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. All rights Reserved. Jehovahs Witnesses are taught to welcome doctrinal changes. One has since died but had rarely attended before her death. 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. 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. 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. Jesus said himself that he was the way, the life and the truth and that nobody comes to the father but through him. I believe this with my whole heart. They believe that salvation is impossible outside of the Watchtower. The Jackson family was raised in the Jehovah's Witness faith, but several of the family members, including sister Janet, no longer practice the religion. . In 2017, Russia's Supreme Court declared the group an extremist organization, lumping its. And he [my dad] told me that, If you go to that Church, dont come back. The following is just my opinion and observations based on events from the past year. 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. 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. Andrea sat down. Marriage to an unbeliever starts to look a little inevitable. Im astonished at the totally creepy nature of the GB Videos I have seen lately. 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. To have no faith. They use Office 365 now and embed data into PDF files in an attempt to track where the leaks are coming from. 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. Included with this the commissioning of the Last Messenger! The present study of 50 Jehovah's Witnesses admitted to the Mental Health Service facilities of Western Australia suggests that members of this section of the community are more likely to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital than the general population. The Secret Jehovah's Witness Database of Child Molesters - The Atlantic Problems Facing JW.org - Jehovah's Witnesses 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. Leaked 'Branch' and 'Elders' Manuals Pull Back the Curtain of Inner - Among all U.S. adults who were raised as Jehovahs Witnesses, two-thirds (66%) no longer identify with the group. It isnt Christian and it isnt Gods organization. I was lucky enough to have parents who brought me up more loosely than most Jehovahs Witnesses. 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. Reportedly, one of the rules is that unless a perpetrator confesses to committing a sin, two people must witness the commission of the sin. ITV Coronation Street star announces full-time return to soap - leaving fans delighted. 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. . Jehovah's Witnesses said in a statement it did not join because it does not have the institutional settings that result in children being separated from their parents, such as youth groups, choirs . At what point do they begin to ask themselves if there is something that THEY are doing wrong? [1] People are waking up and leaving in droves. Learn how your comment data is processed. Jehovah's Witnesses do not provide a dignified resignation process for members who wish to leave. There is absolutely nowhere in the Bible where Jesus disfellowshipped anyone. Besides meetings and literature, what is the Watchtower doing, or even attempting to do to truly refresh, uplift, and inspire their young people? ITV Dancing On Ice's Christopher Dean issues Jayne Torvill health announcement. They really have no proof of God giving them this high and mighty position of being Gods only spoksperson on Earth. 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. Raymond Victor Franz (May 8, 1922 - June 2, 2010) was a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses from October 20, 1971, until his removal on May 22, 1980, and served at the organization's world headquarters for fifteen years, from 1965 until 1980. I have two beautiful children that I adore, that God blessed me with, and are very active in the Church. I eventually left the faith at 18. 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 . 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. 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. They believe that ony 144,000 Jehovah's Witnesses will go to heaven. Can baptism be Annulled? Jehovah's Witnesses - News, views, gossip, pictures, video - mirror I dont think Ive ever seen my mum cry so much, so often. Something went wrong, please try again later. 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. Watchtower Caught Dumping Chemicals Many teenagers in the organization have issues that require a little more remedy than sitting with a notepad at the assembly and counting with tally marks the number of times the speaker says Jehovah. Inside The Lost Jehovah's Witnesses Tunnels Under Brooklyn Heights Nothing can be allowed to take any time away from the Watchtowers sole purpose of existence: proselytizing. 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. Ria Williams sued the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's. When you factor how many people are baptized vs. the number of publishers the year before you realize that they . Jehovah's Witnesses are taught to welcome doctrinal changes. 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. This is not to say that there are no enthusiastic young people in the Watchtower organization, because there truly are. The. In situations such as this, I have often noticed that the kids dont have much in the way of emotional support and guidance. That takes us to 27. Branches around the world are struggling to keep up with their own accounting procedures. Jehovah's Witnesses believe these men are anointed as the voice of God on Earth. Was Russell a Freemason? Is it any wonder that they would seek to fill the void in their life with sex, drugs, and alcohol? Watch Tower must pay these benefits. It's already a small pool of potential friends and romantic interests in a KH. A key factor to the growth in number of Jehovah's Witnesses is the promise that this system will end at any moment. They govern every aspect of your life from cradle to grave. Yet, ironically, its clear that their growth is already suffering due in part to this stubbornness. While they may appear nice and friendly, once you get into the inner-workings of the organization, you quickly discover that the niceness and friendliness is very short lived unless you follow everything to the letter within the organization. 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. It is already collapsing under its own weight. With a spacious trunk, with low clearance to fit that pesky literature cart! Sparlock Warrior Wizard And then from that day, I never looked back. 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. Watch Tower is very upset and concerned about all the leaks coming from their headquarters. all because thats THE NEW FOUR DOOR SEDAN BY TOYOTA! 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. 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. Their lackluster growth will only continue; and they will find it harder and harder to recruit new members. Is the Book of Daniel Prophetic or Historical? The "soul" is simply the life-force within a person. This is definitely one organization that you need to steer clear of at all costs. Mr. Lopez alleged he was abused by a church elder named Gonzalo Campos. 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. 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. 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. While I tried to maintain the utmost respect for their beliefs and not attempt to preach my own, they refused to extend me the same courtesy, and many assumed Id left so I could experience more freedom for worldly things. 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. His wife's parents are among the 130,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in Ukraine. It is truly a heavily works based religion. Why Are People Leaving The Jehovah's Witness In Droves. Watch Tower Headquarters asked branches to sell as much equipment as they could liquidate including heavy equipment, printers, etc. Yes, one would think so, but this would involve the Watchtower leadership reinventing, and rethinking matters that they are convinced have already been settled. Well here goes. Find some websites which you believe are honest and accurate and share them. JWs are leaving in droves, all because of the internet. 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 . I had panic attacks. What Happens When You Leave the Jehovah's Witnesses? 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. 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. "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. How many schools do you know of, that stick preschoolers, high school students, and graduate students all into the same classroom together? Meanwhile, Watch Tower purchased four $8,000.00 scanners. Jehovah's Witness Sexual Abuse Lawsuit | Rosenfeld Injury Law Believers honor Jehovah, the God and Creator of all things. . (We already know that growth has become stagnant and more and more people seem to be waking up than previously.). Sitting through hours upon hours of talks and Watchtower studies is not going to help them with many of the emotional and social challenges theyre grappling with. They rely upon the Watchtower more than they rely upon the Bible. They have been issuing subpoenas from the Southern District of New York to various internet providers in the US, along with Google, Inc., in an attempt to track down the source of the leaks and identify the individuals involved in leaking their literature and videos. Many of these were good kids too. Witnesses believe that they are living in . This was not a tax, it was a fee paid because New York owns the underground and the airspace. 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. Two years later he founded Zion's Watch Tower and Tract Society, which was incorpo-rated in 1884 in Pennsylvania. The mental health of Jehovah's Witnesses - PubMed This does not sit well with many elders, particularly those is less than affluent areas. How can anyone watch these buffoons and think theyre Gods voice. All the books in the Bible.. 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. Clearly, these eight men will lie just to protect their money because thats their first love. 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. 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.. They may think they do, but we have seen, we have seen the proof that our God is real. Truly the Watchtower organization has absolutely nothing good to say about any other religion because theyre too busy puffing themselves up over them. There was always an air of mysti'c never seeing them except on occasion at a district convention. The family of Jehovah's Witnesses is writing letters instead of knocking on doors to spread their faith. Nov. 20, 2019, 9:49 AM PST. Finish the statement: "JWs are leaving in droves, all because Id been treated badly by as many people who were Witnesses as I had non-Witnesses. Andee. This is another religion. There is dissent in South Africa right now because of the fixed per capita amount assigned to each publisher who attends a circuit assembly. Are people REALLY leaving??? - Jehovah's Witness In Canada, United States, Ireland, Australia, the Netherlands and multiple other countries, the government and media are taking notice of the public outcry for justice justice for abuse victims to victims of imposed and mandated shunning. This has happened in other countries as well. The groups are handing out copies of The Watchtower from carts outside New Street station. In some respects, its very entertaining. This is where the Watchtower is at. 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. (Rutherford must be having a meltdown in his grave). 726 Followers. To scan all documents located in Brooklyn, retaining only the hard copies they were required to keep by law. You dont need to mourn me, I told her once. 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. Its not what we post on AvoidJW.org that should worry Watch Tower. They are told to just go and pioneer.). 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. 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. 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. I can never forgive them for betrayal. Why so many raised as Jehovah's witnesses leave - JWfacts Theres absolutely no room for error within the organization. I think the issue is much more serious than they would like to admit. Authorities have also been accused of failing to look into allegations by whistleblowers that Jehovah's Witnesses may be hiding its money . Feeling deceived by the teachings of the Jehovahs Witnesses, she confronted her grandmother. My Story of Leaving Jehovah's Witnesses - YouTube 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. 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. Former local, nationwide Jehovah's Witnesses find child sex abuse Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses say church's shunning caused too many suicides 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. 12 Outrageous Facts about Jehovah's Witnesses you need to Know It was important for Andrea to have a relationship with God, and to worship Him the right way. 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. 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. (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/). This raises the issue of whether any benefits will ever be paid to other full-time JWs across the globe, who deserve them equally. They put peoples lives in bondage to the religion. 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. Identifying True Worship, Part 1: What Is Apostasy according to the 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. Jehovah's Witness Child Abuse Lawsuit - Class Action But in another respect, its quite sad, when considering the young people in the organization who desperately need and yearn for something more. Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe that humans have an immaterial nature. You know what its like to have no hope. Find some books which are truthful and sincere and share them. I was one of them. 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. 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 Jehovah's Witnesses, a millenarian denomination of Christrianity, follow strict guidelines regarding the use of blood in medical practices. Russia's mysterious campaign against Jehovah's Witnesses - ABC News 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. Issues such as shunning and adjusting to normal life outside the faith can prove challenging to those wishing to leave. These Sydney women left a 'cult like' religion this is what they 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. Less than 24 hours later, the manual was leaked and seemingly non-stop analysis and comparison to previous versions began. Globally there are about eight-and-a-half million Jehovahs Witnesses. He lives in Stockholm. Press J to jump to the feed. Should you Disassociate and Sample Letters A former Jehovahs Witness shares why she walked away for good, We would have Bible studies, and I even preached from door to door. If they act up and dont sit still; spankings are usually soon to follow. 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. However, disfellowshipping is. Jehovahs Witnesses can now be found in Birmingham city centre. Sherrie and Naomi were Jehovah's Witnesses. I just want you to listen, Cynthia begged. Well, the reason for the recent increase is simply due to a change in tactics, according to our sister title the Chronicle. For what Christian would ever call somebodys baby a little enimy of God? In more recent news concerning the Watchtower organization, Steven Lett made a really shocking and quite frankly damning statement concerning babies. Copyright 2023 Jehovah's Witnesses. 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. 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. 'Leaving The Witness': Amber Scorah Reflects On Losing Her Faith - NPR.org Why are you doing this? Andrea was upset. Left In 1977. The more the doctrines made sense, the more she wanted to keep learning. Moriah Hughes, 24, filed her lawsuit last month in. She didnt party, she didnt drink, and she stayed out of politics. 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. Many former friends, including my best friend of 10 years, shunned me. 37:2337-Minute Listen. PDF The Jehovah's Witness Tradition - Advocate Health There are now 11 of us that are no longer Jehovah's Witnesses, and that is in ten years. News Bulletin: Watchtower tightens shunning rules to include "sinful Many of us here paid that price, only to wake up to it years later. They began publishing what they learned in books, newspapers, and the journal that is now called The Watchtower Announcing Jehovahs Kingdom. Changes to the Generation Teaching - JWfacts Other programs that would make for a much stronger, robust, and enthusiastic membership are pushed aside and dismissed due their possibly interfering with proselytizing. Boom Boom Boom! Witnesses hold a number of traditional Christian views but also many that are unique to them. So if Jesus said that, then that means all of these cultic religions are not the truth as they claim that they are. 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 . - The number of young Jehovah's Witnesses (aged 18-24) has dropped by 6% over the past 7 years. Doomsday images from Jehovah's Witnesses publications. . A big part of the JW organization's power comes from keeping dissenters isolated until they give in due to loneliness. Just because they make the claim doesnt make it so. The Jehovah Witness religion is going through some tough times. - About 1% of the entire membership is disfellowshipped every year. But I will say this each one of us can play a part in sharing what we know with the public. The 11 Beliefs You Should Know about Jehovah's Witnesses When They A moment that changed me: dropping out of university | Anne T Donaghue, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Leaving the faith at 18 changed my life completely., remember that first year after Id left the, Former Jehovah's Witness elders call for mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse, MPsdemand action over Jehovahs Witness abuse allegations, Jehovah's Witnesses accused of silencing victims of child abuse, Child sexual abuse inquiry considers Jehovah's Witnesses UK investigation, Jehovahs Witnesses criticised over handling of child abuse case, Jehovah's Witnesses charity drops attempts to block abuse inquiry, Jehovah's Witnesses did not protect children from abuse, inquiry finds, Jehovah's Witnesses under pressure over handling of sexual abuse claims, Jehovah's Witnesses accused of damaging Otomi religious site in Mexico.