JW Survey articles

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 Kurt Prochnow says:

 September 3, 2012 at 11:11 am

The Watchtower has had it easy for so long, by publishing material in a top down manner and having it accepted from the bottom. Now they are operating in an environment where others are on an equal footing and can push back when they get absurd. They are not used to that and their is nothing in their business model and culture that allows them to develop a meaningful strategy or method for handling opposition from an equal. They are in a change or die scenario.
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 Alden says:

 September 4, 2012 at 5:10 am

Hi Cedars,
 I beg you to please get off of trivializing masturbation. As far as I know, the WTS has never disfellowshipped on the grounds of masturbation, so it’s not an issue – so just leave it alone as you may be even promoting it and it takes away from your justified criticism!
 Masturbation is a desperate attempt to satisfy ones sexual passions. Sex is an instrument of love and it’s a very sorry thing when it is satisfied “manually”. Those who have the vice are to be felt sorry for, but by no means should they be encouraged! They should hopefully find a loving solution to the matter – like marriage maybe? I know the problem is more deep-rooted than that. The point is; find a better solution!
 The rest of your points are well taken, however.
 Cheers,
 Alden
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 Cedars says:

 September 4, 2012 at 5:14 am

Thanks Alden. I believe masturbation is a personal thing, and is neither to be promoted nor condemned. If it is to be condemned, then this should certainly not be done on scriptural grounds, because the bible has nothing to say about the practice (despite having ALOT to say about other bodily functions). I am against adding laws to the bible where none exist, and I make no apologies for this. I’m sorry you feel differently.
Cedars
PS – Are you seriously suggesting that the lifelong commitment of marriage should be entered into purely as a means of gratifying sexual cravings? I consider such thinking detrimental.
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 Alden says:

 September 4, 2012 at 7:39 am

Thx for your response Cedars. Condemnation no, sympathy for someone suffering from this vice – yes. It is indeed a vice. Not only the WTS say this. There are no scriptural grounds used for disfellowshipping on account of masturbation, so I don’t see any harm if the WTS expresses their viewpoint on the scriptures like anyone else is allowed to do. In the final analysis we are accountable only to the Lord in moral issues. It’s when the WTS puts on the thumbscrews and forces a position beyond reason upon their subjects. I don’t think they are that far gone about masturbation.
My recommendation is simply to get on with the more important issues (eg. blood, shunning, mind-control, etc.).
PS:No, of course not.
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 Cedars says:

 September 4, 2012 at 8:18 am

Thanks Alden. I understand your position. However, I maintain that if something isn’t mentioned in the bible, then neither the Watchtower nor any religious organization has any place making up a rule about it, or pretending that the Bible has something to say on the matter. To do so goes “beyond the things that are written”. (1 Cor 3:6) It’s a similar case with birthdays – you shouldn’t go insisting on a law or principal that isn’t scripturally supported. However, I’m glad we can agree to differ.
Cedars
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 Alden says:

 September 4, 2012 at 10:11 am

Sure, Cedars, ‘iron sharpens iron’. We’re just beginning to learn. I wish the WTS would think that way, too, but they don’t allow for contradiction. I defend their right to their viewpoint, however, as long as it does not encroach upon the rights of others. Interestingly, they haven’t made a ruling about masturbation, so it is without direct consequences. The reader can choose to have the reasoning of the WTS influence his thinking or not; he is not subjected to duress or coercion.
 Let’s take the example of smoking, however, they unfortunately have made a ruling that is unsustainable scripturally. I do not smoke nor do I defend it but you cannot deprive someone of love just because he smokes; it’s anti-christian. Birthdays was another good example – no scripture! As the WTS history would have it, Joseph Rutherford simply did not ‘like’ the practice anymore and had it abolished. It was a human decision on a very trivial matter making it a capital offense. That is ‘going beyond the things written’ for sure!

 
 
 
 

 raymond frantz says:

 September 8, 2012 at 6:33 pm

Greg ,you sound like a Watchtower spy ,Cedars is being very clear but you are trying to make it a big issue .Jehovah created masturbating walrusses ,so masturbation is non of Antony Morris’s business .As Jesus said to the Pharisees you have cancelled the Word of God with your traditions. The wicked slave of New York is destroying Jehovah’s Witnesses with their stupid doctrines. Stop worshiping these snakes they are going straight for the Geheena
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 Terence hackett says:

 December 25, 2012 at 12:22 pm

As a recent ex witness of over 50 years I feel I can speak with some authority on this subject being brain washed by my witness mother in the early 1960s who manipulated the scriptures to convince me I would become a homosexual if I masturbated (fear and guilt, the trade marks of all religions) so as an adolescent with a machine gun between my legs with a hair trigger my problems were immense, I was’nt allowed to masturbate And allowed to fornicate the result was I was a pest at school with all the girls as I tried to cope with my bodily changes with no advice or guidance, so the result when a young male or female when they were alone together was they fornicated and ended up disfellowshipped and some still ignored after over 40 years ! And the attitude of elders in their 60s and 70s is that young ones is they must display self control,
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 Cedars says:

 December 25, 2012 at 12:31 pm

Thanks for sharing that story Terence. It serves to demonstrate how unfounded doctrines dealing with sensitive emotional issues can have a real impact on one’s physical and emotional development.
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 Alden says:

 December 26, 2012 at 3:27 am

Dear Terence,
 I feel it to be good to have compassion for persons with sexual problems of any kind. A case in point; I have a niece who is lesbian and I’m the only relative – Witness or non-Witness – who treats her like a human being. We were made sexual by our Creator, just as with all our other bodily functions. It’s not the most important part of our being. As proverbs says our hearts are the source of life. Humans fail in dealing with this very potent gift from God just as we fail in many other things. We can’t expect too much help from human sources in general but need as close a relationship with God and our Savior as possible. They have our best interests at heart and want us to be happy. I truly believe that the Bible teaches that our sexuality has its fullest expression in marriage. Of course, there are problems with that. We make wrong decisions that put us under pressure and we crack under pressure. Just normal human stuff. That’s why we need a Savior in the first place. The institutions attempt to help, but all too often make serious mistakes themselves. The WTS ideology is not perfect and we are here to constructively criticize. They council against masturbation and I can’t say that they are totally wrong. I think it safe to say that Jesus didn’t masturbate, but he loved in a way no man had loved before – both in respects to women as to men. I think when walking with the Son of God the disciples were more prone to cultivate the things of the spirit than of the flesh. Masturbation is not the real thing. Persons with a balanced sexual life do not need it. Not all are blessed with such a balanced sexual life. That’s regretful and such ones deserve a certain amount of sympathy but the truth of how we were originally created does not change. I wish you success in finding a truly joyous solution, Terrence!
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 musicman4283 says:

 September 4, 2012 at 3:22 pm

Excellent article. I am very happy to have found this site and all of the information that it contains. This article may very well be the final piece of information I need to save my girlfriend from the clutches of the Watchtower. Thank you so very much for your hard work.
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 Greg says:

 September 5, 2012 at 10:43 am

I also think that you lose some of your edge when you get to your masterbation topic. I would remove it, if you are really trying to show the faults of the Watchtower to genuine searchers of God. The Bible really does show that masterbation is wrong multiple times, namely in that you would not be in control over your body, and that you would be lusting over either an idea, image, or even your own body. It is also not the “natural use” of ones body, which sex is said to olnly be for married couples, male and female, for pleasure and reproduction.
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 Cedars says:

 September 5, 2012 at 11:32 am

Greg, thank you for your comment. You claim that “the Bible really does show that masturbation is wrong multiple times”. If this is the case, please provide the scriptural references where masturbation (and not scriptures APPLIED to masturbation) is expressly mentioned in the bible as being wrong. I will then gladly remove the material from the article. Bear in mind that people masturbated in bible times just as they do today, so if God viewed it as a “sin” of any kind, there was absolutely nothing stopping Jehovah from inspiring the bible writers to make a specific mention of the practice, in just the same way as was the case with other intimate practices.
Cedars
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 Alden says:

 September 5, 2012 at 2:54 pm

No one is asking you to apologize Cedars so quit going on the defensive. We’re simply saying that, in this point, you’re barking up the wrong tree. The Bible doesn’t talk about marijuana, for example, but there is no biblical defense for it, and your arguments make you sound like you’re defending masturbation. Make no revisions, just drop the subject and go on to more significant errors of the WTS. For example, how they tried to regulate sexual relations between married couples as to anal and oral copulation and once made a disfellowshipping case out of it. (See Ray Franz’s book). In that case they overstepped their authority; they went too far into the private lives of married couples. Concentrate on the more significant encroachments of the WTS into the free will of their readers. You’ll be able to write plenty of material on that.
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 Terence hackett says:

 December 25, 2012 at 12:27 pm

My answer is don’t give me a machine gun when I was 13 and not expect problems, if you need to blame anyone then refer to the designer !
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 Cedars says:

 September 5, 2012 at 11:32 pm

Alden – I thought you and I had “agreed to disagree”, so why are you bringing this up again? You are now ordering me to “quit going on the defensive” on my own website? I am perfectly within my rights to answer comments from those whose opinions and attitudes are clearly still tainted by Watchtower ideology.
For example, you use the excuse that nowhere is marijuana condemned in the bible. However, there are no records of marijuana even being circulated in bible times, but you would need a wild imagination to presume that people weren’t masturbating back then. Your analogy is therefore frankly preposterous.
If Jehovah wanted to condemn masturbation in the scriptures, he could have done so easily and directly. The fact that he didn’t means that, just as with prohibitions against oral sex for married couples, this is an intimate personal area in which the Society is going beyond the things that are written over a matter of personal conscience. If anybody is “going on the defensive” here, it is you over an unscriptural teaching.
What’s even more disturbing is that one moment we agree to differ amicably, but the very first comment that supports your view, you go on the offensive again. I’m disappointed.
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 Cedars says:

 September 5, 2012 at 11:34 pm

Alden – one more thing. I’ve said before, I’m neither defending nor condemning masturbation. The only thing I condemn is the making of laws that aren’t based on scripture, of which the Society’s writings on masturbation are just one of many examples. If anyone is defending anything, it is you who is defending their right to do this, which is regrettable.
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 Alden says:

 September 6, 2012 at 4:57 am

Hi Ceders, I was just trying to be precise and wanted to add a little something to Greg’s comment. Unless I’ve missed something, the WTS has only COUNSELED against it. A law would imply that there be a sanction, like disfellowshipping, as a consequence. I don’t believe this is the case here. It was different with the WTS ruling (law) against oral and anal copulation – it was made a disfellowshipping offense. They then retracted it some time later as I recall, but it shows the strong tendency of WTS to pry into people’s affairs, whereas the Head of every man is the Christ and to Him each one of us answers.
 From my Bethel experience, there was a great problem of masturbation. Everybody wanted to get rid of the habit and enjoy a lovely and sexually rewarding relationship with the mate of their dreams, not needing the ‘do-it-yourself’ routine.
‘Nuff said, Ceders. I won’t bring up the subject any more if you don’t.
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 Cedars says:

 September 6, 2012 at 5:12 am

Thanks Alden. I don’t agree that laws necessarily need to have tangible penalties, but in the case of masturbation, it would definitely have an impact on congregational privileges at the very least. There is also the compulsion to admit to the practice in order to have a “clear conscience”, and the humiliation of doing so before others who are not entitled to such information. Finally, I believe all the guilt surrounding the practice is counter-productive and detrimental to a young person’s emotional development – but that’s just my opinion. In any case, it’s an area into which the Society should not delve – but that’s just my opinion.
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 Alden says:

 September 6, 2012 at 7:28 am

Great Cedars, I think we’ve arrived at a synthesis! Now we’re talking about the subtle mind control that we can most certainly do without. We get enough punishment out of this old world to need more punishment of a psychological kind! It is a matter to come to grips with (no pun intended). But we have to discuss it with our Lord Jesus and not feel we have to answer to some institution of men with their own faults to be dealt with.
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 Cedars says:

 September 6, 2012 at 8:02 am

Thanks Alden, I’m glad we’re understanding eachother.
Cedars

 
 
 
 
 

 Greg says:

 September 7, 2012 at 12:04 pm

Are you stating that masterbation without pornography or stimulating images is okay, or that all masterbation, including pornography (which is the majority) is okay? You are too vague in saying that the act is not condemned in the bible.
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 Cedars says:

 September 7, 2012 at 2:03 pm

Greg – I’m not too vague in saying that masturbation isn’t condemned in the Bible, because masturbation isn’t condemned in the bible. As I’ve said in other comments, I neither condone nor condemn masturbation. I merely think it is wrong to set rules regulating matters over which God’s word is silent.
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 Greg says:

 September 7, 2012 at 3:49 pm

You get upset at comments way too much to give yourself any credit as an authority on what scripture says or does not say. I was merely asking a question, which by the way you are “too vague” on. It is a simple as saying having sex is not wrong. The circumstances are very important to bring in if you want to defend your right to do them in a way that would please God.
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 Cedars says:

 September 7, 2012 at 11:16 pm

I am not “upset” by comments at all. If you want to judge what I write, do it by using the scriptures and logic. If you can present me with a scripture that condemns masturbation, I will happily refute my earlier stance.
I will say this though. You claim that my stance is similar to saying “having sex is not wrong”, even though, according to the bible, having sex IS wrong in a number of different circumstances. This is not the same as the issue of masturbation, which isn’t mentioned in the bible at all.
If anyone’s reasoning sounds driven by emotion, it is yours.
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 raymond frantz says:

 September 8, 2012 at 6:41 pm

Excellent article ,excellent website .Please don’t stop writing ,the ex-jw needs you ,I hope I could write like you .Have faith is on our side ,do not be afraid of the wicked slave .Jehovah hates lies and half truths as the ones the self processed GB spreads daily
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 raymond frantz says:

 September 14, 2012 at 10:31 am

Excellent work
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 raymond frantz says:

 September 14, 2012 at 10:32 am

please check this website http://www.new-jw.org
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 J.M. says:

 September 20, 2012 at 4:32 pm

Greg and Alden: I’m not sure how I ended up on this page and reading Cedar’s excellent presentation. But let me start by saying: Sorry if I seem rude (I don’t mean to be) but you both seem to fall on a decidedly “prudish” side. If you’re either or both simply playing devil’s advocate, I apologize. Greg, if you’re going to make an argument, at least learn how to spell masturbation.
One or both of you fail to recognize that God created masturbation. I’ve been to the zoo and watched many animals doing it. Hell, I’ve enjoyed a good wank myself and I think that it’s perfectly normal. What is not normal to me is to make those who do it feel guilty about it. That was a “given” at Bethel. And yes, they gave you “biblical” reasons for it. I know the Bible doesn’t mention it, but I can’t imagine that from the age of 17 until he was 30 while either in prison or serving Potiphar, at the height of his manly prowess, Joseph did not on several occasions proceed to stroke his “patriarchal staff”. Nature alone tells you that if you don’t do it, your body will do it for you (think wet dream). Although, I fail to understand why that was a mild condemnation of sorts in the Mosaic law.
Yes, masturbation is trivial. Or at least, as Cedar states it: It’s private and none of anyone’s business. Alden, you call it a “vice”. Someone else (I think you Greg) suggested that it’s wrong because “you would not be in control over your body, and that you would be lusting over either an idea, image, or even your own body”. Wrong. That is strictly your opinion and perhaps what you incorrectly fear or have experienced. That was not my imagery when I took those “mini-vacations”. I’m not always in control when I fart or belch, just to name a few other bodily functions. Fertile women need to menstruate. And although that was also something to atone for in the Mosaic law, we no longer view it as bad but as a natural thing. You guys ought to think the same about “raising the flag”.
Someone who suffers from Turrets and cusses out loud is not in “control”. On that example alone, I can envision that that there are many other acts of conduct that people simply can’t help. Call them sins if you like. But don’t condemn and punish some for a specific benefit or opinion, as the WTBTS does, while glossing over others. I used to argue with my sister why the WTBTS wouldn’t disfellowship some people for being over-weight as they do for smoking. Both are a reflection of neglecting your “temple”. And please don’t compare being overweight with gluttony. One can be a skinny glutton. I know some people couldn’t help being over-weight for other reasons. But it just didn’t make sense that the WTBTS would punish for one practice and not for another based on the same principle. If you’re to argue that one has to eat but doesn’t have to smoke, you’re wrong. Many people are compelled to smoke and do other no-no’s not just because of physical addiction but also because of complex psychological dependencies.
And yes, that allows me to bring up the idea that to “buff the banana” once in a while does not mean an either or case. I know well the joys of being with a woman and that to have sex, especially while you’re totally infatuated and in love with a sweet wife is better than “polishing your flagpole” or even better than just plain anonymous sex. But that doesn’t discount the satisfaction or even the imperative human need for sex, especially when no nooky is available. Solomon and David and many other patriarchs, besides liking quantity, also liked variety. You may want to turn and judge them on that account (something the bible doesn’t do) or comment about Lot’s daughters for committing incest that supposedly contributed to Christ’s lineage.
The say that 95% of men masturbate and the other 5% lie about it. I don’t know about women, but I presume that such is at least the same. Yeah, I’m glad I don’t have to “grease the rail” anymore, but I’m not ashamed to say that, in the absence of anything better, I would “pop the balloon” if needed. You can “shake” on that.
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 Anonymous says:

 September 27, 2012 at 4:44 am

All that you are arguing on will lead you nowhere: I read in the Bible And now a sword will not depart from your own house to time indefinite, as a consequence of the fact that you despised me so that you took the wife of Uri ah the Hit tite to become your wife.’ This is what Jehovah has said, ‘Here I am raising up
 against you calamity out of your own house; and I [JEHOVAH] will take your wives under your own eyes and give them to your fellowman, and he will certainly lie down with your wives under the eyes of this sun. Whereas you yourself acted in secret, I,
 formy part, shall do this thing in front of all Israeli and in front of the sun” (2 Samuel 12:10-12)
 All of who follow this foolish god [Jehovah] you will end up foolish as the WTS
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 Jussain says:

 September 28, 2012 at 9:37 pm

What if they are right? Just, “what if”? Would u stop serving false gods? Slow down… Start from the beginning of my post! “If they are right”, would you change, or be a coward?
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 pollywog says:

 October 1, 2012 at 8:15 am

Just a heads-up about an upcoming program on canadian T.V… The CBC news weekly program Fifth Estate is scheduling a series on “whistleblowing” type people over the next few weeks – in its promo a Kingdom Hall sign flashed onscreen… I believe they air every thursday locally but will try to find out …. I enjoy your blogs.
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 Mandelay says:

 October 11, 2012 at 6:43 pm

Anonymous: I fail to see the foolish side of a justice explicitly pronounced. The king took another man’s wife and then had her husband taken out of the way. Should he not have tasted his own medicine? Furthermore, there is no real argument here. Everyone seems to agree in one way or another that the WT is guilty of “reaching” when there is no clear scriptural mandate.
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 KtotheRAD says:

 October 20, 2012 at 2:34 am

The contempt and disdain that they clearly demonstrate towards the “Mentally Diseased” is manifest and patent in the systemic abuse of their own mentally ill…which goes overlooked and unnoticed even though it is criminal and brutally barbaric!
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 Jessica Levy says:

 October 20, 2012 at 9:43 am

Seriously?
 The wts and others who worry about masturbation ought to focus more on child protection and child abuse.
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 Udo says:

 October 27, 2012 at 2:37 pm

Hi Cedars, no doubt you are an apostate. I am responding to your posting for the sake of some gullible once who may fall to your deciet. For one thing, the JW believe that their religion is the true christian religion. Other religions are false. Surviving Harmagedon is a different issue. Jehovah determines who will. Secondly, JW understand the difference between Specific Laws and Principles of the bible. Granted there is no law forbiding masturbation as well as other unclean practices like abuse of tobaco and drugs, pornography, gambling, etc. But they clearly certaing bible principles. They are unclean and defy the body. The difference between you and the faithfull JW is that while you look out for Laws, they consider principles. Principles are the spirit of the Laws. They never change whereas Laws can. Why not humbly subject youreself to a free bible study session with the JW for your own good. Jehovah is watching.
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 Cedars says:

 October 28, 2012 at 1:19 am

Udo, I find it funny that you say that I’M somehow more concerned with laws than the Governing Body is. If anything, I would like them to reduce the amount of petty laws that they inflict upon their followers, and stick to the over-riding principle of biblical guidance – which is love.
As to your argument about tobacco, drugs and gambling – surely you would admit that the Bible contains laws governing other intimate bodily functions such as mentrual flows and wet dreams, and yet it has nothing to say about masturbation. Doesn’t this tell you something? Are you seriously suggesting that people didn’t masturbate in bible times, so there was no need to include specific direction in this regard?
Also, why are you focussing on what I have written about masturbation while completely ignoring what I write towards the beginning of the article about the misleading manner in which the FAQs have been prepared on JW.org? What do you have to say on that issue?
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 ty says:

 October 31, 2012 at 6:08 am

You permissive people are crazy. Those that lived in Noah’s time also thought they could do as they please, without consequence. They were all destroyed in the flood! Guess what? God only approved of Noah at that time. There weren’t a whole variety of acceptable religions on the earth. Why was Noah saved – He was doing Gods will. He was a preacher of righteousness and he followed Gods instructions and built the arc. Shew! that was hard work – It must have been restrictive. But the bible says – “Noah did just so”. Obedience is key to survival.
When Moses and Joshua let the Israelite’s into the promised land and conquered many kingdoms, it was clear that only they had Gods approval. They were Gods approved congregation on the earth.
When Jesus and his apostles were on the earth (Mathew to Revelation) only they were approved by God. No other religion was acceptable. Why were they approved by God? They were obedient and were doing Gods will.
Ummm? notice a trend here?
So how can we identify the truth in our time?
OPEN YOUR EYES! – Who are doing Gods will today? (Certainly not the Author of this blog). Who are obedient to the bibles teachings, who are teaching others about gods kingdom? And very importantly – who are called by God’s name – Jehovah. The bible says he would take a people for his name. – Only Jehovah’s witnesses.
The watchtower prints more literature than any other organization on earth. Not good enough for you? Well all this literature is offered with out cost and supported purely by voluntary contributions. It is an amazing organization and clearly has the backing of the True God, Jehovah. In fact it is his organization.
How foolish it was for those during Noah’s time to ignore his warning about the flood. They must have laughed, ridiculed and jeered at him….Until the floodgates of the heavens opened.
To those who ridicule Jehovah’s organization, think carefully. You might actually find yourself fighting against God.
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 Alden says:

 October 31, 2012 at 8:33 am

Dear ty,
 I agree with you that Cedar has extreme views just as your views are extreme. Perhaps mine are extreme, too. You only see black & white without the nuances. Things are not perfect with the WTS, but we cannot voice any contrary opinion without threat of disfellowshipping. We’re trying to voice our opinions in this forum to find out if we’re crazy or something makes sense in what we think. We most probably will never be able to change the Society’s way of thinking, but it may help keep us keep our own sanity.
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 ty says:

 October 31, 2012 at 8:45 am

it is not the society’s way of thinking, it is Jehovah’s way of thinking. I fear that you have been overreached …. you know the rest
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 Alden says:

 October 31, 2012 at 8:56 am

You, for sure, do not belong in this forum, my friend.
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 KtotheRAD (Konrad) says:

 November 1, 2012 at 12:51 am

ty, it is the Society itself that repeatedly banters the scriptures regarding Christendom that “A little leaven…” or “By their Fruits…” and yet the lack of love and the many years of corruption, deceit and abuse of the sick and weak and children which was painstakingly and systemically hidden in deference to other interests but just now barely coming to light can prove only one thing….Jehovah is likely not blessing that organization anymore, if he ever did! He is acting in a judgmental fashion which he has every Right to do just as this is Cedar’s forum and he has the Right to decide who posts here and how they behave! Get the concept? (- :
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 Alden says:

 November 1, 2012 at 3:09 am

From as far back as I remember I was led by the WTS to believe that God today ONLY deals with organizations and not with individuals, or if He does deal with the individuals then only in conjunction with the “Organization”. I now believe, however, that e.g. Mother Theresa was also blessed by God because she acted as a Christian among her contemporaries. It doesn’t require a massive organization for an individual to act Christian or in a godly way. I have come to know a great deal of outstanding people among Jehovah’s Witnesses, but the greater majority have been institutionalized and cannot think for themselves. Each Christian could let his/her light shine much better if he/she didn’t have to depend on an institution to tell him/her how to conduct his/herself but only rely upon their relationship with their Lord and Saviors, Jehovah and Jesus.
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 Zz says:

 November 3, 2012 at 11:14 am

Cedars,
In my opinion, you need to dig deeper as for hidden treasures. You seem to have been overreached by the ruler of this word. Recall, that thoughts like these on your websites do not only expose your weak heart,but shows that you have lost HIS Spirit and has been overreached.
Please use your time more wisely, for example, in studying the bible with a spiritual jw.
You may yet have another chance, please do nt blow it.
Zz
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 Terence hackett says:

 November 3, 2012 at 4:31 pm

If I want people to find my home I give easy and clear directions, the bible tells us that Jehovah does not want any to be destroyed but for all to attain everlasting life if that is the case why is the bible difficult to fully understand and why do we need a group of imperfect men to explain it to us ? Men who have constantly made mistakes and never shown any evidence of being Gods spirit directed organisation because the holy spirit does not make mistakes where as the watchtower society specialises in it. It makes no sense, no one should need to dig as to find treasure or in this case everlasting life it should be obvious because that would be the loving thing to do and not to play games with people’s lives.
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 Alden says:

 November 4, 2012 at 1:52 am

Once again I beg; get off this topic! It degenerates the forum.
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 SaritaJ says:

 November 5, 2012 at 10:53 am


Jessica Levy
 Seriously?
 The wts and others who worry about masturbation ought to focus more on child protection and child abuse.
Amen!
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 Rich says:

 November 7, 2012 at 10:12 am

The bible does not specifically mention masturbation, which is the deliberate self-stimulation that produces sexual arousal and orgasm. However, God’s Word commands Christians: “Deaden, therefore, you body member that are upon the earth as respects fornication, uncleanness, sexual appetite.” Colossians 3:5.
Masturbation fosters a distorted and self-centered view of sex. It is considered an unclean habit.
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 Mandla says:

 November 11, 2012 at 5:04 am

It is very clear to me that your spend 110% of your life studying Jehovah’s Witnesses and theyh beliefs while at the same time you have your own unresolved anger about them because you could not measure up to the biblical principles they teach. And if you imply that they as a religion, not a true religion, do not forget to give people an alternative because you are killing them instead of building. Why would you spend your time and energy studying a good-for-nithing religion?? Revise your motives!!!
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 Mandla says:

 November 11, 2012 at 5:15 am

How many other religions are you studying besides Jehovah’s Witnesses, or are you spitting your poisonous venom only towards them? What does that say about YOU? The so called “members-only Watchtower Study Edition” you are referring to here is also available online, downloadable and so is readily available for public scrutiny. Are you saying you are more clever than the over 7,3 million people who view the WT as the God’s organisation??? Why then do you spend your every breath on them???
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 Mc Bioseh says:

 November 18, 2012 at 9:17 am

Let me say thank you to all that displayed the rare courage to speak up for the truth in defense of WTBTS. One of such defender of the truth clearly differentiated a law and a moral code. A law is mandatorily backed by sanction . It’s not surprising that disgruntled persons and opposers speak abusively of Jehovah’s Witnesses , Jesus alluded to it during his ministry on earth…’if the persecuted me, they will persecute you also…’ One important fact need to be emphasized here. The society have never claimed to be inerrant, or inspired. It’s publications are not superior to the scriptures, but the truth remains that most of its critics are former members , disfellowshipped persons and dissociates…person who failed to measure up to high standards of the scriptures.
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 Cedars says:

 November 18, 2012 at 3:02 pm

“The society have never claimed to be inerrant, or inspired.”… no, they simply claimed to be God’s spirit-directed channel of communication with mankind. Your point?
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 Frank says:

 January 19, 2013 at 10:03 am

Mc Bioseh,
 Christians live by the Kingly Law – the Law of Love. The WT Society spends most of its time reliving the Mosaic Law, and trying to resurrect a curious form of Christo-Judaism.
Jesus was persecuted by the religious leaders for preaching a message of Love and Forgiveness. And for exposing their hypocrisy. He cleaned out the Temple, condemning to commercial activities of the Sadducees and priests. It will be interesting what he does to the WT Society – which undeniable has become hugely wealthy by SELLING masses of questionable literature.
Finally, The Watchtower Society is disliked / detested by every Christian group I have ever met. You are universally called “a Religion of Hate”, hypocrites, Liars, False Prophets, and self-righteous bigots. And – a scam that “pedals” the Word of God for financial gain.
So – your religion is hated for the BAD things that it does.
 Which is certainly NOT what Jesus meant.
Unfortunately, you will never really know what the Christian world thinks of your organization – because you allow your leaders to blind you.
In a way, Cedars and other folk here are performing a similar role to that of the prophets in ancient Israel – they are telling the truth about how sick the Watchtower Society really is.
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 Alden says:

 January 20, 2013 at 1:17 am

Just as with other religious organizations you can’t judge JWs individually. And those “Christians” who hate Jehovah’s Witnesses should be careful that they are not sinning against the Kingly Law, for he who hates his brother cannot say that he loves God, according to 1John.
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 anonymous says:

 December 6, 2012 at 10:34 am

I pray for you
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 anonymous says:

 December 6, 2012 at 10:35 am

to be forgiven
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 Cedars says:

 December 6, 2012 at 10:40 am

Thanks for clarifying!
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 Anthony Williams says:

 December 7, 2012 at 12:29 am

Why do you hate Jehovah’s Witnesses and why are you religious? Do you have your own church?
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 Cedars says:

 December 7, 2012 at 12:52 am

Hello Anthony, welcome to the site. I do not hate Jehovah’s Witnesses. It would be impossible to write most of my articles if I did.
I have already written more detailed answers to your questions in this article: http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/is-jwsurvey-org-an-apostate-website
Please take a look.
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 EnochEnochEnoch says:

 December 7, 2012 at 9:40 pm

Hello ty. Depending on what generation you became involved with the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Inc., you may realize that much of what you state here is directly from the “Society” or “Organization”‘s literature and or policy. Yes, 42 million Watchtower magazines isn’t the Bible but Bible spin. So, your comment cannot be unique to you. Millions others taught by the Watch Tower Corporation, Watchtower Corporation or Governing Body, will no doubt mimic the Governing Body’s voting results policy as well. Should you dare to research your doctrine and policy, you will discover these policies have changed many times during the relatively brief history of your religion. Do you realize the topics you voice here reflect the society’s opinion and are subject to change at anytime. I suggest you remain silent until you receive new light. It’s sad that you don’t realize you are under mind control.
Also, when has Jehovah spoken to someone of our generation as He did with Noah and others? What more important work do you have but the preaching and disciple making work? To look after orphans and widows in their tribulation? If you believe this preaching work somehow makes you righteous, you are sadly mistaken. You are simply fulfilling Jesus’ command. Little may you know your student may prove to be within Father’s Grace and not you. Do you read in the Bible where it states it’s not by our own works lest we should boast about our salvation? Before you comdemn anyone of being “apostate” or in need of help from Jehovah’s Witnesses, I suggest you exercise humility and remove the plank from your eye before attempting to remove the speck from Cedar’s or anyone else’s eye. We’re talking love here and Father’s Grace, not self-righteousness based upon our works.
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 Alden says:

 December 7, 2012 at 11:50 pm

“not forget to give people an alternative because you are killing instead of building.” Good point, Mandla!
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 solomon.s says:

 December 13, 2012 at 10:49 pm

Is there any dressing code for JEHOVA’S WITNESSES? All are says that dressing should be clean and moreover dressing way should not distract others is that true?
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 searchingforhonesty says:

 December 14, 2012 at 6:56 am

you are like a gnat trying to derail a steam train , you will go the way of all the others, but it is quite amusing to watch .
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 emeth says:

 December 19, 2012 at 6:44 am

The website is doing great ! See alexa(dot)com for some statistics. And starting January 2013 things will get even greater !
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 Christopher kayebeta says:

 December 25, 2012 at 7:30 am

Am from Africa in Japan .
 Now listen Cedars u very surface and not deep with your level of understanding the Bible. You to study the bible with me, and l will help understand. U need help ! About contradictions am ready to help you see no contradiction at all . “No comes to me unless my father draws him “said Christ . No wonder all you see are contradictions because you were drawn by Jehovah .
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 Cedars says:

 December 25, 2012 at 7:34 am

Thanks for the offer of help Christopher, but I must respectfully decline.
Matthew 7:3-5
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 Christopher kayebeta says:

 December 25, 2012 at 7:51 am

Am from Africa in Japan
 Now listen Cedars, you are very surface and not deep enough.your level of understanding is the bible is in confusing you. You need to study the bible seriously and prayerfully. I read your sentiments, opinions and comments 97% of them are not truths. Contradictions about the Jw.org are not true think deeply and you will see no conflicting . When Jehovah call one he even helps through but without his help you contradiction. I did not your response please accept were you are wrong because you not perfect
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 Cedars says:

 December 25, 2012 at 8:00 am

Christopher
You’re not the first person to come on this website and tell me I’m wrong. Many have done this before you, and not a single one has been able to satisfactorily point to anything in my articles that is untruthful or misleading. It would be impossible to do that because I quote from the Bible and the Society’s publications themselves. Any opinions I may express are offered as my own, and not in such a way as to ram them down someone else’s throat in the manner that you seem to be approaching me now. I suggest you read the following post and then re-examine your reasons for offering me help, and the purpose and aim of this website.
http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/is-jwsurvey-org-an-apostate-website
If you have any meaningful suggestions on how I can improve this or any other article, please email me at cedars@jwsurvey.org. If you continue to troll this post, I will have no choice but to kick you off the site.
If you disagree with my methods or way of thinking, by all means visit another website or start one of your own.
Cedars
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 Terence hackett says:

 December 25, 2012 at 12:41 pm

Because witnesses can’t masturbate t
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Newer Comments →


http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/the-new-jw-org-watchtowers-attempt-to-tame-the-internet/comment-page-1#comments





← Older Comments

 Terence hackett says:

 December 25, 2012 at 12:45 pm

because witnesses can’t masturbate they seek relief by marrying at a very young age with all the accompany problems that brings, I speak with experience and authority on this subject
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 Edward Shaw says:

 December 26, 2012 at 7:26 pm


Greg
 I also think that you lose some of your edge when you get to your masterbation topic. I would remove it, if you are really trying to show the faults of the Watchtower to genuine searchers of God.
I also agree. I read on and found that the richness of your earlier discussion and the points you had effectively made, were being weakened and “scattered” by this relatively trivial and single issue. You had the jugular….and then you slowly started to let go. Why not end the article with the bang? The MB issue helps us forgrt the real issues you discussed!!!
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 Cedars says:

 December 27, 2012 at 1:42 am

Thanks Edward. When the article was written, a masturbation video taken from JW.org was going viral on YouTube, perfectly illustrating why the JW.org-experiment was already backfiring.
To explain the relevance of the video, I needed to break the news to some with a sensitive disposition that masturbation is mentioned nowhere in the bible and can therefore not be labeled unscriptural, or a sin of any kind. I make no apologies for doing that, even if I recognise that perhaps it would have been better handled in a separate article.
The video has since been pulled from YouTube to spare the Society’s blushes, but one or two similar videos have since been uploaded. It seems they have a whack-a-mole job on their hands.
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 ck says:

 January 10, 2013 at 12:37 pm

I have never seen such a distorted view of what witnesses really teach from the Bible. they build up not tear down as you have done.
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 Cedars says:

 January 10, 2013 at 12:41 pm

ck – are you going to point out something unfactual that I have written in the article, or are you just going to, er, “tear down?”
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 Greg says:

 January 14, 2013 at 5:33 pm

I was just reviewing my response to you Cedars since you claim that I am a JW defender in my responses. Sadly it appears you were wrong again, I was actually trying to help you have a stronger point in your main article by removing the silly subject of masturbation that for some reason you and your friends can easily prove that God is perfectly fine with. I think your responses to me is what has molded my feelings toward you, and why I don’t like your attitude. If you are really interested in helping JW’s to convert, which you’re not, because you have nothing for them to convert to, you should discuss more serious matters, such as their beliefs that go against scripture like that Abraham, Issac, and Jacob will not be in the Kingdom of God, but CT Russell will be. Why they take out Jesus in 1 Peter 1 in the NWT (in the footnote in the big Bible) when talking about Jesus’ spirit being in the old testament prophets. Why They change the account in Acts where Stephen prays to Jesus. Why they ignore Thomas’ response to Jesus as “my lord and my God.” Why it is acceptable to add Jehovah into the New Testament, but not acceptable to use the greek septuagint (which is older than all surviving hebrew transcripts) for translating the old testament which uses LORD in place of YHWH. Why Jesus would lie when saying that he would be with his Church until the end of time, but really mean he would stop being with them right after the apostles died and wouldn’t fully be with them again until 1870 something, or is it 1919 now? It is a joke.
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 Matt says:

 January 16, 2013 at 5:13 am

In response to your view on disfellowshipping family members and ‘shunning’, I point you to Matthew 10:34-37 “Do not think I came to put peace upon the earth; I came to put, not peace, but a sword. For I came to cause division, with a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a young wife against her mother-in-law. Indeed, a man’s enemies will be persons of his own household. He that has greater affection for father or mother than for me is not worthy of me; and he that has greater affection for son or daughter than for me is not worthy of me.”
In Jesus’ own words we see how we should view family members who are unrepentant in their sins against Jehovah. We see examples such as when Adam chose Eve over God, and when Korah’s sons stood apart from him in the wilderness.
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 Cedars says:

 January 16, 2013 at 5:19 am

Matt – you’re probably uncomfortable with reading Christ’s words in context, but given the fact that his overall message was one of love, the quoted scripture clearly refers to opposition toward Christians by their relatives rather than the other way round, i.e. the shunning of family members. How else would you explain the parable of the prodigal son, where no clear repentance was shown (only “worldly sadness”) but the son was welcomed back anyway with open arms? In any case, even if you think shunning of relatives is acceptible over moral issues (which I don’t), you cannot possibly excuse the shunning of relatives who disagree with an organization that itself admits to being wrong in the past.
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 Cedars says:

 January 16, 2013 at 5:30 am

By the way (regarding context), the fact that Christ was here discussing ostracism by non-believers is clearly evident by verses 32 and 33 where it says: “Everyone, then, that confesses union with me before men, I will also confess union with him before my Father who is in the heavens; but whoever disowns me before men, I will also disown him before my Father who is in the heavens.”
Of course, if you really want to believe in cruel un-Christian teachings you can more-or-less bend any scripture to suit your viewpoint.
Cedars
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 Anonymous says:

 January 16, 2013 at 6:22 pm


Matt
 In response to your view on disfellowshipping family members and ‘shunning’, I point you to Matthew 10:34-37 “Do not think I came to put peace upon the earth; I came to put, not peace, but a sword. For I came to cause division, with a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a young wife against her mother-in-law. Indeed, a man’s enemies will be persons of his own household. He that has greater affection for father or mother than for me is not worthy of me; and he that has greater affection for son or daughter than for me is not worthy of me.”
In Jesus’ own words we see how we should view family members who are unrepentant in their sins against Jehovah. We see examples such as when Adam chose Eve over God, and when Korah’s sons stood apart from him in the wilderness.
Hello Matt. We know Jesus’ sword which will pit family members against each other is the way each individual will view Him, not the way individuals view the WatchTower Society’s policies. Read WatchTower publications very carefully. Most writings are mere suggestions. Elders take these suggestions and run with them, teaching these suggestions as “The Truth”.
An individual’s relationship is with Jesus and Jehovah. Since these Two read hearts even after a person is disfellowshipped, the individual’s repentence may be acknowledged by Jesus and Jehovah, our Saviours, not the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Inc., a publishing business.
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 Frank says:

 January 22, 2013 at 1:44 am

Anonymous, thank you, good comment.
Regarding the “suggestions” made by the Soceity, it goes deeper than that. This case study will illustrate what is happening behind the scenes:
A young teenager got baptised to please her mother. She left home as soon as she finishes school, and was inactive for some 30 years. She then decides she should start associating again. She makes good progress, and tells the elders that she has a smoking problem, and is doing everything she can to overcome it. They meet as a body, review all the circumstances, and decide that her decision to get baptised was made under coercion, and that she is, as far as the congregation is concerned, a non-witness.
 All goes well, until a letter arrives from the Society. A relative of this woman, living far away, has heard of developments, and has written the Society. Why has this person not been disfellowshipped? The elders investigate further, and discover that the whistle-blowing relative has a personal bias ( maybe even malice) towards the returning “prodigal daughter”.
So the elders write back to the Society, and confirm that they have investigated, and believe that their decision is the correct one.
In response the Society despatches two senior representatives, who proceed to threaten the elders that if they do not “fall in line” with the Society’s “suggestions” – they will find themselves removed. And perhaps subjects of further action. Which is what happened. Some of the people moved, to escape, and some got “hunted down” and are now ex-witnesses. Unhappiness all round.
The Organization, we are told, is always right.
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 Alden says:

 January 16, 2013 at 6:30 am

This does not justify the use of torture upon non-believing relatives – and shunning is torture!
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 Matt says:

 January 16, 2013 at 6:40 am

Your own context quote just further proves my point. If a person does something wrong in the eyes of Jehovah and Jesus and is unrepentant about it, then they are in effect disowning them, to which Jesus stated that he would disown them in turn. If we accept someone that Jehovah has disowned to be a part of our life then we are choosing to side with them instead of Jehovah.
As for 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 you state that it does not say it applies to the ‘family circle’ to which you are correct, but it also doesn’t say that the ‘family circle’ is exempt either. It says to anyone called a ‘brother’ which as you pointed out would be anyone in the congregation who unrepentantly sins. The key word there isn’t ‘brother’ but rather ‘anyone’. Certain family connections can’t be put off as easy, and the scriptures allow for necessary family matters to be handled with such ones. It is up to the individual and their relationship with Jehovah to decide exactly what constitutes necessary family matters.
Essentially that’s what everything comes down to, our own personal relationship with Jehovah, not with the organization. Yes the organization isn’t perfect, it’s made up of imperfect people, but even the first century Christians had issues that Paul had to keep reminding them about. That didn’t mean that they weren’t his chosen people.
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 William E Enoch Sr says:

 January 16, 2013 at 9:11 pm


ty
 You permissive people are crazy. Those that lived in Noah’s time also thought they could do as they please, without consequence. They were all destroyed in the flood! Guess what? God only approved of Noah at that time. There weren’t a whole variety of acceptable religions on the earth. Why was Noah saved – He was doing Gods will. He was a preacher of righteousness and he followed Gods instructions and built the arc. Shew! that was hard work – It must have been restrictive. But the bible says – “Noah did just so”. Obedience is key to survival.
 When Moses and Joshua let the Israelite’s into the promised land and conquered many kingdoms, it was clear that only they had Gods approval. They were Gods approved congregation on the earth.
 When Jesus and his apostles were on the earth (Mathew to Revelation) only they were approved by God. No other religion was acceptable. Why were they approved by God? They were obedient and were doing Gods will.
 Ummm? notice a trend here?
 So how can we identify the truth in our time?
 OPEN YOUR EYES! – Who are doing Gods will today? (Certainly not the Author of this blog). Who are obedient to the bibles teachings, who are teaching others about gods kingdom? And very importantly – who are called by God’s name – Jehovah. The bible says he would take a people for his name. – Only Jehovah’s witnesses.
 The watchtower prints more literature than any other organization on earth. Not good enough for you? Well all this literature is offered with out cost and supported purely by voluntary contributions. It is an amazing organization and clearly has the backing of the True God, Jehovah. In fact it is his organization.
 How foolish it was for those during Noah’s time to ignore his warning about the flood. They must have laughed, ridiculed and jeered at him….Until the floodgates of the heavens opened.
 To those who ridicule Jehovah’s organization, think carefully. You might actually find yourself fighting against God.
Hello Ty. We know the Bible characters you mention were saved or chosen to do great things because of their works or doing God’s will prior to their calling. By God’s Grace He chose them for His Glory. Moses was simply minding his own business as was Noah and the fishermen, tax collector, ect. apostles. It was after God’s Grace chose them to do His Will that they did His Will and earned the Bible’s description of their character.
Likewise, it isn’t by us being good, obedient, saying Lord Lord or producing 45 million Watchtower magazines per month as a publishing giant or doing something we think is great in the natural world. It is only by Grace in the spiritual world.
Before you assume certain ones are ridiculing Jehovah’s organization, please understand there is a difference between ridicule and sharing true and necessary information. Are you aware much of WatchTower policy is based upon Pharasaic-style rules which the Bible is silent on. Many of us understand ridicule has no solution. Information sets the atmosphere for solution. When is the last time you researched the legal enity called Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Inc.? When is the last time you read the Bible without the conjecture of the Governing Body? The spirit of the scriptures is love and Grace not sacrifice, or imposing of any unscriptual rules.
By the way, the “works” which Apostle James spoke of is not preaching work. Read the contex.
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 Alden says:

 January 17, 2013 at 5:02 am

Jesus uses the reference to a sword but who carries this sword by its handle, the unbelieving relatives or the believer? It’s possible that unbelieving relatives shun the believer because he or she is “odd”, but the believer only tries to win over his contemporaries with love. The believer resorts to love as his or her “weapon”.
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 Alden says:

 January 19, 2013 at 12:50 am

Are my comments not worthy of any note?
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 Frank says:

 January 19, 2013 at 9:37 am

Masturbation is evidently of serious concern to the WT Society – evidently more so in the Bethel homes, where dozens, maybe hundreds of young people are housed together, and in daily contact with each other – but marriage is controlled.
Readers might like to remember that before 1972, Bethelites were NOT allowed to marry – if they wished to remain in Bethel. That was WT Society Law. Just like the Catholics – forbidding to marry. (1 Tim 4:) Led to some very tragic situations – Bethelites who married secretly, others who got involved in immorality. Very simply, Bethel is a very unhealthy environment – in many ways – but that is another (very long) story. As the saying going, it looks “nice from far, but is far from nice”
There is of course the infamous account of the Bethelite who was cruelly victimised for pointing out to NH Knorr that as Knorr had just “given himself permission” to get married, he (Knorr) should leave Bethel.
To read more, Google “Charles De Wilda”.
A truly fine example of WT Society love in action.
[Best account seems to be in the chapter: Memoirs of Bill Cetnar, in The Four Presidents Of The Watch Tower Society by Edmund C. Gruss]
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 Alden says:

 January 20, 2013 at 8:38 am

Hey forum members, I just saw a recording of a Billy Graham show from 1982. I was surprized to see how much the old guy had learned in the meantime!
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 Frank says:

 January 21, 2013 at 7:11 am

ty,
 please read the other pages of this blog before you comment. You would find that the points you raise have already been refuted. However, for the record, something for you to think about:
Called by the Name of Jehovah
 You first of all quote Acts 15: 15 – 17. However – is there any evidence that that 1st century Christians were “called by the name Jehovah”?
If so – please supply, with references from reliable secular sources.
In the meantime, readers might like to remember that Acts 11: 16 clearly states that BY DIVINE PROVIDENCE the believers, first known as ‘The Way’, became known as CHRISTIANS.
 In Acts 26: 28 Agrippa says to Paul – you would persuade me to become me to become a CHRISTIAN.
 1 Peter 4:16 says – those that suffer as a CHRISTIAN need feel no shame.
And, consider the book of Acts. Most of the people the Apostles and other Christians preached to were Gentiles – with little or zero knowledge of Judaism. Where is any record that the disciples preached anything except the Good News about the Christ? If it had been so vital to preach about Jehovah, surely it would be mentioned? And given equal importance?
Under the tutelage of the Watchtower, you completely lose the message of Christianity – to be WITNESSES OF JESUS CHRIST. What you have is a curious type of Judaism with Christian overtones, with most of the emphasis on the Hebrew Scriptures. Entire pulications dedicated to the books of Kings, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel (twice) and the ‘minor’ prophets.
Secondly, Russell started publishing in 1879 – yet it was only in the time of Rutherford, 1931, that the decision was made to take on the name “Jehovah’s Witnesses.”
Why the 52 year gap? Or was it the case that Rutherford, hugely concerned that masses had left the Organization after the failures of the “firm predictions” about 1925, decided that a name change was urgently needed, to make a fresh start?
About the supply of literature “without cost”.
Please – be honest. The letter from the Society was very explicit – that publishers were NOT to suggest or imply that there was no cost involved. Hence the little contribution bags marked WWW. I was there – I have clear records of the event.
And, as you must agree – the publishers now carry the cost. And if a congregation does no submit sufficinet money to the Society, it receives a letter, reminding the congregation of it’s obligation to support the World Wide Work. And – if the congregation still fails to respond, and investigation by the Circuit Overseer determines that they are in a financial position to contribute – then the Society suspends literature shipments, except for essential study articles.
Prior to this, all literature was bought and sold at the Kingdom hall, at prices determined by the Society. Literature servants had to maintain inventory, and make reconciliations. Which were carefully checked by the Circuit Overseer. Not surprisingly, people outside the Organization concluded that it was running a commercial business – and therefore taxable. Hence the hurried change-over to a “new arrangement” in the mid 1990s.
Are Jehovah’s Witnesses the only ones preaching the Kingdom? Only people living in their own little world could suggest that. The Plain Truth at one time surpassed the Watchtower in circulation. There are any number of journals, web-pages, and other Bible-based publication in circulation. Many Christians simply use the Bible. Just the like early disciples did. My suggestion to you is, you need to get out more. Talk openly with people from other “denominations”. If you refrain from arguing with them, you may just learn that they are not as ignorant as they are presented to be – and in some instances have a more accurate grasp of Bible truth than the Witnesses do.
Final thought from Peter – Acts 10: 34, 35 – “For a certainty God is not partial, but in every nation the man that fears Him and works righteousness is acceptable to Him.”
Interesting words – considering that Cornelius was neither a Jew, nor a proselyte, (and not yet a Christian) – at that point he was simply a God-fearing Roman Army Officer.
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 D. M. George says:

 January 21, 2013 at 9:41 pm

I was df for many years. I’m now back. The ONLY REASON I came back is so that my brainwashed (my own doing) kids would talk to me. I made a mistake. Yes! But did that one mistake erase all the good I had done as a hard working father, providing materially and spiritually for them? In the eyes of the effed up minds of the “elders” it did. So I came back. I’m a jw now to them so I can visit with my own children again. But know this: JW’s and the society are corrupt from the top down. (I know, i was an elder from when they first made elders in 1972) If the only incentive for remaining a JW is to be able to talk to your own flesh and blood then I must conclude that Jesus has failed miserably in his mission. Take away the sting of leaving the JW religion and watch the mass exodus. Indeed their enforcement of disfellowshipped laws is the only thing holding this religion together right now. So I go to meetings and sit and ride around in a car a couple of hours a month and mow some grass for free and swab out a John on occasion, because if I don’t I will loose my family that I raised without the help of one effen elder!!!!!!
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 D. M. George says:

 January 21, 2013 at 10:05 pm

JW’s Claim to preach the kingdom message. They say they have covered the earth spreading the good news of the Kingdom. That because of their work Matt 24:14 is fulfilled and the great tribulation is upon us. Strange that when you ask some if they have ever heard of JW’s they will most likely say yes. But if you ask what is the main teaching of JW’s you will get a blank stare! Then perhaps a list of things JW’s don’t believe like holidays, voting,blood transfusions etc. but you will never hear someone reply that JW’s believe in Gods Kingdom. Why not? Because they don’t ever talk about it. Not at their meetings or from door to door. Not even in their publications. Only brief token mention of it can be found in all the above mentioned places. Take the challenge you JW’s ask anyone you meet if they know JW’s then ask what they believe. If you are truly teaching and preaching the Kingdom message as you claim then that is the answer you will get…..but you won’t because you don’t .
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 Frank says:

 January 22, 2013 at 1:16 am

Alden, please read the comment carefully. There is no mention of hatred toward JWs as individuals. Most folk feel sorry for them, especially for the young ones – all deceived into following a man-made Organization.
Scripturally, as you know, it is quite correct to hate what is bad. The Watchtower Society is merely reaping what it has sown.
To conclude, would you mind if I ask you a question: based on your present understanding, is it necessary to be a member the JW Organization to qualify as a real Christian?
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 Frank says:

 January 22, 2013 at 8:32 am

For those interested in developments in other languages here’s a link to a Serbo-Croatian site:
http://www.svjedoci.net/
[Google translate tries its best, and most of it is readable.]
Topics Discussed: 1914, 1975, Did Jesus appoint an Organization to act as his ‘faithful and discrete slave’? False Prophecy, This Generation . . . and Should Christian Have A Cat (more below)
Sample:
 Topic: God’s “organization”
 “The attempt to compel all men to think alike on all subjects, culminated in the great apostasy and the development of the great Papal system” – Watchtower Reprints, September 1, 1893, p1572
“Beware ‘Organization’. it is completely unnecessary” Watchtower Reprints, September 15, 1895, p1866 (CT Russell)
Followed by a pretty thorough discussion of the issues
Whatever you do – read the article:
SHOULD CHRISTIANS HAVE A CAT?
A delicious piece of irony that perfectly illustrates how the WT develops its ‘official’ doctrines
Reply
 

 Alden says:

 January 22, 2013 at 11:02 pm

Very nice to meet you, Frank! I just don’t like putting all JWs into one basket. I know some very devoted and sincere witnesses. You pose a very good question, however, that deserves a good answer; no, I no longer believe that membership to the Watchtower Society is necessary to please God. It is only a reference. True salvation only comes from our relationship to our Saviors Jesus, the Son of God, and to his Father Jehovah (or Jahve if you will). Organizations may be of help, but not always. The institutions have a bad track record in general and the WTS is not exempt from this. I am a very religious person by nature but I abhor religious fanaticism in all its forms. I even recognize that I have fallen prey on occasions, which I regret deeply. The WTS has some very good doctrinal points: to this day I remain a “Unitarian” in my beliefs; I do not believe in a hellfire of torment, and to take up arms and participate in human wars is abhorrent to me. So the Witnesses do not have everything going against them. It’s their allegiance to the WTS that is disturbing because many have made a “golden calf” about it. The word “faithful and discreet slave” departs from their lips more often than the name of our Lord Jesus. The danger is that it has induced many to acts normally contrary to their Christian demeanor; especially the shunning and blood policies. To convince a mother to never even write an email to one of their children, for example, reminds one of fascist or communist dictatorships – horrifying! Unfortunately, as far as organizations go, we’re still in a grocery store where we have to pick the good fruits from the bad. My Christian love to all in the forum!
Reply
 

 Frank says:

 January 23, 2013 at 12:19 am

Thanks, Alden,
 likewise, good to meet you. (Pity we can’t get together for coffee and a really long chat.) Your comment is a good summary of feelings and viewpoints I also share, look forward to reading more from you.
Read something interesting about the role of Organizations – they can be like a tutor, leading us to Christ – Galations 3:24, 25.
All the best, Frank (the one from sunny Southern Africa)
Reply
 
 Alden says:

 January 23, 2013 at 1:15 am

Sure Frank, we’ll have that cup of coffee some day!
 Yes, organizations can tutor us when they take their grave responsibility seriously. They can never substitute the Christ who is the Head of every man. They must be like John the Baptist who never dreamed of rivalry with the Christ. Cheers mate!
Reply
 
 

 Mandaley says:

 January 25, 2013 at 11:30 am

This is very interesting. I certainly will check out that source you referenced in your comment. If what you wrote is true, how selfish of N.H. Knorr to decide he alone should get married. I have also witnessed a few of these very sad moments in Bethel history. WT policy is not unlike the demands Catholicism makes on its priests and nuns and one of the clearest signs of apostasy!
An example of the tough rhetoric on marriage JWs are subjected to week after week appears in the May 15, 2012 WT. After referencing the mixed marriages of repatriated Israelites in Ezra’s day, it states: “A Christian who marries an unbeliever is not exemplary and lacks real appreciation for God’s gift of marriage. Entering such a union after baptism can cost one some privileges among God’s people. And it would be illogical to expect blessings while admitting in prayer, ‘Jehovah, I deliberately disobeyed you, but please bless me anyway.'”
How arrogant to presume what prayers God hears. What an abysmal misapplication of Ezra. Christians today are not natural Israelites responsible for the survival of temple worship and the Holy Seed. Even the admonition in 1 Corinthians 7 can be understood in the context of “community of goods,” where Christians had to be wary that non-believers were joining their ranks solely for the charity involved. There are just too many examples and principles in the Bible that condemn the control of marriage.
Reply
 
 Alden says:

 January 26, 2013 at 1:16 am

Hi Mandaley, nice to meet you. Marriage is a risky adventure wherever you go. While being a JW myself I wouldn’t wish my worst enemy to marry one, unless the other person is of the same frame of mind. The Society uses the wrong approach here. They are adding insult to injury when they make such a judgement. The person may or may not regret marrying a “non-believer”, but it doesn’t help to give them another kick when they are down or to rob them of a good conscience because they have found their mate of a lifetime. You can’t put all “non-believers” in one basket either. One sister who had married a non-JW said that, if given the opportunity again, she would marry him all over! That doesn’t get published in the magazines. Marriage is a matter of heart and we don’t dare trespass on people’s hearts.
Reply
 
 Mandelay says:

 February 15, 2013 at 9:58 am

Hi Frank, I haven’t been here in a while due to computer problems, but I appreciated your response to my comments. Interestingly, the five pre-baptism questions on marriage do not delve any further than the basics…I will post more shortly.
Reply
 
 
 

 Mandaley says:

 January 25, 2013 at 11:34 am

Oops! I apologize. My comment was in reply to Frank’s comment Jan 19 at 9:37 am. I am not sure how to or if I can link my reply to that particular comment.
Reply
 

 Peter says:

 January 25, 2013 at 1:09 pm

D. M. George
The bible says that only a small amount of people would hear the good news of the Kingdom, Satan blinds people to the truth about Jah’s kingdom.
The bad is always easier to remember, the Good takes work and repetition because it is easily
 forgotten.
☺Tell the same person a dirty Joke and he’ll recipe it by heart
Reply
 

 Alden says:

 January 26, 2013 at 1:07 am

Dear Peter, nice to meet you. No doubt Jesus said that the road to life is narrow and few are those finding it. Besides hoping that we are on the right road, what we are worried about is if not the Society is making things more narrow than necessary. Jesus also said that we should have life in abundance. Does that not also apply to our present lives? How can anyone presume to tell a mother to never speak or write to her child ever again before certain conditions are met, or to tell a mother that it is “better” that a child die rather than it accept a blood transfusion? Hasn’t the Society overstepped its jurisdiction? These are among the most prominent transgressions that are continually being admonished on the part of “Caesar”, but being turned a deaf ear. There are many smaller issues, too, that could be ignored when only involving theological issues. But when lives are affected drastically by the decisions of an institution of imperfect men, don’t we have the right and obligation to make our own decisions withought duress? The head of every man is the Christ, not any human committee, and He will be the judge. May you have peace.
Reply
 

 Frank says:

 January 26, 2013 at 4:41 am

Thanks for your comment, Mandaley.
 Would this be a good place to mention the cases of the sisters who married elders, and then had to seek divorce because their “god-fearing” husbands abused them? Among those who have grown up in “the Truth” the rate of divorce appears to be about the same as the general population. Not to mention the couples that stay together because divorce would not leave them free to remarry at some future time.
Or what happens when the WT Society invites itself into people’s bedrooms, and private lives, and suddenly there is a weird “menage a trois” situation.
Or the way the WT Society likes to get control of the womenfolk
 (2 Tim 3: 6 ) One well-trodden path is to persuade the wives of men regarded as “free-thinkers” (i.e. independent) to inform on their husbands. Reminds me how Saul used his daughter to try destroy David.
Reply
 

 matt says:

 February 4, 2013 at 4:00 pm

its funny when you look at numbers and statistics. “Are you saying you are more clever than the over 7,3 million people who view the WT as the God’s organization??? ..”
Ceders is 1 in 7 billion or so people who don’t view the WT as the God’s organization. Are 7 billion more clever than 7.3 million? If it was only one person, Mandla, who believed in the WTBTS you would still say Ceders was thick! lol
Reply
 

 KtotheRAD "Konrad" says:

 February 4, 2013 at 5:27 pm

Matt,
 By your “bandwagon” logic, your own charges as a JW against Christendom and especially the Catholic Church which once was and apparently still is guilty of the very things that the Watchtower Society hypocritically pointed a finger at while squashing it’s own skeletons….would prove invalid. Simply put? Your logic based on numbers is childishly inane. It’s reality of who and what the “Faithful and Discrete Slave” is or will prove to be or was it merely a question and what Jehovah is doing right now that you have the issue to cope with and not Cedars or anyone here! “Worship that is pure and undefiled” as well as “as befits holy people” and “stop touching the unclean thing…and I will take you in” are all to be considered. It doesn’t say where the unclean thing is. Unclean is unclean!
Reply
 

 Ann a.k.a Gypsy Sam says:

 March 27, 2013 at 6:45 am

Cedars,
 I’m curioius to know if you receive higher web traffic today and for the next few days. The chairman closed the Memorial talk last night with a plug for the jworg site. He said it just that way, without jw-dot-org, so I wonder if you’ll get any curious misdirects. Hopefully, if they come here, their brain will be in the on position and ready to learn the truth about the truth. Thanks for all your hard work.
Reply
 

 George says:

 March 10, 2014 at 4:10 am

This comment is not evangelical.
What is happening right now is just like what happened in Paul and Jesus’ times.
I know perfectly well that this will happen. I’m not supprised because even Jesus was considered as a mad man by other. Infact if you were alive when Jesus was on earth, you all would have spoken against him. That’s what apostates do.
You be careful, the most important work on earth right now is to preach about “The good news of God’s Kingdom”. Why will you speak against those who are doing it, meanwhile you are not doing it too.
Are you all to assigned to judge?
Do you all remember what Gamaliel told the other Sanhedrin members at Acts 5:34-39? “……………Do not meddle with these men, but let them alone; because, if this scheme or this work is from men, it will be overthrown; but if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them; otherwise, you may perhaps be found fighters actually against GOD”
Do you also remember what Jesus said at Mateo 13:24-30 about the wheat and the weeds?
THIS IS NOT YOUR WORK. STOP IT, OR “YOU MAY PERHAPS BE FOUND FIGHTERS ACTUALLY AGAINST GOD”
Reply
 

 So glad to be out says:

 March 10, 2014 at 8:13 am

George
 Your comment, with the attempt to scare, is meaningless. I left over 30 years ago. JW scare tactics are for those who live in fear. Why did you come onto this site? With an open heart to learn or with a closed mind to hurl abuse? Perhaps with some reflection, you may want to apologise? I will not hold my breath, as I know most JW’s do not known about humility or freedom of thought. I hope one day when you find out that you have been duped by a multi-million marketing machine, that you will go into recovery and will have some good years with out guilt or fear. You will realise that all your fearful threats were what you had been taught by a very powerful, crafty multi level marketing effort. Thats all – You will no doubt be sad about the deceit, but you will be free to think, breath and express yourself. I hope your wake call is sooner rather than later.
Reply
 

 Bastion says:

 June 20, 2014 at 5:18 am

@Greg “you have nothing for them to convert to”. I don’t think Cedars wants to convert JWs to anything. He just wants to expose the GB’s shortcommings. I really wouldn’t like this site to discuss the theological nitty-gritty that you think is soo important.
Reply
 

 JOHN ROSS says:

 July 11, 2014 at 1:13 pm

SWEET! :)
Reply
 

 Johnny Gardner says:

 September 22, 2014 at 8:36 am

Build up?????? I beg to differ. All I have experienced over many years is their two faced attitude. Yes two faced! They don’t practice all that they claim to believe. I can relate to this first hand so I know what I’m talking about. Hipocrits is what I see and have experienced from my own family and ex wife.
Reply
 

 Jun says:

 October 8, 2014 at 6:02 am

Hi there, you know even you are powerful like that of Satan i think you’ll be like him you that you will absolutely fail to stop the Jehovah’s witnesses. If you have a good intention why posting a lot of criticism to their work. Why not turn to do good yourself to contribute peace to your country. I hope you have no good relationship with your family, neighbor and even to the community.
Reply
 

 Terence hackett says:

 October 9, 2014 at 7:33 am

That last remark was not a Christian reply, it’s always best to confront and deal with the issues than to pretend they don’t exist.
Reply
 

 ken brewer says:

 December 11, 2014 at 11:38 am

57 yrs trapped in the hipnotic mind control of this CORPORATION, it is (CRIMINAL) !!! FRAUD!! a complete abuse of exactly what rutherford set out and successfully acomplished,RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, (extortion).There legal team is powerfull,what happen to relying on jokhova! The graves cry out foe JUSTICE!russell,rutherford and knorr should be dragged from there grave$$$ Political correctness and public safe guards B/S its FRAUD ! FRAUD ! FRAUD ! = JUSTICE ! W. t. F !!
Reply
 

 ken brewer says:

 December 11, 2014 at 11:50 am

FOOLS! you are all FOOLS,any one who dares support this CRIMINAL corporation,is either ignorant,and completely blind to it,OR truly inbraces this MAD (CONCEPT)either and OR your baptism to this CORPORATION will infact seperate you from your TRUE savior CHRIST and align you with JOKHOVA! it is your choice at least they allow you that much,and only!that MUCH ! forgive them LORD they no NOT what they DO!!
Reply
 

 ken brewer says:

 December 11, 2014 at 12:07 pm

FOOL! he who is with out sin cast the first STONE! and,JESUS knows the hearts of every man woman and child ! This CORPORATION is exactly that a CORPORATION! Dare you compare the works of our saviour to these wicket MEN! spiritism,in there earliest works,occult alignment,how many failed proficies,policies ever changing, that infact KILL people,doctrine that is swung from the HIP,a bible by all< ALL historians,scholars,hebrew,and greek,that denounce its authority,even falsely site,ing there support,Please !! try another angel! I can go on and on as to the true NATURE of this CRIME,however the CURTAIN will come DOWN,and I personaly hope these frauds are made accountable!!
Reply
 

 Dodo says:

 May 25, 2015 at 12:47 pm

Ok guys, if you don’t like JW, just go around with a priest for a rape or go with muslims for a nice beheading, or go and sing/dance with the evangelist in the name of “Jesus” or maybe you prefer to meditate on selfishness with Buddha? Oh wait, and what about the Mormons, a nice way to hace 25 wives ! You’re all ridiculous, simply ridiculous.
Reply
 

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← Anthony Morris III attends 2012 Special Convention in Dublin
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The new JW.org – Watchtower’s attempt to tame the internet
avatar
Posted on September 3, 2012

The new-look JW.org signals the start of a new effort by the Watch Tower Society to embrace the potential of the Internet – but will it succeed?

On September 1st 2012 the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses took on a distinctive new look, and a bold new role for the Watch Tower Society. Rather than continuing to maintain its three previous websites (jwmedia.org, watchtower.org and jw.org), Watchtower has now effectively put “all of its eggs in one basket” by revamping JW.org to serve as the single point of contact for people seeking to access Jehovah’s Witnesses online.
To Jehovah’s Witnesses themselves, this change isn’t unexpected, even if the timing is a little slack. The decision to amalgamate the three websites was announced at meetings worldwide five months in advance, at the beginning of April 2012. A letter was read out at these meetings, dated April 2nd 2012, which said (in part):

“To enhance the effectiveness of our use of the Internet, the Governing Body has decided to consolidate the three sites into one site called jw.org. The Web site will be completely redesigned. It will be appealing and easy to navigate using either a computer or a mobile device.
The redesigned jw.org Web site is planned for release around the beginning of June 2012. It will paint an appealing picture of our preaching work, branch offices, Kingdom Halls, and conventions.
A newsroom section will provide up-to-date reporting on events affecting God’s people worldwide. Selected features from our magazines that can be presented more effectively on the Web site will now be published only on jw.org. These include the following: ‘For Young People,’ ‘My Bible Lessons,’ and the Gilead graduation report from the public edition of The Watchtower and ‘For Family Review’ and ‘Young People Ask’ from Awake! In addition, a series of online articles available only on the Web site will provide concise, clear answers to questions about the Bible and about Jehovah’s Witnesses.”
According to the above, the redesigned website was scheduled for launch at the beginning of June 2012. However, for some unknown reason, the launch was postponed by three months to the beginning of September.
Appealing, but how factual?
Visually and functionally, the new website is a clear improvement on its predecessor. The images are sharp and striking, and the color scheme is well-chosen. The menus are clear and not overly complicated. In that sense, the Society has achieved its objective of producing a website that is “appealing and easy to navigate using either a computer or a mobile device.” However, as with any material produced by the Society with a view to providing religious instruction, the actual content rather than the appearance should be of utmost interest to discerning readers.
In its April 2nd letter, the Society declared that a primary focus of the new website would be to “paint an appealing picture of our preaching work, branch offices, Kingdom Halls, and conventions”. No doubt any religious organization would understandably be concerned about portraying its beliefs and practices in a favorable light. However, should not such a website also present information in a way that is honest, and not misleading – especially since its purpose is to direct outsiders to worship the “God of truth”? (Psalm 31:5)
Visitors to the Society’s new website will find it visually appealing, but is the information accurate?

True, certain more complex doctrinal views may be hard to grasp for the uninitiated. However, in such instances, nothing is stopping the Society from presenting a brief but candid explanation of these more controversial beliefs; simply stating that more information is available in the publications that are available for download (or by clicking on a link to a digital version of a relevant Watchtower article).
You would certainly not expect an organization that prides itself on spreading “the Truth” to provide information on their official website that is misleading, or only partially true. However, a closer inspection of the new JW.org website reveals that this is precisely what the Watch Tower Society has done. Take for example the “Frequently Asked Questions” section. One question asks “Do You Feel That You Are The Only People Who Will Be Saved?” Here is the stated answer:

“No. Many millions who lived in centuries past and who weren’t Jehovah’s Witnesses will have an opportunity for salvation. The Bible explains that in God’s promised new world, there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. (Acts 24:15) Additionally, many now living may yet begin to serve God, and they too will gain salvation. In any case, it’s not our job to judge who will or won’t be saved. That assignment rests squarely in Jesus’ hands.—John 5:22, 27.”
Despite initially answering “no”, the above statement goes on to contradict itself by implying that only three groups of people have a chance to be saved by God. These are…
◾Those who were alive before Jehovah’s Witnesses existed
◾Jehovah’s Witnesses
◾Those who aren’t yet Jehovah’s Witnesses, but who will become Jehovah’s Witnesses before Armageddon
The website cunningly sidesteps the question of whether only Jehovah’s Witnesses will survive Armageddon

As far as the original question is concerned, the answer should be a straightforward “yes”! When Armageddon strikes, Jehovah’s Witnesses DO feel that they are the only ones who will be saved. The answer is therefore both self-contradictory and misleading – and frankly, the significance and ramifications of the question warrants greater honesty and transparency.
As I have discussed in a previous article, vast swathes of the Earth’s populace (approximately one-third, in fact) either live in lands where there are no Jehovah’s Witnesses, or extremely low publisher-to-population ratios (1 in a million in Bangladesh). What will happen to these billions of people in Arab or communist lands who have never heard of Jehovah’s Witnesses when Armageddon comes? Will Jehovah kill them all? According to the new JW.org website, the answer is ambiguous, but actually “yes”.
Sadly, this is not the only example of dishonesty and evasiveness on the new website. Consider, for example, the question related to disfellowshipping – which asks “Do You Shun Former Members of Your Religion?” The answer given reads as follows…


“Those who were baptized as Jehovah’s Witnesses but no longer preach to others, perhaps even drifting away from association with fellow believers, are not shunned. In fact, we reach out to them and try to rekindle their spiritual interest.
We do not automatically disfellowship someone who commits a serious sin. If, however, a baptized Witness makes a practice of breaking the Bible’s moral code and does not repent, he or she will be shunned or disfellowshipped. The Bible clearly states: Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.—1 Corinthians 5:13.
What of a man who is disfellowshipped but whose wife and children are still Jehovah’s Witnesses? The religious ties he had with his family change, but blood ties remain. The marriage relationship and normal family affections and dealings continue.
Disfellowshipped individuals may attend our religious services. If they wish, they may also receive spiritual counsel from congregation elders. The goal is to help each individual once more to qualify to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Disfellowshipped people who reject improper conduct and demonstrate a sincere desire to live by the Bible’s standards are always welcome to become members of the congregation again.’
The above statement completely overlooks two key scenarios, namely…
1.What happens to those who are disfellowshipped despite not having broken the Bible’s moral code? (e.g. those who decide that they no longer agree with the organization and feel compelled to speak out and warn others about perceived doctrinal flaws or damaging practices)
2.What about teenagers or young people who are disfellowshipped and shunned by their parents because they are viewed as being old enough to leave the family home?
Of this latter group of individuals, a recent Watchtower article said…

“Consider just one example of the good that can come when a family loyally upholds Jehovah’s decree not to associate with disfellowshipped relatives. A young man had been disfellowshipped for over ten years, during which time his father, mother, and four brothers “quit mixing in company” with him. At times, he tried to involve himself in their activities, but to their credit, each member of the family was steadfast in not having any contact with him. After he was reinstated, he said that he always missed the association with his family, especially at night when he was alone. But, he admitted, had the family associated with him even a little, that small dose would have satisfied him. However, because he did not receive even the slightest communication from any of his family, the burning desire to be with them became one motivating factor in his restoring his relationship with Jehovah. Think of that if you are ever tempted to violate God’s command not to associate with your disfellowshipped relatives.” (The Watchtower, April 15th 2012, page 12, paragraph 17)
So, not only do Jehovah’s Witnesses shun family members who are disfellowshipped (apart from the extremely narrow exception to this rule that is provided in the FAQ), but the Watch Tower Society actively coerces parents to consider the shunning of their own children as being “God’s command” – even though the bible counsel at 1 Corinthians 5:11-13 says nothing about shunning being applicable within the family circle.
The FAQ answer mentioned above gives evidence that family members CAN be exempted from shunning, albeit only if the disfellowshipped one is the head of the household. Yet, Paul’s words in 1 Cor 5:11-13 simply prescribe shunning for “anyone called a brother” (meaning, according to the context, “anyone called a brother” in the congregation who unrepentantly sins). Paul does not say anything in this scripture about the family circle, and he certainly doesn’t say anything about family heads in particular.
Therefore, we might well ask, why should deviant teenage sons and daughters be any less deserving of meaningful loving contact with their parents (especially at such a vulnerable stage in their lives), given that the bible states nowhere explicitly that family members are to shun one another? Why show mercy in one application of scripture in this important area, but not in another – especially when crucial family ties are involved, and mental and emotional wellbeing is at stake? (1 Tim 5:8; Matt 9:13)
The website conveniently neglects to mention the Witness practice of shunning teenagers

For whatever reason, the Society doesn’t want visitors to its website to know that shunning IS cruelly and unmercifully enforced against disfellowshipped family members who are old enough to leave the family home, even though this is clearly spelled out in a members-only Watchtower Study Edition as being “God’s command”. If this is truly “God’s command”, then why does the Society fail to mention (or admit to) this aspect of shunning on its website when answering a direct question on the matter?
Furthermore, the FAQ answer regarding shunning only cites “breaking the Bible’s moral code” as being grounds for disfellowshipping. Nothing is mentioned about the many who are disfellowshipped and shunned despite not having contravened the Bible’s moral code – i.e. those who have merely had a change of heart about whether Jehovah’s Witnesses have the true religion, and wish to express themselves on the matter. Such ones are routinely disfellowshipped and shunned, both by former friends and family members alike, under the trumped-up charge of “apostasy” (a word applied in scripture to those who deviate from Christianity, not the Watch Tower Society).
This brings us to another interesting FAQ on the new website, which poses the question “Are You Tolerant of Other Religions?” Here is the Watchtower’s answer…

“We follow the Bible’s advice to “respect everyone”—regardless of their religious beliefs. (1 Peter 2:17, Today’s English Version) For example, in some countries there are hundreds of thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Even so, we don’t try to pressure politicians or lawmakers into restricting or banning the work of other religious groups. Nor do we campaign to have laws passed that would impose our moral and religious convictions on the general community. Instead, we extend to others the same tolerance that we appreciate receiving from them.—Matthew 7:12.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses seemingly have a very narrow understanding of what “tolerance” means. They feel that tolerance, in a religious context, merely means not trying to manipulate governmental authorities to bend to their whims when legislating or dealing with other religious groups. The Society surely realises that being religiously tolerant actually means far more than just this narrow and rather curious application, which is an apparent dig at other religious organizations that have caused problems for Jehovah’s Witnesses in the past. However, rather than looking at other religions when it comes to exercising tolerance, perhaps the Watch Tower Society ought to look at its own record more closely. (Matthew 7:3)
Put simply, if Jehovah’s Witnesses do indeed “respect everyone regardless of their religious beliefs”, then they have a very peculiar way of showing it. As just one example, consider how the Watch Tower Society reacts to those mentioned above in this article who leave Jehovah’s Witnesses on religious grounds and are thus labelled as “apostates”. Notice how they are described in the following quote from a recent Watchtower article…

“Suppose that a doctor told you to avoid contact with someone who is infected with a contagious, deadly disease. You would know what the doctor means, and you would strictly heed his warning. Well, apostates are ‘mentally diseased,’ and they seek to infect others with their disloyal teachings. (1 Tim. 6:3, 4) Jehovah, the Great Physician, tells us to avoid contact with them. We know what he means, but are we determined to heed his warning in all respects?” (The Watchtower 2011, July 15th, page 16, paragraph 6).
Paul Grundy, founder of JWfacts.com – one of the many labelled “mentally diseased” by the Watch Tower Society simply for leaving on religious grounds

Yes, not content to shun those who leave the organization for religious reasons, Jehovah’s Witnesses aggravate such ones still further by branding them as “mentally diseased” – a deeply insulting slur, both for apostates and those who genuinely suffer from mental illness. Using such vindictive and hateful language hardly befits a group of people claiming to “extend to others the same tolerance that we appreciate receiving from them”.
As many of you will be aware, former believers are not the only ones who are on the receiving end of the Watch Tower Society’s unique brand of “tolerance”. Consider just a few quotes about the Catholic Church as taken from the book Revelation – It’s Grand Climax At Hand!…

“For thousands of years, Babylon the Great has been bloodguilty, and she is a gross fornicatrix. For example, the policy of the Roman Catholic Church of forbidding her priests to marry has resulted in gross immorality on the part of many of them, not a few of these today contracting AIDS.” – page 272, par. 3.
“The Catholic Church thus shares responsibility for consigning thousands of Witnesses to concentration camps; its hands are stained by the lifeblood of hundreds of Witnesses who were executed.” – page 270, par. 15.
“Why must the great harlot symbolize more than the Roman Catholic Church or even all of Christendom?” – Study question on page 235, par. 3.
Despite branding other faiths as being part of the harlot of Babylon The Great, Jehovah’s Witnesses view themselves as religiously tolerant

So, to summarize, according to a still widely circulated publication of the Watch Tower Society, the Catholic Church is (1) part of the great harlot of Babylon the Great, which is, in turn, a “gross fornicatrix”, (2) responsible for its own priests contracting the AIDS virus, and (3) responsible for the executions of “hundreds” of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Nazi concentration camps. If you were a Roman Catholic, do you think you would consider Jehovah’s Witnesses to be tolerant or respectful of your beliefs after reading the above passages?
I have highlighted just three of the 12 FAQs on JW.org, but I could provide more examples of ambiguity or deception on this website if pressed to do so. My question is, why is it all necessary? If Jehovah’s Witnesses have “the Truth”, then why misrepresent these beliefs or try to hide them from outsiders? Why can’t the Watch Tower Society be proud of its beliefs and present these without any spin or trickery? Only they will know the answers to such questions.
To me, it appears that the Society knows full well that many core beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses are almost impossible for any reasonable outsiders to accept. The beliefs surrounding shunning and the lack of tolerance of other faiths would indeed repel most thinking people from examining Witness beliefs in any great detail whatsoever. The Society would therefore rather conceal any doctrinal embarrassments in an attempt to lure people into requesting a bible study. After all, strange doctrines are always much easier to accept once people have already grown accustomed to less controversial teachings such as those presented in the first few chapters of the Bible Teach book.

An unexpected side effect
But there is another aspect to the launch of JW.org that has caught my attention, and this relates to the use of videos on certain pages of the new website. These videos, which are intended to promote various aspects of Witness work and teachings, are for the most part highly polished productions that portray Witness beliefs in an appealing light. However, it seems the Society has seriously misjudged the tendency for any videos that are launched on the internet to eventually find their way onto YouTube, and this alone opens up a Pandora’s box of problems.
A section on masturbation from the book “Keep Yourselves In Gods Love” is causing a stir on YouTube

For example, the Society has a number of sign language videos that are clearly designed to help deaf people study their publications. One such publication that has been “translated” into Sign Language is the book Keep Yourselves In God’s Love, which has an entire section on pages 218 to 219 entitled “Gain the Victory Over Masturbation“. As you can imagine, the sign language version of this section of the book contains some quite graphic gestures denoting the act of self-stimulation. Some YouTubers wasted very little time in taking the videos off JW.org and putting them onto YouTube – in some cases even putting the films to music.
Once on YouTube, the sign language video dealing with masturbation went viral, and reached as many as 870,000 views before being pulled off YouTube by the Watch Tower Society, who claimed copyright infringement. By this time, the video had changed the perception of Jehovah’s Witnesses for hundreds of thousands of onlookers – most of whom will have been perplexed as to why our religion goes to such extreme and graphic measures to stop its adherents from masturbating.
This somewhat drastic intervention from the Society also came too late to stop the deaf masturbation video from being lampooned on the television show The Burn with Jeff Ross on Comedy Central…


Obviously, many of you who haven’t yet researched Witness teachings from an objective viewpoint will have many reservations about your cherished beliefs being openly mocked in such a way. This is wholly understandable. However, regardless of your personal views about the practice of masturbation, nobody can deny that not one single scripture in the Bible either speaks about masturbation or condemns it directly – even though God’s word never normally shies away from condemning practices, however intimate, if it deems it necessary. Many like myself feel that it is wrong to add laws to the Bible where none exist.
The Society’s unbiblical, invasive and outdated rules about masturbation give it a bad reputation when the teaching is scrutinized online

Indeed, the section in the “God’s Love” book cites no less than 10 scriptures in support of the Society’s anti-masturbation stance, even though none of these scriptures discuss masturbation. Is this not a clear example of introducing a law based on nothing other than opinion and “private interpretation”? (2 Peter 1:20) Does it glorify God to create invasive and unbiblical laws that expose Jehovah’s name to public ridicule on the internet and television? If you dwell on such questions, you might hopefully begin to understand why some might feel compelled to highlight this and other similarly unfounded teachings to the wider world.
However, even videos that put a positive spin on JW beliefs can wreak untold havoc once posted on YouTube – even if they are posted by well-meaning publishers with any comments or negative feedback “disabled”. Why is this? Firstly, videos on YouTube can easily be “mirrored” (or copied by others) and then commented on freely. Some comments left underneath such mirrored videos will inevitably be left by those who have had a negative experience within the Witness faith, and feel motivated to express why not everything is as it seems.
Secondly, once you watch a video on YouTube, YouTube will automatically suggest videos of a similar topic for you to watch. Inevitably, the majority of videos on YouTube regarding Jehovah’s Witnesses are less than flattering about the organization and its teachings. This is also a nightmare scenario for the Society, because they want to be able to control what kind of material people watch about them, rather than leave a “worldly” website such as YouTube free rein to indiscriminately promote undesirable JW-related material.
For the above two reasons, having professionally produced videos in circulation on the Internet in any form is a bad idea for the Society, and yet a number have been produced already. So far, the Society has uploaded the following videos to its website…
◾A video promoting the project to build a new World Headquarters in upstate New York, despite the Governing Body’s recent admission that they are uncertain of Jehovah’s will in regard to their plans
◾A video showing the recent project to display literature on stands in the center of Manhattan, hosted by Robert Warren. Robert works in the Watchtower’s “Office of Public Information”, but keeps referring to “the Witnesses” throughout the video as though he is an impartial reporter.
◾A follow-up video dramatizing a commuter stopping to look at JW literature on a stand in Grand Central Station
◾A video showing a man in South Africa expressing his appreciation for the “Simplified English” version of the Watchtower
◾A video emphasizing the relief work that was launched to help Witnesses who were affected by the Japanese tsunami. Although it is heartwarming to see Jehovah’s Witnesses looking out for one another, the example set by Jesus in the parable of the Good Samaritan highlights the Christian’s obligation to help all men – not just those who share your faith.
◾A video promoting the Watchtower entitled “No Other Magazine Comes Close”
Already a number of the above videos have found their way onto YouTube, prompting much discussion among those viewing them who have been impacted by the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses on a day-to-day basis. You might think this would be a welcome development for the Society – however, as I’ve explained, the very existence of YouTube and similar websites poses serious problems for the organization, and we are already starting to see the Watch Tower Society take matters into its own hands.
A Copyright Clampdown
The Society has recently started going to extraordinary lengths to curtail the influx of videos on YouTube that feature even the slightest portion of their material. For example, I recently posted a song on YouTube called “Sparlock We Love You”. The song was intended as a humorous parody of the Become Jehovah’s Friend DVD and it’s ill-fated villain – Sparlock the Warrior Wizard. The song I wrote and recorded was original, but the Society had the video removed after it had received over 10,000 views on the basis of a claim of copyright infringement (some of the pictures I used on the video were taken from the Society’s DVD).
In actual fact, under “fair use” laws, there is legally nothing wrong with using copyrighted material if it is intended as a parody for non-profit making purposes. However, I am unable to contest the decision to remove the video without potentially opening up a lawsuit and revealing my identity and contact details. Instead, I have re-uploaded the song minus any copyrighted material, which is viewable below…


To read my article on the “Become Jehovah’s Friend” DVD, please click here.
I mention the above video purely by way of illustrating the lengths that the Society will go to in pulling material off YouTube that presents its beliefs in a less than flattering light. Even the unedited version of the “Become Jehovah’s Friend” DVD was pulled from YouTube soon after being leaked, despite being described by the Society as “part of a worldwide Bible educational work supported by voluntary donations”. If you produce something that is free, educational, and intended for viewing by as many people as possible – then why have it withdrawn from YouTube? The answer: because you want to control who watches it, and under what circumstances it is watched.
The Internet – An Underestimated Foe
Considering the above, it seems the Society has seriously underestimated the internet (and YouTube in particular) by making so many of its videos available on its new version of JW.org. I firmly believe the Society will continue to publish videos on the website, the most interesting of which will soon after be pulled across onto YouTube – perhaps even by enthusiastic publishers, only to be later mirrored and dissected by those whose feelings towards the Society are less than cordial. That is certainly what appears to be happening now. The only way it could stop would be if the Society relented and stopped putting videos on its website. However, it seems committed to pressing ahead with this bold and rather naive strategy.
By enabling the free exchange of information, the internet is making it increasingly difficult for the Society to hide its more controversial teachings

As already discussed, another tactic the Society seems to have embraced is that of being extremely selective in how it disseminates the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses to the broader public. As I have already demonstrated, the Society will think nothing of posing questions of itself, only to respond to these questions in an extremely misleading way, either by concealing the true answers or failing to address the question altogether.
It’s regrettable that the Society feels inclined to promote its beliefs in such a shady and underhanded manner. However, the more I learn of the Society and its methods, the less these things come as a surprise to me. The only thing that does surprise me is the naivety with which the organization has seemingly embraced the challenge of trying to charm its most threatening foe, the internet, simply by offering up this sparkling new website with its highly-produced videos.
One of the marvellous things about the internet is that, by enabling communication and the free exchange of information, it becomes extremely difficult for people to hide the truth. In such a punishing environment of debate and free speech, the Society has struggled to enjoy the success and impressive growth of previous decades. I don’t see the launch of this website changing things. In fact, by launching these recent videos, the Society seems to have made their situation a whole lot more precarious.


* To read my response to the April 2nd letter in which I explain why the Society’s internet strategy will ultimately fail, please click here.
For more information on the Watch Tower Society’s view of masturbation, click here.
To read the above article in Hungarian, please click here.


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116 Responses to The new JW.org – Watchtower’s attempt to tame the internet

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 Terence hackett says:

 December 25, 2012 at 12:45 pm

because witnesses can’t masturbate they seek relief by marrying at a very young age with all the accompany problems that brings, I speak with experience and authority on this subject
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 Edward Shaw says:

 December 26, 2012 at 7:26 pm


Greg
 I also think that you lose some of your edge when you get to your masterbation topic. I would remove it, if you are really trying to show the faults of the Watchtower to genuine searchers of God.
I also agree. I read on and found that the richness of your earlier discussion and the points you had effectively made, were being weakened and “scattered” by this relatively trivial and single issue. You had the jugular….and then you slowly started to let go. Why not end the article with the bang? The MB issue helps us forgrt the real issues you discussed!!!
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 Cedars says:

 December 27, 2012 at 1:42 am

Thanks Edward. When the article was written, a masturbation video taken from JW.org was going viral on YouTube, perfectly illustrating why the JW.org-experiment was already backfiring.
To explain the relevance of the video, I needed to break the news to some with a sensitive disposition that masturbation is mentioned nowhere in the bible and can therefore not be labeled unscriptural, or a sin of any kind. I make no apologies for doing that, even if I recognise that perhaps it would have been better handled in a separate article.
The video has since been pulled from YouTube to spare the Society’s blushes, but one or two similar videos have since been uploaded. It seems they have a whack-a-mole job on their hands.
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 ck says:

 January 10, 2013 at 12:37 pm

I have never seen such a distorted view of what witnesses really teach from the Bible. they build up not tear down as you have done.
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 Cedars says:

 January 10, 2013 at 12:41 pm

ck – are you going to point out something unfactual that I have written in the article, or are you just going to, er, “tear down?”
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 Greg says:

 January 14, 2013 at 5:33 pm

I was just reviewing my response to you Cedars since you claim that I am a JW defender in my responses. Sadly it appears you were wrong again, I was actually trying to help you have a stronger point in your main article by removing the silly subject of masturbation that for some reason you and your friends can easily prove that God is perfectly fine with. I think your responses to me is what has molded my feelings toward you, and why I don’t like your attitude. If you are really interested in helping JW’s to convert, which you’re not, because you have nothing for them to convert to, you should discuss more serious matters, such as their beliefs that go against scripture like that Abraham, Issac, and Jacob will not be in the Kingdom of God, but CT Russell will be. Why they take out Jesus in 1 Peter 1 in the NWT (in the footnote in the big Bible) when talking about Jesus’ spirit being in the old testament prophets. Why They change the account in Acts where Stephen prays to Jesus. Why they ignore Thomas’ response to Jesus as “my lord and my God.” Why it is acceptable to add Jehovah into the New Testament, but not acceptable to use the greek septuagint (which is older than all surviving hebrew transcripts) for translating the old testament which uses LORD in place of YHWH. Why Jesus would lie when saying that he would be with his Church until the end of time, but really mean he would stop being with them right after the apostles died and wouldn’t fully be with them again until 1870 something, or is it 1919 now? It is a joke.
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 Matt says:

 January 16, 2013 at 5:13 am

In response to your view on disfellowshipping family members and ‘shunning’, I point you to Matthew 10:34-37 “Do not think I came to put peace upon the earth; I came to put, not peace, but a sword. For I came to cause division, with a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a young wife against her mother-in-law. Indeed, a man’s enemies will be persons of his own household. He that has greater affection for father or mother than for me is not worthy of me; and he that has greater affection for son or daughter than for me is not worthy of me.”
In Jesus’ own words we see how we should view family members who are unrepentant in their sins against Jehovah. We see examples such as when Adam chose Eve over God, and when Korah’s sons stood apart from him in the wilderness.
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 Cedars says:

 January 16, 2013 at 5:19 am

Matt – you’re probably uncomfortable with reading Christ’s words in context, but given the fact that his overall message was one of love, the quoted scripture clearly refers to opposition toward Christians by their relatives rather than the other way round, i.e. the shunning of family members. How else would you explain the parable of the prodigal son, where no clear repentance was shown (only “worldly sadness”) but the son was welcomed back anyway with open arms? In any case, even if you think shunning of relatives is acceptible over moral issues (which I don’t), you cannot possibly excuse the shunning of relatives who disagree with an organization that itself admits to being wrong in the past.
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 Cedars says:

 January 16, 2013 at 5:30 am

By the way (regarding context), the fact that Christ was here discussing ostracism by non-believers is clearly evident by verses 32 and 33 where it says: “Everyone, then, that confesses union with me before men, I will also confess union with him before my Father who is in the heavens; but whoever disowns me before men, I will also disown him before my Father who is in the heavens.”
Of course, if you really want to believe in cruel un-Christian teachings you can more-or-less bend any scripture to suit your viewpoint.
Cedars
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 Anonymous says:

 January 16, 2013 at 6:22 pm


Matt
 In response to your view on disfellowshipping family members and ‘shunning’, I point you to Matthew 10:34-37 “Do not think I came to put peace upon the earth; I came to put, not peace, but a sword. For I came to cause division, with a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a young wife against her mother-in-law. Indeed, a man’s enemies will be persons of his own household. He that has greater affection for father or mother than for me is not worthy of me; and he that has greater affection for son or daughter than for me is not worthy of me.”
In Jesus’ own words we see how we should view family members who are unrepentant in their sins against Jehovah. We see examples such as when Adam chose Eve over God, and when Korah’s sons stood apart from him in the wilderness.
Hello Matt. We know Jesus’ sword which will pit family members against each other is the way each individual will view Him, not the way individuals view the WatchTower Society’s policies. Read WatchTower publications very carefully. Most writings are mere suggestions. Elders take these suggestions and run with them, teaching these suggestions as “The Truth”.
An individual’s relationship is with Jesus and Jehovah. Since these Two read hearts even after a person is disfellowshipped, the individual’s repentence may be acknowledged by Jesus and Jehovah, our Saviours, not the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Inc., a publishing business.
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 Frank says:

 January 22, 2013 at 1:44 am

Anonymous, thank you, good comment.
Regarding the “suggestions” made by the Soceity, it goes deeper than that. This case study will illustrate what is happening behind the scenes:
A young teenager got baptised to please her mother. She left home as soon as she finishes school, and was inactive for some 30 years. She then decides she should start associating again. She makes good progress, and tells the elders that she has a smoking problem, and is doing everything she can to overcome it. They meet as a body, review all the circumstances, and decide that her decision to get baptised was made under coercion, and that she is, as far as the congregation is concerned, a non-witness.
 All goes well, until a letter arrives from the Society. A relative of this woman, living far away, has heard of developments, and has written the Society. Why has this person not been disfellowshipped? The elders investigate further, and discover that the whistle-blowing relative has a personal bias ( maybe even malice) towards the returning “prodigal daughter”.
So the elders write back to the Society, and confirm that they have investigated, and believe that their decision is the correct one.
In response the Society despatches two senior representatives, who proceed to threaten the elders that if they do not “fall in line” with the Society’s “suggestions” – they will find themselves removed. And perhaps subjects of further action. Which is what happened. Some of the people moved, to escape, and some got “hunted down” and are now ex-witnesses. Unhappiness all round.
The Organization, we are told, is always right.
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 Alden says:

 January 16, 2013 at 6:30 am

This does not justify the use of torture upon non-believing relatives – and shunning is torture!
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 Matt says:

 January 16, 2013 at 6:40 am

Your own context quote just further proves my point. If a person does something wrong in the eyes of Jehovah and Jesus and is unrepentant about it, then they are in effect disowning them, to which Jesus stated that he would disown them in turn. If we accept someone that Jehovah has disowned to be a part of our life then we are choosing to side with them instead of Jehovah.
As for 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 you state that it does not say it applies to the ‘family circle’ to which you are correct, but it also doesn’t say that the ‘family circle’ is exempt either. It says to anyone called a ‘brother’ which as you pointed out would be anyone in the congregation who unrepentantly sins. The key word there isn’t ‘brother’ but rather ‘anyone’. Certain family connections can’t be put off as easy, and the scriptures allow for necessary family matters to be handled with such ones. It is up to the individual and their relationship with Jehovah to decide exactly what constitutes necessary family matters.
Essentially that’s what everything comes down to, our own personal relationship with Jehovah, not with the organization. Yes the organization isn’t perfect, it’s made up of imperfect people, but even the first century Christians had issues that Paul had to keep reminding them about. That didn’t mean that they weren’t his chosen people.
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 William E Enoch Sr says:

 January 16, 2013 at 9:11 pm


ty
 You permissive people are crazy. Those that lived in Noah’s time also thought they could do as they please, without consequence. They were all destroyed in the flood! Guess what? God only approved of Noah at that time. There weren’t a whole variety of acceptable religions on the earth. Why was Noah saved – He was doing Gods will. He was a preacher of righteousness and he followed Gods instructions and built the arc. Shew! that was hard work – It must have been restrictive. But the bible says – “Noah did just so”. Obedience is key to survival.
 When Moses and Joshua let the Israelite’s into the promised land and conquered many kingdoms, it was clear that only they had Gods approval. They were Gods approved congregation on the earth.
 When Jesus and his apostles were on the earth (Mathew to Revelation) only they were approved by God. No other religion was acceptable. Why were they approved by God? They were obedient and were doing Gods will.
 Ummm? notice a trend here?
 So how can we identify the truth in our time?
 OPEN YOUR EYES! – Who are doing Gods will today? (Certainly not the Author of this blog). Who are obedient to the bibles teachings, who are teaching others about gods kingdom? And very importantly – who are called by God’s name – Jehovah. The bible says he would take a people for his name. – Only Jehovah’s witnesses.
 The watchtower prints more literature than any other organization on earth. Not good enough for you? Well all this literature is offered with out cost and supported purely by voluntary contributions. It is an amazing organization and clearly has the backing of the True God, Jehovah. In fact it is his organization.
 How foolish it was for those during Noah’s time to ignore his warning about the flood. They must have laughed, ridiculed and jeered at him….Until the floodgates of the heavens opened.
 To those who ridicule Jehovah’s organization, think carefully. You might actually find yourself fighting against God.
Hello Ty. We know the Bible characters you mention were saved or chosen to do great things because of their works or doing God’s will prior to their calling. By God’s Grace He chose them for His Glory. Moses was simply minding his own business as was Noah and the fishermen, tax collector, ect. apostles. It was after God’s Grace chose them to do His Will that they did His Will and earned the Bible’s description of their character.
Likewise, it isn’t by us being good, obedient, saying Lord Lord or producing 45 million Watchtower magazines per month as a publishing giant or doing something we think is great in the natural world. It is only by Grace in the spiritual world.
Before you assume certain ones are ridiculing Jehovah’s organization, please understand there is a difference between ridicule and sharing true and necessary information. Are you aware much of WatchTower policy is based upon Pharasaic-style rules which the Bible is silent on. Many of us understand ridicule has no solution. Information sets the atmosphere for solution. When is the last time you researched the legal enity called Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Inc.? When is the last time you read the Bible without the conjecture of the Governing Body? The spirit of the scriptures is love and Grace not sacrifice, or imposing of any unscriptual rules.
By the way, the “works” which Apostle James spoke of is not preaching work. Read the contex.
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 Alden says:

 January 17, 2013 at 5:02 am

Jesus uses the reference to a sword but who carries this sword by its handle, the unbelieving relatives or the believer? It’s possible that unbelieving relatives shun the believer because he or she is “odd”, but the believer only tries to win over his contemporaries with love. The believer resorts to love as his or her “weapon”.
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 Alden says:

 January 19, 2013 at 12:50 am

Are my comments not worthy of any note?
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 Frank says:

 January 19, 2013 at 9:37 am

Masturbation is evidently of serious concern to the WT Society – evidently more so in the Bethel homes, where dozens, maybe hundreds of young people are housed together, and in daily contact with each other – but marriage is controlled.
Readers might like to remember that before 1972, Bethelites were NOT allowed to marry – if they wished to remain in Bethel. That was WT Society Law. Just like the Catholics – forbidding to marry. (1 Tim 4:) Led to some very tragic situations – Bethelites who married secretly, others who got involved in immorality. Very simply, Bethel is a very unhealthy environment – in many ways – but that is another (very long) story. As the saying going, it looks “nice from far, but is far from nice”
There is of course the infamous account of the Bethelite who was cruelly victimised for pointing out to NH Knorr that as Knorr had just “given himself permission” to get married, he (Knorr) should leave Bethel.
To read more, Google “Charles De Wilda”.
A truly fine example of WT Society love in action.
[Best account seems to be in the chapter: Memoirs of Bill Cetnar, in The Four Presidents Of The Watch Tower Society by Edmund C. Gruss]
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 Alden says:

 January 20, 2013 at 8:38 am

Hey forum members, I just saw a recording of a Billy Graham show from 1982. I was surprized to see how much the old guy had learned in the meantime!
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 Frank says:

 January 21, 2013 at 7:11 am

ty,
 please read the other pages of this blog before you comment. You would find that the points you raise have already been refuted. However, for the record, something for you to think about:
Called by the Name of Jehovah
 You first of all quote Acts 15: 15 – 17. However – is there any evidence that that 1st century Christians were “called by the name Jehovah”?
If so – please supply, with references from reliable secular sources.
In the meantime, readers might like to remember that Acts 11: 16 clearly states that BY DIVINE PROVIDENCE the believers, first known as ‘The Way’, became known as CHRISTIANS.
 In Acts 26: 28 Agrippa says to Paul – you would persuade me to become me to become a CHRISTIAN.
 1 Peter 4:16 says – those that suffer as a CHRISTIAN need feel no shame.
And, consider the book of Acts. Most of the people the Apostles and other Christians preached to were Gentiles – with little or zero knowledge of Judaism. Where is any record that the disciples preached anything except the Good News about the Christ? If it had been so vital to preach about Jehovah, surely it would be mentioned? And given equal importance?
Under the tutelage of the Watchtower, you completely lose the message of Christianity – to be WITNESSES OF JESUS CHRIST. What you have is a curious type of Judaism with Christian overtones, with most of the emphasis on the Hebrew Scriptures. Entire pulications dedicated to the books of Kings, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel (twice) and the ‘minor’ prophets.
Secondly, Russell started publishing in 1879 – yet it was only in the time of Rutherford, 1931, that the decision was made to take on the name “Jehovah’s Witnesses.”
Why the 52 year gap? Or was it the case that Rutherford, hugely concerned that masses had left the Organization after the failures of the “firm predictions” about 1925, decided that a name change was urgently needed, to make a fresh start?
About the supply of literature “without cost”.
Please – be honest. The letter from the Society was very explicit – that publishers were NOT to suggest or imply that there was no cost involved. Hence the little contribution bags marked WWW. I was there – I have clear records of the event.
And, as you must agree – the publishers now carry the cost. And if a congregation does no submit sufficinet money to the Society, it receives a letter, reminding the congregation of it’s obligation to support the World Wide Work. And – if the congregation still fails to respond, and investigation by the Circuit Overseer determines that they are in a financial position to contribute – then the Society suspends literature shipments, except for essential study articles.
Prior to this, all literature was bought and sold at the Kingdom hall, at prices determined by the Society. Literature servants had to maintain inventory, and make reconciliations. Which were carefully checked by the Circuit Overseer. Not surprisingly, people outside the Organization concluded that it was running a commercial business – and therefore taxable. Hence the hurried change-over to a “new arrangement” in the mid 1990s.
Are Jehovah’s Witnesses the only ones preaching the Kingdom? Only people living in their own little world could suggest that. The Plain Truth at one time surpassed the Watchtower in circulation. There are any number of journals, web-pages, and other Bible-based publication in circulation. Many Christians simply use the Bible. Just the like early disciples did. My suggestion to you is, you need to get out more. Talk openly with people from other “denominations”. If you refrain from arguing with them, you may just learn that they are not as ignorant as they are presented to be – and in some instances have a more accurate grasp of Bible truth than the Witnesses do.
Final thought from Peter – Acts 10: 34, 35 – “For a certainty God is not partial, but in every nation the man that fears Him and works righteousness is acceptable to Him.”
Interesting words – considering that Cornelius was neither a Jew, nor a proselyte, (and not yet a Christian) – at that point he was simply a God-fearing Roman Army Officer.
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 D. M. George says:

 January 21, 2013 at 9:41 pm

I was df for many years. I’m now back. The ONLY REASON I came back is so that my brainwashed (my own doing) kids would talk to me. I made a mistake. Yes! But did that one mistake erase all the good I had done as a hard working father, providing materially and spiritually for them? In the eyes of the effed up minds of the “elders” it did. So I came back. I’m a jw now to them so I can visit with my own children again. But know this: JW’s and the society are corrupt from the top down. (I know, i was an elder from when they first made elders in 1972) If the only incentive for remaining a JW is to be able to talk to your own flesh and blood then I must conclude that Jesus has failed miserably in his mission. Take away the sting of leaving the JW religion and watch the mass exodus. Indeed their enforcement of disfellowshipped laws is the only thing holding this religion together right now. So I go to meetings and sit and ride around in a car a couple of hours a month and mow some grass for free and swab out a John on occasion, because if I don’t I will loose my family that I raised without the help of one effen elder!!!!!!
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 D. M. George says:

 January 21, 2013 at 10:05 pm

JW’s Claim to preach the kingdom message. They say they have covered the earth spreading the good news of the Kingdom. That because of their work Matt 24:14 is fulfilled and the great tribulation is upon us. Strange that when you ask some if they have ever heard of JW’s they will most likely say yes. But if you ask what is the main teaching of JW’s you will get a blank stare! Then perhaps a list of things JW’s don’t believe like holidays, voting,blood transfusions etc. but you will never hear someone reply that JW’s believe in Gods Kingdom. Why not? Because they don’t ever talk about it. Not at their meetings or from door to door. Not even in their publications. Only brief token mention of it can be found in all the above mentioned places. Take the challenge you JW’s ask anyone you meet if they know JW’s then ask what they believe. If you are truly teaching and preaching the Kingdom message as you claim then that is the answer you will get…..but you won’t because you don’t .
Reply
 

 Frank says:

 January 22, 2013 at 1:16 am

Alden, please read the comment carefully. There is no mention of hatred toward JWs as individuals. Most folk feel sorry for them, especially for the young ones – all deceived into following a man-made Organization.
Scripturally, as you know, it is quite correct to hate what is bad. The Watchtower Society is merely reaping what it has sown.
To conclude, would you mind if I ask you a question: based on your present understanding, is it necessary to be a member the JW Organization to qualify as a real Christian?
Reply
 

 Frank says:

 January 22, 2013 at 8:32 am

For those interested in developments in other languages here’s a link to a Serbo-Croatian site:
http://www.svjedoci.net/
[Google translate tries its best, and most of it is readable.]
Topics Discussed: 1914, 1975, Did Jesus appoint an Organization to act as his ‘faithful and discrete slave’? False Prophecy, This Generation . . . and Should Christian Have A Cat (more below)
Sample:
 Topic: God’s “organization”
 “The attempt to compel all men to think alike on all subjects, culminated in the great apostasy and the development of the great Papal system” – Watchtower Reprints, September 1, 1893, p1572
“Beware ‘Organization’. it is completely unnecessary” Watchtower Reprints, September 15, 1895, p1866 (CT Russell)
Followed by a pretty thorough discussion of the issues
Whatever you do – read the article:
SHOULD CHRISTIANS HAVE A CAT?
A delicious piece of irony that perfectly illustrates how the WT develops its ‘official’ doctrines
Reply
 

 Alden says:

 January 22, 2013 at 11:02 pm

Very nice to meet you, Frank! I just don’t like putting all JWs into one basket. I know some very devoted and sincere witnesses. You pose a very good question, however, that deserves a good answer; no, I no longer believe that membership to the Watchtower Society is necessary to please God. It is only a reference. True salvation only comes from our relationship to our Saviors Jesus, the Son of God, and to his Father Jehovah (or Jahve if you will). Organizations may be of help, but not always. The institutions have a bad track record in general and the WTS is not exempt from this. I am a very religious person by nature but I abhor religious fanaticism in all its forms. I even recognize that I have fallen prey on occasions, which I regret deeply. The WTS has some very good doctrinal points: to this day I remain a “Unitarian” in my beliefs; I do not believe in a hellfire of torment, and to take up arms and participate in human wars is abhorrent to me. So the Witnesses do not have everything going against them. It’s their allegiance to the WTS that is disturbing because many have made a “golden calf” about it. The word “faithful and discreet slave” departs from their lips more often than the name of our Lord Jesus. The danger is that it has induced many to acts normally contrary to their Christian demeanor; especially the shunning and blood policies. To convince a mother to never even write an email to one of their children, for example, reminds one of fascist or communist dictatorships – horrifying! Unfortunately, as far as organizations go, we’re still in a grocery store where we have to pick the good fruits from the bad. My Christian love to all in the forum!
Reply
 

 Frank says:

 January 23, 2013 at 12:19 am

Thanks, Alden,
 likewise, good to meet you. (Pity we can’t get together for coffee and a really long chat.) Your comment is a good summary of feelings and viewpoints I also share, look forward to reading more from you.
Read something interesting about the role of Organizations – they can be like a tutor, leading us to Christ – Galations 3:24, 25.
All the best, Frank (the one from sunny Southern Africa)
Reply
 
 Alden says:

 January 23, 2013 at 1:15 am

Sure Frank, we’ll have that cup of coffee some day!
 Yes, organizations can tutor us when they take their grave responsibility seriously. They can never substitute the Christ who is the Head of every man. They must be like John the Baptist who never dreamed of rivalry with the Christ. Cheers mate!
Reply
 
 

 Mandaley says:

 January 25, 2013 at 11:30 am

This is very interesting. I certainly will check out that source you referenced in your comment. If what you wrote is true, how selfish of N.H. Knorr to decide he alone should get married. I have also witnessed a few of these very sad moments in Bethel history. WT policy is not unlike the demands Catholicism makes on its priests and nuns and one of the clearest signs of apostasy!
An example of the tough rhetoric on marriage JWs are subjected to week after week appears in the May 15, 2012 WT. After referencing the mixed marriages of repatriated Israelites in Ezra’s day, it states: “A Christian who marries an unbeliever is not exemplary and lacks real appreciation for God’s gift of marriage. Entering such a union after baptism can cost one some privileges among God’s people. And it would be illogical to expect blessings while admitting in prayer, ‘Jehovah, I deliberately disobeyed you, but please bless me anyway.'”
How arrogant to presume what prayers God hears. What an abysmal misapplication of Ezra. Christians today are not natural Israelites responsible for the survival of temple worship and the Holy Seed. Even the admonition in 1 Corinthians 7 can be understood in the context of “community of goods,” where Christians had to be wary that non-believers were joining their ranks solely for the charity involved. There are just too many examples and principles in the Bible that condemn the control of marriage.
Reply
 
 Alden says:

 January 26, 2013 at 1:16 am

Hi Mandaley, nice to meet you. Marriage is a risky adventure wherever you go. While being a JW myself I wouldn’t wish my worst enemy to marry one, unless the other person is of the same frame of mind. The Society uses the wrong approach here. They are adding insult to injury when they make such a judgement. The person may or may not regret marrying a “non-believer”, but it doesn’t help to give them another kick when they are down or to rob them of a good conscience because they have found their mate of a lifetime. You can’t put all “non-believers” in one basket either. One sister who had married a non-JW said that, if given the opportunity again, she would marry him all over! That doesn’t get published in the magazines. Marriage is a matter of heart and we don’t dare trespass on people’s hearts.
Reply
 
 Mandelay says:

 February 15, 2013 at 9:58 am

Hi Frank, I haven’t been here in a while due to computer problems, but I appreciated your response to my comments. Interestingly, the five pre-baptism questions on marriage do not delve any further than the basics…I will post more shortly.
Reply
 
 
 

 Mandaley says:

 January 25, 2013 at 11:34 am

Oops! I apologize. My comment was in reply to Frank’s comment Jan 19 at 9:37 am. I am not sure how to or if I can link my reply to that particular comment.
Reply
 

 Peter says:

 January 25, 2013 at 1:09 pm

D. M. George
The bible says that only a small amount of people would hear the good news of the Kingdom, Satan blinds people to the truth about Jah’s kingdom.
The bad is always easier to remember, the Good takes work and repetition because it is easily
 forgotten.
☺Tell the same person a dirty Joke and he’ll recipe it by heart
Reply
 

 Alden says:

 January 26, 2013 at 1:07 am

Dear Peter, nice to meet you. No doubt Jesus said that the road to life is narrow and few are those finding it. Besides hoping that we are on the right road, what we are worried about is if not the Society is making things more narrow than necessary. Jesus also said that we should have life in abundance. Does that not also apply to our present lives? How can anyone presume to tell a mother to never speak or write to her child ever again before certain conditions are met, or to tell a mother that it is “better” that a child die rather than it accept a blood transfusion? Hasn’t the Society overstepped its jurisdiction? These are among the most prominent transgressions that are continually being admonished on the part of “Caesar”, but being turned a deaf ear. There are many smaller issues, too, that could be ignored when only involving theological issues. But when lives are affected drastically by the decisions of an institution of imperfect men, don’t we have the right and obligation to make our own decisions withought duress? The head of every man is the Christ, not any human committee, and He will be the judge. May you have peace.
Reply
 

 Frank says:

 January 26, 2013 at 4:41 am

Thanks for your comment, Mandaley.
 Would this be a good place to mention the cases of the sisters who married elders, and then had to seek divorce because their “god-fearing” husbands abused them? Among those who have grown up in “the Truth” the rate of divorce appears to be about the same as the general population. Not to mention the couples that stay together because divorce would not leave them free to remarry at some future time.
Or what happens when the WT Society invites itself into people’s bedrooms, and private lives, and suddenly there is a weird “menage a trois” situation.
Or the way the WT Society likes to get control of the womenfolk
 (2 Tim 3: 6 ) One well-trodden path is to persuade the wives of men regarded as “free-thinkers” (i.e. independent) to inform on their husbands. Reminds me how Saul used his daughter to try destroy David.
Reply
 

 matt says:

 February 4, 2013 at 4:00 pm

its funny when you look at numbers and statistics. “Are you saying you are more clever than the over 7,3 million people who view the WT as the God’s organization??? ..”
Ceders is 1 in 7 billion or so people who don’t view the WT as the God’s organization. Are 7 billion more clever than 7.3 million? If it was only one person, Mandla, who believed in the WTBTS you would still say Ceders was thick! lol
Reply
 

 KtotheRAD "Konrad" says:

 February 4, 2013 at 5:27 pm

Matt,
 By your “bandwagon” logic, your own charges as a JW against Christendom and especially the Catholic Church which once was and apparently still is guilty of the very things that the Watchtower Society hypocritically pointed a finger at while squashing it’s own skeletons….would prove invalid. Simply put? Your logic based on numbers is childishly inane. It’s reality of who and what the “Faithful and Discrete Slave” is or will prove to be or was it merely a question and what Jehovah is doing right now that you have the issue to cope with and not Cedars or anyone here! “Worship that is pure and undefiled” as well as “as befits holy people” and “stop touching the unclean thing…and I will take you in” are all to be considered. It doesn’t say where the unclean thing is. Unclean is unclean!
Reply
 

 Ann a.k.a Gypsy Sam says:

 March 27, 2013 at 6:45 am

Cedars,
 I’m curioius to know if you receive higher web traffic today and for the next few days. The chairman closed the Memorial talk last night with a plug for the jworg site. He said it just that way, without jw-dot-org, so I wonder if you’ll get any curious misdirects. Hopefully, if they come here, their brain will be in the on position and ready to learn the truth about the truth. Thanks for all your hard work.
Reply
 

 George says:

 March 10, 2014 at 4:10 am

This comment is not evangelical.
What is happening right now is just like what happened in Paul and Jesus’ times.
I know perfectly well that this will happen. I’m not supprised because even Jesus was considered as a mad man by other. Infact if you were alive when Jesus was on earth, you all would have spoken against him. That’s what apostates do.
You be careful, the most important work on earth right now is to preach about “The good news of God’s Kingdom”. Why will you speak against those who are doing it, meanwhile you are not doing it too.
Are you all to assigned to judge?
Do you all remember what Gamaliel told the other Sanhedrin members at Acts 5:34-39? “……………Do not meddle with these men, but let them alone; because, if this scheme or this work is from men, it will be overthrown; but if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them; otherwise, you may perhaps be found fighters actually against GOD”
Do you also remember what Jesus said at Mateo 13:24-30 about the wheat and the weeds?
THIS IS NOT YOUR WORK. STOP IT, OR “YOU MAY PERHAPS BE FOUND FIGHTERS ACTUALLY AGAINST GOD”
Reply
 

 So glad to be out says:

 March 10, 2014 at 8:13 am

George
 Your comment, with the attempt to scare, is meaningless. I left over 30 years ago. JW scare tactics are for those who live in fear. Why did you come onto this site? With an open heart to learn or with a closed mind to hurl abuse? Perhaps with some reflection, you may want to apologise? I will not hold my breath, as I know most JW’s do not known about humility or freedom of thought. I hope one day when you find out that you have been duped by a multi-million marketing machine, that you will go into recovery and will have some good years with out guilt or fear. You will realise that all your fearful threats were what you had been taught by a very powerful, crafty multi level marketing effort. Thats all – You will no doubt be sad about the deceit, but you will be free to think, breath and express yourself. I hope your wake call is sooner rather than later.
Reply
 

 Bastion says:

 June 20, 2014 at 5:18 am

@Greg “you have nothing for them to convert to”. I don’t think Cedars wants to convert JWs to anything. He just wants to expose the GB’s shortcommings. I really wouldn’t like this site to discuss the theological nitty-gritty that you think is soo important.
Reply
 

 JOHN ROSS says:

 July 11, 2014 at 1:13 pm

SWEET! :)
Reply
 

 Johnny Gardner says:

 September 22, 2014 at 8:36 am

Build up?????? I beg to differ. All I have experienced over many years is their two faced attitude. Yes two faced! They don’t practice all that they claim to believe. I can relate to this first hand so I know what I’m talking about. Hipocrits is what I see and have experienced from my own family and ex wife.
Reply
 

 Jun says:

 October 8, 2014 at 6:02 am

Hi there, you know even you are powerful like that of Satan i think you’ll be like him you that you will absolutely fail to stop the Jehovah’s witnesses. If you have a good intention why posting a lot of criticism to their work. Why not turn to do good yourself to contribute peace to your country. I hope you have no good relationship with your family, neighbor and even to the community.
Reply
 

 Terence hackett says:

 October 9, 2014 at 7:33 am

That last remark was not a Christian reply, it’s always best to confront and deal with the issues than to pretend they don’t exist.
Reply
 

 ken brewer says:

 December 11, 2014 at 11:38 am

57 yrs trapped in the hipnotic mind control of this CORPORATION, it is (CRIMINAL) !!! FRAUD!! a complete abuse of exactly what rutherford set out and successfully acomplished,RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, (extortion).There legal team is powerfull,what happen to relying on jokhova! The graves cry out foe JUSTICE!russell,rutherford and knorr should be dragged from there grave$$$ Political correctness and public safe guards B/S its FRAUD ! FRAUD ! FRAUD ! = JUSTICE ! W. t. F !!
Reply
 

 ken brewer says:

 December 11, 2014 at 11:50 am

FOOLS! you are all FOOLS,any one who dares support this CRIMINAL corporation,is either ignorant,and completely blind to it,OR truly inbraces this MAD (CONCEPT)either and OR your baptism to this CORPORATION will infact seperate you from your TRUE savior CHRIST and align you with JOKHOVA! it is your choice at least they allow you that much,and only!that MUCH ! forgive them LORD they no NOT what they DO!!
Reply
 

 ken brewer says:

 December 11, 2014 at 12:07 pm

FOOL! he who is with out sin cast the first STONE! and,JESUS knows the hearts of every man woman and child ! This CORPORATION is exactly that a CORPORATION! Dare you compare the works of our saviour to these wicket MEN! spiritism,in there earliest works,occult alignment,how many failed proficies,policies ever changing, that infact KILL people,doctrine that is swung from the HIP,a bible by all< ALL historians,scholars,hebrew,and greek,that denounce its authority,even falsely site,ing there support,Please !! try another angel! I can go on and on as to the true NATURE of this CRIME,however the CURTAIN will come DOWN,and I personaly hope these frauds are made accountable!!
Reply
 

 Dodo says:

 May 25, 2015 at 12:47 pm

Ok guys, if you don’t like JW, just go around with a priest for a rape or go with muslims for a nice beheading, or go and sing/dance with the evangelist in the name of “Jesus” or maybe you prefer to meditate on selfishness with Buddha? Oh wait, and what about the Mormons, a nice way to hace 25 wives ! You’re all ridiculous, simply ridiculous.
Reply
 

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Anthony Morris III attends 2012 Special Convention in Dublin
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Posted on August 9, 2012

The “Special Convention” held in Dublin in 2012 was attended by Governing Body member Anthony Morris III

The Irish 2012 Special Convention was recently held at the Citywest Hotel complex in Dublin, and was attended by Governing Body member Anthony Morris III. The event, which received coverage in the local media, was organized predominantly for the benefit of Irish Jehovah’s Witnesses, who saw their local branch office put up for sale in 2011 as part of a global downsizing initiative.
The convention, one of seven “Special Conventions” to be held this year around the world, was attended by approximately 1,700 delegates from various countries. The Sunday attendance figure of 9,341 made it the largest ever convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Ireland.


In addition to paying a large sum of money for the privilege of attending, delegates from the UK were asked to apply only if they met the following stringent criteria:
◾Must be 19 years of age or older
◾Must have been baptized for 20 years or longer
◾Must be an elder/servant, OR in full-time service, OR an “exemplary publisher”
◾Children of those meeting the above criteria, provided they are between the ages of 12 and 18, are also “exemplary publishers”, and are still living at home
◾Must be “in good health and not in need of the assistance of someone else, nor dependent on a wheelchair, an auxiliary oxygen supply, or similar health-related devices”
◾Those with “severe obesity” or “serious sight or hearing limitations” to give “serious and prayerful consideration to their health limitations and personal safety before applying to become a delegate”.
Applications for delegate status were also conditional on booking a minimum seven-night package at the hotel where the event was organized. The convention itself lasted three days, with the remaining days both before and after allocated to theocratic activities and association. Delegates were taken on guided tours of Dublin City Centre, and treated to live Irish music and dancing in the conference suites.
Below, you can download mp3 files of the three talks given by Anthony Morris III between 13th and 15th of July, 2012.
◾Do You Have a Heart for Working?
◾Do Not Let Your Heart Become Terrified (Part 1)
◾Do Not Let Your Heart Become Terrified (Part 2)
◾Inculcate God’s Word In Little Hearts (Part 1)
◾Inculcate God’s Word In Little Hearts (Part 2)
In his final talk at the Convention, Anthony Morris III introduced the controversial DVD “Become Jehovah’s Friend: Listen, Obey and Be Blessed” on which he himself appears (making introductory remarks on one of the menu features). As some of you will know, I have written an article explaining why I believe this DVD contains certain scenes that could potentially damage critical thinking skills in young children.
A video of Anthony Morris introducing the DVD can be seen below:


For more information on Anthony Morris III, or indeed the Governing Body in general, please read my blog article entitled “The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses – Explained“.








Related links:
◾Negative publicity in Ireland regarding shunning
◾Blog article containing photos of the event
◾Irish times article on Special Convention
◾Irish times article on sale of Irish branch office


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53 Responses to Watchtower’s advice on mental health: A tale of two religions


Newer Comments →

 anonymous says:

 October 17, 2014 at 2:23 am

That article is absolutely trying to deceive the public. If a Witness goes to a professional for help, it would be understood that they would have to reveal “confidential” matters. They are lying to the public. We all know that we can not seek professional help because it stands to reason; how can we get help if we can’t talk about what is going on in our lives at the Kingdom Hall?????
Reply
 

 Excelsior! says:

 October 17, 2014 at 4:17 am

James, another excellent article, sir!
This two faced approach, or the “Janus Effect” is common to all high control groups. One message for the public to lure them in, quite another for the rank and file.
I sought professional help when I was disfellowshipped back in the mid 90s. It was of great assistance to me. My mental health has always been an issue, due to underlying medical problems. I am glad to say that I found ways to cope and I can function in society just fine.
I would echo your excellent advice, James. If you are suffering from mental health issues of any kind, seek professional help.
Thanks for a great article and I wish you all a great day!
Peace be with you,
Excelsior!
Reply
 

 Interrogative? says:

 October 17, 2014 at 5:06 am

At the 2014 Annual Assembly the fanatical way Jeoffrey Jackson shouted “Alleluyah” at the end of the speach “Who Will Attack God’s People” and the funeral way Anthony Morris expressed himself when saying “Well done good and faithful slave. Enter in the joy of your Master” at the end of the speech “The Parabole of the Talents” leaves much to desire regarding the mental health of some members of the GB, if not of all the 7 members.
Reply
 

 Bryan says:

 October 17, 2014 at 5:16 am

I know one animal that has a forked tongue and that would be a snake. We know where the snake resides in the bible. If only, the witnesses could do some critical thinking. It would become so glaring apparent that GOD may not be directing anything in their faith. A great article pointing out what is said to the public but not professed behind closed doors. They are snakes slithering around and silently waiting on who they may capture and eat. James, keep up the work. One article at a time the truth and deceit will be brought to light.
Reply
 

 Annoyed says:

 October 17, 2014 at 5:28 am

Also, they now have no problem on the platform (As I heard last night in a letter read) of promoting business and encouraging us to use specific hardware. We all know thanks to Cedars about tv.jw.org, but last night, during a letter from the GB talking about it, they mentioned they contracted a 3rd party (Outside for profit company) to make their devices compatible with tv.jw.org to watch it directly from your tv. As someone familiar with technology, there are plenty of devices that can do this, but they promoted this company called Roku and said we are to buy from them, and the information will be on the congregation board. Working in businesses, this is a business tactic where the GB told the company (After paying $$$ to have the software developed at a discount) that they guarantee so many sales from the rank and file. They are getting bold in their hypocrisy.
Reply
 

 Susan says:

 October 17, 2014 at 6:15 am

The older brother’s constant smiling face when the sister is discussing taking her life is mega creepy. The ending is hysterical. She says she “must be losing her mind” for not giving them cookies with their coffee, and then the older brother looks upward and thanks Jehovah. Why? For the cookies?! LOL
Reply
 

 BeenMislead says:

 October 17, 2014 at 7:14 am

Thanks James. Excellent article!
 Another example of the Watchtower Organization “Speaking from both sides of the mouth” is in their FAQ section on their website. For example:
The following is a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) on the JW website.
http://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/who-saved
————————————————————-
Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Feel That They Are the Only People Who Will Be Saved?
No. Many millions who lived in centuries past and who weren’t Jehovah’s Witnesses will have an opportunity for salvation. The Bible explains that in God’s promised new world, “there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Acts 24:15) Additionally, many now living may yet begin to serve God, and they too will gain salvation. In any case, it’s not our job to judge who will or won’t be saved. That assignment rests squarely in Jesus’ hands.—John 5:22, 27.
————————————————————-
The question was not asking who is going to be resurrected. Or who may yet become a Jehovah’s Witness. The real (honest) answer is obviously YES … as shown from the following Watchtower quotes. Once again they are not being honest in there answer.
“Make haste to identify the visible theocratic organization of God that represents his king, Jesus Christ. It is essential for life. Doing so, be complete in accepting its every aspect. We cannot claim to love God, yet deny his Word and channel of communication. … Therefore, in submitting to Jehovah’s visible theocratic organization, we must be in full and complete agreement with every feature of its apostolic procedure and requirements.” – (w67 10/1, Pg. 591, Following Faithful Shepherds with Life in View)
“But Jehovah God has also provided his visible organization, his “faithful and discreet slave,” made up of spirit-anointed ones, to help Christians in all nations to understand and apply properly the Bible in their lives. Unless we are in touch with this channel of communication that God is using, we will not progress along the road to life, no matter how much Bible reading we do.—Compare Acts 8:30-40.” – (w81 12/1, p. 27, The Path of the Righteous Does Keep Getting Brighter)
“A third requirement is that we be associated with God’s channel, his organization. God has always used an organization. For example, only those in the ark in Noah’s day survived the Flood, and only those associated with the Christian congregation in the first century had God’s favor. (Acts 4:12) Similarly, Jehovah is using only one organization today to accomplish his will. To receive everlasting life in the earthly Paradise we must identify that organization and serve God as part of it.” – (w83 2/15, p. 12, You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth—But How?)
“Only Jehovah’s Witnesses, those of the anointed remnant and the “great crowd,” as a united organization under the protection of the Supreme Organizer, have any Scriptural hope of surviving the impending end of this doomed system dominated by Satan the Devil.” – (w89 9/1, Pg. 19, Remaining Organized for Survival Into the Millennium)
“For the security and survival of true worshipers, an arklike spiritual paradise exists. (2 Corinthians 12:3, 4) To be preserved through the great tribulation, we must remain in that paradise.“ – (w03 12/15, p. 19, par. 22, Our Watchfulness Takes On Greater Urgency)
“Soon, Jehovah’s day will come. Now is the time to return to our heavenly Father’s loving arms and to the congregation—the only safe haven in these last days.—Deut. 33:27; Heb. 10:24, 25.” – (w13 11/15, p. 14, par. 17, How Can We Maintain “a Waiting Attitude”?)
Reply
 

 Jonathan says:

 October 17, 2014 at 7:45 am

That video is hilarious and creepy the old guy reminds me of the Cheshire Cat! Is that for real, seriously I can’t believe how messed up that is, “Read some Psalms when your feeling emotional,” Yeah like that’s a book of the bible with no emotional triggers in it whatsoever, why not just have her read Lamentations, lol.
 Better yet lets have songs about some dream of a resurrection and make our attendees sing it and then when they start to cry we tell them that they should be getting over it already.
 Maybe its a video of what not to do, because then it makes perfect sense.
 Nice article.
Reply
 

 rob says:

 October 17, 2014 at 8:36 am

I came to the conclusion a few years ago that it was impossible to be in a good mental state and remain a witness because in essence, what every member is told is that you pretty much have to be like the families on the stage presented at demonstrations at assemblies – perfect husband and wife and perfect kids who really want to go in service rather than play sports or go to a movie etc.
 If your family is “normal” and everyone in the family is not so perfect, you are constantly reminded from the platform that you are not doing enough and compared to other families, who on the surface may seem to be exemplary. That is when the conflicts arise between spouses or between parents and children and then starts the anxiety and maybe depression.
 In my opinion, it is the religion itself that is creating a lot of the mental illness among its members.
 It appeared to me that most witnesses would never disclose that they were suffering mentally as they would be afraid to be labelled as weak.
 To me, the witness religion is a façade of people who are trying to act like their lives are amazing and wonderful, because they are lucky to be a part of an organization that is so amazing and wonderful. But when one looks under the surface, they will quickly see the hipocrasy of this organization and the reality that most witnesses are really not that happy despite the plastic smiles on their faces.
Reply
 

 Jonathan says:

 October 17, 2014 at 9:28 am

Couldn’t agree more.
 I know witnesses who have sought professional help but they often make an agreement with the therapist to only go for counseling if the therapist agrees to not in any way to identify the organization as a cause of their problems. And I am not making that up either, they seriously do that.
 The witness self approach to therapy is something like, “Help yourself if you dare, just don’t find out what’s really wrong and definitely don’t try and fix the problem, just cope”
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 17, 2014 at 11:01 am

Inconsistency and confusion is endemic in this pseudo religion.
 After repealing the 13 year ban on transplants, they hypocritically
 claimed. “W,T, publications applaud transplants as procedures
 that have helped people.” Aw, 22/8/1989 P6
The recent Awake, James has brought to our attention, that
 promotes seeking professional help for mental illness, contradicts
 a previous awake article, designed as a put off against hypnotherapy.
 ( Which has had good results with depression, panic attacks,
 addictions, etc.)
While acknowledging the Bible is not a medical textbook, it then goes
 on to use the Bible to try and put the wind up us. Warning us of those
 Who “Bind others with a spell” Deut, 18/11.
Also it equated it with voodoo trances, and stage hypnosis, where
 people are made to do bizarre things they otherwise would not do.
 Awake,7/8/2003… This is the line elders would take if a doctor
 recommended hypnotherapy to any J,W,
More to be feared is mind control through indoctrination where people
 are made to believe bizarre things, purely on the word of men.
Reply
 

 Roby says:

 October 17, 2014 at 11:41 am

Excellence article James!!!
 You are exactly mentioning the split personality of WTS – one face for the outsiders to attract them and one face for real live within the JW community.
Would you like to have another example? Please have a look to JW.ORG FAQ’s about shunning of family members. At FAQ no shunning within the family:
“What of a man who is disfellowshipped but whose wife and children are still Jehovah’s Witnesses? The religious ties he had with his family change, but blood ties remain. The marriage relationship and normal family affections and dealings continue.”
Is that the messages you can find in watch tower articles – NO at all!
… and nearly nobody of our brothers and sisters are recognizing this tricky gamble. But actually some of them are already able for playing this game ;-)
Go on!
Reply
 

 da' says:

 October 17, 2014 at 12:40 pm

well .. isn’t this nice? After calling apostates “mentally” diseased , the recommendation is to seek professional help(worldly at best). How many witnesses past would have loved to be able to feel comfortable with doing that.
 How many Witnesses would have loved to further their education (college) How many witnesses would not have sold their homes (Armageddon looms) How many witnesses would have worried about doing anything normal – day to day activities feeling that to do so would put them in opposition. So… As Bro Glass , so many years ago said… Brothers… if you need to go to the dentist , GO ! In other words , witness or not, use common sense. It always amazed me that if a Witness had a physical issue, absolutely go to the doctor. Yet , when its a mental or emotional issue , it should be approved ? Is not the Brain(mind) and heart (emotion) part of this magnificent(yet imperfect) body ? Who has the right or authority to divide the medical treatment of those three((3)(same body)? What they don’t know, wont kill you , I feel , applies here. If you need ANY form of help, keep it to yourself , unless you are having JW.ORG cover the cost. Do what you need to do for yourself. Don’t share, you don’t have to . Its your business. Its usually then that things get complicated
Reply
 

 rob says:

 October 17, 2014 at 1:25 pm

da” I agree with your comments and this is the way things should be – a person should take responsibility for their own medical situation, should take control of their future whether it be going to university or selling their home or anything.
 However, in a cultlike religion, such as the witnesses, you are not allowed to think for yourself. You are a clone of every other witness and must act the same and look the same and talk the same.
 Controlling the flock is of primary importance. Being told by the powers that be, as to what is ok and what is not ok, is just what being part of the witness religion is all about and most witnesses appear to be ok with this or are too afraid to speak out.
Reply
 

 Wade Channell says:

 October 17, 2014 at 1:58 pm

When I served at Bethel I knew of two young men you experienced mental/emotional problems.
One confided to me that he had been cutting himself for a long time before coming to Bethel and was able to stop for a time. However he had a difficult time adjusting and fitting in among the rest of us and had returned to the practice of cutting himself.
Knowing that there was a Phychologist and a Psychiatrist on the infirmary staff I encouraged him to talk with the department overseer and get help. He did, and some time later I ran into him in the 124 Lobby as he was leaving Bethel. He made a point to introduce me to his parents and he was happier now that he was on medication to balance his moods.
Another young man became fixated on one of the single sisters serving at Bethel and just pretty much snapped. He would constantly call her, follow her, and she became concerned for her safety. He too was well cared for and given the proper treatment to help him.
Reply
 

 Thankyouall! says:

 October 17, 2014 at 2:24 pm

rob: I couldn’t have said it better. I came to the same conclusion as my own mental health was in decline. I had to climb out of the hole to save myself from further decline but when I did after tears & sadness, I needed time to myself to process what was happening to me. I couldn’t understand why I felt constantly confused & insecure because I wasn’t “spiritual” like everyone else. After I finally came out & confessed that I didn’t believe this shit anymore, clarity set in & I started to see the reality of this religion & for the past few years the double-tongued talk became so obvious to me.
Reply
 

 charles Chasson says:

 October 17, 2014 at 2:35 pm

As a matter of fact, The Watchtower has not seen the psychiatric community as their only competitor in this world. If you analyze the semantics of their publication concerning school you could easily prove that “worldly” education is a competitor of the “christian” education provide by the organisation.
For the years 2007 and 2008, i have take all the occurences concerning school and teaching in french’s Watchtower and Awake, and i have classified them in a table in term of positive, neutral or negative views. At the left you can see the “wordly” education (école républicaine) occurences at the right the occurences concerning the Watchtower education (école religieuse jéhoviste). No surprise, the “worldly” school is always describe as dangerous, as a source of pain, it is described positively only one time. On the other hand, the “christian” education is always described as positive, never negatively.
 The table
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 17, 2014 at 3:54 pm

A sister in our cong, had her husband of many years leave her for
 another woman ( He was a non witness,)
She was absolutely distraught and suffered a mental breakdown.
 I went to see her ( as an elder). Anything I said. to her simply did not
 register. She just rambled on incoherently, all the time I was there
 about an hour. I should have done my utmost to get her professional
 help.
But we were deluded, being made to believe that a few Bible scriptures
 could solve any problem.
The sister phoned up another elder, and rambled on in the same way.
 This elder told me, He put the phone down, leaving it off the hook
 and returned half an hour later to check if she had gone.
The poor woman left the area with her children , so I never knew what
 happened to her after that… Elders are way out of their depth. When
 dealing with some of life’s deep problems, and can be hard hearted
 when there’s no response to their scriptural counsel.
Reply
 

 airborne says:

 October 17, 2014 at 7:05 pm

In my experience most witnesses are depressed and/or anxious. The cult suppresses their true personality which prevents them from being authentic people.
I feel more relaxed now a month after I DA’d myself than in my time as a witness (20 years).
Reply
 

 Imacountrygirl says:

 October 17, 2014 at 8:54 pm

This is a great article James. Your video was very moving, I was touched by it and can identify with all you said.
When I watched that secret elder video, I didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. Or both. Frankly, I didn’t understand the purpose behind it. Were the two elders supposed to be a better example than the first one?? I couldn’t tell any difference between any of the elders.
In dealing with someone who was “suicidal”, they all showed an appalling lack of love or care, let alone any knowledge of how to really help. They ALL acted as if they were made of tin and empty inside as if they had no heart.
The older one’s smile is CREEPY and spooky! It made me a’scared to look at him!
From my own experience, no matter how good your intentions are, the only ones who really understand what it means to have a mental illness, is someone else who has a mental illness.
I appreciate everyone’s comments and my love and support goes out to all my brothers and sisters who also live with mental illness.
Reply
 

 LAC says:

 October 17, 2014 at 8:58 pm

So….I am a fader I guess I am in the ranks of “mentally diseased Apostate.” Wow good thing I have my head about me or I would really have a mental breakdown. I rarely see anyone from my old cong even though I live around the corner from it. I just don’t want to worship JW.org like others. I don’t want to be a cheerleader for it and I don’t want to be like a Jim Baker or an Oral Roberts and demand money for it. I will not give one red cent. Of course they don’t need my money as they just bought a new mansion for 1.46 Million dollars so I guess they are fleecing the flock real well and the flock doesn’t have any idea! When you think about it JW.org has really done NOTHING for ANYONE but themselves. They wonder why people have mental problems it’s because of them speaking with a forked tongue. They always do and it is designed to keep the flock confused and thereby always “relying on Jehovah” or “waiting on Jehovah” in truth it is designed to confuse the flock while they are being fleeced!
Reply
 

 John Baptist says:

 October 18, 2014 at 7:00 am

If you are not to read outside of their sect publications or are frowned upon to seek mental help then are they not the ones truly trying to control your mind? Cult Cult let me say it one more time. CULT
Reply
 

 Velvia Blue says:

 October 19, 2014 at 4:17 am

@Rob
 I couldnt agree more. Its all about ‘works’ and when you fail to live up to the impossible standard you feel a failure. Im so glad to be out and be a free critical thinker.
@BeenMislead
 Great essay. I was never happy with the question of
‘Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Feel That They Are the Only People Who Will Be Saved?’
The bottom line is that to be saved acording to the GB is
 1 faith in christ +
 2 total unquestioning alegience to the WT.
@James Strait
 Well said. Brilliant artical.
Reply
 

 Excelsior! says:

 October 19, 2014 at 6:08 am

LAC,
Keep on keeping on, buddy. Fading is challenging but it is possible. Just don’t create ripples, nod and smile and just agree with everything they say. You know it is not, and that gives you a tremendous advantage.
i wish you all the best.
Peace be with you
Excelsior!
Reply
 

 ENLIGHTENED says:

 October 19, 2014 at 6:18 am

Great information. Well written, hope it helps to open some people’s eyes to the real truth of the Watchtower organization. It is doubled tongued.
Keep up the good works.
Reply
 

 Hakizimana Jean de Dieu says:

 October 19, 2014 at 7:11 am

As an ex-JW (now “APOSTATE”), with my own experiences in a congregation where I served as a Ministerial Assistant (playing in many occasion the role of an Elder we had one Elder only), I came to realize the real power pushing forward the organization turn around sex.
Sex is a serious problem among JWs and it SEEMS the Organization is harnessing what psychologist call “LIBIDINAL ENERGY”!
Many mental troubles in JWs as I came to realize are manifested in sex affairs…
Reply
 

 Baby says:

 October 20, 2014 at 8:17 am

This work is not a good and objectiv work. Every body has to obey God. That is exackly what JW encouraging people.
Reply
 

 Searcher says:

 October 20, 2014 at 9:52 am

I recently read George Orwell’s “1984” novel. This article that James wrote sent chills down my spine in comparison with that novel. The parallels of the WTBTS and the “The Party” are way beyond surprising. It’s downright shocking! James describes how the WTBTS will portray how they want to be perceived, then turn right around and say how they should be obeyed. Orwell described this as “double-think”, and the “The Party” will only get to decide what is to be considered truth and fiction. If you go against “Big Brother” (the WTBTS), and found out by the “Thought Police” (the Elders), then you were “insane”, which could only be cured by the “Ministry of Love” (Discipline by the Judicial Committee and DFS). Sound familiar?
I won’t go into the parallels for “The Party”, “The Inner-Party”, “Big Brother is watching you”, “Vaporization”, “party defined insanity”, etc. Actually, I find this VERY intriguing.
“1984” is an interesting and very creepy read for anyone who has been inside the WTBTS.
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 20, 2014 at 11:00 am

“You must accordingly be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”
Matt,5/48 N,W,T,.
An unattainable standard for any human being. Expecting it of ourselves
 or any member of our family will just lead to conflict and emotional
 turmoil. Inflexible rules, black or white thinking, just do not work in the
 real world,
Flexibility is essential, If one family member no longer believes as we do,
 trying to force our will upon them by shunning, leads to family
 breakdown and very often mental breakdown.
The org, that imposes this straitjacket mentality, allows itself the greatest
 latitude, with its constantly changing doctrines that must be accepted
 without question.
Every person is a unique individual , and has a right to express their
 individuality, without being pressed into a mould. Accepting this results
 In reduced strife, and a more relaxed existence. Nothing is perfect.
Reply
 

 Vidiot says:

 October 20, 2014 at 11:51 am

“Clearly, there are two religions present here: the real one that operates behind closed doors, and that which is shown to the public.”
For the newbies, lurkers, and trolls…
 …if you have to cheat to defend your beliefs, your beliefs don’t deserve to be defended.
Reply
 

 Hakizimana Jean de Dieu says:

 October 20, 2014 at 11:16 pm

Baby, you are a BABY. Which god does everybody have to obey as you say? A god dictated by Brooklyn called ‘Jehovah”? The “Trinity”, …
If you mean Jehovah as god, it must be the craziest god created by HUMANS. See below what it told Ezekiel… SOURCES OF MENTAL DISTURBANCES…
(Ezekiel 24:15-18) 15 And the word of Jehovah continued to occur to me, saying: 16 “Son of man, here I am taking away from you the thing desirable to your eyes by a blow, and you should not beat your breast, neither should you weep nor should your tears come on. 17 Sigh without words. For the dead ones no mourning should you make. Your headdress bind on yourself, and your sandals you should put upon your feet. And you should not cover over [the] mustache, and the bread of men you should not eat.” 18 And I proceeded to speak to the people in the morning, and my wife gradually died in the evening. So I did in the morning just as I had been commanded.
Reply
 

 KateWild says:

 October 21, 2014 at 5:11 am

Happily my experience with elders and mental health professionals has been fine. They probably didn’t read the part in their book to discourage seeking professional advice.
They are clearly out of their depth and once highlighted they fully supported seeking treatment.
Kate xx
Reply
 

 Excelsior! says:

 October 21, 2014 at 7:46 am

KateWild,
Thanks for that, Kate. It is sometimes forgotten that the crazy rules of the GB are not universally obeyed, and if they are obeyed, there is variation in the application.
I am sure there are many sincere Elders out there in JWLand that choose to ignore this rule, and follow their Christian consciences. On the other hand, they may just not care and let things like this slide!
Baby,
If only the WTBTS were asking folks to “obey God”! The problem is, Baby, that many of the rules created by the WTBTS contradict the Bible, which is supposed to be the inspired word of God.
That’s why many folks leave! They realise that they are required to sacrifice instead of being shown mercy. This is not what CHRIST wanted us to do.
Please, Baby, do your research. You have all of the information here and on other sites. Prove to yourself that the JW religion is true. Then, when you have proved it right and us wrong, come back and tell us what you have found.
I wish you well in your journey of discovery.
Peace be with you,
Excelsior!
Reply
 

 Searcher says:

 October 21, 2014 at 9:30 am

@Vidiot. That is an excellent insight!
Reply
 

 C M says:

 October 22, 2014 at 4:59 pm

It’s been a while since i have visited any ex jw forum…nice point of view by the way. I know that in my personal situation i was severely depressed, i thought i would never be good enough for jehovah or to enter paradise or the new world no matter how many people i helped get baptized no matter how many hours i worked in service or on congregation “priveleges” and talks…i even got diagnosed with an illness from which i am better from no thanks to them or any jw i knew for that matter. When i was asked to step down as a ministerial servant for not being able to attend the meetings (literally i had done no wrong) and other things that happened shortly after i decided to never go again (mind you i had already been researching things). now i am absolutely healthy, i no longer drink heavily i no longer take anti depressants i am very healthy physically emotionally and spiritually and i have lost 120 lbs in the process. I remember the elders telling me specifically that if i seeked help from a “professional” whom did not care and know about the “truth” it would most likely mean my spiritual downfall since they may suggest things that go against “jehovah’s” (the watchtowers) laws. I seeked help and not once did the psych doc tell me i was in the wrong religion or anything of that sort.
C M
Reply
 

 James Broughton says:

 October 23, 2014 at 1:23 am

James writes so well and gives such an important insight into Watchtower psychology. The last sentence in his testimony is, “In the end, the truth is what is most important”. Let us endeavour to stand by that as we see it revealed in Christ.
Reply
 

 rob says:

 October 23, 2014 at 7:54 am

Congratulations CM on your journey.
I knew so many witnesses that drank heavily and were so unhappy with their lives, but unfortunately they would not seek help and would try to get help from the elders who really had no clue of how to begin to give them direction other than to tell them to study more and go in service more.
I see them sometimes in the neighborhood, knocking on doors, and putting in their time, and wonder if they are just hypnotized by the robotic routine that the society dictates upon them.
Reply
 

 tiger123 says:

 October 24, 2014 at 9:53 pm

Nice article and very well stated.
Reply
 

 Art Fern says:

 October 25, 2014 at 3:46 am

Many people with depression suffer from cognitive dissonance meaning they don’t see the world or their personal situation the same way a non-depressed person would. Over time, interpreting information in a negative way, (life will never get better, I will never be happy again, there is no way out of my pain I would be better off dead) brings about a semipermanant state of mind. A JW has a jaded way of looking at disasters, wars, bad weather, anyway and if you add in shunning you have the possibility of a lethal cocktail of depression. I don’t see a reliance on prayer and reading selected Bible verses as helpful by themselves, because of that cognitive dissonance issue. Talk therapy combined with a new generation of
 antidepressants gives improvement to 80% of the people who are dealing with non-bipolar depression. The talk therapy attempts to correct the errors in your outlook, the “everything is terrible and getting worse” type. The drug increases the supply of neurotransmitters within the brain (epinephrine, norepinephrine, serotonin) which control moods and motor activity, sleep, hunger, etc. If the WT told members they could not get professional help they would get sued into the dark ages so you get the CYA, “we would rather that you not, but it’s up to your conscience”. As with many groups the message that you aren’t doing enough or your not really committed, pay more, work more hours, more more more, do better, do better, is hammered into your brain leaving you always feeling guilty, not measuring up, inadequate, which falls perfectly in line with the hopeless way of looking at life. Of course control groups produce more depression and suicidal tendencies (1 in every 6 suffering from depression successfully takes their own life). If you see yourself becoming hopeless and not enjoying those things you use to love doing, get help, please.
Reply
 

 Dean says:

 October 25, 2014 at 5:32 pm

What next,JW surgery…it baffles me how the JW organisation,can come out with stuff like this,many years back i suffered with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,and some of the things which were said to me was,its not helped you spiritually by being un-well,because you self harm and hear voices its the demons having a go at you.Now i know now it was the trauma i went through which all these were related to,but it was if it was my fault and i was led to believe it was Satan having ago at me,so my reaction to this on Mental Health from the watchtower is leave it to the professionals,as more people get damaged by listening to the watchtower and there false believe system towards Mental Health,its DANGEROUS to take there advice on board.That was over 12 years ago i now have moved on in my well being to a turn around in my recovery and lead a happy life,this although was not the case when i was DF Last year for questioning believes and doctrines… and the Mentally ill finger was again pointed at me…..its a sick set up,please if there is others reading this you will agree with what iam saying…..
Reply
 


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53 Responses to Watchtower’s advice on mental health: A tale of two religions

← Older Comments

 Interrogative? says:

 October 27, 2014 at 4:36 am

How could a “Property Development Company” like the WT be of any help regarding the mental health of their members? Just for the mere reason that their elders have been ranked recently as “princes and dukes” by their GB members ? Come on ! Let us be serious. Every well informed person knows that some competences can be acquired only after long and sustained studies, instead of by repeated manipulation.
Reply
 

 anonymous says:

 October 27, 2014 at 5:29 am

A really good video to listen to on Youtube is “Stop Being Food for the Reptilian Complex” by Thomas Sheridan. Just knowing what we are up against, helps us to wake up to how we were being controlled when we were in the Org.
Reply
 

 C M says:

 October 28, 2014 at 9:26 am

Thanks rob I appreciate that comment. I really can say i feel so much better now, my life today is alot more healthier than when I was an active JW it really has done me alot of good to get away from this religion. I too see JW’s every saturday morning all over I think they are just fully convinced it must be the one true religion and must follow it blinldy, even when the elders tell them to read more articles or publications and dedicate more time to Jehovah. That’s their answer to everything “are you keeping up with your personal study? has your service hours/meeting attendance dropped? etc. must be the reason you are going through so and so, or this happened to you….it really makes my jaw drop nowadays I know they perhaps meant well but they too are “captives of the concept” and not mental/behavioral health specialist.
CM
Reply
 

 C M says:

 October 28, 2014 at 9:42 am

Thank You Rob. I must say that my life today is alot more healthier in more ways than one than when I was an active JW. I think that the JW’s we see out in service are just completely convinced they are part of the one true religion and must follow and do as they say without questioning it, it’s the way it’s been set up and engrained into their minds. I think the elders too are “captives of the concept” they are not mental/behavioural health specialists and so forth have absolutely no business telling people to “read watchtower/awake articles” or other “publications” for help and asking questions such as “how’s your personal study?have your service hours/meeting attendances dropped? etc.” saying that is the reason we feel a certain way or that something happened to us. I laugh now when i look back at these statements. But trust me little by little many more are seeing the religion for what it is. Thanks to people like you working to expose the religion.
C M
Reply
 

 sally says:

 October 28, 2014 at 6:10 pm

I remember very clearly how those who suffered from any sort of depression were told they ‘lacked faith’. “If you just had enough Faith, you wouldn’t BE depressed!” I was told. Really?? Wow, who Knew that Bi-Polar Depression could be HEALED BY FAITH ALONE?? WOW! Yeah, how I suffered under their judgments, it was HEAVILY DISCOURAGED to go to therapists, or psychiatrists during the 1970’s and 1980’s, I remember it VERY Well. The Watchtower LOVES to portray itself as foward thinking in its magazines, but behind closed doors a totally different picture emerges. I doubt very much if this attitude has really changed very much. Sounds pretty in the Awake magazine, but how will the elders treat the depressed souls? And how will the members judge those who suffer from this affliction? Remains to be seen.
Reply
 

 rob says:

 October 29, 2014 at 8:07 am

I believe we all know how witnesses who suffer from depression are viewed by other witnesses – “spiritually weak”. In my opinion nothing has changed and nothing ever will change, because from my perspective, this religion is all about appearances and putting on a show of how spiritual you are and how many hours you get and how many meetings you attend. What goes on behind closed doors doesn’t matter. Very very plastic.
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 29, 2014 at 1:01 pm

A high level of control, meddling in every aspect of their
 followers lives,- employment, marital relations, medical
 treatment, entertainment, beards,etc.
Elders in each country parroting the current party line, that
 frequently changes.. Changes which would be unnecessary
 were they originally based on truth and sound reasoning.
Some may think they have been set free, but let them start
 using their own conscience, their own freedom to think,to
 question. It’s then that one feels the weight of authority and
 control applied against them. Made to feel like a pariah, an
 untouchable, even by their own family something that
 probably no other power could accomplish.
Reply
 

 Rainbow says:

 October 30, 2014 at 11:19 am

You hit the nail on the head! This Libidinal control suppresses people. I have seen it so many times in the congregations where people just snap and act out sexually. It is a dysfunctional pattern that keeps repeating itself. Not to mention the poor brothers and sisters who have to relay all of the details in a judicial hearing. They are not getting healed at all, and the problem recycles. They are confused and shamed why the acted out in the first place. Maybe this is one of the reasons there are so many pedofiles. I am sure the experts could write volumes on the JWs.
Reply
 

 Rainbow says:

 October 30, 2014 at 5:01 pm

I completely agree!
Reply
 

 Rainbow says:

 October 30, 2014 at 5:09 pm

My replies are not posting under others comments…Anyway I completely agree with Johnathan’s appraisal on the general JWs view with it is “ok to get therapy just to cope and not to explore what is really wrong.” If JWs did it would breakdown the cult.
Reply
 

 Hakizimana Jean de Dieu says:

 October 31, 2014 at 6:40 am

Jehovah’s Witnesses qualify 100% to be today’s Pharisees. (Matthew 23:3) . . .Therefore, all the things they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds, for they say but they do not practice what they say.
CAUTION: Do not do and observe ALL the things today’s Pharisees tell you: Abstinence from Blood Transfusion, Avoidance of Vaccines made from serum like the vaccine against hepatitis, Shunning family members, Etc.
Reply
 

 Daniel Wiebe says:

 November 16, 2014 at 4:56 pm

Great to see you on here James. I really enjoyed all of your videos and have been hoping you would make more.
Glad to see others of note have taken notice and you found a home at JWsurvey. Great article too.
Reply
 

 Al says:

 December 7, 2014 at 12:22 am

Thank you for posting this article really shows how two faced the organizations leaders can be. I remember a talk Anthony Morris gave at a circuit assembly where he said those with depression just lack faith and they just aren’t praying enough. He also said depression was no excuse for missing meetings. As someone who suffers from bouts of depressive disorder it was extremely offensive and somewhat of a wakeup call for me to see the insensitivity of this member of the GB. It’s disappointing that I spent so much time listening and trying to lead my life based on a small group of men’s ever changing opinions and doctrines.
Reply
 

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Watchtower’s advice on mental health: A tale of two religions
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Posted on October 17, 2014

Watchtower offers two conflicting approaches to dealing with mental health
Watchtower offers two conflicting approaches to dealing with mental health

In 2011, Watchtower published a study article in which God was referred to as “the Great Physician.” The magazine gave advice to avoid contact with Jehovah’s Witnesses who had peacefully defected from their faith.
These protestors were “diagnosed” (by a magazine claiming God’s backing), with a contagious mental disease called “apostasy.” To this day Jehovah’s Witnesses are instructed ad nauseam to avoid such people and their supposed mental pathogens.
Knowing all this, I was surprised when I encountered the December 2014 Awake! which is entitled, “What You Should Know About Mental Disorders.” I opened it up and was quite startled by what I found inside the magazine: “According to WHO [World Health Organization], many people with mental illness refrain from seeking treatment because of the stigma associated with it.”
It is a truly twisted irony for the Awake!, a sister publication of the Watchtower, to be raising awareness of the stigma attached to mental illness. Their “apostasy” label, which they correlate to mental illness, attaches an extremely damaging stigma to ex members. It costs them their family, their friends, and often even their employment and housing.
Tens of thousands of refugees, many struggling with mental illness that is often connected with their Witness experience, have been fleeing Watchtower since its inception.
Oddly enough, the Awake! magazine then goes on to heavily promote the use of professional treatment for mental health problems. This advice flies in the face of what is taught behind the closed doors of Watchtower kingdom halls. The 2011 article on apostates, for example, did not direct them to professional assistance – instead ordering their quarantine.
Additionally, a recent Watchtower elder training video was leaked. It featured a dramatization showing two elders being approached by a distressed woman. The woman told them of her plan to commit suicide and, shockingly, the fictional elders never even mention the idea of professional assistance.


Lastly, the Awake! article has a section on spirituality which states:

“The Bible does not indicate that spirituality cures medical problems.” – Awake!, December 2014
In the above training video (which I highly recommend watching) the woman in a mental health emergency is given a type of spiritual counseling in which the Bible, specifically the Book of Job, is the primary tool used. The video trains elders to use the Bible to cure medical problems, in total contradiction of the advice found in the Awake! article.
Speaking from both sides of the mouth
While the elders in the training video were in fictional situations, their behavior and actions are based on a confidential handbook called “Shepherd the Flock of God.” Under the section “Assisting Those Who are Weak” and the subheading “Encouraging Those Who Were Abused in Their Childhood,” the psychological and psychiatric communities are mentioned in two paragraphs:

“…It must be recognized that elders as such are not mental-health professionals or therapists but are spiritual shepherds. (1 Pet. 5: 2) Consequently, you should not conduct what some may view as group therapy.It is not necessary to spend time reading secular publications dealing with worldly psychology or psychiatry. You should not take on a role similar to that of a professional therapist. Someone who has serious mental or emotional illness may need professional help. – w88 10/15 p. 27”
At first glance, this paragraph seems like sensible advice for elders to avoid taking on the role of therapists. They are not qualified professionals and are rightly told to steer clear of that role. However, nothing is said about recommending the proper treatment. Rather, the text somewhat ambiguously confesses to the need for professional help for some people.
Four paragraphs on, the handbook elaborates on just what Watchtower wants to see from their elder bodies on the subject of professional assistance (emphasis mine):

“…There are times when an emotionally distressed Christian may seek professional help. Whether a Christian or his family pursues treatment from psychiatrists, psychologists, or therapists is a personal decision. An elder should not assume the responsibility of recommending a specific practitioner or facility. He may draw attention to or discuss material in the publications that provides cautions regarding therapies that may conflict with Bible principles. (w8B 10/15 pp. 28-29; w82 6/15 pp. 25-29; w75 pp. 255-256) While participating in group therapy by a professional therapist is a matter for personal decision, there could be a revealing of confidential facts about other members of the Christian congregation during such sessions if a Christian does not exercise discretion.”
They want seeking professional treatment to be the decision of the “distressed Christian,” without recommendation from the elders. This is precisely why, in the training video, professional assistance was never mentioned to the suicidal woman. The fictional elders’ behavior is just as prescribed in the handbook, which is to be enforced in the same way as a constitution would be adhered to by a board of directors.
The above paragraph even discourages therapy if it conflicts with “Bible principles” and speaks negatively of the potential for confidential facts to be revealed to a professional.
Awake! paints a positive, progressive public image, while the secret elders handbook is mired in concerns for protecting the corporation legally.
Watchtower wants to be seen making statements such as, “Mental-health disorders are not the result of personal weakness or a character flaw.” Yet, in their elder’s training material the only mention of professional help is in a section called “Assisting those who are weak.” Clearly, there are two religions present here: the real one that operates behind closed doors, and that which is shown to the public.
Unethical Recruitment
The December 2014 Awake! serves as a perfect example of the unethical recruitment tactics deployed by Watchtower as part of its arsenal of undue influence.
The Awake! is given to the public, so it portrays the image Watchtower wishes to project rather than the unpleasant reality. Many Jehovah’s Witnesses, as well as their potential recruits, will likely believe what the Awake! says. The article is intended to make people view the religion as reasonable when, in fact, it is anything but.
Watchtower has historically been at odds with the medical community on issues such as blood transfusions, vaccines and organ transplants. The psychiatric community, at least in my experience, was always been viewed as more of a competitor than an ally.
Yet, out of nowhere, Watchtower through this Awake! is heavily hinting at a sudden alliance with mental health professionals, all the while secretly training its elders to apply “spiritual” cures to these kinds of emergencies.
They want to have their cake, and eat it too.
The “Great Physician” outsources for aid
I have noticed a trend in how Watchtower and the medical community has interacted historically. To begin with, Watchtower boldly moves ahead with issuing medical advice, usually in the form of a divine prohibition on some treatment using ‘biblical’ reasoning.
Once the scientific community has gathered overwhelming evidence for the new technology’s overall viability, the ban is lifted (or diluted), with God lauded as wise, merciful and gracious for dispensing his “new light” at the proper time. Everything is engineered so that, whatever happens, Watchtower can always absolve itself of responsibility as needed.
For as long as I can remember, Watchtower has been condemning any sort of individual achievement in this world. Such a stigma against investing in one’s future beyond the confines of the religion naturally produces a population low in skilled expertise.
Thus Jehovah’s Witnesses, allegedly lead by “the Great Physician” who diagnoses “mentally diseased” apostates, are ironically low on competent healers and advised by the Awake! to seek aid from the educated world – the very world they’ve always condemned as deserving of nothing but a fiery and humiliating destruction.
I was always taught that Christianity was the solution for the broken of heart (Luke 4:18). Yet, according to the information presented in the December 2014 Awake!, healing the downtrodden is now being outsourced.
Good advice is good advice
Apart from the final section of the Awake! article (where Watchtower’s idea of “spiritual health” is deemed “vital”), it must be noted that it presents good advice. It is very wise for people with mental health problems to seek professional medical care in addition to any holistic approaches.
However, I feel it is important to point out that such advice runs contrary to actual Watchtower dogma and the secret instructions, both written and recorded, that are received by congregation elders from their Governing Body.
In spite of the double standards, I hope that many people will receive the care they require as a result of this Awake! article. Any direction to proper medical treatment is a positive thing. I just wish Watchtower would clean up its backstage mess rather than simply polishing its brand.

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53 Responses to Watchtower’s advice on mental health: A tale of two religions

← Older Comments

 Interrogative? says:

 October 27, 2014 at 4:36 am

How could a “Property Development Company” like the WT be of any help regarding the mental health of their members? Just for the mere reason that their elders have been ranked recently as “princes and dukes” by their GB members ? Come on ! Let us be serious. Every well informed person knows that some competences can be acquired only after long and sustained studies, instead of by repeated manipulation.
Reply
 

 anonymous says:

 October 27, 2014 at 5:29 am

A really good video to listen to on Youtube is “Stop Being Food for the Reptilian Complex” by Thomas Sheridan. Just knowing what we are up against, helps us to wake up to how we were being controlled when we were in the Org.
Reply
 

 C M says:

 October 28, 2014 at 9:26 am

Thanks rob I appreciate that comment. I really can say i feel so much better now, my life today is alot more healthier than when I was an active JW it really has done me alot of good to get away from this religion. I too see JW’s every saturday morning all over I think they are just fully convinced it must be the one true religion and must follow it blinldy, even when the elders tell them to read more articles or publications and dedicate more time to Jehovah. That’s their answer to everything “are you keeping up with your personal study? has your service hours/meeting attendance dropped? etc. must be the reason you are going through so and so, or this happened to you….it really makes my jaw drop nowadays I know they perhaps meant well but they too are “captives of the concept” and not mental/behavioral health specialist.
CM
Reply
 

 C M says:

 October 28, 2014 at 9:42 am

Thank You Rob. I must say that my life today is alot more healthier in more ways than one than when I was an active JW. I think that the JW’s we see out in service are just completely convinced they are part of the one true religion and must follow and do as they say without questioning it, it’s the way it’s been set up and engrained into their minds. I think the elders too are “captives of the concept” they are not mental/behavioural health specialists and so forth have absolutely no business telling people to “read watchtower/awake articles” or other “publications” for help and asking questions such as “how’s your personal study?have your service hours/meeting attendances dropped? etc.” saying that is the reason we feel a certain way or that something happened to us. I laugh now when i look back at these statements. But trust me little by little many more are seeing the religion for what it is. Thanks to people like you working to expose the religion.
C M
Reply
 

 sally says:

 October 28, 2014 at 6:10 pm

I remember very clearly how those who suffered from any sort of depression were told they ‘lacked faith’. “If you just had enough Faith, you wouldn’t BE depressed!” I was told. Really?? Wow, who Knew that Bi-Polar Depression could be HEALED BY FAITH ALONE?? WOW! Yeah, how I suffered under their judgments, it was HEAVILY DISCOURAGED to go to therapists, or psychiatrists during the 1970’s and 1980’s, I remember it VERY Well. The Watchtower LOVES to portray itself as foward thinking in its magazines, but behind closed doors a totally different picture emerges. I doubt very much if this attitude has really changed very much. Sounds pretty in the Awake magazine, but how will the elders treat the depressed souls? And how will the members judge those who suffer from this affliction? Remains to be seen.
Reply
 

 rob says:

 October 29, 2014 at 8:07 am

I believe we all know how witnesses who suffer from depression are viewed by other witnesses – “spiritually weak”. In my opinion nothing has changed and nothing ever will change, because from my perspective, this religion is all about appearances and putting on a show of how spiritual you are and how many hours you get and how many meetings you attend. What goes on behind closed doors doesn’t matter. Very very plastic.
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 29, 2014 at 1:01 pm

A high level of control, meddling in every aspect of their
 followers lives,- employment, marital relations, medical
 treatment, entertainment, beards,etc.
Elders in each country parroting the current party line, that
 frequently changes.. Changes which would be unnecessary
 were they originally based on truth and sound reasoning.
Some may think they have been set free, but let them start
 using their own conscience, their own freedom to think,to
 question. It’s then that one feels the weight of authority and
 control applied against them. Made to feel like a pariah, an
 untouchable, even by their own family something that
 probably no other power could accomplish.
Reply
 

 Rainbow says:

 October 30, 2014 at 11:19 am

You hit the nail on the head! This Libidinal control suppresses people. I have seen it so many times in the congregations where people just snap and act out sexually. It is a dysfunctional pattern that keeps repeating itself. Not to mention the poor brothers and sisters who have to relay all of the details in a judicial hearing. They are not getting healed at all, and the problem recycles. They are confused and shamed why the acted out in the first place. Maybe this is one of the reasons there are so many pedofiles. I am sure the experts could write volumes on the JWs.
Reply
 

 Rainbow says:

 October 30, 2014 at 5:01 pm

I completely agree!
Reply
 

 Rainbow says:

 October 30, 2014 at 5:09 pm

My replies are not posting under others comments…Anyway I completely agree with Johnathan’s appraisal on the general JWs view with it is “ok to get therapy just to cope and not to explore what is really wrong.” If JWs did it would breakdown the cult.
Reply
 

 Hakizimana Jean de Dieu says:

 October 31, 2014 at 6:40 am

Jehovah’s Witnesses qualify 100% to be today’s Pharisees. (Matthew 23:3) . . .Therefore, all the things they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds, for they say but they do not practice what they say.
CAUTION: Do not do and observe ALL the things today’s Pharisees tell you: Abstinence from Blood Transfusion, Avoidance of Vaccines made from serum like the vaccine against hepatitis, Shunning family members, Etc.
Reply
 

 Daniel Wiebe says:

 November 16, 2014 at 4:56 pm

Great to see you on here James. I really enjoyed all of your videos and have been hoping you would make more.
Glad to see others of note have taken notice and you found a home at JWsurvey. Great article too.
Reply
 

 Al says:

 December 7, 2014 at 12:22 am

Thank you for posting this article really shows how two faced the organizations leaders can be. I remember a talk Anthony Morris gave at a circuit assembly where he said those with depression just lack faith and they just aren’t praying enough. He also said depression was no excuse for missing meetings. As someone who suffers from bouts of depressive disorder it was extremely offensive and somewhat of a wakeup call for me to see the insensitivity of this member of the GB. It’s disappointing that I spent so much time listening and trying to lead my life based on a small group of men’s ever changing opinions and doctrines.
Reply
 

← Older Comments

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Newer Comments →

 Stephen Douglas says:

 October 13, 2014 at 2:55 pm

They couldn’t use actual song books?
 Hilarious!
Reply
 

 Holy Connoli says:

 October 13, 2014 at 3:00 pm

They are becoming what they used to condemn!
 They have become what they hated.
Reply
 

 Stephane Laliberte says:

 October 13, 2014 at 3:06 pm

What shock me now is that a great deal of things with which they used to denounce others are perfectly excused as the Governing Body is approving these changes. And what about the small number? They are not replacing the dead ones…. Why???
Reply
 

 chatpal says:

 October 13, 2014 at 3:37 pm

i couldnt get past the first 5 minuets, it was too funny. some of them must not give too many talks, ive heard way better from random people in local congregations.
 i think he said governing body about 3 times then went right into all the grandious things THEY did.
 gee what happened when moses said something to the effect, do I have to stike the rock to get water?
 pat themselves on the back much? Its a pathetic display of something…. Just cant put my finger on it.
 i think Ill get my pink highlighter pencil and highlight all the times they mention themselves in one way or another, in the new book they printed.
Reply
 

 PureStrongheart says:

 October 13, 2014 at 3:58 pm

@chatpal: My mom taught me, “Self exaltation is no recommendation.” Check out Brother Lett’s first podcast, with words to the effect, these videos are “evidence of Jehovah’s and THE GOVERNING BODY’S love for little children.”
So wrong, on so many different levels. The religion I belonged to always emphasized two evidences of love: Jehovah’s love for us by giving his only son, and Jesus’ love for his Father, and for us, by giving sacrificing Jesus. Also, Stephen Lett is a member of the governing body. It would be like you or I saying “(such and such) is evidence of Jehovah’s and MY love for….”
Ugh. I’m sick (and no, not “mentally diseased,” but fed up and heart sick).
Reply
 

 PureStrongheart says:

 October 13, 2014 at 3:59 pm

P.S. my personal observation: The new songs are creepy, churchy, and HARDER to sing.
Reply
 

 PureStrongheart says:

 October 13, 2014 at 4:01 pm

Is it only a matter of time before we start baptising dead relatives and wearing special underwear??
Reply
 

 Nancy Trimble says:

 October 13, 2014 at 4:26 pm

This is totally disgusting, Cedars you are doing such a wonderful job exposing all their moves and lightening fast changes they are making on a daily basis anymore. I got a reality check today driving by my old KH and saw the big blue JW.ORG sign pasted out there for all to see. Made me sick to my stomach. Keep up the good work.
Reply
 

 Si says:

 October 13, 2014 at 4:30 pm

The religion I grew up in no longer exists, this corporate machine with cult undertones has evacuated the remains of what I grew up in. I no longer recognise this movement.
A tv channel on the internet! It makes a mockery of everything I was told in my youth. Before an apologist defends them for their forwaed thinking, these are old ideas long ago used by other religions YOU consider false.
Think about it.
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 13, 2014 at 4:36 pm

I listened to Sandersons talk at the annual meeting. As usual
 it was full of self congratulation and con mans Bluff.
Rather than shrink away from the dismal failure of the 1914
 generation. they’ve decided to tough it out, and trumpet the
 the unbelievable concept of a 115 year generation as a period
 of blessings from Jehovah. (Remember those alive in 1914 had
 cognitive)
There’s Short cons, and there’s Long cons, This is one of the
 longest. and has cost many trusting people a lifetime of
 dissappointment.
Reply
 

 Thinking of leaving says:

 October 13, 2014 at 4:52 pm

I agree 100% with what you have said. 30 years ago OMG this would of been a scandal. Sadest thing of all is the R&F are totally unaware of what is going on.
Reply
 

 Max says:

 October 13, 2014 at 6:54 pm

They are CELEBRATING 100 years of kingdom rule! Forget about the 100 years of failures and disappointments that started with C.T. Russell. “Oh how thrilling it must have been to hear those words from brother Russell…!” Give me a break? Longest con job? You got it! (well perhaps the Mormons are a little ahead in that respect. LOL)
Reply
 

 Oubliette says:

 October 13, 2014 at 7:15 pm

Why is the man “conducting” not facing the choir? That’s not standard conducting practice!
Re the GB member “sitting in,” Let’s review: It’s a cult!
Reply
 

 Lee Elder says:

 October 13, 2014 at 7:25 pm

Who knows – they may have a 900 year plan. It could turn out to be a 1000 year invisible reign over JW.org :-)
Reply
 

 congrats!! says:

 October 13, 2014 at 7:41 pm

They are staying put with only “7” members because 7 is a sacred number in the bible. The whole world is heading towards extreme changes, and they know this…that is why they are ramping up their “we are holier than thou” stance. If you don’t have a relationship with the creator Himself, you will follow the next best…which are trying desperately to make themselves in the eyes of their blind sheep. As you can see, they don’t really speak of Yeshua anymore…because they want to be seen as taking his place, but in an incognito way…and their brainwashed members are falling for it hook, line, and sinker.
All I know is, the delirious members are in for a rude awakening…cause no religion, and I repeat NO religion can or will escape the NWO lol. Majority of the non thinking members will have to make it that far before they realize they have been bamboozled…and by then they will all drop their bookbags running around like a bunch of thrown off course ants. It will be a very bitter sweet moment for those of us who has family tranced out in this foolishness…but it must come to pass.
Reply
 

 boreaneverlasting says:

 October 13, 2014 at 8:57 pm

It is very sad to see so many individuals driven like Oxen with blinders and a Nose Ring… which is apropos because they are being driven and pushed quickly to stay in the mindset of cognitive delusion. That is why the GB moves quickly on building projects, literature releases on doctrinal changes, … alas. the New Light, and new forms of preaching..
 I Admin one of the largest JW FB groups and I see this mental idiom daily. The absolute blind acceptance is astounding. Even when some bring unequivocal evidence (usually from their own literature)to support their information.
Reply
 

 boreaneverlasting says:

 October 13, 2014 at 9:05 pm

I apologize Cedar… I left the wrong email.. :)
Reply
 

 JBob says:

 October 13, 2014 at 9:32 pm

Next up, “Tammuz” and his running mascara begging for love offerings from the kids–some of you televangelist-phobes will get that one.
Speaking of phobias, the JW.org got upstaged today when the RCC issued a radical nod to gays/lesbians in stating “they have gifts to offer” with caveat of the morality questions of having “partners”.
And, the moon turned to blood earlier this week [watches as chunks of asteroid fall to earth smashing church steeples, signaling the beginning of the end…o/” we’ll meet again, some sunny day o/”]
I seem to recall a certain blog reply where someone hinted about the new “compound” in Tuxedo Park accommodating a television/film production facility?
Reply
 

 kat says:

 October 13, 2014 at 10:20 pm

It is so clear, the GB want all JW to follow them!
In wanting to compare themselves to Moses they have become just like Korah, Dathan and Abiram, who also persuaded others to follow them. But their end will be the same as those earlier rebels.
Rarely ever heard of any GB members names let alone what they looked like in all my nearly 40yrs of being a JW.
I don’t think they are concerned about the older ones, its the young ones they want to keep in as they are their future. And being a suspicious person of these men, nothing would surprise me if other things surface in the future about where all the money and sales of property are really going. Something stinks to high heaven.
They are no better than all the other religions they have condemned, the hypocrisy is over bearing.
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 13, 2014 at 10:34 pm

Curiously. . , regardless of all the literature, new thoughts/light , website, and tv channel there is no avenue to a right to reply.
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 13, 2014 at 10:51 pm

Intresting question found on jw.org. Do Jehovah’s witnesses break up families or build them up?
My question is this. . Do you need to be a Jehovah’s witness to apply bible principles or are you using the Bible to promote yourself’s
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 13, 2014 at 11:00 pm

The Watchtower quotes the european court of human rights (hypocrisy in context)
 Perhaps the family member is trying warn the Jehovah’s witness of that fact or perhaps of the blood fractions nonsense, oral sex being grounds for divorce, 1975,1919,1874. Tubal ligation. Shunning. Etc etc etc etc etc.
 WHY WOULDN’T THEY?
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 13, 2014 at 11:13 pm

The most appalling aspect of it all (everything considered) is the portrayal of themselves as innocent.
Reply
 

 steve says:

 October 14, 2014 at 1:07 am

Well they got the logo and merchandise whats next? I reckon it could be figures of Dave,Steve,Mark,Geoff and crew in boxes for sell at the Kingdom halls and conventions Oh and if you are fortunate enough they will be autographed lol :)
Reply
 

 James Broughton says:

 October 14, 2014 at 1:31 am

I wonder how the new tele-evangelists will go down with our British congregations. Likewise, the logo replacing the crosses on their buildings. Time will tell.
Reply
 

 Cuthbert says:

 October 14, 2014 at 1:59 am

Cedars, your penmanship is to be commended once again, thank you for another interesting article.
Despite this new drive to appear in the limelight, they are still seven sad, coffin-dodging, out-of-touch and somewhat sinister old men. How can all the youngsters in this pernicious cult look to these old fuddy-duddies as role models?
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 14, 2014 at 2:25 am

For the religious indoctrinated . Black sabbath. Pariah.
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 14, 2014 at 2:40 am

Meanwhile heres Tom with the weather.
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 14, 2014 at 3:10 am

It’s a religious methodemic
Reply
 

 Julian says:

 October 14, 2014 at 4:54 am

It’s so hilarious to watch goblin Lett’s face mimic while singing :))
Reply
 

 Jill says:

 October 14, 2014 at 5:24 am

Lee Elder– that made me laugh. That was good.
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 14, 2014 at 7:03 am

Another comment on Sandersons talk… Applause was conspicuous
 by it’s absence, instead of the usual enthusiastic clapping after every
 claimed accomplishment there was deathly silence.
 Eventually he had to elicit the applause, with statements such as
“Would you not agree with that brothers”? (Pathetic)..
Could there have been a feeling of, We’ve heard it all before.?
 And are people waking up from their blind credulity and starting
 to take back their reasoning powers.?
Reply
 

 kat says:

 October 14, 2014 at 7:19 am

maybe they were all nodding of.. or maybe they couldn’t tell he finished the talk and were waiting for some sort big finale.
Reply
 

 JB says:

 October 14, 2014 at 7:30 am

I’ve started 3 different petitions on the White House website calling for the government to begin a legal investigation into the Governing Body for criminal activity. Feel free to sign and share them. https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/investigate-jehovahs-witness-leaders-child-abuse-cover-and-protecting-child-abusers/nLBCT5mN
Reply
 

 rob says:

 October 14, 2014 at 8:45 am

I recall a time when anyone who referred to Jehovah’s Witnesses as JWs was specifically admonished and told that we should never leave out the name of Jehovah as it was disrespectful, (kinda like calling Christmas – xmas). However, now it appears to be ok because the gb have said it is ok. I find it rather disturbing that they have replaced God’s name with a website address.
In this religion the rules change, and doctrine changes at the whim of these seven men (or should I say their advisors) and no one that is still indoctrinated seems to really care or question the changes. Fascinating isn’t it?
Reply
 

 Jeannie Krusche says:

 October 14, 2014 at 8:53 am

2014 Has certainly brought many a change as far as the WT Org. is concerned, I can only wonder WHAT NEXT?!!!!
Reply
 

 Marty says:

 October 14, 2014 at 9:57 am

Makes me so glad I got out when I did!
Reply
 

 50 years a Slave says:

 October 14, 2014 at 10:49 am

As far as numbers go…what about 66 book of the bible????
Reply
 

 anonymous says:

 October 14, 2014 at 11:28 am

Thank you Cedars for the link to the 2014 annual meeting. While I was listening to the talks at the end, I paused it every 3 or 4 words so I could write it down word for word and I have a plethora of questions just from these last 3 talks.
Stephen Lett started talking about Jesus parable of the man who persisted in asking for bread from a neighbor late at night and instantly switched to the parable of the 10 virgins and said the parable refers to the anointed only but said that they are virgins and chaste referring to 2nd Cor. 11: 2 but stumbles when he refers to Rev. 14:4 saying they were chaste but vs. 5 says that no deceit was found in their mouths but he doesn’t talk about that scripture. Is that why he stumbles, because to qualify as Jesus bride class, no deceit can be found in their mouths????
Both Lett and Morris talked about how the Great Tribulation isn’t going to start until after the last of the anointed have received their sealing but he didn’t explain what that means but the July 15 Watchtower 2013 page 9 says that means when they are taken to heaven. My question then would be to Lett: Are these 12,000 all going to just disappear one day and then the next day the Great Tribulation starts? What happens if they all disappear and the Great Tribulation doesn’t start the next day? Isn’t that what they thought was going to happen around 1920 and nothing happened? Or if they don’t all get “beamed” up one day, does that mean that the Great tribulation won’t start until the last one finally dies off??? What if the number keeps getting bigger? Does that mean that the Great Tribulation isn’t for a long time yet?
My question for Jackson’s talk is: Just who or what is Gog of Magog? Is it Satan or isn’t it? According to his talk, it’s a new understanding so what is it? It sounded like from his talk that we used to think it was Satan that was going to attack God’s people after he was kicked out of heaven in 1914 but after listening to the talk, I couldn’t understand, is it Satan or is it the nations? Not clear. He gets to the end and just says “well we know for sure that when Gog of Magog attacks, he is going to be defeated and destroyed completely and also what do we know? God’s people will be saved and ushered into a new world of righteousness and peace and security and what do we say about that? Hallelujah!! May Jehovah be praised!!!
Was he talking about after Armageddon, before the Great Tribulation or just when???? He just kept going back and forth between after the 1,000 years and the Great Tribulation and completely lost me.
If these guys compose their own talks, I’d give them an F.
Reply
 

 Mike In Kona says:

 October 14, 2014 at 11:33 am

Looks pretty much like all false religion, except scarier.
 My whole family thinks they only worship God. Except they always say God uses the organization to do his will. So consequently there is no arguing with them, as they are totally convinced that God is with these guys. If the GB contradicts all reason and scripture with their pronouncements and policies, it is excused because…’ God is using them’. God will take care of weird stuff, that we who are no longer involved see clearly, in his “due time”. This reeks of total control, and blind obedience. After way too long, I realize the folly of letting others think for me.
Reply
 


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 JJ says:

 October 14, 2014 at 12:02 pm

I remember so well, being at an assembly day and talking to one sister who always struck me as being very intelligent. She said to me, “I really feel like the brothers here now are finally the ones that will lead us out of the Great Tribulation.” (Her husband was recently appointed as an elder, but even past that obvious fact, she still had that glassy-eyed stare of one of the True Believers.)
 I was flabbergasted! I thought, “These idiots?!?” I had finally reached the stage where I could perceive a smart, competant person and a faker.
 In those days you didn’t see the GB members or any of the ‘Helpers’ so you had to imagine that they were so much better than the slack-jawed, mouth-breathing morons that were trying to run the circuits and congregations. (I was always amazed that the Holy Spirit could pick such obvious failures until I had to admit to myself that these guys were using favouritism, cronyism and nepotism to do the appointments.).
 Now we can all finally see that the stupidity goes right to the top! The Australian idiot really strikes me as being one of the dumbest looking guys but really they are all at about the same level. The Austrian dictator seems to at least look the part while being able to comport himself somewhat authoritatively.
 Why can’t people see that these guys are nuts?!? There must be smart people in the Bethels and in the organization?!?
 I hope that people wake up and take away the power that they give to these creepy, old guys.
Reply
 

 Terence hackett says:

 October 14, 2014 at 1:46 pm

I must agree, I hardly recognise the Society from the one that indoctrinated me 60 years ago and yes, tele evangelical did cross my mind, I’m not at all sure what to make of it ?
Reply
 

 Domingos Abreu says:

 October 14, 2014 at 1:50 pm

Cedars, i read you every day. Im an ex elder. Congratulations. Long life for you. Sorry my english. Im brazilian.
 In all history of mankind, every power or kingdom passed by. In one moment the GB by themselves will make something that make it possible. The number of their enemies is growing more rapidly than their soldies. One day – i hope it will be soon – they will be swallowed.
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 14, 2014 at 2:35 pm

@rob. It’s a valid point you make. They claim to hold the name
 Jehovah in the very highest regard , but displaying just the first
 letter of that name ( and erasing the rest.) as part. of a website
 logo shows great disrespect, and more so the way it’s displayed
 on a gaudy TV set. It’s TV evangelism , ( A euphemism for
 commercialism,) L, Ron Hubbard said, “The easiest way to make
 a million is to start your own religion”.
So now the name of Jehovah has been reduced to an acronym
 such as BMW, VW, LG, KFC, etc. Undeniable disrespect.!
 towards the God they claim to worship.
Reply
 

 Skip Hunt says:

 October 14, 2014 at 2:36 pm

I am appalled at the remarkable change in direction the society is going. It seems “Watchtower Bible & Tract Society” has been dropped and JW.org has been the title now.
Reply
 

 rob says:

 October 14, 2014 at 3:01 pm

Ted, I guess using acronyms is another sign that the watchtower really is just a corporation, masked as a religion. (I work for a large corporation that loves to use acronyms). I believe that you are correct in saying that they have disrespected God’s name.
But really in my opinion, now that the gb have labeled themselves as the faithful and discreet slave, it appears that they feel that they are gods on earth who cannot be questioned, so it doesn’t surprise me that deleting God’s full name in favour of an acronym is now ok with them.
Maybe their full names should be reduced to acronyms as well.
Reply
 

 JBob says:

 October 14, 2014 at 3:04 pm

Annual meeting–the corporation members (stakeholders) stony silence means the “dyed-in-the-wool” hard-liners are not in favor of those changes and had to be prodded to elicit a response.
Reply
 

 Bad Penny says:

 October 14, 2014 at 3:25 pm

JW.org – What else could it stand for that is more appropriate? Just Wandering.org? Just Whacky.org? or maybe Just Wicked.org would be nearer the truth!
 An elder from a congregation I used to attend stopped to talk to me the other day. After a few niceties, I brought up the GB and how they are coming to the fore at the moment whereas we never really used to know who they were. “Well”, he said, “things are moving so fast, we have got to put our implicit trust in them now”.
My face obviously showed my disapproval of his statement, and I followed up with “Do not put your trust in nobles, nor the son of earthling man, to whom no salvation belongs”. After a few more minutes debate, he said that I was doing the devil’s work for him and that he would not be speaking with me again!
 My thoughts were well, for the past thirty years I have been doing the devil’s work for him without knowing it, at least now I know who I’m working for, and it certainly isn’t the magnificent seven!!!
 Thank God I’m out!
Reply
 

 Mac says:

 October 14, 2014 at 6:36 pm

Kat, I totally agree with your comment, “I don’t think they are concerned about the older ones”. This year, my mother passed away at the age of eighty-eight. She had devoted four/five decades of her life to the organization. In the end the only people there for her were her three children, and the “world” she spoke so disparingly of as a witness. She benefited from provisions from the government, and the extraordinary care of health care professionals. I feel her beloved organization took so much during her life only to leave her forgotten and unneeded. It seems criminal the way this group uses people. It is not surprising that they would follow the lead of television evangelists. Thanks to Cedars for remarkable work!
Reply
 

 Bob the JW says:

 October 14, 2014 at 10:01 pm

I’ve noticed this grandiose behavior from the late nineties. Once they started showing up in pictures I immediately thought, “Faithful and DISCREET?” It’s getting worse quickly, they’re downsizing any way they can while they bleed money; I think they are trying to go out with a bang and it makes me worry about the constant mention of, “we may ask you to do something that sounds just crazy but just obey and listen like the Israelites.”
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 14, 2014 at 11:32 pm

The Watchtower has a history of buying in to its own righteousness. That mentality permeates throughout the organization. The self righteous belief that they are the truth is a scary one . No one has the ability to read the heart of an individual although some of the characteristics of individual GB members are humorous:-) if not extremely ignorant.
 Perhaps there maybe one/two who are awake. We live in hope. Personally I would have liked the ‘can can’ music to interrupt this deeply spiritual occasion:-)
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 14, 2014 at 11:58 pm

‘I have hated your solemn assembly’s’ . . .
Who hasn’t?
Reply
 

 With the aid of hindsight says:

 October 15, 2014 at 1:44 am

@ EVERYONE
Jb has posted a link to an e petition, it will go to the White House, asking them to look at the two witness rule. When I went on it this morning I expected it to have gone up in number, but it has hardly moved. That shocked me. This is a petition that will benefit all. They are easy to do online, you could do your own. If many lands did this surely we would get heard.
@ Cedars hope I have not overstepped any rules.
Here is JB’s link
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/investigate-jehovahs-witness-leaders-child-abuse-cover-and-protecting-child-abusers/nLBCT5mN
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 15, 2014 at 2:52 am

‘The tolling of the iron bell brings the faithful to their knees to hear the softly spoken magic spell’.
Reply
 

 Reader says:

 October 15, 2014 at 3:07 am

Ah Pink Floyd!!
Here’s another great lyric, this from Bruce Cockburn: “Got to kick at the darkness ’til it bleeds daylight.”
It is interesting to see the shift from a publishing based business to promoting their website. I wonder how that will affect their already dwindling revenue streams.
Reply
 

 mellowric says:

 October 15, 2014 at 5:09 am

Can anyone else recall the experience that was in a watchtower once about how someone went to visit the bethel and the then president of the society was mopping the floor in the lobby? But it was little known that he was the dude at the top if you will. I can’t see things like that transpiring today with these 7 jesters. Hardly discreet by any means. Did you see on the video how the audience began whipping out their phones to photograph the GB with the choir. Ridiculous. The very definition of celebrity.
Reply
 

 anonymous says:

 October 15, 2014 at 5:54 am

In the annual meeting when Splane was talking, he deceitfully left out that it was Chas. Taze Russell who was basing all his calculations of the last days on the study of pyramids and Russell’s books were full of it. It was deceitful. Rev. 14:5 says that the bride of Christ would have no deceitfulness in their mouths. Splane made it appear that it was only his followers who were making it their hobby the study of pyramids. Even in the Faith on the March videos, they show the cars with the pyramids on the sides of the cars.
I can’t support liars.
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 15, 2014 at 6:11 am

If it ain’t truthful it ain’t from God.
 There are only excuses after that.
Reply
 

 Excelsior! says:

 October 15, 2014 at 7:26 am

Reader,
The transition from a physical printing company to an Internet based company will save them millions of dollars! They will be wealthier than ever IN THE SHORT TERM.
They can happily sell off all of the printing facilities and spin it as expansion.
I think that the gb and their puppet masters will accept that they will not make significant further profits going forward. They can enjoy an excellent return on the property they already own, and they will always have the opportunity to flip Kingdom halls in lucrative areas.
They are deluded of course! The poor victims of paedophilia in the WTBTS will continue to sue the Society for damages and I am glad to say that more and more of these poor victims are finding the support to come forward
 and hold the WTBTS to account.
 The JW Religion is being revealed for what it is and always has been – a property and printing empire, run as a cult, in the guise of a Christian Church.
Peace be with you
Excelsior!
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 15, 2014 at 7:28 am

It looks like the JW ORG is right back. in captivity to Babylon
 the Great. W,T, 1st/5/1989. Discusses how prior to 1919
 they were in spiritual captivity, observing Christmas, birthdays,
 wearing crosses, and , indulging in creature worship, centred
 around the personality cult of C,T,Russell.
Recently we’ve seen a plethora of photo’s of the G,B, both
 collectively, and individually, as well as written profiles of each
 one. As we know, this is exactly what celebrities do to.
 publicise themselves and draw acclaim.
Their theatrical entrance in front of the choir at the Annual Meeting
 was a blatant example of attention grabbing.
One photo I found disgusting, was of them in the foreground and
 Jesus enthroned in the background… The message I got from that
 was, “If you want to get to Jesus you’ve got to go through us first”
It’s evident we’re back to pre 1919 days, So time to heed the warning
 at Rev,18/4, “Come out of her my People.”
Reply
 

 anonymous says:

 October 15, 2014 at 8:24 am

Another thing I don’t get when watching that annual meeting is I think it was Loasch when he was talking to the elderly about how do they adapt to new stuff and he was showing all those buildings that they bought in Brooklyn. I am wondering how much did the Society pay for all those buildings and what were they for? Those buildings look like they were each millions and millions to buy and what are they all being used for? At the same time that the Society was making us all believe that they were really poor, they were buying up all that property.
Reply
 

 TedbP says:

 October 15, 2014 at 9:27 am

anonymous. My wife has just read your comments.
 And she says, “It’s easier for a camel to pass through
 the eye of a needle , Than for a rich man to enter the
 Kingdom of Heaven.”
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 15, 2014 at 9:33 am

That’s from Ted not Tedbp
Reply
 

 Searcher says:

 October 15, 2014 at 10:11 am

This annual meeting was a real three-ring circus event with Mark Sanderson playing the ringleader. All he needed was a top hat! I can’t help but feel for those who actually believe these seven circus clowns are God’s own and only channel of communication to the world as we know it. If it is, then stop the world, I want to get off!!! I couldn’t even concentrate on the subject matter of Lett’s speech (i.e. discourse?) with his over-the-top theatrics. He reminds me of an animatron ran on pneumatic cylinders usually found on stage at a kiddie pizza joint. Then the interview with Gerrit Lösch and the three older couples was especially saddening. These people were practically slaves for this false religion their whole lives and glad of it! Lösch sat there when they were answering his questions almost with an air of ‘this is all for me.’ Then there was that evil elf-like guy Anthony Morris. His speech seemed to have a sinister overtone to it; ‘Do it my way or suffer the consequences!’ was what I got out of it. I find this in all of his speeches that Cedars posted concerning Morris. Hey, and everyone here is right about that TV setup. It looks like a carbon-copy of something from Pat Robertson or the Bakers in the 80’s. Wow, how low can these guys stoop!
Sorry if I offended anyone here, but I can’t help but be cynical about this comedy or tragedy they called an annual meeting. You all are correct in saying that they are in a downward spiral and really cannot help but trip over themselves at every turn.
My nickname here is “Searcher”, but I don’t really think I need to search anymore. I have found this organization to be a false religion and a bona-fide cult. No doubt about it! I am so glad that I don’t drink the kool-aid anymore.
Thanks to Cedars for bringing this to light.
Reply
 

 Darrin Hart says:

 October 15, 2014 at 10:48 am

I was born in and was an elder for over a decade. I don’t even recognize this mess anymore. It is literally a televangelist vehicle for the “magnificent seven” now… it is just…. creepy as hell
Reply
 

 Syl says:

 October 15, 2014 at 10:50 am

Today I checked Mormons.org…Give me the same, but different…
Reply
 

 anonymous says:

 October 15, 2014 at 12:15 pm

And what was all that baloney about why there was no way to find out who was on the writing committee for the New World Translation because it was not to draw undue attention to themselves?????
Reply
 

 Rachel says:

 October 15, 2014 at 1:03 pm

Wait, there was a choir? I thought that the Borg specifically did not want to have a choir, in case some people would get to show that they had actual talent. Much like how they abolished the piano players because some sisters were actually enjoying their opportunity to participate.
Reply
 

 Bad Penny says:

 October 15, 2014 at 3:09 pm

So what’s with the baggy trousers, oh, yes, it’s to hide those paunches, getting fatter daily.
“They have grown fat; they have become shiny.” – Jer. 5-28.
Reply
 

 Bad Penny says:

 October 15, 2014 at 3:14 pm

Just a thought on the number seven.
 I think I’ve mentioned it before, but near the top of the Masonic Pyramid of power is written ‘The Seven’.
The links to the ‘Russellite pyramidology’ appear to have not completely gone away. It will be very interesting to see if the GB recruit anybody else into their ranks at this late stage in their history.
 The ‘Mr. Big’ who really controls these puppets may prefer it to stay at this ‘perfect number’.
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 15, 2014 at 3:59 pm

An interesting thought bad penny.
 It is believed that the bankers funded the Napoleonic wars hence the begining of the national debt.
 It is also believed that the masons/ illuminate were deliberately creating doom day cults to turn people away from God when their predictions failed.
 What is if interest about the theory of the new world order and the one world government is the scriptures agree.. . I.e . The ten kings you saw will rule will the beast one hour. . The king of the north.
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 15, 2014 at 4:05 pm

Of historical fact was the attempt of the third Reich and the master race. What’s of interest is, who funded Hitler?
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 15, 2014 at 4:33 pm

Is it possible that through his business contacts the Watchtower was funded who knows? But what is factual is his grave site and his preoccupation of pyramidology.
Reply
 

 Bad Penny says:

 October 15, 2014 at 5:31 pm

Gary
 Your thoughts are appreciated.
 It seems that Russell had his finger in many pies – see the link to The Four Presidents of The Watchtower under Solon Society on google.
 Kindly brought to our attention by Mikey and Kim.
Reply
 

 anonymous says:

 October 16, 2014 at 1:27 am

If you all want to have some fun with friends and family who are still in the cult have them listen to the last speech on the program about who will soon attack God’s People by Jackson. I paused it every 2 or 3 words and wrote it out by hand and then typed it word for word. In the end, all he is saying is that it’s not Satan (like we used to think) but it’s a coalition of nations (we don’t know who that is until it actually happens). It was nonsensical and pointless but let your friends tell you that because that’s the fact of the matter.
Reply
 

 anonymous says:

 October 16, 2014 at 1:29 am

and to add to my last comment, he was also saying that the battle at the end of the thousand years is the very same battle at the end of the Great Tribulation (Armageddon) only a different name. Write it out word for word and you will see that is exactly what he is saying. He points to each word he is saying so as not to make a mistake. Watch him as he reads it.
Reply
 

 anonymous says:

 October 16, 2014 at 1:48 am

to add to my last comment, so if what Jackson was saying is the the Society is saying that the battle at the end of the thousand years is the very same battle after the great tribulation only under different names, does that mean that the great tribulation lasts 1,000, because it’s only after the thousand years and everyone has passed the “test” that they are handed ever lasting life and immortality and if that is what he was saying, then what is all this talk about how everyone is going to reach perfection at the end of the thousand years and like Armageddon is happening next week and everyone is going to be perfect after Armageddon, like it’s next week already? In his talk, he is saying like they all talked about it and that is the conclusion they came to.
Listen to his talk and see if any of you all get the same thought as I did. You have to listen real closely and pause it and write it out word for word. Sometimes I would miss a word and had to back it up to get every word.
Reply
 

 anonymous says:

 October 16, 2014 at 2:37 am

but wait. What signals the start of the Great Tribulation??? I am so confused….
Reply
 

 Excelsior! says:

 October 16, 2014 at 3:30 am

anonymous,
You’re not the only one who is confused, dear lady!!!
There are 2 massive wars mentioned. The first is the battle of Armageddon, where Christ and his army of angels (accompanied by all the gb who are in heaven) give all the nations of the world a great kicking and kill off billions of people for the gross sin of not being a Jehovah’s Witness.
The second battle occurs AFTER THE 1000 YEAR REIGN OF CHRIST. Apparently, the MAJORITY of “perfect” human beings will choose Satan’s side and attack the faithful. Then these benighted individuals, along with Satan and his demons, will be hurled into the lake of fire.
If that knucklehead Sanderson believes they are the same war, then the war of Armageddon is followed by a 1000 year ceasefire!!! The whole human race will live in a situation similar to the 2 Koreas!
What kind of “Paradise” is that?
I’m sure that you are right, anonymous, in your transcription of his words. What kind of God would do this? Would Christ really sign up for a situation of this kind in his Kingdom?
I think that the gb will find “new light” and say that we are living in the 1000 year reign now! They then have 900 years to fleece the flock. The physical paradise will be replaced with a figurative paradise, or some such nonsense!
watch(tower) this space!
Peace be with you
Excelsior!
Reply
 

 anonymous says:

 October 16, 2014 at 4:10 am

to add to my thoughts too Excelsior, for them to say that they don’t know who is going to attack God’s people yet (an unknown coalition of nations) until they actually see it happening, is to say “we don’t know what we are talking about but if we see something happening to us, then we will take credit for predicting it. See how smart we are!!!!
Reply
 

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 anonymous says:

 October 16, 2014 at 4:46 am

but wait again.. All of those speakers were saying that before the Great Tribulation starts, all the anointed will be magically beamed up to heaven. Boy, how can a thinking person keep up with all that finer “tuned” (Jackson’s words) and up to date information from Jehovah???
At the beginning of talks at assemblies, they always say that you can’t record the talks. The thing about putting these talks on tv though, is that you can take them apart word for word and the Society is counting on the fact that most people won’t do that and just take the Society’s word for it that they know what they are talking about and are smarter than the average Joe.
It’s much the same as a 80 page contract that people just skip to the last page and sign it. They think all the legal words are over their head and too hard to understand so they skip to the end and sign it blindly.
The Governing Body are no smarter than anybody else sitting in any Kingdom Hall and if you take their talks apart, there is plenty you can point to that doesn’t make any sense. The Society is counting on the fact that almost everybody in the Borg has left their thinking caps at the door.
Reply
 

 anonymous says:

 October 16, 2014 at 4:51 am

but wait again…All of those speakers said that before the Great Tribulation begins, all the anointed were going to be magically beamed up to heaven. Boy, how can a person keep up with all the “new light”???
Before assemblies, everyone is told that they can’t record the talks but the nice thing about these talks being put on tv, is that you can take them apart, word for word and there’s plenty to pick apart and analyze that doesn’t make any sense if you study every word.
The Governing Body members are no smarter than any other person sitting in any Kingdom Hall but they are counting on the fact that people have left their thinking caps at the door. It’s like skipping to the last page of an 80 page legal contract. People think they aren’t smart enough to understand it and just skip to the last page and sign it.
Reply
 

 anonymous says:

 October 16, 2014 at 4:53 am

Sorry for the duplicate. I thought my comment didn’t register but it was going to the 2nd page so I did it again.
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 16, 2014 at 6:05 am

The Finished Mystery 1917 / Light 1930 /. Babylon the great
 has Fallen Gods Kingdom Rules 1963 / Then is Finished the
 Mystery of God 1969 / Revelation it’s Grand Climax is at
 Hand 1988 /.
Five books all purporting to be the definitive interpretation of
 Revelations . Advocating many of the “ideas” in those books
 today, could get you accused of apostasy, as a proponent of
 false doctrines.
Given time the same will be true of their present “notions”
( If you can figure them out.)
As the inspirer of Revelations, God must certainly know it’s
 true meaning. And would have revealed it to his one true
 channel without the need of constant revision Amos 3 / 7
If Jehovah had said the Mystery is Finished , then it would
 been so.
Reply
 

 Baby says:

 October 16, 2014 at 6:30 am

Cedar You say that the governing body is boasts. But you’re the one who looking for your own glory by posting yourself on the Internet in order to fight them. Take care of yourself may be at war against jehovah himself.
Reply
 
 Cedars says:

 October 16, 2014 at 11:25 pm

Thanks for the warning, which could be leveled at anyone who makes a stand against anything harmful in life. If I carry out my activism anonymously, I am accused of cowardice and underhandedness. If I carry out my activism openly with my real name and likeness, I am accused of “looking for my own glory.” It’s a no win situation I’m afraid. So tell me, “Baby,” if Watchtower WERE a cult, how would you expect to find out about it?
Reply
 
 

 anonymous says:

 October 16, 2014 at 8:51 am

It is interesting when you listen to the Governing Body’s talks and how many times they say “seems” in referring to what is going to happen before the Great Tribulation and before and after Armageddon.
One of the meanings of the word “seem” is presume.
Rev. 22:18, 19 warns against either taking away from the prophecy or adding to it.
Presumptuousness in the Insight book Vol. 2 page 680 says presumptuousness is related to haughtiness, arrogance, pride and forwardness. It’s antonyms are meekness and modesty.
In the 1984 Watchtower pages 12-23 under the Titles of developing Modesty, it says on page 22, paragraph 14 “..a lack of modesty offends others, makes them uncomfortable. Since we do not want to offend those we love, genuine brotherly love will make us modest. Lack of modesty stirs up competition, rivalry, or causes others to feel inferior to us” and continuing on the next page it says “But faith in Jehovah will keep us from pushing forward presumptuously or immodestly. Rather we will leave matters in Jehovah’s hands.”
If one of the rank and file guesses what is going to happen before or after the Great Tribulation, we are counseled to not push ahead as this is presumptuous on our parts but that counsel doesn’t seem to apply to the Governing Body.
It is okay for them to presume or guess what the scriptures say when it doesn’t come right and say it and this is evident by the fact that they say “it seems this and it seems that”…..
Reply
 

 Interrogative? says:

 October 16, 2014 at 10:50 am

The GB members, when talking in the 2014 Annual Meeting, are all looking a bit unhealthy, a bit abnormal in their way of expressing themselves and of smiling. Are they all using medicines for treating depression ? I have never been in the States to compare them with other people. Or is it just my point of view as a Native European ?
Reply
 

 James Broughton says:

 October 16, 2014 at 11:02 am

Penny, beautifully expressed. Many thanks.
Reply
 

 Skip Hunt says:

 October 16, 2014 at 12:59 pm

To “Interrogative”, the GB’s are always smiling and seem medicated because they are treated like royalty, live in upscale suites, don’t have to do any manual labor, get all their meals made for them, and believe they are magically selected by Jesus. I might smile also. Of all of them I knew Steve Lett when I was in bethel. I do have to say he was very friendly and nice, he didn’t seem to be haughty.
Reply
 

 Mitch Jensen says:

 October 16, 2014 at 3:05 pm

Finally the Governing Body are willing to go before a TV Camera! Usually their so modest when camera crews want some interview or clarification dealing with their twisted scriptures!
If Brother Rutherford was alive he would fire every one of these “creatures desirous of worship” so creepy!
Reply
 

 Criticus says:

 October 17, 2014 at 9:27 am

(4th try)
One of the previous commentators mentioned “Baptism for the Dead” and “Special Underwear.” That was exactly what I thought. All this serves the “Keeping up with the Jones’ “-scheme. Look under “Mormon Channel”, or – if you got a ROKU-box – there they are as well for quite some time now. What WTS is now doing is nothing but monkeying what the LDS have been doing for a while, but with much more noise. Of course, to JW, in their total focus on themselves, their self-worshiping navel-gazing, when THEY do it, it’s unique, one-of-a-kind, inimitable, revolutionary, it comes next to the Big Bang. Oooooooooooooh yeah – the “Heavenly Chariot” is on the move again, fast and faster, hurtling and dashing through space and time, dragging the WTBTS Inc. in its boiling, agitated wake towards eternal hyperspace. I just wonder WHOSE chariot – or wheelchair – of the self-appointed Central Committee it is that is dashing through the Warwick office corridors too fast, causing it’s “Governing Rider” thrill of speed-triggered hallucinations and outerworldly visions. Is it Tony’s – or Gerrit’s – rolling device that is zigzagging through headquarters – which, of course, has been prophetically foretold in Ezekiel chapter 1, and which is causing the rest of the universe to get out of breath with trying to keep up? Well, I am definitely not going to.
To all tunnel-visioned JW: Get rid of your GB-mandated omphaloskepsis and look beyond those steel blinders of yours that have been welded to your nobs through years of wt-“study” and see that is has all been out there for quite some time. Your mother-org has not reinvented the wheel, nor done anything extraordinary. You ARE NOT the pioneers and trailblazers you think you are – others have been doing it since long before, and quite well so. Lets’ just stop all this fuss and buzz about a TV-website, or a mobile app – for crying out loud! NASA was flying to the moon, now people are preparing to go to Mars. Some Nobel Prize guys just released real important research about the brain’s navigational system that might help cure Alzheimers (including Tony’s, Steven’s, Gerrit’s, …), and another one made it possible to watch processes in living cells through a microscope, now THAT’s what I call real accomplishments – not cobbling together a TV-studio, or cranking out yet another cellphone app. GUYS! Come on … be for real.
Reply
 

 LAC says:

 October 17, 2014 at 9:16 pm

Let me just say this: Back in the 80’s the GB went out of their way NOT to brag or boast about themselves. It was wrong in Jehovah’s eyes they were to be humble, and NOT worshiped! I can remember studying the Revelation Book where there was NO face ANYWHERE in reference to Jehovah because the GB taught that No man has seen God’s face and live and No one has seen the face of God so there were no faces on any picture that was suppose to relate to Jehovah such as his being upon the heavenly throne. As a witness for 30 years you MUST understand that we were taught that those who were on television such as priest and evangelical Christians were NOT doing what was right in Jehovah’s eyes because they were not engaging in the door to door work as the Bible taught and they were raking in millions of $$ by soliciting funds. Well what I am seeing now is no different from what those evangelical preachers do on TV. The JW.org is being worshiped like the golden calf of the Israelites and the GB is being worshiped like Gods on earth and now they are on their own broadcast station. Pardon me but I have been a JW for some 30 years and I never thought I would live to see the day when the GB did a 180 on ALL the things I was taught as wrong in the “truth” Look either it is right or it is wrong but it can’t be both ways! Not only that but the GB just bought a mansion for 1.46 Million $$. WHY? I think they are fleecing their flock and living in luxury while the rank and file members are paying for it all. So maybe some are enamored with the GB but I am NOT. I feel that these men are fake and that they have no more holy spirit on them than Jim Baker or Oral Roberts or any other preacher. Next their slogan with be “Praise the Lord and Pass the Loot” which is exactly what they are doing!
Reply
 

 Warren says:

 October 20, 2014 at 8:46 pm

My Son has just come back from the Melbourne International con, they have said that they now have 29 helpers as they are getting old, i think i have already read this here, i have checked the new book on the history & note the claring differences between it & the proclaimers book, nothing on 1914 comming from the adventists, nothing on 1925 Millions now living will never die, “Lie”, also i was able to get hold of my mums aid book, it makes for some interesting reading, i do note though that the points under the heading, “generation” are the same as the insight book, published in 1988, now the flip flop as we all no, i guess its a matter of time untill they rewrite the insight book, i spoke to an elder about the aid book & he just laughed it of, but the same men who wrote it, wrote the bible, are we to write this of as well, also my son reported that at Melbourne they had a mexicon wave at the end of it, that would never happen in the past, it seems they are working very hard to drag the youth in.
Reply
 

 kat says:

 October 20, 2014 at 9:55 pm

One thing Lett said and I appreciated when quoting from the Life everlasting, he said “millions now living WILL never die” instead of MAY never die, which we know they changed, either it was a slip up or he was being honest.
He also gave a talk on anxiety but was a blame game, not doing enough in field service, meeting attendance, living a double life viewing pornography, being materialistic, or pursuing a higher education, all these are reasons for anxiety, quoting Matt 6.
No mention that anxiety could very well be a medical condition needing professional help. We have had quite a lot of talks on anxiety among the b/s, it is very common, and of course leads to depression, and other problems, panic attacks and worse.
Reply
 

 Warren says:

 October 20, 2014 at 10:10 pm

The amount of JW’s that i know of that suffer from depresion is scary, we also seem to attract the nutters, a lot of people here have taken their kids out of school to “Home School”, then they can’t/don’t want to work and become misfits, all waiting for this promise, just like sticking the head in the sand, they cleave so heaverly to the promises, well its 100 years now, & very shortly many more will pass.
Reply
 

 kat says:

 October 21, 2014 at 12:45 am

I have also noticed a lot are attracted to the cult that do a mental illness, and those that don’t end up with depression or worse, those already with the problem of mental illness seems to be ok or helpful for a little while, but once they realise that the initiation party is over, they have to come down to earth and realise that its not the loving org they thought, this only makes the illness worse, for some its impossible to keep up with all the demands of time, money and rules, but in the back of their minds its the truth and where else to go, out in the world with Satan and many feel like they are bad and can’t fit in, its a real bad deal for sure.
Reply
 

 Willows says:

 October 21, 2014 at 12:59 am

An interesting combination of terms… Governing Body.
 and Annual meeting.
These terms are generally used together with corporation
 secular Governmental regulations for profit and non-profit
 corporations.
Governing Bodies are required in secular corporations also Annual meetings are required.
These are part of Governmental requirements. To be adhered to and controlled by Governments.
One would think for a spiritual organization to fuse secular and spiritual together goes against
 Christ, when he said his Kingdom is no part of this world.
Another example of how mixed up the Watchtower is,
 fusing secular & spiritual together with Governing Bodies and Annual Meetings. Required by Secular Authorities, not required by Christ.
Reply
 

 kat says:

 October 21, 2014 at 1:13 am

Interesting comment Willows, yes mixing the both is really playing in the world of corporate rule, the name GB is really (JW speak) worldly, any wonder they had to find anything in the bible to try and pass that one of, and yet what really gives me the pip is how they treat JW like utter idiots, like all businesses they have to abide by laws, but the GB are a law to themselves when it comes to obeying Gods word, be interesting to see just how many more goofy teachings they have to come up with now 2014 slips of the radar.
Reply
 

 Willows says:

 October 21, 2014 at 1:32 am

I would have to agree as Cedars said, when you see morphing [surreal sequence], it is time for a reality check.
 Out there, is so much evidence printed by the Watchtower
 that it is time to do your own thinking.
Reply
 

 KateWild says:

 October 21, 2014 at 4:24 am

Great article Cedars,
I like the point you make about the jw.org logo and idolatry……apparently many were trying to get GB members to sign their bibles, isn’t that idolatry also. Together with revering them on telly.
Lots and lots of idolatry IMO.
Kate xx
Reply
 

 Orphan says:

 October 21, 2014 at 4:11 pm

I think the GB are doing this (stepping out into the limelight) in order to counter accusations that the Watchtower Society is a ‘secret society’.
This new approach allows them to say “We are in the open! Look at us! We have no secrets!”.
*and yet still…they maintain their ‘secret’ pedophile files…
Reply
 

 Warren says:

 October 22, 2014 at 8:57 pm

Just watched the new release DVD, while family were at the meeting, i hope to see more comment on this peice of crap, their is no way they can show it in third world country, shows a very normal family who seem to have everything and are growing apart, well as kids get older that happens, but the dad & mum need to simplyfy their lives like the old elder who is now going to rent a room in their house, well if we all simplyfy our lives then where are all the people going to live & who is going to pay for it. Complete dribble, and its all Dads fault as its not in his heart, here’s a reality check people we need to work & provide, not stick your head in the sand like they did in 1975 & wake up 40 years latter with nothing, see why all the KH flats are being kept for old co’s, they have nothing after years of toiling
Reply
 

 rob says:

 October 23, 2014 at 7:44 am

I remember so many times from the platform how we were told to simplify and not be materialistic and to always do more for the organization, and so many people just ate it all up and sold everything and rented a basement suite and worked part time -and then started the struggles and the marriage problems and the anxiety and depression – all for a corporation that cares nothing for them, as individuals, at all.
On the flip side, we are now seeing flashy videos of an organization that is extremely wealthy, with new digs, and billions of dollars in real estate and this organization appears to be very very materialistic.
I saw through this and left, but unfortunately, so many are still not seeing the true colors of this religion.
Reply
 

 traxx says:

 October 24, 2014 at 7:39 am

Well cry baby hiding pedophiles is not a problem for the so called self anointed class who now had said that Christ did not inspect the organization in 1919,Now are we to conclude that after 100 years of lying by the watchtower,that God’s holy spirit, all of the sudden change his mind and Christ gave this organization the thumbs up?
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 24, 2014 at 10:32 am

Stephen Letts talk in the first ever JW.Org broadcast, focussed
 on teenagers. Encouraging them to have a personal relationship
 with Jehovah, which in effect meant devoting their life to the
 organisation. This fact was made clear in his conclusion, —
 “We look forward to ( using ) you more and more in Jehovahs
 Organisation”.
It’s obvious that youth defection, or disaffection, is a big problem
 but Letts talk won’t have helped, the manner of his delivery was
 of one talking to a 3 or 4 year old, it was patronising, and
 embarrassing to listen to.
There was no countdown to Armageddon. Instead we were shown
 a video of a deceased gov, body member who had gone to his
 heavenly reward? after a lifetime of service, also a video of an 87
 year old convert, delighted with all his new found friends.
 So there’s a shift away from an almost imminent reward, which has
 been the main draw for over a hundred years.
 To accepting the “Christian” life as the being the best option.
The word “Using” aptly describes their dealings with people. The
 closure of over 20 branches when many Bethel workers were given
 their marching orders with little support is one example.
 Human casualties are a low priority in a business corporation.
Reply
 

 Chris says:

 October 28, 2014 at 9:24 am

I spent 26 years in this faith I believe in Jehovah I don’t trust governing body
Reply
 

 Chris says:

 October 28, 2014 at 9:31 am

After I read about the Candice conti trial and verdict I was completely shocked regarding the policies the governing body sends to elders in handling cases such as these . If this a Governing is covering things up they should face criminal charged
Reply
 

 Chris Benson says:

 October 29, 2014 at 3:41 am

They got a life of luxury on the backs of all their gulible members
Reply
 

 Tipper says:

 November 12, 2014 at 7:25 am

I wonder if the GB will follow the Mormon church in publishing online some the shady origins and beliefs of the religion in order to combat all the info that is out there already on “Apostate” websites:
“”There is so much out there on the Internet that we felt we owed our members a safe place where they could go to get reliable, faith-promoting information that was true about some of these more difficult aspects of our history,” Elder Steven E. Snow, the church’s historian, told the New York Times. ”
http://gawker.com/mormon-church-joseph-smith-had-40-wives-including-14-1657405725
 An interesting article, worth the read.
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 Richardb says:

 November 16, 2014 at 12:47 pm

It amazes me how the organization has changed. I was a Witness over 20 years ago and a Ministerial Servant in a Spanish congregation and seeing how the Society has made use of the Internet, the way they now advertise with the JW.org logo and display their literature in public would not have been looked up very well back then. The way they promote themselves looks no different from any other large corporation. I guess this is the new meaning of being “no part of the world”.
Reply
 

 Chris says:

 November 19, 2014 at 9:31 am

I was baptized in 1987 in NYC. My mother studied and my dad studied they did not get baptized. I find it absurd that no one can contact a governing body member, I know I’ve tried I got put on hold and even they even hanged up on me WOW! Wasnt Jesus always available and yet these professes christian men are not. I needed help at one time during the winter it was -17 deg outside and 32deg in my apt. My congreg didn’t help me at all. 6 elders knew of my situation and no one helped me
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 Chris says:

 November 19, 2014 at 9:38 am

To all persons that read my post please accept my apology I’m not proficient in texting and at times I make grammatical errors. Thank you
Reply
 

 Chris says:

 November 25, 2014 at 10:53 am

I haven’t attended a Kingdom Hall meeting since March 2014. I recently made call Bro Cogley of highland park congreg I left a message expressing my disgust at the way things are handled well sure enough Bruce called Bro Alarid and Bri Alarid calls me and leaves me s message. Hey guys I’ve been gone since March 2014 all of a sudden now you want to talk to me WOW!!!!!! To bad you can’t
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Governing Body takes to the stage together in newly-released Annual Meeting video
avatar
Posted on October 13, 2014

The Governing Body are shown together for the first time on film on the new JW Broadcasting website
The Governing Body are shown together for the first time on film on the new JW Broadcasting website

The new “tv.jw.org” website is barely off the ground, but it is wasting no time in posting some intriguing content.
I have already discussed the October broadcast featuring Steven Lett in one of my latest YouTube videos. As I mentioned, giving members of the Governing Body increasing prominence could easily backfire as perceptions of their supposed ‘humility’ erode – especially among older generations of Witnesses who can remember a time when even a group photograph in the publications was a rarity.
A curious example of the Governing Body’s apparent appetite for the limelight can be found in the latest video to be uploaded to JW Broadcasting – namely the full four-hour recording of the 2014 Annual Meeting.
In the closing stages of the meeting, all seven members emerge on stage to sing along to one of the new songs. “We notice we have seven honorary members to our chorus here to my right,” says the choir conductor as the leaders walk on to applause.
This is the first time (at least, to my knowledge) that all incumbent members of a Governing Body have appeared side-by-side on film. I have a feeling it won’t be the last.
governing-body-singing
The full video can be watched on this link.
There is a nagging sense of irony in seeing seven men whose authority must never be challenged on pain of punishment by family estrangement singing “Jehovah, Jehovah, there is no God like you. There’s no other in the heavens, or on the earth below. You alone are God Almighty, and this all men must know. Jehovah, Jehovah, we have no other God but you.”
It would be easier to take these words seriously if the Governing Body were not falling over themselves to get in front of the camera at almost every opportunity, and chastising any Witnesses who refuse to show them the loyalty they crave.
To those like me who feel the effects of daring to defy these men on a daily basis, they seem very much like Gods “on the earth below” – especially when they are free to decipher the thoughts and commands of the Almighty without any need for their conclusions to make sense, stand the test of time, or even correspond with the scriptures.
The shameless adoration of the JW.org symbol marks a departure from previously held warnings against idolatry
The shameless adoration of the JW.org symbol marks a departure from previously issued warnings against idolatry

Then there is the remarkable onus on the logo for the JW.org website, which is increasingly used as a vehicle for their publicity. A cursory glance at the “jw_witnesses” instagram page shows an unnerving devotion to the symbol in its various settings, whether affixed to a kingdom hall or branch office, or adorning a tote bag or t-shirt.
Adoration of a man-made symbol that would once have been considered idolatrous, a denial that there is “no other God like Jehovah,” is now deemed perfectly kosher – and all because it has the Governing Body’s seal of approval.
The Watchtower organization of 2014 is quickly becoming unrecognizable from that which I grew up in. Surely it wasn’t that long ago when even the Watchtower symbol wasn’t given too much prominence, and any depiction of the Governing Body in the literature or videos was greeted with surprise.
I can only hope that my sense of bewilderment at the ever-more obtrusive exploits of Dave, Tony, Geoff, Sam, Mark, Steve and Gerrit, and the increasingly gaudy outfit they preside over, is shared by at least some indoctrinated Witnesses – perhaps prompting some soul searching on their part.
When the ‘humble’ men you are pinning everything on start morphing into the same tacky televangelists they once delighted in taunting and condemning, you know it’s time for a reality check.
http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/governing-body-takes-to-the-stage-together-in-newly-released-annual-meeting-video#comments


















Newer Comments →

 waytodawn says:

 October 4, 2014 at 3:17 pm

Video not available…. :( I only wanted to see our good old pal… tony…
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 Cedars says:

 October 4, 2014 at 3:20 pm

Sorry, it’s probably down to your country’s copyright laws! Try checking out the “jwsurvey” channel on YouTube. There should be at least one or two videos without any music etc where you can enjoy Tony’s pearls of wisdom! ;)
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 Patrice says:

 October 4, 2014 at 3:21 pm

Poor fly.
Reply
 

 Patrice says:

 October 4, 2014 at 3:23 pm

I had to knock hell out of my ipad but it open eventualy.
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 Gareth says:

 October 4, 2014 at 3:30 pm

Gog of Magog no longer Satan? That’s quite a major change! Why did they change that?
Let’s hope these TV sessions might just do it: wake up JWs. Their leaders are not God-directed, they’re only human.
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 Gail N says:

 October 4, 2014 at 3:45 pm

Unfortunately, I fear that these videos will have the exact opposite effect. Most of the “good” JWs will be SO excited that they can now listed AND VIEW!!! their beloved spiritual leaders at any time that they wish.
Perhaps (hopefully) a few will see what is going on, but I doubt that most will find this anything but exciting and yet another blessing from Jehovah.
Reply
 
 Cedars says:

 October 4, 2014 at 3:54 pm

You may be right, but don’t forget the “emperor’s new clothes” factor. The fact that these men are SO deluded and incapable of seeing it for themselves is one of their biggest weaknesses.
Reply
 
 

 George says:

 October 4, 2014 at 3:48 pm

This religion that I am still a part of is getting more and more scary. I read on another site that the local needs will be replaced with a part where all Congo members will give a testament to how they know it’s the truth. I’m gonna have to seriously up my acting ability to pull that off. I hope that’s just a rumor.
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 Stephanie Sunderland says:

 October 4, 2014 at 4:11 pm

Another doctrine change, another songbook, JWtv etc.. I was LDS after I left the WT. Mormons have BYUtv, Mormon.org..I feel that they are competing with the Mormons. First Mormons put Mormon.org across buses now JWs do the same. Gog of Magog isn’t Satan? It’s a “coalition of nations, yet to be revealed”..They seem absolutely desperate! The more I see things like this, I thank God, that I awakened from their darkness and deceit.
Reply
 

 Stephanie Sunderland says:

 October 4, 2014 at 4:15 pm

That sounds exactly like the LDS church! Giving testimonies that the church is true is what the LDS do, constantly.. I heard a rumor that one of the GB had been Mormon.
Reply
 

 anonymous says:

 October 4, 2014 at 4:38 pm

That illustration of being a fly walking around a metal ball until I’d wear it down to nothing has to be the worst example of forever that I could ever come up with.
Maybe something like being able to eat all the banana cream pie I wanted to eat and never having to worry about getting fat might be something that might appealing but not being a fly.
I hope these guys’ talks, show everyone how really “ordinary” they really are. I for one, am anxious to see the “shows”. I think they will be funny, especially if they talk about how all little girls just want to grow up to be wives and please a man.
Maybe the reason for these “shows” is to show everyone that they really aren’t as stupid as all the talks that Cedars has shown on this web site???
Reply
 

 JJ says:

 October 4, 2014 at 5:33 pm

My wife (still a ‘true-believer’) always questions me with the “what’s in it for the Governing Body???” “What do they have to gain???” She reasons that they work so hard and selflessly for Jehovah, so for this reason alone the WT organization must be true!
 Then I see your slide show above, from the Annual Meeting and one of the pictures is of a young couple posing with that Australian-weirdo in between them. No doubt they will show all of their friends this picture, that they had a GB stop to have his picture with them as if he is a pop star or a film celebrity.
 That is why they do it!!! For the fame, the glory and the cushy life!
 Now they will be on TV! They think that people can’t get enough Governing Body?!? (It reminds me of the Cow Bell skit. “I’ve got a fever, and the only cure is more Governing Body!)
 I think Cedars is right. People are going to see how crazy and wrong these guys are! It was better when they hid and said as little as possible. They used to send out letters or only give convention talks. There was mystery back then, which was the correct ploy for these nuts.
 This will be like seeing behind the wizard’s curtain; you can’t unsee something so bad.
Reply
 

 Nancy Trimble says:

 October 4, 2014 at 6:27 pm

New light? From other books I’ve been reading (Psalm 83, The Forgotten Prophecy Revealed (Bill Salus) – excellent book, they figured that out several years ago about Gog of Magog being a coalition, being led by Russia (Gog) and Iran. Sounds like the GB are just now figuring that out. And there are going to be 2 major wars before Armageddon, the next one being the Psalm 83 war with an Arab confederacy against Israel, then the ‘Gog of Magog war. This has absolutely nothing to do with the witnesses, and everything to do with the nation of Israel which is still ‘God’s chosen people’. It always has been and always will be.
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 Gino says:

 October 4, 2014 at 6:32 pm

Wow…why would the fly walk across the steel sun ball when it has wings? Wouldn’t it just fly across the steel sun ball? Duh!
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 label licker says:

 October 4, 2014 at 7:44 pm

It made me sick when they read Chapter 25 of Matthew. Didn’t anyone clue in at verse 21 of chapter 25 when Jesus himself is saying to them “well done good and faithful slave?”
Or how Revelation 1:1 John is called a slave, Peter 1:1 where Peter is a slave and an apostle, James 1:1 where James is a slave of god and of Jesus, Titus 1:1 where Paul is a slave?????
 Yes, these seven leaders at headquarters tell their followers that there were no faithful and discreet slave until 1919 and it was them. And how it doesn’t appear unless these leaders come together to make decisions. How it’s invisible just like their Jesus ruling since 1914 in the heavens but when you read in gods word about the faithful slave, they are mentioned as actual real human beings.
 These seven governing booboos
 are not faithful for they keep changing their doctrines as many times as they change their underwear plus, they are not discreet since they have their faces plastered all over their literature and videos.
 They really do make the word of god invalid!
Reply
 

 David says:

 October 4, 2014 at 8:59 pm

I don’t see why a new song book is needed. I would be curious to hear the talks by the GB and sessions of morning worship.
Reply
 

 kat says:

 October 4, 2014 at 9:01 pm

This exposure of the GB hopefully will help those who already have doubts decide to read their bible independently of the WT and GB speak, one doesn’t think all would wake up, but many are already, and I have always believed that if not for the shunning rule more than we think would be walking.
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 ruth says:

 October 4, 2014 at 10:46 pm

Yes poor fly! Why would the fly walk when he has wings lol?
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 Velvia Blue says:

 October 5, 2014 at 1:32 am

I was never happy with the interpretation of Gog of Mago. Remember all those mind numming group study meetings going through books like Ezekiel? zzzzzzz
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 Velvia Blue says:

 October 5, 2014 at 1:43 am

@ JJ
 I saw Schroder give a zone visit talk in Belfast in the early 80’s. After the talk he came down into the crowd and was swamped by the ‘faithful’ but what disturbed me was the adoration of this man and he was loving it. He was ‘laying’ his hands on individuals like he was some sort of messiah.
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 Excelsior! says:

 October 5, 2014 at 2:21 am

Folks,
The more these gentlemen are exposed on media, the more opportunities there are for them to reveal their true natures.
I’m having trouble with my dear old Mum at the moment. Another shepherding meeting has been asked for because yours truly can’t keep his big mouth shut about all the terrible things I’m finding out.
I must remain quiet and not allow the WTBTS to destroy what has always been a loving relationship. For now, I must remain cautious. I do not want these elders to harm my dear old Mum by marking her or disfellowshipping her, or by trying to get her to lay down rules in our home.
This does not mean that I will be stopping my comments here, or that I will not be continuing with my complaints to certain bodies. It simply means that I will have to stop talking to my dear old Mum about what I am discovering. She already knows a lot and I do. Or think that laying it on with a trowel will be beneficial to her at all.
My relationship with my dear old Mum is not up for grabs. It is not something that I am willing to sacrifice to this cause. I’m sorry, folks, but that’s the way it is.
I shall be cautious and cunning. I shall be victorious!
Any practical advice from others in a similar situation would be appreciated. For those with faith, I would appreciate a prayer or two.
 Peace be with you
Excelsior!
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 Oh dear!!!!!! says:

 October 5, 2014 at 2:43 am

Excelsior.
While your Mum is alive, just keep it inside. Nothing is to be gained by causing her hurt.
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 Simply Quackers says:

 October 5, 2014 at 3:31 am

I thought that. Wouldn’t a spider, or indeed a person, have been a better example? What a strange person…
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 chatpal says:

 October 5, 2014 at 4:40 am

woooow, you have got to be kidding me. gb tv huh?
 HOW can anyone NOT see through this scam. pretty new books and songs, Nkorea much? Give the Glory to the GB, look to them for guidance? Idol WORSHIP!
 you have to be deliberately naive to continue to fall for their teachings, or extremely lazy. nothing like good old propaganda to steer one away from Christ. [if thats your belief that is] ‘look at us, we have better talks than your average kingdom hall slaves….’
I started to ponder the other day, about where they come up with their material. Considering they live in isolation more or less, from the time they turn 23 ish, how is it that they have all life’s answers? Have they had success with dealing with a runaway teen? have they had exp with a screaming toddler? have they had exp with an unloving marriage? that they successfully ‘fixed’? have they had exp dealing with a DF one? or a child with cancer or adhd, or a son who got a dui? or a daughter that got pregnant? or the loss of a job? being homeless, how about living in the basement of your parents house with 3 children? all they can offer is a pat on the back. ‘there there now itll all turn out’
where do they get their sources? how about the same place we can get ours? [try david guziks commentary]
 or any online commentary site?
 I wont watch the video for at least one reason, they will be able to check off another view and add it to their numbers so they can brag.
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 5, 2014 at 5:11 am

the PARABLE of the Faithful and Discreet slave.
Definition of the word parable, – “A FICTITIOUS
 story to illustrate a moral or spiritual principle”
Their authority is based on FICTION, like all their
 predictions, and promises,
Historical FACT.
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 anonymous says:

 October 5, 2014 at 5:37 am

The Watchtower’s belly-crawling view of women is evident for all to see in all the publications and talks, if they are conscience at all and that attitude goes back to Rutherford’s day and unfortunately, most of the men in the org. will see these talks from their spirit-directed, but uninspired true prophets (from Captives of Concept by Don Cameron) and pity themselves even more than they already do because those talks will reinforce in their already ignorant brainwashed brains that all the problems in their marriages is because their wives are just not being submissive like they are supposed to be. That is what I think will happen.
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 5, 2014 at 7:17 am

@Excelsior
 I can empathise with you 100% . My daughter, a J.W,
 is extremely Ill, I’ve tried pointing out the flaws in the
 religion but I can see it just distresses her. She just wants
 to hang on to that idea of a paradise Earth.
As you obviously already realise, there’s a time to speak up
 and a time to keep silent.
Our families, our own flesh and blood are the most precious
 things we have on this Earth, and while this Org, thinks it has
 the right to impose itself between us and our loved ones and
 is even prepared to separate us, We are the ones who must
 use sound reasoning. Circumstances must be taken into
 consideration.
Isn’t it terrible though. that they still retain some hold over
 us through the things we hold most dear.?
If Satan is walking about on this Earth, I know where he spends
 most of his time.
My very best wishes.
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 KateWild says:

 October 5, 2014 at 7:22 am

Thanks Cedars for the leaked info. I have also heard there will be a new “basic pioneer” role for any who do 10hrs a month.
It won’t surprise me if it’s true, it might bring up the average time in FS. They are still pushing recruitment into the cult.
Kate xx
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 Vidiot says:

 October 5, 2014 at 8:13 am

Wow.
This is developing even faster than I thought it would.
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 JB says:

 October 5, 2014 at 1:29 pm

Tony doesn’t know that Chuck Norris counted to infinity twice already …
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 Mandelay says:

 October 5, 2014 at 3:22 pm

This ploy could be a solution to the current shortage of elders due to the fact several have stepped down from their positions, along with a few circuit and district overseers as well. I will not be surprised if this is a harbinger of a further reduction in the number of meetings next year.
Being the delusional megalomaniacs that they are, they firgure they can now lead with or without a unmistakably eroding leadership.
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 Mandelay says:

 October 5, 2014 at 3:24 pm

apologies for the mis-types
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 Bad Penny says:

 October 5, 2014 at 4:31 pm

That pic of Geoffrey Jackson in the video clip brought to mind a thought from Psalm 73 which seems to encompass all that the GB now stand for.
 I quote in part – ‘… their paunch is fat. They are not even in the trouble of mortal man, and they are not plagued the same as other men. Therefore haughtiness has served as a necklace to them…..Their eye has bulged from fatness; they have exceeded the imaginations of the heart ……They have put their mouth in the very heavens, and their tongue itself walks about in the earth. ……Look! These are the wicked, who are at ease indefinitely. They have increased their means of maintenance. …… Surely, on slippery ground is where you place them. You have made them fall to ruins.
 Amen to that!
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 Patrice says:

 October 5, 2014 at 4:51 pm

@ mandeley
A very interesting observation.
 The GB seem to be gathering in a lot of money at the moment. It may only seem a small thing, but asking brothers to download the KM is a great money saver. I bet the watchtower will be next on offer for download. Which brings me to your comment. Are they going to conduct meetings online? It seems really far fetched and yet………… Mmmmmmmmm
 This being the case will they still ask for contributions?????? Do I sound a tad suspicious, because if I do, it is because I am.
Reply
 

 Bad Penny says:

 October 5, 2014 at 5:01 pm

Excelsior –
How difficult it is to convince someone of real truth.
 When I was a witness, I spent many hours trying to convince my mother that I had got the ‘truth’, only to find out now that it was all a lie.
 My mother has since died, so I cannot apologise for all the grief I caused her.
 Trying to convince your Mum that you have the truth outside of the organisation could be very distressing to her. Pulling down something that she holds dear may not work.
 When speaking to a thinking person about how to get a loved one out of the Witnesses they said ‘You’ve got to replace it with something better’.
Ultimately though, your mother has got to want to find out for herself.
 Keep the peace. One day she may start asking questions ….
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 chris says:

 October 5, 2014 at 5:41 pm

Jehovahs witness leaks says a new Pioneer position was announced,basic Pioneer, 10hours a month. I notice it is not on this site. Having trouble verifying this. Can anyone help? Thanks.
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 Cedars says:

 October 6, 2014 at 12:27 am

I’ve heard this story too. It is possible that this was announced, but I’ve chosen not to report it because I couldn’t get it verified by more than one source.
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 sally says:

 October 5, 2014 at 6:04 pm

May God grant you insight and wisdom, may you be blessed with the Holy Spirit and be guided, directed and taught by means of Him. I hope and pray you may be able to ‘open the eyes’ of the many who are still trapped and deceived by this evil cult, who keeps people from entering into the Kingdom. Excelsior.
Reply
 

 errol says:

 October 5, 2014 at 8:31 pm

Revelation 20:8
  and he will go out to mislead those nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Ma′gog, to gather them together for the war. The number of these is as the sand of the sea.
Reply
 

 kat says:

 October 5, 2014 at 10:07 pm

good comment penny, while b/s around the world are struggling some in countries where they are being persecuted and other countries where b/s go to jail for not doing military service, here we see the GB members basking in the lime light well feed like fattened cows, being looked after like kings, and having the hide to ask for more money, are not the anointed suppose to be going through all the persecution, is not the devil primarily after the anointed?
 Where is their shame, I recall a WT article on donations and they showed a little boy with a pig selling so as to donate the money to the WT for the WWW, and another was of a poor farmer that sold half his small crop to give to the WT, this is the hideous type of emotional black mail the GB use to make the r/f feel like dirt for having a few dollars more in the bank.
they make me sick.
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 Carlos says:

 October 6, 2014 at 12:18 am

I am so happy, Jesus said that people in the last of days will hate us…”We are doing great”
Reply
 
 Cedars says:

 October 6, 2014 at 12:26 am

I don’t hate you, and I don’t hate Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is out of concern for Jehovah’s Witnesses (and the way they are being unduly influenced into a life of servitude to a few blokes in New York) that this website has been set up. But hey, if it makes you happy to see this website as evidence that you’re being “persecuted,” don’t let me spoil your fun.
Reply
 
 

 Excelsior! says:

 October 6, 2014 at 2:31 am

Folks,
Thank you for the words of advice, comfort and support in my time of need. I appreciate your kindness.
I am taking this one day at a time and one conversation at a time. Yesterday went well, with no conflict at all. I will do my level best not to be the one to damage the natural affection that family should have for each other.
Funny, isn’t it? The WTBTS quote Timothy about the last days and cannot see that it applies to them! They have no “natural affection” for their non Witness family, do they?
I shall keep on keeping on and I shall continue to do what I can to help us all survive and thrive in this wonderful, free world we all live in.
Peace be with you
Excelsior!
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 gary says:

 October 6, 2014 at 2:45 am

Gog of magog. . Very interesting indeed. Had you have disagreed to the original interpretation you may well have been disfellowedshipped. In reality then the real truth is this . . It’s of more importance to GB to be faithful to them and their teachings rather than the Bible & your own conscience.That is why all JW’s are owned and manipulated.
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 gary says:

 October 6, 2014 at 2:48 am

And from a scriptural point of view then. They have to accept that they have taught what is false . . Is that acceptable from a scriptural point of view? Is it acceptable to be faithful to them over faithfulness to what is true?
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 6, 2014 at 3:20 am

Why is it so significant when Jehovah’s witnesses change their teachings? Simply because they have excommunicated persons for disagreeing with the false teaching. Their authority is greater than that of the Bible. They, because of their false teachings, have had famalies shun each other and lives lost. Not only have they taught what is false but, in some case’s, been guilty of spiritual murder. So, if, Christ is going to inspect his household would he find that acceptable? As Chirst asked. . Who really is the faithful slave? The control from a secular, spiritual, Christian point of view is neither faithful or discrete and is downright unacceptable. And just for the
 Watchtower ears . . If the judgement begins with Gods house why do you describe yourselfs as faithful. A presumption that is likely to be your undoing. . . GOOD.
Reply
 

 innocent says:

 October 6, 2014 at 5:57 am

its not that jehovah’s witneses they are changing their teachings guys… its only the shining of sun and the truth is going on from wat waz to wat is.. thats it
Reply
 

 hmmm says:

 October 6, 2014 at 7:14 am

You can spin it however you like but they are changing their beliefs. A thirteen year old’s voice was squeeky and now its deep. What do they say happenned? His voice what? It went from what was:squeeky to what is:deep. You can spin it however you like but his voice CHANGED!
 This religion is not a trail blazer. The great chariot is not ahead of the times. It seems to be trying to keep up with every other religion and they are way behind. These changes are forced changes because if they dont they will become very, very outdated. Before, they were happy being singled out and unique among the religions. Crazy biblical interpretations, scary apocalyptic imagery, numbers, dates and in your face preaching battles. It reveled in that spot. Now however they are slowly trying to shed that image while still holding on to the cult control of its people.
 They will find out eventually that you cant have both.
Reply
 

 PureStrongheart says:

 October 6, 2014 at 8:27 am

OMG! The website is up! And I’ve started scrolling through Stephen Lett’s talk. Get this (to paraphrase): The Caleb and Sophia series are “evidence of Jehovah’s….AND THE GOVERNING BODY’S love”….
O. M. G. … Does he here himself?
 That guy in the beard that gave his life for us doesn’t even get second billing.
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 PureStrongheart says:

 October 6, 2014 at 8:27 am

*hear not here
Reply
 

 isabella botticelli says:

 October 6, 2014 at 8:57 am

Nothing like putting a huge red target on your face, is there? Hopefully, more JWs will be able to see how insane these men are…
Reply
 

 Scrubmaster says:

 October 6, 2014 at 9:18 am

Did I really see inspiring movies? I just watched the commercial for tv.jw.org. I can not wait to see how this develops. Maybe at some point people will no longer have to go to the KH, people will be able to sit in their own homes on Sundays and Tuesday and just get the information.
Reply
 

 Hugh Jasole says:

 October 6, 2014 at 9:37 am

700 Club anyone? Is it just me or does every Televangelist sound creepy? Good grief. Wow. I can’t imagine what the R&F think.
Reply
 

 Patrice says:

 October 6, 2014 at 9:49 am

Just been watching tv.jw.org hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha (intake of breath) hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Reply
 

 anonymous says:

 October 6, 2014 at 9:53 am

On the above comment under the name innocent, I clicked on that poster and it took me directly to JW live streaming on what this article is about. I watched and listened to it for a while and that live streaming makes the Society seem so innocent. I listened to Lett and another man who became a Witness in his late 80’s and is a regular pioneer. Then it went to a music video with a song I never heard before. That live streaming makes the Society seem so innocent with their practiced voice-overs. That live streaming seems like it was very expensive to bring about. I wonder how much this is costing all those rank and file who have to wash windows to support? Or is it coming from the stock market or their secret bank accounts over seas? This couldn’t have been cheap to do.
I think the rank and file who are watching this now will think to themselves “those who don’t want to come to meetings anymore, don’t know what they are missing”. They want us to feel like we are missing out on all this. The thing is though, that we can watch that too if we want to.
All it does to me is make them seem evil because of their motives behind it. They aren’t honest with the rank and file. If they would get rid of their disfellowshipping policy for disassociation, I’d have a more lenient view of them. It’s the disfellowshipping to keep us all trapped and their cover-ups and lies is why I have no trust in them at all, no matter how innocent these videos may seem.
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 6, 2014 at 11:27 am

It is unacceptable to teach what is false and then punish people for not accepting it. That’s wrong on two counts.
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 6, 2014 at 11:41 am

It is unacceptable for a spokesman to get the message wrong and then punish its listener’s with its authority. That is neither faithful or discrete.
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 6, 2014 at 11:52 am

The majority of these messages were given when the slave had been appointed over all the master’s belongings which itself was wrong.
Reply
 

 Speechless says:

 October 6, 2014 at 11:56 am

The Gog of Magog is no longer considered to be Satan, but a coalition of nations yet to reveal itself? There have been so many talks about the Gog of Magog and the end of this system of things … and now it’s really about a coalition of nations that has not revealed itself. Thanks for this post and helping me to wake up.
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 6, 2014 at 12:43 pm

It is not acceptable that the slave is greater than the master.
Reply
 

 Annoyed says:

 October 6, 2014 at 12:55 pm

They are changing stuff rapid fire now. I think the change for Gog of Magog is to prepare for when this system doesn’t end like they keep saying and they can use it as an excuse to keep this lie going longer…
Reply
 

 Annoyed says:

 October 6, 2014 at 12:58 pm

I’m in the same acting boat as you. I’d be long gone by now if my wife wasn’t born and raised as a JW and is very attached that I risk losing her if I jump ship.
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 6, 2014 at 12:59 pm

Had Christ been an imperfect person and had taught what was false he would have first repented before God and then to his listener’s. Show me one apology from the Watchtower. The slave has an attitude greater than that of the Master.
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 6, 2014 at 12:59 pm

So many, many, changes to the “Truth” it would be
 completely alien to C,T, Russell if he returned.
It would be like Charlton Heston in “Planet of the
 Apes” – Returning after many years to find the
 place was run by Monkeys.
Reply
 

 Annoyed says:

 October 6, 2014 at 12:59 pm

That last one was for George…
Reply
 

 Jason Wade says:

 October 6, 2014 at 1:06 pm

I was thinking the 700 Club as well! lol. Stephen Lett came off as such a phony. Love his pinky ring!
Reply
 

 Rosie says:

 October 6, 2014 at 1:22 pm

Hi Excelsior
We as ex-JWs with JW family seem to be in a no-win situation. From experience when I have spoken out I am confronted with histrionics as though I am the Devil incarnate; or I say nothing and they believe they are in the right.
Unfortunately in order to preserve any fragile contact I have had to remain silent – the hysteria over my comment on Birthdays being no big deal was as bad as if I had just condoned human sacrifice. I learnt from that.
The more I hear of this Organisation the more loathing I feel towards it, and I keep wondering what the heck is wrong with my supposedly intelligent family that they can’t see how conned they are.
Your relationship with your mum is so important – don’t jeopardise it over this horrible little Cult. The smug GB and Organisational leaders will surely face their comeuppance soon enough!
Reply
 

 anonymous says:

 October 6, 2014 at 1:29 pm

No matter how much “frosting” they put on that turd, it’s still a turd.
Reply
 

 Klas says:

 October 6, 2014 at 2:00 pm

JW has changed tactics. They are now promoting happiness in THIS LIFE, in the available existence. This is a big difference to my part time jw childhood in the sixties. We were happy in the congregation but the leaders in Brooklyn never exploited that happiness, they never made the internal happiness a motive to become a JW. The motive at that time was the proximity to Harmageddon ( and even IRL it was Close, with the Third World War constantly looming ). The proximity to happiness is no longer the main issue – the issue is the happiness here and now. Join us and you will be happy right now – that is the message I detect from the new films. I had hoped for at least animations of the future paradise, that would have been interesting and perhaps they will come. But this gloryfying of the p r e s e n t Life as a JW, that is something new. Something has happened in the JW board rooms. Someone has persuaded the others to abandon the copying of the Tupperware sales concept as the one and only concept. Now they have started copying Coca Cola, that Company also shows how happy and Beautiful you get if you buy their Product.
Reply
 

 Alex says:

 October 6, 2014 at 9:17 pm

With this first video, I think they are trying to skip the parents entirely who have their doubts about some of the the double speak that been going on for quite some time, and are trying to convince our next generation to come on board. They have little experience with the decades of teaching changes and the theatrics of disagreement. I like Brother Lett, but his first part does not come across as genuine, too mesmerizing for my consumption. I am not knocking them for their beliefs, I have been disfellowshipped and reproved multiple times, however you reap what you sow, and now they have discord with no one to blame but God, Jesus, or themselves. I know which I would pick. I was let back in when I was sorry, so honestly if they were to come out with something like an apology that would be of some measure of sincerity, in place of this cocooned revisionism that seems to be necessary to perpetuate their need to be all understanding. They have made it hard on themselves and many are slipping away only because of the falsehoods that they have ingrained into so many that they find it hard to believe it, let alone reconcile it. For myself, it boils down to mind control, thought crime, and freedom of speech. Who has placed these stumbling blocks at my feet? I have no axe to grind here, only questions that need to be answered truthfully. It is as simple as that. If that makes me evil, so be it. I would rather my children not have to be faced with these issues and live in a measure of internal peace than with the lifetime of internal conflict that will never rectified, because someone is always moving the furniture around.
Reply
 

 Warren says:

 October 6, 2014 at 9:25 pm

Wow, what a post, many thanks for the real truth, maybe we can miss meatings now & just tune in, or tune out.
 Gog of Magog flip flop, i supose this will come out at the international assemblies, whoops not going sorry. they cannot continue to change major doctrine, but as is always the case the older generation is slowly dying of & the newer generation are not being brought in learning doctrine, they spent countless years condeming the tele evangerlists & now this, holy whiteman batman.
 My daughter just turned 18, guess what we have bithday cards up on the mantle, hahahahahahahaha,
Reply
 

 kat says:

 October 6, 2014 at 9:55 pm

TV Evangelism—God’s Way?
 If Jesus Christ were on earth today, asserted TV evangelist Jim Bakker, “he’d have to be on TV.” Why television? Because, according to Bakker, “that would be the only way he could reach the people he loves.” Like Bakker, an increasing number of fundamentalist preachers in the United States feel that television is the best medium for spreading the Word of God. Yet, a 1984 study showed that, for the most part, TV evangelists “reinforce people already committed to evangelical religion.”
Interestingly, in a letter to the editor of the magazine Ministry, one reader wrote: “You said they [television sets] are the church’s most powerful gospel seed-sowing tools, and yet God says the most essential work is house-to-house visitation—soul hunting. . . . Our Saviour loved to get away from the multitude, and then He went from house to house—soul hunting. The one-soul audience was His delight. . . . Can we not do the same?”
According to Jesus Christ, the purpose of the Christian ministry was not just to ‘spread the Word’ but to “make disciples.” (Matthew 28:19, 20) He directed his followers to go to people’s homes. (Matthew 10:7, 11-13) The apostle Paul accepted this preaching method and said regarding his ministry: “I did not hold back from telling you any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house.” The personalized house-to-house ministry of the disciples reaped good results.—Acts 5:42; 20:20.
 If Jesus laid such emphasis on this method of preaching in order to make disciples, why do many evangelists prefer TV as their medium? The Courier-Mail of Brisbane, Australia, notes that TV evangelists “make up to $120 million a year selling salvation. They appear in a blaze of electrified power and glory on 300 TV stations, and are worshipped like pop idols. . . . For all their tactics
 1986 Nove 15th WT Insight on news
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 6, 2014 at 10:31 pm

Is it not true that it is the governing body are the ones introducing false teachings into the Christian congregation? Perhaps they should be disfellowshipped for apostasy.
 The reality is control , submission, authority & power.
Reply
 

 kat says:

 October 6, 2014 at 10:52 pm

Like the Pharasee’s they are a law unto themselves, they don’t seem to have a fear of God, instead of admitting their errors, they have done their best to try and hide them, or cover them up, but everything is revealed in its own time, be prepared for more goofy teachings, it just can’t be fixed no matter how hard they try.
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 6, 2014 at 11:29 pm

Have to say John:-). I watched your response over breakfast this morning. It put a smile on my face and made me chuckle:-) I’ve started the day on a positive note:-)
Having watched the Watchtowers video I get this sensation of nausea every time I hear them speak. ‘Jehovah blessed every decision’ etc.so a thanks for redressing the balance:-)
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 6, 2014 at 11:47 pm

Lol:-) giving Anthony Morris the opportunity to appear on tv is equivalent to giving a monkey a gun:-) your right John this is going to be hugely entertaining:-)
Reply
 

 Clara Oswald says:

 October 6, 2014 at 11:51 pm

@Velvia Blue
Oooh, you’ve just transported me back in time.
Wasn’t that the Zone talk where Schroeder referred to he and his wife being like a “couple of snowballs” in the congregation and territory they were assigned to? Greeted with much laughter from the sheeple in the audience.
That’s all I remember of that talk, except that like any zone talk it was very long and dull.
What a waste of a few precious hours of my life.
Reply
 

 Jeffro says:

 October 7, 2014 at 1:20 am

“New light: Gog of Magog is no longer considered to be Satan, but a coalition of nations yet to reveal itself.”
Seriously? They’re really copying what *George Bush* claimed in 2003?!
Reply
 

 tiger123 says:

 October 7, 2014 at 1:23 am

If I ever find out that only have a day left to live, I will tune into the GB streaming media, because 10 minutes of that drool seems like an eternity.
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 7, 2014 at 2:33 am

Tiger 123 :-) fantastic:-)
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 7, 2014 at 2:36 am

OMG eternity does exist.
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 7, 2014 at 3:22 am

Who are these meddalers?
Reply
 

 Patrice says:

 October 7, 2014 at 4:05 am

G.B.T.V.
 Do you think they might start doing commercials.
Reply
 

 The Borg says:

 October 7, 2014 at 4:36 am

Did anyone else notice Ray Franz in the “Highlights of the 1963 International Assemblies” video @ 1:09?
Reply
 

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 Annoyed says:

 October 7, 2014 at 5:36 am

Wait a minute…if Gog of Magog is now a coalition of nations yet to reveal itself, does that mean all the years of talk that this system could end literally any second now isn’t true? If it has yet to reveal itself, that means it literally can’t end until this, whatever it is, happens. So the entire point of get on board now before it’s too late….is now moot.
Reply
 

 Baby says:

 October 7, 2014 at 7:06 am

that 130th Annual Meeting of the Watch Tower Society was among the best.
I like all news.
Reply
 

 hmmm says:

 October 7, 2014 at 7:58 am

@ baby So, which one was the worst?
Reply
 

 Jason Wade says:

 October 7, 2014 at 8:21 am

With all of the Electronic Media the borg is turning out lately, how long until the governing body starts a deal with a company (or starts their own) to put their logo on a device, then recommend that their followers buy that device so everyone can be on the same device to make things “easier”. I’m telling you…..it’s coming. It would be a cash cow. Guarantee my parents would run out and buy whatever they said to buy.
Reply
 

 Annoyed says:

 October 7, 2014 at 8:53 am

Jason, it’s funny you say that. Just a few years ago on the platform they would constantly state that those devices are a distraction from Satan, now it’s an necessary part of the ministry. Funny how that works…
Reply
 

 kat says:

 October 7, 2014 at 9:38 am

gog is going to become a bog in their wheels, may gog bog. Kat 9:1
oh I just make it up as I go along.
Reply
 

 anonymous says:

 October 7, 2014 at 9:39 am

I was watching a few more of their videos and it’s mind blowing how big that business is just to turn out some droll Watchtower and Awake magazines every month and it’s mind-blowing what all they own and what all it takes to run it all and it has to be mind blowing how much it is costing to run it all. I had no idea until I started watching some of those videos they are running on that tv channel and I wonder if any of the rank and file “get” how rich this the organization really is and what does all this have to do with preaching the Bible? No wonder they are begging for money. Wouldn’t it make more sense to print simple little Bible study aids that didn’t require sooooo much time and money and people to make??? Like maybe the same book that they would use for years and years????
And what does having an orchestra have to do with saving the world of mankind with the message of Jesus? And the art department and the lawyers and all the committees? What does that have to do with preaching the Bible?
Jesus didn’t have a place to lay his head. It seems like the bigger they get, the more they need in funds to keep it going etc. I remember many talks about how the more a person earns, the more work it takes to keep it up and so on. Then think about all the volunteers who get a stipend every month? How many of them are there? How much does that take? Why does it have to be so high tech, costing so much???? Why, at the beginning of the video about Warrick, it starts out by saying they were going to renovate those buildings and the next thing is they are tearing those very same buildings down and disposing of them? That didn’t make any sense to me at all.
It seems reasonable to me that all a person really needs to conduct a Bible study would be a Bible.
Reply
 

 Ron says:

 October 7, 2014 at 10:13 am

So True lol
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 rob says:

 October 7, 2014 at 10:16 am

Anonymous, I agree with you 100 per cent.
But, the society will tell everyone how God is blessing this organization and making it grow. The average everyday witnesses just eat it all up and in essence worship this huge corporation that tells them not to go to university and to simplify their lives and to give all their time to the watchtower and they always ask for money. Do they not realize how hypocritical all of this really is?
Reply
 

 kat says:

 October 7, 2014 at 10:20 am

I think they have got carried away with being bigger and bigger, comparing to others like the Mormans, they have lost the plot.
Reply
 

 anonymous says:

 October 7, 2014 at 10:23 am

The nerve the Society has in those videos showing the millions and probably billions it has in all it owns and operates and then pretends all the donations are going to those poor Witnesses in poor lands who don’t have a Kingdom Halls that even have heat. The hypocrisy is astounding.
Reply
 

 rob says:

 October 7, 2014 at 10:32 am

I just watched the advertisement for the new jw tv and it really appears to me that they are making quite a showy display of themselves.
How many times from the platform were we told that witnesses should never make a showy display and that we were to be humble and Christ like and not let the right hand let the left hand know what it is doing. Is God really directing all of this? Not in my opinion. Now that they have cash in their jeans from the sale of Brooklyn properties, looks like money and the quest for prominence is directing this religion. Sad that so many are not seeing the real picture.
Reply
 

 Annoyed says:

 October 7, 2014 at 11:42 am

I guarantee you that if the GB did away completely with the disfellowshipping arrangement, half the JW members through the whole organization would leave the “truth” the very next day. ….and the GB knows this at this point which is why they push that topic so hard nowadays. I hear more about the topic of DF than anything else, sans the ministry. I think talking about the “faithful and discreet slave” has become third at the meetings.
Reply
 

 Vidiot says:

 October 7, 2014 at 11:47 am

I mentioned this to a coworker, and the first thing she said was, “they must be getting desperate”.
Reply
 

 Hakizimana Jean de Dieu says:

 October 7, 2014 at 11:58 am

Are Jehovah’s Witnesses really politically neutral? What are possible implications of Gog of Magog being now considered as a coalition of nations yet to reveal itself? What does “to reveal itself” mean? I am afraid WTS has a hidden agenda…
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 7, 2014 at 1:16 pm

The Bible can be made to mean anything that you want,
 these people have proved it, It’s beyond stupid.
It’s estimated there’s around 40,000 Christian denominations.
 All no doubt believing they have the right interpretation.
Any communication from a supreme intelligence would
 not be open to different interpretations, or need constant
 updates. It would speak to us the way nature does, same
 rules and principles apply to all, and are constant throughout
 the Universe. Once learned they need never be changed.
Solving a puzzle, finishing a mystery, to gain salvation, is like
 some tatty game show and the idea just discredits an intelligent
 creator.
My conscience, ( whatever its origin ) tells me what’s right or wrong,
 when I ignore it (and I sometimes do ) it plagues me, But it does
 prompt me, to thank whoever is responsible for this amazing life
 support system we live on, and also to treat others as I would wish
 to be treated.
I’m happier without the Bible, a book that puts a huge burden of sin
 on people from the moment they are conceived, and requires that we
 spend the rest of our lives making amends for something completely
 beyond our control.
Reply
 

 Out Of The Darkness says:

 October 7, 2014 at 4:48 pm

Free at last
Reply
 

 Out Of The Darkness says:

 October 7, 2014 at 4:51 pm

Amen brother ted! Chalk another book to mythology as the Greeks, Romans, Norse folks, etc..
Reply
 

 kat says:

 October 7, 2014 at 10:17 pm

excellent comments, and much to think about for any JW viewing this site, hopefully some may come away using their reasoning skills they are taught at the TMS, won’t hold my breath but where their is good info their is hope, and they may do more research, I hope so.
Reply
 

 anonymous says:

 October 8, 2014 at 1:22 am

If you are a loyal Witness, reading these posts, ask yourself: Why is the Society moving out of Brooklyn? Ask the elders this and see if they have the answer. I didn’t see the reason in any of the videos and by the way, just how many buildings does the Society own in Brooklyn and how much money is the Society going to make when they sell all their properties in Brooklyn and where is that money going?
What this brings to my mind is the scripture starting at Luke 12:15:
“Then he said to them: “Keep your eyes open and guard against every sort of covetousness, because even when a person has an abundance his life does not result from the things he possesses.” With that he spoke an illustration to them, saying: “The land of a certain rich man produced well. Consequently he began reasoning within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, now that I have now where to gather my crops”‘ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my storehouses and build bigger ones, and there I will gather all my grain and all my good things; and I will say to my soul: “Soul, you have many good things laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, enjoy yourself. But God said to him, ‘Unreasonable one, this night they are demanding your soul from you. Who, then, is to have the things you stored up”‘ So it goes with the man that lays up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.””
What I see is a ploy to make the followers donate more and more money to the “work” because it’s so obvious in these videos just how much all the “work” is costing the Society. What I don’t get is how is that new “compound” in upstate New York supposed to make me feel good when I go to “visit” when I am not the one living there? Does it occur to anybody that in upstate New York, they are building a really nice get away for themselves with all free labor and they will be living in this really neat little place, free of charge while all the other Witnesses in the poorer parts of the world will never be able to “visit” New York and enjoy that little “compound” get away that they are making for themselves with all that free labor?
This is nothing but a cheap ploy to get old people to leave all their worldly possessions when they die (or whatever they can scrape together now) to the Society for the “worldwide work”.
Reply
 

 Patrice says:

 October 8, 2014 at 1:50 am

I have been looking at jwtv this morning and for my mum it is lovely.
 So long as Stephen Lett and Tony Morris stay quiet, who she has already said she finds rather cheesy. The mornings text by Tony Noumair is being discussed at the moment and for elderly ones like her, who no longer go to the meetings or field service it is a ‘Godsend’ ( sorry couldn’t resist )
 However the thought of children being sat in front of this leaves me cold. Daily indoctrination at it worst. What better way to get at the children than through TV. So I have to ask, is it ok to leave the tv babysitting your child, so long as they only watch jwtv. It is wrong on every single level. My grandchild is subjected to this, and I detest it.
Reply
 

 Joe says:

 October 8, 2014 at 4:30 am

Blimey i’ve just watched about 10 minutes of this Stephen Letts broadcast and can watch no more. Hand on heart i have never seen anything like it before. I think this JW tv is a good thing now………. No one, no one could watch that and think it or he was “Spirit directed”
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 8, 2014 at 4:50 am

GoG of Magog. Quite a leap from being one person( Satan)
 to becoming a “Coalition of nations”.
If this is “New Light” where’s the advancement, it just leaves
 another unanswered question, another puzzle.? Who are these
 nations.?
Oh! I forgot, “This is something that has yet to be revealed”.
In other words it’s a “Mystery”, ( An explanation that’s used
 in order to avoid awkward questions.)
During Catechism at school, one boy asked the teacher. Please
 Sir , “How can there be three persons in one God”? Mr, Battles
 replied “Don’t ask stupid questions boy, It’s a mystery.
It’s obvious they’re not prepared to go out on a limb and name
 names, having learned from previous fiascos.
 ( several identities applied to the King of the North, including
 the Nazi Regime, and the now dissolved Soviet Union.)
Wherever their information comes from, it’s not from any divine
 source. It insults human intelligence, let alone that of an all
 wise creator.
Reply
 

 Excelsior! says:

 October 8, 2014 at 5:22 am

Ted, great comments as ever! We are blessed here to have a mature gentleman with such a sound grasp of logic and many years of experience to share.
The verse the WTBTS are referring to is found in Revelation chapter 20.
Gog of Magog CANNOT EVER HAVE BEEN Satan as he is mentioned as a separate character! My goodness! How stupid are these people? It’s blindingly obvious from reading the context that their “old light” (or should it be dim light?) was wrong!
This passage of Revelation is referring to the final battle between Satan, Gog and Magog verses the faithful. This occurs AFTER THE 1000 YEARS HAVE ENDED!
How can anyone take these imbeciles seriously when they can’t even read context? They are the blind leading the blind and I hope that the gb fall into the deepest of pits for what they have done to millions of people.
Peace be with you
Excelsior!
Reply
 

 kat says:

 October 8, 2014 at 5:55 am

Amen Excelsior!!
Reply
 

 Julian says:

 October 8, 2014 at 6:14 am

This is interesting :). I want to take on the November Novel challenge and I want it to be about my experience as a JW while I was an adolescent :). I make it fiction, but that will be my source. This looks like a great thing to poke fun at, the broadcasting, so you can keep your mind numb with idiotic videos showing fake faces from mr. Lett
Reply
 

 Melka says:

 October 8, 2014 at 6:48 am

I am just hoping with all my might that they let (my favorite) Tony Morrison really share his profound wisdom on T.V. If “they” allow it, I think this could really good for us trying to make our families wake up. I’ve played some of those audio recordings of his talks, and other governing body members that have gone viral, to a couple family members, and if it comes from anything other than the official jw.org, they think it’s manipulated and fake, and apostate, so this could be something to work against them. We just have to keep paying attention, so that we can catch anything they might slip up and say, any discrepancies that we can point out. There will be no denying it being real. But they probably are putting millions of dollars into this, so they will have the best of the best writing this material. (i.e., not Tony Morrison) There is a whole generation of young people who live on their hand held devices, I’m sure that’s who they are targeting. They’re just trying to become less and less old-fashioned.
Reply
 

 kat says:

 October 8, 2014 at 7:25 am

sometimes the writing material wont really matter, people look at the person who they present themselves, their gestures, mannerisms and voice, their eyes etc,
Morris and Lett both have deficiencies in presentation, Lett has his weird expressions and its almost like watching a comedian, Morris has this arrogant persona and looks like a mafia boss.
Reply
 

 Interrogative? says:

 October 8, 2014 at 7:37 am

The new video now available on tv.jw.org “Jehovah Will Help You Be Bold” is something difficult to surpass in the art of manipulation. It’s a real shame to make young children to feel that much guilty, if they are not ditributing WT litterature to their school mates. The GB even imagined things that have happened in the house of Naaman, things that are not found in the Bible. What a shalmeless brainwashing!!!!!!!!
Reply
 

 Melka says:

 October 8, 2014 at 7:38 am

Some people, my dad is one example, thinks those guys are so funny and personable. Which is shocking, since my dad can kind of see through other peoples phoniness. After the annual meeting where they introduced the silver sword, my dad just couldn’t stop telling us how funny Brother Lett was, when he was joking about “bending the scriptures”. He thought that was so hilarious. Even then, when I wasn’t awakened, I thought it was was so corny. Some people just eat it up, they think the G.B. are the greatest things since…. But I really hope, that there’s people like us who can pick up on that stuff too. I’m really looking forward to it. At least it will be entertaining.
Reply
 

 kat says:

 October 8, 2014 at 7:56 am

Yep looking forward to it, pop corn and beer or two!
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 8, 2014 at 10:09 am

Excelsior, Thanks for your kind words. When one has been a
 victim of exploitation and can see others, including our own
 family members, still exposed to such. It creates strong feelings
 in us.
Bottling up strong feelings is frustrating and can lead to anger,
 and depression, I read and enjoy everyone’s comments, as I
 know you do, and I’m sure everyone who posts here
 is grateful to Mr, Cedars for giving us a voice. It’s very cathartic.
 Better than a visit to the Doctors.
My very best wishes to all.
Reply
 

 gary says:

 October 8, 2014 at 12:12 pm

There is often a great deal of pain and lost in the ex JW world and understandably so. There must be a million stories to hear and for me that is why this site is of such value. No one needs to be alone. So a big thanks to the writers and to those who comment. It’s been and is of real encouragement and comfort. x
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 gary says:

 October 8, 2014 at 12:22 pm

And bugger bowing down.
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 gary says:

 October 8, 2014 at 12:25 pm

Unless it’s truthful of course.
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 anonymous says:

 October 8, 2014 at 12:43 pm

I just got done watching the 3 hour video about the 137th Gilead graduation ceremony on jwtv. I had never heard anything like that before and wanted to listen to the whole thing to give it a fair assessment. I have 50 feet of wire for my ear phones so I could do chores and still listen to it or it would have been hard for me for such a long time. But anyway, these are my thoughts:
I thought the talks were very well done and not boring. I thought the brothers and sisters that were giving their experiences in field were the sweetest and nicest people I could ever want to meet. Brother Lett’s talk, I thought was excellent. He was our circuit overseer about 30 years ago and he is exactly as he is on the stage at that graduation. That is the way he was then and the same now. I think he is very sincere. I think he actually thinks that God has appointed him. I think he could be like Ray Franz was until Ray Franz started getting letters from Carl Olof Jonsson and others around the world proving that Jerusalem fell in 586 and he realized that God’s spirit could never be on the Organization when they disfellowshipped Jonsson for proving the Society was wrong and the Society’s duplicity in the case of the Malawi brothers and sisters not being able to buy the 25 cent card and at the same time in Mexico the brothers were allowed to bribe the officials so they wouldn’t have to serve in the armies and on and on. I am hoping Stephen Lett is not evil but deluded.
As far as the other men on the Governing Body, I have no idea of their sincerity but I really believe that Stephen Lett is sincere. He seems odd to people because his expressions on his face are so rubbery. But I do think he is a good speaker. On his license plate on his car, he had the date that he was “called” to heaven which to me seemed so strange when I asked what the date was for. I thought it would have been his marriage anniversary date but it was when he was “called” instead. That was a long time ago, so don’t hold me to it, but that is the way I remember it.
I think the Governing Body feel they are in a different league than the rank and file and not approachable. They may seem approachable when giving talks like the Gilead talk, and be approachable by their close friends but not “ordinary” people that they don’t know. I can’t picture any of them taking a phone call or going in service and being exposed to ordinary people. I’d like to see them digging in the dirt to build a simple Kingdom Hall like the Society likes to show other poor people doing in those 3rd world countries like what is in the videos, making people think that is where their donations are going and not to the new Bethel in New York.
Also, when they were handing out diplomas, I didn’t hear of even one single person in that Gilead class being from the United States. When they said the attendance, only 10 from the state of Florida??? That was weird.
Listening to those syrupy voices of those brothers almost sucked me into it again if I hadn’t been aware of the lies and half-truths (Romans 16: 18 “For men of that sort are slaves, not of our Lord Christ, but of their own bellies; and by smooth talk and complimentary speech they seduce the hearts of guileless ones.”)
When they were talking about the sisters, the only thing that I found they said that was nice was how the sisters made it possible for the brothers to go to the Gilead School. Other than that, I didn’t see any particular praise for them. I thought that was missing also.
Do these missionaries get a stipend so they don’t have to get jobs? I have always wondered that.
One of the sisters made a comment that it was hard for her to get used to not being able to make decisions like her and her husband were able to do before. That says a lot to me.
So sad that all that “love” that they are feeling is completely conditional.
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 rob says:

 October 8, 2014 at 2:22 pm

Even though any member of the gb may seem to be honest or sincere, I cannot accept the fact that an individual cannot question any current doctrine or rule which emanates from them. These seven men can then produce “new light” at any time and everyone must just accept all of this. In my opinion they have placed themselves in the position of Jehovah God and this I find detestable.
In my final watchtower study meetings that I attended I so wanted to raise my hand and say “I really don’t agree with this point or is this really correct” but I was a coward and held my voice.
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 gary says:

 October 8, 2014 at 2:44 pm

In my mind (in principle anyway) the most important people of the entire congregation are the lost sheep. Watchtower offers very little comfort to those people. We know the script. . Come back and do as we say. There’s precious little in way of explanation with regardings to false teachings and poor attitudes. We know what to expect and it is not appealing. Of course we are then labelled as ‘disgruntled ones’. Why shouldn’t we be disgruntled when we’ve been abused spirituality and let down so badly? The Watchtower offers precious little transparency & real honesty. If it wants to gain these ones then it needs to begin to listen. You won’t hear a lost sheep bleating if you don’t open your
 ears.
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 gary says:

 October 8, 2014 at 2:54 pm

It is all about your authority and position & our compliance and people are sick of it. You need to listern. A change of heart is required. You can’t keep beating people. We are all equal even less if your are a minister.
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 anonymous says:

 October 8, 2014 at 2:54 pm

Hi Rob. I agree with you. Just because one of them (Governing Body) may seem sincere, doesn’t make them exempt from not taking responsibility for the unchristian shunning. One good thing about an honest man like Ray Franz was that he did have a crisis of conscience and walked away from it when he realized it wasn’t from God. What I am hoping for is that if the Governing Body men have any conscience at all, they will reform the Society or walk away from it and write their own books so anyone who wants to walk away can without retribution.
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 rob says:

 October 8, 2014 at 3:03 pm

Yes, I agree with you Gary, but in my opinion the lost sheep, “the disgruntled ones” are of no value to the watchtower, and are probably considered a liability. It appears that they will not waste any time on someone who has truly done their research and has “made sure of all things”.
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 gary says:

 October 8, 2014 at 3:07 pm

If a muti billion dollar worldwide company was losing thousands of employees each day the management would be responsible.
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 rob says:

 October 8, 2014 at 3:12 pm

For me to walk away from a religion that I thought was the “truth”, took a lot of soul searching and courage and I think it would take great courage and humility for any one of the gb to walk away and say they were wrong. Also, they would be walking away from a pretty cushy lifestyle and a very powerful high ranking position. They would end up being just an ordinary man. Not sure if they are that humble. But one can hope.
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 gary says:

 October 8, 2014 at 3:13 pm

Then, Rob, Ezekiel 34 is fulfilled.
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 rob says:

 October 8, 2014 at 3:21 pm

The watchtower corporation has failed on every front when it comes to retaining members or getting new members in the western world, notwithstanding all of the hours spent by publishers trying to recruit people, and all of the new rebranding and tv. Now in a regular tax paying corporation this would probably mean that the upper management would be held responsible and possibly fired, but in this non – taxed, real estate holding, billion dollar enterprise, no one is held accountable because they don’t answer to shareholders. There is no room for the rank and file to voice their concerns. Pretty sweet for the upper echelon of this religion.
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 rob says:

 October 8, 2014 at 3:25 pm

yes, I agree.
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 gary says:

 October 8, 2014 at 3:29 pm

Apparently the judgement begins with God’s house not Christendom. . Now I know why.
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 gary says:

 October 8, 2014 at 3:35 pm

Whether you look at it secularly or scripturally the Watchtowers days are coming to a close.
 Sorry for the spelling.
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 Lorraine says:

 October 8, 2014 at 10:33 pm

“Date That He Was Called to Heaven”
What date exactly does Lett claim he was called? Please tell me you remember, Anonymous. What date did he have on his car plates?
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 kat says:

 October 8, 2014 at 10:36 pm

the GB are only interested really in keeping the young ones from walking they are their future, the older ones many for decades this is all they know, any older ones leaving is not really a loss for the GB, while they have their shunning rules in place many especially those born in tolerate, get rid of that rule and I believe there would be a massive exodus.
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 kat says:

 October 8, 2014 at 10:40 pm

Ray Franz was humble enough took it on the chin, would love to think that at least one of the GB was as honest and a lover of truth and justice as Ray was. RIP a wonderful kind courageous man, and one the GB should look to as an example of integrity to truth and a true Christian that loved the brothers.
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 Lorraine says:

 October 8, 2014 at 10:42 pm

@Anonymous
You say that Stephen Lett had the “date that he was ‘called’ to heaven” written on his car plates?
What date was that exactly? Please tell me you remember.
Lorraine
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 gary says:

 October 8, 2014 at 11:29 pm

Only those who assume authority can beat their fellow slaves.
 What kind of sheppard misleads their sheep to their ruin and when they bleat to be found they are described as disgruntled ones!
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 gary says:

 October 8, 2014 at 11:39 pm

I am merely using scriptural principe to make the argument and not proselytizing.
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 gary says:

 October 8, 2014 at 11:57 pm

If an argument can be made that frees a mind to think regardless of its source that argument is worth all the tea in China or in Yorkshire:-)
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 gary says:

 October 9, 2014 at 12:40 am

If one million Jehovah’s witnesses have left in a ten year period. Divide those years into days and then divide a million by those days. Daily , if I have it right, its . . . 27.397. Approx.
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 anonymous says:

 October 9, 2014 at 1:32 am

Hi Lorraine. I am trying to remember back. He is about the same age as I am and it was when I was in my early 30’s so it had to be in the early to mid 1970’s. What struck me about it was about that at the same time I had the feeling that I was going to go to heaven when I died and my husband told me it was impossible because Jehovah would only have chosen “replacements” who had served a whole life time of being faithful etc. etc. and I was far too young and he told me in no uncertain terms that I was not to tell the elders what I had told him because it would only be an embarrassment to the both of us. So, after a while, I convinced myself that he was right. Then maybe about a year later, Stephen Lett became our C.O. and I noticed that date on his license plate and asked about it and that’s when everyone said that’s when he was “called” to heaven and I confronted my husband about it because like I said Lett is the same age as me.
I think when it comes to believing a man over a woman in this organization, the brothers only believe it if it’s a man who says he was “called” to heaven. Like who is going to believe that a lowly woman is going to be ruling over them from heaven????? They can’t even begin to think like that.
On thinking about my comments about Stephen Lett. I do think that Stephen Lett still believes what he is preaching. If you watch people’s faces when they talk, you can tell if they are lying or not. There are experts on that subject. I remember when I first learned what I thought was the “truth”, I was so convinced of it that I was like a well bubbling over with it and I was totally convincing because I really thought it was the “truth”. The more convinced a person is of a subject, the more animated he is and Lett is so animated whereas the others, their faces barely move when they talk, especially Anthony Morris the 3rd.
The one that I have the most hope of being another Ray Franz is Stephen Lett, mostly because we did have him for 3 years as a C.O. and I think he is the same now as he was then. Ray Franz was also convinced that it was the “truth” too for many years and it took getting hit over the head with a log before he finally realized it wasn’t but he did finally. So, I have hope for Stephen Lett. I do believe that is the reason they chose him for the introductory talks at the beginning of this tv thing. He is the most convinced and sounds the most convincing. That is only my opinion only because I am somewhat familiar with him.
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 kat says:

 October 9, 2014 at 3:06 am

good comment Anonymous, I look at let and though its comical because of his mannerisms, there is more substance to him than the likes of Morris and most of the others, and if Ray can wake up let’s hope one of the GB members also will, wouldn’t that be a great victory for truth if one came out like Ray and spoke the truth. Let’s hope!!
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 anonymous says:

 October 9, 2014 at 6:57 am

Hi Kat. That is my hope too that out of the seven, maybe there’s at least one that actually has a working brain and a conscience.
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 Lorraine says:

 October 9, 2014 at 7:21 am

@Anonymous
 Man, I sure would have like to know the exact date written on his number plate. Nevertheless, thank you.
Lett was born February 8, 1949. He is reported to have said that he was anointed in his 20s. One different source posits that Lett was “called” when he was 21 years of age, which, if correct, would bring us to 1970.
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 Ted says:

 October 9, 2014 at 7:32 am

Anonymous, You are obviously someone who is prepared to give
 another person the benefit of the doubt. Mr, Lett may come
 across as genuine, but sincerity can be faked. Actors do it all the
 time, so do con men, TV and doorstep evangelists.
 ( Some of the suggested introductions in the K,M, are less than
 genuine,- Smile and feign an interest in his garden, his car or whatever.)
As you, and I, and others, have realised the hypocrisy, the harm, and
 the glaring faults in their Bible interpretations, It’s difficult to see how
 someone at the hub of things can be ignorant of the same.
Of course it’s possible to suppress unpalatable facts for many years
 I think all ex J,W,s have done this, but eventually we’ve had to
 confront them. And too religious delusions cannot be ruled out.
 Anyone who thinks God has singled them out from 7 billion
 people for a special place by his side cannot be ruled out from this.
@rob’s point too is very valid.”They would be walking away from a
 cushy life style and high ranking position, and end up just ordinary”
It’s a good quality to give others the benefit of the doubt, but not when
 they belong to an organisation of proven fakes and liars.
 And a whole book could be written on that subject alone.
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 rob says:

 October 9, 2014 at 8:05 am

I doubt that the gb really believe what they preach and I believe that they are just are too far entrenched in their lifestyles to ever rock the boat. Their advisors (lawyers and accountants) have no doubt told them of the ramifications of backtracking on rules – such as the blood issue and disfellowshipping etc. and therefore I believe that they will never come clean, even though they know and realize that their rules have destroyed families and lives.
Also, if they were truly directed by God in “new light”, would it not be unanimous among them when deciding whether to implement the new light? Why do they need a 2/3 majority when voting? Also, why do they allow an appeal to a disfellowshipping? If the elders are directed by spirit in their decision, how could they be wrong and allow an appeal? These questions have never been answered to me and therefore I came to the conclusion that God is not directing things in this religion. The gb in my opinion are little egocentric men who think they live in a different stratosphere and notwithstanding how sincere they may come across, I wont be fooled a second time.
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 anonymous says:

 October 9, 2014 at 8:20 am

Hi Ted. At first when I was “waking” up, I wanted to believe that all of the Governing Body were just not aware and not looking at the history and following their own advice to the rest in not looking at anything “apostate” and in effect, not evil but not aware etc. But the more I learned, the more convinced that they do know that the religion is a fake but they don’t know how to get out of it without destroying millions of believers that think they are going to live for ever.
It’s such a terrible can of worms for those of us who know what an uphill climb it is just to get out of it without having all our friends and relatives thinking that we have been misled by the devil etc., and are going to be bird food at Armageddon and not being able to explain to any of them why we have turned sour on the organization that I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult it would be for a member of the Governing Body to “wake” up and suddenly develop a conscience.
My personal thought is that I think most of them can’t be that stupid and are just plain evil and do not have consciences. I feel they know exactly what a “fake” religion this is. I feel they enjoy their role of rock stars and corporation bosses and care nothing about anybody else except themselves.
I remember Stephen Lett when he was our overseer and his manner of speaking was really over the top, but if you close your eyes and just listen to him speak, he is interesting to my line of thought. I remembered him from years ago and so I was used to him but to people who don’t know him from youth on, you would think it’s all affected but I think that is just his personality.
I don’t like to think everyone in the Governing Body are evil and so when it comes to Lett, to me he has the most honest face. Experts can tell when people are lying and usually it shows up in their face when they are speaking. I am certainly not an expert at telling if a person is lying when they speak but to me, he either seems to be the best liar out of all of them or not lying.
All of the rest of the Governing Body, give me the creeps when I see them speak. That is the only reason I have hope for Lett. To me, he doesn’t strike me as a blatant liar, like the rest do. But maybe he is just a really good liar.
It is hard for me to believe that most Circuit Overseers are in on the “secret” or else it seems like their talks wouldn’t be so convincing. I think the majority of the elders and Circuit Overseers and the rest really do believe it to be the “truth” and that Armageddon is coming any minute. Or it could be that they are all cowards and afraid to speak up, in the fear that they too will be disfellowshipped. I had no idea what a difficult position it is to “wake” up until I woke up last year. Now I have a real appreciation for what it is like being on the “outside” and not being able to warn anybody.
Hi Lorraine. I was born in 1946, so I am older than Lett. I wished I could remember the exact date was on his license plate (I am not 100% positive it was when he was “called” because it was so long ago but that is the way I remember it) was but it could very well have been 1970. Being “called” at 21 is pretty bizarre to me, considering the thinking was that only those who had lived a long faithful life in the service would have been a “replacement”.
Does anybody know when Anthony Morris the third was “called”? The latest member of the Governing Body must have been a teenager when he was “called” when you think that he was 47 when he was put on the Governing Body. How could a 47 year old be considered having lived his whole life as a faithful servant? It seems to me, if you are a man, a good speaker and go into the pioneer work after graduation and claim to be “anointed”, you are a shoo-in for the next generation of the Governing Body.
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 rob says:

 October 9, 2014 at 8:37 am

I would love to see behind the scenes and see the power struggles and schmoozing that probably goes on when it comes to picking a replacement for the gb. In my opinion it is not a “calling” but really just a popularity contest and a management decision made by the people who pull the strings, as to who will be chosen.
Curious as to whether the society will release the number of partakers this year? Number keeps going up even though I was told many years ago that the number had been pretty much completed in 1935 or so. The fact that the number keeps going up must be pretty embarrassing and probably something else that they will try to hide.
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 Ted says:

 October 9, 2014 at 9:14 am

Anonymous, I enjoy your comments, and your spirit
 is inspiring.
Thank you.
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 kat says:

 October 9, 2014 at 9:24 am

the whole religion is BS.
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 rob says:

 October 9, 2014 at 9:41 am

I agree, that this religion is total bs, but unfortunately some of my close family and relatives are still entrenched, so I have to grit my teeth and hold my tongue, just to maintain my relationships. If I spoke out it would cause a lot of problems. Thank goodness for this forum and the fact that a person can express their opinion and engage in some very interesting and enlightening discussion.
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 anonymous says:

 October 9, 2014 at 9:45 am

Thanks Ted. Sometimes I think I have too much to say and I get carried away so thank you so much for saying that.
I keep coming up with stuff and it’s hard to put a potato in my mouth. Now I was watching Cedar’s video about his thoughts about the first JW tv broadcast about how much the Governing Body are seen everywhere now and I looked up humility in the Insight on the Scriptures Vol. 1 on humility and have a few things that I wanted to post here from that book. The article on humility is on page 167-161.
Page 1158 first paragraph from 167 continuing: “Jesus admonished that a person humble himself before God like a child and that, instead of trying to be prominent, he minister to or serve his brothers.”
page 1158, Paragraph 1: “If a person or a nation refuses to become humble or to accept humbling discipline, such will suffer humiliation in due time.”
Page 1158, Paragraph 2: “God opposes the haughty ones, but he gives undeserved kindness to the humble ones.” James 4:6; 1 Pet 5:5
page 1159 paragraph 3: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
page 1160 paragraph 1: “The humble people you will save; but your eyes are against the haughty ones, that you may bring them low.” 2 Sa 22:28
page 1160 paragraph 2: “Accordingly, as God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, clothe yourselves with the tender affections of compassion, kindness, LOWLINESS OF MIND, mildness, and long-suffering.” (Col 3:10, 12) Citing the fine example of Christ, he admonishes them: ‘With lowliness of mind consider that the others (of God’s servants) are superior to you.’ (Php 2:3) Again he appeals: “Be minded the same way toward others as to yourselves; do not be minding loft things, but be led along with the lowly things. Do not become discreet in your own eyes.” Rom. 12:16″
Page 1160 paragraph 7: “The Scriptures, in setting forth the qualifications for one who would be appointed to the office of overseer, specify that a newly converted man should not be appointed, “for fear that he might get PUFFED UP WITH PRIDE and fall into the judgment passed upon the Devil.””
Page 1160 paragraph 8: “Christians are warned against letting their humility be only on the surface. Anyone who takes delight in a mock humility can become “puffed up without proper cause by his fleshly frame of mind.”
page 1160 paragraph 1: False humility can actually result in developing haughtiness in the individual, for he may tend to think he is righteous on his own merit; or he may feel that he is accomplishing ends, not realizing that he cannot deceive Jehovah.”
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 Ted says:

 October 9, 2014 at 10:31 am

It’s raining outside, so I’ll do another post. It’s about the two
 occasions I attended courses at the London Bethel.
The first time, there was a young man in his 20s part of the
 instruction team and also claiming to be of the anointed
The second time, 4 years later this young man was not there,
 so several of the class enquired about him from our instructor.
 ( One of the most respected teachers at the time, 70s-80s)
We were told the young man just walked out one day, claiming
“This is not the way to serve Christ”. Then our instructor added”
 “Well he had a point didn’t he” , Indicating some agreement
 with that view.
At another session, the subject of reporting field service was
 discussed, and this same teacher said the purpose of reporting
 was, “That people work better when they know their work will
 be checked”. I’m pretty certain that was not in his official notes
 but was his personal opinion.
The point being, that ones in prominent positions can harbour
 doubts yet for some reason still carry on.
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 rob says:

 October 9, 2014 at 10:58 am

Ted, maybe they are afraid to leave and afraid to experience the real world and are only comfortable in institutional living.
Many of the elders that I knew that who were the most self righteous and police type elders, were men who mostly hated their jobs and had pretty rough marriages. The only place that they had any power or significance was in the kh. Even though they don’t believe what they are preaching, many will stay for the thrill of having some type of power. Its a very different world in jw land.
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 anonymous says:

 October 9, 2014 at 11:27 am

oops. The article on humility in the Insight vol. 1 is on pages 1157 to 1161.
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 anonymous says:

 October 9, 2014 at 3:30 pm

I finally watched the whole sugary sweet introductory brainwashing to children by Stephen Lett on jw tv. I didn’t realize it was aimed at children because I hadn’t seen it from the very beginning. Something he didn’t say but left out is how important it is for JW kids to get baptized before Armageddon or they will be buzzard food. I didn’t see any of those gory pictures either. Are they evading the real picture of what it’s like to be a JW kid????
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 Ted says:

 October 9, 2014 at 5:05 pm

rob, The point about Bethelites being institutionalised is. a
 true one. I mentioned an incident previously, concerning
 an old brother who took one of our classes, he had a fear
 about the out side world. He actually said.
“I’d rather be dead than be out there” and it was said with
 conviction. He really meant it.
I wonder if he gave a thought to the rest of us who had to
 get back out there and commit our bodies to painful labour
 in order to provide for our families. and pay all the bills.
 Plus caring for congregation responsibilities, and getting
 the field service hours in.etc,
As you point out, people can hang on for selfish motives
 even though they have doubts about this organisation.
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 Rosie says:

 October 10, 2014 at 12:03 am

I know of an Elder – who was very zealous and sincere and like so many ones here on this site devoted years of his life to the Org.
However when confronted with issues regarding the Organisation (eg UN Scandal) inconsistencies and other doctrinal teachings, not only did he talk to others in the Cong but he wrote to the Branch – who sent the DO / sometimes CO (and frequent contributor to writing articles for the literature) to see him.
This Branch Representative told him plainly – “You are absolutely right in what you have found out, BUT – you must not talk about it to the other Brothers and Sisters, as it will only upset them!!”
Those in leadership positions KNOW of the TTATT, and this proves they cannot be genuine people otherwise they would not be able to continue teaching a lie.
The Elder I spoke of was genuine and he left.
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 Patrice says:

 October 10, 2014 at 1:22 am

@ Ted
I think the comment that people hang on for ‘selfish’ reasons is a bit unfair. It is because I am NOT selfish that I carry on with a facade. I do this for my elderly mother. I personally could not care if I was never spoken to again by any member of the congregation, but my Mum, would break her heart if that happened. Her life has been dedicated to Jehovah for nearly fifty years. You cant blanket people as selfish. It is just not the right word.
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 anonymous says:

 October 10, 2014 at 1:23 am

I remember Stephen Lett as being probably one of the nicest and warmest people I have ever met in Jehovah’s Witnesses. He comes off as kind of goofy when he speaks but if every Witness was like him, there would be 100 million Jehovah’s Witnesses, I think. I know other people too in my circuit who are just as nice. That is the Stephen Lett that I remember as our Circuit Overseer.
When I first started learning the truth about the truth, I wrote letters addressed directly to Stephen Lett because I thought if anybody would read my letters sent directly to him, it would be him and of course I never received any letters in return. I believe that my letters were intercepted and destroyed and I think it is very possible that he never saw my letters. I also think that is why phone calls are intercepted. I think there are higher powers that “protect” these men. I can see him being burned out in the Circuit work and going to Bethel and because he is is so warm and genuine and does his study etc. and since he feels he is of the anointed, eventually being of the Governing Body? The Stephen Lett that I remember, I believe would be cut to the heart if he ever found out that what he is was teaching were lies.
There are so many stories about the Free Masons etc. and stories about if they tell the secrets, they die. I am not sure that Stephen Lett is not leaving Bethel because of death threats or anything like that or because he enjoys the lime light. It could be true but he would have had to completely change personalities from the person that I remember. I think his talks would be much less animated if that were the case. When it comes to the rest of the Governing Body, I see in their faces, complete stiffness and lack of conviction. I can picture these other men being counterfeit Christians in name only though. I just can’t picture Stephen Lett faking his talks if he knew the truth about the truth. I think he is being “protected” from the hate letters and hate phone calls and could be in the dark about the “truth” as much as millions of others that we encounter every day in our Kingdom Halls. I would like to be a mouse inside the wall to listen in to their meetings when they meet together. I’d like to be their wives to see what they are like to them behind closed doors. That would be my Christmas present. I would love to be able to talk to them face to face and ask some questions. But since I can’t, that is the biggest reason why I know it’s not the truth. If it was the real “truth”, they would face the public and answer questions.
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 Excelsior! says:

 October 10, 2014 at 1:46 am

anonymous,
We simply do not know the motivation or real opinion of Stephen Lett, or any other of the gb.
Speculation on this is fun but it really is eventually pointless.
I see no evidence that any of the gb are sincere. I do not believe that any of the GB are going to change one iota of WTBTS policy.
These gentlemen hold power but they are also imprisoned by their power. That is the price of absolute power.
Peace be with you
Excelsior!
Reply
 

 anonymous says:

 October 10, 2014 at 2:01 am

Hi Excelsior. I know you are right. I am just hopeful that at least one will learn the truth about the truth and be another Ray Franz and the only one that I have that hope for is Lett. It’s not that I am sticking up for him.
Reply
 

 Interrogative? says:

 October 10, 2014 at 3:07 am

Excelsior! said :
“These gentlemen hold power but they are also imprisoned by their power. That is the price of absolute power.”
Hypocrisy is on each face of the GB members. No need to be a psychologist or Jesus in person to be aware of that.
Reply
 

 Gary Cantrell says:

 October 10, 2014 at 3:29 am

Very interesting. We will see how Jehovah views. I have the feeling that the description “Train Wreck” will prove to be accurate.
Reply
 

← Older Comments
Newer Comments →


http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/coming-soon-to-a-web-browser-near-you-governing-body-tv-on-demand/comment-page-4#comments



← Older Comments

 anonymous says:

 October 10, 2014 at 4:12 am

I know you are right and I am not a reader of hearts by what they look like when they speak and it’s clear that Stephen Lett was reading his speech on that first video. I have heard some of his speeches that John Cedars has put up and I have just as much disgust for him as the rest of the Governing body just by his demeaning speeches about how women are to be viewed so don’t get me wrong. I am not sticking up for the man. I do believe though, that the other six men on the Governing Body chose him as their first spokesman on this tv thing is because he would come off as the most persuasive and I think all the others absolutely have hypocrisy written all over their faces and power does corrupt and Lett could be just as corrupted as all the others for all I know.
Reply
 

 anonymous2 says:

 October 10, 2014 at 4:42 am

Russell based the pyramid teaching on the following scripture:
Isaiah 19:19-20 19 In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border.
The verse does not say that altar was the great pyramid of giza. However the watchtower have taught that it was the Bible in stone for decades.
They use the same method or approach to interpret Matthew 24:45. The verse doesn’t say what they teach but they have made it the central doctrine.
I don’t know if they are liars, evil, etc. But for sure they do not teach truths they are just an example of human stupidity that it is causing torment to those who do not believe the obvious lie.
They now play wordly music in kingdom halls, sell bethels to Babylon the Great, etc and they call themselves the truth.
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 10, 2014 at 5:21 am

Patrice, I am deeply sorry if my comments offended you,
 They were not intended as a blanket condemnation,
 but we’re specifically directed at ones in authority who cling on
 for the kudos Matt,23/6-7.
Many have spoken here of suppressing their own thoughts and
 feelings for the sake of family relationships. It’s a personal
 decision and I would not dream of judging it one way or the
 other.
My own children, and grand children, are. still in this vile org,
 so I’ve got to tread warily and learn when to speak, and when
 to keep silent..
I find that all ex J,W’s who post here are sympathetic to each
 others situation, and while we may choose a wrong word to
 express our feelings, it’s never intended to cause offence.
My very best wishes to yourself and your mother.
Reply
 

 rob says:

 October 10, 2014 at 9:39 am

Unfortunately for many of us, because we cannot express our views to our families who are still witnesses, we are in a way prisoners and must keep quiet to maintain relationships. The gb and any other individuals who implemented these rules and who continue to enforce these man made shunning rules, will one day have to answer for their actions and for the devastating effect the rules have had on many individuals. I know that Jesus would never agree to what is happening within this religion.
Reply
 

 kat says:

 October 10, 2014 at 11:19 am

their shunning rules are the only way these days to stop a mass exodus.
Reply
 

 rob says:

 October 10, 2014 at 11:35 am

sad, but very very true.
Reply
 

 rob says:

 October 10, 2014 at 12:48 pm

On the one hand a mass exodus may seem like an impossible situation for the watchtower, but do they really want all these individuals who are disenchanted, disillusioned and disenfranchised, and really “just visiting” to stay within their religion? In my opinion it would be better for an organization to keep only the ones who are still in love with the organization and who kowtow to all the rules, rather than to have so many who are only staying because of family relationships. Maybe to show inflated numbers? The powers that be within this religion must have a very good idea of just how many there are that simply go through the motions (including individuals at bethel) and this may come back to bite them in the long run.
Reply
 

 kat says:

 October 10, 2014 at 1:48 pm

I think that is why donations are down, and they had to bring in the soliciting for pledges, they are only really interested in money, so better to have one million devotes than six million hanger on.
 Sometimes I think all they do is to get rid of dissenters, and doubters in their midst which they know are many including in bethel, they are are threat to the devotes the donators that may start to wake up.
Reply
 

 Patrice says:

 October 10, 2014 at 3:15 pm

@ Ted
i wasn’t offended. That is the problem with written comments. I must work on my presentation. Apology accepted and please accept mine in return.
Reply
 

 Hugh says:

 October 10, 2014 at 3:45 pm

I prefer watching porn than this trash
Reply
 

 Mandelay says:

 October 11, 2014 at 9:13 am

@Ted
 Ray Franz left Bethel with $5,000 severance pay and went to work on a farm even while his health was teetering. This is what integrity cost him. You’re right, sometimes people do hang on for selfish motives.
Reply
 

 tanzanan says:

 October 11, 2014 at 1:47 pm

CEDARS WHY ARE YOU HELPING THESE PEOPLE.
 Just let them look foolish on camera. You have basically told them what they need to work on to improve their image. I personally want them to make as many mistakes as possible so people don’t become deceived by their glossy presentations. I think they should Let Stephen Lett do their videos All OF THE TIME. :-))
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 11, 2014 at 2:03 pm

@Mandelay
 You’re right, Ray paid the price for his integrity. Which is often
 the case. But there’s usually a positive, and in this case it’s
 helped many of us get free from the control of dishonest men.
 I’me sure he would take that, rather than living a lie.
Those in control now, keep piling lie upon lie. The 1914 generation
 teaching failed many years ago. Now they foist upon people the
 preposterous falsehood that Jesus meant that, this generation would
 overlap with another generation, and this without proof or support
 from any where.
It would be great to see other members of the gov,body act with
 integrity., but the love of power, public adulation, and material
 benefits, will probably prove too much to give up.
Reply
 

 Enoughisenough says:

 October 11, 2014 at 11:54 pm

@jason you took the words right out of my mouth… also I give you a few months and all other TV channels will be branded as evil (I guess they already are branded that way…) and it will be strongly recommended that all faithful ones ONLY watch jw.tv
Reply
 

 PaxRomana says:

 October 12, 2014 at 5:04 am

I like the pragmatic approach Cedars took in his video commentary. Also curious to see how JWs absorb this over time.
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 12, 2014 at 6:05 am

I think even a 12 year would have noticed the flaw in Tony Morris’s
 talk on the meaning of eternity. Just to mention the Sun ( a finite
 object) in connection with eternity ( infinity) sets the mind off in a
 a direction opposite to his intended point, ( the prospect of eternity
 on a paradise Earth.
The sun consumes it’s fuel Hydrogen – Helium at an astonishing rate
 and loses a mass of over 4million tons per “Second” . If it were a car
 the tank is now half empty
When the Sun nears the end of it’s fuel it will expand to 30 times it’s
 present size and become a Red Giant. The Earth then will be more
 like Hell than Paradise. (Carry on Tony you’re doing a great job.)
Reply
 

 THE Knightowl says:

 October 12, 2014 at 1:30 pm




Reply
 

 THE Knightowl says:

 October 12, 2014 at 1:42 pm

Let us be honest what this about ………….it is a fundraiser………we need the money …….we need dollars to silence the weak and meek who are finding a new their inner strength……(that we have managed to silence)
Reply
 

 Criticus says:

 October 13, 2014 at 10:05 am

To me, it seems that – besides organizational self-glorification – one of the main purposes of this TV-gimmick is to encroach upon the personal lives of the sheep of the Witness flock even more, by having them fill their little spare time the plethora of compulsory “theocratic activities” leave them with by avidly consuming those editorial outpourings. Finally, no “other” watching of bad, dirty, evil, worldly, devil-inspired programs is necessary any longer – is FEASIBLE any longer, simply bec. now, there is EVEN MORE “theocratic” stuff to keep up with, which will consume the last few remaining “free” seconds of life.
As to Mr. Lett’s “unreal”, bizarre, weird, totally and absurdly exaggerated self-presentation style: Boy, were we “thrilled”! You are nicely explaining British sentiments towards this fantastic display of un-genuineness and unsincereness – well, let me tell you: We are Germans, and boy, were we “overwhelmed” and dazed by this repelling spectacle of what we call in German a “Märchenonkel”, i. e., a guy who melodramatically is telling the most fantastic and unbelievable otherworldly fairy-tales to very little kids (only, I would not let this guy even get close to my little brats if I had some). Whom does he think he is talking to? My first gut reaction at seeing this was: Whom is he kidding, and why? Why in the world does he think he has to take the mick out of us? Does the “GB of their own grace” now believe the rest of the world is soooo stupid that they have to lecture them like the Great Enlightened Ones with the deepest and finest wisdom of the entire universe?
Or maybe he thinks he is the Great Hypnotizer, the Great White Mage who is dazing his onlookers into some kind of submissive stupor of abulic surrender under the WTS’ omnipotent mind control.
This is simply stomach-churning. Frankly, to me, it’s disgusting. And I bet there are quite a few JWs who think likewise, but don’t dare so say it, bec. it would be “apostatsy”.
Reply
 

 Chris says:

 October 28, 2014 at 11:16 am

I lived in brooklyn New York for 30 years. I never though I would see the day when the watchtower society would move their entire headquarters to Warwick ny what a waist of money what is wrong with thier properties in bklyn ny? Why spend millions for a new headquarters?
Reply
 

 Vijay says:

 November 9, 2014 at 9:22 pm

I love Jehovah’s people they are so kind. I’m taking ielts test and I’m getting help from jw.org by reading magazines and listening to articles. I need someone to speak with so that I can improve my speaking. Will anyone help me?
Reply
 

 JustAnotherGuy says:

 November 10, 2014 at 8:59 am

Don’t worry, telling the GB the truth about who and what they are will not change them. There is no need to wring one’s hands about this, as if John is “giving aid to the enemy”. We are not the GB’s enemy, or vice versa. The REAL truth is the GB’s enemy, and so the GB is it’s own worst enemy. It is just like Jesus said, “even if I told you the truth, you would not listen”. He also said, “let them be, blind guides is what they are”. Don’t worry, they will self-destruct all by themselves. As other people point out the truth about the GB and WT, the rate of self destruction will vary, but their end is a foregone conclusion. It is just a matter of time
Reply
 

 Erica Hollis Waggoner says:

 November 29, 2014 at 2:23 am

Hi, Anonymus. And dear John Cedars (Lloyd). :)
 They ARE hypocrites!!! I knew Sam Herd. I knew Geoff Jackson. I kind of knew Steven Lett. My brother is buddies with ALL of them. Watch Cedars’ video of Sam Herd (whom I loved before I KNEW) of him saying that essentially, we must be specific in our prayers. What?? God can’t know what we need if all we say is “Help!”?? He also goes totally against the model prayer saying that asking for “forgiveness”, as Jesus did, isn’t enough!! Thank you John Cedars for jwsurvey.org!!!
Reply
 

← Older Comments


http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/coming-soon-to-a-web-browser-near-you-governing-body-tv-on-demand#comments



Coming soon to a web browser near you – Governing Body TV (on demand)!
avatar
Posted on October 4, 2014

Watchtower has announced a new website that will feature videos of monthly talks by the Governing Body
Watchtower has announced a new website that will feature videos of monthly talks by the Governing Body

Today the 130th Annual Meeting of the Watch Tower Society was convened at the Jersey City assembly hall, or “Stanley Theater” as it is otherwise known.
There once was a time when these were run-of-the-mill business meetings to keep Society members updated on organizational progress and administrative matters.
But especially over the past few years these events have morphed into an opportunity for the Governing Body to embrace the limelight by heralding “new light,” or sharing news of big changes or literature releases in front of an audience that is guaranteed to give them the adulation they seemingly crave.
This year has proved to be no different. According to multiple sources, a new website (believed to be “tv.jw.org”) has been announced that will feature “on demand” videos, including morning worship sessions from New York bethel and special Governing Body talks, to be broadcast once per month.
Sources are telling me the website will be available from Monday (6th October) onwards. The following images purportedly show what the studio of the website’s news bulletin will look like…
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Other announcements from the annual meeting are said to have included the following…
◾New song books are to be released that will be the same color as the “silver sword.” They will feature 15 new songs, some of which have already been leaked. All new songs are to be made available on JW.org until the new songbooks are in circulation.
◾Psalm 106:1 will be the new year text.
◾More audio bible readings are to be released.
◾A pocket version of the “silver sword” revised new world translation has been released.
◾A new app “JW Language” will be released on Monday to help Witnesses learn a new language.
◾New light: Gog of Magog is no longer considered to be Satan, but a coalition of nations yet to reveal itself.





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Previous
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There was also reportedly an on-stage sing-along by bethelites to demonstrate how some of the new songs are to be sung. All seven Governing Body members are said to have taken to the stage and chimed in on the final verse.
But undoubtedly the most intriguing development concerned the new “on demand” video website, which marks yet another step in the Governing Body’s path to increasing prominence following their 2012 revelation that they alone are the “faithful slave.”
I for one welcome the change, because if there is one thing I can be certain of, it is that the more Witnesses hear these men speak for themselves, the more obvious it will become that they are nothing more than proud, deluded men – far from worthy of the adoration they receive.
I leave you with some wisdom from Anthony Morris III (from the 2012 special convention in Dublin) as a sneak preview of what the new video website may well have in store…




new-cedars-signature2






Related video…


Please also check out the Friendly Atheist’s blog post on jw.tv.org!


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187 Responses to Coming soon to a web browser near you – Governing Body TV (on demand)!

← Older Comments

 anonymous says:

 October 10, 2014 at 4:12 am

I know you are right and I am not a reader of hearts by what they look like when they speak and it’s clear that Stephen Lett was reading his speech on that first video. I have heard some of his speeches that John Cedars has put up and I have just as much disgust for him as the rest of the Governing body just by his demeaning speeches about how women are to be viewed so don’t get me wrong. I am not sticking up for the man. I do believe though, that the other six men on the Governing Body chose him as their first spokesman on this tv thing is because he would come off as the most persuasive and I think all the others absolutely have hypocrisy written all over their faces and power does corrupt and Lett could be just as corrupted as all the others for all I know.
Reply
 

 anonymous2 says:

 October 10, 2014 at 4:42 am

Russell based the pyramid teaching on the following scripture:
Isaiah 19:19-20 19 In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border.
The verse does not say that altar was the great pyramid of giza. However the watchtower have taught that it was the Bible in stone for decades.
They use the same method or approach to interpret Matthew 24:45. The verse doesn’t say what they teach but they have made it the central doctrine.
I don’t know if they are liars, evil, etc. But for sure they do not teach truths they are just an example of human stupidity that it is causing torment to those who do not believe the obvious lie.
They now play wordly music in kingdom halls, sell bethels to Babylon the Great, etc and they call themselves the truth.
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 10, 2014 at 5:21 am

Patrice, I am deeply sorry if my comments offended you,
 They were not intended as a blanket condemnation,
 but we’re specifically directed at ones in authority who cling on
 for the kudos Matt,23/6-7.
Many have spoken here of suppressing their own thoughts and
 feelings for the sake of family relationships. It’s a personal
 decision and I would not dream of judging it one way or the
 other.
My own children, and grand children, are. still in this vile org,
 so I’ve got to tread warily and learn when to speak, and when
 to keep silent..
I find that all ex J,W’s who post here are sympathetic to each
 others situation, and while we may choose a wrong word to
 express our feelings, it’s never intended to cause offence.
My very best wishes to yourself and your mother.
Reply
 

 rob says:

 October 10, 2014 at 9:39 am

Unfortunately for many of us, because we cannot express our views to our families who are still witnesses, we are in a way prisoners and must keep quiet to maintain relationships. The gb and any other individuals who implemented these rules and who continue to enforce these man made shunning rules, will one day have to answer for their actions and for the devastating effect the rules have had on many individuals. I know that Jesus would never agree to what is happening within this religion.
Reply
 

 kat says:

 October 10, 2014 at 11:19 am

their shunning rules are the only way these days to stop a mass exodus.
Reply
 

 rob says:

 October 10, 2014 at 11:35 am

sad, but very very true.
Reply
 

 rob says:

 October 10, 2014 at 12:48 pm

On the one hand a mass exodus may seem like an impossible situation for the watchtower, but do they really want all these individuals who are disenchanted, disillusioned and disenfranchised, and really “just visiting” to stay within their religion? In my opinion it would be better for an organization to keep only the ones who are still in love with the organization and who kowtow to all the rules, rather than to have so many who are only staying because of family relationships. Maybe to show inflated numbers? The powers that be within this religion must have a very good idea of just how many there are that simply go through the motions (including individuals at bethel) and this may come back to bite them in the long run.
Reply
 

 kat says:

 October 10, 2014 at 1:48 pm

I think that is why donations are down, and they had to bring in the soliciting for pledges, they are only really interested in money, so better to have one million devotes than six million hanger on.
 Sometimes I think all they do is to get rid of dissenters, and doubters in their midst which they know are many including in bethel, they are are threat to the devotes the donators that may start to wake up.
Reply
 

 Patrice says:

 October 10, 2014 at 3:15 pm

@ Ted
i wasn’t offended. That is the problem with written comments. I must work on my presentation. Apology accepted and please accept mine in return.
Reply
 

 Hugh says:

 October 10, 2014 at 3:45 pm

I prefer watching porn than this trash
Reply
 

 Mandelay says:

 October 11, 2014 at 9:13 am

@Ted
 Ray Franz left Bethel with $5,000 severance pay and went to work on a farm even while his health was teetering. This is what integrity cost him. You’re right, sometimes people do hang on for selfish motives.
Reply
 

 tanzanan says:

 October 11, 2014 at 1:47 pm

CEDARS WHY ARE YOU HELPING THESE PEOPLE.
 Just let them look foolish on camera. You have basically told them what they need to work on to improve their image. I personally want them to make as many mistakes as possible so people don’t become deceived by their glossy presentations. I think they should Let Stephen Lett do their videos All OF THE TIME. :-))
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 11, 2014 at 2:03 pm

@Mandelay
 You’re right, Ray paid the price for his integrity. Which is often
 the case. But there’s usually a positive, and in this case it’s
 helped many of us get free from the control of dishonest men.
 I’me sure he would take that, rather than living a lie.
Those in control now, keep piling lie upon lie. The 1914 generation
 teaching failed many years ago. Now they foist upon people the
 preposterous falsehood that Jesus meant that, this generation would
 overlap with another generation, and this without proof or support
 from any where.
It would be great to see other members of the gov,body act with
 integrity., but the love of power, public adulation, and material
 benefits, will probably prove too much to give up.
Reply
 

 Enoughisenough says:

 October 11, 2014 at 11:54 pm

@jason you took the words right out of my mouth… also I give you a few months and all other TV channels will be branded as evil (I guess they already are branded that way…) and it will be strongly recommended that all faithful ones ONLY watch jw.tv
Reply
 

 PaxRomana says:

 October 12, 2014 at 5:04 am

I like the pragmatic approach Cedars took in his video commentary. Also curious to see how JWs absorb this over time.
Reply
 

 Ted says:

 October 12, 2014 at 6:05 am

I think even a 12 year would have noticed the flaw in Tony Morris’s
 talk on the meaning of eternity. Just to mention the Sun ( a finite
 object) in connection with eternity ( infinity) sets the mind off in a
 a direction opposite to his intended point, ( the prospect of eternity
 on a paradise Earth.
The sun consumes it’s fuel Hydrogen – Helium at an astonishing rate
 and loses a mass of over 4million tons per “Second” . If it were a car
 the tank is now half empty
When the Sun nears the end of it’s fuel it will expand to 30 times it’s
 present size and become a Red Giant. The Earth then will be more
 like Hell than Paradise. (Carry on Tony you’re doing a great job.)
Reply
 

 THE Knightowl says:

 October 12, 2014 at 1:30 pm




Reply
 

 THE Knightowl says:

 October 12, 2014 at 1:42 pm

Let us be honest what this about ………….it is a fundraiser………we need the money …….we need dollars to silence the weak and meek who are finding a new their inner strength……(that we have managed to silence)
Reply
 

 Criticus says:

 October 13, 2014 at 10:05 am

To me, it seems that – besides organizational self-glorification – one of the main purposes of this TV-gimmick is to encroach upon the personal lives of the sheep of the Witness flock even more, by having them fill their little spare time the plethora of compulsory “theocratic activities” leave them with by avidly consuming those editorial outpourings. Finally, no “other” watching of bad, dirty, evil, worldly, devil-inspired programs is necessary any longer – is FEASIBLE any longer, simply bec. now, there is EVEN MORE “theocratic” stuff to keep up with, which will consume the last few remaining “free” seconds of life.
As to Mr. Lett’s “unreal”, bizarre, weird, totally and absurdly exaggerated self-presentation style: Boy, were we “thrilled”! You are nicely explaining British sentiments towards this fantastic display of un-genuineness and unsincereness – well, let me tell you: We are Germans, and boy, were we “overwhelmed” and dazed by this repelling spectacle of what we call in German a “Märchenonkel”, i. e., a guy who melodramatically is telling the most fantastic and unbelievable otherworldly fairy-tales to very little kids (only, I would not let this guy even get close to my little brats if I had some). Whom does he think he is talking to? My first gut reaction at seeing this was: Whom is he kidding, and why? Why in the world does he think he has to take the mick out of us? Does the “GB of their own grace” now believe the rest of the world is soooo stupid that they have to lecture them like the Great Enlightened Ones with the deepest and finest wisdom of the entire universe?
Or maybe he thinks he is the Great Hypnotizer, the Great White Mage who is dazing his onlookers into some kind of submissive stupor of abulic surrender under the WTS’ omnipotent mind control.
This is simply stomach-churning. Frankly, to me, it’s disgusting. And I bet there are quite a few JWs who think likewise, but don’t dare so say it, bec. it would be “apostatsy”.
Reply
 

 Chris says:

 October 28, 2014 at 11:16 am

I lived in brooklyn New York for 30 years. I never though I would see the day when the watchtower society would move their entire headquarters to Warwick ny what a waist of money what is wrong with thier properties in bklyn ny? Why spend millions for a new headquarters?
Reply
 

 Vijay says:

 November 9, 2014 at 9:22 pm

I love Jehovah’s people they are so kind. I’m taking ielts test and I’m getting help from jw.org by reading magazines and listening to articles. I need someone to speak with so that I can improve my speaking. Will anyone help me?
Reply
 

 JustAnotherGuy says:

 November 10, 2014 at 8:59 am

Don’t worry, telling the GB the truth about who and what they are will not change them. There is no need to wring one’s hands about this, as if John is “giving aid to the enemy”. We are not the GB’s enemy, or vice versa. The REAL truth is the GB’s enemy, and so the GB is it’s own worst enemy. It is just like Jesus said, “even if I told you the truth, you would not listen”. He also said, “let them be, blind guides is what they are”. Don’t worry, they will self-destruct all by themselves. As other people point out the truth about the GB and WT, the rate of self destruction will vary, but their end is a foregone conclusion. It is just a matter of time
Reply
 

 Erica Hollis Waggoner says:

 November 29, 2014 at 2:23 am

Hi, Anonymus. And dear John Cedars (Lloyd). :)
 They ARE hypocrites!!! I knew Sam Herd. I knew Geoff Jackson. I kind of knew Steven Lett. My brother is buddies with ALL of them. Watch Cedars’ video of Sam Herd (whom I loved before I KNEW) of him saying that essentially, we must be specific in our prayers. What?? God can’t know what we need if all we say is “Help!”?? He also goes totally against the model prayer saying that asking for “forgiveness”, as Jesus did, isn’t enough!! Thank you John Cedars for jwsurvey.org!!!
Reply
 

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