Should you Disassociate and Sample Letters, The Hardship of being a Gay Jehovah's Witness. It is all about the rules and their governing body. 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. Besides meetings and literature, what is the Watchtower doing, or even attempting to do to truly refresh, uplift, and inspire their young people? Watch Tower Headquarters asked branches to sell as much equipment as they could liquidate including heavy equipment, printers, etc. This has happened in other countries as well. I just want you to listen, Cynthia begged. Is the Book of Daniel Prophetic or Historical? Its not what we post on AvoidJW.org that should worry Watch Tower. There is absolutely nowhere in the Bible where Jesus disfellowshipped anyone. Furthermore, followers of the sect are three times more likely to be diagnosed as suffering . The cart-witnessing program is finally beginning to backfire. Jw.org Website But she realized she couldnt help her sister if she remained at a distance. Spare the rod, spoil the child. In 2017, Russia's Supreme Court declared the group an extremist organization, lumping its. They use Office 365 now and embed data into PDF files in an attempt to track where the leaks are coming from. . This is not to say that there are no enthusiastic young people in the Watchtower organization, because there truly are. Included with this the commissioning of the Last Messenger! - 63% of current Jehovah's Witnesses are a high school education or less. And its peppy acceleration will get you far and away from Zeb and his feisty cart crashes!. And you have no promise. To have no faith. The Jehovahs Witnesses originated as a branch of the Bible Student movement, which was founded by Charles Taz Russell, a Christian Restorationist minister. I think the issue is much more serious than they would like to admit. Well, the reason for the recent increase is simply due to a change in tactics, according to our sister title the Chronicle. Witnesses believe that they are living in . Reportedly, one of the rules is that unless a perpetrator confesses to committing a sin, two people must witness the commission of the sin. 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. Jehovah's Witness pervert who got sexual kicks from strangling children jailed despite cover-up by congregation. Have you lost your mind? Two thirds of those disfellowshipped never return. Jehovah's Witnesses, a sect formed in the 1870s and eventually incorporated as the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, maintained for much of their early history that 1914 would mark the end of . She met George, his family, and a few others from the Church Of Christ, including Brother Eddie San Gabriel, a Minister of the Gospel. I have been giving a lot of thought to the young people who are leaving the Watchtower organization in recent years. When there has been no specific date set . The Hardship of being a Gay Jehovah's Witness BeyondJW - Timothy Campbell 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. (Translation they are on their own: no health care, no jobs, no training. "They knocked on our door and caught my mum at a vulnerable time of crisis . This is definitely one organization that you need to steer clear of at all costs. Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. Quick-builds only happen so often, and Bethel just isnt a possibility for everyone. 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. Andee. Jesus himself is truth, not those club-like religions. 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. 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. 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. 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. I myself was born and raised in the organization. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. They dont bring salvation to your door when they come but instead, they talk about a paradise Earth and so on. It should be noted that the Soviets used the same methods of argumentation and reasoning claiming that nothing was lacking in Mother Russia. 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. The life of the Jehovah's Witnesses is guided by those forbidden things and more. Enter the social media - Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube all readily available on your average smart phone. I was allowed to make friends with people outside my congregation. All rights Reserved. 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. 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. Watch Tower was spending tens of thousands per year to New York City just to maintain their tunnel and air-bridge spaces between buildings. Jehovahs Witnesses are taught to welcome doctrinal changes. Something went wrong, please try again later. It is already collapsing under its own weight. 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. The Witnesses still experience growth, but at a huge expense. Abuse allegations? 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. They believe that salvation is impossible outside of the Watchtower. This is an area where I believe the Watchtower leadership shows an astounding lack of insight. Instead of adjusting the menu, or admitting that the chef isnt as good as he thinks he is, the owner simply blames the customers, and claims that the patrons taste buds must not be working properly. - Among all U.S. adults who were raised as Jehovahs Witnesses, two-thirds (66%) no longer identify with the group. all because thats THE NEW FOUR DOOR SEDAN BY TOYOTA! 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. 37:2337-Minute Listen. Jehovah's Witnesses believe these men are anointed as the voice of God on Earth. They are not allowed to question the Watchtower leadership or teaching. 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. Originally from Kent, Laetitia says her parents became Jehovah's Witnesses about four years before she was born. Instead, Andrea spent her time attending meetings at Kingdom Hall, sharing her faith, and being with her family. The more the doctrines made sense, the more she wanted to keep learning. They compared the doctrines taught by the churches with what the Bible really teaches. Theres absolutely no evidence of that at all. A former Jehovahs Witness shares why she walked away for good, We would have Bible studies, and I even preached from door to door. Given the choice between what this media has to offer, versus reading a Kingdom Ministry insert, where do you think a bored and uninspired teenager is going to go? Now if they all say this, surely not all of them could be the truth huh? 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. This raises the question: Who is an. Imagine if Ford was blaming the consumers - saying that consumers had poor judgment for not wanting to buy the Pinto anymore. They thought the end would be here now with the old generation teaching. Are you inspired yet? This religion is indeed a cult and a terrible one at that. The major damage has been done and it will only continue to spread throughout the organization as more and more proof of this religions terrible practices are leaked out and spread all over the Internet. Photo courtesy of Jehovah's Witnesses Public Information Desk Mandee Reid and her son, Charles Reid, of Kansas City, Mo., like Jehovah's . What are you doing? Tell your story. Sawyer and many others like her are now denouncing the church's shunning practices in the wake of a recent murder-suicide in Keego Harbor that killed a family of four ex-Jehovah's Witnesses who . Clearly, these eight men will lie just to protect their money because thats their first love. How many schools do you know of, that stick preschoolers, high school students, and graduate students all into the same classroom together? Already, members of the Watchtower are already being asked to donate money. 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. Jehovahs Witnesses can now be found in Birmingham city centre. In South Africa, over 1400 congregations struggle to file their government mandated tax returns required of each congregation. 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. Mr. Lopez alleged he was abused by a church elder named Gonzalo Campos. 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. This is another religion. As education becomes increasingly important to eek out even a meager living, Witnesses are already being forced to become more educated. With the recent crack-downs on college education, the Watchtower is looking less and less like a spiritual paradise, and is looking more like North Korea. Everyone has a different "wtf" trigger and access to that information is just a curious click away. Many of us here paid that price, only to wake up to it years later. Internal rules and philosophies among the Jehovah's Witnesses seem to allow abuse to easily be covered up. [1] People are waking up and leaving in droves. "Overseers of Jehovah's People", an article in the group's publication called the Watchtower . However, today, information is in the form of aTsunami which cant be stopped. it is one to really be avoided at all costs and it is really dangerous. Once that happens, shunning will have very little power over JWs. There was always an air of mysti'c never seeing them except on occasion at a district convention. 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. 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. 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. The origins of the Jehovah's Witnesses go back to 1879, when a Pittsburgh businessman named Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916) began publishing the magazine Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence. The truth is, Jehovahs witnesses are taught to welcome doctrinal changes as adjustments or new light, and they have a long list of beliefs and doctrines that have changed since the church was established. You have no place in this house. He told me to pack my things and go.. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Does a recession/pandemic/war indicate Armageddon? More and more people each day are posting YouTube videos about their terrible experiences with this organization. Most Jehovah's Witnesses - roughly two-thirds (65%) - are . "(We) encourage them to make urgent contact with the Department of Social Services so . I had to see it, I had to look it up, and I had to read myself. Are Jehovah's Witnesses a Cult? 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. Jehovah's Witnesses 'use the Bible to victim-shame,' sex abuse survivor says. 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. 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. As many of you know, the cutbacks were significant. Watch Tower has made it clear these records are to be destroyed according to their new records management and destruction procedures. Jehovah's Witnesses in Newcastle City Centre. Was Russell a Freemason? They worship the organization in which theyre a part of. Most people who currently identify as Jehovah's Witnesses (65%) also were raised outside that tradition. 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. Yet, ironically, its clear that their growth is already suffering due in part to this stubbornness. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse by a member of a Jehovah's Witnesses congregation in Pierce County recently sued the organization. You dont need to mourn me, I told her once. If the Jehovahs Witnesses were the true religion, sanctioned by God, there would be no room for error and no mistakes!. How long will all of this take? Jehovah's Witnesses detained in inhumane conditions June 4, 2021 Number of Jehovah's Witnesses on trial in Lipetsk grows June 2, 2021 Christian attorney gives advice for staying on good side of law June 1, 2021 Crimean Pentecostals fined for violating Russia's anti-evangelism law May 31, 2021 American prayer breakfast figure feted by Ukrainian . Its a great field service vehicle with four doors and plenty of ankle length dress room in the back! 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. 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. She learned she couldnt get that from being a Jehovahs Witness. So when Cynthia invited her to meet George and his family at a gathering, she felt obliged to go. 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. If they act up and dont sit still; spankings are usually soon to follow. I began a life where I could decide what to believe for myself, and I wasnt afraid of someone telling me I couldnt. Are Watchtower reasons for being the only true religion valid? 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. So if Jesus said that, then that means all of these cultic religions are not the truth as they claim that they are. 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. 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. The new Toyota Drove! It made them revered. We have hope, and we have a promise that no one else on this Earth has. Ria Williams sued the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's. 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 . Nov. 20, 2019, 9:49 AM PST. Jehovah's Witnesses are taught to welcome doctrinal changes. Like all enthusiastic followers, they owned a copy of the Let God Be True, which was written, printed, and distributed by the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society. It is law according to the Jehovahs Witness. Nobody at the London HQ would comment on whether the strategy resulted in an increase in followers. With a spacious trunk, with low clearance to fit that pesky literature cart! This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. 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. 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. 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. As she grew up as a third-generation Jehovah's Witness, there were certain things . Much like Kim Jong walking out and clapping his hands, the Watchtowers idea of motivating its people is to deliver talks denouncing college, Watchtower articles ridiculing those who disagree with them, and the repetitive promise that the end is just around the corner. I would love it if the young ones were leaving in droves, and I believe because of the Internet this will happen, but I don't see a great deal of evidence at present. Why so many raised as Witnesses leave Its what we dont post. magazine which says: "No one should be made to worship in a way they find . Examining the total number of people entering and leaving each religion provides the most complete picture of the dynamism of the American religious landscape. 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. The verdict has since been overturned, but the case is still being litigated. 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. At what point do they begin to ask themselves if there is something that THEY are doing wrong? 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. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that they have the one and only true religion and that their Governing Body is appointed by God himself. You're taught by the organisation that once you leave you will. Im still here, and Im still the same. That is why I believe they will never adopt the very common sense solutions that could be so helpful to their members; especially the young ones. The groups are handing out copies of The Watchtower from carts outside New Street station. After completing her Bible studies, Andrea was baptized into the Church Of Christ in 1981. More than that, though, it infuriated me the way my most important reason for leaving was brushed aside because it was the most irrefutable: I simply did not believe in the Bible and God, and by extension any Christian belief. There is a question regarding the longevity of JW.org given the events of the past few years. I believe this is a huge factor in the turnover of young people leaving the organization. And at one time their teaching was that Jesus was like God or was a God.. 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. 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. -65% of JWs are women, compared to only 35% men. You know what its like to not have the spiritual substance that you can grab on to. The Holy Spirit is . 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. Jehovah's Witnesses can now be found in Birmingham city centre. Jehovah's Witnesses ban comes into force in Russia after appeal fails. Eventually (it's a slow process), there will be a tipping point where the individual communities (KHs) are too small to avoid marrying or being friends with non-JWs. Followers famously wont accept blood donations - nor do they celebrate birthdays, claiming such celebrations displease God. Jehovah's Witnesses must believe and teach that their group has been directly appointed by God and Jesus. But now members are heading into the city to try and reach out to more people. There simply isnt anything designed or built into the programs that work with the attention spans of young children. 1. She was convinced shed lost me and that Id be changed for ever now, no longer the daughter shed always loved and cherished. 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. 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. I just want you to listen to the doctrines. Yes, money is a problem for Watch Tower. . 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. End of the Home Book Study Arrangement The Jehovah Witness religion is going through some tough times. Biblically, however, the word "soul" is multifaceted. Brummies happily shopping and going. Beliefs. 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. Witnesses are being approached and asked hard-hitting questions about child abuse, shunning, and other matters. 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. Instead, all of the nations human capital is invested in one thing: warfare. The organization of Jehovahs Witnesses is not Gods organization and never ever will be either. 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. Watch Tower must pay these benefits. This does not sit well with many elders, particularly those is less than affluent areas. . For years, members have gone door-to-door to spread the word about the faith. Steven Lett said that when people walk up to admire a little baby, they often would say, Look at that little angel! Steven then went on to say, more accurate, look at that little enimy of God. This statement has circulated round the Internet and has appeared in many YouTube channels and so on. I Prayed and was met by a Witness 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. 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. As a result, most young Witnesses grow up sequestered in their homes and their congregations, fearful of anything outside those boundaries. The mountain of bullshit has finally gotten high enough that it's starting to collapse on itself. It is all about their money. On the heels of a $35 million jury award to a woman who alleged the congregation mishandled her childhood abuse, other . 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. . All monies were directed at finishing Warwick, then selling off their cranes and millions of dollars worth of vehicles and other high prices tools, right down to a 5 dollar screwdriver. Truth Be Told Documentary Every time I . . Nothing is added, subtracted, or changed to conform to societys standards because, in the Church Of Christ, the Bible is the basis of their faith. Answer (1 of 10): Well, it's resulted in them having to resort to baptizing children to keep their numbers up (something they used to criticize the Catholic church for). 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 . Amber Scorah writes about exiting the Jehovah's Witnesses in Leaving the Witness. I was one of them. Those eight men up in New York are worshipped because they follow every single word they say. I was very well versed in the Bible. She didnt party, she didnt drink, and she stayed out of politics. 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. You know I couldnt see my life any other way. Well here goes. None of these religions are the true religion. One has since died but had rarely attended before her death. Authorities have also been accused of failing to look into allegations by whistleblowers that Jehovah's Witnesses may be hiding its money . 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. Most importantly, these endeavors just might diminish time and resources that are used for going door-to-door. Steps 1 Do personal research. We grew up together. 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. She tried to push his friendship away, which meant pushing Cynthia away too. That takes us to 27. I have two beautiful children that I adore, that God blessed me with, and are very active in the Church. Clearly, this organization is a satanic religion posing as Christian. Is the Book of Daniel Prophetic or Historical? In 2017, Russia banned the denomination, whose members believe in nonviolence and refuse to take up arms in war; Russia . Being a Witness and following the doctrines didnt automatically mark you as different or better than anyone else. Andrea sat down. Why Are People Leaving The Jehovah's Witness In Droves. Feeling deceived by the teachings of the Jehovahs Witnesses, she confronted her grandmother. And, I think the issue is much broader than what the simple statistics are showing. Jehovah's Witnesses will often turn away from any Bible discussion that challenges their beliefs, using the excuse that they cannot listen to apostates. They make up these rules simply because they can. 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. To this day I search, I study, and I read. 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. 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.

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