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 young ones are leaving in droves!!! - jehovahs-witness.com Sections: politics business autos jobs career education romance computers phones travel sports fashion health I have just loaded my spiritual cannon, and I am about to fire away! This religion is indeed a cult and a terrible one at that. The gathering was a Bible study. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 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. 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. At death, that life-force leaves the body. Photo courtesy of Jehovah's Witnesses Public Information Desk Mandee Reid and her son, Charles Reid, of Kansas City, Mo., like Jehovah's . . But in another respect, its quite sad, when considering the young people in the organization who desperately need and yearn for something more. Problems Facing JW.org - Jehovah's Witnesses Why are you doing this? Andrea was upset. 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. Marriage to an unbeliever starts to look a little inevitable. The establishment of Jehovahs Witnesses is not in the Bible. 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. 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. Is it the sign of the end or just the end of a religion? 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. Feeling deceived by the teachings of the Jehovahs Witnesses, she confronted her grandmother. - Among all U.S. adults who were raised as Jehovahs Witnesses, two-thirds (66%) no longer identify with the group. JWs are leaving in droves, all because of the internet. Learn how your comment data is processed. "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. For years, members have gone door-to-door to spread the word about the faith. This raises the issue of whether any benefits will ever be paid to other full-time JWs across the globe, who deserve them equally. They thought the end would be here now with the old generation teaching. Theres absolutely no evidence of that at all. First of all, I think the Watchtowers problems with their inability to retain the young people runs very deep. 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. It is law according to the Jehovahs Witness. 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. Jehovah's Witness elders made teen listen recording of her rape for So when Cynthia invited her to meet George and his family at a gathering, she felt obliged to go. Id been treated badly by as many people who were Witnesses as I had non-Witnesses. "Overseers of Jehovah's People", an article in the group's publication called the Watchtower . 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. Does this sound familiar? Globally there are about eight-and-a-half million Jehovahs Witnesses. "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. 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. 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. My Story of Leaving Jehovah's Witnesses - YouTube Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. There is absolutely nowhere in the Bible where Jesus disfellowshipped anyone. I knew the Bible back and forth. 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 . Im astonished at the totally creepy nature of the GB Videos I have seen lately. Included with this the commissioning of the Last Messenger! 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. 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 . In the spring of 2015, Stephen Lett asked for donations after stating that JW.org had more money going out than coming in. Andrea grew up in a family of devout Jehovahs Witnesses. 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. And 67% of the Buddhists surveyed indicate that they were raised in a . [1] People are waking up and leaving in droves. 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. 37:2337-Minute Listen. Other programs that would make for a much stronger, robust, and enthusiastic membership are pushed aside and dismissed due their possibly interfering with proselytizing. I have been giving a lot of thought to the young people who are leaving the Watchtower organization in recent years. Religious Switching: Change in America's Religion Landscape | Pew Beginning in 2018, JW.org will implement a program in which every single JW will be assigned a database number and their information will be in JW.orgs global database. However, disfellowshipping is. Its not what we post on AvoidJW.org that should worry Watch Tower. 2010 Elder's Book I myself was born and raised in the organization. THE Jehovah's Witnesses religious denomination has been accused of selling assets and sending cash offshore to avoid paying Australian child-sex abuse victims. Jehovah's Witnesses to join redress scheme | 7NEWS But why should doctrines change? This is where the Watchtower is at. 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. 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. Refresh the page, check Medium 's site status, or find something interesting to read. Press J to jump to the feed. They affirm that GodJehovahis the most high. In some respects, its very entertaining. 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. 1. They are not allowed to question the Watchtower leadership or teaching. Attending My Father's Funeral Every time I . Again, they continue to enforce a one size fits all education and worship program to both children and adults. The Watchtower organizations sole purpose is to proselytize, whereby all of its human capital must be channeled into that goal. I just want you to listen to the doctrines. 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. In more recent news concerning the Watchtower organization, Steven Lett made a really shocking and quite frankly damning statement concerning babies. Jehovah's Witnesses do not provide a dignified resignation process for members who wish to leave. As a result, most young Witnesses grow up sequestered in their homes and their congregations, fearful of anything outside those boundaries. 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). Statistically, two-thirds of born in members leave, and of those that leave on. It is all about the rules and their governing body. In many countries, such meetings would be nothing unusual. *my Opinion * / Nostradamus Predictions For World War in 2020 . A life of meaningless sex, drugs and alcohol is often woven into this picture. Jehovah's Witnesses 'use the Bible to victim-shame,' sex abuse survivor Is it any wonder that they would seek to fill the void in their life with sex, drugs, and alcohol? 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. His wife's parents are among the 130,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in Ukraine. To have no faith. Most Jehovah's Witnesses - roughly two-thirds (65%) - are . Pandemic changing how Jehovah's Witnesses share message of faith Ironically, they cant do that, because the organization has already been identified and branded as a spiritual banquet where nothing is lacking. Reportedly, one of the rules is that unless a perpetrator confesses to committing a sin, two people must witness the commission of the sin. 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. 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 There's a limit on how long you can tell people that the world is about to end for so long before they get sceptical. More and more people each day are posting YouTube videos about their terrible experiences with this organization. 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. Its not hard to figure out why so many Jehovah's Witness children are conditioned from an early age to associate drudgery with the meetings and assemblies. For what Christian would ever call somebodys baby a little enimy of God? 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. Jehovah's Witnesses' bad blood with COVID-19 vaccines There is dissent in South Africa right now because of the fixed per capita amount assigned to each publisher who attends a circuit assembly. I dont think Ive ever seen my mum cry so much, so often. I was lucky enough to have parents who brought me up more loosely than most Jehovahs Witnesses. Man who raped Jehovah's Witness girls sentenced to 5 years in prison For Some Americans, Ukraine's Fight Feels Close to Home Is it any wonder that the turnover among the young people is so high? The Jehovah's Witnesses congregation is a millennialist restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs. 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".. And even though it was a challenging journey, she doesnt regret it. Jesus himself is truth, not those club-like religions. She has never found a discrepancy between what is written in the Bible and the teachings taught in the Church Of Christ. Former local, nationwide Jehovah's Witnesses find child sex abuse Inside the brutal world of the Jehovah's Witnesses - ABC News Yes, money is a problem for Watch Tower. 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. Jesus said himself that he was the way, the life and the truth and that nobody comes to the father but through him. 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 cart-witnessing program is finally beginning to backfire. How can anyone watch these buffoons and think theyre Gods voice. Enter the social media - Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube all readily available on your average smart phone. -65% of JWs are women, compared to only 35% men. It will be 1 friend out of 6 shunning rather than all of them - not nearly as effective. 'Leaving The Witness': Amber Scorah Reflects On Losing Her Faith - NPR.org "I would be sick. 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. 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. 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. Does a recession/pandemic/war indicate Armageddon? The groups are handing out copies of The Watchtower from carts outside New Street station. Franz stated the request for his resignation and his subsequent disfellowshipping resulted from allegations of apostasy. 1. 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. Many of them had some very deep emotional issues that never got resolved. With all the false end of the world predictions that they have done in the past, theyre still crying that Armageddon is coming soon, and that they will be the only survivors of the battle. Right away, Andrea recognized that there was nothing Biblical about her grandmothers answer. Jehovah's Witnesses must believe and teach that their group has been directly appointed by God and Jesus. It is all about how much you can do in the organization that earns you status and salvation. Nov. 20, 2019, 9:49 AM PST. You know what its like to not have the spiritual substance that you can grab on to. When commenting on the young people who leave the organization, another common tactic that the organization uses is to cynically compare them with the ungrateful Israelites who found Jehovahs manna to be undesirable. I was very well versed in the Bible. A moment that changed me: quitting the Jehovah's Witnesses I have several observations to add to this. No other religion can do that. Well, the reason for the recent increase is simply due to a change in tactics, according to our sister title the Chronicle. 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 . It should be noted that the Soviets used the same methods of argumentation and reasoning claiming that nothing was lacking in Mother Russia. This just comes in a long line of brutal, evil statements that were made by the governing body over the years, and it also proves that this organization in no way is being backed, or supported by God in any way shape or form. 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. Biblically, however, the word "soul" is multifaceted. And then from that day, I never looked back. She met George, his family, and a few others from the Church Of Christ, including Brother Eddie San Gabriel, a Minister of the Gospel. Today it has 252 members, with those who have been associated with Pentecostalism, the Anglican and Baptist churches and the Jehovah's Witnesses dominating the group. It there is a large turn-over in the congregation, it must mean that Satan is working overtime; not that that anything could ever be wrong with the organization itself. Identifying True Worship, Part 1: What Is Apostasy according to the JW News: Misleading Jehovah's Witnesses, Stephen Lett's 2021 Convention 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. Animal Suffering Many of these were good kids too. We are so inured to the concept that it has become meaningless. A big part of the JW organization's power comes from keeping dissenters isolated until they give in due to loneliness. Raymond Franz - Wikipedia This has happened in other countries as well. The important thing for us is to show them that there is a great life to be lived after leaving the Watchtower. Simple forgiveness isnt in their vocabulary. Jamie Bamber plays Archie Hughes in Beyond Paradise on BBC One. All rights Reserved. Religious fact, faith and delusion, home> They tell you that you need to follow these rules in order to receive salvation and so on. Inside The Lost Jehovah's Witnesses Tunnels Under Brooklyn Heights When youre a convert, you know what its like to be in the world. Reasons Why I Left the Jehovah's Witnesses - incmedia.org The graph below shoes how the 18-29 crowd have aged up, but new young adults are not replenishing the numbers. People are finally not afraid to talk, and the very massive Ex-JW community is really having a huge affect on Watchtower and on those still inside of it. He [the minister] handed me the Bible, and he told me, From now on, when we look up a scripture, I want you to look it up, and I want you to read it. And that was the biggest help for me in reaffirming me that what he was telling me was the truth. Instead, all of the nations human capital is invested in one thing: warfare. (Rutherford must be having a meltdown in his grave). I was allowed to make friends with people outside my congregation. - Quora Answer (1 of 27): It isn't a religion its a cult. 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. I began a life where constantly questioning and improving my beliefs and ideas and always being open to those of others were my only constant doctrines. Contrast this to the July 2009 issue of Awake! Many of us here paid that price, only to wake up to it years later. However, none of that is really working and people are still waking up from this brutal North Korean type religion. (Immediately prior to dates the end was specifically expected, such as 1914, 1925 and 1975, growth increased to as high as 20%.) And instead of just forgiving you of your sin, this evil shunning practice is what they do to you until youre reproved and brought back into good standing which by the way can take a very very long time. She was convinced shed lost me and that Id be changed for ever now, no longer the daughter shed always loved and cherished. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that: God the Father (whose name is Jehovah) is "the only true God". 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. If all of this keeps up, it might not be long before you will see jw.org gone from the scene, as well as other things tied to this diabolical evil religion. Its what we dont post. It is already collapsing under its own weight. Personally, what this all adds up to for me is this: Young people, and most especially men, are leaving this religion in droves. Their lackluster growth will only continue; and they will find it harder and harder to recruit new members. They make up these rules simply because they can. I believe this with my whole heart. The Secret Jehovah's Witness Database of Child Molesters - The Atlantic Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses say church's shunning caused too many suicides Doomsday images from Jehovah's Witnesses publications. Much of their growth from these nations is from people being born into the religion. Copyright 2023 Jehovah's Witnesses. 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. I remember that first year after Id left the Jehovahs Witness faith. Two years later he founded Zion's Watch Tower and Tract Society, which was incorpo-rated in 1884 in Pennsylvania. The Internet's most comprehensive resource for ex-Jehovah's Witnesses, a community for support, recovery and a few laughs along the way. My grandmother was a pioneer. Theyre currently in damage control which means that theyre trying to wipe away their history in the hope that future Witnesses will never find it out. all because thats THE NEW FOUR DOOR SEDAN BY TOYOTA! If they act up and dont sit still; spankings are usually soon to follow. Getty Images 08 . As always you can unsubscribe at any time. 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. 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. 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. Not even Watchtowers huge lawyers can stop it. Jehovah's Witnesses will often turn away from any Bible discussion that challenges their beliefs, using the excuse that they cannot listen to apostates. Its old and we dont use it anymore. As she grew up as a third-generation Jehovah's Witness, there were certain things . As education becomes increasingly important to eek out even a meager living, Witnesses are already being forced to become more educated. Can baptism be Annulled? In most cases of child sexual assault, the pedophile commits the heinous acts when alone with the . The Jehovah's Witnesses - CULTWATCH I was born into it which means of course that I completely missed my childhood and early adulthood. Find some websites which you believe are honest and accurate and share them. According to Watchtower's own figures, know the number of Jehovah's Witnesses decreased 0.6% from 2019 - 2020 (this represents 46,823 average publishers, for anyone interested) BUT I found a few other interesting facts that indicate, to me at least, that this cult's days are numbered and you can see you feel about it as well. . 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.