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. Is it any wonder that they would seek to fill the void in their life with sex, drugs, and alcohol? This religion contains more rules on what you cant do rather than what you can do. . Brummies happily shopping and going about their day to day business have seen them in their droves. I eventually left the faith at 18. 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. 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. Mum, I havent died. They dont bring salvation to your door when they come but instead, they talk about a paradise Earth and so on. 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. With multiple documentaries being filmed, protests being organized, news reports being written and lawsuits being filed, Jehovahs Witnesses can choose to buckle up and attempt to survive the crash or they can release that belt and get the hell out of the vehicle which is about to catch fire. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Identifying True Worship, Part 1: What Is Apostasy according to the 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. 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. Religious Switching: Change in America's Religion Landscape | Pew Nov. 20, 2019, 9:49 AM PST. Steps 1 Do personal research. Andee. First of all, I think the Watchtowers problems with their inability to retain the young people runs very deep. Shunning seams to be one of their favorite topics and favorite things to do. Drunk driver smashed into family car on M6 - while sipping cider, Jehovah's Witnesses denies telling abuse victims not to call the police, BBC Breakfast star Charlie Stayt halts show to warn Lenny Henry 'you shouldn't say that', Charlie was hosting BBC Breakfast on Thursday - but warned Lenny: "You really shouldn't say that. I've never showered as much in my life. 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. 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). Watchtower Caught Dumping Chemicals I had panic attacks. Tony Morris declared on multiple occasions that he was incensed with European trousers for men, designed by the homosexuals he hates so passionately and followed this tirade by producing a side by side photo of what proper trousers look like versus tight pants. For years, members have gone door-to-door to spread the word about the faith. Ironically, they cant do that, because the organization has already been identified and branded as a spiritual banquet where nothing is lacking. According to the organisation, there are currently more than 70,000 Witnesses in Australia. Sparlock Warrior Wizard I was very well versed in the Bible. 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. Changes to the Generation Teaching - JWfacts 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. We have hope, and we have a promise that no one else on this Earth has. 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. Jehovah's Witnesses' bad blood with COVID-19 vaccines We have far more than they realize we have, and there is nothing they can do to stop the flow of information outside of headquarters. It is all about the rules and their governing body. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. To scan all documents located in Brooklyn, retaining only the hard copies they were required to keep by law. It is more like Satans group simply because of the harsh and inhumane rules and regulations that they harbor in their midst. They make up these rules simply because they can. Im still here, and Im still the same. The graph below shoes how the 18-29 crowd have aged up, but new young adults are not replenishing the numbers. 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. Franz stated the request for his resignation and his subsequent disfellowshipping resulted from allegations of apostasy. When you factor how many people are baptized vs. the number of publishers the year before you realize that they . Watch Tower has dispatched a team of elders to correct their thinking and their accounting procedures. Jehovah's Witnesses 'use the Bible to victim-shame,' sex abuse survivor says. All rights Reserved. Just imagine if the Ford Motor Company was still manufacturing and marketing the Ford Pinto. She didnt party, she didnt drink, and she stayed out of politics. 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. However, today, information is in the form of aTsunami which cant be stopped. At death, that life-force leaves the body. Are you inspired yet? That our faith is true. My parents chose my brother, my abuser, over me. Jesus said himself that he was the way, the life and the truth and that nobody comes to the father but through him. Jehovahs Witnesses can now be found in Birmingham city centre. It should be noted that the Soviets used the same methods of argumentation and reasoning claiming that nothing was lacking in Mother Russia. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Everyone has a different "wtf" trigger and access to that information is just a curious click away. I was one of them. 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 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.. There is a question regarding the longevity of JW.org given the events of the past few years. , Productivity Hacks for the Creative Christian, Three (Unexpected) Life Lessons from College, Dear Teenage Self: Finding God Changes You. 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. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse by a member of a Jehovah's Witnesses congregation in Pierce County recently sued the organization. But she realized she couldnt help her sister if she remained at a distance. Attending My Father's Funeral Jehovah's Witnesses are among the most racially and ethnically diverse religious groups in America. 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. In the spring of 2015, Stephen Lett asked for donations after stating that JW.org had more money going out than coming in. -65% of JWs are women, compared to only 35% men. 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 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. 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. Shunning and the BITE Model of Mind Control in the Jehovah's Witnesses / The Real Cause Of Chukwuemeka Akachi, UNN Student Death. Moriah Hughes, 24, filed her lawsuit last month in. I believe this with my whole heart. My grandmother was a pioneer. . Are people REALLY leaving??? - Jehovah's Witness Watch Tower Headquarters asked branches to sell as much equipment as they could liquidate including heavy equipment, printers, etc. 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. 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 . Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Beliefs. She met George, his family, and a few others from the Church Of Christ, including Brother Eddie San Gabriel, a Minister of the Gospel. How long will all of this take? Andrea grew up in a family of devout Jehovahs Witnesses. Many of us here paid that price, only to wake up to it years later. 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".. End of the Home Book Study Arrangement They still teach that everybody else is doomed except for them. This has happened in other countries as well. It was important for Andrea to have a relationship with God, and to worship Him the right way. Are Jehovah's Witnesses a Cult? Why Is Putin Afraid of Jehovah's Witnesses? - Foreign Policy "(We) encourage them to make urgent contact with the Department of Social Services so . Why Are People Leaving The Jehovah's Witness In Droves. When curious JWs find communities like this one, they realize they're not alone and there's hope/life for them outside the borg. RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS RECENT NEWS ITEMS - Stetson University 2. If the Jehovahs Witnesses were the true religion, sanctioned by God, there would be no room for error and no mistakes!. In situations such as this, I have often noticed that the kids dont have much in the way of emotional support and guidance. . 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. 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. I just want you to listen to the doctrines. ", BBC Beyond Paradise star Jamie Bamber is married to Eastenders actress. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that: God the Father (whose name is Jehovah) is "the only true God". 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. 6 months later in a private seminar, branch officials announced that Letts plea resulted in 30 million extra dollars in donations, but this would not stem their financial issues and would continue with layoffs and cutbacks. Theres absolutely no room for error within the organization. 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. 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. Id been treated badly by as many people who were Witnesses as I had non-Witnesses. You're taught by the organisation that once you leave you will. The family of Jehovah's Witnesses is writing letters instead of knocking on doors to spread their faith. The new Toyota Drove! 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. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. They thought the end would be here now with the old generation teaching. The more the doctrines made sense, the more she wanted to keep learning. I have a loving husband that I adore. 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. They believe that ony 144,000 Jehovah's Witnesses will go to heaven. There are millions trapped inside a mental prison, but we can help them. Raymond Franz - Wikipedia She converted a lot of people to that religion.. 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 worship the organization in which theyre a part of. Enter the social media - Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube all readily available on your average smart phone. 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. You dont need to mourn me, I told her once. It is law according to the Jehovahs Witness. 726 Followers. 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. 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. In 2017, Russia banned the denomination, whose members believe in nonviolence and refuse to take up arms in war; Russia . Nothing can be allowed to take any time away from the Watchtowers sole purpose of existence: proselytizing. 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. 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. Getty Images 08 . In many countries, such meetings would be nothing unusual. "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. She listened and protected her faith and the teachings of the Jehovahs Witnesses until her beliefs could no longer defend her. World. Furthermore, followers of the sect are three times more likely to be diagnosed as suffering . -65% of JWs are women, compared to only 35% men. 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. 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. Jehovah's Witnesses must believe and teach that their group has been directly appointed by God and Jesus. Witnesses hold a number of traditional Christian views but also many that are unique to them. Jehovah does not mislead us. 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. They affirm that GodJehovahis the most high. Instead, Andrea spent her time attending meetings at Kingdom Hall, sharing her faith, and being with her family. Brother Eddie San Gabriel challenged Andreas beliefs, and in the process she learned two powerful things that peeled her away from remaining a Jehovahs Witness. With a spacious trunk, with low clearance to fit that pesky literature cart! Are Watchtower reasons for being the only true religion valid? Obsessed By The Song Ororo By Bro Joshua Iginla - Religion - Nigeria Sherrie and Naomi were Jehovah's Witnesses. Jehovah's Witnesses 'use the Bible to victim-shame,' sex abuse survivor BeyondJW - Timothy Campbell 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. These elders are being retrained, and have been called disobedient by the branch. 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. I have seen a lot of creativity and progressive thinking when it comes to how they design ministries for young people. After completing her Bible studies, Andrea was baptized into the Church Of Christ in 1981. To have no faith. 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. 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 . You know what its like to have no hope. 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. The "soul" is simply the life-force within a person. 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. 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? Quick-builds only happen so often, and Bethel just isnt a possibility for everyone. It is just too much even for them to handle. JW News: Misleading Jehovah's Witnesses, Stephen Lett's 2021 Convention Photos of JWfacts.com being Promoted Witnesses are being approached and asked hard-hitting questions about child abuse, shunning, and other matters. Spare the rod, spoil the child. 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. 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. I knew the Bible back and forth. The leadership of Jehovah's Witnesses has never admitted that any valid reasons to leave the religion exist. It made them revered. Well, the reason for the recent increase is simply due to a change in tactics, according to our sister title the Chronicle. But I will say this each one of us can play a part in sharing what we know with the public. 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 . They believe that salvation is impossible outside of the Watchtower. However, none of that is really working and people are still waking up from this brutal North Korean type religion. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. A life of meaningless sex, drugs and alcohol is often woven into this picture. ET on April 5, 2019. Originally from Kent, Laetitia says her parents became Jehovah's Witnesses about four years before she was born. Im a Choir Member. However, disfellowshipping is. Examining the total number of people entering and leaving each religion provides the most complete picture of the dynamism of the American religious landscape. Jehovah's Witnesses - latest news, breaking stories and comment - The I had to see it, I had to look it up, and I had to read myself. This article provides basic information on leaving this faith. 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. Is it the sign of the end or just the end of a religion? (Immediately prior to dates the end was specifically expected, such as 1914, 1925 and 1975, growth increased to as high as 20%.) News Bulletin: Watchtower tightens shunning rules to include "sinful The groups are handing out copies of The Watchtower from carts outside New Street station. 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. Reasons Why I Left the Jehovah's Witnesses - incmedia.org The young ones are leaving in droves!!! - jehovahs-witness.com And then from that day, I never looked back. Ali's account of leaving the Jehovah's Witnesses was traumatic to write Jehovah's Witness elders made teen listen recording of her rape for 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. Watch Tower must pay these benefits. 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. Most Jehovah's Witnesses - roughly two-thirds (65%) - are . Again, they continue to enforce a one size fits all education and worship program to both children and adults. 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. And, I think the issue is much broader than what the simple statistics are showing. Jesus himself is truth, not those club-like religions. Personally, what this all adds up to for me is this: Young people, and most especially men, are leaving this religion in droves. It isnt about the children. Change in teachings? For what Christian would ever call somebodys baby a little enimy of God? The Watchtower organization simply has nothing new to offer, and no new ideas. Ukrainian Jehovah's Witness sentenced for talking about the Bible in Show your compassion for those still trapped. My Story of Leaving Jehovah's Witnesses Lloyd Evans 108K subscribers Subscribe 7.2K 232K views 4 years ago (Cedars' vlog no. Former local, nationwide Jehovah's Witnesses find child sex abuse Included with this the commissioning of the Last Messenger! Brummies happily shopping and going. Jehovah's Witness - Beliefs | Britannica Website powered & protected by Jehovah's holy spirit. Am I an Apostate? 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. 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. 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. 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. Pandemic changing how Jehovah's Witnesses share message of faith All the books in the Bible.. Photo courtesy of Jehovah's Witnesses Public Information Desk Mandee Reid and her son, Charles Reid, of Kansas City, Mo., like Jehovah's . Strangely, their newspapers only had good news to publish about the Soviet government, and only had bad news to report about Western democracies. The mountain of bullshit has finally gotten high enough that it's starting to collapse on itself. Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. Why are you doing this? Andrea was upset. In 2017, Russia's Supreme Court declared the group an extremist organization, lumping its. Feeling deceived by the teachings of the Jehovahs Witnesses, she confronted her grandmother. 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. Sylviane is a relationship coach for women . 2010 Elder's Book Yet Governing Body members like Samuel Herd have publicly stated how beautiful their new surroundings are at Bethel how they hear the birds chirping as they observe the serene landscape of upstate New York. Im astonished at the totally creepy nature of the GB Videos I have seen lately. 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.

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