Instead, all of the nations human capital is invested in one thing: warfare. ", BBC Beyond Paradise star Jamie Bamber is married to Eastenders actress. As a matter of fact, theres absolutely nowhere in all of scripture that even remotely leads to anything that the Jehovahs Witnesses are the true faith. As a result, most young Witnesses grow up sequestered in their homes and their congregations, fearful of anything outside those boundaries. No immaterial soul. 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. Truly the Watchtower organization has absolutely nothing good to say about any other religion because theyre too busy puffing themselves up over them. If all of this keeps up, it might not be long before you will see jw.org gone from the scene, as well as other things tied to this diabolical evil religion. A lack of education is also essential to keep members locked in. In more recent news concerning the Watchtower organization, Steven Lett made a really shocking and quite frankly damning statement concerning babies. Jehovahs Witnesses are taught to welcome doctrinal changes. Spare the rod, spoil the child. When youre a convert, you know what its like to be in the world. 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. I made a concentrated effort to stop using the word, because I knew it wasnt the truth to me, and that its use was just a very 1984 Newspeak method of subtle control. How many schools do you know of, that stick preschoolers, high school students, and graduate students all into the same classroom together? Each member carries a "Health Care Proxy" card, declaring his or her desire not to receive a blood transfusion for any reason as stated by Acts 15:28, 29. Jehovah's Witnesses 'use the Bible to victim-shame,' sex abuse survivor says. 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. I have two beautiful children that I adore, that God blessed me with, and are very active in the Church. The groups are handing out copies of The Watchtower from carts outside New Street station. Copyright 2023 Jehovah's Witnesses. The Hardship of being a Gay Jehovah's Witness By Elizabeth Chuck. They tell you that you need to follow these rules in order to receive salvation and so on. The rules just keep right on getting tighter and tighter due to the fact that theyre in full damage control, and they want to keep as many people in the organization as they possibly can. Realistically, though, its a threat to the organisation because education could broaden an individuals mind and open them up to a world of opinions outside the faith. This does not sit well with many elders, particularly those is less than affluent areas. Jehovah's Witnesses will often turn away from any Bible discussion that challenges their beliefs, using the excuse that they cannot listen to apostates. (Translation they are on their own: no health care, no jobs, no training. Drunk driver smashed into family car on M6 - while sipping cider, Jehovah's Witnesses denies telling abuse victims not to call the police, BBC Breakfast star Charlie Stayt halts show to warn Lenny Henry 'you shouldn't say that', Charlie was hosting BBC Breakfast on Thursday - but warned Lenny: "You really shouldn't say that. There is absolutely nowhere in the Bible where Jesus disfellowshipped anyone. Young Korean Witnesses languish in prison for no reason. Jehovah's Witnesses ban comes into force in Russia after appeal fails. Besides meetings and literature, what is the Watchtower doing, or even attempting to do to truly refresh, uplift, and inspire their young people? Once more and more world wide governments either ban Watchtower from their nations, or make them pay for all the evil that they have done through their evil practice of shunning and other terrible things not mentioned here, the Watchtower organization may be forced to shut its doors. Andee. Everyone has a different "wtf" trigger and access to that information is just a curious click away. Included with this the commissioning of the Last Messenger! But fortunately, after having been out for a number of years, many of us are getting to know who we really are and what gives our lives meaning. You know I couldnt see my life any other way. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse by a member of a Jehovah's Witnesses congregation in Pierce County recently sued the organization. Marriage to an unbeliever starts to look a little inevitable. Are Watchtower reasons for being the only true religion valid? My parents chose my brother, my abuser, over me. Many of us here paid that price, only to wake up to it years later. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. With all of the publically displayed lies and deceptions that this organization has dished out over the years, people are finally waking up to the real truth about the Watchtower organization and its agenda. You dont need to mourn me, I told her once. 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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. 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. ET on April 5, 2019. Reportedly, one of the rules is that unless a perpetrator confesses to committing a sin, two people must witness the commission of the sin. And, I think the issue is much broader than what the simple statistics are showing. Two years later he founded Zion's Watch Tower and Tract Society, which was incorpo-rated in 1884 in Pennsylvania. ITV Coronation Street star announces full-time return to soap - leaving fans delighted. Because I love my sister so much, I felt like I had to give her the opportunity to just listen. Why are you doing this? Andrea was upset. She listened and protected her faith and the teachings of the Jehovahs Witnesses until her beliefs could no longer defend her. All rights Reserved. The fact that the [Church Of Christ minister] can go to the Bible and prove when, where, and how the Church was established in these last days is the reason I am a member of the Church Of Christ! Shunning seams to be one of their favorite topics and favorite things to do. When you take a look at many of the mega-churches for example, it is very impressive how much they put into creating support groups and programs for their young people. By the time many young Jehovah's Witnesses reach their teen years, not only have they been conditioned to associate worshipping Jehovah with great displeasure; but they still dont have any groups or programs tailored to them as teens, or which meet their needs. The church shares some traditional views with the Catholic church but holds several unique ones, including the belief that there is one God, not a Trinity. These doctrines made perfect sense to me!. Yes, one would think so, but this would involve the Watchtower leadership reinventing, and rethinking matters that they are convinced have already been settled. Now if they all say this, surely not all of them could be the truth huh? I have several observations to add to this. Being a Witness and following the doctrines didnt automatically mark you as different or better than anyone else. By Brendan Cole On 7/28/20 at 11:09 AM EDT News Russia Intensifies Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses with 110 Armed Raids The. But why should doctrines change? Watch Tower has made it clear these records are to be destroyed according to their new records management and destruction procedures. Refresh the page, check Medium 's site status, or find something interesting to read. 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. Jw.org Website . It is all about their money. Literature carts are being used not just in the Newcastle area but all over the world and we foresee them being a regular feature of our public preaching for many years to come.. 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. AND I'm going to do the most non-Jehovah's Witness-y thing ever and, instead of just making up any shit I please, I will actually supply sources for my data so you can look it up for yourself: - 52% of Jehovah's Witnesses are 50 years of age or older, - Only 29% of Jehovah's Witnesses are parents to children under 18 - a decrease of 8% over the past 7 years. For them to stay in the organization and have an approved standing, they will have had to squash their inner self, and adopt an organizationally-created identity. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. The carts also provide the public with the choice of approaching us or not, which some people appreciate. In order to avoid climate passivity, we must redefine Armageddon. I have a loving husband that I adore. Jamie Bamber plays Archie Hughes in Beyond Paradise on BBC One. Its what we dont post. Simple forgiveness isnt in their vocabulary. Truth Be Told Documentary Besides me, at least 75% of the kids I grew up with in the congregation are out for good. 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. 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They thought the end would be here now with the old generation teaching. I tried at all costs to avoid any discussions of faith with Jehovahs Witnesses with whom I was still in contact mostly because I didnt want to be forced into an argument with them over my anger and frustration at some of the doctrines. 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. All Jehovahs Witnesses will be given a number and tracked unless we can stop this invasion of privacy here in the US and around the world. Most importantly, these endeavors just might diminish time and resources that are used for going door-to-door. And when youre a member of the Church Of Christ, the peace that you have in knowing that the promise that God has made to you will be fulfilled is everything. They dont bring salvation to your door when they come but instead, they talk about a paradise Earth and so on. - Quora Answer (1 of 27): It isn't a religion its a cult. End of the Home Book Study Arrangement I believe this is a huge factor in the turnover of young people leaving the organization. Branches around the world are struggling to keep up with their own accounting procedures. I dont think Ive ever seen my mum cry so much, so often. He grew up in a Strong JW family in the USA but now thinks most of it is BS and Nonsense, By the way he does love Sweden and I need to go visit him. 6 months later in a private seminar, branch officials announced that Letts plea resulted in 30 million extra dollars in donations, but this would not stem their financial issues and would continue with layoffs and cutbacks. What are you doing? It was these friends who became my support network and showed me that people from the world are just the same as people from the faith there were as many lovely people as there were horrible people, as many happy people as there were sad. -65% of JWs are women, compared to only 35% men. Theres absolutely no room for error within the organization. There was always an air of mysti'c never seeing them except on occasion at a district convention. When you factor how many people are baptized vs. the number of publishers the year before you realize that they . 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. I just want you to listen, Cynthia begged. I also believe this is an area where they are also profoundly disconnected from reality. Feeling deceived by the teachings of the Jehovahs Witnesses, she confronted her grandmother. . 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. There's a limit on how long you can tell people that the world is about to end for so long before they get sceptical. 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. Mr. Lopez alleged he was abused by a church elder named Gonzalo Campos. Are Jehovah's Witnesses a Cult? This religion is indeed a cult and a terrible one at that. I have seen a lot of creativity and progressive thinking when it comes to how they design ministries for young people. Meanwhile, Watch Tower purchased four $8,000.00 scanners. Other programs that would make for a much stronger, robust, and enthusiastic membership are pushed aside and dismissed due their possibly interfering with proselytizing. In some respects, its very entertaining. 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. 1. And then from that day, I never looked back. They are not allowed to question the Watchtower leadership or teaching. Imagine if Ford was blaming the consumers - saying that consumers had poor judgment for not wanting to buy the Pinto anymore. Contrast this to the July 2009 issue of Awake! I've never showered as much in my life. Authorities have also been accused of failing to look into allegations by whistleblowers that Jehovah's Witnesses may be hiding its money . One troubling result is most high control groups, including the Jehovah's Witnesses and Scientologists, discourage their members from seeking help from mental health care professionals, even when they display troubling signs of acute depression, anxiety, panic disorder, dissociation, suicidal thoughts, autism spectrum disorder or a variety of That our faith is true. (We already know that growth has become stagnant and more and more people seem to be waking up than previously.). They may think they do, but we have seen, we have seen the proof that our God is real. Personally, what this all adds up to for me is this: Young people, and most especially men, are leaving this religion in droves. If they act up and dont sit still; spankings are usually soon to follow. This is another religion. / The Real Cause Of Chukwuemeka Akachi, UNN Student Death. , Productivity Hacks for the Creative Christian, Three (Unexpected) Life Lessons from College, Dear Teenage Self: Finding God Changes You. The Russian Supreme Court's shocking ban of the Jehovah's Witnesses on 20 April 2017 also violates Russia's own Constitution which, in words, guarantees freedom of religion. Something went wrong, please try again later. 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. 37:2337-Minute Listen. Several people tried to convince me to return to the truth the term they use to refer to anyone in the faith. It there is a large turn-over in the congregation, it must mean that Satan is working overtime; not that that anything could ever be wrong with the organization itself. With all of the new doccumentaries being produced about this organization, YouTube channels and other types of media being produced, Watchtower doesnt stand a chance at survival. Just because they make the claim doesnt make it so. All the books in the Bible.. (source: Detroit Free Press: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/18/jehovahs-witnesses-murder-suicide-keego-harbor/409695002/). . The problem is that former Jehovah's Witnessesand others who've left cults or religionshave had to filter out the language of cataclysmic ending when seeking a secular life. all because thats THE NEW FOUR DOOR SEDAN BY TOYOTA! - The number of young Jehovah's Witnesses (aged 18-24) has dropped by 6% over the past 7 years. 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. Jehovah's Witnesses and Covid-19 At 18 I turned my back on the cloistered isolation of my familys faith and began a life where I was free to question ideas and beliefs. 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. This is where the Watchtower is at. Andrea started to panic and pulled Cynthia aside. And they actually tell you that you cant read the Bible alone that you need these other publications written by them to be able to understand scripture because it comes down from the governing body, and what they say goes. Currently, in the US, JW.org has just 40% of their publishers registered in the JW.org database system. 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. young ones leaving. At death, that life-force leaves the body. Brummies happily shopping and going. 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. And he [my dad] told me that, If you go to that Church, dont come back. Right away, Andrea recognized that there was nothing Biblical about her grandmothers answer. married a Swedish JW and moved to Sweden.He is pretty much inactive but occasionally attends meetings but is afraid to completely leave bc of being shunned by his wife's family. interesting topics> Jehovah's Witnesses with 1.3 million members in the U.S. who hand out brochures on sidewalks and subway platforms and ring doorbells are one of the most visible religious groups in the . By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. It's already a small pool of potential friends and romantic interests in a KH. Attending My Father's Funeral (source: Pew Research: https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/religious-tradition/jehovahs-witness/) and https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/26/a-closer-look-at-jehovahs-witnesses-living-in-the-u-s/). So if Jesus said that, then that means all of these cultic religions are not the truth as they claim that they are. The Let God Be True book was written by imperfect men, and imperfect men make mistakes, and it was a mistake. 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. Steps 1 Do personal research. 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. The new Toyota Drove! Originally from Kent, Laetitia says her parents became Jehovah's Witnesses about four years before she was born. At that time, a small group of Bible students who lived near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States, began a systematic analysis of the Bible. It isnt about the children. Find some websites which you believe are honest and accurate and share them. Are you inspired yet? However, the Seventh day Adventists say that theyre the only true religion, the Mormons say it and so do the Catholics and so on. The Jehovahs Witnesses have a bunch of rules, regulations and policies much like the religious leaders of Jesus day had. You know what its like to have no hope. The Jehovah Witness religion is going through some tough times. Furthermore, followers of the sect are three times more likely to be diagnosed as suffering . I have been giving a lot of thought to the young people who are leaving the Watchtower organization in recent years. And the more she embraced the truth, the more her family tried to stop her. Lets make it happen. Consider this: any Witness can now sit in an assembly during the morning session; dutifully nod their head like a bobble head doll; and then walk outside and link up with ex-Witnesses online via their iPhone to express what they really think. However, the Watchtower stubbornly sticks to a one size fits all program for everyone. Watch Tower has dispatched a team of elders to correct their thinking and their accounting procedures. Im astonished at the totally creepy nature of the GB Videos I have seen lately. Like Stockholm Syndrome victims, Jehovahs 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.
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