JWs are leaving in droves, all because of the internet. I dont think Ive ever seen my mum cry so much, so often. Instead of engaging in some honest soul searching and introspection about how to help and nurture young people at an organizational level, the Watchtower leadership, writing department, and traveling overseers all attribute the high turnover to their favorite straw man: Satan. Its this picture of the world the word they use to refer to anything outside the faith that was painted for me as a child, and I was warned away from cultivating any close friendships with non-Jehovahs Witnesses for this reason. Moriah Hughes, 24, filed her lawsuit last month in. Less than 24 hours later, the manual was leaked and seemingly non-stop analysis and comparison to previous versions began. Jehovah's Witnesses can now be found in Birmingham city centre. About the most exciting thing that most of the young people will get to do is hold up printed signs at conventions that say Please Be Seated, or turn knobs in the Kingdom Hall sound booth. To this day I search, I study, and I read. We have far more than they realize we have, and there is nothing they can do to stop the flow of information outside of headquarters. JWs in Eritrea have been rotting away in prison cells some for decades while the coalition of overweight, business-class-flying governing body members feign tears for the men and women who are effectively their slaves. He focused on his defense, like a narcissist who believes they are the center of the universe, unable to empathize with real people with real problems. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Only ten years ago, every single member, that is 28 members were Jehovah's Witnesses. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG) The pandemic may leave a. How long will all of this take? Jehovah's Witnesses believe that they have the one and only true religion and that their Governing Body is appointed by God himself. I remember I was getting ready to leave [for worship service in the Church Of Christ], it was early in the morning and it was on a Saturday. If the religion continues to have to pay out millions of dollars to the victems of child abuse, and it they continue to loose new converts simply because theyre finding out the real truth about the religion, then theres no way that it will be able to remain standing. How many schools do you know of, that stick preschoolers, high school students, and graduate students all into the same classroom together? Raymond Victor Franz (May 8, 1922 - June 2, 2010) was a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses from October 20, 1971, until his removal on May 22, 1980, and served at the organization's world headquarters for fifteen years, from 1965 until 1980. I began a life where constantly questioning and improving my beliefs and ideas and always being open to those of others were my only constant doctrines. Aside from the Bethel layoffs, all non-essential branch projects were either cancelled or put on hold. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse by a member of a Jehovah's Witnesses congregation in Pierce County recently sued the organization. Jesus said himself that he was the way, the life and the truth and that nobody comes to the father but through him. I just want you to listen, Cynthia begged. Jesus Christ is his firstborn son, is inferior to God, and was created by God. Ironically, they cant do that, because the organization has already been identified and branded as a spiritual banquet where nothing is lacking. Those eight men up in New York are worshipped because they follow every single word they say. Are you inspired? Kings County, New York - On May 18, 2021, in New York City, Robins Kaplan LLP filed three lawsuits against the Jehovah's Witnesses parent-organization, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. ("Watchtower"), on behalf of survivors who were sexually abused when they were minor members of two different New York State congregations. It is all about the rules and their governing body. The Holy Spirit is the name of God's active force in the world. I began a life where I could decide what to believe for myself, and I wasnt afraid of someone telling me I couldnt. Spare the rod, spoil the child. Nearly all WT published material does not hold up to even a freshman's college essay in terms of sources cited, strawman arguments, and avoidance of logical fallacies. Does a recession/pandemic/war indicate Armageddon? I expect this is partly due to many young ones being DF or DA due to "misconduct" because children and teens are held to the same rigorous standard as fully realized adults. We shared everything our whole lives, and I felt like I had to give her that opportunity to the point where, if this was the wrong path, at least I would have a chance to change her mind. By contrast, about two-thirds of those who were raised as evangelical Protestants (65%) and Mormons (64%) still say they are members of those respective groups. End of the Home Book Study Arrangement magazine which says: "No one should be made to worship in a way they find . They are told to just go and pioneer.). Sitting through hours upon hours of talks and Watchtower studies is not going to help them with many of the emotional and social challenges theyre grappling with. This was not a tax, it was a fee paid because New York owns the underground and the airspace. Many former friends, including my best friend of 10 years, shunned me. She listened and protected her faith and the teachings of the Jehovahs Witnesses until her beliefs could no longer defend her. And so after learning from the Bible that God commissions or sends people to communicate the truth, Andrea came to the conclusion that those who wrote the Let God be True book could not have been commissioned by God. They tell you that you need to follow these rules in order to receive salvation and so on. 2. They believe that salvation is impossible outside of the Watchtower. The family of Jehovah's Witnesses is writing letters instead of knocking on doors to spread their faith. The leadership of Jehovah's Witnesses has never admitted that any valid reasons to leave the religion exist. But why have they stopped knocking on our doors? They are not allowed to question the Watchtower leadership or teaching. It is quite funny when the Watchtower wants to shut down somebodys YouTube channel because they said something bad about Watchtower, but at the same time, Watchtower sees absolutely no problem bashing other religions out of their mouths online during their dramas, talks and other programming that they put out. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Biblically, however, the word "soul" is multifaceted. I had panic attacks. Elders at a Utah congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses allegedly forced a 15-year-old to listen to a recording of her rape over and over again for hours as part of a religious inquiry, a. This has happened in other countries as well. Tell your story. Just because they make the claim doesnt make it so. Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Scientists, and the Catholic Church have all issued statements saying that their religion does not prohibit members from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. We feel the use of carts allows us to reach people we perhaps wouldnt meet at home due to their work schedules or other factors, said spokesperson Andrew Schofield. If anyone defected, the leaders simply blamed it on American influence, the defectors lack of gratitude, or on some horrible personal defect of the defector. They put peoples lives in bondage to the religion. Moving to Warwick eliminated these costly payments. You know what its like to have no hope. Witnesses believe that they are living in . Within ten years, a Brother Eddie San Gabriel challenged Andreas beliefs, and in the process she learned two powerful things that peeled her away from remaining a Jehovahs Witness. (Immediately prior to dates the end was specifically expected, such as 1914, 1925 and 1975, growth increased to as high as 20%.) While I tried to maintain the utmost respect for their beliefs and not attempt to preach my own, they refused to extend me the same courtesy, and many assumed Id left so I could experience more freedom for worldly things. Authorities have also been accused of failing to look into allegations by whistleblowers that Jehovah's Witnesses may be hiding its money . And at one time their teaching was that Jesus was like God or was a God.. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Its the reason they emphasise the dangers and repercussions of searching for answers to faith-related questions in any place except their own literature, calling anything outside this apostasy. As she started to lose trust in the unsteady teachings of JW, Andrea turned to the Church Of Christ for doctrinal stability because, in the Church Of Christ, everything that they follow is written in the Bible. According to Watchtower's own figures, know the number of Jehovah's Witnesses decreased 0.6% from 2019 - 2020 (this represents 46,823 average publishers, for anyone interested) BUT I found a few other interesting facts that indicate, to me at least, that this cult's days are numbered and you can see you feel about it as well. Andee. Am I an Apostate? The important thing for us is to show them that there is a great life to be lived after leaving the Watchtower. Why so many raised as Witnesses leave Attending My Father's Funeral . When a religion starts telling you what to wear, what you can and cant do, whether you can vote, join the military, play sports, read literature from other religions and whether or not you can do certain things within marriage is a religion that is a pure cult. - Among all U.S. adults who were raised as Jehovahs Witnesses, two-thirds (66%) no longer identify with the group. Many of them had some very deep emotional issues that never got resolved. Theyre currently in damage control which means that theyre trying to wipe away their history in the hope that future Witnesses will never find it out. Watchtower Caught Dumping Chemicals Are Watchtower reasons for being the only true religion valid? Reportedly, one of the rules is that unless a perpetrator confesses to committing a sin, two people must witness the commission of the sin. My grandmother was a pioneer. Many churches offer separate classes, services, or groups for children that are compatible with their maturity level and that get them acclimated to going to church. That our faith is true. Again, they continue to enforce a one size fits all education and worship program to both children and adults. However, the Watchtower stubbornly sticks to a one size fits all program for everyone. If they are really lucky, and they are privileged enough to have a dad whos a prominent elder, they might land an exciting acting role - waving their arms around in huge pantomime gestures in an assembly drama. Andrea started to panic and pulled Cynthia aside. In 2017, Russia's Supreme Court declared the group an extremist organization, lumping its. He lives in Stockholm. The people present were Jehovah's Witnesses -- a Christian religious sect first founded in the United States in the 19th century but now has an estimated 8 million followers around the world. In the book, they [JW] taught that Jesus Christ is a Mighty God. Governing Body member Geoffrey Jackson The turnover in membership is something that is only going to grow; as is the percentage of the young Jehovah's Witnesses who eventually leave. Jehovah's Witnesses, a millenarian denomination of Christrianity, follow strict guidelines regarding the use of blood in medical practices. Beside simple boredom, what we also see in the Watchtower organization are many emotionally troubled people and single parent families who join the religion for the promises of relief that it holds out for them. , Productivity Hacks for the Creative Christian, Three (Unexpected) Life Lessons from College, Dear Teenage Self: Finding God Changes You. Photo courtesy of Jehovah's Witnesses Public Information Desk Mandee Reid and her son, Charles Reid, of Kansas City, Mo., like Jehovah's . Most importantly, these endeavors just might diminish time and resources that are used for going door-to-door. The "soul" is simply the life-force within a person. But she realized she couldnt help her sister if she remained at a distance. Meanwhile, Watch Tower purchased four $8,000.00 scanners. The Watchtower organizations sole purpose is to proselytize, whereby all of its human capital must be channeled into that goal. Watch Tower is in the process of implementing a new records management program along with a destruction of documents procedure which is designed to ensure that no documents exist which would tie Watch Tower to any legal responsibility or repercussions. The Watchtower organization simply has nothing new to offer, and no new ideas. In Namibia, the government has denied Watch Towers plea to remove itself from employer status, since this forces Watch Tower to pay social security benefits to all full-time workers such as Bethelites. I knew the Bible back and forth. It is truly a heavily works based religion. The rest will live forever in a paradise on Earth, never meeting the person who died for them - Jesus Christ. It is already collapsing under its own weight. By Elizabeth Chuck. Two years ago, JW.org implemented a 5-year cost reduction program in which they asked all branches to cut costs by a minimum of 10%, up to 25% as a preferred number. Its a great field service vehicle with four doors and plenty of ankle length dress room in the back! No religion can claim that. Watch Tower has taken over responsibility of all kingdom halls worldwide, but many sit in disrepair awaiting renovations in excess of what congregations can afford. This is an area where I believe the Watchtower leadership shows an astounding lack of insight. Watch Tower Headquarters asked branches to sell as much equipment as they could liquidate including heavy equipment, printers, etc. But why should doctrines change? The groups are handing out copies of The Watchtower from carts outside New Street station. Jehovah's Witness pervert who got sexual kicks from strangling children jailed despite cover-up by congregation. These groups are designed to approach the young people where they are at right now not from where someone thinks they should be. Should you Disassociate and Sample Letters, The Hardship of being a Gay Jehovah's Witness. BeyondJW - Timothy Campbell The shorter the expected time left, the higher the growth. This religion is indeed a cult and a terrible one at that. She learned she couldnt get that from being a Jehovahs Witness. We have hope, and we have a promise that no one else on this Earth has. I believe this is a huge factor in the turnover of young people leaving the organization. JWs are leaving in droves, all because of the internet. Something went wrong, please try again later. And, it doesnt help the organization at all when governing body members like Jeffery Jackson get onto the stand in court and lie about their organization saying that it would be presumptuous to say that theyre the only spoakspeople for God when in fact, it says just that very thing in their literature. The Supreme Court of Canada will rule this year in a case involving shunning and discrimination, and if Watch Tower loses this case, the repercussions will be felt worldwide. Jehovah's Witnesses and Covid-19 Now if they all say this, surely not all of them could be the truth huh? Today it has 252 members, with those who have been associated with Pentecostalism, the Anglican and Baptist churches and the Jehovah's Witnesses dominating the group. We grew up together. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that: God the Father (whose name is Jehovah) is "the only true God". It made them revered. But it's a way of thinking that is ingrained in you by the faith, and it's this mentality that makes it so difficult to leave. While they may appear nice and friendly, once you get into the inner-workings of the organization, you quickly discover that the niceness and friendliness is very short lived unless you follow everything to the letter within the organization. That takes us to 27. Simple forgiveness isnt in their vocabulary. I went to university, where I made even more friends who showed me that being in the world is completely fine, and that debate and discussion is also OK. Im grateful every day for my education and my desire to learn and think independently, a skill that fostered in me those initial doubts about Jehovahs Witnesses, and enabled me to have the strength to search for answers elsewhere in non-biased literature. Brummies happily shopping and going about their day to day business have seen them in their droves. In 2015, the court hit Watchtower with a $13.5 million verdict after the organization failed to turn over documents and provide witnesses in a lawsuit filed by Jos Lopez. You dont need to mourn me, I told her once. Mum, I havent died. Therefore, if young people are uninspired, bored, or unmotivated to engage in the theocratic treadmill, Jehovah's Witnesses can simply blame it on the influences of MTV, high school, or on their favorite buzzword: the world. Its psychology 101. Now that their arrogance has has gotten the better of them and they mistakingly feel theyre better than anyone else to sit in front of the camera and pontificate, we see how bad they are. With all the false end of the world predictions that they have done in the past, theyre still crying that Armageddon is coming soon, and that they will be the only survivors of the battle. The cart-witnessing program is finally beginning to backfire. Jehovah's Witnesses ban comes into force in Russia after appeal fails. SALT LAKE CITY The Utah Supreme Court has revived a woman's lawsuit alleging she was forced to listen to a recording of her own rape. Their whole going out to knock on doors sounds commendable, but truth be known, the reason why they do it is because theyre trying to earn their own way into Jehovahs new world; paradise Earth. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Watch Tower continues to try to plug these leaks like the proverbial dam in Holland, but they are running out of fingers and attorneys to plug these leaks. Have you lost your mind? Jamie Bamber plays Archie Hughes in Beyond Paradise on BBC One. 10. It isnt Christian and it isnt Gods organization. Issues such as shunning and adjusting to normal life outside the faith can prove challenging to those wishing to leave. Change in teachings? Earlier this year, we wrote about how the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, better known as the Jehovah's Witnesses despite a long history of litigating many, many important 1st. The more that they grit their teeth, lash out at dissenters, and shake their fists at the internet, the more they motivate their disenchanted young people to satisfy their curiosities about what is on the net. Two years later he founded Zion's Watch Tower and Tract Society, which was incorpo-rated in 1884 in Pennsylvania. She has never found a discrepancy between what is written in the Bible and the teachings taught in the Church Of Christ. In 2017, Russia banned the denomination, whose members believe in nonviolence and refuse to take up arms in war; Russia . She was especially close to her sister Cynthia. An organization that has established itself as the sole possessor of truth and the single place of refuge from the coming apocalypse cannot divert time and resources to anything that is not related to its recruitment activities. Doomsday images from Jehovah's Witnesses publications. Yet Governing Body members like Samuel Herd have publicly stated how beautiful their new surroundings are at Bethel how they hear the birds chirping as they observe the serene landscape of upstate New York. I have a loving husband that I adore. The Internet's most comprehensive resource for ex-Jehovah's Witnesses, a community for support, recovery and a few laughs along the way. The Jehovah's Witnesses congregation is a millennialist restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs. Governing Body member Geoffrey Jackson callously stated in 2015 before the Royal Commission in Australia that he had not even read the details of the victims who had testified before the Commission. If they act up and dont sit still; spankings are usually soon to follow. Instead, all of the nations human capital is invested in one thing: warfare. Right away, Andrea recognized that there was nothing Biblical about her grandmothers answer. Being a Witness and following the doctrines didnt automatically mark you as different or better than anyone else. ITV Dancing On Ice judge Christopher announced Jayne is out of surgery - and it was a success. However, disfellowshipping is. In more recent news concerning the Watchtower organization, Steven Lett made a really shocking and quite frankly damning statement concerning babies. - The number of young Jehovah's Witnesses (aged 18-24) has dropped by 6% over the past 7 years. The Jackson family was raised in the Jehovah's Witness faith, but several of the family members, including sister Janet, no longer practice the religion. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. This is not to say that there are no enthusiastic young people in the Watchtower organization, because there truly are. Truth Be Told Documentary / The Real Cause Of Chukwuemeka Akachi, UNN Student Death. As many of you know, the cutbacks were significant. Everyone has a different "wtf" trigger and access to that information is just a curious click away. If id seen in the 70s or 80s morons like Lett rambling or the arrogance of Tony Morrison or the incredulous lies that Geoffrey Jackson spews, id saved alot of years of headache. However, none of that is really working and people are still waking up from this brutal North Korean type religion. Watch Tower must pay these benefits. Its what we dont post. The groups are handing out copies of The Watchtower from carts outside New Street station. No other religion can do that. The carts also provide the public with the choice of approaching us or not, which some people appreciate. Show your compassion for those still trapped. The Jehovahs Witnesses originated as a branch of the Bible Student movement, which was founded by Charles Taz Russell, a Christian Restorationist minister. random musings> The Internet is what is really hurting the Watchtower organization bigtime because in the past, information could be controlled and managed. Included with this the commissioning of the Last Messenger! Watch Tower is watching its assets in Russia vanish while paying settlements in the US and elsewhere for child abuse mishandling and other legal cases. This is human nature. Young Korean Witnesses languish in prison for no reason. I myself was born and raised in the organization. Beliefs. Witnesses are being approached and asked hard-hitting questions about child abuse, shunning, and other matters. (Rutherford must be having a meltdown in his grave). Like Stockholm Syndrome victims, Jehovah's Witnesses continue to support the only organization they think has the answers, identifying with and revering their captors - men who have little sympathy for the victims of child abuse, shunning, or death by blood policy. One would think that relatively simple endeavors like those offered in other churches would be worth it to the Watchtower leaders; when considering their inability to retain the young people. When Andrea learned that the re-emergence of the Church Of Christ is clearly found in the Bible, she looked into the origins of JW and found that there was no Biblical proof to support JWs establishment. Already, members of the Watchtower are already being asked to donate money. There are also members with experiences of Catholicism, Mormonism, the Exclusive Brethren, the Mennonites, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and the Falun Gong movement. This does not sit well with many elders, particularly those is less than affluent areas. All rights Reserved. Yes, money is a problem for Watch Tower. Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe that humans have an immaterial nature. But in another respect, its quite sad, when considering the young people in the organization who desperately need and yearn for something more. A moment that changed me: dropping out of university | Anne T Donaghue, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Leaving the faith at 18 changed my life completely., remember that first year after Id left the, Former Jehovah's Witness elders call for mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse, MPsdemand action over Jehovahs Witness abuse allegations, Jehovah's Witnesses accused of silencing victims of child abuse, Child sexual abuse inquiry considers Jehovah's Witnesses UK investigation, Jehovahs Witnesses criticised over handling of child abuse case, Jehovah's Witnesses charity drops attempts to block abuse inquiry, Jehovah's Witnesses did not protect children from abuse, inquiry finds, Jehovah's Witnesses under pressure over handling of sexual abuse claims, Jehovah's Witnesses accused of damaging Otomi religious site in Mexico. Nov. 20, 2019, 9:49 AM PST. This religion contains more rules on what you cant do rather than what you can do. What are you doing? Andrea sat down. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. These doctrines made perfect sense to me!. They govern every aspect of your life from cradle to grave. And, as is human nature, it is much easier for Watchtower leaders to put all of the blame for this on invisible metaphysical characters such as Satan, instead of dealing with the elephant in their own living room. When commenting on the young people who leave the organization, another common tactic that the organization uses is to cynically compare them with the ungrateful Israelites who found Jehovahs manna to be undesirable. Jehovah's Witnesses, Hendricks said, "fundamentally disagree with the idea of the Holy Trinity." "We believe that Jehovah is the sovereign, the only eternal one, and that Jesus Christ is a created being perhaps living in the heavens for billions of years," Hendricks said. These elders are being retrained, and have been called disobedient by the branch. Copyright 2023 Jehovah's Witnesses. Are Jehovah's Witnesses a Cult? You're taught by the organisation that once you leave you will. When curious JWs find communities like this one, they realize they're not alone and there's hope/life for them outside the borg. At death, that life-force leaves the body. In the spring of 2015, Stephen Lett asked for donations after stating that JW.org had more money going out than coming in. "They knocked on our door and caught my mum at a vulnerable time of crisis . "(We) encourage them to make urgent contact with the Department of Social Services so . She converted a lot of people to that religion.. And now with other countries finding out the harshness of their rules and their inhumane practices of shunning, and not turning child sex abuse cases over to the police is really causing a huge problem for Watchtower. 239) In this video I share the story of my transition from believing.
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