WILL YOU HEED JEHOVAH’S
CLEAR WARNINGS?
(The Watchtower - July 15, 2011)
The men of the Governing Body are on their 'Apostate Warpath' again.
And as usual they brought with them their Motive-Judging, Name-Calling Watchtower propaganda weapon. They have even come up with a new hateful way of referring to former Witnesses who have had the nerve to disagree with them:
"Apostates are mentally 'diseased' and they seek to infect others with their disloyal teachings." And as usual, they dig up all the negative comments they can find in the Bible and apply them to those former Witnesses.
This time their propaganda asserts without presenting a shred of evidence that former Witnesses "seek to take Christ’s disciples with them and like ravenous wolves, false teachers are out to devour trusting members of the congregation, destroying their faith and leading them away from the truth."
Personally I am not aware of anyone who has left the Watchtower religion who sought to make their own disciples out of Jehovah's Witnesses. Raymond Franz for example. Anyone who has read his books knows full well that he had no interest in having anyone follow him or even a suggestion that anyone ought to agree with him.
On the other hand, what about the men of the Governing Body? Although they don't refer to the Witnesses as their own "disciples," they treat them as if they were. Their motive may not have been to intentionally have millions of Jehovah's Witnesses become their followers (or disciples) but that is what has happened.
They not only claim to be the only "true teachers" of the Bible, but unlike Raymond Franz, they require the Witnesses to follow them by accepting whatever they are currently teaching, even if what they are teaching is not true.
One of their ways of keeping their disciples under their control is to keep convincing them not to want to have anything to do with former Witnesses. In the above article they ask, "What is involved in avoiding false teachers?" They answer this way:
1) Do not receive them into your homes
2) Do not greet them
3) Do not read their literature
4) Do not watch TV programs that feature them
5) Do not examine their Web sites
6) Do not add your comments to their blogs
Why do millions of normal people put up with such control? Or as they ask it: "Why do we take such a firm stand?" They answer, "Because of love. We love 'the God of truth,' so we are not interested in twisted teachings that contradict his Word of truth. We also love Jehovah’s organization."
I think it is really telling that the organization never gives examples of the twisted teachings of apostates. Instead of calling names they should explain what the twisted teachings are. The reason they do not specifically address the the claims of apostates is that they cannot.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Do witnesses servJehovah out of Love or Fear?
I think the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses has been an amazing but tragic social experiment proving that the mind is most vulnerable to brainwashing when it's in an unhealthy state. It seems to attract the bipolar, schizophrenic, depressive, and the paranoid. It preys on negative emotions like sorrow and fear. In my 25 years of being a witness, I've met as many people with mental disorders as a psychiatrist does in his whole career! Have you guys noticed this? Kingdom Halls are close to being asylums!
On service, the people who actually listen at the doors and accept a study are the ones going through some hardships at the moment. How many times have you heard a JW recalling an experience of knocking on the door of a man about to commit suicide? Gun in the mouth ready to pull the trigger when the doorbell rings. Followed by "That man is now a baptized pioneer"....another man with serious issues and mental disorders becoming a witness and everyone applauding.
So many people I've met are in this religion cause of a desire to see a dead loved one, fear of the current world events, fear of death at armaggedon, fear of being shunned, a desire to rid themselves of an illness, or sometimes they're there for the juicy gossip. My father is driven by the sorrow of his dead mother, my brother has had several medical near death experiences and is driven by the fear of death, and my mother's fear of aging keeps her going.
Wasn't it the love for Jehovah that was supposed to make us serve him? It's not love, it's fear and sorrow. Manipulate the weakened minds to make them do what we want them to...kinda like a sociopath (Which is a disorder in itself). Maybe that's why this religion doesn't seem to work well on people with healthy minds and/or above average IQ's. (That's why education is of the Devil) Has anyone here noticed the same?
On service, the people who actually listen at the doors and accept a study are the ones going through some hardships at the moment. How many times have you heard a JW recalling an experience of knocking on the door of a man about to commit suicide? Gun in the mouth ready to pull the trigger when the doorbell rings. Followed by "That man is now a baptized pioneer"....another man with serious issues and mental disorders becoming a witness and everyone applauding.
So many people I've met are in this religion cause of a desire to see a dead loved one, fear of the current world events, fear of death at armaggedon, fear of being shunned, a desire to rid themselves of an illness, or sometimes they're there for the juicy gossip. My father is driven by the sorrow of his dead mother, my brother has had several medical near death experiences and is driven by the fear of death, and my mother's fear of aging keeps her going.
Wasn't it the love for Jehovah that was supposed to make us serve him? It's not love, it's fear and sorrow. Manipulate the weakened minds to make them do what we want them to...kinda like a sociopath (Which is a disorder in itself). Maybe that's why this religion doesn't seem to work well on people with healthy minds and/or above average IQ's. (That's why education is of the Devil) Has anyone here noticed the same?
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Former Witness taking on Watch Tower
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/former-witness-taking-on-watch-tower/story-fn6bfmgc-1226036543156
Former Witness taking on Watch Tower
•Graeme Hammond
•From: Sunday Herald Sun
•April 10, 201112:00AM
A FORMER Jehovah's Witness is to launch a private criminal prosecution against the religion's world headquarters.
His action is in protest at its refusal to require church elders to submit to Working With Children police checks in Victoria
Steven Unthank, who says he was a victim of sexual assault by a church elder in Queensland, says he is taking the drastic step to protect children within the religion and at homes where Jehovah's Witnesses doorknock.
Mr Unthank, from Toongabbie in Gippsland, says he is frustrated over inaction by police and the Justice Department after the religion decided its ministers were not required to undergo police checks.
He hopes the state will take over the prosecution after court documents are filed on April 19.
Mr Unthank, 43, quit the religion in late 2009 after waging a long campaign to persuade the Watch Tower Society, the religion's administrative arm, that elders and door-to-door preachers needed to get police checks before working with children.
Victoria's Working With Children Act requires ministers of religion who have regular unsupervised contact with children to apply for background checks and the Catholic and Anglican churches say all ministers and volunteer workers routinely apply for such checks.
Although Jehovah's Witnesses say all members become ordained ministers at baptism, a spokesman for the Watch Tower Society said elders or other evangelists were not required to gain a police clearance. "We don't typically work with children, we don't have Sunday schools, so that law doesn't apply to us," the spokesman said.
But Mr Unthank said adult Jehovah's Witnesses often paired up with minors when preaching, with much of their time spent in cars calling on homes. Elders also mentored children and teens from religiously divided homes.
He said elders underwent no background checks before being appointed and were required only to voluntarily declare any convictions for sexual offences.
"Without police checks, how would a member of the public know it isn't a sex offender knocking on their door, talking with their kids?" he said.
Victoria Police say they investigate specific complaints about breaches of the Act, but government sources say the Watch Tower Society's stance remains "a worry".
"A lot of this is about reassurance to parents and the public, so their attitude isn't helpful," one source said.
Former Witness taking on Watch Tower
•Graeme Hammond
•From: Sunday Herald Sun
•April 10, 201112:00AM
A FORMER Jehovah's Witness is to launch a private criminal prosecution against the religion's world headquarters.
His action is in protest at its refusal to require church elders to submit to Working With Children police checks in Victoria
Steven Unthank, who says he was a victim of sexual assault by a church elder in Queensland, says he is taking the drastic step to protect children within the religion and at homes where Jehovah's Witnesses doorknock.
Mr Unthank, from Toongabbie in Gippsland, says he is frustrated over inaction by police and the Justice Department after the religion decided its ministers were not required to undergo police checks.
He hopes the state will take over the prosecution after court documents are filed on April 19.
Mr Unthank, 43, quit the religion in late 2009 after waging a long campaign to persuade the Watch Tower Society, the religion's administrative arm, that elders and door-to-door preachers needed to get police checks before working with children.
Victoria's Working With Children Act requires ministers of religion who have regular unsupervised contact with children to apply for background checks and the Catholic and Anglican churches say all ministers and volunteer workers routinely apply for such checks.
Although Jehovah's Witnesses say all members become ordained ministers at baptism, a spokesman for the Watch Tower Society said elders or other evangelists were not required to gain a police clearance. "We don't typically work with children, we don't have Sunday schools, so that law doesn't apply to us," the spokesman said.
But Mr Unthank said adult Jehovah's Witnesses often paired up with minors when preaching, with much of their time spent in cars calling on homes. Elders also mentored children and teens from religiously divided homes.
He said elders underwent no background checks before being appointed and were required only to voluntarily declare any convictions for sexual offences.
"Without police checks, how would a member of the public know it isn't a sex offender knocking on their door, talking with their kids?" he said.
Victoria Police say they investigate specific complaints about breaches of the Act, but government sources say the Watch Tower Society's stance remains "a worry".
"A lot of this is about reassurance to parents and the public, so their attitude isn't helpful," one source said.
Friday, April 15, 2011
For those who follow the Watchtower's sick and twisted policy of shunning
For those who shun your own family members just because they no longer want to be Jehovah's Witnesses, please think about this:
When you placed your children into a daycare or with a babysitter – did you just hand your precious children over some stranger? Or did you interview them, do a background check, references, check out multiple people so that you can find the most loving, secure and trustworthy person? After you found the perfect person did you just leave it at that or did you continue checking up on them? Did you ask your children how they felt, did they feel secure, or if anything strange happened or something that could be dangerous? You kept making sure the person was loving and trustworthy!
How many of the governing body have you interviewed? How many of them did you reference check? How many have you met PERSONALLY? Can you even name all of them? Can you tell me about their personality, their likes, their dislikes, their tempers? How do they treat their family? Do they have kids? Can they show you their certificate of GOD APPROVAL? What do you truly know of these men?
Now for children who shun their parents: Go through the same process! You KNOW your parents! You see their hearts, you know THEM. They gave you life! They took care of you when you were small, sick, hurt yourself, needed love and attention. They were there for you. What did the GB do for you today? How do they replace the love of your parents?
Each and every day you shun your family you hurt the people who are closest to you and who truly love you. Read the stories here – see the damage that is being done! Ponder upon the family that you leave behind and are hurting. You are trading your family for people you don’t know! You are placing your life in the hands of people you have never met! People you have never had in your homes and you don’t personally know. WHY? Because they say so? Use your intellectual capacity here. See the hurt that this organization forces upon people. See the trail of broken families.
Next time you see your parents or children - look into their eyes – see the pain, the anger, the hurt – see them! You have shunned them when they needed you most. You traded what is right in front of your eyes for a lie.
Sit with your heart. Listen to it. Feel the truth. Get rid of the fear. Choose love and compassion.
Set yourself and your family free.
When you placed your children into a daycare or with a babysitter – did you just hand your precious children over some stranger? Or did you interview them, do a background check, references, check out multiple people so that you can find the most loving, secure and trustworthy person? After you found the perfect person did you just leave it at that or did you continue checking up on them? Did you ask your children how they felt, did they feel secure, or if anything strange happened or something that could be dangerous? You kept making sure the person was loving and trustworthy!
How many of the governing body have you interviewed? How many of them did you reference check? How many have you met PERSONALLY? Can you even name all of them? Can you tell me about their personality, their likes, their dislikes, their tempers? How do they treat their family? Do they have kids? Can they show you their certificate of GOD APPROVAL? What do you truly know of these men?
Now for children who shun their parents: Go through the same process! You KNOW your parents! You see their hearts, you know THEM. They gave you life! They took care of you when you were small, sick, hurt yourself, needed love and attention. They were there for you. What did the GB do for you today? How do they replace the love of your parents?
Each and every day you shun your family you hurt the people who are closest to you and who truly love you. Read the stories here – see the damage that is being done! Ponder upon the family that you leave behind and are hurting. You are trading your family for people you don’t know! You are placing your life in the hands of people you have never met! People you have never had in your homes and you don’t personally know. WHY? Because they say so? Use your intellectual capacity here. See the hurt that this organization forces upon people. See the trail of broken families.
Next time you see your parents or children - look into their eyes – see the pain, the anger, the hurt – see them! You have shunned them when they needed you most. You traded what is right in front of your eyes for a lie.
Sit with your heart. Listen to it. Feel the truth. Get rid of the fear. Choose love and compassion.
Set yourself and your family free.
July 15th Watchtower reinforces the shunning of immediate family members
July 15th WT study edition
God's Rest - Have You Entered Into It?
subheading, When Someone We Love Leaves Jehovah
parts of paragraph 12, 13, 14, 15 and 17
There may be occasions when our loyalty to this aspect of God's purpose is sorely tested. Suppose, for example, that the only son of an expemplary Christian couple leaves the truth. Preferring "the temporary enjoyment of sin" to a personal relationship with Jehovah and with his godly parents, the young man is disfellowshipped.
Our hearts go out to those parents. After all, their son had a choice, and he chose to pursue his unchristian lifestyle rather than to continue to enjoy close association with his parents and other fellow believers. The parents, on the other hand, had no say in the matter.
But what will those dear parents do? Will they obey Jehovah's clear direction? Or will they rationalize that they can have regular association with the disfellowshipped son and call it, "necessary family business"? In making their decision, they must not fail to consider how Jehovah feels about what they are doing.
Today, Jehovah does not immediately execute those who violate his laws. He lovingly gives them an opportunity to repent from their unrighteous works. How would Jehovah feel, though, if the parents of an unrepentant wrongdoer kept putting Him to the test by having unnecessary association with their disfellowshipped son or daughter?
God's Rest - Have You Entered Into It?
subheading, When Someone We Love Leaves Jehovah
parts of paragraph 12, 13, 14, 15 and 17
There may be occasions when our loyalty to this aspect of God's purpose is sorely tested. Suppose, for example, that the only son of an expemplary Christian couple leaves the truth. Preferring "the temporary enjoyment of sin" to a personal relationship with Jehovah and with his godly parents, the young man is disfellowshipped.
Our hearts go out to those parents. After all, their son had a choice, and he chose to pursue his unchristian lifestyle rather than to continue to enjoy close association with his parents and other fellow believers. The parents, on the other hand, had no say in the matter.
But what will those dear parents do? Will they obey Jehovah's clear direction? Or will they rationalize that they can have regular association with the disfellowshipped son and call it, "necessary family business"? In making their decision, they must not fail to consider how Jehovah feels about what they are doing.
Today, Jehovah does not immediately execute those who violate his laws. He lovingly gives them an opportunity to repent from their unrighteous works. How would Jehovah feel, though, if the parents of an unrepentant wrongdoer kept putting Him to the test by having unnecessary association with their disfellowshipped son or daughter?
Saturday, April 9, 2011
The Committee of Management for the Religion of Jehovah's Witnesses facing Indictment in Australia
In 2006, the Victoria (Australia) Government introduced mandatory child protection laws to help protect children from sexual or physical harm by preventing those who pose a risk to their safety from working or volunteering with them. It is an offence to knowingly engage in or engage someone in “child-related work” without them having passed a Working With Children Check. The deadline for compliance by "religious organisations" was 1 July 2008. The Watch Tower Society refused to comply.
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