In many countries, such meetings would be nothing unusual. Jehovah's Witnesses will often turn away from any Bible discussion that challenges their beliefs, using the excuse that they cannot listen to apostates. Their lackluster growth will only continue; and they will find it harder and harder to recruit new members. Quick-builds only happen so often, and Bethel just isnt a possibility for everyone. It is all about how much you can do in the organization that earns you status and salvation. I have been giving a lot of thought to the young people who are leaving the Watchtower organization in recent years. 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 . A lack of education is also essential to keep members locked in. Does this sound familiar? 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. In the spring of 2015, Stephen Lett asked for donations after stating that JW.org had more money going out than coming in. ET on April 5, 2019. And the more she embraced the truth, the more her family tried to stop her. (We already know that growth has become stagnant and more and more people seem to be waking up than previously.). Steps 1 Do personal research. I myself was born and raised in the organization. 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. I would love it if the young ones were leaving in droves, and I believe because of the Internet this will happen, but I don't see a great deal of evidence at present. This is human nature. 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. Governing Body member Geoffrey Jackson callously stated in 2015 before the Royal Commission in Australia that he had not even read the details of the victims who had testified before the Commission. Contrast this to the July 2009 issue of Awake! 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. After completing her Bible studies, Andrea was baptized into the Church Of Christ in 1981. 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. Governing Body member Geoffrey Jackson The cart-witnessing program is finally beginning to backfire. And so after learning from the Bible that God commissions or sends people to communicate the truth, Andrea came to the conclusion that those who wrote the Let God be True book could not have been commissioned by God. 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 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. Am I an Apostate? I have seen a lot of creativity and progressive thinking when it comes to how they design ministries for young people. However, the Seventh day Adventists say that theyre the only true religion, the Mormons say it and so do the Catholics and so on. SALT LAKE CITY The Utah Supreme Court has revived a woman's lawsuit alleging she was forced to listen to a recording of her own rape. 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. Is it any wonder that the turnover among the young people is so high? I had panic attacks. Moving to Warwick eliminated these costly payments. When Cynthia became friends with George, who was a member of the Church Of Christ, Andrea had her guard up because she refused to let someone from another religion influence their faith. 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. 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. But why have they stopped knocking on our doors? Jehovah's Witnesses ban comes into force in Russia after appeal fails. 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 . Watch Tower is very upset and concerned about all the leaks coming from their headquarters. 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. Sparlock Warrior Wizard 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. 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. Lets make it happen. . There is dissent in South Africa right now because of the fixed per capita amount assigned to each publisher who attends a circuit assembly. With multiple documentaries being filmed, protests being organized, news reports being written and lawsuits being filed, Jehovahs Witnesses can choose to buckle up and attempt to survive the crash or they can release that belt and get the hell out of the vehicle which is about to catch fire. Now if they all say this, surely not all of them could be the truth huh? The verdict has since been overturned, but the case is still being litigated. . She learned she couldnt get that from being a Jehovahs Witness. Much of their growth from these nations is from people being born into the religion. Website powered & protected by Jehovah's holy spirit. She listened and protected her faith and the teachings of the Jehovahs Witnesses until her beliefs could no longer defend her. random musings> There is a question regarding the longevity of JW.org given the events of the past few years. - 63% of current Jehovah's Witnesses are a high school education or less. The Witnesses still experience growth, but at a huge expense. Jehovah's Witnesses and Covid-19 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. 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. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Andee. Truth Be Told Documentary And then from that day, I never looked back. 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. 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. Franz stated the request for his resignation and his subsequent disfellowshipping resulted from allegations of apostasy. I was also lucky that both my parents encouraged me to get a good education to work hard at school so I could go to university if I wanted. But in another respect, its quite sad, when considering the young people in the organization who desperately need and yearn for something more. No immaterial soul. ", BBC Beyond Paradise star Jamie Bamber is married to Eastenders actress. 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. Im a Choir Member. 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. It is all about the rules and their governing body. The records management overseer related an experience where one hand-written note cost watchtower over $200,000 simply because a JW elder at headquarters was honest and produced a written document which tied Watch Tower to a major litigation case with a prior vendor. They compared the doctrines taught by the churches with what the Bible really teaches. Theres absolutely no evidence of that at all. Growth is pretty much stagnet in America and other countries like Great Brittan, Austrialia and other English speaking nations. She met George, his family, and a few others from the Church Of Christ, including Brother Eddie San Gabriel, a Minister of the Gospel. 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. The Holy Spirit is the name of God's active force in the world. 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. "I would be sick. Beliefs. . JWs in Eritrea have been rotting away in prison cells some for decades while the coalition of overweight, business-class-flying governing body members feign tears for the men and women who are effectively their slaves. It isnt Christian and it isnt Gods organization. Aside from the Bethel layoffs, all non-essential branch projects were either cancelled or put on hold. They are told to just go and pioneer.). - Quora Answer (1 of 27): It isn't a religion its a cult. JW.org has been spinning the cutbacks as simplification, and have coerced dozens of those who lost their full-time jobs to give testimonials about how happy they were to accept their new assignment in the field. "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. Only ten years ago, every single member, that is 28 members were Jehovah's Witnesses. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. I was lucky enough to have parents who brought me up more loosely than most Jehovahs Witnesses. 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. In March 1997, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, the nonprofit organization that oversees the Jehovah's Witnesses, sent a letter to each of its . However, the Watchtower stubbornly sticks to a one size fits all program for everyone. 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. I have a loving husband that I adore. Getty Images 08 . 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. All the books in the Bible.. Im grateful every day for my education and my desire to learn and think independently, a skill that fostered in me those initial doubts about Jehovahs Witnesses, and enabled me to have the strength to search for answers elsewhere in non-biased literature. The present study of 50 Jehovah's Witnesses admitted to the Mental Health Service facilities of Western Australia suggests that members of this section of the community are more likely to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital than the general population. If they act up and dont sit still; spankings are usually soon to follow. How many schools do you know of, that stick preschoolers, high school students, and graduate students all into the same classroom together? 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. 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. Watch Tower has dispatched a team of elders to correct their thinking and their accounting procedures. Everyone has a different "wtf" trigger and access to that information is just a curious click away. 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. There are now 11 of us that are no longer Jehovah's Witnesses, and that is in ten years. This raises the issue of whether any benefits will ever be paid to other full-time JWs across the globe, who deserve them equally. Jehovah's Witness pervert who got sexual kicks from strangling children jailed despite cover-up by congregation. Jehovah's Witnesses do not provide a dignified resignation process for members who wish to leave. - The number of young Jehovah's Witnesses (aged 18-24) has dropped by 6% over the past 7 years. It made them revered. In a recent private video for Bethel members only, this war against questionable pants, socks, and tights was restated, with Watch Tower doubling down on matters which would baffle Jesus himself were he to walk the earth today. In the book, they [JW] taught that Jesus Christ is a Mighty God. In South Africa, over 1400 congregations struggle to file their government mandated tax returns required of each congregation. Already, members of the Watchtower are already being asked to donate money. In Namibia, the government has denied Watch Towers plea to remove itself from employer status, since this forces Watch Tower to pay social security benefits to all full-time workers such as Bethelites. A big part of the JW organization's power comes from keeping dissenters isolated until they give in due to loneliness. Its a great field service vehicle with four doors and plenty of ankle length dress room in the back! 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. The Hardship of being a Gay Jehovah's Witness interesting topics> Instead, all of the nations human capital is invested in one thing: warfare. For Ali Millar, the experience of writing her difficult life story wasn't cathartic, it was traumatic. 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. 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. Literature carts are being used not just in the Newcastle area but all over the world and we foresee them being a regular feature of our public preaching for many years to come.. 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. There was always an air of mysti'c never seeing them except on occasion at a district convention. 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. This article provides basic information on leaving this faith. She was convinced shed lost me and that Id be changed for ever now, no longer the daughter shed always loved and cherished. 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. I dont think Ive ever seen my mum cry so much, so often. In some respects, its very entertaining. So when Cynthia invited her to meet George and his family at a gathering, she felt obliged to go. "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. I believe this is a huge factor in the turnover of young people leaving the organization. 239) In this video I share the story of my transition from believing. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that they have the one and only true religion and that their Governing Body is appointed by God himself. Andrea started to panic and pulled Cynthia aside. The "soul" is simply the life-force within a person. Nothing can be allowed to take any time away from the Watchtowers sole purpose of existence: proselytizing. The gathering was a Bible study. 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. Included with this the commissioning of the Last Messenger! Sherrie and Naomi were Jehovah's Witnesses. There simply isnt anything designed or built into the programs that work with the attention spans of young children. These groups are designed to approach the young people where they are at right now not from where someone thinks they should be. 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. 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. Jesus Christ is his firstborn son, is inferior to God, and was created by God. 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.
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