it would be: COVER- UP! Pedophilia, finance is a HUGE cover-up; particularly with the sale of the Brooklyn complex and the non-disclosure of the amount the buildings were sold for & where in the hell did all these hundreds of millions of $$$ go! ALL this real estate, built with FREE LABOR and the MIGHTY 7 (governing body) get EVERY PENNY while those who slaved on those buildings (naively thinking all done for God) never got (or get a dime) EVEN if those are now in need. They DON’T CARE!!!
OK my problem with this article. You have no right to judge this religion or any other article. If someone does choose to be a Jehovah’s Witness, their family should not shun them. You talked about us the JW congregation shunning people, which in fact we do not do. We reach out to them and try to help them. You talk about a new-coming Witness being shunned by their family because of their change in religion. That is hypocritical. Then you go on about blood transfusions. We seek the best possible medical care for ourselves and our families. When we have health problems, we go to doctors who have skill in providing medical and surgical care without blood. We appreciate advancements that have been made in the medical field. In fact, bloodless treatments developed to help Witness patients are now being used to benefit all in the community. In many countries, any patient can now choose to avoid blood-transfusion risks, such as blood-borne diseases, immune-system reactions, and human errors. Your claim of Witnesses dying from refusing blood transplant is completely unfounded. Surgeons regularly perform such complex procedures as heart operations, orthopedic surgery, and organ transplants without the use of blood transfusions. * Patients, including children, who do not receive transfusions usually fare as well as or better than those who do accept transfusions. * In any case, no one can say for certain that a patient will die because of refusing blood or will live because of accepting it. Our reasoning for not accepting it is more a religious matter.Both the Old and New Testaments clearly command us to abstain from blood. (Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 17:10; Deuteronomy 12:23; Acts 15:28, 29) Also, God views blood as representing life. (Leviticus 17:14) So we avoid taking blood not only in obedience to God but also out of respect for him as the Giver of life. You claim us as cults, Be trust me, we are not a very small group. You tell us our religion is wrong but we can always turn the tables and say the same. On the matter of us saying “The end is near” We say this in Jehovah’s term. We don’t know how time in Heaven is, and many sign of the end is coming true. The other claims made are invalid, due to the lack of legitimate objections. Bullying for not worshiping a flag is cause by your, religion. So, just cause you don’t like our customs you can point and laugh at us? We do not celebrate holidays because of the greed and the false purpose of the holidays, and outcast and boredom is not a legit reasoning to this, which is again cause by your congregation. We are not martyrs, for we do not suffer those who do not do what Jehovah wishes. I will stop there, cause i feel no need to go in further detail of how ridiculous this article is. Overall this article has no legit reasoning’s of why the JW congregation are bad people, which I believe we are not. Most of the consequences are from your actions of bullying and out casting. I’m not here to tell you your religion is wrong, but you were downing mine, and you had no legit reasoning’s making this a worthless article.
Everything the article says is completly true, sad but very very true. I’ve been there for years and can confirm the content. Run for your life before entering this destructive cult, and for those that are ignorant because they have not experienced yet the shunning try to follow the GB otherwise you will feel the ostracism.
Dear Lexie Young, I would love to hear what you feel when you will be shunned by your parents or friends because you questioned one of the doctrines. Because you cannot have doubts and if you are intelligent and do have another opinion on the key doctrine than you will have to be disfellowschipped if you don’t change your mind. You are not supose to think for your self. You are so young you could be my grand child and I see you do not know much that is why you could say all these, let’s say it carefully, inacurate things about the JW. I know the organisation for almost 40 year and have seen too many families divided and destroyed by the WT. So please do your homework thoroughly and we will talk again when you are less defensive and more objective towards the organisation. And I do hope you will never be shunned by your family and or your friends because many of the shunned ones have not survived the ostracism. Good luck with your scrutiny.
People have been saying “The End Is Near” for over 100 years! Only God knows when that will be. We should trust in God, read the Bible and pray!
Lexi,
My aunt died from not being able to get a blood transfusion to get a liver transplant.
I’ve seen first hand how JWs treat members who aren’t as active in the ministry, let alone disfellowshipped.
I’m a nurse. I’m here because I’m trying to figure out how to get a JW “friend” to leave me alone. She doesn’t take hints easily. Your information about transfusions is incorrect and really only address transfusions for very slow bleeds, not emergent situations. My JW “friend” went on about fluids one day and I didn’t bother to correct her because she has only a high school level education and zero knowledge of human biology. If you are bleeding out and you decline whole blood, you’re just dead. Period.
I will add that most transfusions in hospitals are for emergent situations not the super slow GI bleeds that may or may not respond to epo, etc. I find that most JWs don’t understand what the functions of blood actually ARE.
My name is Patti and I am not a JW, but a very close friend of mine is and I have read some of there Watchtowers, her husband grew up as JW and was away from it for many years he married my friend a about 10 years ago he went back and she join also, my point here is we discussed some of there outlook on god and scripture and I will honestly say I am not well read on the bible. But recently I was not hearing from her and we would talk on the phone and get together and do crafts I love her like a daughter. Then things changed no call, so I contacted her by e-mail and she told me they where busy getting for the end and she asked me if she could talk to my daughter who passed away at 12 because I am not a JW I will never get to see my daughter according to Jehovah Witness up until that commit I never judge there religion or anyone elses and I have always believed in God and his son Jesus Christ and to say I will never see my child is wrong so I am telling you now may the God I know that does not make judgement see that you guys are the antichrist.
I have a right to judge since I am a witness myself, but having been unhappy with other witnesses behaviour with me, and having read several cult books and in-depth research, I am now thinking of leaving. I also detest shunning, as it is cruel and destructive to families and even single people, puerile too. The article is not worthless either. I can attest to her accuracy. For a number of years now, I have been questioning my involvement. Luckily, I never gave up family and friends outside the cult, they tried that though, until my mother threatened to mince the elder’s behinds and feed it to them, then pull out their short and curlies slowly one by one. That was the end of that. Mum might be short and now 86, but she is still formidable. So if they do disfellowship me, I am not bothered. I hate ministry and meetings, boring most of the time, and as I have a social/anxiety disorder, which made both hard, it’s no skin off my nose. But, I feel for those families who have been devastated by shunning.
Lexie, I know U mean well, but your lack of articulation in addressing the issues indicate that you have absolutely no idea what U R talking about & your points (supposedly made in your imagination) show a total lack of understanding of the serious issues facing this religion.
I would guess U R in junior high or high school & this would explain to some extent your ‘lack of grasp’ of the crises now facing this religion.
I congratulate U on your attemp to ‘cast light’ on the issue, but your arguments fall short.
I encourage U to go to college after graduating, or if U have arready graduated high school, by all means go to university.
All the best.
I stumbled upon this article and probably shouldn’t have given it a second look, but I did. The person who wrote this article went to great lengths to destroy the credibility of Jehovah’s witnesses. It’s obvious she is very bitter and seeking attention and yes, she is an apostate, which really means that when you leave the truth or the congregation, then you purposely and vindictively go out and seek to destroy the Jehovah’s Witnesses and take as many down with you as you can. Surely after 43 years in the truth, then she didn’t forget that humans are supposed to love one another, not tear each other down or bash one another-no matter who you are. Ephesians 4:29 says: “Let a rotten word not come out of your mouth, but only what is good for building up.” If she was in the truth that long and left, then there is something she is not telling people. If she chooses to not be a Jehovah’s Witness, she should move on with her life or hopefully one day return to Jehovah, which she may do one day. Many people who leave the faith and criticize it do eventually return because it is the truth. There is no alternative to truth. Before tearing down, let us remember that LOVE is essential according to Jehovah. In fact, HE commands it. She says she was a witness for many years, but yet in her article, she only lists what JW’s do or don’t do. She doesn’t elaborate on the reasons why or offer to show the scriptures that she learned from the Bible that confirms JW beliefs and that confirmed her beliefs for 43 years. What happens is that when people draw away from Jehovah, he withdraws his Holy Spirit away from them. They become blinded in a sense. They can recall what JW’s don’t believe in or what they do believe in, but it’s as if they forget WHY. They forget principles. They forget commandments. They don’t care anymore about what the Bible says to do or not to do. They want to live a life of freedom-freedom from rules or commandments of God. Do whatever they want. Sound familiar? Guess who else believed this? Remember how Satan wanted independence? Remember how he thought he could rule better than Jehovah? He didn’t want to follow the rules. What people fail to realize is that these rules protect us. For example: no immoral sex protects us from diseases. This blog mentions that the ‘leaders in our congregation expect total obedience. This is simply not true nor possible. Nobody can be obedient at all times because we are imperfect humans. However, we cannot PRACTICE or habitually commit serious sins (without repentance) WHY? Because God tells us plainly in his word ‘that those practicing sin will not inherit the Kingdom’. WE want to make sure that our elders are helping us to be obedient so that we can be declared righteous to God.Though we may sometimes fail because we are imperfect in the flesh, we still must strive to be obedient. If the person leading me told me I can do whatever I wanted or if I never was held accountable, then I would know that they themselves are not following God’s word. Romans 6:16 says: Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness? When God tells us not to murder that’s what he means. When God tells us not to commit fleshly desires. That is what he means. When he says that we shouldn’t tear down one another, that is what he means, when he tells us to read our bibles every day that is what he means. These things aren’t optional. Jehovah’s Witnesses know that. The elders in the congregation want to make sure that God’s commandments are being followed wholeheartedly without hypocrisy because if there are horrible sins being committed within the congregation, then it could bring dishonor to Jehovah and it could influence others to follow their path. Just like the person who wrote this article. She is trying to get others to follow her path. I’ve seen this before. A person learns valuable truths that the world doesn’t know. They quit these harmful practices only to return back to them once they leave the congregation as if they never learned them at all. They no longer have that Holy Spirit revealing insight. Their hearts have become hardened, bitter, and vindictive, some even just hurt because of their own pride. Jehovah’s Witnesses have an extensive knowledge of the Bible which is given to them by Holy Spirit. There is a deeper understanding that is given to them that the rest of the world is unfamiliar with because most do not truly read/study their bibles, or they simply close their ears when we show up at their door to share this lifesaving information. What about disfellowshipping? Here is only of MANY, scriptures related to that. Leviticus 18:29 states : “If anyone does any of these detestable things, all those doing them must be cut off from among their people.” So to all those blog readers…don’t believe everything you read. Find out for yourself. Dig. Research. There’s so much you don’t know about God or the Bible. Let us help you!
What about your leaders buying stocks in war weapons, Walt Disney, and many many more did you do your research? Time Warner, I was shocked! How can you jw’s follow men that are using all your hard earned money for their gain? Think!!
You stumble upon this article? Who’s lying now?
“…because if there are horrible sins being committed within the congregation…” It is exactly because there are horrible sins being committed within the congregation – particularly child rape – that Barbara found herself on the receiving end of retribution. She began this effort by trying to get something done to protect those against whom the horrible sins were being practiced. In your knee-jerk reaction, spouting standard talking-points, you show that you did not get the basic reason Barbara initiated her effort.
“she was on the receiving end…”
OK, let’s say this is true, is it cause to criticize and condemn my wife?
It is a Christian attribute to judge and condemn an entire organization and its people?
Now let’s extend it.
The guy who shot up Las Vegas is NOT a JW. Can we be condemning and judgmental and spout out that all non-JWs have machine guns and are out to murder? Say, he was also a US citizen…you know where that can go.
The trouble with those who refuse to learn and love the truth is they are anxious and excited about knocking down others, not building up. My wife and her family have been nothing but loving, encouraging and supportive to me, as a non-Witness.
The comments expressed by the HATERS have ensured me I will never, ever, ever, ever go to a ‘christian’ church again!!!!!
Thanks to Jehovah I am away from you clowns.
And a PS,
I have some stories about ‘christian’ church leaders I can share that will curdle your blood, but as a Christian, I shall refrain from this.
Good day.
Hahahahahahhahahah! Let us help you! Cough Choke…etc etc….wakey wakey…Jw.org is pyramid $ making biz…protects pedophiles, and wife abusers…If you want to be brain washed over and over…tune in to…Jw.org vides…But hide your $ first…Check into where it all began…I always wondered why it was ok to use The basement of the Masonic Temple as a Kingdom Hall meeting place, for cong mtngs, get togethers etc…now I know why…all the same! Truth about the Truth…ain’t very pretty!
Let me help you. I am a witness, so you are talking bollocks. JW is a cult and a controlling, destructive one at that. They cause harm and death by people losing family and friends by committing suicide. I have done the research on this, and have a psychology degree, so I am aware of their psychological methods of control, behaviour modification, control of information, emotions…….Change behaviour you change and control the rest. You really are a coerced minion, or an idiot.
I would like to make a remark on the title of the article, it is not dangerous to associate with Jehovah’s witnesses, I know a few very kind and lovely (my mother is one of them) but you should never become one of them because if you would like to change your opinion you will be disfellowschipped and shunned by the other JW.
The scripture says their will be false prophets and false religions.
The founder of JW, a big charleton. Indoctrination is the core of it all. Satan has influence over all. Making religions based on convenience. When shall the world end.
Oh by the way, satan made this JW religion…
And of course fabricated the lie of jesus christ or christos in greek…
Jesus the idolatry…
Was made up by lucifer the fallen angel to steer away the people in the one true god…He eabted people to Idolize someone besides Heavenly Father.
Jesus isnt coming cause he never existed…Begotten impossible…made up by, inspired by satan in the NT again, a lttle god…
Theres only one true god, father…not two or three…
Who governs the earth, the lord of corruption, the Prince of Darkness, son of Perdition…
As in The book of Job…God sends Satan to do his dirty work…
In Isaiah 45:7 I form the light and form darkness etc…
The creator, our maker is responsible for Evil or the Devil…
Folklore has it wrong, Lucifer wasnt cast down because he wanted to be like god or a god. As per the scripture says it in Isaiah, there is no one beside me there is no other god, there is no savior…
Lucifer was the right hand of god. Serafin chief of the serafin angels, the highest of ranking angel, responsible for the hymns and could play all instruments in heaven…Lucifer was happy he was in gods good grace, like anyone wants to be…Lucifers design wasnt created to be cast down and be the ruler of earth and or hell…He was made to serve god…
And as the scripture says, god is a jealous god, he also gave that emotion to Lucifer…
Lucifer knew a secret, that Adam, the first man was to be created as it says so again Isaiah 45, secrets
I agree with some of the injustice mentioned. It’s infantile though to believe a true religion is free from corruption. Corruption exists everywhere. Claiming all Jehovah’s Witnesses are part of a cult is as equally false stating all Catholics support child molestation. I understand HUGE injustices exist in the organization as my family and I were victims. People need to think deeper and ponder, is this really what Jehovah’s organization teaches or is this an imperfect person’s flawed judgment ? It’s essential that people don’t allow the imperfection of others to generalize that the religion as a whole operates this way. For critically pointing out flaws in Jehovah’s organization, it’s quite sad that some have allowed flawed induviduals to cause them to stop serving Jehovah. One needs to be thick skinned as a witness and differentiate if someone is imposing their own opinions or if it’s truly God’s Word. If there are no biblical truths backing these silly so called witnesses up, why allow them to cause you stop serving Jehovah? Badness exists everywhere, Jehovah sees all things and will resolve it in his own due time. Just because injustice exists in Jehovah’s organization too, it doesn’t mean that the biblical teachings are false or that all witnessses are part of a cult. It’s equally as ignorant to make those assumptions just as you point out how all witnesses belong to a cult.
I have to agree with many statement made here, both pro and con regarding jws. The difference,I see, is this religion, Christian group, however it relates to this body of believers; is, Jehovahs Witness proclaim to be most honorable and humble. Many other religions are not at a persons home explaining good and evil and proclaiming wholesome-ness,for lack of a better term. I personally believe that the high standards they proclaim encourages high expectations of them. Thus setting the groundwork for criticism. Individually, they are just people, like all of us. But, they love their congregations and they tolerate and are warm at the meetings. There are some exceptions, but alone they are just people. It is because of the lack of sincerity on their part that I no longer will associate with the congregations. But that is my choice. They do profess to care for the individuals of the congregations, going to great lengths to talk about how they support one another. I know many, many jw widows and elderly that are never cared for or thought about beyond the hall. I am one. There is no acknowledgement, not even in stores or upon passing on the street. They followup with my neighbor, he mentions i was in the hospital yet not one called, or cared. Not even a wave when they see me from next door outside and they pass by, yet all warm and toasty at the meetings. My dog wouldn’t ignore me as much as they do. I am not alone.
Warm? Don’t you mean, ‘love bombing?’ Yes, they support you as long as you are a witness and doing all the meetings and doing the preaching work. Once you criticise, or leave, that pseudo warmth evaporates rapidly. If you still have family there, you lose them, you will lose them and be shunned for life. You cease to exist. It’s cruel and controlling practice. It’s a cult, a cruel controlling religious cult. Elitist, with a superiority complex, looking at the world as good and bad people. They are good, the rest who are not witnesses are bad.
Using ‘imperfect men’ is one thing but secret off shore bank accounts and hiding (for example) over 1,000 pedophilia cases JUST in Australia over the last 50 years. THINK of all those children; who are now adults and how much damage was inflicted upon them all in the name of ‘not to bring reproach on GodÄs organization’. The Boys from Brooklyn have a lot on their ‘unspiritual’ plate to answer for. Oh, nd how is it there is not an outcry from the rank & file over the fact that they now have set up a profit making real estate business in Brooklyn (to save from handing over real estate sales commmissions to real estate agencies handling of the sale of their buildings in Brookly. http://www.watchtowerrealestate.com THESE guys have it ALL covered & the $$$ flows only ONE way; to THEM!
Correct link: http://www.watchtowerbrooklynrealestate.com
Just found out it is over 1,600 pedophilia cases in Australia!
VERY understandable U say? Of course it is. I would respectfully reply that YOU are the ‘blind’ one. I know what it is having BLINDERS on for years & justifying everything we received from The Boys in Brooklyn. Their cover is BLOWN!!! Downscaling on every front & here in Germany OLDER couples being let go from Bethel (many thinking they were 2 B there till the ‘end’) and guess what? Many have to now go on German welfare for support. The society pays them zero. More than a few have becaome physically ill over the schock. We know of two couples. Such accounts R NEVER in print. REMEMBER , the $$$ flows ONLY ONE way; to THEM. The ‘spiritual’ Titanic is sinking & U R too ‘taken’ by the ‘music’ to realize the dangerr. All the best!
George, that’s whats so wonderful about Jehovah. He gave us freedom of choice, to obey his laws or not. He wouldn’t want it any other way. Hebrews 8:10.“‘For this is the covenant that I shall covenant with the house of Israel “after those days”,’ says Jehovah. ‘I will put my laws in their mind, and in their hearts I shall write them. And I will become their God, and they themselves will become my people”. All the best to you George and I truly mean it.
IF U have no other defense than just throwing out scriptures, well then, I really do feel sorry 4 U. NO chistian ‘group’ in the Bible had massive real estate holdings, a real estate company, and off-shore bank accounts! NONE! The WORST thing in my eyes… NO transparency!!! All the best 2 U 2, but PLEASE (4 your sake) do what Dorothy did (her dog really) and DON’T B afraid to pull back the curtain because U just MIGHT B schocked!
since 2011 the WT real estate have sold aprox 22 buildings and made a roug 1,3 billions of dollars. The most of them (if not all of them) where sold to the son in law of Donald Trump, Jared Kushner. http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/39/33/dtg-kushner-watchtower-deal-2016-08-12-bk.html
If they made so much money, how come the WT is still asking for more donations from the vast majority poor witnesses? The WT owns already all the kingdom halls all over the world. And the most intriguing part, why are the JW’s still covering the WT’s as* ?
Joseph, Have you ever been to a Hall build? It’s amazing. All volunteers coming from miles around, helping one another. Carpenters, electricians, brick layers,sheet rockers, landscapers. They set up these large food tents for people to cook in and feed the workers. All in harmony. So you ask, Why are JW’s still covering the WT’S? Because it’s the love they have for Jehovah their God. And they also know that doing this is helping to accomplish his will on earth. Although no one can actually enrich Jehovah, who owns all things (1Ch 29:14-17), contributing is a privilege that affords the worshiper opportunity to display his love for Jehovah.
Contributing IS a privelege, BUT so is ACCOUNTABILITY!!! OFF-shore bank accounts, setting up a PROFIT making real estate business http://www.watchtowerbrooklynrealestte.com and hundreds of millions of $$$ with NO transparency as to where it goes except for this hackneyed explanation: to the kingdom preaching work. It is falling apart 4 them though & I believe there is a real ‘rush’ now to stash as much of the $$$ as possible. NOTHING wrong with the normal witness-they have been DUPED!!! However, there IS hope. MORE & more R waking up!
Ok George, Last I heard Kingdom Halls cost money to build( ours around $175,000 U.S., Material and land only). Go head George, you like to look things up. Go find out how many they build in a year. I haven’t heard if anyone is donating the paper and the ink that it takes to print over 37 Million Watchtowers a MONTH. And that’s just ONE magazine, They also have the Awake and countless books they publish MONTHLY. DUPED? Come on George You forget, We wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t WANT TO. And Falling apart? Really George? The organization is growing faster then ever. AND “stash as much money as possible” FOR WHAT? They drive no big fancy cars or live in some Mansion. And they eat the same food as the helpers. And another thing, WHY wouldn’t they set up a real estate company?? Real estate Company’s charge up to 10% of the total cost of the sell here in the U.S. That savings could be well spent paying for more kingdom halls. You can call it whatever you want , but I call it being SMART.
It is amazing, I know, I’ve been there many many years. But there are two sides of this story, that is why it is so difficult to see clear what the WT is doing to his fellowships. One is of joy and one is of darkness if you think what they do to disfellowshiped ones. You have to admit that is horrible cruel.
Joseph its also heartbreaking. My fleshly brother was DF, My niece and nephew are DF. These things bring great heartache to all. I know first hand. But its not like they didn’t know what the circumstances would be if they continued their way. So, they had a choice. And they chose. I just hope they remember that Jehovah did not leave them, they left Jehovah. And I hope that they remember Jehovah will always be there for them. Luke 17:1-4 17 ”Then he said to his disciples: “It is unavoidable that causes for stumbling should come. Nevertheless, woe to the one through whom they come! It would be of more advantage to him if a millstone were suspended from his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to stumble one of these little ones. Pay attention to yourselves. If your brother commits a sin give him a rebuke, and if he repents forgive him. Even if he sins seven times a day against you and he comes back to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him”.
Levi, If you are so devoted you certainly would not be on this site and others. (Yes you know your scouring other Apostate sites) You know they would at the least reprove you if you were to tell the Elders would they not. So you must have doubt and it is good you are here. You will eventually hear/read someones words and it will awaken you and open your eyes and you wont be so gung ho on the preaching. Everything you are trying to preach has been heard and digested by those hear many times over thier years in the Hall and yet I and others have reached a different conclusion. Please keep reading post. It will be good for you in the end.
Homophobic, humourless, boring, miserable, brainwashed, self-righteous, arrogant, judgemental parasite. :@
They break up families and cause untold hardship and psychological damage to those who leave and never see family again because the family that remain in the cult are strong-armed by the elders to shun those that leave. This should not be allowed. This practice should be banned and those that advocate for it, jailed. Jesus did not shun people, so neither should JW’s.
Correction: http://www.watchtowerbrooklynrealestate.com
Thanks to everyone for sharing your thoughts. I grew up with my mum who was a JW. Even though I never got baptised, l was active in the organisation. I no longer attend their meetings though.
Honestly I sometimes had doubts in my mind about whether the organisation was directed by Jehovah God’s Holy Spirit. Especially considering their changed doctrines, failed-end-of the world dates and more recently child abuse accusations and so on.
Moses was chosen by God to lead the Israelites. And there was never an instance where Moses gave misleading or false information to the Israelites. Thus confirming that Moses was chosen by God the Almighty to lead the Israelites.
What about the organisation of the JWS? ??
Why do they give false and misleading information to their followers if they were really being led by God’s Holy Spirit ?
Most importantly, where or which religious organisation do we turn to if the JWs are wrong?
As I reader of the Bible, I understand that God always saved obedient mankind in groups or together as a unit,as was the case of Noah and Lot.
I also do believe that unrepentant sinners are displeasing to God and that He will one day destroy them.
So where is the safe haven? If not JWs, then who? Where do we run to?
This is because it’s quite dangerous out in the world; greed, selfishness, cruelty, love for money etc is rampant in the world.
Any ideas.
This question keeps me awake at night; where do we run to??????
Hi Bay zee, First, their changing doctrines. Is this a bad thing? Not at all. For example, In the 20’s they celebrated Christmas at Bethel. Once they came to realize that it had pagan roots, they stopped. They changed. Now Jehovah always knew it had pagan origins. But He gave them “Food” at the proper time. (Math. 24:45) So how do you think Jehovah would have felt once the Bible Students (what JW’s were once called)found out and Didn’t change? Jeremiah 7:23 “Obey my voice, and I will become your God, and you will become my people. You must walk in all the way that I command, so that it may go well with you”. So when new light is revealed by Jehovah’s Holy spirit, a change must take place. AND if JW’s didn’t, they would be no different then any other christian religion today.
Also Bay zee ask yourself who else in this world is preaching the “Good News of Gods Kingdom”? Quote, “The Watchtower magazine has a circulation of about 37 million each month worldwide. This makes the Watchtower the largest circulated Magazine in the world”. Jesus himself said at Matthew 24:14 ” And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come. You said “So where is the safe haven? If not JWs, then who? Psalms 29:11 “Jehovah will give strength to his people. Jehovah will bless his people with peace”. How else would they , JW’s , be able to accomplish Jehovah’s will, World Wide, If it wasn’t for the guidance of his holy spirit? They couldn’t.
Levi you might want to cut that number down ALOT on publications. I can attest that not only I but a great many JWs have STACKS and STACKS of WT and Awakes just piled up in a box. Never saw the light of day much less circulated. And I just can’t imagine a God that knows the beginning and end would have to change his mind so many times (New Light) especially on what really amount to trivial things when looking at the Big picture.Smoking-Pagan activities-Blood-ETc. Seems he could have set those guidelines out pretty easily and concerned himself with more pressing understandings for the Saving of man.
Hey my Mom was visited by them and wanted to buy all the magazines and books and they asked why and she said I want to burn them! Boy did they run and no more visits! I guess being Baptist means something`
‘…did they run.’
Heh. a slight exaggeration. Typical of the opposers. I know for a fact when something of this sort happens the conversation ends with a ‘thank you, have a nice day and goodbye.’ My ex-wife did a similar thing to the JWs and they were pleasant.
You don’t have to run anywhere. when Peter discussed this question with Jesus, the conclusion is that it’s Jesus who is our Saviour (not an organization). We, as individual, will be in communion and form a body with all who truly accept Jesus as his head, and that Jesus is our mediator and leader. WT obscure the issue with saying that it’s only the little flock, represented and led only by the GB, who now is insidentaly the FDS, and that all others will be saved in Armageddon if we submit ourselves to them (alone). According to them, we cannot even understand the Bible on our own, and a logical consequence, they think we cannot disagree with anything the org teaches, and be in a harmonious relationship with Jesus and Jehovah, God almighty. The GB have erred many times, and those who oppose from their conscience and conviction (based on the Bible), are prosecuted by elders, and punshiment by shunning is meted our by their own fleshly and spiritual brothers and sisters, who do not even know why a person is DFed. Under the Law: did someone ever stone anyone without knowing what they had done? There is no biblical support for the judical process JW has developed. Their kangaroo style process is typical of authoritarian regimes – not a Christian brotherhood. Conclusion: put your faith in God, and follow Jesus as your leader. Seek likeminded people, who are your brothers. Men who put themselves in between act as Korah, and bring the little ones to fall.
I became a JW in 1997 after meeting my wife a life long second gen JW. Her first husband committed suicide and left her with a 6 and 8 year old. I married and fully adopted them and had a third child with her. I have always been a Highly critical thinker and at first did all the things the JWs did and moved up to gain responsibility in the ORG. I love my family and have always told my children that I love them UNCONDITIONALLY, I have hammered that into them in hopes that it would offset some of the brainwashing they were taught. I rejoiced when they stopped the home Bible study groups and again when they cut back the meeting times.I am in my 50s and have slowly curtailed my involvement in all things JW. But keep just enough semblance of affiliation to avoid her family and now my grandchildren to associate. I have never made any real friends in the org as I have been able to see through them. I have no problem functioning in the real “wordly” world, I was 32 when I came into contact with JWs and since i grew up a military brat and my own family has never been very religious. I easily make friends outside the JWs. Thier DFing keeps me from fully going rouge.So like MANY JWs I lead a double life. YES many do! I will continue to fade and put distance there. I feel for my wife as it is very true about the Low self esteem that seems to prevail within the group because of what their teachings inculcate n their members (My wife!) and especially for lifelong members.Yes you can participate and raise your hand to answer but never do you get to question the WT or Awake. Although I have sat their in the meeting fantasizing at the meeting how it would go if after calling on me I ASKED a question about the paragraph instead of regurgitating the answer given me.:)
Thank you Barbra for your forum to put my thoughts out to others.
In but Out, Why do You assume so many things that I do? You have no clue about who I am. But I understand, a lot of that goes on around here. “Scouring Apostate site”? Don’t have to , they all have the same misconceptions. Having doubts? Of course not, places like these confirm my belief even more about Jehovah and his word the Bible. But true, these places are not for those of weak faith. About the 37 Mil , watchtower mags. it was a quote from answers.com. Reason I brought it up was to make a point of the cost of the printing, guess you didn’t catch that. And it doesn’t matter where you put them, they are still printing them.
Out,.. you are right about God not changing his mind. Last I read in the Bible, God does have a purpose for mankind. And that is not going to change. That’s , of course, if you believe in God.
It is good to hear you love your family, a wonderful thing for sure. And children are a true blessing from Jehovah.
We have been given the right to chose what is right or wrong. Jehovah would want it no other way. May we look into our hearts and make that right choice, not just for us, but for everyone. We may be able to fool man, but never Jehovah.
Levi, You are very correct that NO ONE is fooling Jehovah, I will say that I was able to draw close to Jehovah in ways no other religion would have or could have shown me. I do not want to displease him in anyway or fashion. As for the Gov. Body I just have to feel that my possible displeasing of them does not constitute displeasing Jah. I know I feel that a direct relationship with him and his son Jesus is what will show my love and devotion to him. And you must know that those imperfect men and women within the congregation do have the so called clicks that I feel in itself stumble those that have faith that may be in a fragile state which goes against the doctrine of Jah. I have always encouraged my children’s desire to love him and live accordingly. My oldest is a Single Brother Grad and twice went to Pioneering school as my daughter also has. He serves were he was sent to help support and congregation in need.For the last three years now. I also encouraged his Collage schooling in which he obtained his BS in Comp. Science while also in full time Service. This allows him to work from wherever he is assigned to earn an above average income working from home (as long as internet is available.) I have seen and experienced and lot in my time serving also. You must also see as I do that seek an open mind on information is not Satan bait to those that look at answers to question but are not gullible or you would not be opening yourself to it by reading on sites such as this. I do not see this as a weakness.But a way that enforces my convictions. I do feel the GB exceeds its role in being the “conduit” to Jehovah God. And by the GIFt of free will being told to adhere to the overly strict guidelines/commands given by the GB which in itself goes against Gods freewill. I feel that Love of God by choice just as love from my children by choice not by punishment is True love and is much more worthy Love.If that makes sense.
I was happy to come to the understanding that Fear of God was not the fear of punishment ( Fire and brimstone crap) but like my children’s “fear” of making their Mother and I unhappy not fear of being spanked or punished. Much more loving in nature.
In-But-Out, I can respect what you say very much, I can see your beliefs are genuin yours and not because the GB say how you should believe. You showed me something I did not see before so clear; believing in God is something you oght to do in solitude, you should create a relationship with God, not imposing it to others. There is something weird in the gathering every week in the kingdom hall, this repetition kills all the entousiasm and is needless. In order to create a deeper understanding and love for God one must spend time alone and in silence to be able to hear God without the interverence of the omnipresent Organisation.Please forgive my bad English, it is not my mother thongue.
Joseph, Thank you. I do not know the extent of you time with the JWs but am glad I was able to help even one person think for themselves. You are right in that you are worn down with the meeting -service – Society Literature study. Although they “Encourage you to study the Bible,try to use a Chess game clock and see just how much time you spend on the Bible and then on their material. Not the ratio you would have believed. No worry on you English, I really have a pet peeve with the forum language police always hijacking a persons comment over spelling & grammar.. As bad as the political hijacking in other forums. I understand your thoughts just fine. An analogy I recently heard and clicked with me is this: Take the new Supreme Court Nominee and the US Constitution. ” Orientalists seek one of two alternative sources of meaning: The original intent theory, which holds that interpretation of a written constitution is consistent with what was meant by those who drafted it in the time period in which it was written.” In other words what their word in that time period meant, not what they have come to mean today. Same as the original Bible text/Scrolls. What the mindset of the writers of the time not the “Interpretation of those rewriting/preaching it today think those words mean now.” I am not a Biblical Scholar but I can research thanks to the Internet the original writings of Hebrew and Greek and conclude the meaning of the time.
They keep one sooo busy with their routine …God nit thought about much…and no time to check Bible…first their literature study…by the time this is all done and normal life…ones to tired and they pull their woolies over your eyes again…before you realise it …life has past…you gave your whole life to an Organization who had prophecied falsely…before life is over…take some time to just sit back and enjoy it…let the…veg cart…do the talking!
Out, You said “Love of God by choice” this is what Jehovah wants too. He is not going to make anyone “have” to serve him. My father wasn’t a JW. But he always supported us, He even came to the meetings with us because he knew we wanted him to and being the loving father he was, he did. He got along with most brothers, there was a few dandys but your going to get that in every congregation. I think you can relate.
Out, The message JW’s preach, its good. That’s why Jesus called it the “Good News of Gods Kingdom” Relief for mankind, living in a paradise earth just as God intended. But You know all that. We can not let some of these, So Called Elders, take that from us. You know Satan is going to try any means he can to draw us away from Jehovah. And by him getting Elders to lie, do wicked things and then cover them up? Oh My, look how well that has worked for him. I care about people, and when I hear about things like this, it makes me sick.I hate it. Because I know good people are losing their Faith.
Enough preaching, like you said, everyone has heard it before.
Keep reading your Bible, That will always be true.
You are so brainwashed….
Levi, I have a serious question about the intention and the author of a certain scripture. I believe Deuteronomy 19:15 was written by a male who made a practice of rape and child molesting because any intelligent person knows that rape and child molestation occur in secret. DUH! After all, the title Lord replaced Jehovah for centuries before it was corrected. What did Jesus say about harming children?! It does not seem to jive with the “two to three (preferably male JW’s) witness” rule. If the witnesses do not report the crime to the police, they are a party to it for watching! They go to jail too! NOTHING happens to the sex offender and the brothers that like to watch him at the Kingdom Hall, only a cover up ensues and the victims are demonized. How do you feel about knowing that this is happening to women and children???
Can any Veteran JW’s answer this simple math question? It is always said from the podium and literature that it must be preached to all corners of the earth so that all may have the opportunity to hear Jehovah’s words that they might be saved before the end shall come. So unless the world stops reproducing HOW will ALL ever hear his words to bring about the end? It is a perpetual cycle that has no end. Yes children are reliant upon their parents faith but there are everyday new ones going from child to adult rendering this as unworkable does it not? Just a “hings that make you go huh” statement. Flaming not needed.
What can one say? It cannot B done in the manner THEY R explaining. It also seems that there will B FAR MORE Americans in the “new world” than other nationalities! Ah well!
They are waiting for end of this world to “live”…hoping to die of cancer etc. so they will not have to deal with the end of this system of things, wake up in the New Order. LIfe forever then being a picnic…as their literature is starting to illustrate…Jw.org on Chinese game show ads…bit more folks from other nationalites at the picnics…so may be hope…perhaps god does not only favour Americans…Gb came from?
JW’s call themselves “Christians” yet they don’t believe in “Christ”; the blood referred to in the Holy Bible was not human blood as that would make us cannibals, it is animal blood which is being referred to; The Holy Bible has been taken out of context and changed to the JW version “NWT”; This religion was created in the late 1800s not during the time of Jesus so the scriptures being referred to are ancient and not translated into the NWT. Seems to be a group of people sitting around and waiting for the world to end, that’s quite sad and depressing, being told what they can and cannot think, basically mind controleed. Life is for living not for waiting around to witness the end of the world. Just saying ……
This group hands down is a CULT. I was dragged to this garbage when I was young but one day said no more I’m not going. My bro stayed in it and he’s brainwashed like the rest of them. “The worlds coming to an end” is all he can say. I got news for you…I will live out my life and the world will still be here. Word to anyone joining them…your weird !!!
U R right ON Bob!
Listen to Bob! he is right!
I love the idea that
We could come back on this planet and be happy pardice but I’m from a Sikh background but never
Been very religious
But some there ideas are nice.
Yea there’s things that are a sacrifice to you but gods love needs a sacrifice in return it’s worth it the thing is you don’t believe in the perfect world and you should lovers of money lovers of themselves this is happening right now god is coming and yea people
Make mistakes but when someone’s sorry we don’t know if they’re really sorry only god knows even if it’s a horrible sin, we all aren’t perfect and the mentality of that is good because I don’t hate no other religion nor am I a full witness I want to with all of my heart and just like all you I’m not perfect and I make music videos rap videos I love to do what I do but if I have to give it up for god then it’s worth it why because he gave us life not only that this world, existence, and all those things!! They want us to do should not be a burdensome to us but we should want to, learn hope u guys have an amazing day! Much love from California
Loved your article, Ms. Anderson. Very well thought out and written. Your article makes many valid points.
However, I would like to add that those in the JW cult/borg/religion also are known for another thing. They use their religion and doctrines as an excuse to repeatedly harass those in their organization, especially when it comes to what “the slave class” chooses for the congregations as group study material, such as book study(ies) and also, when it comes to their insistent demands to invite your uninterested and non-believing relatives to talks that you give at the KH. I know because I was a victim of this myself. I remember when I gave my first talk at the KH, the elder that I was studying with heavily insisted that I invite my mother, but I repeatedly told him that my mother wasn’t interested and that I wasn’t going to waste my time nor energy on her, but he accused me of thinking and being negative in this regard, but despite my pleading of my case to him, he went over my head and invited my mother against my wishes and without regard for what I tried to plead with him. Though she attended, she still didn’t show any interest in becoming one of them. Apparently, there’s no such thing as thinking realistically in the JW cult/borg/religion as to them, there is only positive and negative thinking and no such thing as realistic thinking. Also, I remember during my involvement that they were studying a particular book that “the slave class” chose and I felt that this wasn’t right for me due to it’s subject matter and it was the book “Making Your Family Life Happy”. I felt that since I didn’t have any children and wasn’t married, it wasn’t right in my case, but they repeatedly harassed me about it and never let up on the repeated harassment no matter how much I pleaded y case to my last study conductor as he was the one who carried out the orders of the elder leading the study to continue the repeated harassment. He simply let my pleading go in one ear and out the other, even going to the point of saying that “nobody can represent God’s true Christian organization and not agree with a study pick by ‘the slave class’ because that is like sitting at both the table of God and the table of the demons and no Christian can do that.” I gave in as I saw that I wasn’t getting anywhere, though I still had hurt feelings because of all that, but that was actually the start of my brief two year involvement winding down as over time, I also became the victim of repeated lies and false accusations by a few young ladies who made up false stories about me and though I repeatedly defended my innocence to the elders, they simply took the word of the lying young ladies over mine, which really hurt me deeply. After a loud, bitter and drag out argument that I had with my last study conductor, which forced me to angrily leave his place, I dropped out in 1994, and since then, I haven’t looked back, though I almost rejoined in 2002, but the Dateline NBC expose of their hiding and protecting of pedophiles made me change my mind about doing so. I jumped on their bandwagon when I was a young man of 22, but dropped out two years later at the age of 24. Thank goodness I am no longer ensnared by their man-made doctrines and misleading interpretations of the sacred book, the Holy Bible.
My point is that nobody can use their religion, the Holy Bible, and/or even their doctrines as an excuse to justify repeatedly harassing people within their fold. Harassment of any sorts is, in itself, wrong, inexcusable and sinful. The JW cult/borg/religion have been doing this particular thing within their fold for a long time to people within their fold, but as I said, it is wrong. It took me only two brief years to finally wake up and smell the coffee(so to speak) and run as far away from this so called “religion” as I could and still can. I am still hoping that many more people will wake up and discover that this is a false religion and start finding the Lord and embracing him the right way. Thanks Ms. Anderson for your writings. Keep them coming.
They are really a horrible Danger. I know of some young People who commited Suicide bc they could no longer cope with the Pressure their JW Family put them through. Some also killed themselves bc they could not cope after leaving the JW and being shunned even by close Family. They rip Families apart, they risk Peoples Lifes (even their Kids) bc of the Blood Dogma, many died bc of not getting Bone Marrow or Blood. They Preach Water yet drink Wine, it has been documened how the so called “Governing Body” lives. In Luxury, much different from the Rest. And they are brainwashed slaves of a few of Old Men in Brooklyn who say of themselves, they are having the Holy Spirit. They try to silence anyone who tells the Facts about them by Law Suits/High Money Penalties. But Truth must and will win, so will Real Brotherly Love, which they have long Time ago betrayed.
I know what you mean. I remember seeing in my local paper about a son of the elder that I used to study with killed himself. I saw it in the obituary of the local paper. Apparently, he had mental health issues that were possibly caused by all of the restrictions, man-made doctrines and the unenforceable rules that the JW cult/borg/religion are known for. When I saw that, it did surprise me a little, but not much. This particular elder had four children, two daughters and two sons, who were the middle children. His other son is still alive and was dis-fellowshipped. Regarding his two daughters, I know that one of them is still active in the religion, but I don’t know of the other one. It makes me feel sorry for most of the young ones in the religion as they are being forcefully indoctrinated by their parents into the religion and forced to make it their life. That, in itself, is a form of child abuse. I know what that’s like because my father, who’s non-denominated, tried to do that with me when I was in between the ages of 8-9 and I was the victim of physical and emotional abuse with him. That and all the JW stuff made me have mental health and emotional issues myself, which I am still working to get resolved. As Ms. Anderson says, the JW’s are truly a dangerous group of people and I regret even getting involved with them in the first place. If I would have known about all of this stuff back in 1992, I would never have jumped on their bandwagon and I might have saved myself from a lot of emotional and mental stress that I suffered and still trying to get resolved. Thanks again Ms. Anderson for your writings. Please keep them coming.
‘ that were possibly caused by all of the restrictions, man-made doctrines and the unenforceable rules that the JW …’
Drawing a conclusion, eh?
How would you know the reason he committed suicide?
Are you speaking to him now?
I worked in journalism for many years in a news operation. We heard the police reports about murders, suicides and all the crime in our area.
Hmmmmmm…never heard anything from the authorities about a spike in the suicide rate amongst JWs.
Of course, religious affiliation was not an issue. Why should it? Certainly to the Lie Lovers a fictitious claim always works to co-Lie Lovers.
Truth is not an option.
Frank… enjoyed your comment!! I’ve been a JW since 1973 and still am but inactive… and BELIEVE ME I agree with your issues… JW’s have definitely taken a downhill turn… if you will READ my Tweets at (https://twitter.com/Shocking Facts6?s=01) you will be SHOCKED at those confirmable facts…
Note… you must type that Twitter site exactly as in parentheses INCLUDING caps
As to YOUR comment about those book studies… you are exactly RIGHT!! I am now 73 years old and I have Grandkids that have graduated from Colleges and have kids of their own!! What do I need with studies of how to raise a family?? But… you better NOT complain!!
The reason they are focusing so MUCH on family’s is because of the research I have done that shows THEIR young ones are leaving the TRUTH in record numbers!!
They claim PEOPLE are coming into the TRUTH in record numbers… but what they don’t say is… they are ALSO going out the back doors in record numbers TOO!!
I recently watched that video on their Broadcasting showing the GB member moving that placecard in front of his eyes that said… distractions… he then said not to let that happen to you… what they really want you to do is write on that placecard… “preach the Kingdom of God” problem is sooooooo many are doing just that and don’t SEE anything ELSE that would be RIGHT in FRONT of our EYES otherwise!!
Well ENOUGH from me… but I REALLY encourage all to go to THAT Twitter site
THANKS EVERYONE
Butch
Hard to believe that we were all hoodwinked
..just checked ….Mexico quake killed witnesses and destroyed
Kingdom Halls …proof no one is safe anywhere …one will be destroyed but you standing beside him will be unharmed ?
…that is what the whole JW business is about …rather ridiculous ‘
Whether by means of Appocolaps or natural ….death will occur
Start reading James van Praagh ..a billion galaxies in perfection
….gives an idea of the energy ….Hence life in eternity is Mickey Mouse work for the creator
It’s all about money ….in this world ….
Rob
By the way ….to destroy this planet …after just making it is also ridiculous ….Adam made …and ten days later kicked out also ridiculous …and
…told to wait six thousand years for the court case to commence
I rest my case
I am not yet one of them but I can proudly say that althought being a JW is hard, the fruit of it is sweet. They all based their preachings in the Bible and it is clear for me that this is the real one 🙂
Yes, you might feel uncomfortable with the practices of it. For not celebrating so many “holidays” and other practices, but it is just because of the bible. It’s hard to deal with what the bible says, but it is the word of God. So be it
Brian, you have a LOT to learn about this organization BUT I’m afraid (judging on your comment) you will not see it.
Yep…loootttsss to learn…!
As one who spent decades in the ‘christian’ churches I cannot encourage you enough to keep on with your efforts to learn the Truth.
In my short time associating with JWs I have learned more Bible Truth than I did in over four decades of pew sitting.
My wife and her family are Witnesses and super in behaviour. Honest and upright. Oh yes, to the haters-imperfect too.
Do not let the slimy comments on this board sway you. While there are problems with every organization of man so many of the statements are not true, or exaggerations.
Say, if you are not in the Witnesses where else can you go? My several-dozen forays into churchianity produced disapoointment-an spiritual emptiness. Say, the holidays were fun! The potlucks, pastor’s anniversary celebrations and the Halloween Harry Potter Haunted House was priceless. Scriptural???
Keep up the studies and participation. You will be blessed.
If you don’t have family and children or parents you will not notice the damage. The damage comes when your own daughter will shun you because you don’t want to be a witness anymore. The danger is the pain they cause, a pain that for some of us it might be too big to cope and consider suicide because you are left alone from your friends and family. And shunning is a policy within the JW. All the defenders of the JW please ask one of the JW’s about the shunning policy and then come back here and tell me if my pain is not real.
Where else can U go? How about the Gideons? Quiet group. Never hear a peep out of them & they quietly & discreetly pass out ONLY God’s Word. The Watchtower is a MULTI-MILLION (almost a billion with properties sold) conglomerate parading as a christian organization condemning the U.N., but not indiffrent to being part of it as an NGO for a decade until a british paper blew the story. They (Watchtower) also in real estate sales now (couldn’t bear the thought of paying out all those real estate commissions for the sale of their properties) SO COMPROMISE yourself, throw away your NON-PROFIT status & save millions! NO witness knows how much (buyers have to sign a non-disclosure form) the building deals sold for & WHERE the MONIES went! “Just trust us brothers, we know what we are doing” attitude. Lying to the flock by saying that ALL contributions going to the worldwide preaching work while settling out of court cases with victims of pedophiles with GAG orders to boot in the MILLONS!!! On & on it goes! But for me the “overlapping geberation” MYTH (unscriptural) takes the cake. Robert, U poor huy U! The Watchtower is the Titanic & the iceberg is the internet. The collision has alraedy occurred & now “they” are in “damage control” mode!!! I’d rather have potluck with the pastor.
Excellent comment George…illustration as to Titanic! Sooo fitting! 😉
Nothing but sweet and beautiful things? Dig deeper…lift the rock….do it for yourself…then mk the decision…not hastily….there is a wolf in many a grannies bed in this Jw.org….and Granny keeps signing over the pension cheque…just to have her purse emptied and ears tickled…look out for…
Brian Carl…have the woolies been pulled over your brain cells? One day you will wake up with a hell of a headache and realize….
kathleen,
Keep talking to your Doctor about it because this will help you if you need to take this further to someone that can advise you as to whether this is unfair treatment in your workplace.
You must talk with your boss about the way that you are being treated as well & let them know that you have noticed that you are being treated badly & it is causing you to be stressed & sick.
In the meantime, I hope that you can find a better place to work as these people are not nice & treat outsiders like they are beneath them. I wish you well for getting through this stressful period. For you own sake & others in your position, don’t let them get away with treating you like this. Maybe you could ask your Doctor for advice.
Robert, you ridicule the damage it causes people like it is not true or exaggerated. Obviously you don’t have children that are shunning you or parents or close friends. If you were you would talk in a different tone, in a tone of compassion and understanding for the people that are suffering the pain and loss of their loved ones. That is the danger my friend, the pain that can be so traumatic that you don’t want to live any more. So please be more respectful with the victims of the JW’s policies because they are real. Ask your wife what they do with JW’s that disassociate with the JW.
Why aren’t you a witness?
This website is just hateful. Its only purpose it obviously to do just that. I mean of all the people on this stupid planet that you could think of to call dangersous is the JWs? LOL. Wow. really? Yeah sure you can say all the bullshit you want and you can even believe it but the things that make the world dangerous are not them. Of course nobody ever looks at themselves anyway. Its always someone else who does wrong. Creating this Page is not wrong I guess. OMG I just get so angry at the hate but when its others pretending to be good (or thinking they are) that cowardly attack groups of people as a whole that are the worst and most dangerous people. People dont even know what they are talking about, they just accuse people of things that they have heard are true and it just doesnt make sense to attack people that are really just trying so so hard to live as they believe God wants. And right or wrong its like come on! If everyone was a JW do you think the world would be better or worse when it comes to violence, crime, and murder and drugs etc etc. Yeah they are just people like everyone else but holy shit back the fuck off
Hi Jordan, this website is showing people how damaging this religion is. People are not free to think for them self, and they are hateful against other people who doesn’t think like they do. They promote hate not love. They are hypocrites. If everyone was JW it would be hell, big brother watching you. My daughter is not speaking to me or her grandmother. She is full of hate. And look at your own language you are just not well mannered, that is how you guys speak. Open your own eyes and look at your self.
Dear Jordan…wait til the Jw.org bs hits your fan…til you step in it for yourself and check your shoes as to what is stinking….til they crap on your crackers….I have lived the Wt life…Who’se rug you been under til now?…What goes around seems to come around…last few words in your comment…spoken like a real good Jw! Be proud of yourself…don’t like what we say…don’t look or listen…keep looking thru your rose coloured glasses, head in sand? Shrugs…
Wow, your language and attitude is so Christ like. I live with a husband who went back to the JW after 34 years and it has changed him to be someone who doesn’t think for himself, follows men’s direction not God’s, change his appearance (because you know, God said you can’t have a beard) and has become someone I don’t even know anymore. If everyone was a Christian (which means to be Christ Like) not a JW only, do you think the world be better or worse, etc. How many of the JW reach out to organizations to help feed the poor or volunteer to Habitat for Humanity or any other “worldly” assistance? The JW only help themselves. The JW also have many many stock investments in Lockheed, Boeing, Philip Morris, Soft Porn production companies yet they would disfellowship you for having any worldly connections. Look it up, public info on all their stock investments which by the way is a form of gambling. I pray every single day that the Holy Spirit will open my husband’s eyes and I pray for all of the misguided JWs. It truly is sad.
I have a granddaughter who is caught up in this cult. She is 9 years old. Her mother is Catholic and her father is JW. We have been to court multiple times because of the lies and harm that her father has put her in. Her has taken her “door to door” even though he signed a consent order stating that he wouldn’t. He preaches to her every time he gets a chance. My granddaughter goes to Catholic school and she is very spiritual. She has told her father on several occasions that she does not believe what he preaches. She loves her father but hates what he preaches and he doesn’t care about anything that is going on in her life. He is only concerned with the JW life he leads with his JW wife, who btw does not treat my granddaughter very well. There will come a time, hopefully in the near future, that she will rebel and be able to talk to a judge on her own behalf.
Courts do not understand the gravity of the situation and do not understand how harmful this so called “religion” is, especially to a child. The 2 witness rule that they have- which is absolutely crazy to me- it just breads abuse. It lets the abusers keep abusing. The shunning of family members who do not believe in this crap anymore. The submissiveness of women. The isolation and total disconnect from the REAL WORLD around them. God gave us free will and a mind to think on our own – not have these creepy men who live in their ivory tower…..
Wow…I am a JW since 1973…and preached in that 1975 time period! Now can’t find a single JW publication or article that will refer to anything about what they were claiming would take place in that year… just don’t seem to exist…
Although I do not agree with some of your speach…I do WHOLE heartily agree with WHAT is happening today with MANY Jehovah’s Witnesses…dangerous ANXIETY issues among soooooo many other SERIOUS HEALTH problems as a direct result of JW leadership failure and UNFAIR TREATMENT due to my stand on certain issues described at the following Twitter site…
https://twitter.com/Shocking Facts6?s=01
I speak from PERSONAL experience… ER several times…once so BAD I was “shaking the Gerney!!!!”
Reasons??? Many!! …but just one example. JW International Convention in Seattle in 2015. I have a SERIOUS health problem with Auto emissions and could not attend because of the 11 parking lots…some about a mile from the Stadium. Long story short… my Congregation did not make THEIR 100% attendance because I did NOT go…so when they returned…I found myself REMOVED from all responsibilities in the Congregation…and never once told why!!… just crossed my name off all the schedules…
I was afraid to inquire for FEAR they would remove me from conducting meetings at a Prison… I loved that soooooo much and REALLY enjoyed meetings with those sincere Prisoners that have turned their lives around!!
Well…bet you can guess what happened next… ELDERS ordered me to come back to attending meetings at that local Kingdom Hall, (located in congested City,) or they would take that away from me too!! Well…they did exactly that!!
Well friends… that is just a small sample of the tragic ELDER mistreatment that I have had to do my best to endure for several years now… plus, my wife’s HEALTH has been deteriating over the last FEW years and she TRULY needs ME to remain as strong as I can so I can help her… She left the “TRUTH” about 40+ years ago when a different Elder body’s OUTRIGHT LYING caused her troubles much like mine…
Truth be known… local Elders will do ABSOLUTELY nothing unless it comes from that GB in New York … which I FINALLY appealed to… well got a polite letter, (if you want to call it that,) about a year later!! In so many words requesting I drop the issues!!
Anyways… I STILL love “MY GOD JEHOVAH” and still have a BIBLE study, which they WILL NOT recognize… and have stopped counting my time… I informed THEM… I turn my time in to Jehovah NOT THEM… he knows what I do!!!
You know… most Jehovah’s Witnesses are REALLY GOOD PEOPLE… they are just soooooo misdirected and guided that it’s truly SAD…
PLEASE… I urge you to go to that Twitter site!!
Guaranteed… you will be “SHOCKED!!” and I also encourage you to do the research YOURSELVES… don’t just take my word for those FACTS!!!!!!!!
Thanks FRIENDS
ALSO you that gave that “knock-knock” talk I would appreciate your comments too!!
Friends… just a sample of those SHOCKING FACTS
ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING FACT…70,000,000 Watchtower Magazines PRINTED over 4 month period…that requires 67,202 Beautiful OXYGEN producing TREES need to be CUT down!!!!
ROBBING 33,601 FAMILIES OF (4) OXYGEN for “ONE whole YEAR!!!!”
PLEASE…demand…
electronic VERSIONS only
Sorry Miss Anderson for using your site to direct others to my tweets… but I am doing EVERTHING I can think of to get those SHOCKING FACTS public…
Sure YOU will understand
Butch
My inactive wife has been a CNA for most of her life… she was taking care of a bedridden sister… and I was REALLY active at the time… retired from Westinghouse Nuclear… and I was Auxilary Pioneering and was trying to encourage her to come back TOO
Well… one ELDER put the “kibosh!” On my efforts…
The service car groups would stop by unannounced to visit that bedridden sister… well she did enjoy those but they were often embarrassing for her because of her bowl ISSUES… my wife FINALLY asked for me to give them her cell NUMBER and call prior to those visits… well… one of the BROTHERS in that car group, known for his “rude attidude” sometimes… did not like that at all… I left that car group and he went out that afternoon with this Elders wife and two others… that ELDERS wife as well as her husband have been known for unhappy gossip among other things… at the request of that rude BROTHER she complained to her husband about my wife’s request!! That evening MEETING that brother called me into the back room… and “VERY rudely!!” informed me that they were “NOT GOING to CALL MY wife!!” … WELL that ABSOLUTELY destroyed any efforts to ENCOURAGE my wife’s return when you learned of that incident… that’s not all… see next tweet… worse!! Same ELDER
Butch
I have a BIBLE study (still) that loves our study about Jehovah and his son… he and his handicapped Landlady came to several MEETINGS at my request… they REALLY enjoyed those!!… till this incident… neither Will step into that KH again !! That handicapped Landlady cannot wear Shirts and has to use a chair too… just prior to an evening MEETING she was in THE restroom staul… and overheard two sisters “primping” … I guess at the sinks… anyhow they were complaining about her not wearing Skirts and how they didn’t like her smelling like cigerret smoke!! Anyway… long STORY short… she asked my study to take her home IMMEDIATELY and LATER told me about the incident… I informed the ELDERS and needless to say the ignored it… NOT ONE SINGLE thing to the Congregation ABOUT the SERIOUS DAMAGES that kind of thing can have on new ones!!!! HOW SAD
My study still with me…and she is Studying still too… but informed me they WILL NEVER step foot in that HALL again… can’t blame them one bit!! My wife was FURIOUS when she heard about that as well…
Butch
My BIBLE study went to work for that ELDER in that other tweet… until he got so fed up with his shotty workmanship, rudeness to his customers and fowl language!! My BIBLE study’s words to me was… “and he’s an ELDER??!!” Plus… one of those incidents happened at THAT landlady’s home that he was doing some repairs… again… long STORY short… he is not allowed back in that house!! BELIEVE me… I was literly shocked when they told me what happened!!
Butch
BTW… that landlady said she… for years was a “door slammer!!” But… DISPITE those ISSUES said will NEVER slamm a door again… she is now a REALLY sweet study… with another elderly long time ecperienced sister BTW… but sits in on my study often with her tenant…
Butch
I have not read everything that has been posted here. I am a Jew who has been studying for about 4 years. In November I became an unbaptized publisher.I have asked many times how they can believe that the Jews are no longer Gods chosen people(better know as the replacement theory). Considering that God is the same yesterday today and tomorrow how can he then “change”, or break Convenient with His people?I was told they rejected Jesus and put him on the “torture stake” and so God turned away from them and now the JW’s are His chosen. So then I asked about the 144000 and was told Revelation is symbolic.So when I said really you’re telling me that the tribes and the numbers that are in Rev 7:4-8 is symbolic? I got, I have to research that…still waiting …….that is until now there is no more waiting.I did my own research and I found that in 1933 that a letter was sent to Hilter called Letter to Hitler& Declaration of facts. In the document which I might add is public knowledge, They meaning the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society Magdeburg agreed with what the Third Reich was doing. In this Letter Rutherford also states that he wishes the third Reich to know that he has nothing to do with the “Jews” You really have to read the letter. Anyway, the bottom line here is that this group is anti-Semitic. And the fact they would ask me to deny my heritage and my people is beyond comprehensible. whether or not anyone reading this is anti-Semitic or not this group is beyond anything I have ever seen.So before you “drink the Kool-aid” do your research!
I hope you know better that to stay studying with this group of heretics that have been known for their cooporation with Hitler and the third reich, commending them for their stance on the “Jew-problem”. The letters are publicly available to all who cares to read them.
I am not a Jew, but should I have had that honour, I would most certainly feel very offended by the way this organisation talked about the Jews during most of the first half of last century. Should it really be this hateful organisation that God appointed to communicate his message to all humankind? I think not! I am gald to knokw that you have already seen these letters for yourself, and that you are warned about this embarrassing part of Watchtower history that no rank-and-file JW know anything about.
The good thing about Watchtower and Jehovahs Witnesses is that you don’t even have to show them so called “apostate” litterature to convince them that they are a destructive and hateful cult. Their OWN litterature is very damning to themselves. There is a reason that you can only search Watchtower publications back to the year 2000 on JW.org. Fortunately I have all the digitized litterature back to 1879 to proove that these are not just pointless accusations but are indeed proven facts.
Some good points here.
I live in Berlin, Germany (american by birth) and have learned the “other side” of the W.W.II story. I urge U to watch (before YouTube removes it all) the incredibly documentary entitled: Adolf Hitler-the Greatest Story Never Told. I have confiremd MANY of these points in the film with older germans. General Patton considered the allies action against Germany CRIMINAL! We’ve been bullshitted in our histroy books.
Appreciate all the comments on here…sooo glad I am no longer in the confines of Jw.org!!!!! Don’t care who shuns me! :)-
wow, I’ve never seen so many ignorant statements on one website. apparently JW haters are just as stunted as JW’s themselves. the good news is that stupid people like this generally manage to kill themselves before they’re able to reproduce. so humanity should be rid of these defectives in just over a decade.
how great is Jehovah to free us from the darkness of shackles and slavery spread by his followers? wait, don’t answer – it’s a rhetorical question. get it? rhetorical? no, of course, JW’s don’t get it. ‘rhetorical’ means the answer is so obvious to EVERYONE that the question doesn’t warrant an answer. now do you get it? no, you don’t, of course not. okay, for example, take the question above; ‘how great is Jehovah to free us from…’ you know the answer. it’s obvious. everybody knows the answer – really great
Laura, you shouldn’t take drugs, they let you believe you are more clever than you really are.
Higher education is a choice, child abuse no organization is immune especially in the last days, the witness rule is biblical. This is like casting pearls before swine I’m out.
i associated with jehova witness they are good at bible and most members stay away from drugs/drinks, and preach to abstain from illegal sex before marriage, but they have some controversial points of souls after death , they say mother mary had normal relation with saint joseph after christ birth which is controversial ,oneof them threw the statue of mother mary out of his house, they dont have a contribution /good finances collection but many times ask you to purchase services from jw witness who may have business in cleaning contracting etc which you may not able to afford if you refuse they turn hostile , so dont know if they actucally practice what they preach
Dear writter,
How impressed I am to read this from somebody who belonged to the very ‘cream’ of the yahovah cult. As a ‘child yahovah’, I remember everybody looked at these people like royalty.
I’m glad to hear about the historic incongruences and convince myself that they are just wrong.
My mother (already depressed back then) joined then when I was 4 years old. She was recruited by a sweet lady who showed one day to our door.
My mother was abusive, physically, and mentally.
They are hypocrites, highly competitive, always looking for approval, disloyal, disonest and controlling.
As in every religion, there are good people who try their best, but I can say with all property that after having left for more than 20 years, they did ruined my childhood and young years and I still fear them to death. I had to go through a ‘trial’ where they scrutinized every aspect of my life. They were against me going to university, while many elders had their children on top schools and later on went to university anyhow.
To leave that cult was the most difficult desicion of my young years, and the best I could ever take.
Don’t ever let strangers tell you how to live, how to think, how to love and who to love or friendship with, even if it’s your own mother, commanding you to obey strangers’s beliefs.
Run, run for your life and live without harming others, but to the fullest I would say to anybody who wants in that cult.
To you, I wish you repair the relationship with your son and grandchild, and that they see that they live in fake expectations and beliefs.
Thank you so much for this article.
I don’t understand why once you leave the Jehovah’s witness organization you are constantly talking about it. Why do you keep hanging on? People can make up their own minds. Blood transfusions, higher education, marriage, associations, are all left up to the individual’s conscience based on Bible principles. The Bible has Divine instruction for everyone who wants it—- IF they want it. Jehovah Wittnesses live by Bible principles. If you can’t live up to those standards get out. DON’T blame your shortcomings, your failure to live up to your dedication—on God. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for your actions. If you want to be disobedient—go ahead Jehovah does not force anyone to serve him. You find fault with what is right so you can feel better about yourself. You care more about what other people think than about what you think and know. FOR EXAMPLE KNOCKING ON DOORS fulfilling the commission Jesus gave his disciples. You know that God’s kingdom is the only solution to mankind’s problems. That’s why it’s the theme of the Bible. Don’t keep others from learning about God because of whatever turned you away. FIX IT. Jehovah is merciful and forgiving. You would rather criticize and twist the truth about God so you can feel better about yourself. REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE SPEAKING AGAINST. God gives us free will to accept his will or reject it. It looks like you have already made your choice—so let go. Let God-fearing people make up their own minds—because everything you have written is twisted. And the worst part of all this is that you know it. PLEASE everyone out there— if you have questions go to the source. Speak to one of Jehovah’s Wittnesses and listen—make up your own mind.
Nice try Abigail but U miss the points entirely. This organization is there for its OWN self interest. NO CONCERN fo the brotherhood that suffered because of false predicitons about the “end is so close”; how many times now? And actually commending brothers 5 decades ago for selling businesses & homes to spend the emaining time in the preaching work before the end. Where R these families that “sacrificed” so much because of a few old guys in Brooklyn who apparently “got it wrong”? Fallen apart. Emotional probems among J.W.s VERY HIGH as U must know if U “don’t live under a rock”, or in denial. Over 1,000 cases of pedophilia in Australia aone over the decades & not ONE case reported to authorities. Very easy to know why. They were more interested int he “image” of the prganization than the “children” within their midst. Investments in hedge funds. Investments in companies (all the documents R onine to prove) like Grumman, Boeing, & others that make military equipment. Lionsgate that R into soft porn production & the ist goes on. Just YouTube : “Watchtower Investments” & open your eyes. Huge reigious $$$ game & the “poor sheep” get fleeced time & time again. Sounds like U have enjoyed your being “shorn”. U like it, U keep it. They R in TOTAL “damage control”mode now. The “Titanic” has struck the “Iceburg” but Abigai is too enthralled by the music the band is playing on the upper deck to be concerned.
Dear Abigail, what a silly advise you are giving people. In order to make a balanced opinion of a product you are advised to not only listen to the person who want to sell you the product but also the ones who are not happy about the product in order to know why. Often they will tell you the down side of the product, not only the positive things. The problem with the followers of this organisation is that they cannot be objective about their own shortcomings. Once people leave this company they are aware they are harmed by its doctrines, their families destroyed and often suicidal. It is a captive group that only spread fear among their followers. I’ve seen it around me, they don’t have friends only conditional ones, they cannot be honest about their doubts. Lots and lots of hypocrisy.
unfortunately there is a lot more that you actually know that is going on in the congregations. Unless you are an Elder and went to Elder school you probably wouldn’t have heard about these things because it’s not something you want the sheep to worry about. There really isn’t much transparency and many of the Elders only know how to show “love by punishment. In fact that is love to them. So there is never a case of non-judgemental love. And many times that is what is needed but they can’t do that because they have done one only thing their entire life as an elder… love with Judgement or punishment. I know a sister that committed suicide because the brothers incorrectly thought that the bible can do anything including giving them the power over suicidal thoughts. She took her life because of the state of mind she was in when the brothers loved her with judgement. Today it’s openly admitted that if you run into a case where that is suspected you have to contact Bethel immediately rather than try and deal with it themselves. They are not trained to do things like that but they do come up frequently.
The congregations are in a very sad state right now brother. That doesn’t mean that you and I give up but it should make us more loving and understanding toward those that are having a difficult time in life ESPECIALLY if they are brothers.
Do you realize that the reason many friends that go to therapy is because they want/ need to have non-judgemental listening? You cannot get that in the organization.
On the blood issue Acts 15:20 does tell everyone that is a Christian to abstain from blood, NOT just “drinking” or “Eating” blood. So it’s both in the OT and NT and is not as described in this post. We are following the bible and doing what Jesus said to do.
You probably feel like I do right now… somewhat indignant about the post because it’s not completely accurate however it goes against being 100 percent honest on our part to not admit that there are many issues in the organization that will be corrected over time. The brothers are not inspired by Jehovah God and they make mistakes — lots of them and sometimes there big ones. That doesn’t change the fact that there is no other religion that has it more right or I’d be worshiping at their church / congregation. Admitting that we are flawed is being honest — just be aware that you need to backup everything you say with scripture. Like the blood issue, she doesn’t have that right. People say things when they get hurt that they don’t mean, I’m sure by the sounds of it thats what she is doing here.
My sister was jw. She just passed away. Is it true that is believe her soul dies at time of death and she becomes pagan and they should leave her asap?
What? Makes no sense!
I hope you really do have nothing to do with these people. I was not a witness but had bible studies and went to two meetings each week regularly. When I stopped going these people no longer came visiting,in fact they are now seeing a neighbor and they are gossiping with her about my personal life. She is now sending me menacing txt messages and says these people are just her friends and she is sorry they are no longer mine, she tell me they don’t talk about the bible to her, she thinks she is different? so what is in it for them ? she has more money than me ? not sure but they are trying to destroy me through gossiping with her Stay away from this cult , they will go out of their way to bring you down
To All
Be aware that there are Jehovah imposters. Anyone can get ahold
of those leaflets. Now they come to homes with a male and female.
Used to be just 2 women. Do not trust anyone. Do not answer to strangers. Talk through door or don’t say anything. If you think
they heard you inside tell them that you have a gun and know how to use it.
Actually, it must be dangerous for them to go door to door. They should value their lives more and stop possible harm.
How a Jehovahs Witnesses got a 67 year old pensioner to work 6 years without compensation, then uses Swiss lawyer to impose criminal charges with prison terms to silence the truth about his fraud.
I believe during their door knocking, JW’s are NOT really interested in religion, in fact, I have proof they are rather using religion as an excuse to target people, to gain trust, learn about who lives where, about their business connections, abilities etc, etc, in other words, they check what type of unsuspecting people can help them develop themselves and their careers. To gain trust, they do this under “pretense” they believe in religion, meanwhile they are not concerned about principles of decency at all, it is about long term commercial gain. They have recently used their inside connections JW, like legal people, lawyers to help one of their members commit fraud & avoid a debt they have with me and it’s been a nightmare dealing with these awful deceitful people. I have never met such devious people in my life.
An elderly Jehovahs Witness would pester us with constant uninvited visits and phoning meal times and weekends. One day she arrived with an unemployed Jehovahs Witness. He learnt I had worked in the finance sector most of my life with major international corporations. His English wasn’t good and my immediate impression was he came to our home to help improve his conversational English. He could do whilst pushing his JW beliefs.
After a while, he took the opportunity and asked me to help with a financial investment he had. He explained he had enormous conflicts with the manager of the investment company, his brother, who was also a Jehovahs Witness. They hated one another, his JW too. My instinct told me he was taking advantage of an opportunity, actually expecting my help, that I somehow owed it to him to help. As it turned out, this Jehovahs Witness was setting me up to work for him free of charge. I explained I was too old to deal with any of their family conflicts, that I did not need the stress but he pleaded repeatedly, in tears, begging and saying he was not able to deal or fight his brother or the other family shareholders alone. He was desperate, alone and needed my help because I was stronger and more experienced, thus I was the perfect (softie) candidate to fight his own brother & get his money back. At the same time, he could practice his English. That his English was bad and he needed someone older with experience. He constantly reiterated his brother was a crook and a cheat. Both he and his Jehovahs Witness wife kept saying they were happy that they had finally found someone who could do all the work for them.
Within a few weeks, in 2012 he turned up at my home with a box full of files and documents and I reluctantly took on the task of helping him.
I agreed to provide counsel, support and provide business, tax and financial investment advice. The files were disarranged with incomplete documents, so I was forced to reorganize documents involving the painstaking effort of requesting numerous documents, collating and consolidating all financial results and reviewing umpteen pages of correspondence that extended back 14 years. Over 800 mails followed over the coming years. This Jehovahs Witness made absolutely no attempt to offer me compensation but eventually agreed to pay me 5% commission fee once his shares were sold.
What follows is how he repaid me for my six years of hard effort and work commitment.
Thanks to me, in March 2017 he received payout of his investment equivalent to 15 times his equity balance.
His instant response was to engage a Swiss lawyer who took the advantage to make money by stirring horrendous conflict that has affected my family and I for more than 18 months. The lawyer instantly threatens that unless I am silent and stop bothering his client chasing him for a debt that he does not owe, there won’t be a happy end for me. Later his threats escalate and are accompanied by “an agreement” with conditions, that if I want payment for my services, I must grant full Power of Attorney to enable his client to remove by himself any bad debt agency or legal proceedings I may have initiated. Moreover, I must restate any negative credit rating he has received and remain completely silent about the entire story. The agreement states if I ever breach the conditions, I will be liable to pay this Jehovahs Witness a penalty of CHF 25,000.00, payable for each and every infringement of the agreement, noting he has power and holds express rights to claim further damages from me indefinitely. If I choose not sign their agreement, his client would file criminal defamation charges against me. He quickly adds his JW client would not make any criminal charges if I agree to sign their blackmail agreement within 24 hours and in return, he would then pay my invoice.
I do not reside in Switzerland nonetheless three days later, a Swiss public prosecutor (assumed to be personal friend of lawyer & his client), informs me via email they have opened a criminal investigation against me and I should give them an address in Switzerland and agree an interrogation date. They point out that my whereabouts is unknown to them I am listed in a manhunt register with the Zurich cantonal police in Zurich. This email is well coordinated and timed to coincide with Swiss police threatening my ex wife with a fine if she did not present herself for an interrogation. We have been divorced 35 years and she is 65 years of age with a serious heart condition. We have a daughter together. The ask her what kind of person I am and what money I live from and where I live. They then email me directly asking why I do not want to go to Switzerland for an interrogation, stating “there is nothing for me to be afraid of”.
The lawyer now explains his Jehovahs client has secured the protection he needs and now demands I immediately sign an additional declaration, gleefully enforcing that his criminal complaint against me for defaming his client now involves Swiss Police and Swiss Prosecutor and is internationally active. He brazenly gloats that he imagines how extremely stressful and unpleasant this must be for me and my family, nonetheless it is needed by his client as an act of self-defense and protection. In addition to the first agreement, if I now breach his demands, I will be obliged to pay his client a penalty of CHF 50’000.00, for each and every infringement on top of the other agreement. Adding that Payment of such penalties would not release me from complying with his JW clients demands and he reserves express rights to inflict further damages on me and my family as he feels fit.
In return for signing these agreements, he states he might stop the law enforcement officials attacking me before further reactions occur and he will have no further interest in bringing me or my family into deeper difficulties with the Swiss Police and Prosecutor. He would remove and discontinue the protection he has arranged with them and he might also be prepared to withdraw his criminal complaint and proceedings against me. However, he will not remove his right to continue if he so desires. Furthermore, he might even be willing to finally pay the debt he owes me.
In principle, this Jehovahs Witness will have no further interest in permanently influencing my life in a negative way and might, without prejudice, declare lack of interest in prosecuting and taking criminal action against me.
It’s simple, I must sign the cease and desist blackmail letter or face criminal justice system. In return for signing both agreements, he states he might stop the law enforcement officials attacking me before further reactions occur and he will have no further interest in bringing me or my family into deeper difficulties with the Swiss Police and Prosecutor. He would discontinue the protection he has arranged with them and he might also be prepared to withdraw his criminal complaint and proceedings against me. Furthermore, he would then be willing to finally pay the debt he owes me. In principle, he then has no further interest in permanently influencing my life in a negative way.
I refuse to sign either of these two coercive letters. To reinforce this, the Swiss prosecutors response is swift I must immediately cease sending further letters, to the jehovahs witness otherwise they intensify their MANHUNT for me.Obviously they want me in prison for asking for
In Summary
With the help of a lawyer, a prosecutor and a police officer, this jehovahs witness has not only successfully avoided paying his debt and attempted to hold me to ransom for unlimited penalties in blocks of CHF 25,000.00 and CHF 50,000.00.
A Jehovah’s Witness conspiracy to defraud someone who helped and trusted them is complete and I dare not report it.
I hope you have taken the time to contact a lawyer for yourself. If you can not afford a lawyer, go to a Legal Aid Society and share your story. Threats of lawsuits from people outside of your country or state are usually bogus and are simply idle and empty threats. It sounds to me that you have been fooled by a scammer. You should take your story to your local police or (if you are in the United States) – your congressman or state senator. Based on what you have written above, it sounds like you are being conned. Take the initiative and ignore the threats – but take your story to someone who represents you politically. They have lots of contacts that can help you.
Hello my wife and I are reaching out here because we have no other place and this looked like a good place to start. First off neither of us are JW and know very little of its teachings. We have guardianship of our 7 yo grand daughter who from birth to 3 she lived in the same household with practicing JWs and my daughter and her boyfriend who tolerated but didn’t practice the cult. At that time the boyfriend/father who was the biological son of the JW committed suicide by gun to the head in the presence of my daughter and our granddaughter. My daughter stayed in that environment for the next year. She was guilted by the paternal grandmother due to the loss of her son. My daughter slipped very heavily into drugs and depression, When our grand daughter was 5 we stepped in and had them live with us. Last October we took the control of our grand daughter to let my daughter get help which she didn’t. Things got worse for my daughter and we were awarded permanent guardianship of our grand daughter in January. The paternal grandmother was helping by taking the grand daughter every Saturday to Sunday afternoon. Thing were tolerable behavior wise with the grand daughter until she went to stay with the JW families for 8 weeks recently. Since then her behavior has worsened and she told us that they informed her while she was there , that if she behaved badly enough we would let her live with them. Things are terrible because we are not believers and the grand daughter was told she doesn’t need to follow our direction. We are seeking help in how to reprogram our grand daughter before her behavior causes my wife and i to divorce over this child or give her to the foster system. The courts already said that the JW families were unqualified. If someone reads our plea, please help by pointing us in the right direction.
Oh by the way, satan made this JW religion…
And of course fabricated the lie of jesus christ or christos in greek…it would be Yeshua as their isnt a J in hebrew…Hence YHWH…
Jesus the idolatry…
Was made up by the lucifer the fallen angel to steer away the people in the one true god…
Jesus isnt coming cause he never existed…Begotten impossible…made up by, inspired by satan in the NT again, a little god…
Theres only one true god, father…not two or three…
Who governs the earth, the lord of corruption, the Prince if Darkness, son of Perdition…
As in The book of Job…God sends Satan to do his dirty work…
In Isaiah 45:7 I form the light and form darkness etc…
The creator, our maker is responsible for Evil or the Devil…
Folklore has it wrong, Lucifer wasnt cast down because he wanted to be like god or a god as the scripture says it in Isaiah, there is no one beside me there is no other god, there is no savior…
Lucifer was the right hand of god. Serafin chief of the serafin angels, the highest of ranking angel, responsible for the hymns and could play all instruments in heaven…Lucifer was happy he was in gods good grace, like anyone wants to be…Lucifers design wasnt created to be cast down and be the ruler of earth and or hell…He was made to serve god…
And as the scripture says, god is a jealous god, he also gave that emotion to Lucifer…
Lucifer knew a secret, that Adam, the first man was to be created as it says so again Isaiah 45, treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret…
And all angel has but one obligation besides worshipping heavenly father…
And so Lucifer refused…Disobedience was his crime, out of envy or jealously not towards god his father, but towards man…Lucifer was disappointed, heartbroken, because god chose Man over him and the angels. Lucifer was cast down along with the third of heaven or angels…For disobedience…
That was the first original sin in heaven which promulgated the war, and thus became earths first orginal sin and or crime, disobedience…Not following simple instruction…
Lucifer or snake convinced Eve along side Man watching her eat this apple…So the rest is history…Satan gods disobedient son, is still beloved by his creator…God could haved destroyed him or her but he didnt. Still loves that creation till this day.
So im reading the scriptures, after the original sin disobedience not temptation…Adams bigger sin of disobedience was done with open eyes, he had a choice freewill, he chose Eve his mate companion and disobeyed His father.
The Temptation is we have free will to choose…
The scriptures says man has corrupted himself, and gods spirit which is the most sacred of all spirits will not always be with us…
And that my friends is The Holy Spirit…that’s why the world has taken shape since the beginning of times, it has had its ups and downs…in good spirits and in bad spirits, inspired to amaze, and inspired to disappoint…
Love.Peace,Happiness.Live.Long.and.Prosper…
Walk by faith and not by vision…
If you have faith, you can believe, if you believe you can trust…
If you can trust, you can put your lives in another or in anything…
What I don’t understand is how a loving God that is the embodiment of love can be so cruel and watch his creation be tormented and hurt for 6000 years. It doesn’t take that long to prove a point even if the perception of time is different. This is torture. JW doctrines hint at the fact that all that will be resurrected will gradually forget about pain and loss. But then why go through this now to test faith? If God knows all, surely he would know. And frankly once we forget, won’t we just go back to the same stuff again? No because then God will immediately kill. Isn’t that… odd? Then this brings me to my next point about freedom of choice. Why give humans that when he wants nothing but total obedience? To torture maybe. Apparently we’re currently imperfect and cannot know what it’s like to be perfect. But then… Adam and Eve… they made the choice and they were perfect… Next point – we cannot comprehend God yet were made in his image. Jesus was flesh and blood for a time and he understood God… again to go back to the perfect imperfect theory. So Adam and eve were perfect and made in gods image… and they rebelled. As did gods favourite, now better known as Satan. Made in gods image. Let’s see. Next point – there are numerous accounts in the old testament about “righteous folk” committing murder. What? So God allowed murder and forgives murderers yet cannot abide transfusions? But if you tell me that the old testament isn’t valid anymore, can you not say that about the new testament? So the religion is fluid like water? Isn’t the entirety of the bible supposed to be holy? So it’s complicated so only the select few will truly see and understand, that’s something along the lines of what they teach, holy spirit and all. But tell me. Surely then those select few will get answers to everything rather than be made to wonder and guess, just like everyone else. So the anointed are special but get information wrong? Isn’t that hypocrisy? Going back to the whole imperfect thing. There are people that claim to be from outer space. Or Jesus. How is their belief any different to that of the anointed? And if there are questions left unanswered you’re told to have faith. How’s that different from any other religion? Also. For God is jealous. But isn’t jealousy a sin? The interpretation is that God doesn’t tolerate us worshipping other, false gods. Yet. Everything that is in our nature is considered a false God if we put it above Jehovah. But it’s in our nature. We are gifted with abilities to do amazing things, yet encouraged to do nothing in this life as we would be prioritising other things over God… this is why nothing is encouraged. But who in their right mind thinks about Jehovah on the verge of an orgasm. Lol. Tell me, why are women inferior to men? Why aren’t we equal? We are both flesh and blood. So why are women “less than” and treated as such, despite the bible referring to the organisation as the bride? We cannot lead, yet we have secretly been leading for years. Who stands behind men, encourages them, etc. A good, humble wife. Who bears children, a good, humble wife. We can’t exist without each other, yet somehow women are… inferior. Cursed because of eve. But you say that the action of a man does not define his children. Although again in the old testament this is wrong and generations get punished. But where is gods love and mercy there. Tell me, how are sodom and Gomorrah wiped from existence when people were the same everywhere else? We’re all sinners and have always been sinners and imperfect. Sodom and Gomorrah were full of imperfect people, just like the whole planet. Just like its always been. There has ultimately never been a better or worse scenario as imperfect is that, imperfect. What else. It’s supposed to get better before it gets worse, before Armageddon. Then religion will be banished by all governments worldwide and that will indicate the end. How do you make these prophecies? I would love to experience this and see religion get banished and at least know that I did indeed know the truth, despite having left. Because I’ve wasted so many years. At least it was the truth. However, I won’t be resurrected as I would have died by gods hand. But did you know that rapists, murderers, child abusers that died before Armageddon will indeed get resurrected and tried further? Over myself, who cries over the smallest of injustices. Who loves animals and nature. Just because I left God. When he left us all first. I can’t leave what I never had. I wasn’t in Eden, I never made any choices yet I will die with no hope of resurrection. Also all that kill themselves voluntarily abandon Jehovah, so that’s not an option either as suicides won’t get resurrected unless they were ignorant of the truth. But then tell me, how do you explain mental illness that is indeed real? As has been proven, that the brains of mentally ill people are indeed different. So technically suicide is ok then? Forgivable? So shouldn’t we then all kill ourselves and be resurrected since ALL OF US ARE DAMAGED and we would all be forgiven as death would pay for our sins? At least those that will be resurrected are given a chance to witness a miracle that nobody could put under any doubt – their resurrection. Yet we that are disfellowshipped cannot return to the organisation after witnessing the last prophecy happen – the banishment of all religion. Because by then it’ll be too late. Tell me how is that fair? How is it fair when God is just, God is love, and God is willing to wipe me out of existence just like that. Because God is vengeful. What is there to avenge, tell me. Whom did I kill? What have I harmed? My only crime is that I did not have faith for how an one maintain faith with no concrete proof? Holy spirit? I’ll explain holy spirit to you. It’s a fact that the brain plays tricks on you. We can feel all sorts if we desperately and subconsciously want/need to feel something. This is why mindfulness therapy is so effective with battling depression. You catch yourself during your lows and with enough time, patience and effort you begin to alter your brain chemistry. This is the same tactics implemented by witnesses. They prime with bible study, the friendships and initial support. Then meetings. It’s encouraged to only ever read biblical literature. Only associate within the organisation. Have faith. You’re rewiring your brain. Any attempt at anything else is reprimanded, discouraged. Slowly every aspect of your life becomes controlled and you’ve severed ties with the outside, Satan driven world. And that’s ultimately holy spirit, the relief you feel after a prayer when you have nothing left. It’s the coping mechanism. The only thing that your brain has left to not go crazy from all the doubt and isolation. The brain tricks you into believing, because you NEED to believe something or it’s all meaningless. But you won’t see that because you’re kept busy and ignorant. And you get encouraged for it. Which, we all as humans, are responsive to. Encouragement. Even if it’s steered in the wrong direction. It’s very easy to influence others. Scarily so. You just gotta know the right psychological tricks. So tell me again, where is the concrete evidence?
I was a JW kid from three years old to 15. I found my truth in the
bible and from actions of others. I finally made up my own mind.
First, I was about six or seven in the 70s when I was told the world was going to end. The bible states that false prophets will bring false prophecies.
Second, I read about Jesus, and he helped people from all walks of life. He even stated do not judge onto others until you judge onto yourself. I did not agree with shunning. We all make mistakes and instead of being ignored I believe that, that is a cry for help and everyone should be there for you. I was never shunned just for the record.
Third reason I was raised not to trust my own judgement, or the feelings I had where not normal and Jehovah would not approve. We were Not to associate with the worldly. Well I had friends that I grew up with and some where JWs and some where not. Thanks to my Dad who was not ever a JW. I was made to believe that it was wrong to dress up, or wear certain clothes. No ear piercing, even though others had their ears done. I was also taught that no matter what I did I would not amount to anything in this world.
By the time I was 12 I had anxiety with large crowds, I felt guilty all the time, even though I really had nothing to be guilty about.
I went into my own shell.
I asked questions at the kingdom hall, but MY Questions would never really be answered. Just like the scripture about drinking and eating blood. I was not satisfied with this faith but at the same time felt very guilty. I stopped going at the age of fifteen, I felt like I was a bad person at first, but later after realizing all the things I just wrote to all of you. I am not, and I have god in my heart and I am part of this world and what I do in this life for others is important. I pray everyday and I took my kids to a Christian church every week. I want to believe in the lord too. I believe in god and pray for his guidance and his forgiveness as a Christian.
fourth and final reason, My mom spent most of her time going to meetings and door to door. And spent less time with my dad. Three meetings a week, and one on Sunday. This lead to them getting a divorce. She left my dad alone a lot. We also did not have much family time. My dad went with her a few times just to spend time with her. He really put his foot down on occasion and then we had family time. But as the years went by it was more JW time and very little family time. I stopped believing in that faith at the age of 17, and I gladly open my door and tell them what I believe and point these issues out. I believe it makes them think about what is really real. I do hope so
My daughter is now a Jehovah Witness. She has taken my three grandchildren away from me. Her husband doesn’t believe in anything. I am at a loss. She will not talk to me and my 3 year old grand daughter had a birthday which I couldn’t say anything about Birthday. Christmas came and went. No daughter
No Christmas with them. My daughter is smart and checks out everything but not this. I believe Jesus Was born of a virgin, died on the cross for all of our sins. Rose on the third day that if we believe in HIM that we will shall. Have ever lasting life
In 2015, new scientific evidence on physical health impacts of loneliness motivated the Scottish parliament to hold a consultation on it. I wrote the submission invited trom an able autistic society:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_EqualOpportunitiesCommittee/Inquiries/Maurice_Frank.pdf
In it, p8 at the end, I took the opportunity to propose that religions be banned from disfellowshipping. I put on a parliamentary business record, that there is a duty to public health to do that, now that deliberate infliction of isolation is known to be an assault on physical health.
Politicians typically doing nothing about it, I want this remembered and used as a fact reference until they do it.
Despite my submission containing some other points about other religions by name, only with this point the parliamentary clerks appied a code about not writing to offend any religion, and would not allow me to refer tl the JWs by name and say that the point was about them. It seemed like a trick attempt to prevent me from making the point at all. For it was becuse of a fact they probably did not realise, that the JWs are not the only religion to use the word disfellowshipping, it was the Plymouth Brethren who invented it, that I defeated the trick and was able to keep the point in. Anyone with knowledge of the JWs will recognise that it was them who I was thinking of.
The oppressive school teacher I mentioned on page 2, who threatened me with loneliness when I broke with him, also was a JW, and was clearly being inspired by the disfellowshipping system whem he did that. He was David Newman, more recently their contact man for Wales for blood issues.
i was walking in the park whrre i daily walk my therapy dog i have multiple sclerosis and there were two wome jehova witnesses in the park on friday at around ten thirty or eleven and i have talked with members before and have taken thei4 literature adn i pray daily and totally depend on jehova god for help and these women especially the one with a new yoerk accenbt said you have taken enough of our literature as i wanted to get a booklet as i have misplaced mine and she said hatefully and rudely to me i have talked with you before and you dont need to take our literature anymore and was so rude and hateful to em having multiple sclerosis i was in need of encouragement as i lost my berutiful home down the streety from the park asfter caring for my dear mother with alzheimers for 17 years i also ost my aunt my dear 98 year old christian friend and now forced to live in my honda with my therapy dog for over two years as my doctor daughter and doctor son in law have turned their cold backs on me and on my daughters owb 15 year old therapy dog also and they claim to be cheristians also. i was in need of christian encouragement and these women especially the newyorker or may e from chicagoo was so mean and rude to me that i stooped looking into jehova witness religion as by their fruits you shall know them! and there were rotten mean fruits from those women in ferran park friday at arounfd 10 thirty am as i was daily walking my therapy dog. i was so hoping to get encouragement and prayers from them instead met with hatefulness and brashness they are horrible examples of your church as Jesus Christ Jehovah is nothing like that horrid mean woman who destroyed my faith in Jehovah witnesses She is in the eustis church and was so horrible that she made me cry. I do not need this suffering fro ms and it hurt my dog also as when i cry he isa affected. why do you allow this meanness and claim to represent Jehovah Christ i am sorry if my spelling is not perfect as i am stil so horrib ly upset by them that woman that i am shaking i was so looking for a church that represented jesus christ and Almighty God the Father 🙁
jana drummond
I didn’t read all of these replies some were alittle juvenile to me, however, I still whole heartedly believe in the bible and the teachings from the bible. I have discovered one thing though that disturbed me. (by the way, I’m one of Jehovahs witnesses) and a true one would no way call anyone a ” idiot”,at least the ones that believe in the message that’s being taught. Anyway, what I have discovered in recent years made me want to vomit, a lot of them,if not, most of them are actually Freemasons, even the ones I’m related to, possibly the one who insulted one of you by calling you a “idiot ” I apologize in behalf of that, it was totally inappropriate. I’ve been harrassed by them severly even poisoned. I am sad because there are a lot of witnesses that are unaware of this and are being blindsighted. They believe in blood sacrifices (secretly) and even the some of the brothers on the broadcast wear masonic rings. There are many of the masonic signs all in the broadcast, and literature that only would be recognized if your one of them or know about them. I even had one sister secretly tell me “just endure” they would play minds games so severe, even violating you,the reality is that they hate God, and do these things to cause you to leave on your own and then slander you by calling you an “apostate” but in reality that’s what they are. They use witchcraft in order to hurt ones mainly by (pharmakia) a way of poisoning someone till they die of a disease. They have powerful influences, even doing things to turn the governments against innocent ones.the only thing that can help you is God.
I have suffered at their hands, and they know it, but say Jehovah will deal with their elder, and to forget it ever happened. I would like to see how any of them could go through the long healing process alone. From the same shocking, disgusting and violating experiences and know what they feel with sweeping it under the rug!
The offensive, horrific physical, and emotional pain that was inflicted on me by a so-called JW “elder” and neighbor was an illegal [act]. All he could say for himself was “I guess WE got carried away. Please look at me as a friend”! I do not hold a Kingdom Hall membership and do not to intend to ever again after ten years of knowing them.
Unfortunately, I am limited to housing for financial reasons and physical challenges, so I have been stuck in a rental they [Watchtower] own. I feel so uncomfortable most of the time because of the constant contact that is oppressive. The judgment, deception, and hypocrisy that they show has taken a severe toll on my mental and physical health. Maybe it is just two couples out of many. Some I have met seem kind. However, I don’t know those individuals well enough to say.
I believe in God’s eternal love for us, and that Jesus was his only Son, born to share life and a message of love from God, our Father. He [Jesus] was tortured and put to death by people who judged him wrongfully, then put him to death. And yet he delivered to us the “Holy Spirit” from his Father (our Creator of all) that would guide us so we may further the love and follow His example.
I feel that the tactics the JWs use to choose to cast others away or not associate with you by choice is fair within any “club.” Jesus gave his life to communicate God’s message of hope, love, and promises to all humans who accept His “The Holy Spirit.” Not an organization of people – that judge you in your journey, and cast out others (not their job to do if following Jesus’example), teaching shame and exclusion. JWs never speak of the “Comforter” or “God’s Holy Spirit” that I believe we all receive by mercy in our life as a child. I am not a theologist and still learning every day, not an Einstein okay, just me.
I have often felt uncomfortable at the “Meetings”; that they stress are “open to the public.” But oh, gee, guess what?! All churches are open to the public, and people have gathered for centuries to honor and celebrate together the way intended from the beginning. I still trust that I will know who his people are by their fruits..and as long as I keep that faith and trust, I will receive the gift of discernment and guidance from God. There have been times that I didn’t pay attention (mindful) and got side-tracked and lost faith. That was rough and over a decade ago. Now I am committed to making better choices, to stay on the path, and set personal goals (forever a work in progress)!
[MY GRANDMOTHER WAS A JW, AND AS A RESULT, I WAS NEVER ALLOWED TO KNOW HER EVEN THOUGH I WALKED PAST HER HOUSE 4 TIMES EACH DAY FOR 8 YEARS TO GRADE SCHOOL. Broke my heart. ]
[Edited for length and clarity by Webmaster]
I am one of many Jehovah Witnesses and I love being a member. I am blessed with loving Brothers and Sisters and I love them.
Of course you are free to be a member of the JW, and for sure you are free to love them. But what surprises me is how blind and heartless you all are for the pain this religion is causing people who want lo leave it. As if you are not capable to love another human kind if he is not one of your members! Nothing really special if you only are capable to love your brothers and sisters only. That is not what Jesus taught us to do.
I am too but I’m also aware of their imperfections and how that can contribute to innocent members being judged by the Elders and how their flawed personal beings, who don’t always get it right can hurt people and damage Jehovah’s name in the process.
There’s a couple of things I think you should be willing to concede are more accurate than what you stated for instance:
I agree with most of what you say except — the problem is that the Bible does indeed say that (removing the practicers of sin from the congregation) should be done if they are not repentant. But thats really not the issue. It’s the fallible, imperfect human beings that are corrupted that are sitting in judgement not showing the love that Jesus did, thats the real issue however not ALL elders are like that.
I’d also like to point out that Bible says not only “drinking blood” but eating anything that hasn’t been properly drained of it’s blood. You should know this… it’s easy to check on NOT only christians should know this but the Jews in Jesus day ALSO knew this and it’s apart of the Greek scriptures as well as the OT. Acts 15:20 – I think it’s important to be clear that the bible says these things and they are “trying” to follow the bible. Honesty is what is needed here not obfuscation.
so I want to be sure to point out that it’s the elders that ultimately decide IF someone should be Disfellowshipped or not. To often it’s a personal feeling of judgement, even though that has no place in it, that are responsible for this happening.
Ridiculous lying bastards are the Jehovah’s shitnesses. F em
Those idiots better not come to my door or something bad will happen.
Those morons don’t even know their fabulous bible was written by normal people in England and translated over and over again to suit the god king- James in the 1600s. Learn history idiots before u believe in the big lie called the Bible.
Yes!! You are right and if they would understand the history of the world in which the idiots (JWs)they would know how their precious bible was written by an English king in the 1600s!!!!!!!!!! Those idiots live their entire lives by it. Such self-induced slavery OMG I feel sorry for them and mostly their kids.
Why do Witnesses put their whole trust in The governing body, assuming all their decisions are 100% accurate.
I am one of the JW’s and will forever be till I’m no more.
Through the course of my personal Bible study, I found out that the Governing Body are made of “imperfect men”, just like you and I. Men born of women. They’re not angels, even angels came down to earth and sin. The issue is; some JW’s members put their trust more in men than in the True God of Heaven.
Many don’t realise how powerful Satan can use his influence on the decision of the GB, and how our “top men” can sometimes err in their interpretations. Why? Because they’re humans with imperfections, just like you and I.
One thing for sure; I’m yet to know ex-witnesses, who now is a catholic or Baptist or have found alternative Truth comparable to the Bible Study group of JW’s. Most end up totally resigning from worshiping God.
To cut long story short; study your Bible and rely completely on the Scriptures for Bible interpretation.
Kingdom Hall is for a group of imperfect men and women trying to come together as brothers and sisters in “one love” in fulfilment of the gospel in John 13:35 NIV – “By this all will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Remember: Our reward comes from Jehovah, the Creator of heaven and earth. Let no man stand as a stumbling block to finishing your race and winning the price.
“Buy the Truth and don’t sell it.”
Do not put your trust in princes nor in a son of man, who cannot bring salvation. 4 His spirit goes out, he returns to the ground;On that very day his thoughts perish Psalm 146:3-4 NWT
“Do not put your trust in princes nor in a son of man, who cannot bring salvation. His spirit goes out, he returns to the ground; On that very day his thoughts perish.”
Psalm 146:3-4
Interesting was razed a JW never was baptized. But do follow the life style. As mention I have not joined into another religion. What I can say is I’m 65 and things that I learned when I was 13 or so is now coming true.
Plainly speaking they’re evil. A brainwashing cult. They have to be stopped…..NOW!.
As an inactive JW, former pioneer and now law student, as I have studied law I have seen a number of inconsistencies and conflicts in organisational policy, which by the way, is not law.
When one can use ones influence to justify that the light gets brighter without legal consequence for ‘holding out’ false promises, or puffery, that its members may then act on in good faith – what then?
In court the process for preventing someone changing their story from that stated originally, ironically often from the witness box or by written statement, is called ‘estoppel’, which basically works to hold the individual to their prior statement of fact or truth (the WHOLE truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God) so they cannot change their story later.
That the organisation was formed and headquartered in the USA, a country that supports constitutional freedoms contained in a number of constitutional amendments, such as freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, the right to remain silent, the right to chose and change a religion, and other freedoms, is of great irony, and to be fair in my opinion, hypocritical.
The irony is not lost on me when the religion itself, having evolved over time, will not allow these same freedoms that allowed it to be founded to be enjoyed by its own members based on the churches doctrine, which is justified by selective (and often dogmatic) use of scriptures.
What also concerns me is the inability of a once former witness (possibly due to doctrinal disagreement, a genuine bone fide issue of conscience, or even significant trauma) to formerly resign their membership without risk of being shunned by former fellow believers including family members living in the same house!
This is very cruel, and causes the genesis of mental health issues, and can and has on a number of occasions culminated in suicide, which in some cases may be held to be ‘constructive murder’. Very sobering thought.
This a very strong form of undue influence, if not (with respect to the bible) outright fraud. The treatment of that person then becomes highly discriminatory and prejudicial.
If a soldier serves honourably, but then for personal reasons decides to apply for a discharge after years of service, it is possible to get an honourable discharge, but not so with the witnesses. One may have a change of doctrinal understanding, only to be told they are going against God’s Organisation.
Further Churches have traditionally been steeped in Equity as opposed to Law, whereas the JW’s have a judicial committee, which has local ‘judicial’ jurisdiction over local brothers and sisters, who have no representation and are expected to confess.
As such the concept of grace is all but gone from teachings.
In examining the church from a philosophical perspective, I often consider the example of the good Samaritan who helped a Jew who was unconscious.
Further I note some similarities between social status distinction between witnesses who are ‘publishers’ vs those who are elders, district or bethel representatives in some but not all cases, perhaps this is more of a reflection of human nature in general, but nonetheless, it occurs all too frequently.
It’s amazing how many congregations are attempt to put on a good act for a circuit overseer when he and usually his wife are in town, only for the skeletons to be brought back out of the closet the minute he has left.
It should be noted that the distinction that first occurred at law in World War II was the Public Service Act where German Jews in the public service act were regarded of less social value that German Arayans.
However with witnesses, the pejorative social distinction between worldly people is made, meaning anyone who is not a witness is psychologically treated as an underclass, but hey a witness cannot tell them that, and must pretend they like them anyway with a few of having them study and become a witness themselves.
As a result, love bombing occurs, and relationships are conditional, without unconditional love.
Further, given Jehovahs witnesses take reporting wrongdoing very seriously, without the necessity of being sworn police officers, but dedicated Jehovah’s witnesses, they have a psychological focus of reporting perceived misconduct should it reach their personal threshold for wrongdoing to have occurred. it tends to breed feelings of distrust, and means by design, witnesses are actually surveilling one another psychologically, which is not good for health generally. Its a very low trust to in some cases, zero trust environment, which is quite corrosive in terms of relationships.
Further the issue of relying of the bible for everything is this: Many of the systems we habitually use today were created well after the bible was written. Whilst some principles still apply, the bible is silent on many of them.
In my opinion, the bible is a fantastic book and should continue to inform legal doctrine and in particular the criminal, civil and equity divisions of court.
However as is often quoted, the organisation should not, in fact never ‘go beyond the things written’ (in the bible).
It should also be noted that control within the organisation is achieved by both disfellowshipping ‘unrepentant wrongdoers’ as well as the careful and selective use of language, using words such as ‘the truth’ which when spoke tend to be mind numbing and justifying words.
When does today’s truth become yesterday’s error?
This is one religion that should reconsider its roots, and in its present form would do well to ask itself, what really would Christ do?
Well I think I have an idea of what he would NOT do, perhaps we could start there.
Its my informed opinion, that over some time, the current policies of the witnesses will have to adapt to changing laws, particularly around non scriptural disfellowshipping, shunning and abuse and threat of abuse (or even use of) of ‘judicial’ process.
By straining out the gnat, but gulping down the camel, Jehovah’s Witness can be seen at times as rather hypercritical.
Its my hope, in the aim of peace, goodwill towards all men in avoiding unnecessary suffering, with a refined understanding of scripture, the organisation will cease and desist from some of its more legally, emotionally and scripturally destructive practices.
The bible words ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice’ are surely relevant here.
Your honours, with that, I rest my case.
They are nothing more than big business. they say don’t fashion yourself after this old system…they are attempting to change now.. but they have a president.
A Governingbody..(government). they stole, not borrowed shunning disfellowshipping from the Catholic. They pressure you if you get monies from inheritance or business..(first hand experience. My daughter has stage5 kidney failure and the elders said they were to busy to stop by for encouragement. So i’m to busy to ever go back. Told my son i still love him, he;s grown i will always be there for him. informed him he will see over time what crap he’s dealing with as he will see over time and the waste of time he will regret. i emphasized the humiliating ‘overlapping generation’…gotta be a Baphoon to accept that one. Come on…rutherford said religion is a snare and a rackett and the audience clapped. religion =ignorane, power and control.. they shunn and disfellowship the critical thinkers so they don’t influence the weak ignorant sheepish ones. been around them a long time and know them very well;
It all of my feelings i was nearly born into it.Im nearly 80its destroyed one marriage& threatening my present one i was d/f did not realize why.I thought i was supporting the org.I never conceded
I was the best one to iliminate. Certainly not a congregation who where making it a family affair i could not see i needed a lawyer even elders cant remember.
Tanner mirasty is a bisexuality and refuses to tell his grandfather dale bear of muskoday Saskatchewan Canada that he is so he doesn’t get shunned by his grandfather but think this is something that he should know instead of hiding it
I’m dating a woman who left the JWs. She recently went to visit her Mother and Brother to celebrate his graduation from High School. Her extended family and other members of her former congregation essentially held her against her will for several days and mentally tortured her for many hours each day trying to force her to come back to the fold. Is there a name for this process?