Here is just one example of abuse that I found on the internet - it is typical of experiences I have read here on JWD.
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/2124671.stm)
"Sara Poisson was a member of a Jehovah's Witnesses congregation in New Hampshire in the USA.
She went to the elders because her husband was violent.
She also suspected - rightly, it transpired - that he was sexually abusing her daughter.
The elders told her she needed to pray more and be a better wife.
She believed them and the abuse continued."
The silentlambs website I gave you earlier deals with child sexual abuse that is covered up.
to join or not
by dontknow 71 Replies latest jw experiences
-
MeneMene
-
dontknow
Hello all,
I've just been reading some disturbing articles from the silent lambs website about child abuse and I feel like becoming a vigilante. There is more I need to read about the worldwide organization to learn about the corruption which is being unsuccessfully suppressed by the "God appointed leaders". This has prompted me to ask who are the 11 corporate leaders of the WTs?
Are they wealthy?
From where does the source of wealth originate?
Are JWs required to mandatory donate a fixed sum of money or a fixed percentage of their income?
My understanding is Jesus said to his Apostles "without charge I teach, without charge you shall teach". In 1931 they changed their name from International Bible Students to Jehovah's Witnesses; was this instruction from God himself or was it make it more appealing to the masses?
Did the WTs change God's name to Jehovah from YEHWAH; if so with whose authority and how? Did God send these 11 representatives an e-mail, fax or telegram to do so? (not being clever here)
Is Gods name YHWH, YEHWAH or Jehovah?
How do the masses know for certain that the leaders of the WTs are truly part of the 144,000 chosen to serve Gods Kingdom? Do they really communicate directly with God? or are they just a corrupt bunch of corporate criminals using the name of God and Jesus to instill fear in people
How do they directly communicate with God as they say?
I would very much like to know these things. All help welcomed.
-
Lady Liberty
Dear NowKnow,
Who on earth are they to dictate to you to slowly seperate from family? The governing body feels they are directed from God so they can demand obedience on anything. If my mother is ill does it mean I am required to ask for permission to see her and explain in detail why. No, I am positive you wouldn't get hasseled for this. If you have family in need that is wordly, you probably wouldn't have a problem or have to ask anyones permission. I am definitely not a person who discloses any family domestic details to anyone. They are much too busy bodies for my liking. When it comes to regularly associating with them, that is when you will get the guilt trip from them to limit your association.It is very interesting that they demand you to isolate yourself from worldly people except those whom you are employed with even if they may be of very worldly influence, such as drug users, adulterers, thieves and trouble makers (I have been employed with them many times over many years, but I've never had any issues with them, got along well). Why is this so? For instance, I can go to work and befriend people there. However, ANY outside social activities are discouraged, and frowned upon. Even things like company dinners, class reunions, school proms ect. For children it is no different. It is highly discouraged to let your children play after school with any who are "wordly". Many still let their kids, but it is not advertised. Sports is a NO NO for kids. So is cheerleading. NO school spirit!! So for children who love sports, they are not allowed to participate. My parents now feel so bad (they are out too) that they didn't let their boys play sports. They so badely wanted too. Since leaving we have encouraged our daughter to play sports, and she loves it. I think it is the best theng to keep kids out of trouble. You cannot play unless you get good grades, and it provides social bonding, to work as a team, and it keeps them from being bored and end up getting into trouble. It is no gaurentee, but it certainly is not the evil the organization claims it to be.Because if you isolate yourself from your employer, you have no job, therefore no food on the table. But I have been shown in their literature many times that JWs go out of their way to help people; but they will not feed you; oh no, no, thats is something you are responsible for. This is the only time you are granted permission to associate with the worldly. Far too many double standards for me. Me too!! Sincerely, Lady Liberty
-
dontknow
I am still reading shock horror stories on silentlamb.org and to my astonishment, why hasn't any person subjected to the violence and brutality leashed upon them try to use a recording mechanism such as a miniature video camera or audio equipment from spy shops neatly concealed without being conspicuous to record their experiences and show these ignorant elders proof of truth so they will not be able to use their "2 witnesses are required to corroborate a guilty verdict" rule. If that fails take the recorded medium to the real authorities, the press, the internet and expose them. Make sure beforehand you get many coppies. SIMPLE.
-
Hellrider
Dontknow:
I think I can help you with some of your questions:
Initially it was he he who really opened my eyes to see that they are really in his words dictators, that is those who established the watch tower society who wrote their own doctrine not inspired by Gods word and that the difference between them and other groups is that they don't believe in idolatry, believe they will inherit everlasting life and that only 144,000 chosen ones will govern in heaven with God.
They get around this by calling the 144000 "slaves" or "servants". This is 101 in cult strategy and mind control: Make the masses (in this case, the "great crowd") believe that the bosses are actually their servants! Then the bosses can make the masses go along with anything. Remember, Josef Stalin never referred to himself as the "father" of the USSR, no, he was called "comrade", just as everyone else... It`s pretty basic, actually. On a sidenote: All serious theologians agree that the 144000 are not a distinct group of christians. According to all serious theologians, both "groups" have the same destination: heaven. Here is a good commentary on Revelation 7, the 144000 and the great multitude:
Did the WTs change God's name to Jehovah from YEHWAH; if so with whose authority and how? Did God send these 11 representatives an e-mail, fax or telegram to do so? (not being clever here)
Is Gods name YHWH, YEHWAH or Jehovah?
The name of God, in the manner he presents himself (!!) to his people in the Old Testament, is YHWH. The correct pronounciation is a little unknown, but not completely. Most likely, the pronounciation was Yahweh or Yahowah, but other forms, Yahu and Yaho has also been found in greek non-biblical texts. The europeanisation of the name, "Jehovah" is the result of a mistranslation by the spanish monk Raymundus Martini, who used it in his book Pugeo Fidei of the year 1270 AD. The origin of the name in hebrew is possibly the verb "ha-wah", meaning "to become". YHWH probably means "causing to become" or "He who ... causes to become". The jws have used the uncertainty about the correct pronounciation of the name as an argument for arbitrarily choosing the name "Jehovah", thereby inventing their own God !! If you don`t believe this, go to your local KH and start talking about "Jahveh". They will think you`re talking about a completely different God, and consider you a heretic... Note also that nowhere in the NT is the name used, except in one occasion in Revelation, in the expression "Hallelujah". This expression is a story of its own, and doesn`t necessarily have much to do with "Gods name" anymore at all (at the time it was written). Jesus refers always to God as "Father" in the Gospels. Nowhere does he use the name yhwh. In not one single early manuscript or even earlier fragments is yhwh found, and there are something like 50.000 fragmens of the NT, some as early as 2nd century. The truth is, that by the time the NT was being written, the name (also called the tetragrammation) wasn`t used anymore, neither by jews nor christians. The reasons for this are complex, and hasn`t only got to do with superstition, such as the jws claim, but there were other, more complex reasons too, primarily the move from a henotheistic judaism to a real monoteistic judaism. In other words: When the jews started believing that only one God existed (they stopped believing that other Gods existed also after the Babylonian exile), the name became redundant, as there was no need for a name anymore, to separate the God of Israel from other Gods.
Are they wealthy?
The Watchtower Society is very wealthy. Their official assets, real estate included, are something like 750 million dollars. The real number is probably several times higher, because the WTS is the official owner of the Kingdom Halls around the world. The highstanding jws, the members of the governing body, (probably) dont have mansions and big houses, but they live well. When they travel around the world, they live at first class hotels, etc. It`s more about a certain lifestyle on the companys expense, rather than having secret accounts in Switserland...(after all, there`s no need for that, when you don`t loose your job until you die...).
From where does the source of wealth originate?
Previously, the door-to-door-work payed off. Now it doesn`t pay off anymore. The money now comes from real estate speculation, as well as gifts / donations from wealthy members/sympathisers.
How do they directly communicate with God as they say?
Lol. They have never answered that question, and I don`t think they ever will...
-
dontknow
Don't these elders and other JWs know and practise the story about the good Samaritan; they just ramble on about it from door to door. I cannot accept this anymore because in the kingdom halls JWs are instructed to report any eminent danger or threat to the flock but when a battered woman desperately needs help she's told by elders "to pray more" "we don't involve ourselves in domestics". I'll tell you what it is, they are not qualified to conduct any social work at any level but they love to gossip about others matters; they get their jollies off. They are the biggest culprits and liars.
This thing about not defaming God's name by seeking outside help is the death of all abused JWs. It is impssible to defame God's name when you are abused and seek help; it's crazy, beyond comprehension. Now I know what it means to be programmed. People become JWs to better themselves, their lives and well being by honestly serving God and enter a world of all forms of violence just to make their elder partners look good in the presence of others. Isn't this exactly what JWs say they don't do, that is demonstate their upstading worthiness, or show they are better than others when they go door to door?
From all I've read it's all a show.
-
jgnat
Are they wealthy?
No. They are not personally wealthy, only powerful. Being powerful while having all your basic needs met has it's own draw. Rutherford took full advantage of the society's wealth. He had a mansion built for an expected resurrected David, Joseph, et al in southern California. While he waited for them to arrive, he took full advantage of the facilities. Goodle Beth Shan and Beth-Sarim. www.premier1.net/~raines/bethshan.html
From where does the source of wealth originate?
The society's wealth originates from literature sales (mostly from their own members) and from estate transfers at member's death. They've been around long enough to be wealthy in land and investments. Also, they keep their costs low through voluntary labor.
Are JWs required to mandatory donate a fixed sum of money or a fixed percentage of their income?
No.
My understanding is Jesus said to his Apostles "without charge I teach, without charge you shall teach". In 1931 they changed their name from International Bible Students to Jehovah's Witnesses; was this instruction from God himself or was it make it more appealing to the masses?
Rutherford did this to separate himself and his organization from the original Bible Students and founder, Russell.
Did the WTs change God's name to Jehovah from YEHWAH; if so with whose authority and how? Did God send these 11 representatives an e-mail, fax or telegram to do so? (not being clever here) Is Gods name YHWH, YEHWAH or Jehovah?
A monk did in the thirteenth century. "Jehovah" is a human manufacture. The Witnesses simply adopted the monk's interpretation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yahweh
How do the masses know for certain that the leaders of the WTs are truly part of the 144,000 chosen to serve Gods Kingdom? Do they really communicate directly with God? or are they just a corrupt bunch of corporate criminals using the name of God and Jesus to instill fear in people
Because the Watchtower says so, of course. You cannot question the Watchtower because it is composed by God's anointed. The Watchtower tells us that God's living anointed today are all within the Watchtower society. This is circular reasononing.
How do they directly communicate with God as they say?
They hold committee meetings and vote on it. "Crisis of Conscience" by Ray Franz goes in to their decision making process in great detail. They consider reading God's word as proof enough that they are following God's principles. By the way, the declared "anointed" of the Governing Body don't consult with the great body of 8,000 "anointed" in the society.
-
poppers
dontknow, we here are priviledged to watch before our eyes someone else's eyes and mind open.
-
dontknow
Popers,
continue with what you want to say, now that you have the attention; make it quick and interesting because I don't meditate and philosiphise.
Interesting profile you have.
-
jgnat
dontknow, poppers paid you a compliment. It is interesting to see your change in demeanor as you gain new knowledge. It is a privelege, and I, too, am enjoying the transformation.