Their lackluster growth will only continue; and they will find it harder and harder to recruit new members. 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. I have never been able to find anything more true than what is taught by the Church Of Christ. 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. Website powered & protected by Jehovah's holy spirit. 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. I have seen many really good kids in the organization totally get neglected because they didnt have a father who was a Witness. The faith discourages more than the bare minimum education, advising that higher education is a waste of time that could be better dedicated to ministry (a practice that is deemed so important every individual is required to submit a report card of the amount of hours theyve spent preaching each month), and that it fosters a materialistic and selfishly ambitious attitude. He lives in Stockholm. 1. The new Toyota Drove! 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. 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. So if Jesus said that, then that means all of these cultic religions are not the truth as they claim that they are. The "soul" is simply the life-force within a person. [1] People are waking up and leaving in droves. 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. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG) The pandemic may leave a. The Let God Be True book was written by imperfect men, and imperfect men make mistakes, and it was a mistake. Theres absolutely no evidence of that at all. If they act up and dont sit still; spankings are usually soon to follow. 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. The Holy Spirit is . 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 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. Internal rules and philosophies among the Jehovah's Witnesses seem to allow abuse to easily be covered up. Religious fact, faith and delusion, home> There is a question regarding the longevity of JW.org given the events of the past few years. (source: Detroit Free Press: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/18/jehovahs-witnesses-murder-suicide-keego-harbor/409695002/). The Witnesses still experience growth, but at a huge expense. This raises the issue of whether any benefits will ever be paid to other full-time JWs across the globe, who deserve them equally. Being a Witness and following the doctrines didnt automatically mark you as different or better than anyone else. In more recent news concerning the Watchtower organization, Steven Lett made a really shocking and quite frankly damning statement concerning babies. This religion contains more rules on what you cant do rather than what you can do. Its a great field service vehicle with four doors and plenty of ankle length dress room in the back! 37:2337-Minute Listen. Moving to Warwick eliminated these costly payments. Watch Tower is very upset and concerned about all the leaks coming from their headquarters. Jw.org Website She has never found a discrepancy between what is written in the Bible and the teachings taught in the Church Of Christ. 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. And, I think the issue is much broader than what the simple statistics are showing. 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. However, the Seventh day Adventists say that theyre the only true religion, the Mormons say it and so do the Catholics and so on. 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. 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. 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. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Most Jehovah's Witnesses - roughly two-thirds (65%) - are . 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. End of the Home Book Study Arrangement These groups are designed to approach the young people where they are at right now not from where someone thinks they should be. At death, that life-force leaves the body. Are Watchtower reasons for being the only true religion valid? 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. 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 . 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. Everyone has a different "wtf" trigger and access to that information is just a curious click away. Photo courtesy of Jehovah's Witnesses Public Information Desk Mandee Reid and her son, Charles Reid, of Kansas City, Mo., like Jehovah's . 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. The Internet is what is really hurting the Watchtower organization bigtime because in the past, information could be controlled and managed. 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. Jesus Christ is God's agent, through whom sinful humans can be reconciled to God. Photos of JWfacts.com being Promoted 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. When there has been no specific date set . I believe this is a huge factor in the turnover of young people leaving the organization. ITV Dancing On Ice judge Christopher announced Jayne is out of surgery - and it was a success. 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. In the book, they [JW] taught that Jesus Christ is a Mighty God. Updated at 12:25 p.m. 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. And at one time their teaching was that Jesus was like God or was a God.. All the books in the Bible.. She was especially close to her sister Cynthia. How can anyone watch these buffoons and think theyre Gods voice. On top of this, many Jehovah's Witness adults expect children to silently sit still through long convention talks on Daniels prophecies or the nuances of the word parousia. 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. Should you Disassociate and Sample Letters Jehovah's Witnesses in Newcastle City Centre. She listened and protected her faith and the teachings of the Jehovahs Witnesses until her beliefs could no longer defend her. Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. Personally, what this all adds up to for me is this: Young people, and most especially men, are leaving this religion in droves. Sparlock Warrior Wizard But why have they stopped knocking on our doors? Growth is pretty much stagnet in America and other countries like Great Brittan, Austrialia and other English speaking nations. Is it any wonder that the turnover among the young people is so high? Everyone has a different "wtf" trigger and access to that information is just a curious click away. They began publishing what they learned in books, newspapers, and the journal that is now called The Watchtower Announcing Jehovahs Kingdom. ITV Coronation Street star announces full-time return to soap - leaving fans delighted. "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. The Internet's most comprehensive resource for ex-Jehovah's Witnesses, a community for support, recovery and a few laughs along the way. A life of meaningless sex, drugs and alcohol is often woven into this picture. This religion is indeed a cult and a terrible one at that. Is it any wonder that they would seek to fill the void in their life with sex, drugs, and alcohol? The cart-witnessing program is finally beginning to backfire. But now members are heading into the city to try and reach out to more people. Less than 24 hours later, the manual was leaked and seemingly non-stop analysis and comparison to previous versions began. Instead, Andrea spent her time attending meetings at Kingdom Hall, sharing her faith, and being with her family. None of these religions are the true religion. Im still here, and Im still the same. Jehovah's Witnesses across the nation moved to letter-writing and phone-calling instead of door-to-door evangelizing when the organization suspended door-knocking in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are so inured to the concept that it has become meaningless. A lack of education is also essential to keep members locked in. The more the doctrines made sense, the more she wanted to keep learning. Consider this: any Witness can now sit in an assembly during the morning session; dutifully nod their head like a bobble head doll; and then walk outside and link up with ex-Witnesses online via their iPhone to express what they really think. *my Opinion * / Nostradamus Predictions For World War in 2020 . Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Basically it is in the process of imploding. All rights Reserved. It is all about the rules and their governing body. 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 Something went wrong, please try again later. Shunning seams to be one of their favorite topics and favorite things to do. As many of you know, the cutbacks were significant. "I would be sick. 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. This article provides basic information on leaving this faith. Many of us here paid that price, only to wake up to it years later. The Jehovah Witness religion is going through some tough times. Animal Suffering Jehovah's Witnesses 'use the Bible to victim-shame,' sex abuse survivor says. 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. 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. Biblically, however, the word "soul" is multifaceted. Was Russell a Freemason? Im a Choir Member. As she grew up as a third-generation Jehovah's Witness, there were certain things . Meanwhile, Watch Tower purchased four $8,000.00 scanners. Just imagine if the Ford Motor Company was still manufacturing and marketing the Ford Pinto. 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. For years, members have gone door-to-door to spread the word about the faith. Within ten years, a The leader Kim Jong is so deluded that his idea of inspiring his people is to walk out on his balcony with his huge Elvis glasses and clap his hands. 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. 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. Many of these were good kids too. That takes us to 27. 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. Jehovah's Witnesses must believe and teach that their group has been directly appointed by God and Jesus. Boom Boom Boom! Other programs that would make for a much stronger, robust, and enthusiastic membership are pushed aside and dismissed due their possibly interfering with proselytizing. You have no place in this house. He told me to pack my things and go.. They dont bring salvation to your door when they come but instead, they talk about a paradise Earth and so on. You know I couldnt see my life any other way. Jehovah's Witnesses do not provide a dignified resignation process for members who wish to leave. These elders are being retrained, and have been called disobedient by the branch. That our faith is true. 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. My father and i have discussed this. Learn how your comment data is processed. Additionally, it has been noted by many of us that when there is a family in which the father does not hold some kind of office, the family is often left out on the periphery without much social support. At what point do they begin to ask themselves if there is something that THEY are doing wrong? And he [my dad] told me that, If you go to that Church, dont come back. Two thirds of those disfellowshipped never return. 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. Find some websites which you believe are honest and accurate and share them. 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 . 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. Sections: politics business autos jobs career education romance computers phones travel sports fashion health The purpose? Watch Tower demands their freedom of speech but attempts to deny it to those sharing their publicly available materials which, by the way, are not being distributed for monetary gain. The verdict has since been overturned, but the case is still being litigated. The family of Jehovah's Witnesses is writing letters instead of knocking on doors to spread their faith. Its psychology 101. . 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Nov. 20, 2019, 9:49 AM PST. In many countries, such meetings would be nothing unusual. 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. However, today, information is in the form of aTsunami which cant be stopped. (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 do not believe that humans have an immaterial nature. Im astonished at the totally creepy nature of the GB Videos I have seen lately. 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. She converted a lot of people to that religion.. I was one of them. How long will all of this take? Globally there are about eight-and-a-half million Jehovahs Witnesses. A key factor to the growth in number of Jehovah's Witnesses is the promise that this system will end at any moment. Only ten years ago, every single member, that is 28 members were Jehovah's Witnesses. 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. Brummies happily shopping and going about their day to day business have seen them in their droves, Never miss breaking news by signing up to our free email updates. Mr. Lopez alleged he was abused by a church elder named Gonzalo Campos. The rest will live forever in a paradise on Earth, never meeting the person who died for them - Jesus Christ. 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. I myself was born and raised in the organization. Brummies happily shopping and going. 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 . This raises the question: Who is an. This was not a tax, it was a fee paid because New York owns the underground and the airspace. So when Cynthia invited her to meet George and his family at a gathering, she felt obliged to go. The Hardship of being a Gay Jehovah's Witness 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. 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. 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. Jehovah's Witnesses have been banned in Russia since 2017. They rely upon the Watchtower more than they rely upon 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. 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. It isnt about the children. Leaving the faith at 18 changed my life completely. Does a recession/pandemic/war indicate Armageddon? I have my duty. One has since died but had rarely attended before her death. It is law according to the Jehovahs Witness. (Rutherford must be having a meltdown in his grave). Jehovah's Witnesses believe that: God the Father (whose name is Jehovah) is "the only true God". Issues such as shunning and adjusting to normal life outside the faith can prove challenging to those wishing to leave. You dont need to mourn me, I told her once. 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. Watch Tower has made it clear these records are to be destroyed according to their new records management and destruction procedures. 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. young ones leaving. This is not to say that there are no enthusiastic young people in the Watchtower organization, because there truly are. Quick-builds only happen so often, and Bethel just isnt a possibility for everyone. Yes, money is a problem for Watch Tower. In 2017, Russia banned the denomination, whose members believe in nonviolence and refuse to take up arms in war; Russia . 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. 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. - The number of young Jehovah's Witnesses (aged 18-24) has dropped by 6% over the past 7 years. 100 years is a pretty long time to wait. Most congregations have not filed returns for 2 to 4 years, primarily because local elders do not understand how to file returns, and are quite frankly not interested in the business aspect of this religion. I remember that first year after Id left the Jehovahs Witness faith. 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. And its peppy acceleration will get you far and away from Zeb and his feisty cart crashes!. 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. To this day I search, I study, and I read. Beliefs. And the more she embraced the truth, the more her family tried to stop her. This is human nature. They affirm that GodJehovahis the most high. 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. Much of their growth from these nations is from people being born into the religion. With all of the publically displayed lies and deceptions that this organization has dished out over the years, people are finally waking up to the real truth about the Watchtower organization and its agenda. She didnt party, she didnt drink, and she stayed out of politics. The following is just my opinion and observations based on events from the past year. I had panic attacks. 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. interesting topics> 239) In this video I share the story of my transition from believing. . ET on April 5, 2019. 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. Many will have had to cover over passions and talents that would have given their lives much greater meaning. I just want you to listen to the doctrines. - Among all U.S. adults who were raised as Jehovahs Witnesses, two-thirds (66%) no longer identify with the group. 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. They make up these rules simply because they can. 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 . It is just too much even for them to handle. Statistically, two-thirds of born in members leave, and of those that leave on. I think the issue is much more serious than they would like to admit. Its not what we post on AvoidJW.org that should worry Watch Tower. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse by a member of a Jehovah's Witnesses congregation in Pierce County recently sued the organization. Governing Body member Geoffrey Jackson random musings> . 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. Are Watchtower reasons for being the only true religion valid? The Jehovahs Witnesses originated as a branch of the Bible Student movement, which was founded by Charles Taz Russell, a Christian Restorationist minister. Why Are People Leaving The Jehovah's Witness In Droves. World. I have two beautiful children that I adore, that God blessed me with, and are very active in the Church. 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. His wife's parents are among the 130,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in Ukraine. A typical Jehovahs Witnesss life is basically consisting of work or school and field service along with several weekly meetings and Bible studies, or should I say, Watchtower studies. However, disfellowshipping is. Jehovah's Witnesses are among the most racially and ethnically diverse religious groups in America. On February 4, 2019, rumors of the release of a new Elders manual, meant only for the eyes of the top leaders in each congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (JW), began to surface on ex-JW forums across the Internet. More and more people each day are posting YouTube videos about their terrible experiences with this organization.
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