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I was lucky enough to have parents who brought me up more loosely than most Jehovahs Witnesses. 100 years is a pretty long time to wait. Updated at 12:25 p.m. ITV Dancing On Ice's Christopher Dean issues Jayne Torvill health announcement. "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. Id been treated badly by as many people who were Witnesses as I had non-Witnesses. I myself was born and raised in the organization. And at one time their teaching was that Jesus was like God or was a God.. I have a loving husband that I adore. it is one to really be avoided at all costs and it is really dangerous. Press J to jump to the feed. 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. 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. (Rutherford must be having a meltdown in his grave). She was convinced shed lost me and that Id be changed for ever now, no longer the daughter shed always loved and cherished. It is the interpretation given those prophecies by men like Stephen Lett and the other members of the GB over the decades that has caused so many witnesses to lose their faith and even, in the case of many, to turn away from God entirely. ET on April 5, 2019. You know what its like to not have the spiritual substance that you can grab on to. In 2017, Russia's Supreme Court declared the group an extremist organization, lumping its. Watch Tower is watching its assets in Russia vanish while paying settlements in the US and elsewhere for child abuse mishandling and other legal cases. These groups are designed to approach the young people where they are at right now not from where someone thinks they should be. (We already know that growth has become stagnant and more and more people seem to be waking up than previously.). The fact that the [Church Of Christ minister] can go to the Bible and prove when, where, and how the Church was established in these last days is the reason I am a member of the Church Of Christ! Is it any wonder that they would seek to fill the void in their life with sex, drugs, and alcohol? 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 . Yes, one would think so, but this would involve the Watchtower leadership reinventing, and rethinking matters that they are convinced have already been settled. Every time I . What would you expect to see if that was a news headline within the coming year? Witnesses believe that they are living in . More and more people each day are posting YouTube videos about their terrible experiences with this organization. However, today, information is in the form of aTsunami which cant be stopped. At death, that life-force leaves the body. 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. She didnt party, she didnt drink, and she stayed out of politics. Andrea grew up in a family of devout Jehovahs Witnesses. 1. However, the Seventh day Adventists say that theyre the only true religion, the Mormons say it and so do the Catholics and so on. There are also members with experiences of Catholicism, Mormonism, the Exclusive Brethren, the Mennonites, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and the Falun Gong movement. But the fact that there is such a large turnover of the young people is a major symptom that something is deeply and fundamentally wrong with the Watchtowers model. Jesus Christ is his firstborn son, is inferior to God, and was created by God. Watch Tower is very upset and concerned about all the leaks coming from their headquarters. 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. Should you Disassociate and Sample Letters, The Hardship of being a Gay Jehovah's Witness. They adopted the name Jehovahs Witnesses in 1931. Nobody at the London HQ would comment on whether the strategy resulted in an increase in followers. ITV Coronation Street star announces full-time return to soap - leaving fans delighted. Branches around the world are struggling to keep up with their own accounting procedures. With all of the new doccumentaries being produced about this organization, YouTube channels and other types of media being produced, Watchtower doesnt stand a chance at survival. To this day I search, I study, and I read. (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/). Ironically, they cant do that, because the organization has already been identified and branded as a spiritual banquet where nothing is lacking. BeyondJW - Timothy Campbell The verdict has since been overturned, but the case is still being litigated. A former Jehovahs Witness shares why she walked away for good, We would have Bible studies, and I even preached from door to door. There is absolutely nowhere in the Bible where Jesus disfellowshipped anyone. 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. Photos of JWfacts.com being Promoted Many former friends, including my best friend of 10 years, shunned me. Jehovah's Witnesses and Covid-19 You know I couldnt see my life any other way. A key factor to the growth in number of Jehovah's Witnesses is the promise that this system will end at any moment. 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. Jehovah's Witnesses in Newcastle City Centre. 2. There are now 11 of us that are no longer Jehovah's Witnesses, and that is in ten years. Are Jehovah's Witnesses a Cult? I had panic attacks. 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 . The Watchtower organization simply has nothing new to offer, and no new ideas. You're taught by the organisation that once you leave you will. Well, the reason for the recent increase is simply due to a change in tactics, according to our sister title the Chronicle. This raises the question: Who is an. What we see from regimes like North Korea is a disregard for many of the societal endeavors that make a nation stronger, such as infrastructure, good universities, economic freedoms, and democratic processes. I have been giving a lot of thought to the young people who are leaving the Watchtower organization in recent years. Its this picture of the world the word they use to refer to anything outside the faith that was painted for me as a child, and I was warned away from cultivating any close friendships with non-Jehovahs Witnesses for this reason. 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 As many of you know, the cutbacks were significant. World. Most importantly, these endeavors just might diminish time and resources that are used for going door-to-door. Several people tried to convince me to return to the truth the term they use to refer to anyone in the faith. Photo courtesy of Jehovah's Witnesses Public Information Desk Mandee Reid and her son, Charles Reid, of Kansas City, Mo., like Jehovah's . Watch Tower has dispatched a team of elders to correct their thinking and their accounting procedures. This is another religion. The more the doctrines made sense, the more she wanted to keep learning. The purpose? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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. Enter the social media - Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube all readily available on your average smart phone. Watch Tower must pay these benefits. In the spring of 2015, Stephen Lett asked for donations after stating that JW.org had more money going out than coming in. This is not to say that there are no enthusiastic young people in the Watchtower organization, because there truly are. One has since died but had rarely attended before her death. They compared the doctrines taught by the churches with what the Bible really teaches. In situations such as this, I have often noticed that the kids dont have much in the way of emotional support and guidance. "Overseers of Jehovah's People", an article in the group's publication called the Watchtower . 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. Spare the rod, spoil the child. 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. No other religion can do that. 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. However, the rate of growth has almost certainly also been dependent on child baptism for several years and, with the average age of the membership growing older and decades of discouragement from current members having children, there are also simply fewer children to indoctrinate. The leadership of Jehovah's Witnesses has never admitted that any valid reasons to leave the religion exist. 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. There simply isnt anything designed or built into the programs that work with the attention spans of young children. The groups are handing out copies of The Watchtower from carts outside New Street station. Abuse allegations? Jehovah's Witnesses are among the most racially and ethnically diverse religious groups in America. It isnt about the children. I eventually left the faith at 18. It will be 1 friend out of 6 shunning rather than all of them - not nearly as effective. 2010 Elder's Book 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. "I would be sick. These elders are being retrained, and have been called disobedient by the branch. Lets make it happen. I expect this is partly due to many young ones being DF or DA due to "misconduct" because children and teens are held to the same rigorous standard as fully realized adults. Clearly, these eight men will lie just to protect their money because thats their first love. 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. 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. Governing Body member Geoffrey Jackson Truth Be Told Documentary It is already collapsing under its own weight. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG) The pandemic may leave a. 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. 1. 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. Besides meetings and literature, what is the Watchtower doing, or even attempting to do to truly refresh, uplift, and inspire their young people? I had to see it, I had to look it up, and I had to read myself. All monies were directed at finishing Warwick, then selling off their cranes and millions of dollars worth of vehicles and other high prices tools, right down to a 5 dollar screwdriver. Truly the Watchtower organization has absolutely nothing good to say about any other religion because theyre too busy puffing themselves up over them. The modern-day organisation began at the end of the 19th century. Andrea started to panic and pulled Cynthia aside. 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. You dont need to mourn me, I told her once. I believe this is a huge factor in the turnover of young people leaving the organization. First of all, I think the Watchtowers problems with their inability to retain the young people runs very deep. Furthermore, followers of the sect are three times more likely to be diagnosed as suffering . 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. 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. As she grew up as a third-generation Jehovah's Witness, there were certain things . Brummies happily shopping and going about their day to day business have seen them in their droves. When youre a convert, you know what its like to be in the world. 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. In more recent news concerning the Watchtower organization, Steven Lett made a really shocking and quite frankly damning statement concerning babies. Something went wrong, please try again later. This is definitely one organization that you need to steer clear of at all costs. 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. Does this sound familiar? Simple forgiveness isnt in their vocabulary. I have my duty. If a Jehovah's Witness were to break any of the rules they could be spoken to by an elder (the equivalent of a . A lack of education is also essential to keep members locked in. Andrea sat down. Meanwhile, Jehovahs Witnesses in Russia have been imprisoned for following Governing Body directives. I have seen many really good kids in the organization totally get neglected because they didnt have a father who was a Witness. Jehovah's Witnesses, a millenarian denomination of Christrianity, follow strict guidelines regarding the use of blood in medical practices. The groups are handing out copies of The Watchtower from carts outside New Street station. 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. All Witnesses are expected to obey instructions and doctrines that influence every aspect of life: Women are considered subservient to men, higher education is discouraged and homosexuality is not permitted. For Ali Millar, the experience of writing her difficult life story wasn't cathartic, it was traumatic. They put peoples lives in bondage to the religion. Many churches offer separate classes, services, or groups for children that are compatible with their maturity level and that get them acclimated to going to church. 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. 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. Its what we dont post. 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. On the heels of a $35 million jury award to a woman who alleged the congregation mishandled her childhood abuse, other . Followers famously wont accept blood donations - nor do they celebrate birthdays, claiming such celebrations displease God. Meanwhile, Watch Tower purchased four $8,000.00 scanners. "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. But why should doctrines change? Just because they make the claim doesnt make it so. Personally, what this all adds up to for me is this: Young people, and most especially men, are leaving this religion in droves. Kings County, New York - On May 18, 2021, in New York City, Robins Kaplan LLP filed three lawsuits against the Jehovah's Witnesses parent-organization, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. ("Watchtower"), on behalf of survivors who were sexually abused when they were minor members of two different New York State congregations. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. . 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 has happened in other countries as well. She has never found a discrepancy between what is written in the Bible and the teachings taught in the Church Of Christ. Why are you doing this? Andrea was upset. Now that their arrogance has has gotten the better of them and they mistakingly feel theyre better than anyone else to sit in front of the camera and pontificate, we see how bad they are. . I dont think Ive ever seen my mum cry so much, so often. The Internet is what is really hurting the Watchtower organization bigtime because in the past, information could be controlled and managed. It is all about how much you can do in the organization that earns you status and salvation. Jw.org Website In order to avoid climate passivity, we must redefine Armageddon. 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. Find some books which are truthful and sincere and share them. In some respects, its very entertaining. Are you inspired? They rely upon the Watchtower more than they rely upon the Bible. There was always an air of mysti'c never seeing them except on occasion at a district convention. Jehovah's Witness 'ordered to renounce faith and join Russian army' Europe. Was Russell a Freemason? When curious JWs find communities like this one, they realize they're not alone and there's hope/life for them outside the borg. 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. I've never showered as much in my life. The Internet's most comprehensive resource for ex-Jehovah's Witnesses, a community for support, recovery and a few laughs along the way. ITV Dancing On Ice judge Christopher announced Jayne is out of surgery - and it was a success. 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 . Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. There is a question regarding the longevity of JW.org given the events of the past few years. It is all about the rules and their governing body. That our faith is true. I have two beautiful children that I adore, that God blessed me with, and are very active in the Church. The graph below shoes how the 18-29 crowd have aged up, but new young adults are not replenishing the numbers. 10. Jesus said himself that he was the way, the life and the truth and that nobody comes to the father but through him. Its old and we dont use it anymore. . 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. young ones leaving. Because I love my sister so much, I felt like I had to give her the opportunity to just listen. Jehovahs Witnesses are taught to welcome doctrinal changes. Just imagine if the Ford Motor Company was still manufacturing and marketing the Ford Pinto. Why Are People Leaving The Jehovah's Witness In Droves. They may think they do, but we have seen, we have seen the proof that our God is real. 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. The mountain of bullshit has finally gotten high enough that it's starting to collapse on itself. The shorter the expected time left, the higher the growth. In most cases of child sexual assault, the pedophile commits the heinous acts when alone with the . It is all about their money. Its not what we post on AvoidJW.org that should worry Watch Tower. 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). That takes us to 27. They make up these rules simply because they can.