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Show your compassion for those still trapped. Watchtower Caught Dumping Chemicals When Cynthia became friends with George, who was a member of the Church Of Christ, Andrea had her guard up because she refused to let someone from another religion influence their faith. Is the Book of Daniel Prophetic or Historical? Additionally, it has been noted by many of us that when there is a family in which the father does not hold some kind of office, the family is often left out on the periphery without much social support. JWs are leaving in droves, all because of the internet. I have been giving a lot of thought to the young people who are leaving the Watchtower organization in recent years. Was Russell a Freemason? 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. 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. 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. 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. At what point do they begin to ask themselves if there is something that THEY are doing wrong? 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. I have seen many really good kids in the organization totally get neglected because they didnt have a father who was a Witness. It is all about their money. - The number of young Jehovah's Witnesses (aged 18-24) has dropped by 6% over the past 7 years. Shunning seams to be one of their favorite topics and favorite things to do. This just comes in a long line of brutal, evil statements that were made by the governing body over the years, and it also proves that this organization in no way is being backed, or supported by God in any way shape or form. Jesus said himself that he was the way, the life and the truth and that nobody comes to the father but through him. Many former friends, including my best friend of 10 years, shunned me. Those few born-in Jehovah's Witnesses who do stay in will pay an enormous price in that they will never have gotten to know who they really were. Its psychology 101. It is more like Satans group simply because of the harsh and inhumane rules and regulations that they harbor in their midst. Can baptism be Annulled? You have no place in this house. He told me to pack my things and go.. You know what its like to have no hope. The sect is headed by an all-male governing body and elders adhere to policies laid out in a guidebook that's kept confidential from other followers. 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. Yes, money is a problem for Watch Tower. Being a Witness and following the doctrines didnt automatically mark you as different or better than anyone else. Growth is pretty much stagnet in America and other countries like Great Brittan, Austrialia and other English speaking nations. One has since died but had rarely attended before her death. Watch Tower was spending tens of thousands per year to New York City just to maintain their tunnel and air-bridge spaces between buildings. I have two beautiful children that I adore, that God blessed me with, and are very active in the Church. 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 are millions trapped inside a mental prison, but we can help them. Two years later he founded Zion's Watch Tower and Tract Society, which was incorpo-rated in 1884 in Pennsylvania. There are also members with experiences of Catholicism, Mormonism, the Exclusive Brethren, the Mennonites, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and the Falun Gong movement. However, the rate of growth has almost certainly also been dependent on child baptism for several years and, with the average age of the membership growing older and decades of discouragement from current members having children, there are also simply fewer children to indoctrinate. He lives in Stockholm. I began a life where I could decide what to believe for myself, and I wasnt afraid of someone telling me I couldnt. I had to see it, I had to look it up, and I had to read myself. As many of you know, the cutbacks were significant. Boom Boom Boom! Why are you doing this? Andrea was upset. Last night, I was reading the thread posted by jwfacts a while back in which he provided some statistics and graphs showing the rapidly declining growth in the Watchtower. Religious fact, faith and delusion, home> Much of their growth from these nations is from people being born into the religion. Jehovah's Witnesses 'use the Bible to victim-shame,' sex abuse survivor says. And he [my dad] told me that, If you go to that Church, dont come back. You can get shunned just by reading literature from another church, and you can even get shunned for smoking a cigarette. 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. His wife's parents are among the 130,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in Ukraine. it is one to really be avoided at all costs and it is really dangerous. Learn how your comment data is processed. Basically it is in the process of imploding. 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. This was not a tax, it was a fee paid because New York owns the underground and the airspace. Meanwhile, Watch Tower purchased four $8,000.00 scanners. 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. Believers honor Jehovah, the God and Creator of all things. JW.org has been spinning the cutbacks as simplification, and have coerced dozens of those who lost their full-time jobs to give testimonials about how happy they were to accept their new assignment in the field. They affirm that GodJehovahis the most high. The leadership of Jehovah's Witnesses has never admitted that any valid reasons to leave the religion exist. "I would be sick. Jesus Christ is his firstborn son, is inferior to God, and was created by God. There is a question regarding the longevity of JW.org given the events of the past few years. In more recent news concerning the Watchtower organization, Steven Lett made a really shocking and quite frankly damning statement concerning babies. What are you doing? I was also lucky that both my parents encouraged me to get a good education to work hard at school so I could go to university if I wanted. Instead, Andrea spent her time attending meetings at Kingdom Hall, sharing her faith, and being with her family. Andrea sat down. It made them revered. Just because they make the claim doesnt make it so. They believe that salvation is impossible outside of the Watchtower. 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. Many of them not only help the young people with their unique issues, but also really inspire them enough to get active and pay it forward. Have you lost your mind? The gathering was a Bible study. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Watch Tower demands their freedom of speech but attempts to deny it to those sharing their publicly available materials which, by the way, are not being distributed for monetary gain. Andrea grew up in a family of devout Jehovahs Witnesses. Feeling deceived by the teachings of the Jehovahs Witnesses, she confronted her grandmother. Aside from the Bethel layoffs, all non-essential branch projects were either cancelled or put on hold. However, disfellowshipping is. 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. 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. There is dissent in South Africa right now because of the fixed per capita amount assigned to each publisher who attends a circuit assembly. I never once doubted the decision that I made on that day to leave my family and to become a member of the Church Of Christ.. In a recent private video for Bethel members only, this war against questionable pants, socks, and tights was restated, with Watch Tower doubling down on matters which would baffle Jesus himself were he to walk the earth today. "(We) encourage them to make urgent contact with the Department of Social Services so . According to the organisation, there are currently more than 70,000 Witnesses in Australia. Many of these were good kids too. The Watchtower organizations sole purpose is to proselytize, whereby all of its human capital must be channeled into that goal. In the spring of 2015, Stephen Lett asked for donations after stating that JW.org had more money going out than coming in. Press J to jump to the feed. Included with this the commissioning of the Last Messenger! However, it is too late because it is all laid bare for everybody to see online and it will never ever be erased or taken down. She has never found a discrepancy between what is written in the Bible and the teachings taught in the Church Of Christ. (Rutherford must be having a meltdown in his grave). 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. - Among all U.S. adults who were raised as Jehovahs Witnesses, two-thirds (66%) no longer identify with the group. My grandmother was a pioneer. . The Witnesses still experience growth, but at a huge expense. The Let God Be True book was written by imperfect men, and imperfect men make mistakes, and it was a mistake. Many elders have questioned this vocally, and have described the amount of money charged to each circuit as an invoice. What we see from regimes like North Korea is a disregard for many of the societal endeavors that make a nation stronger, such as infrastructure, good universities, economic freedoms, and democratic processes. Are Jehovah's Witnesses a Cult? It isnt Christian and it isnt Gods organization. Beginning in 2018, JW.org will implement a program in which every single JW will be assigned a database number and their information will be in JW.orgs global database. But in another respect, its quite sad, when considering the young people in the organization who desperately need and yearn for something more. ITV Dancing On Ice's Christopher Dean issues Jayne Torvill health announcement. Other churches give single parents some relief by offering activities and programs for their children to get involved in and bond with other young people. The graph below shoes how the 18-29 crowd have aged up, but new young adults are not replenishing the numbers. They really have no proof of God giving them this high and mighty position of being Gods only spoksperson on Earth. They still teach that everybody else is doomed except for them. Personally, what this all adds up to for me is this: Young people, and most especially men, are leaving this religion in droves. All Witnesses are expected to obey instructions and doctrines that influence every aspect of life: Women are considered subservient to men, higher education is discouraged and homosexuality is not permitted. End of the Home Book Study Arrangement 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. We grew up together. 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. What would you expect to see if that was a news headline within the coming year? 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. She listened and protected her faith and the teachings of the Jehovahs Witnesses until her beliefs could no longer defend her. The Watchtower organization simply has nothing new to offer, and no new ideas. THE Jehovah's Witnesses religious denomination has been accused of selling assets and sending cash offshore to avoid paying Australian child-sex abuse victims. Everyone has a different "wtf" trigger and access to that information is just a curious click away. 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. Moriah Hughes, 24, filed her lawsuit last month in. For years, members have gone door-to-door to spread the word about the faith. When there has been no specific date set . . The modern-day organisation began at the end of the 19th century. 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. A man who pleaded guilty to raping two underage girls he met through the Jehovah's Witness congregation they all belonged to has been sentenced to . 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. Refresh the page, check Medium 's site status, or find something interesting to read. Watch Tower has made it clear these records are to be destroyed according to their new records management and destruction procedures. Abuse allegations? My parents chose my brother, my abuser, over me. Truly the Watchtower organization has absolutely nothing good to say about any other religion because theyre too busy puffing themselves up over them. With a spacious trunk, with low clearance to fit that pesky literature cart! But its a way of thinking that is ingrained in you by the faith, and its this mentality that makes it so difficult to leave. This is human nature. It should be noted that the Soviets used the same methods of argumentation and reasoning claiming that nothing was lacking in Mother Russia. However, today, information is in the form of aTsunami which cant be stopped. Updated at 12:25 p.m. 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. They believe that ony 144,000 Jehovah's Witnesses will go to heaven. A life of meaningless sex, drugs and alcohol is often woven into this picture. I just want you to listen, Cynthia begged. 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. 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. I was allowed to make friends with people outside my congregation. Franz stated the request for his resignation and his subsequent disfellowshipping resulted from allegations of apostasy. There was always an air of mysti'c never seeing them except on occasion at a district convention. They are told to just go and pioneer.). 2. 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Witnesses hold a number of traditional Christian views but also many that are unique to them. I've never showered as much in my life. No more than four-in-ten members of the group belong to any one racial and ethnic background: 36% are white, 32% are Hispanic, 27% are black and 6% are another race or mixed race. 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. . Brummies happily shopping and going about their day to day business have seen them in their droves, Never miss breaking news by signing up to our free email updates. 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. random musings> They put peoples lives in bondage to the religion. On February 4, 2019, rumors of the release of a new Elders manual, meant only for the eyes of the top leaders in each congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (JW), began to surface on ex-JW forums across the Internet. 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. In the book, they [JW] taught that Jesus Christ is a Mighty God. None of these religions are the true religion. However, none of that is really working and people are still waking up from this brutal North Korean type religion. 10. Most congregations have not filed returns for 2 to 4 years, primarily because local elders do not understand how to file returns, and are quite frankly not interested in the business aspect of this religion. Furthermore, followers of the sect are three times more likely to be diagnosed as suffering . "They knocked on our door and caught my mum at a vulnerable time of crisis . I remember that first year after Id left the Jehovahs Witness faith. Jehovahs Witnesses are taught to welcome doctrinal changes. As she grew up as a third-generation Jehovah's Witness, there were certain things . The graph below shoes how the 18-29 crowd have aged up, but new young adults are not replenishing the numbers. 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. Andrea embraced its teachings and followed all of JWs beliefs to a T. She didnt celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any other holidays, and she avoided birthday celebrations. All rights Reserved. World. It isnt about the children. I believe this with my whole heart. 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. 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 The Holy Spirit is . This has happened in other countries as well. No other religion can do that. magazine which says: "No one should be made to worship in a way they find . 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. When youre a convert, you know what its like to be in the world. I just want you to listen to the doctrines. Several people tried to convince me to return to the truth the term they use to refer to anyone in the faith. This raises the issue of whether any benefits will ever be paid to other full-time JWs across the globe, who deserve them equally. At death, that life-force leaves the body. Jehovah's Witnesses believe these men are anointed as the voice of God on Earth. And the more she embraced the truth, the more her family tried to stop her. 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 don't have any groups or programs tailored to them as teens, or which meet their needs. 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. I have never been able to find anything more true than what is taught by the Church Of Christ. 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. The membership is aging out and, I suspect that before all those belonging to the second "Overlapping Generation" pass away, we may have seen the end of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. The reason for this is because theyre on the verge of going totally belly up, and they need money to be able to handle all of the child sex abuse cases that they have under their belts and so on. Sylviane is a relationship coach for women . 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. - 63% of current Jehovah's Witnesses are a high school education or less. 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. Reportedly, one of the rules is that unless a perpetrator confesses to committing a sin, two people must witness the commission of the sin. Imagine if Ford was blaming the consumers - saying that consumers had poor judgment for not wanting to buy the Pinto anymore. - Quora Answer (1 of 27): It isn't a religion its a cult. As education becomes increasingly important to eek out even a meager living, Witnesses are already being forced to become more educated. 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. They govern every aspect of your life from cradle to grave. 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. Is the Book of Daniel Prophetic or Historical? My father and i have discussed this. The mountain of bullshit has finally gotten high enough that it's starting to collapse on itself. Sections: politics business autos jobs career education romance computers phones travel sports fashion health 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. She tried to push his friendship away, which meant pushing Cynthia away too. The. This religion is indeed a cult and a terrible one at that. "Jehovah's Witnesses believe that it is their responsibility before God to respect and co-operate with the authorities." A spokeswoman for Social Services Minister Anne Ruston has welcomed the statement but implored the organisation to contact authorities. The Watchtower organization is like a restaurant that keeps serving the same bland menu even though many of the patrons dont like the food and arent coming back. Found some information I thought you all might be interested in. Meanwhile, Jehovahs Witnesses in Russia have been imprisoned for following Governing Body directives. How can anyone watch these buffoons and think theyre Gods voice. Ria Williams sued the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's. Tony Morris declared on multiple occasions that he was incensed with European trousers for men, designed by the homosexuals he hates so passionately and followed this tirade by producing a side by side photo of what proper trousers look like versus tight pants. Change in teachings? The leader Kim Jong is so deluded that his idea of inspiring his people is to walk out on his balcony with his huge Elvis glasses and clap his hands. Andee. You're taught by the organisation that once you leave you will. 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. However, the Watchtower stubbornly sticks to a one size fits all program for everyone. Truth Be Told Documentary In South Africa, over 1400 congregations struggle to file their government mandated tax returns required of each congregation. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse by a member of a Jehovah's Witnesses congregation in Pierce County recently sued the organization. This is not to say that there are no enthusiastic young people in the Watchtower organization, because there truly are. A former Jehovahs Witness shares why she walked away for good, We would have Bible studies, and I even preached from door to door. The rest will live forever in a paradise on Earth, never meeting the person who died for them - Jesus Christ. 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. Its old and we dont use it anymore. And its peppy acceleration will get you far and away from Zeb and his feisty cart crashes!. They rely upon the Watchtower more than they rely upon the Bible. The following is just my opinion and observations based on events from the past year. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The "soul" is simply the life-force within a person. The purpose? When curious JWs find communities like this one, they realize they're not alone and there's hope/life for them outside the borg. But why should doctrines change? Coronation Street favourite Julia Goulding has confirmed she's back on the cobbles. This is definitely one organization that you need to steer clear of at all costs. I have my duty. And you have no promise. The family of Jehovah's Witnesses is writing letters instead of knocking on doors to spread their faith. There are now 11 of us that are no longer Jehovah's Witnesses, and that is in ten years. 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. Website powered & protected by Jehovah's holy spirit. For Ali Millar, the experience of writing her difficult life story wasn't cathartic, it was traumatic. I was lucky enough to have parents who brought me up more loosely than most Jehovahs Witnesses. 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 groups are handing out copies of The Watchtower from carts outside New Street station. On top of this, many Jehovah's Witness adults expect children to silently sit still through long convention talks on Daniels prophecies or the nuances of the word parousia. ITV Coronation Street star announces full-time return to soap - leaving fans delighted. Is it any wonder that the turnover among the young people is so high? These groups are designed to approach the young people where they are at right now not from where someone thinks they should be. After completing her Bible studies, Andrea was baptized into the Church Of Christ in 1981. Brummies happily shopping and going. In 2017, Russia's Supreme Court declared the group an extremist organization, lumping its. I can never forgive them for betrayal. 1. When you factor how many people are baptized vs. the number of publishers the year before you realize that they . 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. But why have they stopped knocking on our doors? It is just too much even for them to handle. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. 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. Theres absolutely no evidence of that at all. Yet, ironically, its clear that their growth is already suffering due in part to this stubbornness. When you stand in the public square and represent a religion, its just a matter of time before the public connects the dots, and the carts are sent to the junkyard, one at a time.

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