jehovah's witnesses leaving in droves

Currently, in the US, JW.org has just 40% of their publishers registered in the JW.org database system. Tell your story. Leaving the faith at 18 changed my life completely. Given the choice between what this media has to offer, versus reading a Kingdom Ministry insert, where do you think a bored and uninspired teenager is going to go? 10. 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 . Shunning seams to be one of their favorite topics and favorite things to do. 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. 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. When you factor how many people are baptized vs. the number of publishers the year before you realize that they . Young Korean Witnesses languish in prison for no reason. Contrast this to the July 2009 issue of Awake! 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. Witnesses hold a number of traditional Christian views but also many that are unique to them. When you stand in the public square and represent a religion, its just a matter of time before the public connects the dots, and the carts are sent to the junkyard, one at a time. Only ten years ago, every single member, that is 28 members were Jehovah's Witnesses. And at one time their teaching was that Jesus was like God or was a 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. Those eight men up in New York are worshipped because they follow every single word they say. Id been treated badly by as many people who were Witnesses as I had non-Witnesses. There are millions trapped inside a mental prison, but we can help them. 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. These doctrines made perfect sense to me!. 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".. Marriage to an unbeliever starts to look a little inevitable. In order to avoid climate passivity, we must redefine Armageddon. 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. 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. 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. 37:2337-Minute Listen. all because thats THE NEW FOUR DOOR SEDAN BY TOYOTA! I can never forgive them for betrayal. 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. The Supreme Court of Canada will rule this year in a case involving shunning and discrimination, and if Watch Tower loses this case, the repercussions will be felt worldwide. Watchtower Caught Dumping Chemicals Personally, what this all adds up to for me is this: Young people, and most especially men, are leaving this religion in droves. They believe that ony 144,000 Jehovah's Witnesses will go to heaven. 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. Less than 24 hours later, the manual was leaked and seemingly non-stop analysis and comparison to previous versions began. I was born into it which means of course that I completely missed my childhood and early adulthood. Jehovahs Witnesses are taught to welcome doctrinal changes. 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. She learned she couldnt get that from being a Jehovahs Witness. "They knocked on our door and caught my mum at a vulnerable time of crisis . 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. Are Watchtower reasons for being the only true religion valid? The modern-day organisation began at the end of the 19th century. This is not to say that there are no enthusiastic young people in the Watchtower organization, because there truly are. Steps 1 Do personal research. https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/religious-tradition/jehovahs-witness/, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/26/a-closer-look-at-jehovahs-witnesses-living-in-the-u-s/, https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/18/jehovahs-witnesses-murder-suicide-keego-harbor/409695002/. 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. it is one to really be avoided at all costs and it is really dangerous. I just want you to listen, Cynthia begged. 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. Find some websites which you believe are honest and accurate and share them. This is definitely one organization that you need to steer clear of at all costs. So if Jesus said that, then that means all of these cultic religions are not the truth as they claim that they are. Should you Disassociate and Sample Letters, The Hardship of being a Gay Jehovah's Witness. This article provides basic information on leaving this faith. 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. Jehovah's Witnesses ban comes into force in Russia after appeal fails. 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. With a spacious trunk, with low clearance to fit that pesky literature cart! This was not a tax, it was a fee paid because New York owns the underground and the airspace. In the book, they [JW] taught that Jesus Christ is a Mighty God. Just because they make the claim doesnt make it so. No other religion can do that. Earlier this year, we wrote about how the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, better known as the Jehovah's Witnesses despite a long history of litigating many, many important 1st. That takes us to 27. The Internet is what is really hurting the Watchtower organization bigtime because in the past, information could be controlled and managed. As she grew up as a third-generation Jehovah's Witness, there were certain things . Their lackluster growth will only continue; and they will find it harder and harder to recruit new members. One factor that was discussed at length was the high number of young people who do not stay in the organization. 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. To have no faith. 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. All rights Reserved. Issues such as shunning and adjusting to normal life outside the faith can prove challenging to those wishing to leave. 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. There was always an air of mysti'c never seeing them except on occasion at a district convention. 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. A big part of the JW organization's power comes from keeping dissenters isolated until they give in due to loneliness. The groups are handing out copies of The Watchtower from carts outside New Street station. But it's a way of thinking that is ingrained in you by the faith, and it's this mentality that makes it so difficult to leave. Watch Tower is very upset and concerned about all the leaks coming from their headquarters. 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. They use Office 365 now and embed data into PDF files in an attempt to track where the leaks are coming from. Clearly, this organization is a satanic religion posing as Christian. 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 . Jehovah's Witnesses have been banned in Russia since 2017. And its peppy acceleration will get you far and away from Zeb and his feisty cart crashes!. 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 . 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. It is more like Satans group simply because of the harsh and inhumane rules and regulations that they harbor in their midst. As many of you know, the cutbacks were significant. And, I think the issue is much broader than what the simple statistics are showing. Theres absolutely no evidence of that at all. 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. Are Watchtower reasons for being the only true religion valid? 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. There are now 11 of us that are no longer Jehovah's Witnesses, and that is in ten years. Watch Tower was spending tens of thousands per year to New York City just to maintain their tunnel and air-bridge spaces between buildings. 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. They began publishing what they learned in books, newspapers, and the journal that is now called The Watchtower Announcing Jehovahs Kingdom. Truly the Watchtower organization has absolutely nothing good to say about any other religion because theyre too busy puffing themselves up over them. 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. 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! When curious JWs find communities like this one, they realize they're not alone and there's hope/life for them outside the borg. Once more and more world wide governments either ban Watchtower from their nations, or make them pay for all the evil that they have done through their evil practice of shunning and other terrible things not mentioned here, the Watchtower organization may be forced to shut its doors. A former Jehovahs Witness shares why she walked away for good, We would have Bible studies, and I even preached from door to door. 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. Many will have had to cover over passions and talents that would have given their lives much greater meaning. They adopted the name Jehovahs Witnesses in 1931. The Jehovahs Witnesses originated as a branch of the Bible Student movement, which was founded by Charles Taz Russell, a Christian Restorationist minister. There are also members with experiences of Catholicism, Mormonism, the Exclusive Brethren, the Mennonites, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and the Falun Gong movement. Doomsday images from Jehovah's Witnesses publications. It is already collapsing under its own weight. No immaterial soul. Ironically, they cant do that, because the organization has already been identified and branded as a spiritual banquet where nothing is lacking. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. It is all about the rules and their governing body. 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. Witnesses are being approached and asked hard-hitting questions about child abuse, shunning, and other matters. THE Jehovah's Witnesses religious denomination has been accused of selling assets and sending cash offshore to avoid paying Australian child-sex abuse victims. , Productivity Hacks for the Creative Christian, Three (Unexpected) Life Lessons from College, Dear Teenage Self: Finding God Changes You. I was allowed to make friends with people outside my congregation. But I will say this each one of us can play a part in sharing what we know with the public. ITV Coronation Street star announces full-time return to soap - leaving fans delighted. The more that they grit their teeth, lash out at dissenters, and shake their fists at the internet, the more they motivate their disenchanted young people to satisfy their curiosities about what is on the net. Its what we dont post. The Internet's most comprehensive resource for ex-Jehovah's Witnesses, a community for support, recovery and a few laughs along the way. Jehovah's Witnesses 'use the Bible to victim-shame,' sex abuse survivor says. 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. The Jehovah Witness religion is going through some tough times. Watch Tower must pay these benefits. Sparlock Warrior Wizard Sylviane is a relationship coach for women . Reportedly, one of the rules is that unless a perpetrator confesses to committing a sin, two people must witness the commission of the sin. Attending My Father's Funeral In more recent news concerning the Watchtower organization, Steven Lett made a really shocking and quite frankly damning statement concerning babies. 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. The Holy Spirit is . 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. 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. No religion can claim that. I have just loaded my spiritual cannon, and I am about to fire away! 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. There is a question regarding the longevity of JW.org given the events of the past few years. They may think they do, but we have seen, we have seen the proof that our God is real. Photos of JWfacts.com being Promoted When there has been no specific date set . Im still here, and Im still the same. The graph below shoes how the 18-29 crowd have aged up, but new young adults are not replenishing the numbers. I have my duty. 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. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. 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. 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. Aside from the Bethel layoffs, all non-essential branch projects were either cancelled or put on hold. - The number of young Jehovah's Witnesses (aged 18-24) has dropped by 6% over the past 7 years. I think the issue is much more serious than they would like to admit. After completing her Bible studies, Andrea was baptized into the Church Of Christ in 1981. He lives in Stockholm. For what Christian would ever call somebodys baby a little enimy of God? It isnt Christian and it isnt Gods organization. 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. 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. For years, members have gone door-to-door to spread the word about the faith. The Hardship of being a Gay Jehovah's Witness They really have no proof of God giving them this high and mighty position of being Gods only spoksperson on Earth. Mum, I havent died. Something went wrong, please try again later. 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. 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. Furthermore, followers of the sect are three times more likely to be diagnosed as suffering . Most importantly, these endeavors just might diminish time and resources that are used for going door-to-door. But why should doctrines change? Yes, one would think so, but this would involve the Watchtower leadership reinventing, and rethinking matters that they are convinced have already been settled. Yes, money is a problem for Watch Tower. The mountain of bullshit has finally gotten high enough that it's starting to collapse on itself. 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 . It isnt about the children. 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. In most cases of child sexual assault, the pedophile commits the heinous acts when alone with the . Is it any wonder that the turnover among the young people is so high? And when youre a member of the Church Of Christ, the peace that you have in knowing that the promise that God has made to you will be fulfilled is everything. When Andrea learned that the re-emergence of the Church Of Christ is clearly found in the Bible, she looked into the origins of JW and found that there was no Biblical proof to support JWs establishment. Does a recession/pandemic/war indicate Armageddon? To scan all documents located in Brooklyn, retaining only the hard copies they were required to keep by law. Left In 1977. 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. 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. 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 Copyright 2023 Jehovah's Witnesses. 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 . Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. 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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. 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.. 2010 Elder's Book It is truly a heavily works based religion. This raises the issue of whether any benefits will ever be paid to other full-time JWs across the globe, who deserve them equally. You're taught by the organisation that once you leave you will. His wife's parents are among the 130,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in Ukraine. Jehovah's Witnesses and Covid-19 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. Lets make it happen. If id seen in the 70s or 80s morons like Lett rambling or the arrogance of Tony Morrison or the incredulous lies that Geoffrey Jackson spews, id saved alot of years of headache. I had to see it, I had to look it up, and I had to read myself. Two thirds of those disfellowshipped never return. 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. They dont bring salvation to your door when they come but instead, they talk about a paradise Earth and so on. - Among all U.S. adults who were raised as Jehovahs Witnesses, two-thirds (66%) no longer identify with the group. Because I love my sister so much, I felt like I had to give her the opportunity to just listen. The verdict has since been overturned, but the case is still being litigated. Boom Boom Boom! We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. If a Jehovah's Witness were to break any of the rules they could be spoken to by an elder (the equivalent of a . It was important for Andrea to have a relationship with God, and to worship Him the right way. My parents chose my brother, my abuser, over me. Im a Choir Member.

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