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Breaking News: Paris Jackson Attempts Suicide
avatar
Posted on June 5, 2013
Paris Jackson, who has been raised in a Witness family, has reportedly been taken to hospital following a suicide attempt
News is emerging that Paris Jackson, daughter of the late Michael Jackson, has been rushed to hospital on June 5th following a suicide attempt.
Emergency services responded to a call at her home at 1.27am local time and claim to have taken a single person to a local medical center. Multiple sources are reporting this person to be Paris.
While it is impossible to say at this stage what has prompted this development, the online Witness community will be concerned given that little more than a month ago the celebrity gossip pages were reporting that Paris, who has been raised as a Jehovah’s Witness by her family, was refusing to go on the door-to-door ministry.
Her grandmother Katherine remains a staunch Jehovah’s Witnesses, having confirmed her faith on the Oprah Winfrey show in 2010 where she revealed that she had just returned from the ministry when she heard that her son Michael had been hospitalized. According to the Sky News website, Paris and her siblings continue to live with their grandmother following the singer’s death.
Below is a video, posted to YouTube a month ago, revealing the fact that Paris refused to take part in Witness field ministry…
According to TMZ.com, Paris reportedly “threw a fit” last night when she was told she couldn’t go to a Marilyn Manson concert. The same source reports that there are signs of cutting on Paris’ arms – indicating long-standing emotional problems.
Whatever the issues surrounding this disturbing news, whether this development is related to Paris’ religious upbringing or not, at the center of this story is a very troubled young woman who urgently needs the help, support and understanding of those around her – including trained mental health professionals.
On behalf of all those involved with JWsurvey.org, I express my deepest concern for Paris and my sincerest hope that she will have a quick and speedy recovery.
Further reading…
◾TMZ.com article on the story
◾SkyNews article on the story
◾Charisma News: Did Cultish Religion Move Paris Jackson to Attempt Suicide?
◾Recent instructions to Jehovah’s Witnesses regarding self harm
Related video…
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24 Responses to Breaking News: Paris Jackson Attempts Suicide
Julia says:
June 5, 2013 at 12:06 pm
I hope that Paris Jackson gets the professional help that she needs during this difficult time.
Thank you for sharing this information.
When teens are suicidal it is not a spiritual malady to be remedied through prayer, as the recent Awake! magazine tries to claim. These children need real help and attention from medical professionals!
Reply
KtotheRAD "Konrad" says:
June 5, 2013 at 1:02 pm
Even though I was hoping so hard that this wasn’t going to be the case, I anticipated something tragic along this line some time ago…Here you have a young lady floating around in a parental vaccuum and also under exponential pressure of worldwide public scrutiny and that tender age? With such a freakish family? Public speculation as to who her father even is? Now public charges of her father being a criminal again? Throw in the cult pressure element to confuse things with twisted life and death and abuse pressures that are non applicable and false, making a loving God look like an ogre rather than a friend? She already spoke of bullying and abuse at school when I had her on twitter so I was hoping against hope that nothing bad would transpire…
Reply
Magusknight1974 says:
June 5, 2013 at 3:24 pm
Nice Work. Great example of someone who chooses to not follow down the path they are given by their family. If she is hurting it is due to all the pressures around her and prayer as little impact in healing her woes. I believe once she finds her way through her problems she will be in a much better place. The cancer of forcing the youth to do what they are told is now manifesting itself with self mutilation and suicide. If Paris does read any of these comments then I tell you that your loved. We respect your choices as long as your happy but be careful not to be fooled by your family as they are manipulated by others too. Great Job Cedars, Save the Children is your mission of truth.
Reply
Hakizimana Jean de Dieu says:
June 5, 2013 at 10:49 pm
Her grandmother needs professional help first for a long lasting solution. She must be psychologically disturbed by the cult teachings. This cult has the capacity to penetrate and destroy your life through family members. They BELIEVE that they are “The First Woe—Locusts” “The Locust Plague Today” “a plague of locusts that attack those ‘who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.’ that “authority was given them, the same authority as the scorpions of the earth have.” (Revelation 9:2, 3) (Read Revelation Climax chapter 22)!!!
Reply
Cedars says:
June 6, 2013 at 11:46 am
JWsurvey’s own Richard E. Kelly has been quoted in Charisma News on this link: http://www.charismanews.com/us/39785-did-cultish-religion-move-paris-jackson-to-commit-suicide
“There is a high incidence of suicide attempts and cutting among JW children,” he says. “They’re told to go to all the meetings; they’re told Armageddon is coming; they’re told they need to go door-to-door to hand out materials. Kids with minds of their own develop problems with these demands and act out in various ways. Suicide attempts are not uncommon.”
Reply
KtotheRAD "Konrad" says:
June 6, 2013 at 12:04 pm
Way to go Richard!
Reply
AnonE says:
June 6, 2013 at 7:15 pm
Dat, dat, dat… My thoughts and prayers are with Paris and family in working through this, but isn’t this family built on being “independent” of following Mama Katherine’s wishes? and, specifically, the wishes of the elders? Paris is true to her father’s nature–a free-spirit with morals and ethics but unwilling to be confined to a box of conformity. Consider that for a celebrity (and Paris as a descendant of a superstar and having a paparazzi following qualifies) they would need to “tone-down” and “costume-up” to fulfill the door-to-door requirement to avoid attracting photographers and possibly harming the service group as they are trampled or run over. That is weird.
But, what really, really is ironic is that the origins–if we reach way, way, way back to the roots–of influence on Russell and the Watchtower publications, we find non-conformity and free-thinkers who refused to be confined to a box of conformity–a rebellion against standard Christian theology and forms of devotion.
I LOVE IT!!! A dose of their own medicine and a bitter pill to swallow!
Hang in there, Paris. TO borrow a phrase, “it gets better!”
Reply
JBob says:
June 8, 2013 at 2:10 pm
It’s often posited that a cult drives people to commit suicide. Naturally, any group disowns this infamy, but a group’s dynamics can create fertile grounds which accelerate an individual’s inclination toward suicidal tendencies. As we’ve seen from the “Letter to Elders” regarding India and the push for “exemplary JW families” and the constant measuring up to the “ideal Witness” model written in the Watchtower creates an atmosphere where perfectionism is rewarded and praised. To counter that Jehovah’s organization realizes we are all humans with imperfections due to Adam’s falling short, etc, etc is to dodge the issue on how the Watchtower literature has painted the ideal Witness character for men, women and families. It’s akin to the similar suburban and urban ideals that were portrayed in family and advertisements during the 1950’s and 1960’s for an ideal family and home; families went through extraordinary means to hide their dysfunction to the point of self-harming and enabling those who were causing harm.
We see this repeated in the incessant denial of Witnesses that child abuse and pedophilia exists in the organization and that the Watchtower Society covers it up to avoid presenting the “less-than-perfect” reality and preserve its “a paradise away from the world” hype. We all heard that–you didn’t want to leave a meeting or assembly because it was the ideal of how the “new world” would be–“the new system.” It disguised the fact that someone in that audience may have been beating their child beyond disciplinary measures, a spouse being abused, or someone struggling with addictions.
So, being less-than-ideal and facing isolation — further isolation — a teen would have some serious issues to cope, and thus a need for secular / professional assistance in mapping out “who they are” versus everyone else, family, and religious community.
Reply
Ann a.k.a Gypsy Sam says:
June 10, 2013 at 9:00 am
Great comment. I’ve recently learned TTATT and what you stated is exactly the observation I’ve reached about JW world.
Reply
Rob says:
November 6, 2013 at 9:39 pm
Slow down. Let’s find out all the info like prescription drugs. Not to say this is tragic and our children need support (of which I have one).
Reply
Candyeye says:
January 24, 2014 at 9:14 am
I was once caught up with this ‘cult’. People have to start educating themselves on this stupid cult and help those who are in need by showing them love and patience. Educate yourself on these dangerous cults who are greedy and do not care about your well being and who blame everything on their god. Swearing that it’s gods law and we have to blindly follow it! That is not how free will works. Free will cannot be followed if there are wolves in sheeps clothing deceiving those, trapping those who are vulernable to it’s attacks and persuasions. Don’t drink the poison! Love yourself
Reply
Sandie says:
March 6, 2014 at 9:02 am
(Please bear with my English, I am no native speaker)
While I have every sympathy with your website and cause against JW’s, I really feel extremely uncomfortable seeing Paris’ attempted suicide dragged in here for possible proof of how corrosive this cult may be.
You even say you “express your deepest concerns” but yet have not the decency to refrain exploiting her suicide attempt. Just because it may serve your cause. Please don’t all jump on me, that’s just how my first (and second) reaction was to this posted here.
Reply
Cedars says:
March 6, 2014 at 9:11 am
Thanks for your observations Sandie. However the above article was worded extremely carefully so as to not make any assertions as to the causes of Paris’ suicide attempt. i.e. “Whatever the issues surrounding this disturbing news, whether this development is related to Paris’ religious upbringing or not, at the center of this story is a very troubled young woman who urgently needs the help, support and understanding of those around her – including trained mental health professionals.”
Are you saying that young JW celebrities are somehow “off limits,” and we in the Ex-JW community are not allowed to talk about well-publicized problems that may befall them?
Reply
Julia says:
March 6, 2014 at 9:15 am
Former Jehovah’s Witnesses no longer have to go by the ‘rules’ of the Watchtower. We are part of the world now and there is absolutely nothing wrong with Cedars’ article that addressed a possibility that crossed many of our minds. Why can’t we talk about this? The answer is, we can!
Reply
So glad to be out says:
March 6, 2014 at 9:42 am
Sandie,
When you lose someone to a cult and you know that it has an extreme hold over them and you hear that they are sad and have attempted suicide, would you keep quiet? The most compassionate thing you could do is to tell the world about the cult, so that nobody else has to suffer. That is all Cedars is doing and I for one am very grateful. Do independent research and find out about what people have experienced, the loss of family members, the loss of years of their lives. Its not like being a Catholic, there are consequences for being associated with this cult. Many children had no option but to be fed these teachings, because its what their parents or grandparents wanted – Paris for example. For some the only escape that seemed possible was suicide. Others have walked away but bear the scars. Rather than attack the messenger, be part of the army that is stopping the abuse. Paris may one day thank you for that.
Reply
Sandie says:
March 6, 2014 at 12:24 pm
You are right, you didn’t explicit said, that her religious upbringing was the cause of that. I read that too and have to honor you for this.
And yet, bringing it here in this possible context. It has something of “using” her case to try to imply something, while nobody but her knows what drove her to that point. It might be simply a boy (or girl) who broke her heart. It might well be something else. Nobody knows.
Of course her suicide attempt is well documented in the yellow press, full of speculation. I just somehow think, she’s a desperate girl in great pain, don’t try to prove a point with her, well documented or not.
I didn’t want to start a fight here, and I understand also that you are all somehow at least emotionally abused from JWs, I just don’t get it that you drag a teenager into this, who didn’t volunteer for this article at all. That’s all. Sorry.
Reply
Cedars says:
March 6, 2014 at 12:28 pm
Thanks Sandie. I take your observations on board. But since I was merely reporting on the news and reciting known information about Paris rather than “using” her, as you put it, there isn’t a great deal I can do. In any case, thank you for visiting JWsurvey and I hope you find the information on this website useful.
Reply
Sandie says:
March 6, 2014 at 12:34 pm
So glad,
telling people from one’s own first hand experience is something completely different than this. Nobody can claim to know this teenage girl from acquaintance, not me, not you, nobody.
I don’t even take particular interest in her case, I am no person to hunt celebrities, I wasn’t even fan of Michale Jackson, because I was and am really more of the Freddie Mercury fan.
I just think, you can do better than that. Bring people with first hand experience. If you have to refrain to uninvolved kids, then this is just mind boggling to me.
Reply
So glad to be out says:
March 6, 2014 at 1:26 pm
Sandie,
There are many thousands that will give you first hand experience, me included, I have a dead nephew, a sister and a more, because of this cult. Cedars reported what the press was reporting. I can see the links, to the experiences of many, not least because of my experience. I am glad he is exposing abuse of this cult and the effects it has upon young minds. It may be mind boggling to you, it is not to many thousands who know the facts. I can only say, do the research.
Reply
BP says:
March 15, 2014 at 4:09 pm
Whilst in the ladies room at the Kingdom Hall, I overheard two young teenage sisters saying that they didn’t want to be there and they had failed to ‘get out of it’ that day. They were only really there to please their parents. The internal conflict resulted in the one young girl committing suicide about a year later. The other one married the first young man she could get, in order to leave home. She soon left her husband for a man ‘in the world’ and was of course disfellowshipped. What a sad state of affairs.
The teenage children of Jehovah’s Witnesses are often in a state of mental distress, trying to please ‘God’ and yet wanting some sort of excitement in their lives. Balance and understanding are needed. Pressure to conform will never work.
As is the case with Paris, she needs love and more than the usual amount of care. She is in a very precarious position with media attention to cope with as well as a dominating grandmother. I do hope she comes through this and learns to enjoy her young life to the full without any more tragedy.
I have now left the Watchtower Society because of finding out that there is deceit in their teaching and the despicable cases of child abuse continue to rise.
Reply
SUZANNE RACINE says:
March 20, 2014 at 10:57 am
I’VE BEEN IN THAT CULT FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS, I REALLY DON’T AGREE ABOUT FORCING OUR CHILDREN TO BE SOMEONE THEY’RE NOT, JUST LIKE THEIR PARENTS, THEY BRAINWASH THE WAY THEY’RE BRAINWASHED. MY CHILDREN ALL LEFT ON THEIR OWN, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN PERSONALITY AND EDUCATION WHICH THE SOCIETY ISN’T TOO KEEN, BUT GOING FROM DOOR TO DOOR WON’T PAY YOUR BILLS. THE GUILT THEY PUT IN OUR MIND IS ABOUT THE HARDEST, BUT IT DOES PASS.YOUNG ONES BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE NO SHAME.
Reply
Art Fern says:
June 20, 2014 at 2:02 pm
I feel so badly for MJ’s children, the way he obtained them and his example to them could not have been anymore sick and twisted, a privileged we accord the wealthy and famous. I really want to corner Katherine and bluntly ask her: “How the Witnesses working out for the kids, your marriage”? If they is a more dysfunctional extended family on earth, I am not aware of them. The Tower certainly has not been the rock they could hold to give their kids a good foundation and enrich the parents marriage. It just makes for such a sad story of hurting and unproductive lives, (outside the very temporary success in the music biz). If you believe in the power of prayer, say one for the grandkids.
Reply
RiRi says:
June 26, 2014 at 1:46 pm
Wow …….same church it was in the early 70’s.
Everyone into everyone else’s business. That is why I left.
Why would ANY of you want to know the business of Jackson’s daughter? Did you really expect ANY different? And where was the wonderful Katherine when Michael and all the brothers were being abused by their father? I am sure she was a JW back then. WAKE UP!!!!
Reply
RiRi says:
June 26, 2014 at 1:52 pm
I agree . I was told as a 17 year old in 1971 that the end would be within a year or two. Then I saw the true picture a few years later and left. NEVER to go back.
I wonder what the number of drop outs is now?
Reply
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Breaking News: Paris Jackson Attempts Suicide
avatar
Posted on June 5, 2013
Paris Jackson, who has been raised in a Witness family, has reportedly been taken to hospital following a suicide attempt
News is emerging that Paris Jackson, daughter of the late Michael Jackson, has been rushed to hospital on June 5th following a suicide attempt.
Emergency services responded to a call at her home at 1.27am local time and claim to have taken a single person to a local medical center. Multiple sources are reporting this person to be Paris.
While it is impossible to say at this stage what has prompted this development, the online Witness community will be concerned given that little more than a month ago the celebrity gossip pages were reporting that Paris, who has been raised as a Jehovah’s Witness by her family, was refusing to go on the door-to-door ministry.
Her grandmother Katherine remains a staunch Jehovah’s Witnesses, having confirmed her faith on the Oprah Winfrey show in 2010 where she revealed that she had just returned from the ministry when she heard that her son Michael had been hospitalized. According to the Sky News website, Paris and her siblings continue to live with their grandmother following the singer’s death.
Below is a video, posted to YouTube a month ago, revealing the fact that Paris refused to take part in Witness field ministry…
According to TMZ.com, Paris reportedly “threw a fit” last night when she was told she couldn’t go to a Marilyn Manson concert. The same source reports that there are signs of cutting on Paris’ arms – indicating long-standing emotional problems.
Whatever the issues surrounding this disturbing news, whether this development is related to Paris’ religious upbringing or not, at the center of this story is a very troubled young woman who urgently needs the help, support and understanding of those around her – including trained mental health professionals.
On behalf of all those involved with JWsurvey.org, I express my deepest concern for Paris and my sincerest hope that she will have a quick and speedy recovery.
Further reading…
◾TMZ.com article on the story
◾SkyNews article on the story
◾Charisma News: Did Cultish Religion Move Paris Jackson to Attempt Suicide?
◾Recent instructions to Jehovah’s Witnesses regarding self harm
Related video…
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24 Responses to Breaking News: Paris Jackson Attempts Suicide
Julia says:
June 5, 2013 at 12:06 pm
I hope that Paris Jackson gets the professional help that she needs during this difficult time.
Thank you for sharing this information.
When teens are suicidal it is not a spiritual malady to be remedied through prayer, as the recent Awake! magazine tries to claim. These children need real help and attention from medical professionals!
Reply
KtotheRAD "Konrad" says:
June 5, 2013 at 1:02 pm
Even though I was hoping so hard that this wasn’t going to be the case, I anticipated something tragic along this line some time ago…Here you have a young lady floating around in a parental vaccuum and also under exponential pressure of worldwide public scrutiny and that tender age? With such a freakish family? Public speculation as to who her father even is? Now public charges of her father being a criminal again? Throw in the cult pressure element to confuse things with twisted life and death and abuse pressures that are non applicable and false, making a loving God look like an ogre rather than a friend? She already spoke of bullying and abuse at school when I had her on twitter so I was hoping against hope that nothing bad would transpire…
Reply
Magusknight1974 says:
June 5, 2013 at 3:24 pm
Nice Work. Great example of someone who chooses to not follow down the path they are given by their family. If she is hurting it is due to all the pressures around her and prayer as little impact in healing her woes. I believe once she finds her way through her problems she will be in a much better place. The cancer of forcing the youth to do what they are told is now manifesting itself with self mutilation and suicide. If Paris does read any of these comments then I tell you that your loved. We respect your choices as long as your happy but be careful not to be fooled by your family as they are manipulated by others too. Great Job Cedars, Save the Children is your mission of truth.
Reply
Hakizimana Jean de Dieu says:
June 5, 2013 at 10:49 pm
Her grandmother needs professional help first for a long lasting solution. She must be psychologically disturbed by the cult teachings. This cult has the capacity to penetrate and destroy your life through family members. They BELIEVE that they are “The First Woe—Locusts” “The Locust Plague Today” “a plague of locusts that attack those ‘who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.’ that “authority was given them, the same authority as the scorpions of the earth have.” (Revelation 9:2, 3) (Read Revelation Climax chapter 22)!!!
Reply
Cedars says:
June 6, 2013 at 11:46 am
JWsurvey’s own Richard E. Kelly has been quoted in Charisma News on this link: http://www.charismanews.com/us/39785-did-cultish-religion-move-paris-jackson-to-commit-suicide
“There is a high incidence of suicide attempts and cutting among JW children,” he says. “They’re told to go to all the meetings; they’re told Armageddon is coming; they’re told they need to go door-to-door to hand out materials. Kids with minds of their own develop problems with these demands and act out in various ways. Suicide attempts are not uncommon.”
Reply
KtotheRAD "Konrad" says:
June 6, 2013 at 12:04 pm
Way to go Richard!
Reply
AnonE says:
June 6, 2013 at 7:15 pm
Dat, dat, dat… My thoughts and prayers are with Paris and family in working through this, but isn’t this family built on being “independent” of following Mama Katherine’s wishes? and, specifically, the wishes of the elders? Paris is true to her father’s nature–a free-spirit with morals and ethics but unwilling to be confined to a box of conformity. Consider that for a celebrity (and Paris as a descendant of a superstar and having a paparazzi following qualifies) they would need to “tone-down” and “costume-up” to fulfill the door-to-door requirement to avoid attracting photographers and possibly harming the service group as they are trampled or run over. That is weird.
But, what really, really is ironic is that the origins–if we reach way, way, way back to the roots–of influence on Russell and the Watchtower publications, we find non-conformity and free-thinkers who refused to be confined to a box of conformity–a rebellion against standard Christian theology and forms of devotion.
I LOVE IT!!! A dose of their own medicine and a bitter pill to swallow!
Hang in there, Paris. TO borrow a phrase, “it gets better!”
Reply
JBob says:
June 8, 2013 at 2:10 pm
It’s often posited that a cult drives people to commit suicide. Naturally, any group disowns this infamy, but a group’s dynamics can create fertile grounds which accelerate an individual’s inclination toward suicidal tendencies. As we’ve seen from the “Letter to Elders” regarding India and the push for “exemplary JW families” and the constant measuring up to the “ideal Witness” model written in the Watchtower creates an atmosphere where perfectionism is rewarded and praised. To counter that Jehovah’s organization realizes we are all humans with imperfections due to Adam’s falling short, etc, etc is to dodge the issue on how the Watchtower literature has painted the ideal Witness character for men, women and families. It’s akin to the similar suburban and urban ideals that were portrayed in family and advertisements during the 1950’s and 1960’s for an ideal family and home; families went through extraordinary means to hide their dysfunction to the point of self-harming and enabling those who were causing harm.
We see this repeated in the incessant denial of Witnesses that child abuse and pedophilia exists in the organization and that the Watchtower Society covers it up to avoid presenting the “less-than-perfect” reality and preserve its “a paradise away from the world” hype. We all heard that–you didn’t want to leave a meeting or assembly because it was the ideal of how the “new world” would be–“the new system.” It disguised the fact that someone in that audience may have been beating their child beyond disciplinary measures, a spouse being abused, or someone struggling with addictions.
So, being less-than-ideal and facing isolation — further isolation — a teen would have some serious issues to cope, and thus a need for secular / professional assistance in mapping out “who they are” versus everyone else, family, and religious community.
Reply
Ann a.k.a Gypsy Sam says:
June 10, 2013 at 9:00 am
Great comment. I’ve recently learned TTATT and what you stated is exactly the observation I’ve reached about JW world.
Reply
Rob says:
November 6, 2013 at 9:39 pm
Slow down. Let’s find out all the info like prescription drugs. Not to say this is tragic and our children need support (of which I have one).
Reply
Candyeye says:
January 24, 2014 at 9:14 am
I was once caught up with this ‘cult’. People have to start educating themselves on this stupid cult and help those who are in need by showing them love and patience. Educate yourself on these dangerous cults who are greedy and do not care about your well being and who blame everything on their god. Swearing that it’s gods law and we have to blindly follow it! That is not how free will works. Free will cannot be followed if there are wolves in sheeps clothing deceiving those, trapping those who are vulernable to it’s attacks and persuasions. Don’t drink the poison! Love yourself
Reply
Sandie says:
March 6, 2014 at 9:02 am
(Please bear with my English, I am no native speaker)
While I have every sympathy with your website and cause against JW’s, I really feel extremely uncomfortable seeing Paris’ attempted suicide dragged in here for possible proof of how corrosive this cult may be.
You even say you “express your deepest concerns” but yet have not the decency to refrain exploiting her suicide attempt. Just because it may serve your cause. Please don’t all jump on me, that’s just how my first (and second) reaction was to this posted here.
Reply
Cedars says:
March 6, 2014 at 9:11 am
Thanks for your observations Sandie. However the above article was worded extremely carefully so as to not make any assertions as to the causes of Paris’ suicide attempt. i.e. “Whatever the issues surrounding this disturbing news, whether this development is related to Paris’ religious upbringing or not, at the center of this story is a very troubled young woman who urgently needs the help, support and understanding of those around her – including trained mental health professionals.”
Are you saying that young JW celebrities are somehow “off limits,” and we in the Ex-JW community are not allowed to talk about well-publicized problems that may befall them?
Reply
Julia says:
March 6, 2014 at 9:15 am
Former Jehovah’s Witnesses no longer have to go by the ‘rules’ of the Watchtower. We are part of the world now and there is absolutely nothing wrong with Cedars’ article that addressed a possibility that crossed many of our minds. Why can’t we talk about this? The answer is, we can!
Reply
So glad to be out says:
March 6, 2014 at 9:42 am
Sandie,
When you lose someone to a cult and you know that it has an extreme hold over them and you hear that they are sad and have attempted suicide, would you keep quiet? The most compassionate thing you could do is to tell the world about the cult, so that nobody else has to suffer. That is all Cedars is doing and I for one am very grateful. Do independent research and find out about what people have experienced, the loss of family members, the loss of years of their lives. Its not like being a Catholic, there are consequences for being associated with this cult. Many children had no option but to be fed these teachings, because its what their parents or grandparents wanted – Paris for example. For some the only escape that seemed possible was suicide. Others have walked away but bear the scars. Rather than attack the messenger, be part of the army that is stopping the abuse. Paris may one day thank you for that.
Reply
Sandie says:
March 6, 2014 at 12:24 pm
You are right, you didn’t explicit said, that her religious upbringing was the cause of that. I read that too and have to honor you for this.
And yet, bringing it here in this possible context. It has something of “using” her case to try to imply something, while nobody but her knows what drove her to that point. It might be simply a boy (or girl) who broke her heart. It might well be something else. Nobody knows.
Of course her suicide attempt is well documented in the yellow press, full of speculation. I just somehow think, she’s a desperate girl in great pain, don’t try to prove a point with her, well documented or not.
I didn’t want to start a fight here, and I understand also that you are all somehow at least emotionally abused from JWs, I just don’t get it that you drag a teenager into this, who didn’t volunteer for this article at all. That’s all. Sorry.
Reply
Cedars says:
March 6, 2014 at 12:28 pm
Thanks Sandie. I take your observations on board. But since I was merely reporting on the news and reciting known information about Paris rather than “using” her, as you put it, there isn’t a great deal I can do. In any case, thank you for visiting JWsurvey and I hope you find the information on this website useful.
Reply
Sandie says:
March 6, 2014 at 12:34 pm
So glad,
telling people from one’s own first hand experience is something completely different than this. Nobody can claim to know this teenage girl from acquaintance, not me, not you, nobody.
I don’t even take particular interest in her case, I am no person to hunt celebrities, I wasn’t even fan of Michale Jackson, because I was and am really more of the Freddie Mercury fan.
I just think, you can do better than that. Bring people with first hand experience. If you have to refrain to uninvolved kids, then this is just mind boggling to me.
Reply
So glad to be out says:
March 6, 2014 at 1:26 pm
Sandie,
There are many thousands that will give you first hand experience, me included, I have a dead nephew, a sister and a more, because of this cult. Cedars reported what the press was reporting. I can see the links, to the experiences of many, not least because of my experience. I am glad he is exposing abuse of this cult and the effects it has upon young minds. It may be mind boggling to you, it is not to many thousands who know the facts. I can only say, do the research.
Reply
BP says:
March 15, 2014 at 4:09 pm
Whilst in the ladies room at the Kingdom Hall, I overheard two young teenage sisters saying that they didn’t want to be there and they had failed to ‘get out of it’ that day. They were only really there to please their parents. The internal conflict resulted in the one young girl committing suicide about a year later. The other one married the first young man she could get, in order to leave home. She soon left her husband for a man ‘in the world’ and was of course disfellowshipped. What a sad state of affairs.
The teenage children of Jehovah’s Witnesses are often in a state of mental distress, trying to please ‘God’ and yet wanting some sort of excitement in their lives. Balance and understanding are needed. Pressure to conform will never work.
As is the case with Paris, she needs love and more than the usual amount of care. She is in a very precarious position with media attention to cope with as well as a dominating grandmother. I do hope she comes through this and learns to enjoy her young life to the full without any more tragedy.
I have now left the Watchtower Society because of finding out that there is deceit in their teaching and the despicable cases of child abuse continue to rise.
Reply
SUZANNE RACINE says:
March 20, 2014 at 10:57 am
I’VE BEEN IN THAT CULT FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS, I REALLY DON’T AGREE ABOUT FORCING OUR CHILDREN TO BE SOMEONE THEY’RE NOT, JUST LIKE THEIR PARENTS, THEY BRAINWASH THE WAY THEY’RE BRAINWASHED. MY CHILDREN ALL LEFT ON THEIR OWN, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN PERSONALITY AND EDUCATION WHICH THE SOCIETY ISN’T TOO KEEN, BUT GOING FROM DOOR TO DOOR WON’T PAY YOUR BILLS. THE GUILT THEY PUT IN OUR MIND IS ABOUT THE HARDEST, BUT IT DOES PASS.YOUNG ONES BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE NO SHAME.
Reply
Art Fern says:
June 20, 2014 at 2:02 pm
I feel so badly for MJ’s children, the way he obtained them and his example to them could not have been anymore sick and twisted, a privileged we accord the wealthy and famous. I really want to corner Katherine and bluntly ask her: “How the Witnesses working out for the kids, your marriage”? If they is a more dysfunctional extended family on earth, I am not aware of them. The Tower certainly has not been the rock they could hold to give their kids a good foundation and enrich the parents marriage. It just makes for such a sad story of hurting and unproductive lives, (outside the very temporary success in the music biz). If you believe in the power of prayer, say one for the grandkids.
Reply
RiRi says:
June 26, 2014 at 1:46 pm
Wow …….same church it was in the early 70’s.
Everyone into everyone else’s business. That is why I left.
Why would ANY of you want to know the business of Jackson’s daughter? Did you really expect ANY different? And where was the wonderful Katherine when Michael and all the brothers were being abused by their father? I am sure she was a JW back then. WAKE UP!!!!
Reply
RiRi says:
June 26, 2014 at 1:52 pm
I agree . I was told as a 17 year old in 1971 that the end would be within a year or two. Then I saw the true picture a few years later and left. NEVER to go back.
I wonder what the number of drop outs is now?
Reply
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Big Eyes, Big Lies: Painter Margaret Keane and the Truth
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Posted on March 16, 2015
Big Eyes starring Amy Adams (left) tells the story of JW painter Margaret Keane (right) and the fraud that shook the art world
Big Eyes starring Amy Adams (left) tells the story of JW painter Margaret Keane (right) and the fraud that shook the art world
It wasn’t easy as a creative child growing up in a devout Jehovah’s Witness household. My early dreams of becoming an artist were squashed by the future forced upon me. According to my indoctrination the only real career outlet for young Witnesses was working for the Watchtower. And I had little interest in going to headquarters to paint scenes of a paradise earth for the rest of my life. I preferred giant robots.
As a child, I came to learn of popular artist Margaret Keane through her life-story, as printed in an old issue of Awake! (My Life As An Artist, July 8,1975, Awake!) It was captivating to read of a JW with a successful art career outside the walls of Brooklyn Bethel. Of course by the time she joined the sect, her worldwide fame as an artist was already well toward establishment. How she got there is a fascinating story that became the basis of Big Eyes, a 2014 film by Tim Burton.
In the 1960’s, Margaret’s husband, Walter, took the pop-art world by storm with a series of paintings of waifs with large, haunted eyes. These big-eyes became a cultural phenomenon through Keane’s savvy merchandising, leading to wealth and fame. The only problem was that he didn’t paint any of them. The actual artist was his wife Margaret, who slaved away in secret producing hundreds of big-eyed waifs.
The Stray by Margaret Keane, an example of her big-eyed waifs.
The Stray by Margaret Keane, an example of her big-eyed waifs.
Burton’s film captures the soul-crushing nature of the art fraud. It’s difficult to watch as the painter squanders her talent to fulfill the egotistical dreams of her husband. Margaret was unable to share her art with even her daughter. Friends were driven away lest they discover the scam.
Hope enters the film when Margaret, played by Amy Adams, and her daughter Jane escape to Hawaii. “It’s a paradise there,” Margaret tells Jane. It’s somewhat of a premonition that sets up a major turn. There, two smiling JW sisters greet her with bright blue Truth books. As Margaret describes in her Awake! account, “one knock on my door would drastically change my life.”
It’s one of Hollywood’s better-written Watchtower presentations. Usually movies get it wrong with Witnesses rattling on about the savior Jesus, flashing literature with crosses, or condemning people to hell. In the film, a Japanese woman in a floral print dress smiles and begins a pitch. “We have something to share with you about the wonderful things that God’s kingdom will do for mankind.” When Margaret mentions that she didn’t see much good in the world, the JW opens to 1 Timothy 3:1-5. “In the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here, for men will be lovers of themselves…” Those who have participated in the JW door-to-door ministry could probably take it from there without missing a beat.
Amy Adams with Margaret Keane, who is sporting a JW.org lapel badge, at the premiere of Big Eyes
Amy Adams with Margaret Keane, who is sporting a JW.org lapel badge, at the premiere of Big Eyes
Margaret is swayed by the Bible passage that seems to describe her manipulative husband to the letter. The painter hesitantly invites the women in. She is later shown reading the Truth book to her teenage daughter. “I just can’t believe you let people in the house,” quips the girl. Walter later wonders about his wife’s mental state in joining a group of “zealots” that wouldn’t let the girl go to the prom.
First published in 1968, "The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life" was the "Bible Teach" book of its day
First published in 1968, The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life was the “Bible Teach” book of its day
In the Awake! account Margaret describes her conversion in different terms. Raised a Methodist, she floated through a variety of Christian sects and dabbled in esoteric practices like astrology and numerology. When the JW’s knocked, she was learning about the Seventh Day Adventists but wondered about their teachings on the Sabbath. Margaret liked the Witnesses views on the matter, and she was baptized with her daughter in 1972.
Margaret and Jane were two of many that joined the religion in the period leading up to the failed 1975 end-of-the-world prediction. The Truth book that Margaret studied stated, “in fifteen years from today, this world is going to be too dangerous to live in.” (This quote was removed in the 1981 edition)
In the movie, Margaret embraces her new JW friends and decides to come clean about the painting scam. A humorous moment occurs when her daughter asks their new JW community, “What does Jehovah think about suing?”
The painter’s revelation leads into a humorous courtroom showdown between Margaret and Walter, in order to prove the real painter. During the trial, Walter acts as his own lawyer in an outrageous display of buffoonery. Actor Christoph Waltz’s performance has been criticized as campy and over-the-top. In reality it is toned-down from the actual transcripts. At one point the judge threatened to duct tape the man’s mouth shut. In a test worthy of the Biblical King Solomon, the judge calls for a paint off. (If only problems in the congregation could be settled in such a manner.)
The film ends with Margaret being vindicated (or is it sanctified?) as the true producer of the big eyes enterprise. She moves back to Hawaii and continues to paint. While the film ends here, in real-life her art takes a turn. The waifs lose theirs tears and are posed in saturated paradises with pet lions and tigers. If it weren’t for the over-sized eyes, it would be easy to mistake her work for Watchtower propaganda. One such painting was gifted and displayed at the Hawaiian Bethel.
A Margaret Keane painting
A Margaret Keane painting entitled “Paradise At Last”
When looking at her work it is easy to envision how external forces shaped her work. The saddened waifs seem to mirror her feelings while under the artistic oppression of her husband. The Watchtoweresque paradises serve as a proselytism tool. (I have to wonder if she cleverly used painting to fulfill the religion’s monthly ministry quota.)
In the Awake!, Margaret credits the religion for breaking her addiction to painting, increasing sales, and bestowing artistic superpowers. She says:
Another change has been that I spend only about a fourth of the time I formerly spent painting, and yet, amazingly, I accomplish almost the same amount of work. Too, sales and comments indicate that the paintings are getting even better. Painting used to be almost an obsession with me. I was driven to paint because it was my therapy, escape and relaxation—my life completely revolved around it. I still enjoy it immensely, but the addiction to it and dependency on it are gone. Since my growing in knowledge of Jehovah, the Source of all creativity, it is no wonder that the quality of my paintings has increased as the time of execution has decreased.
At 87, the artist remains active in her faith. In promotional junkets for the film, Margaret was photographed with a blue JW.ORG lapel pin. It has become the latest fashion accessory for devout JW’s to advertise their religion while on the go, and now the red carpet.
Since leaving the Jehovah’s Witness organization, I’ve finally been able to get back to art, first as a writer and now as a comic book creator. I can’t draw very well, but as a comic colorist I know how to stay between the lines. I’m no Margaret Keane, but I’m better than her ex-husband ever was.
I’ll be guesting (with Stache Publishing) at Midsouthcon 33; Memphis, TN, USA, March 20th -22nd. If you are planning on attending, stop by and say hello.
anthony-signature2
Anthony Mathenia is a journalist, novelist, and comic book creator. He has one published novel Paradise Earth: Day Zero. Happiness, Next Exit, a JW romance, will be released later in 2015. His comic Pretty Face can be read at www.prettyfacecomic.com.
Follow Anthony on Twitter: @armathenia
Visit Anthony’s website: www.anthonymathenia.com
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65 Responses to Big Eyes, Big Lies: Painter Margaret Keane and the Truth
Happyface says:
March 16, 2015 at 1:53 am
Alien-child hybrids. Awesome. Modern day nephilim, except small and cute?
Reply
Excelsior! says:
March 16, 2015 at 3:26 am
I didn’t know that this artist is a JW. What a sad tale this is. She replaced one domineering bully for another!
I never liked her art. It is creepy and sickly sweet.
Well done, sir, for getting out and pursuing your talents to their limits.
Peace be with you, Excelsior!
Reply
Cecil B. Demented says:
March 16, 2015 at 7:07 am
I’m actually now interested in seeing this movie. Tim Burton’s directed some awful stuff this last decade of so (and with Alice Through the Looking Glass and a CG version of Dumbo on the way it’s only going to get worse) but this might be interesting.
On an unrelated note I do hope you find time and/or resources to write further Paradise Earth novels. I found the first somewhat haunting and suspenseful and am hoping you have chance to finish the proposed trilogy as I’m fascinated to see how you envision post-Armageddon Earth.
Reply
Anthony Mathenia says:
March 16, 2015 at 8:54 am
Thanks. Paradise Earth: Week One is in the works. It’s my goal to complete it this year.
Reply
anonymous says:
March 16, 2015 at 7:23 am
I am with Excelsior. I never cared for her art either. She came into the “truth” when Watchtower was promising us all that Armageddon was coming in 1975. I was one of those too and I remember at the time, I didn’t really believe it but everybody was so hyped up about it that you didn’t even dare to question it or you’d be viewed as “apostate”. I remember that very well and when 1976 rolled around and nothing happened, the Society didn’t say a word about their failed prophecy. Then later, the Society said they never prophesied it and that it was all the rank and file’s fault. I remember it well and they lied, plan and simple. The Society promised us as a “fact” that Armageddon was coming in 1975. After that, they kept us all hanging on with the fear that at any moment now, the world is going to come to an end by Jehovah’s hand.
In the 1975 Awake article about Margaret Keane, it doesn’t even mention her name so I had no idea about her paintings but later, one time I was out in service and a sister was telling about these painting with the little girls with the big eyes and that the painter was a Witness. Because the Awake didn’t mention her name in the article, I didn’t believe the sister that the painter who painted the little kids with the big eyes, who was so popular at the time was a Witness. Nowadays, the Society would definitely put her name to the article, even though she had only been baptized 2 years at the time of the printing in the article in 1975 and had just gotten over the habit of smoking.
In the 1975 article, it mentioned that she tried to prove the Society wrong before she got baptized, by getting all kinds of Bibles etc. but could a person do that today after they got baptized? This woman was in her 50’s when she got baptized, but today most people are baptized as children and as young as 8. How are they able to prove one way or the other that the Watchtower is telling the real “truth” or not before getting baptized? How are they able to compare a whole bunch of different religions and compare their teachings to the Bible?
Why isn’t a person able to question whether the Watchtower is telling the truth or not today? Today, we have a lot more information at our fingertips then we did in the 1960’s, 1970’s, 1980’s or even the 1990’s. Today we can learn the real truth about 607 B.C.E. with the click of the mouse on our computer. Would Margaret Keane but just as convinced the Watchtower had the real “truth” if she had read “Gentile Times Reconsidered” before she got baptized?
Once you get baptized, you can kiss researching the Watchtower goodbye, unless you want to face a judicial committee for finding out that the Watchtower does nothing but tell lies. You are forbidden to tell another living soul about what you found or you will be kicked out and shunned by every person in your life. For Mrs. Keane to find out not at her age that she had been following a dangerous cult, would just about kill her I’d think. But she has led a life of wealth and I am sure that those in her congregation treats her like a movie star and all those that study with her, are studying with her because she’s famous and there’s plenty of people in this world who want to associate with famous people and will join with the Witnesses just for that reason and that reason alone.
Reply
Neal Krouni says:
March 16, 2015 at 2:39 pm
Add Prince and those tennis-playing “sisters” to the list of “celebrity” jw’s.
Didn’t Jesus tell the rich man to sell all his belongings before he became a follower?
Reply
Darlene says:
March 16, 2015 at 8:04 pm
TOUCHE’
Reply
Hakizimana Jean de Dieu says:
March 17, 2015 at 1:55 am
Armageddon is still there, coming soon… soon which has been preached since 1914….
“…Soon Jehovah will cause the political elements of Satan’s system, as represented by the United Nations, to attack false religion. They will destroy her influence and devastate her riches. Such an event may have seemed unlikely just decades ago. Today, the harlot teeters on the back of the scarlet-colored beast. Even so, she will not slip slowly from her seat. Her tumble will be sudden and violent.—Rev. 18:7, 8, 15-19.”
http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/s/r1/lp-e?q=%22Soon+Jehovah+will+cause+the+political+elements%22&p=par
Reply
Mara Jacobs-Proctor says:
March 18, 2015 at 8:33 am
Hi, Just wanted to say that I really enjoyed reading your comments. You really ‘hit the nail on the head’.
I also was one of the ones who joined WT just before 1975. They managed to convince me to put my life on hold because the end was ‘nigh’ and somehow they got millions to continue doing that for decades. As you know, Anthony Morris just did a jwtv piece admonishing young ones to avoid college because ‘we are living deep into the time of the end.’ Day by day and inch by inch you lose the elements of what makes up a real life, waiting for what JWs call the real life-the new world. What a tragedy!
I stopped meetings just a few months ago, and as word gets out, I have a fair amount of witnesses who want to know why. As you expressed, you are not allowed to explain why…or else! I know I will say more at some point. I want to. But right now I’m just trying to get my feet under me.
The other thing I wanted to comment on was the celebrity adoration in WT. Hey! I thought we weren’t supposed to ‘exalt’ individuals. (Do birthdays ring a bell?) And if an active JW started pursuing an art career, that would be a no-no, but the WT is happy to use someone who did pursue this kind of career full bore. If it’s so wrong, why are they patting her on the back? I guess we all know the answer to that! Vincent DePorter said that he was working on ‘Scooby-Do’, with all its demons and spiritism, when he was a witness and no one said a thing. He said he thought it was because of the celebrity thing, and I know he’s right.
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Lesley Mitchell says:
March 16, 2015 at 7:40 am
I can confirm that the 1968 Watchtower publication ‘The Truth that leads to Eternal Life” quotes from Dean Acheson who said “in fifteen years from today, this world is going to be too dangerous to live in.” It’s on page 9 and I’m looking at it. This was all part of the hype surrounding Watchtower expectations for October 1975. When nothing happened after October 1975, the Watchtower removed this quote.
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John Baptist says:
March 16, 2015 at 8:22 am
“Stay alive in 75″ was the catch phrase back then. After listening to District overseers talks at the assembly’s prior to 1975 you are given such a clear urgency of “getting in before it’s to late”
What amazes me is to what extent in the years after that yet another failed prediction that the watchtower stated it was “Increased speculation by the friends” who caused all the hype.
Have you ever known a organization that you can show by their own printed word that what they said and how wrong they were in saying it? Then flatly deny it and then blame it on their members. How ridiculous and common among those who think their right at any cost.
The Governing body uses and loses people when they no longer fit their agenda.
I wonder how much this woman has been duped out of her money by her devotion to this religion?
My question is why would you sell your story and put yourself in the limelight associating with “Worldlings”
Oopps sorry I forgot their 2 sets of rules policies that dictates their every move in their favor.
I would feel embarrassed to ever have been known to be part of one of the biggest lies in the history of religion.
For me the most notable thing in 1975 is I got my drivers license that year. Lol
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Excelsior! says:
March 16, 2015 at 9:29 am
Folks, don’t forget the fallback position!
All the woe and cuddling of pandas was promised in the twentieth century!!!!
Woops! Blame it on the overzealous rank and file, not the numerous articles pre ’75, and dear old Freddy Franz’s talk at the assembly!!!
Those idiotic rank and file!!!! Fancy taking a specific date, spoken by a governing body member as……..a specific date spoken by a governing body member!!!
The WTBTS is busy destroying all reference to 1975. It is trying to control information in the Information Age! Good luck with that, you morons! Happily, all of the articles, and the talk by Freddie Franz, are available on the good old Internet!
Thanks for the comments about ’75. I was a very small child then, so I don’t really remember it.
The 1975 Scandal stands testament to the gullibility of human being’s, and just what can be accomplished by the use of cult mind control.
Peace be with you, Excelsior!
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Pickled brain says:
March 16, 2015 at 10:05 am
The Yearbook Statistics 1970 to 1975 show a
37%!!!! Yes 37 % !!!!! Increase in publishers!!
The year 1977 shows -1% decrease & 1976 to 1980 shows over 5 years only a 2% increase!!
The FACTS DON’T LIE. BUT the Governing Body does Lie!! Russell lied about when the end would come 1914 & 1915. Rutherfords lies were 1918& 1925 for the END & Franz big Lie was 1975!!!&
The NEW GOverning Body LIES about Overlapping Generations!!! HOW MANY MORE LIES & WASTED LIVES ?????????????
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Pickled brain says:
March 16, 2015 at 10:47 am
LIES, LIES & MORE Governing Body Lies!!
Rutherford: 1935 !! The Door is now closed for the Anointed !’ Here come the Great Crowd!!!!
ERMMM??!!! Mark Sanderson 50 years of age Born 1964. Anointed??!!!
The Oldest Governing Body member Sam Herd or Gerrit Losch 79!! Born 1936 !! Not Baptised until 1950s !!!
I smell something FISHY Here like 7 SHARKS wanting your money& time& energy & your Whole Life Wasted!!
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douglas philip says:
March 16, 2015 at 11:08 am
Actually i find it interesting to se that what may be a burdon to some may be a safehaven to others …. Im a nonactive wittnes who has lost my faith in a religion that does not make sense to me anymore but i find it a bit sad that it has to be black or white about jw’s … For some it may be for good to belive and for others its not … The auther of this story found it to be a burdon but the artist mention by him found it just the other way around … Good for her :) really … Most of my familly are jw’s and i wouldnt try to force them to understand that it is not the truth as i see it … They belive and it gives them joy … I have to live my live the way i find it right to do but i wont take theire belives away from them just becouse i lost my on the way … Be negative as much as you want when there is something to be negative about but in this case the lady found what seemes to be a better life for her … Thats nothing to be negative about …
Sorry for my english its not my first language …
Take care Douglas
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John Baptist says:
March 16, 2015 at 11:23 am
@Douglas I agree with you very much but where the problem lyes is when they tell you where your wrong(negative)) all the time. I get the if it works for you then great but for the rest of us just leave us alone and stop trying to push your man made policies on us that are masked by misapplied scriptures from average laymen.
Instead they break down family unity and destroy families.
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douglas philip says:
March 16, 2015 at 11:49 am
@john baptist
Your right … Thats negative i think being able to embrace the positives more and then pointing out the negatives carefully and mention that that particularly is the reason for ones stand not to engage with the jw’s might take one futher in a conversation with any jw’s but ofcourse i might be wrong … I personally try not to be in opposition but to be neutral in my aproach and i wont neccesarily tell my own wiew off the matter and then i am able to speak with most off my relatives and jw friends and make them think … And people to day might be brought up to much worse cenarios then being baptised as teenager … What if your a muslim or bretheren or mormon or amish … At the end you decide for your own wich way in life to choose and your familly choose theirs … the deeply belive you dont and your familly breaks … Sad …. But unfortunetly thats life for many others the jw’s … I think that if we show them by our way of living and our example that they are not true bout us then sooner or later they might understand … Then again thats my wiew for now .. I might be wrong :)
Thanks for your reply btw :)
Cheers :)
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Pickled brain says:
March 16, 2015 at 12:05 pm
@Douglas Philip. I’m sorry but I cannot agree . It is not as simple as your argument portrays. First of all prior to baptism your Study Conductor will not tell you the WHOLE HISTORY & FAILED PROPHECIES of the Organisation !!
Secondly if you start JUST ASKING Questions about Governing Body policies or doctrines you will be ostracised ,shunned, pulled into the Backroom with the Elders.
If their is a RESOLUTION & the congregation is asked to have a show of hands say for donating for a BRAND NEW Circuit overseers car every 3 years& you were the only one to oppose & shouted out why cant the circuit overseer cope with a 10 year old car like most of us & could that donation go to help a single mother with 4 children in the congregation!!! See what would Happen!!
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douglas philip says:
March 16, 2015 at 2:06 pm
I know … And thats when you start questioning and end up picking your own path in life …. I agree that its not honest when they study with you not telling you everything but thats just bad luck getting involved with them :( life aint fair and it doesnt have to be … Think about it … If you didnt know what you know now you probably wouldt be in opposition …
But you dont have to be right up front to oppose … Its easy to withstand and obvious attack but reasoning on a neutral level like with one of your own … Thats a diference…. If you want to affect them you have to speak to them … Most of them will not look at any of your oppinions if your to obvious … But yeah thats just how i see it … I tried to question obviously and got a worried and supecious reply … So i stopd doing that and now im just dripping a drop from time to time and it works :) i got some to start thinking … And guess what … If they end up leaving it will be their own choice and they would maybe have done reeserch on their own i have allready wittnese’d that :)
Ted says:
March 16, 2015 at 2:47 pm
@douglas philip. Hi Douglas. I can understand how many
JWs, might feel the org, is a “Safe Haven” but this is just an
illusion.
It takes a long time, sometimes to the end of ones life for one
to realise that it’s not been a sanctuary but a snare, a trap,
Ones who have devoted fully to it have had life’s potential
sucked out of them just like the spider siphons all the juices
from the fly.
A husband and wife S,Pioneer couple I knew ( both now dead )
longed for children of their own, but put it off until the promised
near at hand paradise. So even if the resurrection was a reality
their hopes will still be dashed as the children of the resurrection
neither marry or are given in marriage.
My own sister a 50 year plus JW, died a year ago, disappointed
at unfulfilled promises. One of her last statements to me was
“Who would have thought I’d end up here, ( In the hospice.)
Add to this the many bright intelligent young people who have
had their potential stifled and wasted their youth knocking on
doors and in effect, just drawing others into the fly trap.
While I wouldn’t badger or pester my JW, relatives, I would,
if the opportunity arises, try to expose the myth of the
“safe Haven”. Because I love them.
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Neal Krouni says:
March 16, 2015 at 2:56 pm
@ douglas philip
I like your strategy. But it IS hard not to be negative toward WT, especially considering that born-ins or raised-ins barely have a choice. They are brainwashed as kids, by their parents, the elders, the congregation, and the GB, and all the literature. It’s hard to be neutral toward that, especially when you’ve been subjected to it. NO ONE likes to be lied to, intimidated, and manipulated. It simply goes against basic human nature. By the way, my comments apply to EVERY religion. It’s just that the JWs are the worst, hence truly a CULT!!!
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Darlene says:
March 16, 2015 at 8:08 pm
ABSOLUTELY AGREE 100%!
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Neal Krouni says:
March 16, 2015 at 3:07 pm
@ Pickled brain
Yes, I think everyone agrees that the “overlapping generation” doctrine is the most inane, ridiculous, unfounded, nonsensical, illogical, idiotic, and just plain STUPID teaching in the history of mankind!!!
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Ted says:
March 16, 2015 at 4:55 pm
@Pickled brain. Lies, lies and more is right. it’s even absurd
the way they pick these young kids out of thin air and how they
just happen to be of the anointed. Legerdemain ! they’ve got
more tricks than Harry Houdini.
Mark Sanderson 60, goodness me! my sons older than him
and I, though older than any gb, member, would not qualify
on the1935 deadline ( another piece of chicanery) !
being just a youngster back then.
It’s always struck me as being the result of a, Gigantic Ego
plus religious delusion, claiming that some all powerful creator
has personally selected you to rule over everything he’s ever
created. Or as you say P,B, it could be “Lies lies and more”.
And this for personal advantage.
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Neal Krouni says:
March 16, 2015 at 9:25 pm
Believe it or not, there’s a 40-year-old guy in my mother’s cong who claims he’s “anointed,” and everyone accepts it, including Steroid Boy, the “overseer.” Believe it or not, the guy’s name is Ted! Small world!! :)
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Andrew Krzynowek says:
March 16, 2015 at 7:28 pm
Good write up Anthony, I had no idea she was a dub, I’ll definitely check out the film.
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Anthony Mathenia says:
March 21, 2015 at 3:17 pm
Thanks Andrew. It was panned, but I enjoyed it. No Depp or Bonham-Carter.
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Neal Krouni says:
March 16, 2015 at 9:37 pm
In their own way, the GB is pretty clever. Thanks to the “Overlapping Generation” doctrine, they found a way to cover their butts ad infinitum. The “End” could come tomorrow, next month, a million, billion, trillion, gazillion years from now. Obviously, EVERY generation overlaps the previous one. It could go on forever (shudder). No more deadlines, failed predictions, or magical calculations. Only a flock of blind sheep following and obeying unquestioningly.
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Man from the lions pit says:
March 16, 2015 at 9:45 pm
Good job Anthony on this article & film review!
I should watch the movie one day.Many of my JW friends have done so and were excited about it, some of them are professional artist as well.I do have also partial art education and paint myself on/off. Best wishes !
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John Z says:
March 16, 2015 at 11:38 pm
I am new to the other side of the fence so to speak. I saw the movie and think it’s sad WT was better than her husband.
I was born into this snare and so was my wife. I deep down always rejected some of the WTBTS B.S. My father a new convert before the door didn’t close in 1975 worked up the ladder to be a big Elder. His favourite thing to do still to this day is disfellowship people. What a sick bastard!
He used to beat me senseless to get me to “behave” like sitting perfectly still and quiet. If I didn’t, I would be hauled to the back and given a licking in the bathroom or second school and of course way more severely at home after.
I am still traumatised by his actions but I was not alone, many of my friends were in a similar situation. Some of my witness friends were beaten with belts, sticks or other weapons! My parents stopped using a small club after my non witness grandparents threatened to call child protection services.
Over all I would say my childhood was not all bad but when I had a child of my own last year my wife and I researched the WTBTS material from the 70’s and 80’s and was sickend to see that they sanctioned physical abuse to get your children to behave.
I am now, after much anguish preparing to fade away from this hell! Save my family from this cult. Thank God for Ray Franz, the person who leaked the elder book, and all of you courageous individuals who do what you can to impede this powerful tool of Satan, The Watchtower!
I’m so glad to at least have your support and a place to openly talk about the damage done in the name of God. These sick twisted power hungry men will one day come to an end!
P.S. Overlapping generation lol. Soon it will be the people that knew the people that knew the people. Let’s destroy these clowns!
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Pickled brain says:
March 17, 2015 at 12:16 am
The ‘GENERATION ‘ doctrine of Matthew ch.24!!!
How did JESUS define the length of ‘Generation ‘??
Well Governing Body I don’t need to be spirit directed ???to work it out!!
JESUS uttered the prophecy in 33 C.E. & guess what just as every dictionary definition says a length of a Generation is about 30 or 40 years.
The fulfilment of Jesus prophecy came in 70 C.E when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem..37 years later!!! YES a Generation was 37 years later.
Now either this prophecy had one fulfilment or the GB have got the start of Last Days WRONG.!
Is 1914? As beginning of Last Days correct ? Is the interpretation of Daniels ‘7 Times’ correct??
The GB have changed so many Spirit Directed?? Interpretations dozens of times e.g. 1874,1878,1910,1914,1915,1918,1925,1942,1975,
1994(Generation of 70 or 80 years ran out) ,etc
Change on who GOG is;who Sheep&Goats are;Even who Faithful&Discreet Slave are; Organ Transplants;Vaccinations;Blood Fractions; Superior Authorities of Romans ch.13; Start of Great Tribulation was 1914 , now in the future; Pyramid of GIZA was Gods Stone witness and foretold 1874 as Beginning of Jesus Presence; then Rutherford(Apparently GB member) decides GIZA is from Satan in 1927!! Sodom&Gomorrah men are going to be resurrected & then not & yes they are& then no they’re not !!Need I go on ?? Etc,Etc
I could relate Dozens more FLIP FLOPS like Is Oral Sex acceptable in marriage or is it Not ??
Welcome to The CRAZY,CRAZY World of the GB!!
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Pickled brain says:
March 17, 2015 at 1:13 am
‘NEW LIGHT ‘ Anyone ??,just to add to my last comment!!
I see New Light!! My prophecy is the Governing Body WILL have to do a U-Turn on their Child Abuse Policies because it is getting TOO EXPENSIVE for them .Finances& Public Outcry& the Courts will make the Governing Body have More ‘New Light’ & we will see Changes. I Guarantee there will be an Article in a Watchtower but worded in such a way to Exonerate the GB from all blame.
A small sign is the letter read out last year saying circuit overseers will appoint New Elders& Ministerisland servants instead of Bethel is CRAFTY because any new Elders & MS committing Sex Crimes appointed by Circuit Overseers means it’s these men can be sued instead of Bethel !!
The Letter read out said it was biblically based but why change the way men are appointed after 90 years because it was Rutherfords idea to appoint men so he could have complete control!!But in those days Litigation wasn’t a problem. BROOKLYN always changes if Finances are involved!!
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Pickled brain says:
March 17, 2015 at 1:39 am
When JESUS said ‘This Generation ‘ it is just ONE GENERATION not overlapping !!Matthew defines it in
Matthew ch.1v17 . Read carefully Abraham to David 14 Generations; David until deportation to Babylon 14 Generations; 14 more Generations until CHRIST. Therefore each Generation could be no longer than a lifespan of ONE Single Person .Jesus didn’t say in Matthew 24v34 ‘THESE Generations’ BUT ‘THIS!!Generation’ SINGULAR!!
So 8 Million have been HOODWINKED & CONNED just as those who in RUSSELLS day thought they were going to Heaven in 1914!!
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Neal Krouni says:
March 17, 2015 at 8:58 am
Money talks.
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Neal Krouni says:
March 17, 2015 at 9:01 am
@ John Z
Re: “Let’s destroy these clowns!”
Amen!
You have my FULL support!!!
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Mara Jacobs-Proctor says:
March 18, 2015 at 9:06 am
Hi John Z, It made me tear up to read about how you were regularly beat up as a child. My son is 31 and I remember in those times, if you didn’t beat your kid silly, you were the subject of disdain and gossip in the congregation. You were considered a bad parent in WT world. I remember realizing about 15 years ago that my son paid the price for me trying to get the approval of the friends by spanking him at the slightest provocation! But I still remained in the cult. Thankfully, both my son and myself are out now. And amazingly, my son doesn’t hold a thing against me, although I wouldn’t blame him if he did! He knows what can happen when you’re under the spell of mind control.
And yes, Ray was such a courageous man and indeed thank God for him and others who have had the strength to stand up for what is right!
I will be thinking of you and your family as you ‘fade’. It isn’t easy, but then again, nothing in life that is truly worthwhile is! Best wishes.
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Mara Jacobs-Proctor says:
March 18, 2015 at 9:39 am
P.S., And John Z, Just wanted to add something. I remember back in the 70’s seeing a young mother lay a baby on the changing table at the hall and spanking this 7 mos. or so child! I was appalled at the time, but ashamed to say I didn’t say anything. All I can say is that it was considered fine and normal due to WT teaching at that time, but my gut would disagree sometimes. This is evidenced by how the friends would just sit there and continue reading and commenting at meetings whilst a screaming,young child was being beaten in the back room-as if nothing was amiss!
Hope my previous post didn’t sound like I was making an excuse for your dad with the mind control comment. Sounds like your dad went the extra mile with the corporal punishment. But all I can say is that WT mind control definitely played a large part in how the average parent ‘disciplined’ their kids. Its not an excuse, but it is a reason. Thank God you’ve realized this and your child won’t have to suffer the same abuse.
Take Care,
Mara
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Charles Costante says:
March 17, 2015 at 2:36 am
“Some of my witness friends were beaten with belts, sticks or other weapons! My parents stopped using a small club after my non witness grandparents threatened to call child protection services.”
That’s terrible, John Z! I can sympathise because my father used to use a leather razor strap on me (the fifties and sixties). I don’t know what the Watchtower Society’s policy is now, but not ‘sparing the rod’ was the order of the day back then.
Corporal punishment of children by parents is now banned in 44 countries.
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Ted says:
March 17, 2015 at 6:01 am
@Neal Krouni. A 40 year old “Heavenly Ted”, in your mothers
Cong. Gave me a good laugh.
It’s a good job Armageddon didn’t come, as predicted in. 75
the year he was born or he would he would have missed out
on his celestial mansion, ( Are they bricks and mortar by the
way ? )
Maybe that’s why God hung back in 75, the elite wasn’t complete
without young Ted and the other late comers. I’m confused!
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Neal Krouni says:
March 17, 2015 at 9:05 am
I call him Cloud Boy.
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Neal Krouni says:
March 17, 2015 at 9:25 am
So I remember a documentary on the early days of the Nazi party. What was so interesting was that things like the swastika, the “Heil” salute, even Crazy Adolf’s little mustache, were not random choices. They were very carefully thought-out and planned. As far as Germany and the Nazis go, the swastika was totally irrelevant. In fact, it originated in India, and swastika is a Sanskrit word meaning, essentially, “well-being”. The Nazis chose it because it was unique, no one had ever seen it before, it would catch the eye, and it would stand out in people’s minds. People who do things like that, do so INTENTIONALLY and KNOWINGLY. There’s nothing random about it. They don’t just sit around over margarita’s, spitballing ideas. It may start out that way, but it evolves into a SYSTEM, a METHODOLOGY.
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Ted says:
March 17, 2015 at 10:45 am
Margaret Keane States, her painting is no longer an obsession,
or addiction. She puts this down to increased knowledge of
JHVH, this has the ring of wt, hype. The main thing they want
You to be obsessive about is door knocking, not developing
the talents you were born with.
I would encourage anyone with a special ability, not to be
influenced negatively by her comments. Obsession is not
always bad, it’s brought her wealth and success, and as she
admits painting was an enjoyment, even a therapy.
Her obsession has produced something tangible that many have
and do enjoy ( apparently not everyone though ).
Following the wt, obsession produces Zilch, unless a string of
empty promises and false expectations count for anything.
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rob says:
March 17, 2015 at 12:33 pm
It is clear that what is expected of a person who becomes a witness – leave behind all sense of who you are and become a clone.
Forget your talents, forget your strengths, and just follow the leaders blindly and put all your trust in these leaders.
They will change doctrine and implement new rules at will and will tell you to do things that seem unreasonable from a human standpoint – but you must follow them.
If you chose to disagree you will be shunned and your family and friends will no longer consider you to be a human being worthy of love or kindness.
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Ted says:
March 17, 2015 at 4:11 pm
Margaret Keane has obviously been affected by wt, aura the
feeling that God is personally influencing and affecting her
life and actions.
She states.”Since my growing in knowledge of JHVH, the
source of all creativity it is no wonder that the quality of my
paintings has increased”. She also claims her output has not
diminished even though she spends less time on it.
I know this feeling very well. When I first began to study in 58
I used to play the horses and I had an amazing run of luck, of
course I put this down to the fact that I was taking an interest in
the Bible, and that God was picking the gee gees for me.
Back then I was a naive impressionable young guy.
Margaret’s not young , but I venture the the thought, that she is
naive, guileless, childlike, like the wide eyed children she paints.
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Neal Krouni says:
March 18, 2015 at 12:00 am
“God save us from Your followers!!!”
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JJ says:
March 18, 2015 at 4:34 am
The movie, Big Eyes, brought out the fact that no one in the art world liked Margaret Keane’s paintings. I know that I certainly don’t.
I first learned about Margaret Keane back in the early ’90’s because the Canadian Bethel has a couple of her paintings up in the hallway near the tunnel. It is all big eyed animals on Noah’s Ark. I hated them!
If it wasn’t for her ‘abusive husband’ then Margaret would still be drawing $5 portraits in the park, where she belongs! He was the person who did all the work of selling and promoting really bad art. I feel like the gallery owner who was across the street from the Keane’s gallery; that owner just couldn’t believe anyone would be interested in that “art”.
Why didn’t Jehovah give Margaret some talent when she became a JW?!?
(Maybe I’m being a little too harsh with the woman but she has overdone it with those huge eyes. Move on to a better period in your art-life Margaret!)
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Ted says:
March 18, 2015 at 9:31 am
Margaret is 87 years old, and at this point in her life
things seem to be going well for her and she is. happy
and content. One can only be glad on her behalf.
To attribute the good patches in ones life to the influence
of a benevolent God though, is just ancient superstition.
It’s part of the dualistic thinking,- God and Satan, good
and evil.
This concept itself has resulted in much cruelty. In every
war, God is on your side, the others are the demons, so
providing an excuse for all kinds of atrocities. ( Look no
further than the Bible itself for proof of this.)
The wt, exploits this idea to the maximum allowed by law.
All who do not conform to the regime or accept their
constantly changing dogma , are the apostates the Devil’s
disciples, the walking dead.
The myth is used to create fear in others, forcing them to
renounce and spurn even their own flesh and blood.
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Neal Krouni says:
March 18, 2015 at 10:53 am
@ JJ
It calls to mind another JW “celebrity”, Prince. I never cared for his music, either. Never understood what the big deal was. Once he went up to accept an “award”, dressed in stockings and high heels. Woopdeedoo. Am I supposed to be impressed? And why do all these holy bigshots still cling to their fortunes?? Didn’t Jesus tell the rich man to sell all his belongings and give to the poor before he could be his follower???
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Neal Krouni says:
March 18, 2015 at 10:58 am
@ Ted
I’m sure Margaret Keane IS content. It’s easy when there’s nothing going on upstairs. :) :) :)
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Neal Krouni says:
March 18, 2015 at 11:42 am
So I recently took a stroll down memory lane, and recalled a couple fun stories from my personal experience in that wacky fairyland known as Watchtower.
When I was about 13, a “ministerial servant” asked me if I was willing to study with a couple of younger kids in the cong. I said OK. This guy was Austrian, and some called him “The Fuehrer”, for reasons you shall see. He looked kind of like Patrick Stewart, and when he went up to give a talk, he would assume “the stance”, spreading his legs, and placing his hands authoritatively on either side of the podium, as if to say, “I have the Con.” Anyway, for some reason I mentioned the study thing to my mother, and she said I should run it by our book study conductor, an “elder”, since those kids were not in our own book study group, whatever difference that would make. So the next time Captain Picard approached me about it, I said I would get permission from my book study conductor first. This guy’s face immediately turned BEET RED, and he said, in his deep Austrian voice, “ARE YOU QUESTIONING MY AUTHORITY???” Keep in mind, I was 13 years old!!! I’m sure my jaw dropped. It was like seeing a vision out of Revelation. Never before or since have I seen anyone’s face turn that color.
My idiot brother-in-law (who’s now an “elder”, like my fool brother BTW), once told a story about a “circuit overseer” visit. In his opening remarks to the cong, regarding himself and his wife dining at “brothers'” homes, he said something like, ‘We look forward to your hospitality this week, but please don’t feed us tuna. We’re not cats’. OK, maybe he was offered a lot of tuna in the past, but Hey, a**hole, you’re getting a Free Lunch everywhere you go, and now you’re complaining??? – Imagine buying some homeless guy a sandwich, and then having him complain it’s not the kind he likes. I would just take it back.
One “circuit overseer” we had was a real piece of work. His name was Thorston Splett, and he always wore a bow tie. In his opening remarks, regarding himself and his wife, he said, “Don’t be afraid of us. We’re people like you. We’re human.” REALLY??? WOOOW!!!!! So I can stop pissing my pants whenever I see you coming, with your little bow tie? Jackass.
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JJ says:
March 18, 2015 at 4:19 pm
Hey Neal, someone once said something, off-the-cuff, but it made a lot of sense to me (this guy wasn’t a JW);
“Guys that wear bow ties usually are weirdos and are looking for attention”.
I immediately found what he said was the truth.
Reply
rob says:
March 18, 2015 at 3:58 pm
I always found it amazing that witnesses tended to put the circuit overseers on a pedestal and always ensured to attend all meetings during their visit. To me it really seemed like the witnesses idolized the COs the DOs and The GB. What is more amazing to me is that it appears that these men enjoy the attention and the power that is bestowed upon them by the rank and file.
Reply
Neal Krouni says:
March 19, 2015 at 4:08 pm
For sure!!!
Reply
John Chapman says:
March 19, 2015 at 3:10 am
ALL of the published financial numbers like Stock prices, Commodities prices, Housing prices, Inflation, Unemployment and Interest rates are rigged and have no basis in reality. Gold and Silver futures (paper transactions) out strip Gold and Silver supplies by over 100 to 1. 90% of American Gold and Silver has been shipped to India, China and the Middle East to pay on the Governments debt. Gold and Silver prices are set by the London Gold exchange and they are artificially holding down Gold and Silver prices by faking the numbers so THEY can purchase Our Gold and Silver cheaply. Bottom line: The dollar is going to crash like the Titanic and anything you have in your savings or retirement that is not actual Gold, Silver, Platinum or Real Estate is going to be Worthless. The hard asset prices are going to skyrocket. Unemployment is actually over 20% and rising. Industry is shutting down or moving overseas. Industries like Pharmaceuticals that continue to function in America are planning Huge layoffs. Public sector jobs are cutting staff to the bone. The U.S. is openly attempting to start a nuclear war with Russia. Israel is committing War Crimes and Genocide in Palestine. War has broken out ALL OVER the Middle East. The U.S. and European Media outlets are NOT reporting the Truth. This has been coming since 1913 when the Federal Reserve (a PRIVATE Bank) was established in the U.S. and took over the Treasury and the Money Supply. The Stock Market Crash of 1929 and WW2 are going to look like a birthday party compared to what’s coming in the next few weeks and months. If you have no Job, no more savings because it’s nearly worthless, You owe money on Mortgage payments and grocery prices double or triple how are you going to survive and keep your house? What You and the rest of the Family do is Your own business; I’m just being a decent Brother and warning My Brothers and Sisters of what’s just around the corner. My suggestion would be to pay off EVERYTHING, Especially Your Mortgage, asap and and take several thousand of those cheap dollars and purchase some Expensive Gold and Silver at dirt cheap prices right now before they put controls back on the rigged prices in London. BTW did You know that there is a second “City of London”? It’s the tiny one mile square financial district in the middle of London that is the heart of the British Empire. It’s called “Baby London” (Babylon the Great). if You know ANYTHING about the Bible stories where the Hell is Your Brain? Re Read Revelations, Forget the 501-c-3 JW Corporation!! Are You addicted to those Satanic Psychotropic Drugs You Take?. THINK!!!! The END of the World as You know it is Here!!!
Reply
anonymous says:
March 19, 2015 at 4:19 am
John Chapman, I don’t take the Bible all that seriously. Did you realize that Noah had to put unicorns on the ark???
Reply
Neal Krouni says:
March 19, 2015 at 4:34 pm
Love that clip.
So, Thank You, “New World Order”!!! You didn’t even have the decency to lubricate first.
All that bad stuff MIGHT happen, provided the Earth itself survives that long. Don’t forget all the CRAP that we’ve been pumping into our environment 24/7 since the beginning of Industrialization about 150 years ago!!! And with more and more techno advances and overpopulation, it gets exponentially worse each day. Because, as you know, EVERYONE has just GOT to have a brand-new iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc., every year, drive around in a tank-like SUV or “mini”van, and fly out on 2 or 3 trips a year. And that’s just poor people. Never mind what the rich do! CFC’s are STILL around (jet aircraft, diesel engines, even gas i/c engines), and 1 CFC molecule can destroy 10,000 ozone molecules before being dissipated from the atmosphere!!! Think of every product you own and use. ALL of them have to be manufactured! This process, as well as the use and disposal of many of these things, cause environmental DAMAGE. I’m not trying to lay a guilt trip on anyone. I’m not exactly Amish either. But we need to smarten up and HIT THE BRAKES on production, not only of things, but people.
When someone is sick, you don’t force them to go to work or run around the block. You give them TIME to recover. We need to give our planet Earth, our ONLY home, a BREAK!!!
If we destroy our natural environment, we won’t have to worry about economic collapse, war, plague, or anything else. At least those catastrophes have survivors. If Earth goes, it’s Game Over.
Reply
Neal Krouni says:
March 19, 2015 at 11:36 pm
@ John Chapman
Thanx for the good advice.
I would also recommend buying the SAS Survival Manual by John Wiseman, an AR15, and a backpack full of ammo. :) :) :)
Reply
Neal Krouni says:
March 19, 2015 at 9:57 pm
@ anonymous
When I get to the New System, I’ll have my very own Unicorn!!! Looking forward to that with great anticipation.
A friend of mine once wondered if, in the “New System”, we’ll be able to breathe underwater.
That’s so stupid. Everyone knows we’ll be way too busy using our X-Ray Vision.
Reply
anonymous says:
March 20, 2015 at 2:37 am
Neal, I was at my daughter’s house when we watched that video and we couldn’t believe it either but we looked up the scriptures in the King James and sure enough, they put unicorns in the Bible in quiet a few places, even in the King James that the Society printed. But what did you think about all the muzzles Noah would have had to make for all the poisonous snakes? If anybody with a brain watched that video, there is no way you could believe in the Ark story.
Reply
Neal Krouni says:
March 20, 2015 at 1:24 pm
I love Noah lamenting that his little pooper-scooper would be woefully inadequate.
P.S.: It would also be woefully inadequate for shoveling all the BS in WT, the bible, and other “holy” books!!!
Reply
Bad Penny says:
March 21, 2015 at 8:57 am
John Chapman – great comment – scary!
Yes, there is some serious stuff going on in the world.
Anguish of nations not knowing the way out or what?
Neal and anonymous –
I asked a stuffy sister once if in the ‘New World’ all the men would have beards. ‘Oh, no my dear,’ she replied with certainty. ‘Pity’, I said, ‘it means some poor folks will have to manufacture a lot of razor blades whilst the rest of us are planting gardens!’
Crazy old watchtower world isn’t it??
Reply
anonymous says:
March 21, 2015 at 9:33 am
Bad Penny, I remember Witnesses saying that in the new order, that anybody who had died and got resurrected wouldn’t have kids. They’d talk like that as if it was a fact, whatever the Watchtower said was going to happen was the way it would happen.
When I’d hear stuff like that, I thought it was so presumptuous but I never put two and two together. I wished I had had the guts to speak up when I’d hear stuff like that then but I was such a wimp. Now, just the thought of stepping into a Kingdom Hall to speak up, is more than I can stomach.
Reply
Neal Krouni says:
March 21, 2015 at 12:39 pm
They’ll just kick you out or call the Cops.
When a frontal assault doesn’t work, use guerrilla tactics. Be nasty.
Reply
anonymous says:
March 21, 2015 at 1:48 pm
Neal, today 2 of the elders came by to invite me to the Memorial and I unloaded on them again. I even said a couple times that I am surprised they haven’t disfellowshipped me yet but not yet anyway but I think they really think they can still “save” me. The thing is, I really love those guys and it kills me that they have to be so brainwashed and can’t comprehend a thing I say to them.
Reply
Andrea says:
April 18, 2015 at 5:48 pm
Hi, I was also an artistic child growing up as a JW and I understand what you mean about it being difficult. For me, it was hard to have a free mind inside a squared organization that practically imposed the way one should think, feel and behave. I wanted artistic friends so bad, but they all lead “evil” lives. How can you develop creativity when you live in a box full of nerds! But well, for margaret i guess it gave her hope. Some people just want to live lies, especially when that is all you know. It is not the same to enter the JW when you are old than to grow in it. I’m actually more concerned for her poor daughter.
Reply
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Big Eyes, Big Lies: Painter Margaret Keane and the Truth
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Posted on March 16, 2015
Big Eyes starring Amy Adams (left) tells the story of JW painter Margaret Keane (right) and the fraud that shook the art world
Big Eyes starring Amy Adams (left) tells the story of JW painter Margaret Keane (right) and the fraud that shook the art world
It wasn’t easy as a creative child growing up in a devout Jehovah’s Witness household. My early dreams of becoming an artist were squashed by the future forced upon me. According to my indoctrination the only real career outlet for young Witnesses was working for the Watchtower. And I had little interest in going to headquarters to paint scenes of a paradise earth for the rest of my life. I preferred giant robots.
As a child, I came to learn of popular artist Margaret Keane through her life-story, as printed in an old issue of Awake! (My Life As An Artist, July 8,1975, Awake!) It was captivating to read of a JW with a successful art career outside the walls of Brooklyn Bethel. Of course by the time she joined the sect, her worldwide fame as an artist was already well toward establishment. How she got there is a fascinating story that became the basis of Big Eyes, a 2014 film by Tim Burton.
In the 1960’s, Margaret’s husband, Walter, took the pop-art world by storm with a series of paintings of waifs with large, haunted eyes. These big-eyes became a cultural phenomenon through Keane’s savvy merchandising, leading to wealth and fame. The only problem was that he didn’t paint any of them. The actual artist was his wife Margaret, who slaved away in secret producing hundreds of big-eyed waifs.
The Stray by Margaret Keane, an example of her big-eyed waifs.
The Stray by Margaret Keane, an example of her big-eyed waifs.
Burton’s film captures the soul-crushing nature of the art fraud. It’s difficult to watch as the painter squanders her talent to fulfill the egotistical dreams of her husband. Margaret was unable to share her art with even her daughter. Friends were driven away lest they discover the scam.
Hope enters the film when Margaret, played by Amy Adams, and her daughter Jane escape to Hawaii. “It’s a paradise there,” Margaret tells Jane. It’s somewhat of a premonition that sets up a major turn. There, two smiling JW sisters greet her with bright blue Truth books. As Margaret describes in her Awake! account, “one knock on my door would drastically change my life.”
It’s one of Hollywood’s better-written Watchtower presentations. Usually movies get it wrong with Witnesses rattling on about the savior Jesus, flashing literature with crosses, or condemning people to hell. In the film, a Japanese woman in a floral print dress smiles and begins a pitch. “We have something to share with you about the wonderful things that God’s kingdom will do for mankind.” When Margaret mentions that she didn’t see much good in the world, the JW opens to 1 Timothy 3:1-5. “In the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here, for men will be lovers of themselves…” Those who have participated in the JW door-to-door ministry could probably take it from there without missing a beat.
Amy Adams with Margaret Keane, who is sporting a JW.org lapel badge, at the premiere of Big Eyes
Amy Adams with Margaret Keane, who is sporting a JW.org lapel badge, at the premiere of Big Eyes
Margaret is swayed by the Bible passage that seems to describe her manipulative husband to the letter. The painter hesitantly invites the women in. She is later shown reading the Truth book to her teenage daughter. “I just can’t believe you let people in the house,” quips the girl. Walter later wonders about his wife’s mental state in joining a group of “zealots” that wouldn’t let the girl go to the prom.
First published in 1968, "The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life" was the "Bible Teach" book of its day
First published in 1968, The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life was the “Bible Teach” book of its day
In the Awake! account Margaret describes her conversion in different terms. Raised a Methodist, she floated through a variety of Christian sects and dabbled in esoteric practices like astrology and numerology. When the JW’s knocked, she was learning about the Seventh Day Adventists but wondered about their teachings on the Sabbath. Margaret liked the Witnesses views on the matter, and she was baptized with her daughter in 1972.
Margaret and Jane were two of many that joined the religion in the period leading up to the failed 1975 end-of-the-world prediction. The Truth book that Margaret studied stated, “in fifteen years from today, this world is going to be too dangerous to live in.” (This quote was removed in the 1981 edition)
In the movie, Margaret embraces her new JW friends and decides to come clean about the painting scam. A humorous moment occurs when her daughter asks their new JW community, “What does Jehovah think about suing?”
The painter’s revelation leads into a humorous courtroom showdown between Margaret and Walter, in order to prove the real painter. During the trial, Walter acts as his own lawyer in an outrageous display of buffoonery. Actor Christoph Waltz’s performance has been criticized as campy and over-the-top. In reality it is toned-down from the actual transcripts. At one point the judge threatened to duct tape the man’s mouth shut. In a test worthy of the Biblical King Solomon, the judge calls for a paint off. (If only problems in the congregation could be settled in such a manner.)
The film ends with Margaret being vindicated (or is it sanctified?) as the true producer of the big eyes enterprise. She moves back to Hawaii and continues to paint. While the film ends here, in real-life her art takes a turn. The waifs lose theirs tears and are posed in saturated paradises with pet lions and tigers. If it weren’t for the over-sized eyes, it would be easy to mistake her work for Watchtower propaganda. One such painting was gifted and displayed at the Hawaiian Bethel.
A Margaret Keane painting
A Margaret Keane painting entitled “Paradise At Last”
When looking at her work it is easy to envision how external forces shaped her work. The saddened waifs seem to mirror her feelings while under the artistic oppression of her husband. The Watchtoweresque paradises serve as a proselytism tool. (I have to wonder if she cleverly used painting to fulfill the religion’s monthly ministry quota.)
In the Awake!, Margaret credits the religion for breaking her addiction to painting, increasing sales, and bestowing artistic superpowers. She says:
Another change has been that I spend only about a fourth of the time I formerly spent painting, and yet, amazingly, I accomplish almost the same amount of work. Too, sales and comments indicate that the paintings are getting even better. Painting used to be almost an obsession with me. I was driven to paint because it was my therapy, escape and relaxation—my life completely revolved around it. I still enjoy it immensely, but the addiction to it and dependency on it are gone. Since my growing in knowledge of Jehovah, the Source of all creativity, it is no wonder that the quality of my paintings has increased as the time of execution has decreased.
At 87, the artist remains active in her faith. In promotional junkets for the film, Margaret was photographed with a blue JW.ORG lapel pin. It has become the latest fashion accessory for devout JW’s to advertise their religion while on the go, and now the red carpet.
Since leaving the Jehovah’s Witness organization, I’ve finally been able to get back to art, first as a writer and now as a comic book creator. I can’t draw very well, but as a comic colorist I know how to stay between the lines. I’m no Margaret Keane, but I’m better than her ex-husband ever was.
I’ll be guesting (with Stache Publishing) at Midsouthcon 33; Memphis, TN, USA, March 20th -22nd. If you are planning on attending, stop by and say hello.
anthony-signature2
Anthony Mathenia is a journalist, novelist, and comic book creator. He has one published novel Paradise Earth: Day Zero. Happiness, Next Exit, a JW romance, will be released later in 2015. His comic Pretty Face can be read at www.prettyfacecomic.com.
Follow Anthony on Twitter: @armathenia
Visit Anthony’s website: www.anthonymathenia.com
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65 Responses to Big Eyes, Big Lies: Painter Margaret Keane and the Truth
Happyface says:
March 16, 2015 at 1:53 am
Alien-child hybrids. Awesome. Modern day nephilim, except small and cute?
Reply
Excelsior! says:
March 16, 2015 at 3:26 am
I didn’t know that this artist is a JW. What a sad tale this is. She replaced one domineering bully for another!
I never liked her art. It is creepy and sickly sweet.
Well done, sir, for getting out and pursuing your talents to their limits.
Peace be with you, Excelsior!
Reply
Cecil B. Demented says:
March 16, 2015 at 7:07 am
I’m actually now interested in seeing this movie. Tim Burton’s directed some awful stuff this last decade of so (and with Alice Through the Looking Glass and a CG version of Dumbo on the way it’s only going to get worse) but this might be interesting.
On an unrelated note I do hope you find time and/or resources to write further Paradise Earth novels. I found the first somewhat haunting and suspenseful and am hoping you have chance to finish the proposed trilogy as I’m fascinated to see how you envision post-Armageddon Earth.
Reply
Anthony Mathenia says:
March 16, 2015 at 8:54 am
Thanks. Paradise Earth: Week One is in the works. It’s my goal to complete it this year.
Reply
anonymous says:
March 16, 2015 at 7:23 am
I am with Excelsior. I never cared for her art either. She came into the “truth” when Watchtower was promising us all that Armageddon was coming in 1975. I was one of those too and I remember at the time, I didn’t really believe it but everybody was so hyped up about it that you didn’t even dare to question it or you’d be viewed as “apostate”. I remember that very well and when 1976 rolled around and nothing happened, the Society didn’t say a word about their failed prophecy. Then later, the Society said they never prophesied it and that it was all the rank and file’s fault. I remember it well and they lied, plan and simple. The Society promised us as a “fact” that Armageddon was coming in 1975. After that, they kept us all hanging on with the fear that at any moment now, the world is going to come to an end by Jehovah’s hand.
In the 1975 Awake article about Margaret Keane, it doesn’t even mention her name so I had no idea about her paintings but later, one time I was out in service and a sister was telling about these painting with the little girls with the big eyes and that the painter was a Witness. Because the Awake didn’t mention her name in the article, I didn’t believe the sister that the painter who painted the little kids with the big eyes, who was so popular at the time was a Witness. Nowadays, the Society would definitely put her name to the article, even though she had only been baptized 2 years at the time of the printing in the article in 1975 and had just gotten over the habit of smoking.
In the 1975 article, it mentioned that she tried to prove the Society wrong before she got baptized, by getting all kinds of Bibles etc. but could a person do that today after they got baptized? This woman was in her 50’s when she got baptized, but today most people are baptized as children and as young as 8. How are they able to prove one way or the other that the Watchtower is telling the real “truth” or not before getting baptized? How are they able to compare a whole bunch of different religions and compare their teachings to the Bible?
Why isn’t a person able to question whether the Watchtower is telling the truth or not today? Today, we have a lot more information at our fingertips then we did in the 1960’s, 1970’s, 1980’s or even the 1990’s. Today we can learn the real truth about 607 B.C.E. with the click of the mouse on our computer. Would Margaret Keane but just as convinced the Watchtower had the real “truth” if she had read “Gentile Times Reconsidered” before she got baptized?
Once you get baptized, you can kiss researching the Watchtower goodbye, unless you want to face a judicial committee for finding out that the Watchtower does nothing but tell lies. You are forbidden to tell another living soul about what you found or you will be kicked out and shunned by every person in your life. For Mrs. Keane to find out not at her age that she had been following a dangerous cult, would just about kill her I’d think. But she has led a life of wealth and I am sure that those in her congregation treats her like a movie star and all those that study with her, are studying with her because she’s famous and there’s plenty of people in this world who want to associate with famous people and will join with the Witnesses just for that reason and that reason alone.
Reply
Neal Krouni says:
March 16, 2015 at 2:39 pm
Add Prince and those tennis-playing “sisters” to the list of “celebrity” jw’s.
Didn’t Jesus tell the rich man to sell all his belongings before he became a follower?
Reply
Darlene says:
March 16, 2015 at 8:04 pm
TOUCHE’
Reply
Hakizimana Jean de Dieu says:
March 17, 2015 at 1:55 am
Armageddon is still there, coming soon… soon which has been preached since 1914….
“…Soon Jehovah will cause the political elements of Satan’s system, as represented by the United Nations, to attack false religion. They will destroy her influence and devastate her riches. Such an event may have seemed unlikely just decades ago. Today, the harlot teeters on the back of the scarlet-colored beast. Even so, she will not slip slowly from her seat. Her tumble will be sudden and violent.—Rev. 18:7, 8, 15-19.”
http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/s/r1/lp-e?q=%22Soon+Jehovah+will+cause+the+political+elements%22&p=par
Reply
Mara Jacobs-Proctor says:
March 18, 2015 at 8:33 am
Hi, Just wanted to say that I really enjoyed reading your comments. You really ‘hit the nail on the head’.
I also was one of the ones who joined WT just before 1975. They managed to convince me to put my life on hold because the end was ‘nigh’ and somehow they got millions to continue doing that for decades. As you know, Anthony Morris just did a jwtv piece admonishing young ones to avoid college because ‘we are living deep into the time of the end.’ Day by day and inch by inch you lose the elements of what makes up a real life, waiting for what JWs call the real life-the new world. What a tragedy!
I stopped meetings just a few months ago, and as word gets out, I have a fair amount of witnesses who want to know why. As you expressed, you are not allowed to explain why…or else! I know I will say more at some point. I want to. But right now I’m just trying to get my feet under me.
The other thing I wanted to comment on was the celebrity adoration in WT. Hey! I thought we weren’t supposed to ‘exalt’ individuals. (Do birthdays ring a bell?) And if an active JW started pursuing an art career, that would be a no-no, but the WT is happy to use someone who did pursue this kind of career full bore. If it’s so wrong, why are they patting her on the back? I guess we all know the answer to that! Vincent DePorter said that he was working on ‘Scooby-Do’, with all its demons and spiritism, when he was a witness and no one said a thing. He said he thought it was because of the celebrity thing, and I know he’s right.
Reply
Lesley Mitchell says:
March 16, 2015 at 7:40 am
I can confirm that the 1968 Watchtower publication ‘The Truth that leads to Eternal Life” quotes from Dean Acheson who said “in fifteen years from today, this world is going to be too dangerous to live in.” It’s on page 9 and I’m looking at it. This was all part of the hype surrounding Watchtower expectations for October 1975. When nothing happened after October 1975, the Watchtower removed this quote.
Reply
John Baptist says:
March 16, 2015 at 8:22 am
“Stay alive in 75″ was the catch phrase back then. After listening to District overseers talks at the assembly’s prior to 1975 you are given such a clear urgency of “getting in before it’s to late”
What amazes me is to what extent in the years after that yet another failed prediction that the watchtower stated it was “Increased speculation by the friends” who caused all the hype.
Have you ever known a organization that you can show by their own printed word that what they said and how wrong they were in saying it? Then flatly deny it and then blame it on their members. How ridiculous and common among those who think their right at any cost.
The Governing body uses and loses people when they no longer fit their agenda.
I wonder how much this woman has been duped out of her money by her devotion to this religion?
My question is why would you sell your story and put yourself in the limelight associating with “Worldlings”
Oopps sorry I forgot their 2 sets of rules policies that dictates their every move in their favor.
I would feel embarrassed to ever have been known to be part of one of the biggest lies in the history of religion.
For me the most notable thing in 1975 is I got my drivers license that year. Lol
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Excelsior! says:
March 16, 2015 at 9:29 am
Folks, don’t forget the fallback position!
All the woe and cuddling of pandas was promised in the twentieth century!!!!
Woops! Blame it on the overzealous rank and file, not the numerous articles pre ’75, and dear old Freddy Franz’s talk at the assembly!!!
Those idiotic rank and file!!!! Fancy taking a specific date, spoken by a governing body member as……..a specific date spoken by a governing body member!!!
The WTBTS is busy destroying all reference to 1975. It is trying to control information in the Information Age! Good luck with that, you morons! Happily, all of the articles, and the talk by Freddie Franz, are available on the good old Internet!
Thanks for the comments about ’75. I was a very small child then, so I don’t really remember it.
The 1975 Scandal stands testament to the gullibility of human being’s, and just what can be accomplished by the use of cult mind control.
Peace be with you, Excelsior!
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Pickled brain says:
March 16, 2015 at 10:05 am
The Yearbook Statistics 1970 to 1975 show a
37%!!!! Yes 37 % !!!!! Increase in publishers!!
The year 1977 shows -1% decrease & 1976 to 1980 shows over 5 years only a 2% increase!!
The FACTS DON’T LIE. BUT the Governing Body does Lie!! Russell lied about when the end would come 1914 & 1915. Rutherfords lies were 1918& 1925 for the END & Franz big Lie was 1975!!!&
The NEW GOverning Body LIES about Overlapping Generations!!! HOW MANY MORE LIES & WASTED LIVES ?????????????
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Pickled brain says:
March 16, 2015 at 10:47 am
LIES, LIES & MORE Governing Body Lies!!
Rutherford: 1935 !! The Door is now closed for the Anointed !’ Here come the Great Crowd!!!!
ERMMM??!!! Mark Sanderson 50 years of age Born 1964. Anointed??!!!
The Oldest Governing Body member Sam Herd or Gerrit Losch 79!! Born 1936 !! Not Baptised until 1950s !!!
I smell something FISHY Here like 7 SHARKS wanting your money& time& energy & your Whole Life Wasted!!
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douglas philip says:
March 16, 2015 at 11:08 am
Actually i find it interesting to se that what may be a burdon to some may be a safehaven to others …. Im a nonactive wittnes who has lost my faith in a religion that does not make sense to me anymore but i find it a bit sad that it has to be black or white about jw’s … For some it may be for good to belive and for others its not … The auther of this story found it to be a burdon but the artist mention by him found it just the other way around … Good for her :) really … Most of my familly are jw’s and i wouldnt try to force them to understand that it is not the truth as i see it … They belive and it gives them joy … I have to live my live the way i find it right to do but i wont take theire belives away from them just becouse i lost my on the way … Be negative as much as you want when there is something to be negative about but in this case the lady found what seemes to be a better life for her … Thats nothing to be negative about …
Sorry for my english its not my first language …
Take care Douglas
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John Baptist says:
March 16, 2015 at 11:23 am
@Douglas I agree with you very much but where the problem lyes is when they tell you where your wrong(negative)) all the time. I get the if it works for you then great but for the rest of us just leave us alone and stop trying to push your man made policies on us that are masked by misapplied scriptures from average laymen.
Instead they break down family unity and destroy families.
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douglas philip says:
March 16, 2015 at 11:49 am
@john baptist
Your right … Thats negative i think being able to embrace the positives more and then pointing out the negatives carefully and mention that that particularly is the reason for ones stand not to engage with the jw’s might take one futher in a conversation with any jw’s but ofcourse i might be wrong … I personally try not to be in opposition but to be neutral in my aproach and i wont neccesarily tell my own wiew off the matter and then i am able to speak with most off my relatives and jw friends and make them think … And people to day might be brought up to much worse cenarios then being baptised as teenager … What if your a muslim or bretheren or mormon or amish … At the end you decide for your own wich way in life to choose and your familly choose theirs … the deeply belive you dont and your familly breaks … Sad …. But unfortunetly thats life for many others the jw’s … I think that if we show them by our way of living and our example that they are not true bout us then sooner or later they might understand … Then again thats my wiew for now .. I might be wrong :)
Thanks for your reply btw :)
Cheers :)
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Pickled brain says:
March 16, 2015 at 12:05 pm
@Douglas Philip. I’m sorry but I cannot agree . It is not as simple as your argument portrays. First of all prior to baptism your Study Conductor will not tell you the WHOLE HISTORY & FAILED PROPHECIES of the Organisation !!
Secondly if you start JUST ASKING Questions about Governing Body policies or doctrines you will be ostracised ,shunned, pulled into the Backroom with the Elders.
If their is a RESOLUTION & the congregation is asked to have a show of hands say for donating for a BRAND NEW Circuit overseers car every 3 years& you were the only one to oppose & shouted out why cant the circuit overseer cope with a 10 year old car like most of us & could that donation go to help a single mother with 4 children in the congregation!!! See what would Happen!!
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douglas philip says:
March 16, 2015 at 2:06 pm
I know … And thats when you start questioning and end up picking your own path in life …. I agree that its not honest when they study with you not telling you everything but thats just bad luck getting involved with them :( life aint fair and it doesnt have to be … Think about it … If you didnt know what you know now you probably wouldt be in opposition …
But you dont have to be right up front to oppose … Its easy to withstand and obvious attack but reasoning on a neutral level like with one of your own … Thats a diference…. If you want to affect them you have to speak to them … Most of them will not look at any of your oppinions if your to obvious … But yeah thats just how i see it … I tried to question obviously and got a worried and supecious reply … So i stopd doing that and now im just dripping a drop from time to time and it works :) i got some to start thinking … And guess what … If they end up leaving it will be their own choice and they would maybe have done reeserch on their own i have allready wittnese’d that :)
Ted says:
March 16, 2015 at 2:47 pm
@douglas philip. Hi Douglas. I can understand how many
JWs, might feel the org, is a “Safe Haven” but this is just an
illusion.
It takes a long time, sometimes to the end of ones life for one
to realise that it’s not been a sanctuary but a snare, a trap,
Ones who have devoted fully to it have had life’s potential
sucked out of them just like the spider siphons all the juices
from the fly.
A husband and wife S,Pioneer couple I knew ( both now dead )
longed for children of their own, but put it off until the promised
near at hand paradise. So even if the resurrection was a reality
their hopes will still be dashed as the children of the resurrection
neither marry or are given in marriage.
My own sister a 50 year plus JW, died a year ago, disappointed
at unfulfilled promises. One of her last statements to me was
“Who would have thought I’d end up here, ( In the hospice.)
Add to this the many bright intelligent young people who have
had their potential stifled and wasted their youth knocking on
doors and in effect, just drawing others into the fly trap.
While I wouldn’t badger or pester my JW, relatives, I would,
if the opportunity arises, try to expose the myth of the
“safe Haven”. Because I love them.
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Neal Krouni says:
March 16, 2015 at 2:56 pm
@ douglas philip
I like your strategy. But it IS hard not to be negative toward WT, especially considering that born-ins or raised-ins barely have a choice. They are brainwashed as kids, by their parents, the elders, the congregation, and the GB, and all the literature. It’s hard to be neutral toward that, especially when you’ve been subjected to it. NO ONE likes to be lied to, intimidated, and manipulated. It simply goes against basic human nature. By the way, my comments apply to EVERY religion. It’s just that the JWs are the worst, hence truly a CULT!!!
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Darlene says:
March 16, 2015 at 8:08 pm
ABSOLUTELY AGREE 100%!
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Neal Krouni says:
March 16, 2015 at 3:07 pm
@ Pickled brain
Yes, I think everyone agrees that the “overlapping generation” doctrine is the most inane, ridiculous, unfounded, nonsensical, illogical, idiotic, and just plain STUPID teaching in the history of mankind!!!
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Ted says:
March 16, 2015 at 4:55 pm
@Pickled brain. Lies, lies and more is right. it’s even absurd
the way they pick these young kids out of thin air and how they
just happen to be of the anointed. Legerdemain ! they’ve got
more tricks than Harry Houdini.
Mark Sanderson 60, goodness me! my sons older than him
and I, though older than any gb, member, would not qualify
on the1935 deadline ( another piece of chicanery) !
being just a youngster back then.
It’s always struck me as being the result of a, Gigantic Ego
plus religious delusion, claiming that some all powerful creator
has personally selected you to rule over everything he’s ever
created. Or as you say P,B, it could be “Lies lies and more”.
And this for personal advantage.
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Neal Krouni says:
March 16, 2015 at 9:25 pm
Believe it or not, there’s a 40-year-old guy in my mother’s cong who claims he’s “anointed,” and everyone accepts it, including Steroid Boy, the “overseer.” Believe it or not, the guy’s name is Ted! Small world!! :)
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Andrew Krzynowek says:
March 16, 2015 at 7:28 pm
Good write up Anthony, I had no idea she was a dub, I’ll definitely check out the film.
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Anthony Mathenia says:
March 21, 2015 at 3:17 pm
Thanks Andrew. It was panned, but I enjoyed it. No Depp or Bonham-Carter.
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Neal Krouni says:
March 16, 2015 at 9:37 pm
In their own way, the GB is pretty clever. Thanks to the “Overlapping Generation” doctrine, they found a way to cover their butts ad infinitum. The “End” could come tomorrow, next month, a million, billion, trillion, gazillion years from now. Obviously, EVERY generation overlaps the previous one. It could go on forever (shudder). No more deadlines, failed predictions, or magical calculations. Only a flock of blind sheep following and obeying unquestioningly.
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Man from the lions pit says:
March 16, 2015 at 9:45 pm
Good job Anthony on this article & film review!
I should watch the movie one day.Many of my JW friends have done so and were excited about it, some of them are professional artist as well.I do have also partial art education and paint myself on/off. Best wishes !
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John Z says:
March 16, 2015 at 11:38 pm
I am new to the other side of the fence so to speak. I saw the movie and think it’s sad WT was better than her husband.
I was born into this snare and so was my wife. I deep down always rejected some of the WTBTS B.S. My father a new convert before the door didn’t close in 1975 worked up the ladder to be a big Elder. His favourite thing to do still to this day is disfellowship people. What a sick bastard!
He used to beat me senseless to get me to “behave” like sitting perfectly still and quiet. If I didn’t, I would be hauled to the back and given a licking in the bathroom or second school and of course way more severely at home after.
I am still traumatised by his actions but I was not alone, many of my friends were in a similar situation. Some of my witness friends were beaten with belts, sticks or other weapons! My parents stopped using a small club after my non witness grandparents threatened to call child protection services.
Over all I would say my childhood was not all bad but when I had a child of my own last year my wife and I researched the WTBTS material from the 70’s and 80’s and was sickend to see that they sanctioned physical abuse to get your children to behave.
I am now, after much anguish preparing to fade away from this hell! Save my family from this cult. Thank God for Ray Franz, the person who leaked the elder book, and all of you courageous individuals who do what you can to impede this powerful tool of Satan, The Watchtower!
I’m so glad to at least have your support and a place to openly talk about the damage done in the name of God. These sick twisted power hungry men will one day come to an end!
P.S. Overlapping generation lol. Soon it will be the people that knew the people that knew the people. Let’s destroy these clowns!
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Pickled brain says:
March 17, 2015 at 12:16 am
The ‘GENERATION ‘ doctrine of Matthew ch.24!!!
How did JESUS define the length of ‘Generation ‘??
Well Governing Body I don’t need to be spirit directed ???to work it out!!
JESUS uttered the prophecy in 33 C.E. & guess what just as every dictionary definition says a length of a Generation is about 30 or 40 years.
The fulfilment of Jesus prophecy came in 70 C.E when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem..37 years later!!! YES a Generation was 37 years later.
Now either this prophecy had one fulfilment or the GB have got the start of Last Days WRONG.!
Is 1914? As beginning of Last Days correct ? Is the interpretation of Daniels ‘7 Times’ correct??
The GB have changed so many Spirit Directed?? Interpretations dozens of times e.g. 1874,1878,1910,1914,1915,1918,1925,1942,1975,
1994(Generation of 70 or 80 years ran out) ,etc
Change on who GOG is;who Sheep&Goats are;Even who Faithful&Discreet Slave are; Organ Transplants;Vaccinations;Blood Fractions; Superior Authorities of Romans ch.13; Start of Great Tribulation was 1914 , now in the future; Pyramid of GIZA was Gods Stone witness and foretold 1874 as Beginning of Jesus Presence; then Rutherford(Apparently GB member) decides GIZA is from Satan in 1927!! Sodom&Gomorrah men are going to be resurrected & then not & yes they are& then no they’re not !!Need I go on ?? Etc,Etc
I could relate Dozens more FLIP FLOPS like Is Oral Sex acceptable in marriage or is it Not ??
Welcome to The CRAZY,CRAZY World of the GB!!
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Pickled brain says:
March 17, 2015 at 1:13 am
‘NEW LIGHT ‘ Anyone ??,just to add to my last comment!!
I see New Light!! My prophecy is the Governing Body WILL have to do a U-Turn on their Child Abuse Policies because it is getting TOO EXPENSIVE for them .Finances& Public Outcry& the Courts will make the Governing Body have More ‘New Light’ & we will see Changes. I Guarantee there will be an Article in a Watchtower but worded in such a way to Exonerate the GB from all blame.
A small sign is the letter read out last year saying circuit overseers will appoint New Elders& Ministerisland servants instead of Bethel is CRAFTY because any new Elders & MS committing Sex Crimes appointed by Circuit Overseers means it’s these men can be sued instead of Bethel !!
The Letter read out said it was biblically based but why change the way men are appointed after 90 years because it was Rutherfords idea to appoint men so he could have complete control!!But in those days Litigation wasn’t a problem. BROOKLYN always changes if Finances are involved!!
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Pickled brain says:
March 17, 2015 at 1:39 am
When JESUS said ‘This Generation ‘ it is just ONE GENERATION not overlapping !!Matthew defines it in
Matthew ch.1v17 . Read carefully Abraham to David 14 Generations; David until deportation to Babylon 14 Generations; 14 more Generations until CHRIST. Therefore each Generation could be no longer than a lifespan of ONE Single Person .Jesus didn’t say in Matthew 24v34 ‘THESE Generations’ BUT ‘THIS!!Generation’ SINGULAR!!
So 8 Million have been HOODWINKED & CONNED just as those who in RUSSELLS day thought they were going to Heaven in 1914!!
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Neal Krouni says:
March 17, 2015 at 8:58 am
Money talks.
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Neal Krouni says:
March 17, 2015 at 9:01 am
@ John Z
Re: “Let’s destroy these clowns!”
Amen!
You have my FULL support!!!
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Mara Jacobs-Proctor says:
March 18, 2015 at 9:06 am
Hi John Z, It made me tear up to read about how you were regularly beat up as a child. My son is 31 and I remember in those times, if you didn’t beat your kid silly, you were the subject of disdain and gossip in the congregation. You were considered a bad parent in WT world. I remember realizing about 15 years ago that my son paid the price for me trying to get the approval of the friends by spanking him at the slightest provocation! But I still remained in the cult. Thankfully, both my son and myself are out now. And amazingly, my son doesn’t hold a thing against me, although I wouldn’t blame him if he did! He knows what can happen when you’re under the spell of mind control.
And yes, Ray was such a courageous man and indeed thank God for him and others who have had the strength to stand up for what is right!
I will be thinking of you and your family as you ‘fade’. It isn’t easy, but then again, nothing in life that is truly worthwhile is! Best wishes.
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Mara Jacobs-Proctor says:
March 18, 2015 at 9:39 am
P.S., And John Z, Just wanted to add something. I remember back in the 70’s seeing a young mother lay a baby on the changing table at the hall and spanking this 7 mos. or so child! I was appalled at the time, but ashamed to say I didn’t say anything. All I can say is that it was considered fine and normal due to WT teaching at that time, but my gut would disagree sometimes. This is evidenced by how the friends would just sit there and continue reading and commenting at meetings whilst a screaming,young child was being beaten in the back room-as if nothing was amiss!
Hope my previous post didn’t sound like I was making an excuse for your dad with the mind control comment. Sounds like your dad went the extra mile with the corporal punishment. But all I can say is that WT mind control definitely played a large part in how the average parent ‘disciplined’ their kids. Its not an excuse, but it is a reason. Thank God you’ve realized this and your child won’t have to suffer the same abuse.
Take Care,
Mara
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Charles Costante says:
March 17, 2015 at 2:36 am
“Some of my witness friends were beaten with belts, sticks or other weapons! My parents stopped using a small club after my non witness grandparents threatened to call child protection services.”
That’s terrible, John Z! I can sympathise because my father used to use a leather razor strap on me (the fifties and sixties). I don’t know what the Watchtower Society’s policy is now, but not ‘sparing the rod’ was the order of the day back then.
Corporal punishment of children by parents is now banned in 44 countries.
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Ted says:
March 17, 2015 at 6:01 am
@Neal Krouni. A 40 year old “Heavenly Ted”, in your mothers
Cong. Gave me a good laugh.
It’s a good job Armageddon didn’t come, as predicted in. 75
the year he was born or he would he would have missed out
on his celestial mansion, ( Are they bricks and mortar by the
way ? )
Maybe that’s why God hung back in 75, the elite wasn’t complete
without young Ted and the other late comers. I’m confused!
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Neal Krouni says:
March 17, 2015 at 9:05 am
I call him Cloud Boy.
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Neal Krouni says:
March 17, 2015 at 9:25 am
So I remember a documentary on the early days of the Nazi party. What was so interesting was that things like the swastika, the “Heil” salute, even Crazy Adolf’s little mustache, were not random choices. They were very carefully thought-out and planned. As far as Germany and the Nazis go, the swastika was totally irrelevant. In fact, it originated in India, and swastika is a Sanskrit word meaning, essentially, “well-being”. The Nazis chose it because it was unique, no one had ever seen it before, it would catch the eye, and it would stand out in people’s minds. People who do things like that, do so INTENTIONALLY and KNOWINGLY. There’s nothing random about it. They don’t just sit around over margarita’s, spitballing ideas. It may start out that way, but it evolves into a SYSTEM, a METHODOLOGY.
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Ted says:
March 17, 2015 at 10:45 am
Margaret Keane States, her painting is no longer an obsession,
or addiction. She puts this down to increased knowledge of
JHVH, this has the ring of wt, hype. The main thing they want
You to be obsessive about is door knocking, not developing
the talents you were born with.
I would encourage anyone with a special ability, not to be
influenced negatively by her comments. Obsession is not
always bad, it’s brought her wealth and success, and as she
admits painting was an enjoyment, even a therapy.
Her obsession has produced something tangible that many have
and do enjoy ( apparently not everyone though ).
Following the wt, obsession produces Zilch, unless a string of
empty promises and false expectations count for anything.
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rob says:
March 17, 2015 at 12:33 pm
It is clear that what is expected of a person who becomes a witness – leave behind all sense of who you are and become a clone.
Forget your talents, forget your strengths, and just follow the leaders blindly and put all your trust in these leaders.
They will change doctrine and implement new rules at will and will tell you to do things that seem unreasonable from a human standpoint – but you must follow them.
If you chose to disagree you will be shunned and your family and friends will no longer consider you to be a human being worthy of love or kindness.
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Ted says:
March 17, 2015 at 4:11 pm
Margaret Keane has obviously been affected by wt, aura the
feeling that God is personally influencing and affecting her
life and actions.
She states.”Since my growing in knowledge of JHVH, the
source of all creativity it is no wonder that the quality of my
paintings has increased”. She also claims her output has not
diminished even though she spends less time on it.
I know this feeling very well. When I first began to study in 58
I used to play the horses and I had an amazing run of luck, of
course I put this down to the fact that I was taking an interest in
the Bible, and that God was picking the gee gees for me.
Back then I was a naive impressionable young guy.
Margaret’s not young , but I venture the the thought, that she is
naive, guileless, childlike, like the wide eyed children she paints.
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Neal Krouni says:
March 18, 2015 at 12:00 am
“God save us from Your followers!!!”
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JJ says:
March 18, 2015 at 4:34 am
The movie, Big Eyes, brought out the fact that no one in the art world liked Margaret Keane’s paintings. I know that I certainly don’t.
I first learned about Margaret Keane back in the early ’90’s because the Canadian Bethel has a couple of her paintings up in the hallway near the tunnel. It is all big eyed animals on Noah’s Ark. I hated them!
If it wasn’t for her ‘abusive husband’ then Margaret would still be drawing $5 portraits in the park, where she belongs! He was the person who did all the work of selling and promoting really bad art. I feel like the gallery owner who was across the street from the Keane’s gallery; that owner just couldn’t believe anyone would be interested in that “art”.
Why didn’t Jehovah give Margaret some talent when she became a JW?!?
(Maybe I’m being a little too harsh with the woman but she has overdone it with those huge eyes. Move on to a better period in your art-life Margaret!)
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Ted says:
March 18, 2015 at 9:31 am
Margaret is 87 years old, and at this point in her life
things seem to be going well for her and she is. happy
and content. One can only be glad on her behalf.
To attribute the good patches in ones life to the influence
of a benevolent God though, is just ancient superstition.
It’s part of the dualistic thinking,- God and Satan, good
and evil.
This concept itself has resulted in much cruelty. In every
war, God is on your side, the others are the demons, so
providing an excuse for all kinds of atrocities. ( Look no
further than the Bible itself for proof of this.)
The wt, exploits this idea to the maximum allowed by law.
All who do not conform to the regime or accept their
constantly changing dogma , are the apostates the Devil’s
disciples, the walking dead.
The myth is used to create fear in others, forcing them to
renounce and spurn even their own flesh and blood.
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Neal Krouni says:
March 18, 2015 at 10:53 am
@ JJ
It calls to mind another JW “celebrity”, Prince. I never cared for his music, either. Never understood what the big deal was. Once he went up to accept an “award”, dressed in stockings and high heels. Woopdeedoo. Am I supposed to be impressed? And why do all these holy bigshots still cling to their fortunes?? Didn’t Jesus tell the rich man to sell all his belongings and give to the poor before he could be his follower???
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Neal Krouni says:
March 18, 2015 at 10:58 am
@ Ted
I’m sure Margaret Keane IS content. It’s easy when there’s nothing going on upstairs. :) :) :)
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Neal Krouni says:
March 18, 2015 at 11:42 am
So I recently took a stroll down memory lane, and recalled a couple fun stories from my personal experience in that wacky fairyland known as Watchtower.
When I was about 13, a “ministerial servant” asked me if I was willing to study with a couple of younger kids in the cong. I said OK. This guy was Austrian, and some called him “The Fuehrer”, for reasons you shall see. He looked kind of like Patrick Stewart, and when he went up to give a talk, he would assume “the stance”, spreading his legs, and placing his hands authoritatively on either side of the podium, as if to say, “I have the Con.” Anyway, for some reason I mentioned the study thing to my mother, and she said I should run it by our book study conductor, an “elder”, since those kids were not in our own book study group, whatever difference that would make. So the next time Captain Picard approached me about it, I said I would get permission from my book study conductor first. This guy’s face immediately turned BEET RED, and he said, in his deep Austrian voice, “ARE YOU QUESTIONING MY AUTHORITY???” Keep in mind, I was 13 years old!!! I’m sure my jaw dropped. It was like seeing a vision out of Revelation. Never before or since have I seen anyone’s face turn that color.
My idiot brother-in-law (who’s now an “elder”, like my fool brother BTW), once told a story about a “circuit overseer” visit. In his opening remarks to the cong, regarding himself and his wife dining at “brothers'” homes, he said something like, ‘We look forward to your hospitality this week, but please don’t feed us tuna. We’re not cats’. OK, maybe he was offered a lot of tuna in the past, but Hey, a**hole, you’re getting a Free Lunch everywhere you go, and now you’re complaining??? – Imagine buying some homeless guy a sandwich, and then having him complain it’s not the kind he likes. I would just take it back.
One “circuit overseer” we had was a real piece of work. His name was Thorston Splett, and he always wore a bow tie. In his opening remarks, regarding himself and his wife, he said, “Don’t be afraid of us. We’re people like you. We’re human.” REALLY??? WOOOW!!!!! So I can stop pissing my pants whenever I see you coming, with your little bow tie? Jackass.
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JJ says:
March 18, 2015 at 4:19 pm
Hey Neal, someone once said something, off-the-cuff, but it made a lot of sense to me (this guy wasn’t a JW);
“Guys that wear bow ties usually are weirdos and are looking for attention”.
I immediately found what he said was the truth.
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rob says:
March 18, 2015 at 3:58 pm
I always found it amazing that witnesses tended to put the circuit overseers on a pedestal and always ensured to attend all meetings during their visit. To me it really seemed like the witnesses idolized the COs the DOs and The GB. What is more amazing to me is that it appears that these men enjoy the attention and the power that is bestowed upon them by the rank and file.
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Neal Krouni says:
March 19, 2015 at 4:08 pm
For sure!!!
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John Chapman says:
March 19, 2015 at 3:10 am
ALL of the published financial numbers like Stock prices, Commodities prices, Housing prices, Inflation, Unemployment and Interest rates are rigged and have no basis in reality. Gold and Silver futures (paper transactions) out strip Gold and Silver supplies by over 100 to 1. 90% of American Gold and Silver has been shipped to India, China and the Middle East to pay on the Governments debt. Gold and Silver prices are set by the London Gold exchange and they are artificially holding down Gold and Silver prices by faking the numbers so THEY can purchase Our Gold and Silver cheaply. Bottom line: The dollar is going to crash like the Titanic and anything you have in your savings or retirement that is not actual Gold, Silver, Platinum or Real Estate is going to be Worthless. The hard asset prices are going to skyrocket. Unemployment is actually over 20% and rising. Industry is shutting down or moving overseas. Industries like Pharmaceuticals that continue to function in America are planning Huge layoffs. Public sector jobs are cutting staff to the bone. The U.S. is openly attempting to start a nuclear war with Russia. Israel is committing War Crimes and Genocide in Palestine. War has broken out ALL OVER the Middle East. The U.S. and European Media outlets are NOT reporting the Truth. This has been coming since 1913 when the Federal Reserve (a PRIVATE Bank) was established in the U.S. and took over the Treasury and the Money Supply. The Stock Market Crash of 1929 and WW2 are going to look like a birthday party compared to what’s coming in the next few weeks and months. If you have no Job, no more savings because it’s nearly worthless, You owe money on Mortgage payments and grocery prices double or triple how are you going to survive and keep your house? What You and the rest of the Family do is Your own business; I’m just being a decent Brother and warning My Brothers and Sisters of what’s just around the corner. My suggestion would be to pay off EVERYTHING, Especially Your Mortgage, asap and and take several thousand of those cheap dollars and purchase some Expensive Gold and Silver at dirt cheap prices right now before they put controls back on the rigged prices in London. BTW did You know that there is a second “City of London”? It’s the tiny one mile square financial district in the middle of London that is the heart of the British Empire. It’s called “Baby London” (Babylon the Great). if You know ANYTHING about the Bible stories where the Hell is Your Brain? Re Read Revelations, Forget the 501-c-3 JW Corporation!! Are You addicted to those Satanic Psychotropic Drugs You Take?. THINK!!!! The END of the World as You know it is Here!!!
Reply
anonymous says:
March 19, 2015 at 4:19 am
John Chapman, I don’t take the Bible all that seriously. Did you realize that Noah had to put unicorns on the ark???
Reply
Neal Krouni says:
March 19, 2015 at 4:34 pm
Love that clip.
So, Thank You, “New World Order”!!! You didn’t even have the decency to lubricate first.
All that bad stuff MIGHT happen, provided the Earth itself survives that long. Don’t forget all the CRAP that we’ve been pumping into our environment 24/7 since the beginning of Industrialization about 150 years ago!!! And with more and more techno advances and overpopulation, it gets exponentially worse each day. Because, as you know, EVERYONE has just GOT to have a brand-new iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc., every year, drive around in a tank-like SUV or “mini”van, and fly out on 2 or 3 trips a year. And that’s just poor people. Never mind what the rich do! CFC’s are STILL around (jet aircraft, diesel engines, even gas i/c engines), and 1 CFC molecule can destroy 10,000 ozone molecules before being dissipated from the atmosphere!!! Think of every product you own and use. ALL of them have to be manufactured! This process, as well as the use and disposal of many of these things, cause environmental DAMAGE. I’m not trying to lay a guilt trip on anyone. I’m not exactly Amish either. But we need to smarten up and HIT THE BRAKES on production, not only of things, but people.
When someone is sick, you don’t force them to go to work or run around the block. You give them TIME to recover. We need to give our planet Earth, our ONLY home, a BREAK!!!
If we destroy our natural environment, we won’t have to worry about economic collapse, war, plague, or anything else. At least those catastrophes have survivors. If Earth goes, it’s Game Over.
Reply
Neal Krouni says:
March 19, 2015 at 11:36 pm
@ John Chapman
Thanx for the good advice.
I would also recommend buying the SAS Survival Manual by John Wiseman, an AR15, and a backpack full of ammo. :) :) :)
Reply
Neal Krouni says:
March 19, 2015 at 9:57 pm
@ anonymous
When I get to the New System, I’ll have my very own Unicorn!!! Looking forward to that with great anticipation.
A friend of mine once wondered if, in the “New System”, we’ll be able to breathe underwater.
That’s so stupid. Everyone knows we’ll be way too busy using our X-Ray Vision.
Reply
anonymous says:
March 20, 2015 at 2:37 am
Neal, I was at my daughter’s house when we watched that video and we couldn’t believe it either but we looked up the scriptures in the King James and sure enough, they put unicorns in the Bible in quiet a few places, even in the King James that the Society printed. But what did you think about all the muzzles Noah would have had to make for all the poisonous snakes? If anybody with a brain watched that video, there is no way you could believe in the Ark story.
Reply
Neal Krouni says:
March 20, 2015 at 1:24 pm
I love Noah lamenting that his little pooper-scooper would be woefully inadequate.
P.S.: It would also be woefully inadequate for shoveling all the BS in WT, the bible, and other “holy” books!!!
Reply
Bad Penny says:
March 21, 2015 at 8:57 am
John Chapman – great comment – scary!
Yes, there is some serious stuff going on in the world.
Anguish of nations not knowing the way out or what?
Neal and anonymous –
I asked a stuffy sister once if in the ‘New World’ all the men would have beards. ‘Oh, no my dear,’ she replied with certainty. ‘Pity’, I said, ‘it means some poor folks will have to manufacture a lot of razor blades whilst the rest of us are planting gardens!’
Crazy old watchtower world isn’t it??
Reply
anonymous says:
March 21, 2015 at 9:33 am
Bad Penny, I remember Witnesses saying that in the new order, that anybody who had died and got resurrected wouldn’t have kids. They’d talk like that as if it was a fact, whatever the Watchtower said was going to happen was the way it would happen.
When I’d hear stuff like that, I thought it was so presumptuous but I never put two and two together. I wished I had had the guts to speak up when I’d hear stuff like that then but I was such a wimp. Now, just the thought of stepping into a Kingdom Hall to speak up, is more than I can stomach.
Reply
Neal Krouni says:
March 21, 2015 at 12:39 pm
They’ll just kick you out or call the Cops.
When a frontal assault doesn’t work, use guerrilla tactics. Be nasty.
Reply
anonymous says:
March 21, 2015 at 1:48 pm
Neal, today 2 of the elders came by to invite me to the Memorial and I unloaded on them again. I even said a couple times that I am surprised they haven’t disfellowshipped me yet but not yet anyway but I think they really think they can still “save” me. The thing is, I really love those guys and it kills me that they have to be so brainwashed and can’t comprehend a thing I say to them.
Reply
Andrea says:
April 18, 2015 at 5:48 pm
Hi, I was also an artistic child growing up as a JW and I understand what you mean about it being difficult. For me, it was hard to have a free mind inside a squared organization that practically imposed the way one should think, feel and behave. I wanted artistic friends so bad, but they all lead “evil” lives. How can you develop creativity when you live in a box full of nerds! But well, for margaret i guess it gave her hope. Some people just want to live lies, especially when that is all you know. It is not the same to enter the JW when you are old than to grow in it. I’m actually more concerned for her poor daughter.
Reply
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What is JWsurvey’s approach to science, religion and the bible?
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Posted on March 19, 2015
Religious neutrality is an essential element of JWsurvey
Religious neutrality is an essential element of JWsurvey
Frequent visitors to JWsurvey will be familiar with this website’s posting guidelines for comments, which include the following rule regarding religious neutrality: “Do not post comments that are evangelical in nature or may be construed as imposing one person’s religious beliefs (or lack thereof) over those of another.”
I firmly believe that religious neutrality is one of the most important elements of the work we do here on JWsurvey. It is crucial that visitors to this website, especially those who are currently Jehovah’s Witnesses (or who are struggling with JW indoctrination) do not feel that they are being preached to or ushered towards some alternative set of beliefs.
I know a lack of restraint in this area turned me away from so-called “apostate” sites when I made a brief online foray years ago while still a Witness. I wanted to see whether I could find any meaningful arguments against Watchtower teachings. Instead I was confronted by websites urging me towards born-again Christianity – which only reaffirmed my suspicions about “apostates.”
I can similarly remember recoiling a little when, in an email conversation with Paul Grundy of JWfacts.com back in 2011 (when I was midway through waking up), I learned that he was atheist. Though I was still in the process of figuring out what my own beliefs were at that stage, I couldn’t help but feel dejected that someone as knowledgeable as Paul had concluded that there isn’t a God after all.
As it turns out, I myself am now atheist regarding theism (the existence of the God of the bible) and agnostic regarding deism (the concept of some intelligent, creative force behind the universe).* But I can well imagine how such a position would be a stumbling block for a Jehovah’s Witness searching for some kind of common ground with former members.
This is why JWsurvey’s religious neutrality policy is supremely important. Visitors need to feel that they can view objective information about Jehovah’s Witnesses and their beliefs without being preached to, or coerced to ditch their belief in God entirely.
But religious neutrality only really works if it is tempered by secularism, defined by one dictionary as “the belief that religion should not play a role in government, education, or other public parts of society.” Why do I say this? Because most (if not all) religions are mutually exclusive.
For example, you cannot subscribe to both Islam and Hinduism, or both Judaism and Christianity. Religion by its very nature is contentious. Religious beliefs compete with and exclude one another. Only by assuming a secular position, namely that no one religion is more true or untrue than another, can there be real tolerance and religious plurality – a respect for the diversity of religious views, including the right to have no religious views at all.
Accepting science
Secularism also insists that religion and education should be kept separate. I have already written a handful of articles touching on the subject of evolution, and on each occasion I have unashamedly taken the position that evolution is not just a “theory” but a scientific, observable fact. Accepting evolution is not a religious or even an atheist position – it is a scientific one, regardless of what Watchtower says.
There is no reason to feel ashamed of our kinship with other living things through evolution
There is no reason to reject our kinship with other living things through evolution
You CAN be both religious and accept that living things evolve gradually over time. Those who claim that life doesn’t evolve are usually trying to assert their religious views, often inherited (at least in part) from their parents, and/or are ignorant as to what evolution actually is and how it works.
If you deny evolution but embrace other areas of scientific discovery, perhaps even benefiting from them in day-to-day life, this could be considered “cherry-picking.” You would be embracing only those scientific discoveries that conveniently suit your world view, and discarding those that don’t. Of course, you are entitled to do this if it makes you feel happier and more fulfilled in life, but you cannot expect this website to censor itself to conform to such a distorted approach.
When I (or others) write about evolution we are not disrespecting a creationist’s beliefs any more than Galileo was disrespecting the Catholic church by insisting that the earth rotates around the sun rather than the opposite being the case. We are merely telling it like it is. Whether you choose to believe in God or not remains absolutely your decision and right.
The bible and prophecy
I found myself caught in a dilemma recently when filming my rebuttal to the latest JW Broadcasting episode, in which Gerrit Lösch argued for the reliability and authenticity of bible prophecy. I could have merely retorted (as I did) that it is perfectly possible to believe in the bible’s authenticity and not believe, as Jehovah’s Witnesses do, that unless you bow to the authority of seven men in New York you will join billions in being slaughtered at Armageddon.
But this argument on its own seemed rather hollow, especially when the elephant in the room was the fact that the bible is NOT a book of prophecy – it merely purports to be one.
I therefore pointed my viewers to the fact that most scholars agree that Daniel was not written in the 6th Century BC but much later, some time in the 2nd Century BC – decades after many of the events it “prophesied” took place.
It can never be asserted definitively that this is so (because no one actually saw the book being written), but neither can it be asserted that the book of Daniel was written by Daniel himself while in Babylonian exile.
Watchtower relies on general ignorance regarding the work of bible scholars like Bart Ehrman
Watchtower relies on general ignorance regarding the work of bible scholars like Bart Ehrman
Why? Because the character of Daniel, a senior court official, would not have incorrectly named the line of Babylonian/Persian rulers of Babylon. (Try researching “Darius the Mede.”) He would at least have got it right with their names, even if he could be forgiven for getting it wrong about the fate of Antiochus Epiphanes in Daniel 11 (who wasn’t to die until the 2nd Century BC, apparently after Daniel was written).
Then there was the problem of messianic prophecy, also raised by Lösch as an argument for the bible’s authenticity. How does one bring up the awkward fact that it’s highly likely at least one “prophecy” (the virgin birth) was inspired by a mistranslation of the original Hebrew in the Greek Septuagint?
My only solution was to run the gauntlet and do it anyway, but as respectfully as possible – all the while acknowledging that it is the absolute right of people to believe that the bible is inspired, but not to expect others to believe likewise.
You can claim, for example, that Jesus really was born of a virgin, but this can never be a historical or scientific claim – it can only ever be a religious claim. The same applies to the Hebrew Scriptures (or Old Testament). You can believe that the events from Adam and Eve to King Saul really happened if you like, but good luck trying to find a shred of archeological evidence to prove anything in the bible narrative from earlier than King David.
Or to put it another way – if 2.5 million Israelites really did spend 40 years meandering across the Sinai desert some time in the 13th/14th Century BC, sacrificing animals, waging war and observing rituals along the way, they apparently managed this feat without leaving behind so much as a toothpick for archeologists to uncover. (If you didn’t know this already, don’t take my word for it – do the research for yourself.)
Religion is a choice
This is why religion will always be, not unquestionable truth, but a choice.
You, dear reader, have the absolute right to decide what you believe or don’t believe; what evidence or scholarly consensus you accept or dismiss. Anyone who tries to take this right away from you should feel ashamed of themselves. But this does not mean that I, as a writer and speaker, must skirt around scientific fact and scholarly consensus as though these things are irrelevant or somehow taboo. I am allowed to tell it like it is, and leave you to decide for yourself what to do with the information.
Some would say it’s dogmatic to embrace the views of scientists and scholars, but this would be forgetting what dogmatism means: “positiveness in assertion of opinion especially when unwarranted or arrogant… a viewpoint or system of ideas based on insufficiently examined premises.”
The wonderful thing about the scientific method of establishing facts based on evidence is that views and conclusions can change as new evidence is presented.
Religious fundamentalism, on the other hand, is the very embodiment of dogmatism. It is the unyielding insistence that something is true and can only ever be true because an unquestionable sacred text says so. Speaking for myself, I can offer no apologies for instead basing what I say on evidence, and on what people who are vastly more knowledgeable than me have to say about the bible and other issues.
In summary, what you WON’T find on JWsurvey is any effort to lead you off into belief or unbelief. I personally lose no sleep if a person leaves Jehovah’s Witnesses only to become enthralled by some equally spurious (if less harmful) religious code. But what you WILL find on this website is a stubborn, unapologetic dedication to established facts and scientific/scholarly consensus. What you choose to do with the information will always be up to you.
new-cedars-signature2
* I now find an outlet for being free about my atheism/agnosticism on Facebook and on JWpodcast episodes, but I try to keep JWsurvey and my YouTube channel as free as possible of anything that could be construed as pushing my non-belief on others. I believe that the focus of my work should be helping Jehovah’s Witnesses out of a harmful cult, not espousing my personal views on religion (which, in any case, are far better articulated by the likes of Sam Harris and the late Christopher Hitchens).
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← Big Eyes, Big Lies: Painter Margaret Keane and the Truth
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88 Responses to What is JWsurvey’s approach to science, religion and the bible?
← Older Comments
gary says:
March 21, 2015 at 3:18 pm
Whatever you believe, believe. Revolution. . .Beatles. Never be owned. X
Reply
anonymous says:
March 21, 2015 at 3:29 pm
This is a really interesting documentary.
Reply
gary says:
March 21, 2015 at 3:38 pm
That’s the beauty of freedom:-) does an intelligent intellect exist?
Reply
gary says:
March 21, 2015 at 3:45 pm
Lol the irony:-)x (me) Great debate, cheers Lloyd:-)
Reply
gary says:
March 21, 2015 at 3:59 pm
I’m going to get shouted at quite probably, but I’ve been there before, a room without a views.
Absoulately anything is honesty:-)x
Reply
gary says:
March 21, 2015 at 4:04 pm
Religion is the poison in the water. Absolutey agree.
Reply
gary says:
March 21, 2015 at 4:20 pm
Anyone who hates anyone in my world has already lost.
Reply
gary says:
March 21, 2015 at 4:37 pm
“With a little help from my friends”.x
Reply
:) says:
March 22, 2015 at 1:52 am
Watch the full discussion between Christopher Hitchens and John Lennox “Is god great?” and you will have a fair representation of both sides. Unfortunately there is only a 10-minute-summary on youtube, but the full debate is really interesting.
Reply
Cedars says:
March 22, 2015 at 1:56 am
Thanks. John Lennox is a great example of someone who manages to believe in God without denying science, i.e. evolution.
Reply
ScotWm says:
March 22, 2015 at 9:33 am
We have already considered the Watchtower’s claim that it is the “channel of God.” This channel of God, which once consisted of the remnant of the 144,000 faithful and discrete slaves, has now been reduced to a few members of the Governing Body. The Watchtower’s misuse of disfellowshipping, indoctrination and subordination techniques combined with false argumentation and manipulation combine to create a climate of fear in its followers. Add dozens of other false claims and false prophesies to this list and it becomes obvious that many Watchtower teachings are total nonsense.
After considering the above information and many other problems associated with Watchtower teachings, one member of the Governing Body decided to leave Jehovah’s Witnesses and write two books detailing his departure as well as his search for truth outside the Watchtower. At the end of his second book, Raymond Franz made several observations concerning his search for Christian freedom. Unfortunately, Mr. Franz was unable to find any religious organization that was totally in agreement with the Bible. However, his closing statements in his book “In Search of Christian Freedom” basically circle around to the following observation:
“In summary, then, even as I am convinced that the one true religion is Christianity itself, not some religious system claiming to represent and exemplify it, I also believe that the truth is found in the Scriptures, and not in any particular set of interpretations that men have developed or may yet develop. That truth is not only in the words themselves but primarily in the revelation they bring us of God and of his son. We will almost inevitably differ in our understanding on some points but, if governed by God’s Spirit, should have no great difficulty on those teachings clearly and plainly stated.”
It appears that Raymond Franz ultimately found himself in the same position as Charles Taze Russell, before he founded The Watchtower Society.
Reply
Neal Krouni says:
March 22, 2015 at 3:54 pm
O God!!! I hope we we don’t end up with a Watchtower II !!! One is much more than enuff!!!
GOD SAVE US FROM YOUR FOLLOWERS!!!
Reply
Ted says:
March 22, 2015 at 4:21 pm
@ Neal Krouni. Life is an”Opportunity” is a much better
description than calling it a gift. How can it be a gift when
so many have it snatched away from them at a very young
age, sometimes even before they are born.
Thanks for the thought , I will remember it and use it.
Reply
James Broughton says:
March 23, 2015 at 5:22 am
Dear Cedars,
Many thanks for your recent thoughts on religious neutrality. Dr Billy Graham once said that religion can be like an inoculation. It can stop you from getting the real thing. My experience is quite different from yours. I disassociated myself from the JWs when I joined a Bible-believing Baptist church in Liverpool, England, much to the dismay of my JW older brother. I chose not to remain in a spiritual vacuum but exchanged one set of beliefs for another. The Watchtower Society seems to operate a policy of “Win some, lose some”. I am surprised that kingdom halls are not built with revolving doors. As long as you leave and go into oblivion, that’s OK. What they cannot tolerate is people who discover a belief in the real Jesus, rather like the Jewish authorities in Acts who tried to stop the early disciples from sharing the good news. I proved that recently when I was banned from talking with them in Dover market square because I suggested that you could pray to Jesus.
Yes, I recognise that I may be preaching but I do believe it is important to present an alternative view. If you find you are in possession of counterfeit money, do you try to pass it off for the real thing or do you exchange it for the genuine? Both you and Paul Grundy provide excellent websites but I hope you won’t dismiss people like me out of hand. God bless, James.
Reply
Ted says:
March 23, 2015 at 8:07 am
John Lennox is a skilled debater, but I thought there was a
gaping hole in his submission that “Jesus was God incarnate
and the epitome of love,”
If Jesus is God, wether part of a trinity or otherwise, ( And he did
claim, “Before Abraham was I Am”) Then he is responsible for the
Old Testament atrocities, too numerous to list here. And of such a
vile nature, if carried out today the. perpetrators would be classed
as war criminals.
Jesus is credited with saying “love your Enemies”, and although
there is no direct statement in the O,T, to hate your enemies.
In practice, hatred and vengeance were the order of the day.
Enemies were destroyed down to the last child.
If that’s the epitome of love, then language and learning needs
re-inventing. The Bible is such a rag bag of conflicting ideas,
it could not possibly be the product of a supreme intellect.
Reply
Scepticalone says:
March 23, 2015 at 8:17 am
Dear Cedars:
You and some other persons who own your Internet Sites are entitled to bar persons from further comments on the subject of evolution or any other subject of disagreement but what may this demonstrate? It demonstrates perhaps a sort of tyranny or fear of strongly backed up reasons or a very reasoned presentation for their positions. You do remind me of the same position that the very organization you oppose. Of course, you remind me of their reasons they say beware of apostasy you say beware of evangelizers!!
Reply
Cedars says:
March 23, 2015 at 8:41 am
I have yet to hear a “reasoned” piece of evidence against evolution. That is because if such evidence existed, it would make headline news around the world and the discoverer would likely receive a Nobel prize. On the rare occasion that a religious fundamentalist has spouted anti-science ignorance against evolution on this website, especially when I work so hard to keep my articles free of any such nonsense, I make no apologies for taking their commenting privileges away from them. This cannot be considered “tyranny” in any meaningful sense of the word. It is just keeping this website factual, evidence-based and free from inherited dogma, mental flatulence and evangelical graffiti.
Reply
Scepticalone says:
March 23, 2015 at 8:11 pm
Dear Cedars:
I tried to look on your site for evidence that you feel supports Evolution as being a fact. I could not find any unless I am looking in the wrong place I would appreciate any reference, something very specific that I can look up, something easily available. A particular fact, statement etc.
Thank you
Reply
Cedars says:
March 23, 2015 at 11:50 pm
I don’t need to supply evidence on a Jehovah’s Witness-related website for evolution being scientific. Go out and do some research.
Reply
Ted says:
March 23, 2015 at 8:43 am
If we accept the JW teaching that jesus is not God, but
the son of God. Jesus did say “I and the Father are one”
JWs interpret this as “one in agreement” hence, all the
O,T, outrages are acceptable to him.
Reply
Neal Krouni says:
March 23, 2015 at 1:45 pm
Good point Ted. Jesus preached love, even to the extent of ‘loving one’s enemies’ & ‘turning the other cheek’ & forgiving “77 times”!! Yet, if he is “one” in agreement with his “father”, then he must have been cool with all the wars, genocides and atrocities ordered by dear old “dad” in the O.T.!!
Reply
Wild Olive says:
March 24, 2015 at 9:22 pm
I sometimes wonder if it’s Gods plan to make sure no one has all the answers,considering what had been said on this site for and against .
He’s probably more than aware that humans egos can become bigger than the universe once they’ve convinced themselves their right.
I would rather be stuck questioning than be stuck dogmatising.
Reply
mika says:
March 25, 2015 at 7:22 am
Evolution is a fact because majority of biologists accept it as a fact. Why? Because of tons of arguments in favor of evolution? If it is true why are there many scenarios how and where life evolved? Why there are disagreement about who are our ancestors, how this and that form evolved and when they evolved? Evolutionists are good in story telling, so is Cedars. Bible believers are deluded, but anti-theists in gloves are objective! That is why my comment could be deleted again! Thank you Cedars for not coercing Christians to ditch their belief in God entirely!!! Yes, you could be shy theist, but only secularism can be preached. This is the greatest form of freedom and free speech.We must not ignore Bart Ehrman, but we should ignore Yamauchi, Licona, Habermas and their sound arguments. If you post some evidence which these respectful scholars present, you are preaching,you are doing bad thing. The good and objective thing is to promote ONLY secularism, and you can choose any learned or poor educated man who support this agenda.Obviously, this is the only way to make informative choice toward ULTIMATE OBJECTIVITY which is rejection of God (especially Christian) as important person. Probably, our secular leaders are offended when you consider Christ or Jehovah more important than him. This madness must be stopped!
Reply
gary says:
March 25, 2015 at 11:48 pm
Here goes with the risk of being lampooned (gulp)
I personally believe that religion is the poison in the water, however, it’s of interest that large parts of the book of Daniel where found among the dead sea scrolls, it would be interesting to see when they date from. Even so the so called Christ confirmed his authenticity. Regardless though this is my thought about a universal mind.
The moon is 400 times smaller than the sun and is 400 times closer to the earth, not doubt that is why the moon can eclipse the sun as they appear the same size. The earth is tilted at 23 degrees giving us the seasons. It rotates at 600 miles per hour on its own axis and travels around the sun at 6000 miles per hour without crushing us with gravity. One mile further away from the sun we would all freeze and one mile closer to the sun and we would
burn. That there are universal laws of physics tells a person that there is order, and not random chance, not just in this small solar system and galaxy but in the billions of galaxies. As regards evolution the bible does not disagree. All it says is their kinds. No doubt this is why hybrids cannot sexually reproduce.. . . (Go gentle with your reply as its of interest to me)
Reply
Cedars says:
March 26, 2015 at 12:46 am
Hello Gary. If you want to, you are welcome to believe that the God of the bible is real and has made his 14 billion-year-old universe with humans in mind, positioning the earth at the perfect distance from the sun for their liking. But the point is, this belief of yours is a choice. You don’t HAVE to believe this, just as a puddle (if it were self-aware) wouldn’t HAVE to believe that the slight recess in the sidewalk that it occupies was purposefully fashioned by the maker of the sidewalk with its dimensions in mind.
The point of our religious neutrality policy is that it is everyone’s choice what to believe, but it is not a choice to use this website to evangelize these beliefs towards others. If there is to be a line of arbitration drawn as to whether something stated is factual or not – it HAS to be science, which bases itself on evidence rather than dogma. And there is a multitude of different lines of evidence to scientifically support evolution. If you feel you need to educate yourself further on this and other fields of scientific inquiry, there are any number of resources for you to draw from. I hope this answers your comment.
Reply
gary says:
March 25, 2015 at 11:56 pm
P.s. hybrids of different species.x (who mentioned scousers?)
Reply
gary says:
March 26, 2015 at 7:14 am
I agree with you. Facts and knowledge lead us to our conclusions, wherever each of us are along that road. I’m not trying to preach a certain god/religion or belief but the discussion between science and faith fascinates me, personally I see no conflict. I hate indoctrination with a passion. So :-) I wish you well :-) and say thanks for your research, observations and patience.x
Reply
gary says:
March 26, 2015 at 7:17 am
One last thing I’ll say before I go though regarding debate (whatever it concerns) Both sides now. . Joni Mitchell/Neil diamond.x
Reply
gary says:
March 26, 2015 at 9:06 am
She’s electric.
Reply
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What is JWsurvey’s approach to science, religion and the bible?
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Posted on March 19, 2015
Religious neutrality is an essential element of JWsurvey
Religious neutrality is an essential element of JWsurvey
Frequent visitors to JWsurvey will be familiar with this website’s posting guidelines for comments, which include the following rule regarding religious neutrality: “Do not post comments that are evangelical in nature or may be construed as imposing one person’s religious beliefs (or lack thereof) over those of another.”
I firmly believe that religious neutrality is one of the most important elements of the work we do here on JWsurvey. It is crucial that visitors to this website, especially those who are currently Jehovah’s Witnesses (or who are struggling with JW indoctrination) do not feel that they are being preached to or ushered towards some alternative set of beliefs.
I know a lack of restraint in this area turned me away from so-called “apostate” sites when I made a brief online foray years ago while still a Witness. I wanted to see whether I could find any meaningful arguments against Watchtower teachings. Instead I was confronted by websites urging me towards born-again Christianity – which only reaffirmed my suspicions about “apostates.”
I can similarly remember recoiling a little when, in an email conversation with Paul Grundy of JWfacts.com back in 2011 (when I was midway through waking up), I learned that he was atheist. Though I was still in the process of figuring out what my own beliefs were at that stage, I couldn’t help but feel dejected that someone as knowledgeable as Paul had concluded that there isn’t a God after all.
As it turns out, I myself am now atheist regarding theism (the existence of the God of the bible) and agnostic regarding deism (the concept of some intelligent, creative force behind the universe).* But I can well imagine how such a position would be a stumbling block for a Jehovah’s Witness searching for some kind of common ground with former members.
This is why JWsurvey’s religious neutrality policy is supremely important. Visitors need to feel that they can view objective information about Jehovah’s Witnesses and their beliefs without being preached to, or coerced to ditch their belief in God entirely.
But religious neutrality only really works if it is tempered by secularism, defined by one dictionary as “the belief that religion should not play a role in government, education, or other public parts of society.” Why do I say this? Because most (if not all) religions are mutually exclusive.
For example, you cannot subscribe to both Islam and Hinduism, or both Judaism and Christianity. Religion by its very nature is contentious. Religious beliefs compete with and exclude one another. Only by assuming a secular position, namely that no one religion is more true or untrue than another, can there be real tolerance and religious plurality – a respect for the diversity of religious views, including the right to have no religious views at all.
Accepting science
Secularism also insists that religion and education should be kept separate. I have already written a handful of articles touching on the subject of evolution, and on each occasion I have unashamedly taken the position that evolution is not just a “theory” but a scientific, observable fact. Accepting evolution is not a religious or even an atheist position – it is a scientific one, regardless of what Watchtower says.
There is no reason to feel ashamed of our kinship with other living things through evolution
There is no reason to reject our kinship with other living things through evolution
You CAN be both religious and accept that living things evolve gradually over time. Those who claim that life doesn’t evolve are usually trying to assert their religious views, often inherited (at least in part) from their parents, and/or are ignorant as to what evolution actually is and how it works.
If you deny evolution but embrace other areas of scientific discovery, perhaps even benefiting from them in day-to-day life, this could be considered “cherry-picking.” You would be embracing only those scientific discoveries that conveniently suit your world view, and discarding those that don’t. Of course, you are entitled to do this if it makes you feel happier and more fulfilled in life, but you cannot expect this website to censor itself to conform to such a distorted approach.
When I (or others) write about evolution we are not disrespecting a creationist’s beliefs any more than Galileo was disrespecting the Catholic church by insisting that the earth rotates around the sun rather than the opposite being the case. We are merely telling it like it is. Whether you choose to believe in God or not remains absolutely your decision and right.
The bible and prophecy
I found myself caught in a dilemma recently when filming my rebuttal to the latest JW Broadcasting episode, in which Gerrit Lösch argued for the reliability and authenticity of bible prophecy. I could have merely retorted (as I did) that it is perfectly possible to believe in the bible’s authenticity and not believe, as Jehovah’s Witnesses do, that unless you bow to the authority of seven men in New York you will join billions in being slaughtered at Armageddon.
But this argument on its own seemed rather hollow, especially when the elephant in the room was the fact that the bible is NOT a book of prophecy – it merely purports to be one.
I therefore pointed my viewers to the fact that most scholars agree that Daniel was not written in the 6th Century BC but much later, some time in the 2nd Century BC – decades after many of the events it “prophesied” took place.
It can never be asserted definitively that this is so (because no one actually saw the book being written), but neither can it be asserted that the book of Daniel was written by Daniel himself while in Babylonian exile.
Watchtower relies on general ignorance regarding the work of bible scholars like Bart Ehrman
Watchtower relies on general ignorance regarding the work of bible scholars like Bart Ehrman
Why? Because the character of Daniel, a senior court official, would not have incorrectly named the line of Babylonian/Persian rulers of Babylon. (Try researching “Darius the Mede.”) He would at least have got it right with their names, even if he could be forgiven for getting it wrong about the fate of Antiochus Epiphanes in Daniel 11 (who wasn’t to die until the 2nd Century BC, apparently after Daniel was written).
Then there was the problem of messianic prophecy, also raised by Lösch as an argument for the bible’s authenticity. How does one bring up the awkward fact that it’s highly likely at least one “prophecy” (the virgin birth) was inspired by a mistranslation of the original Hebrew in the Greek Septuagint?
My only solution was to run the gauntlet and do it anyway, but as respectfully as possible – all the while acknowledging that it is the absolute right of people to believe that the bible is inspired, but not to expect others to believe likewise.
You can claim, for example, that Jesus really was born of a virgin, but this can never be a historical or scientific claim – it can only ever be a religious claim. The same applies to the Hebrew Scriptures (or Old Testament). You can believe that the events from Adam and Eve to King Saul really happened if you like, but good luck trying to find a shred of archeological evidence to prove anything in the bible narrative from earlier than King David.
Or to put it another way – if 2.5 million Israelites really did spend 40 years meandering across the Sinai desert some time in the 13th/14th Century BC, sacrificing animals, waging war and observing rituals along the way, they apparently managed this feat without leaving behind so much as a toothpick for archeologists to uncover. (If you didn’t know this already, don’t take my word for it – do the research for yourself.)
Religion is a choice
This is why religion will always be, not unquestionable truth, but a choice.
You, dear reader, have the absolute right to decide what you believe or don’t believe; what evidence or scholarly consensus you accept or dismiss. Anyone who tries to take this right away from you should feel ashamed of themselves. But this does not mean that I, as a writer and speaker, must skirt around scientific fact and scholarly consensus as though these things are irrelevant or somehow taboo. I am allowed to tell it like it is, and leave you to decide for yourself what to do with the information.
Some would say it’s dogmatic to embrace the views of scientists and scholars, but this would be forgetting what dogmatism means: “positiveness in assertion of opinion especially when unwarranted or arrogant… a viewpoint or system of ideas based on insufficiently examined premises.”
The wonderful thing about the scientific method of establishing facts based on evidence is that views and conclusions can change as new evidence is presented.
Religious fundamentalism, on the other hand, is the very embodiment of dogmatism. It is the unyielding insistence that something is true and can only ever be true because an unquestionable sacred text says so. Speaking for myself, I can offer no apologies for instead basing what I say on evidence, and on what people who are vastly more knowledgeable than me have to say about the bible and other issues.
In summary, what you WON’T find on JWsurvey is any effort to lead you off into belief or unbelief. I personally lose no sleep if a person leaves Jehovah’s Witnesses only to become enthralled by some equally spurious (if less harmful) religious code. But what you WILL find on this website is a stubborn, unapologetic dedication to established facts and scientific/scholarly consensus. What you choose to do with the information will always be up to you.
new-cedars-signature2
* I now find an outlet for being free about my atheism/agnosticism on Facebook and on JWpodcast episodes, but I try to keep JWsurvey and my YouTube channel as free as possible of anything that could be construed as pushing my non-belief on others. I believe that the focus of my work should be helping Jehovah’s Witnesses out of a harmful cult, not espousing my personal views on religion (which, in any case, are far better articulated by the likes of Sam Harris and the late Christopher Hitchens).
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88 Responses to What is JWsurvey’s approach to science, religion and the bible?
← Older Comments
gary says:
March 21, 2015 at 3:18 pm
Whatever you believe, believe. Revolution. . .Beatles. Never be owned. X
Reply
anonymous says:
March 21, 2015 at 3:29 pm
This is a really interesting documentary.
Reply
gary says:
March 21, 2015 at 3:38 pm
That’s the beauty of freedom:-) does an intelligent intellect exist?
Reply
gary says:
March 21, 2015 at 3:45 pm
Lol the irony:-)x (me) Great debate, cheers Lloyd:-)
Reply
gary says:
March 21, 2015 at 3:59 pm
I’m going to get shouted at quite probably, but I’ve been there before, a room without a views.
Absoulately anything is honesty:-)x
Reply
gary says:
March 21, 2015 at 4:04 pm
Religion is the poison in the water. Absolutey agree.
Reply
gary says:
March 21, 2015 at 4:20 pm
Anyone who hates anyone in my world has already lost.
Reply
gary says:
March 21, 2015 at 4:37 pm
“With a little help from my friends”.x
Reply
:) says:
March 22, 2015 at 1:52 am
Watch the full discussion between Christopher Hitchens and John Lennox “Is god great?” and you will have a fair representation of both sides. Unfortunately there is only a 10-minute-summary on youtube, but the full debate is really interesting.
Reply
Cedars says:
March 22, 2015 at 1:56 am
Thanks. John Lennox is a great example of someone who manages to believe in God without denying science, i.e. evolution.
Reply
ScotWm says:
March 22, 2015 at 9:33 am
We have already considered the Watchtower’s claim that it is the “channel of God.” This channel of God, which once consisted of the remnant of the 144,000 faithful and discrete slaves, has now been reduced to a few members of the Governing Body. The Watchtower’s misuse of disfellowshipping, indoctrination and subordination techniques combined with false argumentation and manipulation combine to create a climate of fear in its followers. Add dozens of other false claims and false prophesies to this list and it becomes obvious that many Watchtower teachings are total nonsense.
After considering the above information and many other problems associated with Watchtower teachings, one member of the Governing Body decided to leave Jehovah’s Witnesses and write two books detailing his departure as well as his search for truth outside the Watchtower. At the end of his second book, Raymond Franz made several observations concerning his search for Christian freedom. Unfortunately, Mr. Franz was unable to find any religious organization that was totally in agreement with the Bible. However, his closing statements in his book “In Search of Christian Freedom” basically circle around to the following observation:
“In summary, then, even as I am convinced that the one true religion is Christianity itself, not some religious system claiming to represent and exemplify it, I also believe that the truth is found in the Scriptures, and not in any particular set of interpretations that men have developed or may yet develop. That truth is not only in the words themselves but primarily in the revelation they bring us of God and of his son. We will almost inevitably differ in our understanding on some points but, if governed by God’s Spirit, should have no great difficulty on those teachings clearly and plainly stated.”
It appears that Raymond Franz ultimately found himself in the same position as Charles Taze Russell, before he founded The Watchtower Society.
Reply
Neal Krouni says:
March 22, 2015 at 3:54 pm
O God!!! I hope we we don’t end up with a Watchtower II !!! One is much more than enuff!!!
GOD SAVE US FROM YOUR FOLLOWERS!!!
Reply
Ted says:
March 22, 2015 at 4:21 pm
@ Neal Krouni. Life is an”Opportunity” is a much better
description than calling it a gift. How can it be a gift when
so many have it snatched away from them at a very young
age, sometimes even before they are born.
Thanks for the thought , I will remember it and use it.
Reply
James Broughton says:
March 23, 2015 at 5:22 am
Dear Cedars,
Many thanks for your recent thoughts on religious neutrality. Dr Billy Graham once said that religion can be like an inoculation. It can stop you from getting the real thing. My experience is quite different from yours. I disassociated myself from the JWs when I joined a Bible-believing Baptist church in Liverpool, England, much to the dismay of my JW older brother. I chose not to remain in a spiritual vacuum but exchanged one set of beliefs for another. The Watchtower Society seems to operate a policy of “Win some, lose some”. I am surprised that kingdom halls are not built with revolving doors. As long as you leave and go into oblivion, that’s OK. What they cannot tolerate is people who discover a belief in the real Jesus, rather like the Jewish authorities in Acts who tried to stop the early disciples from sharing the good news. I proved that recently when I was banned from talking with them in Dover market square because I suggested that you could pray to Jesus.
Yes, I recognise that I may be preaching but I do believe it is important to present an alternative view. If you find you are in possession of counterfeit money, do you try to pass it off for the real thing or do you exchange it for the genuine? Both you and Paul Grundy provide excellent websites but I hope you won’t dismiss people like me out of hand. God bless, James.
Reply
Ted says:
March 23, 2015 at 8:07 am
John Lennox is a skilled debater, but I thought there was a
gaping hole in his submission that “Jesus was God incarnate
and the epitome of love,”
If Jesus is God, wether part of a trinity or otherwise, ( And he did
claim, “Before Abraham was I Am”) Then he is responsible for the
Old Testament atrocities, too numerous to list here. And of such a
vile nature, if carried out today the. perpetrators would be classed
as war criminals.
Jesus is credited with saying “love your Enemies”, and although
there is no direct statement in the O,T, to hate your enemies.
In practice, hatred and vengeance were the order of the day.
Enemies were destroyed down to the last child.
If that’s the epitome of love, then language and learning needs
re-inventing. The Bible is such a rag bag of conflicting ideas,
it could not possibly be the product of a supreme intellect.
Reply
Scepticalone says:
March 23, 2015 at 8:17 am
Dear Cedars:
You and some other persons who own your Internet Sites are entitled to bar persons from further comments on the subject of evolution or any other subject of disagreement but what may this demonstrate? It demonstrates perhaps a sort of tyranny or fear of strongly backed up reasons or a very reasoned presentation for their positions. You do remind me of the same position that the very organization you oppose. Of course, you remind me of their reasons they say beware of apostasy you say beware of evangelizers!!
Reply
Cedars says:
March 23, 2015 at 8:41 am
I have yet to hear a “reasoned” piece of evidence against evolution. That is because if such evidence existed, it would make headline news around the world and the discoverer would likely receive a Nobel prize. On the rare occasion that a religious fundamentalist has spouted anti-science ignorance against evolution on this website, especially when I work so hard to keep my articles free of any such nonsense, I make no apologies for taking their commenting privileges away from them. This cannot be considered “tyranny” in any meaningful sense of the word. It is just keeping this website factual, evidence-based and free from inherited dogma, mental flatulence and evangelical graffiti.
Reply
Scepticalone says:
March 23, 2015 at 8:11 pm
Dear Cedars:
I tried to look on your site for evidence that you feel supports Evolution as being a fact. I could not find any unless I am looking in the wrong place I would appreciate any reference, something very specific that I can look up, something easily available. A particular fact, statement etc.
Thank you
Reply
Cedars says:
March 23, 2015 at 11:50 pm
I don’t need to supply evidence on a Jehovah’s Witness-related website for evolution being scientific. Go out and do some research.
Reply
Ted says:
March 23, 2015 at 8:43 am
If we accept the JW teaching that jesus is not God, but
the son of God. Jesus did say “I and the Father are one”
JWs interpret this as “one in agreement” hence, all the
O,T, outrages are acceptable to him.
Reply
Neal Krouni says:
March 23, 2015 at 1:45 pm
Good point Ted. Jesus preached love, even to the extent of ‘loving one’s enemies’ & ‘turning the other cheek’ & forgiving “77 times”!! Yet, if he is “one” in agreement with his “father”, then he must have been cool with all the wars, genocides and atrocities ordered by dear old “dad” in the O.T.!!
Reply
Wild Olive says:
March 24, 2015 at 9:22 pm
I sometimes wonder if it’s Gods plan to make sure no one has all the answers,considering what had been said on this site for and against .
He’s probably more than aware that humans egos can become bigger than the universe once they’ve convinced themselves their right.
I would rather be stuck questioning than be stuck dogmatising.
Reply
mika says:
March 25, 2015 at 7:22 am
Evolution is a fact because majority of biologists accept it as a fact. Why? Because of tons of arguments in favor of evolution? If it is true why are there many scenarios how and where life evolved? Why there are disagreement about who are our ancestors, how this and that form evolved and when they evolved? Evolutionists are good in story telling, so is Cedars. Bible believers are deluded, but anti-theists in gloves are objective! That is why my comment could be deleted again! Thank you Cedars for not coercing Christians to ditch their belief in God entirely!!! Yes, you could be shy theist, but only secularism can be preached. This is the greatest form of freedom and free speech.We must not ignore Bart Ehrman, but we should ignore Yamauchi, Licona, Habermas and their sound arguments. If you post some evidence which these respectful scholars present, you are preaching,you are doing bad thing. The good and objective thing is to promote ONLY secularism, and you can choose any learned or poor educated man who support this agenda.Obviously, this is the only way to make informative choice toward ULTIMATE OBJECTIVITY which is rejection of God (especially Christian) as important person. Probably, our secular leaders are offended when you consider Christ or Jehovah more important than him. This madness must be stopped!
Reply
gary says:
March 25, 2015 at 11:48 pm
Here goes with the risk of being lampooned (gulp)
I personally believe that religion is the poison in the water, however, it’s of interest that large parts of the book of Daniel where found among the dead sea scrolls, it would be interesting to see when they date from. Even so the so called Christ confirmed his authenticity. Regardless though this is my thought about a universal mind.
The moon is 400 times smaller than the sun and is 400 times closer to the earth, not doubt that is why the moon can eclipse the sun as they appear the same size. The earth is tilted at 23 degrees giving us the seasons. It rotates at 600 miles per hour on its own axis and travels around the sun at 6000 miles per hour without crushing us with gravity. One mile further away from the sun we would all freeze and one mile closer to the sun and we would
burn. That there are universal laws of physics tells a person that there is order, and not random chance, not just in this small solar system and galaxy but in the billions of galaxies. As regards evolution the bible does not disagree. All it says is their kinds. No doubt this is why hybrids cannot sexually reproduce.. . . (Go gentle with your reply as its of interest to me)
Reply
Cedars says:
March 26, 2015 at 12:46 am
Hello Gary. If you want to, you are welcome to believe that the God of the bible is real and has made his 14 billion-year-old universe with humans in mind, positioning the earth at the perfect distance from the sun for their liking. But the point is, this belief of yours is a choice. You don’t HAVE to believe this, just as a puddle (if it were self-aware) wouldn’t HAVE to believe that the slight recess in the sidewalk that it occupies was purposefully fashioned by the maker of the sidewalk with its dimensions in mind.
The point of our religious neutrality policy is that it is everyone’s choice what to believe, but it is not a choice to use this website to evangelize these beliefs towards others. If there is to be a line of arbitration drawn as to whether something stated is factual or not – it HAS to be science, which bases itself on evidence rather than dogma. And there is a multitude of different lines of evidence to scientifically support evolution. If you feel you need to educate yourself further on this and other fields of scientific inquiry, there are any number of resources for you to draw from. I hope this answers your comment.
Reply
gary says:
March 25, 2015 at 11:56 pm
P.s. hybrids of different species.x (who mentioned scousers?)
Reply
gary says:
March 26, 2015 at 7:14 am
I agree with you. Facts and knowledge lead us to our conclusions, wherever each of us are along that road. I’m not trying to preach a certain god/religion or belief but the discussion between science and faith fascinates me, personally I see no conflict. I hate indoctrination with a passion. So :-) I wish you well :-) and say thanks for your research, observations and patience.x
Reply
gary says:
March 26, 2015 at 7:17 am
One last thing I’ll say before I go though regarding debate (whatever it concerns) Both sides now. . Joni Mitchell/Neil diamond.x
Reply
gary says:
March 26, 2015 at 9:06 am
She’s electric.
Reply
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← “Be on guard against those who speculate!” – Watchtower ramps up the paranoia
More branch closures as Watchtower continues to downsize →
The Racist History of Watchtower Literature
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Posted on September 18, 2013
Jehovah's Witnesses now worship side-by-side as equals, but it hasn't always been this way
Jehovah’s Witnesses of all races now worship side-by-side as equals, but it hasn’t always been this way
The majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses consider their religion to be entirely beyond reproach when it comes to issues surrounding racism and racial equality.
When attending a meeting, convention, or assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses, visitors are usually instantly impressed at the intermingling and harmony between people of all ethnic backgrounds. Watchtower literature describes people of all races being equal before a God who is “not partial.”
Generally speaking, this philosophy filters down as a positive influence on the way Witnesses of different races interact with one another. The organization even has a black man, Samuel Herd, on its Governing Body!
However, things haven’t always been this way. In fact, the road to racial harmony has been just as “bumpy” for the Witnesses as it has for many other religions. If you were to read some early Watchtower publications, you would doubtless be shocked and appalled by some of the offensive rhetoric employed by the writers of the organization’s literature back then. Indeed, if such literature was reprinted or otherwise circulated today as representing Watchtower’s current attitudes towards race, the organization would likely end up facing yet more serious legal entanglements, not to mention an outcry from their many non-white members.
Sadly, there are numerous examples of racial bigotry in Watchtower’s early literature, and few non-white races escape unscathed. I will attempt to catalogue some of the more offensive quotes in this article. For brevity, I will present a “timeline” of racist expressions as published by the Society, followed by a more thorough analysis of each quoted text in date order.
Quite understandably, some of the sentiments contained in the above timeline may horrify you, but they are all found to be in Watchtower’s early publications (or correspondence, as in the case of Rutherford’s letter to Hitler). If you are a Witness, it is natural and commendable for you to be appalled at what you will now read, since Watchtower’s own publications have trained you to be tolerant of everyone regardless of their ethnicity.
None of the following information is to be found on JW.org – Watchtower’s official website. And there is a reason Watchtower chooses to ignore their murky past when it comes to racial bigotry. It has to do with the prophetic significance they attach to the early “Bible Students,” as they were then known.
Put simply, the Watch Tower Society claims that Jesus Christ selected the Bible Students, led by Russell and Rutherford respectively, as representatives of his earthly organization between 1914 and 1919. As you will see from the above timeline, this supposed “selection” by Christ came roughly right in the middle of a period when they were printing some of their most racially offensive articles. It seems inconceivable that Jesus Christ would recruit such a narrow-minded organization to represent him based on what they were writing at the time on matters of race. That is why the modern-day Watchtower organization withholds this information, and instead points the finger at other religions for their racially bigoted histories.
Racism Under Russell
Charles Taze Russell was the founder of the Watch Tower Society, and the chief editor and publisher of Zion’s Watch Tower, as the Watchtower was known in those days.1 The distribution of the Watchtower magazine, as well as Russell’s other books, was almost entirely dependent on the work of “volunteers,” later known as colporteurs (the forerunners of today’s “pioneers”), whose job it was to offer subscriptions to readers.
It seems that Russell was quite picky when it came to who could serve in this privileged capacity on behalf of the Society. In the March 1st issue of the Watchtower, his criteria deliberately restricted those who might serve as volunteers to members of “white Protestant churches.” Understandably, the black brothers at that time were none too pleased by the obvious discrimination, and wrote to the Society’s headquarters to complain. This was the printed response:
The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, April 15th 1900, page 122
The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, April 15th 1900, page 122
[Click on any of the graphics to see a full-screen version for easier reading.]
Russell’s magazine freely acknowledged that its discriminatory advertisement for volunteers was founded on a stereotype of blacks as having “less education than whites.” Then it expressed the outrageous opinion that “reading matter distributed to a colored congregation would more than half of it be utterly wasted.”
It seems difficult to fathom how Russell, who blushed at suggestions that he was God’s “Faithful and Wise Servant,” could harbor and promulgate such a deplorable and misconceived attitude towards black men and women. This bizarre outlook revealed itself in Russell’s other writings, most notably when he touched on his strange obsession with “the Ethiopian’s skin.”
The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, October 1st 1900, pages 296-297
The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, October 1st 1900, pages 296-297
Russell believed that the skin of a black brother would turn white during the Millennial Kingdom
Russell believed that the skin of a black brother would turn white during the Millennial Kingdom
In the above article entitled “Can Restitution Change The Ethiopian’s Skin?” Russell leaps upon an incident of a black preacher claiming to have developed white skin after having prayed for it.
Reverend Draper, who apparently told others that “if he could only be white like his employer, he would be happy,” started praying thirty years prior to the article and experienced a transformation over the period leading up to its publication. Once his skin was completely white, he returned to his former church, and had a hard time convincing the members of his identity. We now know that this “miraculous” transformation was the result of Vitiligo, a medical condition resulting in depigmentation of areas of skin. It isn’t that rare, and I’ve met people who have this condition myself. Perhaps you have too.
However, Russell was so fixated with the idea of black people becoming white that he would apparently leap on any related report as evidence that this might happen on a grander scale in the future. The February 15, 1904 Watchtower reported a similar incident involving a nine-year-old boy named Julius Jackson under the heading “Can The Ethiopian Change His Skin?” which I reproduce below:
The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, February 15th 1904, pages 52-53
The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, February 15th 1904, pages 52-53
Again, it is difficult to fathom why Russell was so preoccupied with the concept of blacks becoming whites. What was so wrong, in his view, about their original color? Why would the color of a person’s skin make any difference to a God who is “not partial?” I suppose only Russell knew.
A telling insight into Russell’s attitudes towards race came in another Watchtower article in 1902. That article, entitled “The Negro Not A Beast,” attempted to banish the extremely offensive idea being promulgated in a book of the period that black men and women were somehow on a par with animals. Despite its tacit opposition to this outrageous concept, the Watchtower’s riposte was tainted by more than a hint of racist bigotry.
The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, July 15th 1902, pages 215-216
The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, July 15th 1902, pages 215-216
To paint Africa’s “various tribes or nations of negroes” as being “degraded” is a highly offensive racial slur by any reasonable standard. By comparison, the article claims that the white race “exhibits some qualities of superiority over any other,” and enjoys “preeminence in the world.”
Further down, the same article states that the Caucasian has “greater intelligence and aptitude” as a result of a “commingling of blood” under “divine control.” In setting out to counter racist arguments, the article ends up making more than a few of its own. We are left with views that would not look out of place in a Nazi propaganda leaflet. And black people aren’t the only ones humiliated by this article; it also suggests that Indians and Chinese have some catching up to do genetically before they are to “equally brighten their intellects.”
At this point, it is worth reminding ourselves that Charles Taze Russell didn’t necessarily pen these articles himself. Zion’s Watch Tower had at least five regular contributors. However, Russell was the chief editor and would have checked each article personally before approving it for print. Even if he hadn’t written a certain article himself, he would have signed off on it before publication in a magazine for which he was legally accountable. Therefore, readers may consider any racially offensive article published under his editorship as representing his views. I’m sure he would have scrapped any article without the slightest hesitation if it conflicted with his own opinions.
It wasn’t long before Russell’s dim view of the “colored brethren” generated yet more offense and outrage among his black readership. In January 1914, during a screening of the Photodrama of Creation at The Temple, West 63rd Street, a number of negro audience members were segregated from their white counterparts and made to sit separately on the balcony of the auditorium. This caused understandable outrage, and several wrote angry letters – furious that they had suffered such discrimination at the hands of their “brothers.” The Watchtower printed a response under the heading “The Color Line Found Necessary” in the April 1 magazine, reproduced below:2
The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, April 1st 1914, pages 105-106
The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, April 1st 1914, pages 105-106
I can barely imagine the humiliation of turning up at a screening of the Photodrama as a “fan” of Russell at the time, only to be separated and herded like an animal into a different part of the theater on account of my skin color. It would only add insult to my injury for me to be told that this was necessary so as to not upset white visitors, because, “explain it how you will, a majority of whites prefer not to intermingle with other races.”
I can’t imagine wishing to continue my association with the Bible Students after suffering such an indignity. After all, how could this be Christ’s church if “the success… of the enterprise of the Drama as respects the whites” was more important to Watchtower than observing racial equality? How could these truly be God’s people if they were so ready to pander to racist bigotry? Might it be because the leaders were racists themselves? These would have been my honest thoughts.
Any blacks who turned up to see the Photodrama screening in January 1914 at The Temple, West 63rd Street, were segregated
Any blacks who turned up to see the Photodrama screening in January 1914 at The Temple, West 63rd Street, were segregated
In any case, apparently not all so-called “colored brethren” were repelled by this incident. Evidently, the Society’s audience-numbers-over-equality line of reasoning was “entirely satisfactory to all of the fully consecrated” with only a few “tenacious and quarrelsome” individuals objecting.
It seems that, as respects this incident, everything boiled down to humility. After all, according to the article, “nature favors the colored brethren and sisters in the exercise of humility.” Although I believe the writer intended the remarks about humility as a pacifying compliment, they are also a clear nod towards the scourge of negro slavery that tarnished America before the Civil War. The writer attempts to commend the black readership for its perceived humble roots, irrespective of the despicable circumstances under which these were forged.
The article then goes on to revert back to Russell’s obsession with the skin of an Ethiopian, or more pointedly, his belief that black Christians could expect their skin to change when the “Millennial kingdom will be inaugurated.” The writer tells us that, when that time comes, all mankind will experience “restitution to the perfection of mind and body, feature and color, to the grand original standard, which God declared ‘very good.’ ” Again, quite why a Christian would need to have the color of his skin changed to the “original standard” is a mystery, and Russell’s strange preoccupation with this rather offensive concept found yet another outlet in this article.
Racism Under Rutherford
Charles Taze Russell died on October 31st 1916. Thereafter, under somewhat controversial circumstances, Rutherford succeeded in seizing control of the Watch Tower Society. Russell’s high office as president wasn’t the only thing Rutherford inherited. It seems he also continued his predecessor’s penchant for racial bigotry.
As mentioned earlier, according to the current beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jesus Christ selected the Bible Students as his earthly congregation between 1914 and 1919 in what has since been hailed as a period of “cleansing.” Consider the following article, published in 1993, which affirms this teaching (bold is mine):
“the slave class, despite unpopularity, persecution, and even some confusion, had been seeking to give timely food to the domestics. This is what the Master found when his inspection began. The Lord Jesus was pleased, and in 1919 he pronounced that faithful approved slave class happy. What was the slave’s delightful reward for doing what his Master had appointed him to do? A promotion! Yes, larger responsibilities were given in advancing his Master’s interests.” (The Watchtower, May 1st 1993, page 17)
So, Jesus apparently undertook an “inspection” of the organization circa 1919 based on the “timely food” (or literature) being distributed to the domestics (true Christians) by the Slave Class. If this truly happened, it is difficult to imagine Jesus looking favorably on the following article, published in the newly released 1919 Golden Age magazine (a forerunner to the Awake!) under Rutherford’s presidency.
The above excerpt is taken from The Golden Age, October 15th 1919, pages 105-106
The above excerpt is taken from The Golden Age, October 15th 1919, pages 105-106
To provide some background, the article above was written (rather controversially by today’s standards) as a political argument against the recently introduced prohibition laws. As you are no doubt aware, Prohibition became law in America in 1920, making the sale of alcoholic beverages illegal.
Rutherford, who enjoyed his liquor, spoke of “sobering the southern negro” in an article against prohibition
Rutherford, who enjoyed his liquor, spoke of “sobering the southern negro” in an article against prohibition
Rutherford was known to be partial to his liquor, and I would not be surprised if he was the actual writer of the above article. After all, as a lover of alcohol, he had a vested interest in stalling the prohibition movement, and I can think of no other reason for Watchtower trying to dabble in the politics of that time over this issue.
If Rutherford actually wrote this article, it certainly provides a unique insight into his racial views. The insinuation that all “southern negroes” are drunkards is a vicious racial slur, and the above sentiments would cause outrage if repeated in the Society’s literature today.
It seems that whereas Russell had been more of a “spiritual racist” who tried to justify his views using biblically oriented arguments, Rutherford offered little or no justification for his racist views whatsoever, apart from spewing forth scathing and hopelessly erroneous generalizations based on his own preconceptions.
This book, which helped to abolish slavery in america, was branded "the work of Satan" by the Golden Age
This book, which helped to abolish slavery in america, was branded “the work of Satan” by the Golden Age
An excellent example of such pompous bigotry is bountifully provided in another Golden Age article, published in the October 30, 1927 edition of the magazine (pages 140-143). This three-and-a-half page rant, penned under the name of J. L. Bolling, was a tirade of insults and accusations hurled at the author Harriet Beecher Stowe to discredit her famous and highly influential novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a fictional story depicting the brutal treatment of black slaves.
I’m sure many reading this article will have read Uncle Tom’s Cabin, or at least be familiar with it. Many historians credit the book with playing a key role in bringing about the abolishment of slavery in America. It raised public awareness of the awful practice – surely an extremely noble and laudable cause in the minds of any genuine Christian. However, whoever Bolling was, he certainly didn’t believe that getting rid of slavery was a good idea, as you can see for yourself.
The article itself is so large that I’ve created a separate PDF download for those who would like to read it in its entirety: The Golden Age v Uncle Toms Cabin 1927. I’ll warn anyone who wishes read it in advance that it is arguably one of the most vulgar and outlandish articles printed by Watchtower that they are ever likely to encounter. The piece, entitled “The Story of Uncle Tom’s Cabin” is also reproduced below in images from the Golden Age article in question, unless otherwise indicated. For the purposes of brevity, I will focus on some of the more intriguing quotes.
1927 Golden Age, Nov. 30th, pages 140-143
1927 Golden Age, Nov. 30th, pages 140-143
Bolling starts his article as he means to go on, with an outrageous insinuation that Stowe was under the influence of spirit mediums when writing the book. He expands on this as follows…
1927 Golden Age, Nov. 30th, pages 140-143
1927 Golden Age, Nov. 30th, pages 140-143
After providing an exhaustive overview of the spirit encounters alleged to have been experienced by Harriet Stowe’s husband, Calvin Stowe, Bolling asserts that these played a guiding role in inspiring her to write the book. Bolling goes so far as to suggest that Satan engineered Stowe’s marriage to her husband for this very reason. “Through her husband”, writes Bolling, “Mrs Stowe undoubtedly was strongly influenced by these wicked spirits; and this was doubtless Satan’s object in effecting their union in marriage.”
Bolling goes on to paint Stowe as an “impulsive” and “rash” author, prone to “coloring her narrative” and “caring little for facts” before sinking ever deeper into his astonishing tirade against what was, after all, a fictional novel. He leaves no stone unturned in finding grievances against Stowe, even suggesting that she was ill qualified to write a book of any great significance on account of her gender…
1927 Golden Age, Nov. 30th, pages 140-143
Bolling next turns on the perceived religious claims of Stowe’s book. Irrespective of what Stowe may or may not have said about Uncle Tom’s Cabin being an inspired work following its publication, the book itself does not aspire to be anything more than a fictional tale depicting the terrible suffering of those living under the scourge of slavery before its abolishment in the United States. How anyone can reasonably compare it with the prophetic book of Revelation, which directly purports inspiration from God in its first few pages, is a complete mystery to me, but this is precisely what Bolling tries to do…
1927 Golden Age, Nov. 30th, pages 140-143
1927 Golden Age, Nov. 30th, pages 140-143
Bolling uses Mrs. Stowe’s personal views against her, namely that she was divinely inspired while writing her book, or (as she allegedly said), “God wrote it.” Despite using Stowe’s words to prop up his arguments in this way, Bolling is very selective as to which of Stowe’s reputed quotes he believes or refutes. He twists Stowe’s words about her book being the product of “an unknown power” into an outrageous claim that, far from being inspired by God, Uncle Tom’s Cabin (a book that helped abolish slavery) is “the work of Satan!”
I don’t think it is remotely unfair to suggest that Bolling, whoever he was, was a brazen racist. Nobody who forms the opinion that a book instrumental in ending slavery is the product of the devil could conceivably view black men and women as his or her equals. However, perhaps unsurprisingly, Bolling’s racist views were not limited only to black people. In the last paragraph reproduced above, he describes Spaniards as a “backwards race.”
To quote more from Bolling’s article is futile. In resurrecting his venomous tirade from the dusty and long-forgotten archives of the Golden Age where it belongs, I have already provided a 21st Century platform to this long-dead racist to which he is far from worthy.
Suffice to say, Bolling continues to slam Stowe right to the end, and even makes some bizarre claims about God’s plan for America. He claims that America is “the workshop and experimental laboratory of the time of the end,” and explains that Uncle Tom’s Cabin is one of many attempts by Satan to destroy America’s institutions. Bolling even hails Abraham Lincoln as being “God’s chosen instrument in saving the Union” – proof (if it were needed) of how little credence should be attached to his crazy opinions.
I can already hear the objections of many who have read this far in my article. You’re perhaps yelling: “But hang on, this guy Bolling is not representative of Rutherford’s views, or of God’s organization for that matter. After all, the Golden Age ceased to be printed many decades ago!”
Firstly, as with Russell’s editorship of the Watchtower magazine, “Judge” Rutherford was Watchtower’s president at the time when this article rolled off Watchtower’s presses. Assuming he didn’t write it, he would nevertheless have needed to consent to its publication. We can therefore consider the article representative of Rutherford’s views as well as Bolling’s. And anything that rolled off the Society’s printing press at that time would have been considered as spiritual “food at the proper time” (Matt:24:45).
Furthermore, according to Watchtower’s own (and more recent) publications, the Golden Age isn’t just considered a lowly forerunner to the Awake! – it WAS the Awake! under another name. Consider the following quote, published under the heading “Awake! – A Magazine With Broad Public Appeal” in the Society’s official history book:
“This magazine originally bore the title The Golden Age. The first issue was dated October 1, 1919. This was a magazine that reported on many fields of human endeavor. It alerted people to what was going on in the world and showed them that the real solution to mankind’s problems is Christ’s Millennial Reign, which will truly usher in a ‘golden age’ for humankind.” (Jehovah’s Witnesses – Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom, page 724)
When you consider the above quote, and the fact that the Awake! magazines on your bookshelf are really just the same publication as those outlandish Golden Age magazines quoted from in the foregoing, it’s really quite remarkable to think that Watchtower once not only perpetuated racist ideology – it ferociously criticized those who spoke out against slavery!
I wish I could say the story ends there for racism under Rutherford’s watch, but it didn’t. More offensive articles would follow in the Golden Age under his presidency, including an absurd snippet reproduced below:
The above excerpt is taken from The Golden Age, July 25th 1928, page 684
The above excerpt is taken from The Golden Age, July 25th 1928, page 684
Not content with stereotyping black people as an object of amusement for school children, Rutherford went on to expound Russell’s strange ideology about the origins of the black race when questioned on the subject.
The above excerpt is taken from The Golden Age, July 24th 1929, page 702
The above excerpt is taken from The Golden Age, July 24th 1929, page 702
Whoever actually penned this article obviously couldn’t resist the temptation to go further than merely insinuating that the black race is the product of a curse. The writer was deluded enough to label black people “a race of servants,” and dwelled on the “joys” of slavery, even though one assumes he had never “enjoyed” captive servitude himself.
The writer goes so far as to say: “There is no servant in the world as good as a good Colored servant, and the joy that he gets from rendering faithful service is one of the purest joys there is in the world.” Again, I’m pretty sure the writer doesn’t speak from experience in sharing how joyful life is as a “good Colored servant.” What I AM sure of is that his views were extremely offensive and reflect a bigoted and demeaning view of black people in general. That such outrageous and deplorable opinions could find their way into a magazine purporting to represent spiritual food from God’s faithful “Slave Class” is beyond incomprehensible.
Rutherford’s Anti-Semitism
As the 30s dawned, the world was beset by a troubling new age of Fascism. One would like to think of Watchtower, as a Christian organization, being at the forefront of condemning fascist governments such as the one inflicted on the German people by the diabolical tyrant, Adolf Hitler. Sadly, when one investigates, one finds the reverse was true.
I do not wish to go into Rutherford’s flirtations with the Nazi Government at great length in this article, not least because excellent and comprehensive research on this is available on JWFacts.com. Instead, I will focus on the racial element of Rutherford’s overtures, particularly as found in his letter to Hitler, and his “Declaration of Facts” as published in the 1934 Yearbook.
Rutherford accused "Jewish business men" of "oppressing the people's of many nations"
Rutherford accused “Jewish business men” of “oppressing the people’s of many nations”
To give a brief background to the documents mentioned above, I would first need to give you an extremely concise (perhaps over-simplified) version of events leading up to their publication. If anyone can give me documentary evidence that refutes my version of these events, I would be happy to receive this information and amend my account accordingly.
From the outset of Rutherford’s presidency, he wasted no time in stamping his mark on what he perceived as false Christendom – especially Catholicism. Publications such as The Finished Mystery unleashed scathing rebukes of the Catholic Church.
These critiques weren’t quite as “death-dealing” or “apocalyptic” as the Revelation Climax book leads us to believe, but they did succeed in well and truly getting on the nerves of the Catholic hierarchy, who at the time were highly influential in the world of politics. Perhaps unsurprisingly, once sufficiently riled by Rutherford’s constant provocations, they took their anger out on the Bible Students by getting governments to ban their work wherever possible. One country that was only too ready to do this was Nazi Germany.
Rutherford was then faced with German Bible Students being rounded up and sent to concentration camps for no other reason than because the Catholic church (which he had spent years provoking) had succeeded in getting their way with Hitler and his cronies. What did Rutherford do to reverse the situation? He told Hitler that the issue was just a huge misunderstanding, and actually the Bible Students were the friends of the Nazi government and not their enemies.
The aforementioned webpage on jwfacts has the original three-page letter sent by Rutherford to Hitler in 1933, together with a translation into English (obviously the letter was prepared in German). Among other things, the letter proclaims the Watch Tower Society to be “pro-German” and blames “Jewish businessmen and Catholics” for spreading propaganda against the Society and its directors, leading to their unfair arrest. Curiously Rutherford goes so far as to insist that “the Bible Students of Germany are fighting for the very same high ethical goals and ideals which also the national government of the German Reich proclaimed.”
In addition to his letter, Rutherford journeyed to Berlin to appear before the brothers there, and presented a “Declaration of Facts” to the delegates in attendance. The Declaration, which was essentially a watered-down version of his letter to Hitler, appeared in the 1934 Yearbook. Take note of an interesting quote from the Declaration:
The above excerpt is taken from the 1934 Yearbook, page 134
The above excerpt is taken from the 1934 Yearbook, page 134
I can’t help but grimace when I think of what it would have been like for the delegates in Berlin as they received these words from their leader, Rutherford. They were already in the grips of a lengthy period of persecution, thanks largely to the provocative and sensationalist writings of the man who stood before them.
Unbeknownst to them, this persecution would only get worse, and claim the lives of many of them. Now they could see for themselves that the ideology of the “Judge” and that of their Führer was not so very different. Did they agree with him? Were they embarrassed? I suppose we will never know.
I do know that if I had sat in that audience, any tenuous belief that Rutherford spoke as a representative of God’s organization on Earth would have been shattered the moment he began his brief but stinging tirade against Jewish businessmen. I can only be thankful that his disgraceful words and hateful rhetoric has long since been buried by an embarrassed Watch Tower Society, who after the war and Rutherford’s death must have looked back with total humiliation at how they could have so completely misjudged a clear conflict between good and evil, and ended up (at least initially) supporting the wrong side.
Today we hear so much in the Society’s literature of all those poor Bible Students who died at the hands of the Nazi Regime. The publications trumpet that they died by making a stand for neutrality, and ignore the inconvenient truth that the persecution arose, at least in part, through the urgings of a clergy that had been harassed to breaking point by Rutherford’s writings.
The bravery of these men and women in refusing to yield to their persecutors through albeit misguided loyalties to Rutherford’s ideology is both profoundly admirable and heart wrenching. However, having researched this chain of events from an untainted perspective, it’s clear to me now that their deaths were entirely preventable. Arguably, nobody paid a heavier price for Rutherford’s stubborn and bigoted worldview than those poor German brothers. I can only hope that a similar situation involving persecution at the hands of political powers doesn’t present itself any time soon.
The Post-Rutherford Era
After Rutherford’s death, it seems the winds of change, including the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 60s, influenced the Society to abandon previous long-held racist views. Increasingly, blacks were accepted into higher offices within the Society. The Watchtower published no further racially offensive statements in any of its publications – except for the following, published just before the civil rights movement gained momentum in a 1952 Questions From Readers (bold is mine):
“Many colored persons practice color-prejudice against their own people. Lighter-colored Negroes will shun the darker ones. Some from the Western Hemisphere look down upon the very dark ones from Africa. In South Africa, whites discriminate against the mixed coloreds, the mixed coloreds against the native blacks, the native blacks against the Indian coolies, and in their native India the Indians discriminate against the no caste or outcasts. Who is innocent to throw the first stone? Can we not see that all classes of the human race are evil, that if we start reforming we shall be lost in an impossible task, with endless discriminations and many varieties or injustices to beat down, which crusading social and political organizations of this world have hopelessly fought for years? For us to become like them would be to fail with them, consume our time in such reforms, lose out as Jehovah’s witnesses, and please only the Devil. So let us please God by preaching the gospel despite the undesirable conditions the Devil’s world may make for us. Let us not be sidetracked by Satan and caught in a subtle snare camouflaged in lofty motives and ideals. Can we not wait upon Jehovah to avenge the wrongs we suffer now? Really, our colored brothers have great cause for rejoicing. Their race is meek and teachable, and from it comes a high percentage of the theocratic increase. What if the worldly wise and powerful and noble look down on them as foolish and weak and ignoble, not on an equality with self-exalted whites? It is to God’s ultimate honor, for he confounds the wise of this world by choosing those the world considers foolish and weak and ignoble. Let us boast in Jehovah and in our equality in his sight, rather than wanting to boast in equality in the world’s sight. “(The Watchtower, February 1st 1952, page 95)
Arguably, this article is nowhere near as offensive as the vile bigotry published under Russell and Rutherford. However, a demeaning portrait of the blacks as a race that is “meek and teachable” is still painted. A racial stereotype, no matter how complimentary, is a racial stereotype nonetheless – and no race would revel in the false insinuation that they are prone to being gullible or easily manipulated.
Like many of the excerpts reproduced above, if this quote appeared in a modern Watchtower magazine there would be understandable outcry. Obviously, Watchtower is cleverer than that! However, I’m still curious about how they suddenly found the courage to include the above quote on the Watchtower Library CD-ROM. Doubtless, they think it unlikely that regular publishers will stumble on it.
Racism – Gone But Not Forgotten
The Society makes no mention in modern publications of the dreadful racial slurs that frequented the Watchtower publications in their murky past. Random admissions to having once celebrated birthdays or used the cross are one thing, but it takes a far deeper candor to admit to being a racist organization in their early beginnings – especially when approval by Christ was at stake in those days.
To some extent I can understand their reluctance to come clean over their racist past. What I cannot fathom is the eagerness with which they have pursued other religions over their records of racial equality. Consider the following quote from a 1982 edition of Awake!, in an article entitled “The Races – What Is Their Origin?”:
“Have the churches of Christendom always treated ‘everyone on the same basis’? Consider how the Catholic and Lutheran Churches supported Hitler’s scheme to produce a ‘master race.’ And for centuries the Catholic Church taught that Negroes were a cursed race. John F. Maxwell states in his book Slavery and the Catholic Church that this view ‘apparently survived until 1873 when Pope Pius IX attached an indulgence to a prayer for the ‘wretched Ethiopians in Central Africa that almighty God may at length remove the curse of Cham [Ham] from their hearts.’ (Italics ours) And even to this day some church organizations openly practice racial discrimination.” (Awake! February 8th 1982, pp. 14-15)
One would think that the Society, with one eye on its own unsavory record, would edge away from criticizing other religions over their racial history – but not one bit. They can still summon the gall to cry foul over the Catholic church’s former view of black people as a cursed race, even though this doctrinal standpoint ceased to form part of recognized Catholic dogma long before it left the pages of the Society’s literature.
Indeed, the 1929 Golden Age printed this article on Noah’s curse a full 56 years after this Pope’s remarks on the subject were made known. And in a supreme irony, the Awake! magazine that criticized Pope Pius IX in 1982 is admitted by Watchtower as being the same journal that printed similarly offensive remarks in 1929 under the banner The Golden Age! Surely there are few more stunning examples of hypocrisy in the Society’s literature than an Awake! article that criticizes a dead Pope for making racist comments similar to those expressed in its own pages far more recently. – Luke 6:42
Pope Pius IX issued the last racially offensive expression on behalf of the Catholic church 56 years before the Society printed very similar rhetoric, but was still criticized in an Awake article on race
Pope Pius IX issued the last racially offensive expression on behalf of the Catholic church 56 years before the Society printed very similar rhetoric, but was still criticized in an Awake article on race
My purpose in compiling and writing this article is not to demonize the Watch Tower Society. After all, as I mentioned at the outset, modern Watchtower publications devote many pages to encouraging unity and equality between people of all races – as is evident when one attends Witness gatherings. I merely draw attention to the racial history of the organization because it has been deliberately suppressed to reinforce Watchtower’s claims to divine direction.
If the leadership claimed no special standing before God, and could humbly admit to (and take responsibility for) ALL of its former indiscretions, that would be one thing. Instead, when we look at the Watch Tower Society objectively, we see an organization obsessed with stamping its authority on people’s lives as God’s sole channel of communication, and insisting on perfect submission to its teachings by its followers despite being in complete denial of its own murky past.
Indeed, the Governing Body‘s tenuous claim to divine appointment is that Christ chose Rutherford and his associates to be his faithful slave in 1919 on the basis of the “spiritual food” being produced at that time. To insist on the unquestioned loyalty of worshippers towards the organization on this erroneous basis, under threat of being disfellowshipped and potentially separated from loved ones if they find out the truth, is both deplorable and immoral.
I hope that by writing this article, in furtherance of similar articles written in the recent past, I will have taken another step towards setting the record straight and educating thinking Jehovah’s Witnesses as to the true origins of their deeply held beliefs.
John Cedars signature logo
1. For the purposes of this article, I use the names Zion’s Watch Tower and the Watchtower interchangeably.
2. Past articles about the Society’s racial history, which I have found helpful in researching this subject, may be found at the following links:
http://www.seanet.com/~raines/discrimination.html
http://www.watchman.org/jw/aparthid.htm
The above article has been reproduced with minor edits from its original posting on InsideTheWatchtower.com
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33 Responses to The Racist History of Watchtower Literature
alanv says:
September 18, 2013 at 4:47 am
Cedars you have got to remember that JWs no longer view Charles Russell as being a channel of communication from God. There really is no point quoting what he did any more. The society are well aware of all the rubbish he spoke and so have now dropped him from favour and just call him a zealous bible student. Rutherford is a different matter, he too had lots of crazy ideas, and as you say it makes no sense that he and others could be called Gods channel of communication at that time.
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Cedars says:
September 18, 2013 at 4:51 am
“There really is no point quoting what [Russell] did any more.”
Thanks alanv, but so long as Russell is credited with ANY involvement in the founding of “God’s organization” (e.g. a modern-day John the Baptist?) I would respectfully disagree.
Watchtower may seek to distance itself from Russell, but I for one will not allow it to.
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KtotheRAD "Konrad" aka Kurt Hennig says:
September 18, 2013 at 6:13 am
Well, it certainly is not your fathers Watchtower Society anymore! Because they do NOT hold that line of thought today! The effort and energy put forth in the agenda towards emphasizing mixed race relationships OVER same race relationships in deference to the underlying image and PR issue that is more important to the Society to convey and also in brutally suppressing the Rights of age disparate but otherwise perfectly appropriate, lawful and scriptural unions of same race couples (white) is a standard feature! Trust me…I know!
As evidence mounts, I also am slowly becoming convinced of the use of subliminal messaging by the Society although I wasn’t before.
[Video removed – sorry Konrad, I don’t like censoring your comment in this way, but I don’t want this website in any way affiliated with the conspiracy theory of subliminal messages in Watchtower illustrations, which I don’t subscribe to. There’s enough hard evidence of Watchtower deception without having to make stuff up, or look for problems where there are none.]
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Rowland Nelken says:
September 18, 2013 at 8:33 am
All the old JW nonsense quoted, from whatever era, and with whatever attitudes to other races, betrays the all embracing JW fiction that they are not of this world and are no part of Christendom. They also demonstrate the appeal the organisation had to converts like my mother. She decried all efforts at self improvement as well as amelioration of society. This way she could square her total inability to do anything useful and her resolute determination to contribute, with her assumption of her own innate superiority. The only improvements a truly wise and enlightened person would want, whether they be in racial harmony or anything else, would be magicked at a stroke by Jehovah at an imminent Armageddon.
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Larry Siegle says:
September 18, 2013 at 11:09 am
In all fairness to the Society, the quotes from various publications, written from the perspective of the “faithful and discreet slave” class, were more a reflection of the prevailing attitudes that existed among people of the world during that period of time.
Having grown up as a Witness, there was no evidence of this sort of racial inequality by the early 70’s and some of the Overseers in our congregation in Hamilton, Ohio reflected a diverse mixture of cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
My personal experience outside the organization among a variety of churches and religious denominations has been that racial tension continues to exist, especially in some of the southern states where I have lived. One group of “elders” in a particular church noticed that several “black” families had begun attending their worship assemblies on a regular basis. I heard him comment to another “elder” — “It looks like it is about time for us to start a “black” congregation for these brethren on the other side of town.” I was shocked by the sentiment and discouraged by the attitudes that were behind the comments.
It is unfortunate that Jehovah’s Witnesses experienced the same attitudes as other religious groups, but it does not come as a surprise. The Watchtower organization is not unlike the evolution and development of many other religious organizations that have arisen down through the centuries.
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Cedars says:
September 18, 2013 at 11:42 am
Hi Larry! Thanks for your observations, which I would generally agree with. Obviously, the “everyone else was doing it” argument doesn’t cut it for an organization purporting to have been uniquely appointed by Christ based on its past teachings, which is the argument put forth in this article.
The most cursory glimpse of Watchtower history reveals that the organization’s claims of divine guidance are entirely without merit, and it is this kind of information that thinking Witnesses will need in their journey.
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Faithful Witness says:
September 18, 2013 at 11:53 am
I agree with Larry, that this material and these views were published in a different era.
BUT!! If you are going to declare yourselves as being the chosen channel for Christ, you should be willing to have your history at that time examined. This type of research and history examination, is what we, as Bible students, were encouraged to do… About all OTHER religions and traditions, of course.
In the current issue of The Watchtower study (dated July 15, 2013, and “discussed” this past Sunday), they declare that Christ came to inspect them and found that faithful Bible students had been distributing MILLIONS of books and magazines in their door to door preaching. They don’t mention of course, that those magazines were declaring false predictions about the year 1914, in the name of God himself. Using this logic, it would seem that Christ continued to direct the slave to promote racist and slanderous teachings about the “superior” white race… Not to mention the numerous other heinous teachings they continue to promote and force their members to digest and regurgitate as The Truth.
Now try to get a JW to wrap their mind around that concept… It matters what you say, when you say you are broadcasting a message that comes directly from God. It still matters, even if you try to adjust it, clarify it or even if you deny you ever said it. It’s in print… Please read it and think about it.
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Cedars says:
September 18, 2013 at 11:59 am
I meant to also point out the hypocrisy issue in answering Larry’s post, which I feel is important and not to be overlooked. Watchtower has criticized the Catholic Church for describing blacks as a “cursed” race using the very magazine in which they printed the exact same claim in 1929 – only they made this racist slur decades after the Catholic Church silenced themselves on the issue.
How did Jesus feel about hypocrites?
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LMC says:
September 20, 2013 at 10:41 am
I have to say how shocked I was upon learning this! But then I had to also think why is there only 1 black man on the GB. Why isn’t there a Native American, Asian, or a number of nationalities on the GB? Wouldn’t that be only fair? Why one black man and the rest white? Why not one white guy and the rest black? My point being shouldn’t there be more diversity on the GB?
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Jamie Clark says:
September 18, 2013 at 12:29 pm
The core issue is that the Heavenly Father is not partial, nor His Son. Just because the government has segregation laws, and society has certain “norms”, doesn’t mean the organization that reflects the Almighty is to lower itself to society’s. After all, those professing belief in YHWH (Yahuwah, which is more proper than Jehovah) should seek to honor Him and not be an agency of the god of this system of things (satan). As in who to obey?
Jehovah’s Witnesses for an impartial Almighty, One who seeks all of His creation to return back to him . . . . and yet there is partiality in his supposedly earthly organization. Still, the Governing Body should acknowledge its own past, but typically they encourage all to look forward as things are swept under the rug.
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KtotheRAD "Konrad" aka Kurt Hennig says:
September 18, 2013 at 1:13 pm
[Video removed – sorry Konrad, I don’t like censoring your comment in this way, but I don’t want this website in any way affiliated with the conspiracy theory of subliminal messages in Watchtower illustrations, which I don’t subscribe to. There’s enough hard evidence of Watchtower deception without having to make stuff up, or look for problems where there are none.] ~ That’s okay Cedars as I’m not all that convinced myself and it was more of a supposition that I was throwing out there for consideration…and yes, I’ve heard some really wacky suggestions about images embedded in the artwork that are way out there but this seemed rather plausible as are certain other things that have been presented before…I don’t want to muck up the waters!
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Cedars says:
September 18, 2013 at 1:24 pm
Thanks Konrad! There’s no harm in thinking out loud!
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C M says:
September 18, 2013 at 1:40 pm
Wow i had no idea that things like this were written. Since I live in California in an area full of people from all over the world, and people who have been witnesses for a long time, the colored (african american) brothers have told me that the congregations were once segregated “by law” so the white friends had their meeting, then the colored friends had theirs, then the spanish had theirs seperate form the whites as well, I thought california never followed such segregation laws like the south did. That being said, I am glad to have faded out of there.
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Zeebo says:
September 18, 2013 at 11:08 pm
This doesn’t surprise me from an organisation that taught that appendicitis was caused by worms…
But for me the real personal scandal with the WT is that they take my wife away from me for two days a week, force her out into danger (knocking on doors with another woman) and i love her and miss her all the time. It is so sad.
We both work full time and barely see each-other anyway so this loss of time is big. Also they have ended our joint social life with their long list of restrictions. Screw those old B’stads in Brooklyn.
Oh well sorry for the rant
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Faithful Witness says:
September 19, 2013 at 4:49 am
So much for the happy family they promise to all their faithful ones. Sorry to hear that, Zeebo. I really appreciate your sentiments. As the fists bang harder and the JW’s begin turning on each other in the new year, maybe your wife will begin to realize where true love really is… At home.
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70wksofyrs says:
September 19, 2013 at 5:07 am
Zeebo – I am sorry for you, that you wish to spend more time with your wife. Watchtower certainly divide families.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I have noticed from your other posts that you are moved by what goes on that the Watchtower don’t publicise, just like this article that highlights the history of racism in the organisation.
These things that move you may not be the things that move your wife, she may believe that it’s all lies from bitter Apostates.
My 11 yr old and I discuss the hypocritical current study articles, the seems to get the critical thinking going. Maybe you could use this as a strategy and ask questions about the article she is studying or even maybe attend with her, even though it’s boring and frustrating you are protected from the mind control. You are going simply to ascertain the best questions to ask your wife, and spend that precious time with her.
Helping her from the inside out may work my friend.
All the best Zeebo
(Cedars, sorry for going off topic)
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Zeebo says:
September 19, 2013 at 5:18 am
Thanks for the support guys. My wife will at least check things i tell her but typically its only checked with WT. I think slowly its working especially the recent “light” regarding the slave (Thanks to John for this)..
She agrees, albeit secretly, that forcing women to go knocking on doors together is dangerous but is compelled to do it as “Jesus/GB” tell her.. I showed her the verses about the holy spirit giving different gifts and evangelism isn’t for everyone, showed her that Jesus instructed the apostles (men) to go out not women.. Its slowly working but I’m don’t want to distress her and shock her.
I manged to get her reading hassans ‘combatting cult mind control’ which even i was surprised about.. but typically with WT taking ALL our time she very seldom reads (non WT).
Anyway lets hope those inspired ones in the GB hit everyone with some really blinding new light soon.. like a reversal on the blood issue..
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70wksofyrs says:
September 19, 2013 at 5:21 am
Thanks Cedars for this article.
What I found funny was that Russell was referring to whites as a superior race, but Rutherford was attacking the Jews of London and New York for being business owners.
Basically if you do not have an Aryan background, which I am sure many do not, Hitler had a Jewish grandmother. Then the organisation had a way to discriminate, either you are from a dumber inferior race, or you are from a race that owns too many business.
The point is the watchtower is bigoted to make these generalisations people are individuals and intellect does not depend on race.
I converted to JW from Judaism and was brought up in London, we don’t own a business. So Rutherford was wrong!!!!!!!
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hanna moore says:
September 19, 2013 at 7:31 am
Zeebo,
I feel your pain. Every weekend it’s all WAtchtower. And during the week too.
I recently have been attending meetings and I think this is a good time to go because the JW’s are a little overwhelmed by all this. They do take it without questioning which is hard to watch. But I’m hoping that my presence there makes them think more than they usually would, because they are very amazed I’m there and I get to ask a few questions and make a few comments to individuals after the meeting.
That is amazing you got your wife to read the Steve Hassan’s book! Whoa!
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WT Critic says:
September 19, 2013 at 7:57 am
As some of the comments point out this is proof that the WT Society needed “the world” to better influence its treatment of other races.
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Jamie Clark says:
September 19, 2013 at 3:57 pm
Also, the current belief is that between 1914 and 1918 all Christain groups were inspected and the Society was approved. Thus the hearts of the leadership were obviously searched, along with the literature (current and intended). I’ve not read the Unfinished Mystery (1918) but understand it is full of errors (and not truth). Put it another way, it is not actively studied if it was approved by Above.
So if that era is not applicable to today’s JWorg, so then passing that supposed inspection would have to be acknowledged as an incorrect belief. Thus would need some new light for that. And they convince the JW rank and file not to think or analyze their history, or listen to those that do.
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LMC says:
September 20, 2013 at 10:48 am
Of course the July 2013 issue of the WT makes it clear that the inspection did NOT happen in 1919 and that it will happen in the future. So if the GB even THOUGHT this was to happen why are they so adement in hiding their scandal of child abuse? You would think that they would want to really solve that issue so that when Jesus does inspect them they would not have that hanging over their heads like a big black cloud? Do they think they can sweep it under the carpet and Jesus won’t notice?
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LMC says:
September 20, 2013 at 10:56 am
Also after reading exerts from The Finished Mystery in today’s world Russell would be considered to have a mental problem. Does Jehovah choose the mentally ill to start his organization and then lead it with holy spirit? What a crazy crazy man Russell was! How could anyone conclude that he had Jehovah’s holy spirit? Did Jim Jones have Jehovah’s holy spirit? Did the Moonies have Jehovah’s holy spirit? After reading about Russell and Rutherford I have to conclude that both these men were crazy I do not like either of them! And all these years I thought they were God’s gift on earth I shudder to think how I was so duped!
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george says:
September 21, 2013 at 10:16 am
I was disgusted with that article on Uncle Tom’s Cabin. It was full of bile and loathing.
The craziest point was that the author was furious with Stowe for starting the Civil War. This is a ridiculous accusation. The Civil War had many origins, both political and economic. Beecher Stowe’s novel did raise concern, but it did not start the war!
A demon possessed authoress wrote the book. What a terrible legacy for this moribund organisation!
If “Judge” Rutherford is in heaven now then I am a pink elephant!
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george says:
September 21, 2013 at 10:19 am
I feel exactly the same! It is a sober warning of what can be accomplished through information control and fear. In the words of The Who, we “won’t get fooled again”.
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Jamie Clark says:
September 22, 2013 at 9:05 am
That’s right, the old light was the inspection was then. I had briefly read the July 2013 but obviously didn’t remember the new light.
Thanks for the update.
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whatevs says:
September 24, 2013 at 12:17 pm
Where I grew up as a Witness, domestic violence was common and condoned by the elders, so if they’re not concerned about a woman’s safety at home with her own Witness husband, I’m sure they don’t give a toss about her safety out in service.
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JBob says:
September 24, 2013 at 6:45 pm
@LMC Keep in mind that the GB became elite through application of the rule that “anointed ones” were FD&S, and the GB derived from those elite who were part of the Bethel HQ staff.
By all the exclusion and racism exhibited by their white brothers in the early years, minority groups as a whole would have been excluded from this catgory of “anointed”. And, even those who were considering themselves “anointed” would have been outside the “inner circle” at HQ where appointments to these high administrative roles would have been made. Prior to integration of circuits, minority CO’s and DO’s were exclusive to serving the a minority community, so the primary speakers at DC’s were white males. Minorities who did go to serve at Bethel were given manual (menial) labor jobs not oversight or choice jobs which gave exposure to the upper echelon making key overseas and administrative appointments.
The Wt was also discouraging participation in Civil Rights protests and other political activities that arose in the late 1950’s through the typical praise of those who kept out of worldly, political affairs and focused on “kingdom interests”. Yet, when the color barriers were broken, the Watchtower slowly changed from segregated circuits and congregations in the southern states to fully integrated model today. Well, almost, segregation still exists due to language barriers.
The typical JW who holds to the “party line” will say, these racist attitudes were reflective of flawed human thinking and that the present-day is what they focus–the Watchtower’s legacy and history, thus being discarded, does not define what the group is today.
But, unfortunately, the past has shaped what it has become today. From paranoia of outsiders and dissenters to the seats occupied by its Governing Body.
Reply
Mandelay says:
September 26, 2013 at 8:44 am
Great research Cedars! No way these guys could have passed Christ’s inspection in 1919. The fact that this claimed ‘inspection’ has now been pushed forward, hardly makes this a moot point. The fact remains that the organization has not been a beacon for progress and moral uplifting in obedience to Matthew 5:14-16. Elders in some Ohio congregations as late as the 70s were discouraging interracial marriages and anyone who vociferously disagreed was disfellowshipped.
Reply
JBob says:
September 26, 2013 at 4:28 pm
matt 5:14 — “You are the flickering light of the world. A town built on a hill hidden by thickets of trees. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it under a lampshade, and it gives diminished light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your flickering light dance before others, that they may have conflicted vision and not recognize your deeds as you demand they glorify your Governing Body on earth.”
[The Amplified NWT]
Reply
Mandelay says:
September 26, 2013 at 8:55 am
Zeebo…. Don’t give up on your wife. You’re her only hope of ever waking up. I hope you will have the opportunity to share some of these posts with her. JWs are kept so busy, most do not have time to read anything constructive nor, for that matter, basic compassion. I have seen marriages end for the same issues of neglect and loneliness that you are experiencing and it’s a cruel shame. It was then that I realized how destructive the organization is to family and marriage. There is no scriptural verse that says a person should be in field service every weekend; not one that says meetings need to be scheduled two or three times a week. One meeting a month meets the very indefinite scriptural requirements for ‘assembling with one another’ just as well as eight. Early Christians sometimes met once a month.
Reply
Abigail Parker says:
December 2, 2013 at 9:37 am
I think it is worth noting, that while racism was prevalent during this time period, there were many people who did believe in equality, throughout history and it isn’t a good enough excuse for doctrinal racial segregation. Also, I don’t know of any mainstream Protestant religion that taught blacks would in the future be “perfected” by becoming white.
Reply
J-RZO says:
July 11, 2014 at 5:14 pm
They still practice racism its just more suttle, like for instance all the faithful men and Women of old are always white when most of the bible took place in and around Africa. Moses married a Ethiopian. Abraham, Joseph & King Solomon all married Egyptians. I believe Sampson laid down with a Canaanite and the list goes on all the way up to the Christ’s lineage. Why is it so taboo to illustrate a black Jesus, this is the last racial hump they need to cross. Oh yeh don’t forget about Deuteronomy 28 it talks about the tran-atlantic Slave trade which pinpoints the modern day Hebrew.
Reply
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← “Be on guard against those who speculate!” – Watchtower ramps up the paranoia
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The Racist History of Watchtower Literature
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Posted on September 18, 2013
Jehovah's Witnesses now worship side-by-side as equals, but it hasn't always been this way
Jehovah’s Witnesses of all races now worship side-by-side as equals, but it hasn’t always been this way
The majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses consider their religion to be entirely beyond reproach when it comes to issues surrounding racism and racial equality.
When attending a meeting, convention, or assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses, visitors are usually instantly impressed at the intermingling and harmony between people of all ethnic backgrounds. Watchtower literature describes people of all races being equal before a God who is “not partial.”
Generally speaking, this philosophy filters down as a positive influence on the way Witnesses of different races interact with one another. The organization even has a black man, Samuel Herd, on its Governing Body!
However, things haven’t always been this way. In fact, the road to racial harmony has been just as “bumpy” for the Witnesses as it has for many other religions. If you were to read some early Watchtower publications, you would doubtless be shocked and appalled by some of the offensive rhetoric employed by the writers of the organization’s literature back then. Indeed, if such literature was reprinted or otherwise circulated today as representing Watchtower’s current attitudes towards race, the organization would likely end up facing yet more serious legal entanglements, not to mention an outcry from their many non-white members.
Sadly, there are numerous examples of racial bigotry in Watchtower’s early literature, and few non-white races escape unscathed. I will attempt to catalogue some of the more offensive quotes in this article. For brevity, I will present a “timeline” of racist expressions as published by the Society, followed by a more thorough analysis of each quoted text in date order.
Quite understandably, some of the sentiments contained in the above timeline may horrify you, but they are all found to be in Watchtower’s early publications (or correspondence, as in the case of Rutherford’s letter to Hitler). If you are a Witness, it is natural and commendable for you to be appalled at what you will now read, since Watchtower’s own publications have trained you to be tolerant of everyone regardless of their ethnicity.
None of the following information is to be found on JW.org – Watchtower’s official website. And there is a reason Watchtower chooses to ignore their murky past when it comes to racial bigotry. It has to do with the prophetic significance they attach to the early “Bible Students,” as they were then known.
Put simply, the Watch Tower Society claims that Jesus Christ selected the Bible Students, led by Russell and Rutherford respectively, as representatives of his earthly organization between 1914 and 1919. As you will see from the above timeline, this supposed “selection” by Christ came roughly right in the middle of a period when they were printing some of their most racially offensive articles. It seems inconceivable that Jesus Christ would recruit such a narrow-minded organization to represent him based on what they were writing at the time on matters of race. That is why the modern-day Watchtower organization withholds this information, and instead points the finger at other religions for their racially bigoted histories.
Racism Under Russell
Charles Taze Russell was the founder of the Watch Tower Society, and the chief editor and publisher of Zion’s Watch Tower, as the Watchtower was known in those days.1 The distribution of the Watchtower magazine, as well as Russell’s other books, was almost entirely dependent on the work of “volunteers,” later known as colporteurs (the forerunners of today’s “pioneers”), whose job it was to offer subscriptions to readers.
It seems that Russell was quite picky when it came to who could serve in this privileged capacity on behalf of the Society. In the March 1st issue of the Watchtower, his criteria deliberately restricted those who might serve as volunteers to members of “white Protestant churches.” Understandably, the black brothers at that time were none too pleased by the obvious discrimination, and wrote to the Society’s headquarters to complain. This was the printed response:
The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, April 15th 1900, page 122
The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, April 15th 1900, page 122
[Click on any of the graphics to see a full-screen version for easier reading.]
Russell’s magazine freely acknowledged that its discriminatory advertisement for volunteers was founded on a stereotype of blacks as having “less education than whites.” Then it expressed the outrageous opinion that “reading matter distributed to a colored congregation would more than half of it be utterly wasted.”
It seems difficult to fathom how Russell, who blushed at suggestions that he was God’s “Faithful and Wise Servant,” could harbor and promulgate such a deplorable and misconceived attitude towards black men and women. This bizarre outlook revealed itself in Russell’s other writings, most notably when he touched on his strange obsession with “the Ethiopian’s skin.”
The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, October 1st 1900, pages 296-297
The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, October 1st 1900, pages 296-297
Russell believed that the skin of a black brother would turn white during the Millennial Kingdom
Russell believed that the skin of a black brother would turn white during the Millennial Kingdom
In the above article entitled “Can Restitution Change The Ethiopian’s Skin?” Russell leaps upon an incident of a black preacher claiming to have developed white skin after having prayed for it.
Reverend Draper, who apparently told others that “if he could only be white like his employer, he would be happy,” started praying thirty years prior to the article and experienced a transformation over the period leading up to its publication. Once his skin was completely white, he returned to his former church, and had a hard time convincing the members of his identity. We now know that this “miraculous” transformation was the result of Vitiligo, a medical condition resulting in depigmentation of areas of skin. It isn’t that rare, and I’ve met people who have this condition myself. Perhaps you have too.
However, Russell was so fixated with the idea of black people becoming white that he would apparently leap on any related report as evidence that this might happen on a grander scale in the future. The February 15, 1904 Watchtower reported a similar incident involving a nine-year-old boy named Julius Jackson under the heading “Can The Ethiopian Change His Skin?” which I reproduce below:
The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, February 15th 1904, pages 52-53
The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, February 15th 1904, pages 52-53
Again, it is difficult to fathom why Russell was so preoccupied with the concept of blacks becoming whites. What was so wrong, in his view, about their original color? Why would the color of a person’s skin make any difference to a God who is “not partial?” I suppose only Russell knew.
A telling insight into Russell’s attitudes towards race came in another Watchtower article in 1902. That article, entitled “The Negro Not A Beast,” attempted to banish the extremely offensive idea being promulgated in a book of the period that black men and women were somehow on a par with animals. Despite its tacit opposition to this outrageous concept, the Watchtower’s riposte was tainted by more than a hint of racist bigotry.
The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, July 15th 1902, pages 215-216
The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, July 15th 1902, pages 215-216
To paint Africa’s “various tribes or nations of negroes” as being “degraded” is a highly offensive racial slur by any reasonable standard. By comparison, the article claims that the white race “exhibits some qualities of superiority over any other,” and enjoys “preeminence in the world.”
Further down, the same article states that the Caucasian has “greater intelligence and aptitude” as a result of a “commingling of blood” under “divine control.” In setting out to counter racist arguments, the article ends up making more than a few of its own. We are left with views that would not look out of place in a Nazi propaganda leaflet. And black people aren’t the only ones humiliated by this article; it also suggests that Indians and Chinese have some catching up to do genetically before they are to “equally brighten their intellects.”
At this point, it is worth reminding ourselves that Charles Taze Russell didn’t necessarily pen these articles himself. Zion’s Watch Tower had at least five regular contributors. However, Russell was the chief editor and would have checked each article personally before approving it for print. Even if he hadn’t written a certain article himself, he would have signed off on it before publication in a magazine for which he was legally accountable. Therefore, readers may consider any racially offensive article published under his editorship as representing his views. I’m sure he would have scrapped any article without the slightest hesitation if it conflicted with his own opinions.
It wasn’t long before Russell’s dim view of the “colored brethren” generated yet more offense and outrage among his black readership. In January 1914, during a screening of the Photodrama of Creation at The Temple, West 63rd Street, a number of negro audience members were segregated from their white counterparts and made to sit separately on the balcony of the auditorium. This caused understandable outrage, and several wrote angry letters – furious that they had suffered such discrimination at the hands of their “brothers.” The Watchtower printed a response under the heading “The Color Line Found Necessary” in the April 1 magazine, reproduced below:2
The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, April 1st 1914, pages 105-106
The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, April 1st 1914, pages 105-106
I can barely imagine the humiliation of turning up at a screening of the Photodrama as a “fan” of Russell at the time, only to be separated and herded like an animal into a different part of the theater on account of my skin color. It would only add insult to my injury for me to be told that this was necessary so as to not upset white visitors, because, “explain it how you will, a majority of whites prefer not to intermingle with other races.”
I can’t imagine wishing to continue my association with the Bible Students after suffering such an indignity. After all, how could this be Christ’s church if “the success… of the enterprise of the Drama as respects the whites” was more important to Watchtower than observing racial equality? How could these truly be God’s people if they were so ready to pander to racist bigotry? Might it be because the leaders were racists themselves? These would have been my honest thoughts.
Any blacks who turned up to see the Photodrama screening in January 1914 at The Temple, West 63rd Street, were segregated
Any blacks who turned up to see the Photodrama screening in January 1914 at The Temple, West 63rd Street, were segregated
In any case, apparently not all so-called “colored brethren” were repelled by this incident. Evidently, the Society’s audience-numbers-over-equality line of reasoning was “entirely satisfactory to all of the fully consecrated” with only a few “tenacious and quarrelsome” individuals objecting.
It seems that, as respects this incident, everything boiled down to humility. After all, according to the article, “nature favors the colored brethren and sisters in the exercise of humility.” Although I believe the writer intended the remarks about humility as a pacifying compliment, they are also a clear nod towards the scourge of negro slavery that tarnished America before the Civil War. The writer attempts to commend the black readership for its perceived humble roots, irrespective of the despicable circumstances under which these were forged.
The article then goes on to revert back to Russell’s obsession with the skin of an Ethiopian, or more pointedly, his belief that black Christians could expect their skin to change when the “Millennial kingdom will be inaugurated.” The writer tells us that, when that time comes, all mankind will experience “restitution to the perfection of mind and body, feature and color, to the grand original standard, which God declared ‘very good.’ ” Again, quite why a Christian would need to have the color of his skin changed to the “original standard” is a mystery, and Russell’s strange preoccupation with this rather offensive concept found yet another outlet in this article.
Racism Under Rutherford
Charles Taze Russell died on October 31st 1916. Thereafter, under somewhat controversial circumstances, Rutherford succeeded in seizing control of the Watch Tower Society. Russell’s high office as president wasn’t the only thing Rutherford inherited. It seems he also continued his predecessor’s penchant for racial bigotry.
As mentioned earlier, according to the current beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jesus Christ selected the Bible Students as his earthly congregation between 1914 and 1919 in what has since been hailed as a period of “cleansing.” Consider the following article, published in 1993, which affirms this teaching (bold is mine):
“the slave class, despite unpopularity, persecution, and even some confusion, had been seeking to give timely food to the domestics. This is what the Master found when his inspection began. The Lord Jesus was pleased, and in 1919 he pronounced that faithful approved slave class happy. What was the slave’s delightful reward for doing what his Master had appointed him to do? A promotion! Yes, larger responsibilities were given in advancing his Master’s interests.” (The Watchtower, May 1st 1993, page 17)
So, Jesus apparently undertook an “inspection” of the organization circa 1919 based on the “timely food” (or literature) being distributed to the domestics (true Christians) by the Slave Class. If this truly happened, it is difficult to imagine Jesus looking favorably on the following article, published in the newly released 1919 Golden Age magazine (a forerunner to the Awake!) under Rutherford’s presidency.
The above excerpt is taken from The Golden Age, October 15th 1919, pages 105-106
The above excerpt is taken from The Golden Age, October 15th 1919, pages 105-106
To provide some background, the article above was written (rather controversially by today’s standards) as a political argument against the recently introduced prohibition laws. As you are no doubt aware, Prohibition became law in America in 1920, making the sale of alcoholic beverages illegal.
Rutherford, who enjoyed his liquor, spoke of “sobering the southern negro” in an article against prohibition
Rutherford, who enjoyed his liquor, spoke of “sobering the southern negro” in an article against prohibition
Rutherford was known to be partial to his liquor, and I would not be surprised if he was the actual writer of the above article. After all, as a lover of alcohol, he had a vested interest in stalling the prohibition movement, and I can think of no other reason for Watchtower trying to dabble in the politics of that time over this issue.
If Rutherford actually wrote this article, it certainly provides a unique insight into his racial views. The insinuation that all “southern negroes” are drunkards is a vicious racial slur, and the above sentiments would cause outrage if repeated in the Society’s literature today.
It seems that whereas Russell had been more of a “spiritual racist” who tried to justify his views using biblically oriented arguments, Rutherford offered little or no justification for his racist views whatsoever, apart from spewing forth scathing and hopelessly erroneous generalizations based on his own preconceptions.
This book, which helped to abolish slavery in america, was branded "the work of Satan" by the Golden Age
This book, which helped to abolish slavery in america, was branded “the work of Satan” by the Golden Age
An excellent example of such pompous bigotry is bountifully provided in another Golden Age article, published in the October 30, 1927 edition of the magazine (pages 140-143). This three-and-a-half page rant, penned under the name of J. L. Bolling, was a tirade of insults and accusations hurled at the author Harriet Beecher Stowe to discredit her famous and highly influential novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a fictional story depicting the brutal treatment of black slaves.
I’m sure many reading this article will have read Uncle Tom’s Cabin, or at least be familiar with it. Many historians credit the book with playing a key role in bringing about the abolishment of slavery in America. It raised public awareness of the awful practice – surely an extremely noble and laudable cause in the minds of any genuine Christian. However, whoever Bolling was, he certainly didn’t believe that getting rid of slavery was a good idea, as you can see for yourself.
The article itself is so large that I’ve created a separate PDF download for those who would like to read it in its entirety: The Golden Age v Uncle Toms Cabin 1927. I’ll warn anyone who wishes read it in advance that it is arguably one of the most vulgar and outlandish articles printed by Watchtower that they are ever likely to encounter. The piece, entitled “The Story of Uncle Tom’s Cabin” is also reproduced below in images from the Golden Age article in question, unless otherwise indicated. For the purposes of brevity, I will focus on some of the more intriguing quotes.
1927 Golden Age, Nov. 30th, pages 140-143
1927 Golden Age, Nov. 30th, pages 140-143
Bolling starts his article as he means to go on, with an outrageous insinuation that Stowe was under the influence of spirit mediums when writing the book. He expands on this as follows…
1927 Golden Age, Nov. 30th, pages 140-143
1927 Golden Age, Nov. 30th, pages 140-143
After providing an exhaustive overview of the spirit encounters alleged to have been experienced by Harriet Stowe’s husband, Calvin Stowe, Bolling asserts that these played a guiding role in inspiring her to write the book. Bolling goes so far as to suggest that Satan engineered Stowe’s marriage to her husband for this very reason. “Through her husband”, writes Bolling, “Mrs Stowe undoubtedly was strongly influenced by these wicked spirits; and this was doubtless Satan’s object in effecting their union in marriage.”
Bolling goes on to paint Stowe as an “impulsive” and “rash” author, prone to “coloring her narrative” and “caring little for facts” before sinking ever deeper into his astonishing tirade against what was, after all, a fictional novel. He leaves no stone unturned in finding grievances against Stowe, even suggesting that she was ill qualified to write a book of any great significance on account of her gender…
1927 Golden Age, Nov. 30th, pages 140-143
Bolling next turns on the perceived religious claims of Stowe’s book. Irrespective of what Stowe may or may not have said about Uncle Tom’s Cabin being an inspired work following its publication, the book itself does not aspire to be anything more than a fictional tale depicting the terrible suffering of those living under the scourge of slavery before its abolishment in the United States. How anyone can reasonably compare it with the prophetic book of Revelation, which directly purports inspiration from God in its first few pages, is a complete mystery to me, but this is precisely what Bolling tries to do…
1927 Golden Age, Nov. 30th, pages 140-143
1927 Golden Age, Nov. 30th, pages 140-143
Bolling uses Mrs. Stowe’s personal views against her, namely that she was divinely inspired while writing her book, or (as she allegedly said), “God wrote it.” Despite using Stowe’s words to prop up his arguments in this way, Bolling is very selective as to which of Stowe’s reputed quotes he believes or refutes. He twists Stowe’s words about her book being the product of “an unknown power” into an outrageous claim that, far from being inspired by God, Uncle Tom’s Cabin (a book that helped abolish slavery) is “the work of Satan!”
I don’t think it is remotely unfair to suggest that Bolling, whoever he was, was a brazen racist. Nobody who forms the opinion that a book instrumental in ending slavery is the product of the devil could conceivably view black men and women as his or her equals. However, perhaps unsurprisingly, Bolling’s racist views were not limited only to black people. In the last paragraph reproduced above, he describes Spaniards as a “backwards race.”
To quote more from Bolling’s article is futile. In resurrecting his venomous tirade from the dusty and long-forgotten archives of the Golden Age where it belongs, I have already provided a 21st Century platform to this long-dead racist to which he is far from worthy.
Suffice to say, Bolling continues to slam Stowe right to the end, and even makes some bizarre claims about God’s plan for America. He claims that America is “the workshop and experimental laboratory of the time of the end,” and explains that Uncle Tom’s Cabin is one of many attempts by Satan to destroy America’s institutions. Bolling even hails Abraham Lincoln as being “God’s chosen instrument in saving the Union” – proof (if it were needed) of how little credence should be attached to his crazy opinions.
I can already hear the objections of many who have read this far in my article. You’re perhaps yelling: “But hang on, this guy Bolling is not representative of Rutherford’s views, or of God’s organization for that matter. After all, the Golden Age ceased to be printed many decades ago!”
Firstly, as with Russell’s editorship of the Watchtower magazine, “Judge” Rutherford was Watchtower’s president at the time when this article rolled off Watchtower’s presses. Assuming he didn’t write it, he would nevertheless have needed to consent to its publication. We can therefore consider the article representative of Rutherford’s views as well as Bolling’s. And anything that rolled off the Society’s printing press at that time would have been considered as spiritual “food at the proper time” (Matt:24:45).
Furthermore, according to Watchtower’s own (and more recent) publications, the Golden Age isn’t just considered a lowly forerunner to the Awake! – it WAS the Awake! under another name. Consider the following quote, published under the heading “Awake! – A Magazine With Broad Public Appeal” in the Society’s official history book:
“This magazine originally bore the title The Golden Age. The first issue was dated October 1, 1919. This was a magazine that reported on many fields of human endeavor. It alerted people to what was going on in the world and showed them that the real solution to mankind’s problems is Christ’s Millennial Reign, which will truly usher in a ‘golden age’ for humankind.” (Jehovah’s Witnesses – Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom, page 724)
When you consider the above quote, and the fact that the Awake! magazines on your bookshelf are really just the same publication as those outlandish Golden Age magazines quoted from in the foregoing, it’s really quite remarkable to think that Watchtower once not only perpetuated racist ideology – it ferociously criticized those who spoke out against slavery!
I wish I could say the story ends there for racism under Rutherford’s watch, but it didn’t. More offensive articles would follow in the Golden Age under his presidency, including an absurd snippet reproduced below:
The above excerpt is taken from The Golden Age, July 25th 1928, page 684
The above excerpt is taken from The Golden Age, July 25th 1928, page 684
Not content with stereotyping black people as an object of amusement for school children, Rutherford went on to expound Russell’s strange ideology about the origins of the black race when questioned on the subject.
The above excerpt is taken from The Golden Age, July 24th 1929, page 702
The above excerpt is taken from The Golden Age, July 24th 1929, page 702
Whoever actually penned this article obviously couldn’t resist the temptation to go further than merely insinuating that the black race is the product of a curse. The writer was deluded enough to label black people “a race of servants,” and dwelled on the “joys” of slavery, even though one assumes he had never “enjoyed” captive servitude himself.
The writer goes so far as to say: “There is no servant in the world as good as a good Colored servant, and the joy that he gets from rendering faithful service is one of the purest joys there is in the world.” Again, I’m pretty sure the writer doesn’t speak from experience in sharing how joyful life is as a “good Colored servant.” What I AM sure of is that his views were extremely offensive and reflect a bigoted and demeaning view of black people in general. That such outrageous and deplorable opinions could find their way into a magazine purporting to represent spiritual food from God’s faithful “Slave Class” is beyond incomprehensible.
Rutherford’s Anti-Semitism
As the 30s dawned, the world was beset by a troubling new age of Fascism. One would like to think of Watchtower, as a Christian organization, being at the forefront of condemning fascist governments such as the one inflicted on the German people by the diabolical tyrant, Adolf Hitler. Sadly, when one investigates, one finds the reverse was true.
I do not wish to go into Rutherford’s flirtations with the Nazi Government at great length in this article, not least because excellent and comprehensive research on this is available on JWFacts.com. Instead, I will focus on the racial element of Rutherford’s overtures, particularly as found in his letter to Hitler, and his “Declaration of Facts” as published in the 1934 Yearbook.
Rutherford accused "Jewish business men" of "oppressing the people's of many nations"
Rutherford accused “Jewish business men” of “oppressing the people’s of many nations”
To give a brief background to the documents mentioned above, I would first need to give you an extremely concise (perhaps over-simplified) version of events leading up to their publication. If anyone can give me documentary evidence that refutes my version of these events, I would be happy to receive this information and amend my account accordingly.
From the outset of Rutherford’s presidency, he wasted no time in stamping his mark on what he perceived as false Christendom – especially Catholicism. Publications such as The Finished Mystery unleashed scathing rebukes of the Catholic Church.
These critiques weren’t quite as “death-dealing” or “apocalyptic” as the Revelation Climax book leads us to believe, but they did succeed in well and truly getting on the nerves of the Catholic hierarchy, who at the time were highly influential in the world of politics. Perhaps unsurprisingly, once sufficiently riled by Rutherford’s constant provocations, they took their anger out on the Bible Students by getting governments to ban their work wherever possible. One country that was only too ready to do this was Nazi Germany.
Rutherford was then faced with German Bible Students being rounded up and sent to concentration camps for no other reason than because the Catholic church (which he had spent years provoking) had succeeded in getting their way with Hitler and his cronies. What did Rutherford do to reverse the situation? He told Hitler that the issue was just a huge misunderstanding, and actually the Bible Students were the friends of the Nazi government and not their enemies.
The aforementioned webpage on jwfacts has the original three-page letter sent by Rutherford to Hitler in 1933, together with a translation into English (obviously the letter was prepared in German). Among other things, the letter proclaims the Watch Tower Society to be “pro-German” and blames “Jewish businessmen and Catholics” for spreading propaganda against the Society and its directors, leading to their unfair arrest. Curiously Rutherford goes so far as to insist that “the Bible Students of Germany are fighting for the very same high ethical goals and ideals which also the national government of the German Reich proclaimed.”
In addition to his letter, Rutherford journeyed to Berlin to appear before the brothers there, and presented a “Declaration of Facts” to the delegates in attendance. The Declaration, which was essentially a watered-down version of his letter to Hitler, appeared in the 1934 Yearbook. Take note of an interesting quote from the Declaration:
The above excerpt is taken from the 1934 Yearbook, page 134
The above excerpt is taken from the 1934 Yearbook, page 134
I can’t help but grimace when I think of what it would have been like for the delegates in Berlin as they received these words from their leader, Rutherford. They were already in the grips of a lengthy period of persecution, thanks largely to the provocative and sensationalist writings of the man who stood before them.
Unbeknownst to them, this persecution would only get worse, and claim the lives of many of them. Now they could see for themselves that the ideology of the “Judge” and that of their Führer was not so very different. Did they agree with him? Were they embarrassed? I suppose we will never know.
I do know that if I had sat in that audience, any tenuous belief that Rutherford spoke as a representative of God’s organization on Earth would have been shattered the moment he began his brief but stinging tirade against Jewish businessmen. I can only be thankful that his disgraceful words and hateful rhetoric has long since been buried by an embarrassed Watch Tower Society, who after the war and Rutherford’s death must have looked back with total humiliation at how they could have so completely misjudged a clear conflict between good and evil, and ended up (at least initially) supporting the wrong side.
Today we hear so much in the Society’s literature of all those poor Bible Students who died at the hands of the Nazi Regime. The publications trumpet that they died by making a stand for neutrality, and ignore the inconvenient truth that the persecution arose, at least in part, through the urgings of a clergy that had been harassed to breaking point by Rutherford’s writings.
The bravery of these men and women in refusing to yield to their persecutors through albeit misguided loyalties to Rutherford’s ideology is both profoundly admirable and heart wrenching. However, having researched this chain of events from an untainted perspective, it’s clear to me now that their deaths were entirely preventable. Arguably, nobody paid a heavier price for Rutherford’s stubborn and bigoted worldview than those poor German brothers. I can only hope that a similar situation involving persecution at the hands of political powers doesn’t present itself any time soon.
The Post-Rutherford Era
After Rutherford’s death, it seems the winds of change, including the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 60s, influenced the Society to abandon previous long-held racist views. Increasingly, blacks were accepted into higher offices within the Society. The Watchtower published no further racially offensive statements in any of its publications – except for the following, published just before the civil rights movement gained momentum in a 1952 Questions From Readers (bold is mine):
“Many colored persons practice color-prejudice against their own people. Lighter-colored Negroes will shun the darker ones. Some from the Western Hemisphere look down upon the very dark ones from Africa. In South Africa, whites discriminate against the mixed coloreds, the mixed coloreds against the native blacks, the native blacks against the Indian coolies, and in their native India the Indians discriminate against the no caste or outcasts. Who is innocent to throw the first stone? Can we not see that all classes of the human race are evil, that if we start reforming we shall be lost in an impossible task, with endless discriminations and many varieties or injustices to beat down, which crusading social and political organizations of this world have hopelessly fought for years? For us to become like them would be to fail with them, consume our time in such reforms, lose out as Jehovah’s witnesses, and please only the Devil. So let us please God by preaching the gospel despite the undesirable conditions the Devil’s world may make for us. Let us not be sidetracked by Satan and caught in a subtle snare camouflaged in lofty motives and ideals. Can we not wait upon Jehovah to avenge the wrongs we suffer now? Really, our colored brothers have great cause for rejoicing. Their race is meek and teachable, and from it comes a high percentage of the theocratic increase. What if the worldly wise and powerful and noble look down on them as foolish and weak and ignoble, not on an equality with self-exalted whites? It is to God’s ultimate honor, for he confounds the wise of this world by choosing those the world considers foolish and weak and ignoble. Let us boast in Jehovah and in our equality in his sight, rather than wanting to boast in equality in the world’s sight. “(The Watchtower, February 1st 1952, page 95)
Arguably, this article is nowhere near as offensive as the vile bigotry published under Russell and Rutherford. However, a demeaning portrait of the blacks as a race that is “meek and teachable” is still painted. A racial stereotype, no matter how complimentary, is a racial stereotype nonetheless – and no race would revel in the false insinuation that they are prone to being gullible or easily manipulated.
Like many of the excerpts reproduced above, if this quote appeared in a modern Watchtower magazine there would be understandable outcry. Obviously, Watchtower is cleverer than that! However, I’m still curious about how they suddenly found the courage to include the above quote on the Watchtower Library CD-ROM. Doubtless, they think it unlikely that regular publishers will stumble on it.
Racism – Gone But Not Forgotten
The Society makes no mention in modern publications of the dreadful racial slurs that frequented the Watchtower publications in their murky past. Random admissions to having once celebrated birthdays or used the cross are one thing, but it takes a far deeper candor to admit to being a racist organization in their early beginnings – especially when approval by Christ was at stake in those days.
To some extent I can understand their reluctance to come clean over their racist past. What I cannot fathom is the eagerness with which they have pursued other religions over their records of racial equality. Consider the following quote from a 1982 edition of Awake!, in an article entitled “The Races – What Is Their Origin?”:
“Have the churches of Christendom always treated ‘everyone on the same basis’? Consider how the Catholic and Lutheran Churches supported Hitler’s scheme to produce a ‘master race.’ And for centuries the Catholic Church taught that Negroes were a cursed race. John F. Maxwell states in his book Slavery and the Catholic Church that this view ‘apparently survived until 1873 when Pope Pius IX attached an indulgence to a prayer for the ‘wretched Ethiopians in Central Africa that almighty God may at length remove the curse of Cham [Ham] from their hearts.’ (Italics ours) And even to this day some church organizations openly practice racial discrimination.” (Awake! February 8th 1982, pp. 14-15)
One would think that the Society, with one eye on its own unsavory record, would edge away from criticizing other religions over their racial history – but not one bit. They can still summon the gall to cry foul over the Catholic church’s former view of black people as a cursed race, even though this doctrinal standpoint ceased to form part of recognized Catholic dogma long before it left the pages of the Society’s literature.
Indeed, the 1929 Golden Age printed this article on Noah’s curse a full 56 years after this Pope’s remarks on the subject were made known. And in a supreme irony, the Awake! magazine that criticized Pope Pius IX in 1982 is admitted by Watchtower as being the same journal that printed similarly offensive remarks in 1929 under the banner The Golden Age! Surely there are few more stunning examples of hypocrisy in the Society’s literature than an Awake! article that criticizes a dead Pope for making racist comments similar to those expressed in its own pages far more recently. – Luke 6:42
Pope Pius IX issued the last racially offensive expression on behalf of the Catholic church 56 years before the Society printed very similar rhetoric, but was still criticized in an Awake article on race
Pope Pius IX issued the last racially offensive expression on behalf of the Catholic church 56 years before the Society printed very similar rhetoric, but was still criticized in an Awake article on race
My purpose in compiling and writing this article is not to demonize the Watch Tower Society. After all, as I mentioned at the outset, modern Watchtower publications devote many pages to encouraging unity and equality between people of all races – as is evident when one attends Witness gatherings. I merely draw attention to the racial history of the organization because it has been deliberately suppressed to reinforce Watchtower’s claims to divine direction.
If the leadership claimed no special standing before God, and could humbly admit to (and take responsibility for) ALL of its former indiscretions, that would be one thing. Instead, when we look at the Watch Tower Society objectively, we see an organization obsessed with stamping its authority on people’s lives as God’s sole channel of communication, and insisting on perfect submission to its teachings by its followers despite being in complete denial of its own murky past.
Indeed, the Governing Body‘s tenuous claim to divine appointment is that Christ chose Rutherford and his associates to be his faithful slave in 1919 on the basis of the “spiritual food” being produced at that time. To insist on the unquestioned loyalty of worshippers towards the organization on this erroneous basis, under threat of being disfellowshipped and potentially separated from loved ones if they find out the truth, is both deplorable and immoral.
I hope that by writing this article, in furtherance of similar articles written in the recent past, I will have taken another step towards setting the record straight and educating thinking Jehovah’s Witnesses as to the true origins of their deeply held beliefs.
John Cedars signature logo
1. For the purposes of this article, I use the names Zion’s Watch Tower and the Watchtower interchangeably.
2. Past articles about the Society’s racial history, which I have found helpful in researching this subject, may be found at the following links:
http://www.seanet.com/~raines/discrimination.html
http://www.watchman.org/jw/aparthid.htm
The above article has been reproduced with minor edits from its original posting on InsideTheWatchtower.com
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33 Responses to The Racist History of Watchtower Literature
alanv says:
September 18, 2013 at 4:47 am
Cedars you have got to remember that JWs no longer view Charles Russell as being a channel of communication from God. There really is no point quoting what he did any more. The society are well aware of all the rubbish he spoke and so have now dropped him from favour and just call him a zealous bible student. Rutherford is a different matter, he too had lots of crazy ideas, and as you say it makes no sense that he and others could be called Gods channel of communication at that time.
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Cedars says:
September 18, 2013 at 4:51 am
“There really is no point quoting what [Russell] did any more.”
Thanks alanv, but so long as Russell is credited with ANY involvement in the founding of “God’s organization” (e.g. a modern-day John the Baptist?) I would respectfully disagree.
Watchtower may seek to distance itself from Russell, but I for one will not allow it to.
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KtotheRAD "Konrad" aka Kurt Hennig says:
September 18, 2013 at 6:13 am
Well, it certainly is not your fathers Watchtower Society anymore! Because they do NOT hold that line of thought today! The effort and energy put forth in the agenda towards emphasizing mixed race relationships OVER same race relationships in deference to the underlying image and PR issue that is more important to the Society to convey and also in brutally suppressing the Rights of age disparate but otherwise perfectly appropriate, lawful and scriptural unions of same race couples (white) is a standard feature! Trust me…I know!
As evidence mounts, I also am slowly becoming convinced of the use of subliminal messaging by the Society although I wasn’t before.
[Video removed – sorry Konrad, I don’t like censoring your comment in this way, but I don’t want this website in any way affiliated with the conspiracy theory of subliminal messages in Watchtower illustrations, which I don’t subscribe to. There’s enough hard evidence of Watchtower deception without having to make stuff up, or look for problems where there are none.]
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Rowland Nelken says:
September 18, 2013 at 8:33 am
All the old JW nonsense quoted, from whatever era, and with whatever attitudes to other races, betrays the all embracing JW fiction that they are not of this world and are no part of Christendom. They also demonstrate the appeal the organisation had to converts like my mother. She decried all efforts at self improvement as well as amelioration of society. This way she could square her total inability to do anything useful and her resolute determination to contribute, with her assumption of her own innate superiority. The only improvements a truly wise and enlightened person would want, whether they be in racial harmony or anything else, would be magicked at a stroke by Jehovah at an imminent Armageddon.
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Larry Siegle says:
September 18, 2013 at 11:09 am
In all fairness to the Society, the quotes from various publications, written from the perspective of the “faithful and discreet slave” class, were more a reflection of the prevailing attitudes that existed among people of the world during that period of time.
Having grown up as a Witness, there was no evidence of this sort of racial inequality by the early 70’s and some of the Overseers in our congregation in Hamilton, Ohio reflected a diverse mixture of cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
My personal experience outside the organization among a variety of churches and religious denominations has been that racial tension continues to exist, especially in some of the southern states where I have lived. One group of “elders” in a particular church noticed that several “black” families had begun attending their worship assemblies on a regular basis. I heard him comment to another “elder” — “It looks like it is about time for us to start a “black” congregation for these brethren on the other side of town.” I was shocked by the sentiment and discouraged by the attitudes that were behind the comments.
It is unfortunate that Jehovah’s Witnesses experienced the same attitudes as other religious groups, but it does not come as a surprise. The Watchtower organization is not unlike the evolution and development of many other religious organizations that have arisen down through the centuries.
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Cedars says:
September 18, 2013 at 11:42 am
Hi Larry! Thanks for your observations, which I would generally agree with. Obviously, the “everyone else was doing it” argument doesn’t cut it for an organization purporting to have been uniquely appointed by Christ based on its past teachings, which is the argument put forth in this article.
The most cursory glimpse of Watchtower history reveals that the organization’s claims of divine guidance are entirely without merit, and it is this kind of information that thinking Witnesses will need in their journey.
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Faithful Witness says:
September 18, 2013 at 11:53 am
I agree with Larry, that this material and these views were published in a different era.
BUT!! If you are going to declare yourselves as being the chosen channel for Christ, you should be willing to have your history at that time examined. This type of research and history examination, is what we, as Bible students, were encouraged to do… About all OTHER religions and traditions, of course.
In the current issue of The Watchtower study (dated July 15, 2013, and “discussed” this past Sunday), they declare that Christ came to inspect them and found that faithful Bible students had been distributing MILLIONS of books and magazines in their door to door preaching. They don’t mention of course, that those magazines were declaring false predictions about the year 1914, in the name of God himself. Using this logic, it would seem that Christ continued to direct the slave to promote racist and slanderous teachings about the “superior” white race… Not to mention the numerous other heinous teachings they continue to promote and force their members to digest and regurgitate as The Truth.
Now try to get a JW to wrap their mind around that concept… It matters what you say, when you say you are broadcasting a message that comes directly from God. It still matters, even if you try to adjust it, clarify it or even if you deny you ever said it. It’s in print… Please read it and think about it.
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Cedars says:
September 18, 2013 at 11:59 am
I meant to also point out the hypocrisy issue in answering Larry’s post, which I feel is important and not to be overlooked. Watchtower has criticized the Catholic Church for describing blacks as a “cursed” race using the very magazine in which they printed the exact same claim in 1929 – only they made this racist slur decades after the Catholic Church silenced themselves on the issue.
How did Jesus feel about hypocrites?
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LMC says:
September 20, 2013 at 10:41 am
I have to say how shocked I was upon learning this! But then I had to also think why is there only 1 black man on the GB. Why isn’t there a Native American, Asian, or a number of nationalities on the GB? Wouldn’t that be only fair? Why one black man and the rest white? Why not one white guy and the rest black? My point being shouldn’t there be more diversity on the GB?
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Jamie Clark says:
September 18, 2013 at 12:29 pm
The core issue is that the Heavenly Father is not partial, nor His Son. Just because the government has segregation laws, and society has certain “norms”, doesn’t mean the organization that reflects the Almighty is to lower itself to society’s. After all, those professing belief in YHWH (Yahuwah, which is more proper than Jehovah) should seek to honor Him and not be an agency of the god of this system of things (satan). As in who to obey?
Jehovah’s Witnesses for an impartial Almighty, One who seeks all of His creation to return back to him . . . . and yet there is partiality in his supposedly earthly organization. Still, the Governing Body should acknowledge its own past, but typically they encourage all to look forward as things are swept under the rug.
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KtotheRAD "Konrad" aka Kurt Hennig says:
September 18, 2013 at 1:13 pm
[Video removed – sorry Konrad, I don’t like censoring your comment in this way, but I don’t want this website in any way affiliated with the conspiracy theory of subliminal messages in Watchtower illustrations, which I don’t subscribe to. There’s enough hard evidence of Watchtower deception without having to make stuff up, or look for problems where there are none.] ~ That’s okay Cedars as I’m not all that convinced myself and it was more of a supposition that I was throwing out there for consideration…and yes, I’ve heard some really wacky suggestions about images embedded in the artwork that are way out there but this seemed rather plausible as are certain other things that have been presented before…I don’t want to muck up the waters!
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Cedars says:
September 18, 2013 at 1:24 pm
Thanks Konrad! There’s no harm in thinking out loud!
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C M says:
September 18, 2013 at 1:40 pm
Wow i had no idea that things like this were written. Since I live in California in an area full of people from all over the world, and people who have been witnesses for a long time, the colored (african american) brothers have told me that the congregations were once segregated “by law” so the white friends had their meeting, then the colored friends had theirs, then the spanish had theirs seperate form the whites as well, I thought california never followed such segregation laws like the south did. That being said, I am glad to have faded out of there.
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Zeebo says:
September 18, 2013 at 11:08 pm
This doesn’t surprise me from an organisation that taught that appendicitis was caused by worms…
But for me the real personal scandal with the WT is that they take my wife away from me for two days a week, force her out into danger (knocking on doors with another woman) and i love her and miss her all the time. It is so sad.
We both work full time and barely see each-other anyway so this loss of time is big. Also they have ended our joint social life with their long list of restrictions. Screw those old B’stads in Brooklyn.
Oh well sorry for the rant
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Faithful Witness says:
September 19, 2013 at 4:49 am
So much for the happy family they promise to all their faithful ones. Sorry to hear that, Zeebo. I really appreciate your sentiments. As the fists bang harder and the JW’s begin turning on each other in the new year, maybe your wife will begin to realize where true love really is… At home.
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70wksofyrs says:
September 19, 2013 at 5:07 am
Zeebo – I am sorry for you, that you wish to spend more time with your wife. Watchtower certainly divide families.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I have noticed from your other posts that you are moved by what goes on that the Watchtower don’t publicise, just like this article that highlights the history of racism in the organisation.
These things that move you may not be the things that move your wife, she may believe that it’s all lies from bitter Apostates.
My 11 yr old and I discuss the hypocritical current study articles, the seems to get the critical thinking going. Maybe you could use this as a strategy and ask questions about the article she is studying or even maybe attend with her, even though it’s boring and frustrating you are protected from the mind control. You are going simply to ascertain the best questions to ask your wife, and spend that precious time with her.
Helping her from the inside out may work my friend.
All the best Zeebo
(Cedars, sorry for going off topic)
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Zeebo says:
September 19, 2013 at 5:18 am
Thanks for the support guys. My wife will at least check things i tell her but typically its only checked with WT. I think slowly its working especially the recent “light” regarding the slave (Thanks to John for this)..
She agrees, albeit secretly, that forcing women to go knocking on doors together is dangerous but is compelled to do it as “Jesus/GB” tell her.. I showed her the verses about the holy spirit giving different gifts and evangelism isn’t for everyone, showed her that Jesus instructed the apostles (men) to go out not women.. Its slowly working but I’m don’t want to distress her and shock her.
I manged to get her reading hassans ‘combatting cult mind control’ which even i was surprised about.. but typically with WT taking ALL our time she very seldom reads (non WT).
Anyway lets hope those inspired ones in the GB hit everyone with some really blinding new light soon.. like a reversal on the blood issue..
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70wksofyrs says:
September 19, 2013 at 5:21 am
Thanks Cedars for this article.
What I found funny was that Russell was referring to whites as a superior race, but Rutherford was attacking the Jews of London and New York for being business owners.
Basically if you do not have an Aryan background, which I am sure many do not, Hitler had a Jewish grandmother. Then the organisation had a way to discriminate, either you are from a dumber inferior race, or you are from a race that owns too many business.
The point is the watchtower is bigoted to make these generalisations people are individuals and intellect does not depend on race.
I converted to JW from Judaism and was brought up in London, we don’t own a business. So Rutherford was wrong!!!!!!!
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hanna moore says:
September 19, 2013 at 7:31 am
Zeebo,
I feel your pain. Every weekend it’s all WAtchtower. And during the week too.
I recently have been attending meetings and I think this is a good time to go because the JW’s are a little overwhelmed by all this. They do take it without questioning which is hard to watch. But I’m hoping that my presence there makes them think more than they usually would, because they are very amazed I’m there and I get to ask a few questions and make a few comments to individuals after the meeting.
That is amazing you got your wife to read the Steve Hassan’s book! Whoa!
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WT Critic says:
September 19, 2013 at 7:57 am
As some of the comments point out this is proof that the WT Society needed “the world” to better influence its treatment of other races.
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Jamie Clark says:
September 19, 2013 at 3:57 pm
Also, the current belief is that between 1914 and 1918 all Christain groups were inspected and the Society was approved. Thus the hearts of the leadership were obviously searched, along with the literature (current and intended). I’ve not read the Unfinished Mystery (1918) but understand it is full of errors (and not truth). Put it another way, it is not actively studied if it was approved by Above.
So if that era is not applicable to today’s JWorg, so then passing that supposed inspection would have to be acknowledged as an incorrect belief. Thus would need some new light for that. And they convince the JW rank and file not to think or analyze their history, or listen to those that do.
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LMC says:
September 20, 2013 at 10:48 am
Of course the July 2013 issue of the WT makes it clear that the inspection did NOT happen in 1919 and that it will happen in the future. So if the GB even THOUGHT this was to happen why are they so adement in hiding their scandal of child abuse? You would think that they would want to really solve that issue so that when Jesus does inspect them they would not have that hanging over their heads like a big black cloud? Do they think they can sweep it under the carpet and Jesus won’t notice?
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LMC says:
September 20, 2013 at 10:56 am
Also after reading exerts from The Finished Mystery in today’s world Russell would be considered to have a mental problem. Does Jehovah choose the mentally ill to start his organization and then lead it with holy spirit? What a crazy crazy man Russell was! How could anyone conclude that he had Jehovah’s holy spirit? Did Jim Jones have Jehovah’s holy spirit? Did the Moonies have Jehovah’s holy spirit? After reading about Russell and Rutherford I have to conclude that both these men were crazy I do not like either of them! And all these years I thought they were God’s gift on earth I shudder to think how I was so duped!
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george says:
September 21, 2013 at 10:16 am
I was disgusted with that article on Uncle Tom’s Cabin. It was full of bile and loathing.
The craziest point was that the author was furious with Stowe for starting the Civil War. This is a ridiculous accusation. The Civil War had many origins, both political and economic. Beecher Stowe’s novel did raise concern, but it did not start the war!
A demon possessed authoress wrote the book. What a terrible legacy for this moribund organisation!
If “Judge” Rutherford is in heaven now then I am a pink elephant!
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george says:
September 21, 2013 at 10:19 am
I feel exactly the same! It is a sober warning of what can be accomplished through information control and fear. In the words of The Who, we “won’t get fooled again”.
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Jamie Clark says:
September 22, 2013 at 9:05 am
That’s right, the old light was the inspection was then. I had briefly read the July 2013 but obviously didn’t remember the new light.
Thanks for the update.
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whatevs says:
September 24, 2013 at 12:17 pm
Where I grew up as a Witness, domestic violence was common and condoned by the elders, so if they’re not concerned about a woman’s safety at home with her own Witness husband, I’m sure they don’t give a toss about her safety out in service.
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JBob says:
September 24, 2013 at 6:45 pm
@LMC Keep in mind that the GB became elite through application of the rule that “anointed ones” were FD&S, and the GB derived from those elite who were part of the Bethel HQ staff.
By all the exclusion and racism exhibited by their white brothers in the early years, minority groups as a whole would have been excluded from this catgory of “anointed”. And, even those who were considering themselves “anointed” would have been outside the “inner circle” at HQ where appointments to these high administrative roles would have been made. Prior to integration of circuits, minority CO’s and DO’s were exclusive to serving the a minority community, so the primary speakers at DC’s were white males. Minorities who did go to serve at Bethel were given manual (menial) labor jobs not oversight or choice jobs which gave exposure to the upper echelon making key overseas and administrative appointments.
The Wt was also discouraging participation in Civil Rights protests and other political activities that arose in the late 1950’s through the typical praise of those who kept out of worldly, political affairs and focused on “kingdom interests”. Yet, when the color barriers were broken, the Watchtower slowly changed from segregated circuits and congregations in the southern states to fully integrated model today. Well, almost, segregation still exists due to language barriers.
The typical JW who holds to the “party line” will say, these racist attitudes were reflective of flawed human thinking and that the present-day is what they focus–the Watchtower’s legacy and history, thus being discarded, does not define what the group is today.
But, unfortunately, the past has shaped what it has become today. From paranoia of outsiders and dissenters to the seats occupied by its Governing Body.
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Mandelay says:
September 26, 2013 at 8:44 am
Great research Cedars! No way these guys could have passed Christ’s inspection in 1919. The fact that this claimed ‘inspection’ has now been pushed forward, hardly makes this a moot point. The fact remains that the organization has not been a beacon for progress and moral uplifting in obedience to Matthew 5:14-16. Elders in some Ohio congregations as late as the 70s were discouraging interracial marriages and anyone who vociferously disagreed was disfellowshipped.
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JBob says:
September 26, 2013 at 4:28 pm
matt 5:14 — “You are the flickering light of the world. A town built on a hill hidden by thickets of trees. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it under a lampshade, and it gives diminished light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your flickering light dance before others, that they may have conflicted vision and not recognize your deeds as you demand they glorify your Governing Body on earth.”
[The Amplified NWT]
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Mandelay says:
September 26, 2013 at 8:55 am
Zeebo…. Don’t give up on your wife. You’re her only hope of ever waking up. I hope you will have the opportunity to share some of these posts with her. JWs are kept so busy, most do not have time to read anything constructive nor, for that matter, basic compassion. I have seen marriages end for the same issues of neglect and loneliness that you are experiencing and it’s a cruel shame. It was then that I realized how destructive the organization is to family and marriage. There is no scriptural verse that says a person should be in field service every weekend; not one that says meetings need to be scheduled two or three times a week. One meeting a month meets the very indefinite scriptural requirements for ‘assembling with one another’ just as well as eight. Early Christians sometimes met once a month.
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Abigail Parker says:
December 2, 2013 at 9:37 am
I think it is worth noting, that while racism was prevalent during this time period, there were many people who did believe in equality, throughout history and it isn’t a good enough excuse for doctrinal racial segregation. Also, I don’t know of any mainstream Protestant religion that taught blacks would in the future be “perfected” by becoming white.
Reply
J-RZO says:
July 11, 2014 at 5:14 pm
They still practice racism its just more suttle, like for instance all the faithful men and Women of old are always white when most of the bible took place in and around Africa. Moses married a Ethiopian. Abraham, Joseph & King Solomon all married Egyptians. I believe Sampson laid down with a Canaanite and the list goes on all the way up to the Christ’s lineage. Why is it so taboo to illustrate a black Jesus, this is the last racial hump they need to cross. Oh yeh don’t forget about Deuteronomy 28 it talks about the tran-atlantic Slave trade which pinpoints the modern day Hebrew.
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