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. Instead, all of the nations human capital is invested in one thing: warfare. Left In 1977. If they are really lucky, and they are privileged enough to have a dad whos a prominent elder, they might land an exciting acting role - waving their arms around in huge pantomime gestures in an assembly drama. In South Africa, over 1400 congregations struggle to file their government mandated tax returns required of each congregation. Young Korean Witnesses languish in prison for no reason. At death, that life-force leaves the body. Followers famously wont accept blood donations - nor do they celebrate birthdays, claiming such celebrations displease God. Website powered & protected by Jehovah's holy spirit. Theres absolutely no room for error within the organization. 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. 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. Why are you doing this? Andrea was upset. So when Cynthia invited her to meet George and his family at a gathering, she felt obliged to go. 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. 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. 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. 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. Its what we dont post. A life of meaningless sex, drugs and alcohol is often woven into this picture. The graph below shoes how the 18-29 crowd have aged up, but new young adults are not replenishing the numbers. This is human nature. ITV Dancing On Ice's Christopher Dean issues Jayne Torvill health announcement. You know I couldnt see my life any other way. They began publishing what they learned in books, newspapers, and the journal that is now called The Watchtower Announcing Jehovahs Kingdom. Youre taught by the organisation that once you leave you will become corrupted by the outside world and inevitably descend into selfishness, meanness and false happiness. Truly the Watchtower organization has absolutely nothing good to say about any other religion because theyre too busy puffing themselves up over them. The carts also provide the public with the choice of approaching us or not, which some people appreciate. Brummies happily shopping and going. I just want you to listen, Cynthia begged. And you have no promise. More and more people each day are posting YouTube videos about their terrible experiences with this organization. As she started to lose trust in the unsteady teachings of JW, Andrea turned to the Church Of Christ for doctrinal stability because, in the Church Of Christ, everything that they follow is written in the Bible. The Jehovah Witness religion is going through some tough times. Included with this the commissioning of the Last Messenger! He lives in Stockholm. - 63% of current Jehovah's Witnesses are a high school education or less. 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. (Rutherford must be having a meltdown in his grave). I myself was born and raised in the organization. I just want you to listen to the doctrines. Animal Suffering Just because they make the claim doesnt make it so. How long will all of this take? Theres absolutely no evidence of that at all. She tried to push his friendship away, which meant pushing Cynthia away too. For years, members have gone door-to-door to spread the word about the faith. It isnt about the children. 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. Updated at 12:25 p.m. Clearly, these eight men will lie just to protect their money because thats their first love. 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. This is another religion. Religious fact, faith and delusion, home> 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. In order to avoid climate passivity, we must redefine Armageddon. Boom Boom Boom! . Sylviane is a relationship coach for women . 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. 239) In this video I share the story of my transition from believing. Jehovah's Witness 'ordered to renounce faith and join Russian army' Europe. 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 . There are also members with experiences of Catholicism, Mormonism, the Exclusive Brethren, the Mennonites, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and the Falun Gong movement. Watch Tower was spending tens of thousands per year to New York City just to maintain their tunnel and air-bridge spaces between buildings. The gathering was a Bible study. I went to university, where I made even more friends who showed me that being in the world is completely fine, and that debate and discussion is also OK. 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. We grew up together. "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. Nothing is added, subtracted, or changed to conform to societys standards because, in the Church Of Christ, the Bible is the basis of their faith. . Watch Tower has made it clear these records are to be destroyed according to their new records management and destruction procedures. Im astonished at the totally creepy nature of the GB Videos I have seen lately. You can get shunned just by reading literature from another church, and you can even get shunned for smoking a cigarette. Well here goes. 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. 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. It is more like Satans group simply because of the harsh and inhumane rules and regulations that they harbor in their midst. She learned she couldnt get that from being a Jehovahs Witness. I eventually left the faith at 18. 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. This is definitely one organization that you need to steer clear of at all costs. Jehovah's Witnesses must believe and teach that their group has been directly appointed by God and Jesus. Find some websites which you believe are honest and accurate and share them. 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. That is why I believe they will never adopt the very common sense solutions that could be so helpful to their members; especially the young ones. young ones leaving. Jesus himself is truth, not those club-like religions. I also believe this is an area where they are also profoundly disconnected from reality. 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. Press J to jump to the feed. BeyondJW - Timothy Campbell I believe this with my whole heart. Jehovah's Witnesses ban comes into force in Russia after appeal fails. random musings> Evolution & Creation Misrepresentations Much of their growth from these nations is from people being born into the religion. Were a year and a half apart. Jehovah's Witnesses, a millenarian denomination of Christrianity, follow strict guidelines regarding the use of blood in medical practices. 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. Basically it is in the process of imploding. 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. Brummies happily shopping and going about their day to day business have seen them in their droves. They may think they do, but we have seen, we have seen the proof that our God is real. In more recent news concerning the Watchtower organization, Steven Lett made a really shocking and quite frankly damning statement concerning babies. Jw.org Website 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 have several observations to add to this. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. She listened and protected her faith and the teachings of the Jehovahs Witnesses until her beliefs could no longer defend her. Not even Watchtowers huge lawyers can stop it. 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. "They knocked on our door and caught my mum at a vulnerable time of crisis . Im still here, and Im still the same. 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. Steps 1 Do personal research. 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. They still teach that everybody else is doomed except for them. A man who pleaded guilty to raping two underage girls he met through the Jehovah's Witness congregation they all belonged to has been sentenced to . Shunning seams to be one of their favorite topics and favorite things to do. 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. Jehovah's Witnesses do not provide a dignified resignation process for members who wish to leave. 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. There are now 11 of us that are no longer Jehovah's Witnesses, and that is in ten years. (Translation they are on their own: no health care, no jobs, no training. Yes, money is a problem for Watch Tower. It made them revered. To have no faith. I dont remember feelling that way 30yrs ago, but perhaps I am starting to get back to normal? Marriage to an unbeliever starts to look a little inevitable. 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. 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. A key factor to the growth in number of Jehovah's Witnesses is the promise that this system will end at any moment. 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. 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. Contrast this to the July 2009 issue of Awake! Its psychology 101. THE Jehovah's Witnesses religious denomination has been accused of selling assets and sending cash offshore to avoid paying Australian child-sex abuse victims. 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. 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 . However, disfellowshipping is. Lets make it happen. Does a recession/pandemic/war indicate Armageddon? If the Jehovahs Witnesses were the true religion, sanctioned by God, there would be no room for error and no mistakes!. It is already collapsing under its own weight. 2. The "soul" is simply the life-force within a person. That our faith is true. . They thought the end would be here now with the old generation teaching. Witnesses believe that they are living in . 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. 2020-06-14 - NATALIE O'BRIEN. Many elders have questioned this vocally, and have described the amount of money charged to each circuit as an invoice. 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. Nov. 20, 2019, 9:49 AM PST. Show your compassion for those still trapped. 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. Two thirds of those disfellowshipped never return. Besides me, at least 75% of the kids I grew up with in the congregation are out for good. ITV Dancing On Ice judge Christopher announced Jayne is out of surgery - and it was a success. 10. 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. Jesus Christ is his firstborn son, is inferior to God, and was created by God. It is all about how much you can do in the organization that earns you status and salvation. However, today, information is in the form of aTsunami which cant be stopped. She didnt party, she didnt drink, and she stayed out of politics. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that they have the one and only true religion and that their Governing Body is appointed by God himself. The cart-witnessing program is finally beginning to backfire. This is an area where I believe the Watchtower leadership shows an astounding lack of insight. Have you lost your mind? Internal rules and philosophies among the Jehovah's Witnesses seem to allow abuse to easily be covered up. Furthermore, followers of the sect are three times more likely to be diagnosed as suffering . It is truly a heavily works based religion. Those eight men up in New York are worshipped because they follow every single word they say. 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. But why have they stopped knocking on our doors? 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.
