The shorter the expected time left, the higher the growth. But I will say this each one of us can play a part in sharing what we know with the public. Globally there are about eight-and-a-half million Jehovahs Witnesses. It there is a large turn-over in the congregation, it must mean that Satan is working overtime; not that that anything could ever be wrong with the organization itself. On February 4, 2019, rumors of the release of a new Elders manual, meant only for the eyes of the top leaders in each congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (JW), began to surface on ex-JW forums across the Internet. Jehovah's Witnesses said in a statement it did not join because it does not have the institutional settings that result in children being separated from their parents, such as youth groups, choirs . Nov. 20, 2019, 9:49 AM PST. Learn how your comment data is processed. (Immediately prior to dates the end was specifically expected, such as 1914, 1925 and 1975, growth increased to as high as 20%.) To have no faith. While I tried to maintain the utmost respect for their beliefs and not attempt to preach my own, they refused to extend me the same courtesy, and many assumed Id left so I could experience more freedom for worldly things. She was especially close to her sister Cynthia. When you factor how many people are baptized vs. the number of publishers the year before you realize that they . To this day I search, I study, and I read. There is dissent in South Africa right now because of the fixed per capita amount assigned to each publisher who attends a circuit assembly. None of these religions are the true religion. 1. Like all enthusiastic followers, they owned a copy of the Let God Be True, which was written, printed, and distributed by the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society. In the spring of 2015, Stephen Lett asked for donations after stating that JW.org had more money going out than coming in. Im grateful every day for my education and my desire to learn and think independently, a skill that fostered in me those initial doubts about Jehovahs Witnesses, and enabled me to have the strength to search for answers elsewhere in non-biased literature. 2. Evolution & Creation Misrepresentations Internal rules and philosophies among the Jehovah's Witnesses seem to allow abuse to easily be covered up. Since then, four Ukrainians from occupied Crimea have been sentenced to six or more years' imprisonment: Serhiy Filatov; Artem Gerasimov; Viktor Stashevsky and Igor Schmidt. It is all about their money. When you take a look at many of the mega-churches for example, it is very impressive how much they put into creating support groups and programs for their young people. You know what its like to have no hope. - Quora Answer (1 of 27): It isn't a religion its a cult. 239) In this video I share the story of my transition from believing. According to Watchtower's own figures, know the number of Jehovah's Witnesses decreased 0.6% from 2019 - 2020 (this represents 46,823 average publishers, for anyone interested) BUT I found a few other interesting facts that indicate, to me at least, that this cult's days are numbered and you can see you feel about it as well. It's already a small pool of potential friends and romantic interests in a KH. It is all about how much you can do in the organization that earns you status and salvation. (source: Detroit Free Press: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/18/jehovahs-witnesses-murder-suicide-keego-harbor/409695002/). This raises the question: Who is an. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse by a member of a Jehovah's Witnesses congregation in Pierce County recently sued the organization. I tried at all costs to avoid any discussions of faith with Jehovahs Witnesses with whom I was still in contact mostly because I didnt want to be forced into an argument with them over my anger and frustration at some of the doctrines. They tell you that you need to follow these rules in order to receive salvation and so on. All monies were directed at finishing Warwick, then selling off their cranes and millions of dollars worth of vehicles and other high prices tools, right down to a 5 dollar screwdriver. They dont bring salvation to your door when they come but instead, they talk about a paradise Earth and so on. It is the interpretation given those prophecies by men like Stephen Lett and the other members of the GB over the decades that has caused so many witnesses to lose their faith and even, in the case of many, to turn away from God entirely. At death, that life-force leaves the body. One factor that was discussed at length was the high number of young people who do not stay in the organization. Currently, in the US, JW.org has just 40% of their publishers registered in the JW.org database system. Much of their growth from these nations is from people being born into the religion. Id been treated badly by as many people who were Witnesses as I had non-Witnesses. Jehovah's Witnesses believe these men are anointed as the voice of God on Earth. What we see from regimes like North Korea is a disregard for many of the societal endeavors that make a nation stronger, such as infrastructure, good universities, economic freedoms, and democratic processes. This is not to say that there are no enthusiastic young people in the Watchtower organization, because there truly are. They make up these rules simply because they can. The cart-witnessing program is finally beginning to backfire. The Witnesses still experience growth, but at a huge expense. It isnt about the children. They are not allowed to question the Watchtower leadership or teaching. The minister who was teaching my Bible lessons (in the Church Of Christ) mentioned the Let God Be True book in my studies, and he asked me if I knew that the doctrines of the Jehovahs Witnesses had changed over the years. If anyone defected, the leaders simply blamed it on American influence, the defectors lack of gratitude, or on some horrible personal defect of the defector. Theres absolutely no evidence of that at all. Literature carts are being used not just in the Newcastle area but all over the world and we foresee them being a regular feature of our public preaching for many years to come.. Two thirds of those disfellowshipped never return. A typical Jehovahs Witnesss life is basically consisting of work or school and field service along with several weekly meetings and Bible studies, or should I say, Watchtower studies. My Story of Leaving Jehovah's Witnesses Lloyd Evans 108K subscribers Subscribe 7.2K 232K views 4 years ago (Cedars' vlog no. I have two beautiful children that I adore, that God blessed me with, and are very active in the Church. Photo courtesy of Jehovah's Witnesses Public Information Desk Mandee Reid and her son, Charles Reid, of Kansas City, Mo., like Jehovah's . ", BBC Beyond Paradise star Jamie Bamber is married to Eastenders actress. This is definitely one organization that you need to steer clear of at all costs. Witnesses hold a number of traditional Christian views but also many that are unique to them. Many of us here paid that price, only to wake up to it years later. Its a great field service vehicle with four doors and plenty of ankle length dress room in the back! She learned she couldnt get that from being a Jehovahs Witness. I went to university, where I made even more friends who showed me that being in the world is completely fine, and that debate and discussion is also OK. According to the organisation, there are currently more than 70,000 Witnesses in Australia. In South Africa, over 1400 congregations struggle to file their government mandated tax returns required of each congregation. Why so many raised as Witnesses leave As she started to lose trust in the unsteady teachings of JW, Andrea turned to the Church Of Christ for doctrinal stability because, in the Church Of Christ, everything that they follow is written in the Bible. Jehovah's Witnesses are among the most racially and ethnically diverse religious groups in America. Their whole going out to knock on doors sounds commendable, but truth be known, the reason why they do it is because theyre trying to earn their own way into Jehovahs new world; paradise Earth. Tony Morris declared on multiple occasions that he was incensed with European trousers for men, designed by the homosexuals he hates so passionately and followed this tirade by producing a side by side photo of what proper trousers look like versus tight pants. Many former friends, including my best friend of 10 years, shunned me. With the recent crack-downs on college education, the Watchtower is looking less and less like a spiritual paradise, and is looking more like North Korea. "I would be sick. It is quite funny when the Watchtower wants to shut down somebodys YouTube channel because they said something bad about Watchtower, but at the same time, Watchtower sees absolutely no problem bashing other religions out of their mouths online during their dramas, talks and other programming that they put out. If a Jehovah's Witness were to break any of the rules they could be spoken to by an elder (the equivalent of a . (source: Pew Research: https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/religious-tradition/jehovahs-witness/) and https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/26/a-closer-look-at-jehovahs-witnesses-living-in-the-u-s/). There was always an air of mysti'c never seeing them except on occasion at a district convention. He grew up in a Strong JW family in the USA but now thinks most of it is BS and Nonsense, By the way he does love Sweden and I need to go visit him. For Ali Millar, the experience of writing her difficult life story wasn't cathartic, it was traumatic. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Drunk driver smashed into family car on M6 - while sipping cider, Jehovah's Witnesses denies telling abuse victims not to call the police, BBC Breakfast star Charlie Stayt halts show to warn Lenny Henry 'you shouldn't say that', Charlie was hosting BBC Breakfast on Thursday - but warned Lenny: "You really shouldn't say that. It isnt Christian and it isnt Gods organization. This raises the issue of whether any benefits will ever be paid to other full-time JWs across the globe, who deserve them equally. However, none of that is really working and people are still waking up from this brutal North Korean type religion. We shared everything our whole lives, and I felt like I had to give her that opportunity to the point where, if this was the wrong path, at least I would have a chance to change her mind. Contrast this to the July 2009 issue of Awake! Well, the reason for the recent increase is simply due to a change in tactics, according to our sister title the Chronicle. Yet, ironically, its clear that their growth is already suffering due in part to this stubbornness. Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. . JWs in Eritrea have been rotting away in prison cells some for decades while the coalition of overweight, business-class-flying governing body members feign tears for the men and women who are effectively their slaves. With all of the new doccumentaries being produced about this organization, YouTube channels and other types of media being produced, Watchtower doesnt stand a chance at survival. This article provides basic information on leaving this faith. When there has been no specific date set . She listened and protected her faith and the teachings of the Jehovahs Witnesses until her beliefs could no longer defend her. It is all about the rules and their governing body. They have their little pet scriptures that they have taken out of context of course and they use those to try and convert you to their brand of religion. young ones leaving. (We already know that growth has become stagnant and more and more people seem to be waking up than previously.). Because I love my sister so much, I felt like I had to give her the opportunity to just listen. Jehovah's Witness 'ordered to renounce faith and join Russian army' Europe. The membership is aging out and, I suspect that before all those belonging to the second "Overlapping Generation" pass away, we may have seen the end of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Those eight men up in New York are worshipped because they follow every single word they say. A former Jehovahs Witness shares why she walked away for good, We would have Bible studies, and I even preached from door to door. I was one of them. Much like Kim Jong walking out and clapping his hands, the Watchtowers idea of motivating its people is to deliver talks denouncing college, Watchtower articles ridiculing those who disagree with them, and the repetitive promise that the end is just around the corner. The truth is, Jehovahs witnesses are taught to welcome doctrinal changes as adjustments or new light, and they have a long list of beliefs and doctrines that have changed since the church was established. About the most exciting thing that most of the young people will get to do is hold up printed signs at conventions that say Please Be Seated, or turn knobs in the Kingdom Hall sound booth. I would love it if the young ones were leaving in droves, and I believe because of the Internet this will happen, but I don't see a great deal of evidence at present. it is one to really be avoided at all costs and it is really dangerous. I think the issue is much more serious than they would like to admit. Are Jehovah's Witnesses a Cult? At 18 I turned my back on the cloistered isolation of my familys faith and began a life where I was free to question ideas and beliefs. Statistically, two-thirds of born in members leave, and of those that leave on. And the more she embraced the truth, the more her family tried to stop her. And at one time their teaching was that Jesus was like God or was a God.. My grandmother was a pioneer. The groups are handing out copies of The Watchtower from carts outside New Street station. The important thing for us is to show them that there is a great life to be lived after leaving the Watchtower. She converted a lot of people to that religion.. In 2017, Russia's Supreme Court declared the group an extremist organization, lumping its. - 63% of current Jehovah's Witnesses are a high school education or less. And then from that day, I never looked back. He [the minister] handed me the Bible, and he told me, From now on, when we look up a scripture, I want you to look it up, and I want you to read it. And that was the biggest help for me in reaffirming me that what he was telling me was the truth. A big part of the JW organization's power comes from keeping dissenters isolated until they give in due to loneliness. Its psychology 101. The records management overseer related an experience where one hand-written note cost watchtower over $200,000 simply because a JW elder at headquarters was honest and produced a written document which tied Watch Tower to a major litigation case with a prior vendor. - The number of young Jehovah's Witnesses (aged 18-24) has dropped by 6% over the past 7 years. But she realized she couldnt help her sister if she remained at a distance. The Watchtower organizations sole purpose is to proselytize, whereby all of its human capital must be channeled into that goal. The Holy Spirit is . Most Jehovah's Witnesses - roughly two-thirds (65%) - are . We have far more than they realize we have, and there is nothing they can do to stop the flow of information outside of headquarters. Instead, Andrea spent her time attending meetings at Kingdom Hall, sharing her faith, and being with her family. 6 months later in a private seminar, branch officials announced that Letts plea resulted in 30 million extra dollars in donations, but this would not stem their financial issues and would continue with layoffs and cutbacks. random musings> And its peppy acceleration will get you far and away from Zeb and his feisty cart crashes!. Change in teachings? When Cynthia became friends with George, who was a member of the Church Of Christ, Andrea had her guard up because she refused to let someone from another religion influence their faith. I have seen many really good kids in the organization totally get neglected because they didnt have a father who was a Witness. If all of this keeps up, it might not be long before you will see jw.org gone from the scene, as well as other things tied to this diabolical evil religion. Find some books which are truthful and sincere and share them. This has happened in other countries as well. And 67% of the Buddhists surveyed indicate that they were raised in a . The new Toyota Drove! Sparlock Warrior Wizard With all the false end of the world predictions that they have done in the past, theyre still crying that Armageddon is coming soon, and that they will be the only survivors of the battle. Jw.org Website At that time, a small group of Bible students who lived near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States, began a systematic analysis of the Bible. Jehovah's Witnesses are taught to welcome doctrinal changes. This does not sit well with many elders, particularly those is less than affluent areas. They still teach that everybody else is doomed except for them. Does a recession/pandemic/war indicate Armageddon? Leaving the faith at 18 changed my life completely. 37:2337-Minute Listen. Is the Book of Daniel Prophetic or Historical? They began publishing what they learned in books, newspapers, and the journal that is now called The Watchtower Announcing Jehovahs Kingdom. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. You know I couldnt see my life any other way. Instead of adjusting the menu, or admitting that the chef isnt as good as he thinks he is, the owner simply blames the customers, and claims that the patrons taste buds must not be working properly. Does this sound familiar? That takes us to 27. There simply isnt anything designed or built into the programs that work with the attention spans of young children. Im a Choir Member. The Jehovah Witness religion is going through some tough times. Its not hard to figure out why so many Jehovah's Witness children are conditioned from an early age to associate drudgery with the meetings and assemblies. Many will have had to cover over passions and talents that would have given their lives much greater meaning. It was these friends who became my support network and showed me that people from the world are just the same as people from the faith there were as many lovely people as there were horrible people, as many happy people as there were sad. Getty Images 08 . Jesus Christ is God's agent, through whom sinful humans can be reconciled to God. Reportedly, one of the rules is that unless a perpetrator confesses to committing a sin, two people must witness the commission of the sin. For what Christian would ever call somebodys baby a little enimy of God? Today it has 252 members, with those who have been associated with Pentecostalism, the Anglican and Baptist churches and the Jehovah's Witnesses dominating the group. Are Watchtower reasons for being the only true religion valid? Watch Tower Headquarters asked branches to sell as much equipment as they could liquidate including heavy equipment, printers, etc. It is law according to the Jehovahs Witness. For them to stay in the organization and have an approved standing, they will have had to squash their inner self, and adopt an organizationally-created identity. The Jehovahs Witnesses originated as a branch of the Bible Student movement, which was founded by Charles Taz Russell, a Christian Restorationist minister. More than that, though, it infuriated me the way my most important reason for leaving was brushed aside because it was the most irrefutable: I simply did not believe in the Bible and God, and by extension any Christian belief. I have seen a lot of creativity and progressive thinking when it comes to how they design ministries for young people. Jesus himself is truth, not those club-like religions. 2010 Elder's Book Eventually (it's a slow process), there will be a tipping point where the individual communities (KHs) are too small to avoid marrying or being friends with non-JWs. They govern every aspect of your life from cradle to grave. When commenting on the young people who leave the organization, another common tactic that the organization uses is to cynically compare them with the ungrateful Israelites who found Jehovahs manna to be undesirable. Just because they make the claim doesnt make it so. ET on April 5, 2019. . Additionally, it has been noted by many of us that when there is a family in which the father does not hold some kind of office, the family is often left out on the periphery without much social support. The establishment of Jehovahs Witnesses is not in the Bible. Jehovah's Witnesses detained in inhumane conditions June 4, 2021 Number of Jehovah's Witnesses on trial in Lipetsk grows June 2, 2021 Christian attorney gives advice for staying on good side of law June 1, 2021 Crimean Pentecostals fined for violating Russia's anti-evangelism law May 31, 2021 American prayer breakfast figure feted by Ukrainian . Witnesses believe that they are living in . I can never forgive them for betrayal. Are Watchtower reasons for being the only true religion valid? Most congregations have not filed returns for 2 to 4 years, primarily because local elders do not understand how to file returns, and are quite frankly not interested in the business aspect of this religion. [1] People are waking up and leaving in droves. World. And, as is human nature, it is much easier for Watchtower leaders to put all of the blame for this on invisible metaphysical characters such as Satan, instead of dealing with the elephant in their own living room. / The Real Cause Of Chukwuemeka Akachi, UNN Student Death. They believe that ony 144,000 Jehovah's Witnesses will go to heaven. Two years later he founded Zion's Watch Tower and Tract Society, which was incorpo-rated in 1884 in Pennsylvania. The gathering was a Bible study. Jehovah's Witnesses, Hendricks said, "fundamentally disagree with the idea of the Holy Trinity." "We believe that Jehovah is the sovereign, the only eternal one, and that Jesus Christ is a created being perhaps living in the heavens for billions of years," Hendricks said. "Overseers of Jehovah's People", an article in the group's publication called the Watchtower . Brummies happily shopping and going about their day to day business have seen them in their droves. However, the rate of growth has almost certainly also been dependent on child baptism for several years and, with the average age of the membership growing older and decades of discouragement from current members having children, there are also simply fewer children to indoctrinate. And, I think the issue is much broader than what the simple statistics are showing. By Brendan Cole On 7/28/20 at 11:09 AM EDT News Russia Intensifies Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses with 110 Armed Raids The. A man who pleaded guilty to raping two underage girls he met through the Jehovah's Witness congregation they all belonged to has been sentenced to . The Internet's most comprehensive resource for ex-Jehovah's Witnesses, a community for support, recovery and a few laughs along the way. magazine which says: "No one should be made to worship in a way they find . Governing Body member Geoffrey Jackson Was Russell a Freemason? The groups are handing out copies of The Watchtower from carts outside New Street station. I dont think Ive ever seen my mum cry so much, so often. Jehovahs Witnesses can now be found in Birmingham city centre. Religious fact, faith and delusion, home> But the fact that there is such a large turnover of the young people is a major symptom that something is deeply and fundamentally wrong with the Watchtowers model. All Witnesses are expected to obey instructions and doctrines that influence every aspect of life: Women are considered subservient to men, higher education is discouraged and homosexuality is not permitted. They compared the doctrines taught by the churches with what the Bible really teaches. I was also lucky that both my parents encouraged me to get a good education to work hard at school so I could go to university if I wanted. Jehovah's Witnesses, a Christian denomination with an estimated 175,000 followers in Russia. As education becomes increasingly important to eek out even a meager living, Witnesses are already being forced to become more educated. Examining the total number of people entering and leaving each religion provides the most complete picture of the dynamism of the American religious landscape. Are you inspired yet?
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