They make up these rules simply because they can. My parents chose my brother, my abuser, over me. 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. The life of the Jehovah's Witnesses is guided by those forbidden things and more. Amber Scorah writes about exiting the Jehovah's Witnesses in Leaving the Witness. 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. 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. 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. 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. Andee. 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 mountain of bullshit has finally gotten high enough that it's starting to collapse on itself. 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. None of these religions are the true religion. There is absolutely nowhere in the Bible where Jesus disfellowshipped anyone. 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. Robins Kaplan Files Lawsuits Against the Jehovah's Witnesses Parent Feeling deceived by the teachings of the Jehovahs Witnesses, she confronted her grandmother. His wife's parents are among the 130,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in Ukraine. Branches around the world are struggling to keep up with their own accounting procedures. ITV Dancing On Ice judge Christopher announced Jayne is out of surgery - and it was a success. ET on April 5, 2019. 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. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. He lives in Stockholm. Yes, money is a problem for Watch Tower. 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. And instead of just forgiving you of your sin, this evil shunning practice is what they do to you until youre reproved and brought back into good standing which by the way can take a very very long time. Does a recession/pandemic/war indicate Armageddon? Its hard to say. This religion contains more rules on what you cant do rather than what you can do. Why are you doing this? Andrea was upset. 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. JWs are leaving in droves, all because of the internet. Believers honor Jehovah, the God and Creator of all things. 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. These groups are designed to approach the young people where they are at right now not from where someone thinks they should be. They worship the organization in which theyre a part of. 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. However, the Seventh day Adventists say that theyre the only true religion, the Mormons say it and so do the Catholics and so on. 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. All rights Reserved. All the books in the Bible.. I believe this with my whole heart. 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. (We already know that growth has become stagnant and more and more people seem to be waking up than previously.). Five Scary Core Beliefs of the Jehovah's Witness - JW Answers A closer look at Jehovah's Witnesses living in the U.S. (Translation they are on their own: no health care, no jobs, no training. 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. 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Only ten years ago, every single member, that is 28 members were Jehovah's Witnesses. Jehovah's Witnesses' bad blood with COVID-19 vaccines It is more like Satans group simply because of the harsh and inhumane rules and regulations that they harbor in their midst. The lawsuits are piling up, the fines are compounding, the public awareness of Watch Towers dangerous and controlling cult influence on followers will become a spectacle in 2018. 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. Biblically, however, the word "soul" is multifaceted. 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 Jehovahs Witnesses had changed over the years. But she realized she couldnt help her sister if she remained at a distance. 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. Reasons Why I Left the Jehovah's Witnesses - incmedia.org We are in a great position to be a source of strength and compassion for those younger people who are wandering out and stumbling into forums like this. I have my duty. The verdict has since been overturned, but the case is still being litigated. Simple forgiveness isnt in their vocabulary. And its peppy acceleration will get you far and away from Zeb and his feisty cart crashes!. Witnesses are being approached and asked hard-hitting questions about child abuse, shunning, and other matters. Watch Tower Headquarters asked branches to sell as much equipment as they could liquidate including heavy equipment, printers, etc. A moment that changed me: quitting the Jehovah's Witnesses I tried at all costs to avoid any discussions of faith with Jehovahs Witnesses with whom I was still in contact mostly because I didnt want to be forced into an argument with them over my anger and frustration at some of the doctrines. That our faith is true. Can baptism be Annulled? 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. Nobody at the London HQ would comment on whether the strategy resulted in an increase in followers. This is not to say that there are no enthusiastic young people in the Watchtower organization, because there truly are. (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/). Jehovah's Witnesses ban comes into force in Russia after appeal fails. magazine which says: "No one should be made to worship in a way they find . He [the minister] handed me the Bible, and he told me, From now on, when we look up a scripture, I want you to look it up, and I want you to read it. And that was the biggest help for me in reaffirming me that what he was telling me was the truth. The Holy Spirit is the name of God's active force in the world. Are Watchtower reasons for being the only true religion valid? There is a question regarding the longevity of JW.org given the events of the past few years. The mental health of Jehovah's Witnesses - PubMed Jehovah's Witnesses believe these men are anointed as the voice of God on Earth. 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. 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. 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. As she grew up as a third-generation Jehovah's Witness, there were certain things . You're taught by the organisation that once you leave you will. Inside The Lost Jehovah's Witnesses Tunnels Under Brooklyn Heights Globally there are about eight-and-a-half million Jehovahs Witnesses. How a former Jehovah's Witness follower is facing the trauma after 1. But in another respect, its quite sad, when considering the young people in the organization who desperately need and yearn for something more. Brummies happily shopping and going about their day to day business have seen them in their droves. 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. 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.. Mum, I havent died. Jehovah's Witness elders made teen listen recording of her rape for - Among all U.S. adults who were raised as Jehovahs Witnesses, two-thirds (66%) no longer identify with the group. Jehovahs Witnesses can now be found in Birmingham city centre. 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 . . For years, members have gone door-to-door to spread the word about the faith. 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. If a Jehovah's Witness were to break any of the rules they could be spoken to by an elder (the equivalent of a . Jesus himself is truth, not those club-like religions. 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. 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. Are you inspired? However, disfellowshipping is. The Jehovahs Witnesses originated as a branch of the Bible Student movement, which was founded by Charles Taz Russell, a Christian Restorationist minister. Marriage to an unbeliever starts to look a little inevitable. Brummies happily shopping and going. 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. Once that happens, shunning will have very little power over JWs. A big part of the JW organization's power comes from keeping dissenters isolated until they give in due to loneliness. Truth Be Told Documentary If the religion continues to have to pay out millions of dollars to the victems of child abuse, and it they continue to loose new converts simply because theyre finding out the real truth about the religion, then theres no way that it will be able to remain standing. I just want you to listen to the doctrines. 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. 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. I have never been able to find anything more true than what is taught by the Church Of Christ. They rely upon the Watchtower more than they rely upon the Bible. 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. 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. 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. Just because they make the claim doesnt make it so. Does this sound familiar? More and more people each day are posting YouTube videos about their terrible experiences with this organization. Is it any wonder that they would seek to fill the void in their life with sex, drugs, and alcohol? Quick-builds only happen so often, and Bethel just isnt a possibility for everyone. Conflagration and Catastrophe: On Jehovah's Witnesses and the Doom of No other religion can do that. They are not allowed to question the Watchtower leadership or teaching. There are now 11 of us that are no longer Jehovah's Witnesses, and that is in ten years. Less than 24 hours later, the manual was leaked and seemingly non-stop analysis and comparison to previous versions began. I can never forgive them for betrayal. Jehovah's Witnesses and Covid-19 Jehovah's Witnesses to join redress scheme | 7NEWS Aside from the Bethel layoffs, all non-essential branch projects were either cancelled or put on hold. How to Leave Jehovah's Witnesses: 4 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow World. However, none of that is really working and people are still waking up from this brutal North Korean type religion. Boom Boom Boom! She was convinced shed lost me and that Id be changed for ever now, no longer the daughter shed always loved and cherished. 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. It is all about the rules and their governing body. 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. No religion can claim that. Left In 1977. The Holy Spirit is . They put peoples lives in bondage to the religion. This is an area where I believe the Watchtower leadership shows an astounding lack of insight. 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. 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. If the Jehovahs Witnesses were the true religion, sanctioned by God, there would be no room for error and no mistakes!. Find some books which are truthful and sincere and share them. 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. They may think they do, but we have seen, we have seen the proof that our God is real. 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. 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. The modern-day organisation began at the end of the 19th century. Jesus Christ is God's agent, through whom sinful humans can be reconciled to God. Inside the brutal world of the Jehovah's Witnesses - ABC News My Story of Leaving Jehovah's Witnesses Lloyd Evans 108K subscribers Subscribe 7.2K 232K views 4 years ago (Cedars' vlog no. She has never found a discrepancy between what is written in the Bible and the teachings taught in the Church Of Christ. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Jehovah's Witness Sexual Abuse Lawsuit | Rosenfeld Injury Law Leaked 'Branch' and 'Elders' Manuals Pull Back the Curtain of Inner The more the doctrines made sense, the more she wanted to keep learning. The Let God Be True book was written by imperfect men, and imperfect men make mistakes, and it was a mistake. By Elizabeth Chuck. 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. How long will all of this take? One factor that was discussed at length was the high number of young people who do not stay in the organization. In fact, the July 1st, 1984 issue of Watchtower magazine goes so far as to say that anyone who leaves their religion has decided "to leave the way of truth".. They are told to just go and pioneer.). 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. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that they have the one and only true religion and that their Governing Body is appointed by God himself. The family of Jehovah's Witnesses is writing letters instead of knocking on doors to spread their faith. . The important thing for us is to show them that there is a great life to be lived after leaving the Watchtower. Find some websites which you believe are honest and accurate and share them. Jehovah's Witnesses are among the most racially and ethnically diverse religious groups in America. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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. - 63% of current Jehovah's Witnesses are a high school education or less. A life of meaningless sex, drugs and alcohol is often woven into this picture. The Jehovah's Witnesses congregation is a millennialist restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs. He grew up in a Strong JW family in the USA but now thinks most of it is BS and Nonsense, By the way he does love Sweden and I need to go visit him. Like Stockholm Syndrome victims, Jehovah's 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. Why so many raised as Jehovah's witnesses leave - JWfacts 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. Contrast this to the July 2009 issue of Awake! Jehovah's Witnesses believe that: God the Father (whose name is Jehovah) is "the only true God". Leaving the faith at 18 changed my life completely. She didnt party, she didnt drink, and she stayed out of politics. Jehovah's Witness pervert who got sexual kicks from strangling children jailed despite cover-up by congregation. In situations such as this, I have often noticed that the kids dont have much in the way of emotional support and guidance. There are millions trapped inside a mental prison, but we can help them. It is truly a heavily works based religion. Should you Disassociate and Sample Letters, The Hardship of being a Gay Jehovah's Witness. It isnt about the children. 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. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. She learned she couldnt get that from being a Jehovahs Witness. -65% of JWs are women, compared to only 35% men. Franz stated the request for his resignation and his subsequent disfellowshipping resulted from allegations of apostasy. If at any point you do have doubts and want to leave, your forced isolation up to that point makes the decision inevitably intimidating and potentially overwhelming because of the prospect of being alone and without a support network to guide you through the process. In March 1997, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, the nonprofit organization that oversees the Jehovah's Witnesses, sent a letter to each of its . Just imagine if the Ford Motor Company was still manufacturing and marketing the Ford Pinto. 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 . 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. And 67% of the Buddhists surveyed indicate that they were raised in a . Because I love my sister so much, I felt like I had to give her the opportunity to just listen. Truly the Watchtower organization has absolutely nothing good to say about any other religion because theyre too busy puffing themselves up over them. Watch Tower is very upset and concerned about all the leaks coming from their headquarters. The Watchtower organization simply has nothing new to offer, and no new ideas. I began a life where I could decide what to believe for myself, and I wasnt afraid of someone telling me I couldnt. To scan all documents located in Brooklyn, retaining only the hard copies they were required to keep by law. Animal Suffering Were a year and a half apart. They still teach that everybody else is doomed except for them. Jehovah's Witnesses, a Christian denomination with an estimated 175,000 followers in Russia. That takes us to 27. They affirm that GodJehovahis the most high. Many of us here paid that price, only to wake up to it years later. I also believe this is an area where they are also profoundly disconnected from reality. I just want you to listen, Cynthia begged. 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.