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. As education becomes increasingly important to eek out even a meager living, Witnesses are already being forced to become more educated. 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. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Should you Disassociate and Sample Letters, The Hardship of being a Gay Jehovah's Witness. 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. I believe this with my whole heart. There are now 11 of us that are no longer Jehovah's Witnesses, and that is in ten years. 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? ITV Coronation Street star announces full-time return to soap - leaving fans delighted. The "soul" is simply the life-force within a person. Something went wrong, please try again later. To scan all documents located in Brooklyn, retaining only the hard copies they were required to keep by law. 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 Jehovah's Witnesses congregation is a millennialist restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs. 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. More and more people each day are posting YouTube videos about their terrible experiences with this organization. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that they have the one and only true religion and that their Governing Body is appointed by God himself. 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. 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. 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 . The rest will live forever in a paradise on Earth, never meeting the person who died for them - Jesus Christ. 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. 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. That takes us to 27. I was born into it which means of course that I completely missed my childhood and early adulthood. 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. I dont think Ive ever seen my mum cry so much, so often. Its old and we dont use it anymore. 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. Spare the rod, spoil the child. I had panic attacks. 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. 2020-06-14 - NATALIE O'BRIEN. 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. When curious JWs find communities like this one, they realize they're not alone and there's hope/life for them outside the borg. 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.. In situations such as this, I have often noticed that the kids dont have much in the way of emotional support and guidance. At what point do they begin to ask themselves if there is something that THEY are doing wrong? Jehovahs Witnesses can now be found in Birmingham city centre. Simple forgiveness isnt in their vocabulary. 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. 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. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG) The pandemic may leave a. A life of meaningless sex, drugs and alcohol is often woven into this picture. 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. Steps 1 Do personal research. 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. Watch Tower is very upset and concerned about all the leaks coming from their headquarters. They have their little pet scriptures that they have taken out of context of course and they use those to try and convert you to their brand of religion. With a spacious trunk, with low clearance to fit that pesky literature cart! Their lackluster growth will only continue; and they will find it harder and harder to recruit new members. And then from that day, I never looked back. Imagine if Ford was blaming the consumers - saying that consumers had poor judgment for not wanting to buy the Pinto anymore. Getty Images 08 . Are Watchtower reasons for being the only true religion valid? Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Young Korean Witnesses languish in prison for no reason. Believers honor Jehovah, the God and Creator of all things. . They believe that salvation is impossible outside of the Watchtower. 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. Feeling deceived by the teachings of the Jehovahs Witnesses, she confronted her grandmother. That our faith is true. For Ali Millar, the experience of writing her difficult life story wasn't cathartic, it was traumatic. For years, members have gone door-to-door to spread the word about the faith. I have just loaded my spiritual cannon, and I am about to fire away! In many countries, such meetings would be nothing unusual. I also believe this is an area where they are also profoundly disconnected from reality. Should you Disassociate and Sample Letters They put peoples lives in bondage to the religion. I have seen a lot of creativity and progressive thinking when it comes to how they design ministries for young people. 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. Jamie Bamber plays Archie Hughes in Beyond Paradise on BBC One. They may think they do, but we have seen, we have seen the proof that our God is real. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that: God the Father (whose name is Jehovah) is "the only true God". Coronation Street favourite Julia Goulding has confirmed she's back on the cobbles. 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. However, none of that is really working and people are still waking up from this brutal North Korean type religion. 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! A few weeks later, the Jehovah's Witnesses closed on a $200 million sale of that building to the private equity firm Kayne Anderson Real Estate Advisors, which plans to turn the property into . "The minister who was teaching my Bible lessons (in the Church Of Christ) mentioned the "Let God Be True" book in my studies, and he asked me if I knew that the doctrines of the Jehovah's Witnesses had changed over the years. Now if they all say this, surely not all of them could be the truth huh? Is the Book of Daniel Prophetic or Historical? Jehovah's Witnesses in Newcastle City Centre. 1. 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. 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 . 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. 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. 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Its hard to say. She has never found a discrepancy between what is written in the Bible and the teachings taught in the Church Of Christ. Jehovahs Witnesses are taught to welcome doctrinal changes. They dont bring salvation to your door when they come but instead, they talk about a paradise Earth and so on. It is truly a heavily works based religion. In South Africa, over 1400 congregations struggle to file their government mandated tax returns required of each congregation. Witnesses hold a number of traditional Christian views but also many that are unique to them. 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. Reportedly, one of the rules is that unless a perpetrator confesses to committing a sin, two people must witness the commission of the sin. 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. interesting topics> When these programs do address the children directly, it usually only entails an assembly drama about Samuel, or the promise that very soon, they will be able to play with tigers and elephants. Jehovah's Witnesses 'use the Bible to victim-shame,' sex abuse survivor says. Animal Suffering Jehovah's Witnesses, a millenarian denomination of Christrianity, follow strict guidelines regarding the use of blood in medical practices. But I will say this each one of us can play a part in sharing what we know with the public. Is it any wonder that they would seek to fill the void in their life with sex, drugs, and alcohol? A lack of education is also essential to keep members locked in. Its not what we post on AvoidJW.org that should worry Watch Tower. -65% of JWs are women, compared to only 35% men. Jesus said himself that he was the way, the life and the truth and that nobody comes to the father but through him. 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. , Productivity Hacks for the Creative Christian, Three (Unexpected) Life Lessons from College, Dear Teenage Self: Finding God Changes You. Why so many raised as Witnesses leave Issues such as shunning and adjusting to normal life outside the faith can prove challenging to those wishing to leave. Watch Tower has made it clear these records are to be destroyed according to their new records management and destruction procedures. THE Jehovah's Witnesses religious denomination has been accused of selling assets and sending cash offshore to avoid paying Australian child-sex abuse victims. Two thirds of those disfellowshipped never return. Brummies happily shopping and going. It isnt Christian and it isnt Gods organization. Id been treated badly by as many people who were Witnesses as I had non-Witnesses. 37:2337-Minute Listen. "I would be sick. 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 leadership of Jehovah's Witnesses has never admitted that any valid reasons to leave the religion exist. It isnt about the children. People are finally not afraid to talk, and the very massive Ex-JW community is really having a huge affect on Watchtower and on those still inside of it. Watch Tower must pay these benefits. My father and i have discussed this. Sherrie and Naomi were Jehovah's Witnesses. The important thing for us is to show them that there is a great life to be lived after leaving the Watchtower. They began publishing what they learned in books, newspapers, and the journal that is now called The Watchtower Announcing Jehovahs Kingdom. So when Cynthia invited her to meet George and his family at a gathering, she felt obliged to go. 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. First of all, I think the Watchtowers problems with their inability to retain the young people runs very deep. Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe that humans have an immaterial nature. Besides me, at least 75% of the kids I grew up with in the congregation are out for good. 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. Are you inspired? https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/religious-tradition/jehovahs-witness/, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/26/a-closer-look-at-jehovahs-witnesses-living-in-the-u-s/, https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/18/jehovahs-witnesses-murder-suicide-keego-harbor/409695002/. Since then, four Ukrainians from occupied Crimea have been sentenced to six or more years' imprisonment: Serhiy Filatov; Artem Gerasimov; Viktor Stashevsky and Igor Schmidt. 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. 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. The cart-witnessing program is finally beginning to backfire. . 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. She learned she couldnt get that from being a Jehovahs Witness. Clearly, these eight men will lie just to protect their money because thats their first love. 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. Sylviane is a relationship coach for women . 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. How many schools do you know of, that stick preschoolers, high school students, and graduate students all into the same classroom together? They are not allowed to question the Watchtower leadership or teaching. 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. 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. She met George, his family, and a few others from the Church Of Christ, including Brother Eddie San Gabriel, a Minister of the Gospel. Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. Andee. It is already collapsing under its own weight. Everyone has a different "wtf" trigger and access to that information is just a curious click away. 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. Globally there are about eight-and-a-half million Jehovahs Witnesses. - Quora Answer (1 of 27): It isn't a religion its a cult. Much of their growth from these nations is from people being born into the religion. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Moving to Warwick eliminated these costly payments. I eventually left the faith at 18. 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. 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. "(We) encourage them to make urgent contact with the Department of Social Services so . 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. Its not hard to figure out why so many Jehovah's Witness children are conditioned from an early age to associate drudgery with the meetings and assemblies. These groups are designed to approach the young people where they are at right now not from where someone thinks they should be. Those eight men up in New York are worshipped because they follow every single word they say. Governing Body member Geoffrey Jackson The shorter the expected time left, the higher the growth. 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. What are you doing? 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. JWs are leaving in droves, all because of the internet. 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. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. It is all about the rules and their governing body. 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. I have observed that children in families like this most often never thrive, and are swiftly on their way out by the time they reach teenage years. When curious JWs find communities like this one, they realize they're not alone and there's hope/life for them outside the borg. I was lucky enough to have parents who brought me up more loosely than most Jehovahs Witnesses. 10. 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. In more recent news concerning the Watchtower organization, Steven Lett made a really shocking and quite frankly damning statement concerning babies. The Watchtower organizations sole purpose is to proselytize, whereby all of its human capital must be channeled into that goal. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. 1. I remember that first year after Id left the Jehovahs Witness faith. 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.. The new Toyota Drove! 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. 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. 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. However, the Seventh day Adventists say that theyre the only true religion, the Mormons say it and so do the Catholics and so on. Jehovah's Witnesses do not provide a dignified resignation process for members who wish to leave. 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. And even though it was a challenging journey, she doesnt regret it. . 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. Jehovah's Witnesses will often turn away from any Bible discussion that challenges their beliefs, using the excuse that they cannot listen to apostates. 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.
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