Raphael Aron in The Age newspaper: Jehovah's Witnesses 'a cruel cult'

WinstonSmith

This popped up on The Age website today, might have to buy the paper tomorrow....

http://www.theage.com.au/national/jehovahs-witnesses-a-cruel-cult-20130315-2g5x3.html

Jehovah's Witnesses 'a cruel cult'

Christian sect the Jehovah's Witnesses - with 64,000 active 'disciples' in Australia - are a cruel religion with no soul, according to Melbourne cultbuster Raphael Aron.

His warning comes as the federal government considers tightening the definition of a charity to prevent some cults and quasi-religions keeping their tax free status. Independent senator Nick Xenophon has renewed calls for a national cult-busting agency.

Mr Aron, a psychologist, counsellor and director of Melbourne's Cult Counselling Australia, said the Jehovah's Witnesses had a policy of "shunning" members who left or wanted to leave by cutting them off from family members who remained.

"I am still waiting for a justification for someone to be able to rip away a five or six year old child from their extended family because Mum or Dad have decided to leave the Jehovah's Witnesses," he said.

Former members say shunning can involve bullying, threats, harassment and stalking to lure the 'apostate', or lapsed member, back. The religion's scripture magazine The Watchtower describes 'apostates' as "mentally diseased" outcasts who "seek to infect others."

Mr Aron says shunning is "draconian, cruel and callous." Religion and faith were supposed to provide support, comfort and warmth but shunning could crush self-esteem and give feelings of guilt, especially in children.

Late last year the federal government set up a body called the Australian Charities and Not For Profits Commission (ACNC) to regulate charities with tax-exemptions. It can de-register charities. A treasury spokesman said the government could soon redefine charities and boost their requirement for 'public benefit.'

"At the moment groups like the Jehovah's Witnesess and Scientology are subsidised by the taxpayer," Senator Xenophon said. He said the French government's cultbusting agency Miviludes had been effective.

Victoria's current state inquiry into how churches handle child sex abuse has submissions from former Jehovah's Witnesses. One includes allegations of rape, sexual assault, blackmail and death threats. Others include allegations of paedophilia.

A spokesman for the church in Australia, Sydney solicitor Vincent Toole, dismissed the allegations and said shunning was a"myth."

Mr Aron, who has written two books on cults and has investigated them for thirty years, said the Jehovah's Witnesses were an outwardly benign group but they withheld information from potential recruits. Jehovah's Witnesses cannot celebrate Christmas, Easter or birthdays. They are not allowed to have blood transfusions, sing the natiuonal anthem or salute the national flag.

"They come to your door on a Sunday morning and you have a wonderful discussion about God but they never tell you that once entrenched in the religion you may never be able to say happy birthday to your children again."

They don't celebrate birthdays because they say there are no birthdays in the Bible, which Aron, an observant Jew, maintains is not true. "There's no Moomba in the Bible either," he says. "And no football. Does that mean we shouldn't do those things either?"

Jehovah's Witnesses believe they have God's messages to themselvces, that all other religions are wrong, that the end of the world will come and only those in 'The Truth' will survive. They have predicted the end of the world five times. They also believe Satan has ruled the earth since 1914.

Read the full story in tomorrow's Saturday Age.

2+2=5

Reading that has made my day. Bring on the bad publicity.

How the hell can Vincent Toole say that shunning is a 'myth'. So I can tell the elders tomorrow that I don't believe the religion anymore, and my life and friendships with my JW family and friends continue as normal??! More lies from the WTS. I will quote Vincent to the elders and my family when I finally give up pretending and quit this religion.

WinstonSmith

"A spokesman for the church in Australia, Sydney solicitor Vincent Toole, dismissed the allegations and said shunning was a"myth." "

From jw.org: " 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."

Someone's lying!

irondork

What a delightful little story.

cantleave

Spot-on!

Phizzy

Could you post the link to the actual article when it gets printed on Sat. please Winston ?

We can then forward it to the Religious Affairs journos on various Newspapers here in the U.K, they may then pick up on the whole scandal in Oz, plus the points made in this article.

I ask for the link to be posted so I remember to do it once the artical has appeared in print, others in the U.S and Canada may be moved to do the same, forward it to journos.

Refriedtruth

This is a HUGE story just what is needed

They have predicted the end of the world five times. They also believe Satan has ruled the earth since 1914.

Read the full story in tomorrow's Saturday Age.

LOVE IT

WinstonSmith

I just refreshed the article's page on the website and it says there are 99 readers on there at the moment. Sadly there does not appear to be a comments section available. I'd love to post in there the statement on JW.org that contradicts the WT lawyer.

Phizzy, we can get The Age in a couple of places in our area so I will pick up a copy tomorrow. I'm very interested in seeing what "the full story" is.

Gotta love the parting comment about predicting the end of the world five times and believing that Satan rules the world. Makes them sound all nice and culty.

I think it is reprehensible that they get away with tax exempt status. Handing out magazines with poorly written articles hardly qualifies as charity...

On the flip side, I do feel sorry for those genuinely nice JWs who may get affected by backlash from this and the child abuse enquiries. However, if it leads them to asking questions, and doing some research, then it may be a good thing.

Refriedtruth

Victoria's current state inquiry into how churches handle child sex abuse has submissions from former Jehovah's Witnesses. One includes allegations of rape, sexual assault, blackmail and death threats. Others include allegations of paedophilia.

A spokesman for the church in Australia, Sydney solicitor Vincent Toole, dismissed the allegations and said shunning was a"myth."

My comment on 'shunning a myth'-Lying mealymouth watchtower psychopath

Raphael Aron in The Age newspaper: Jehovah's Witnesses 'a cruel cult'

Jehovah's Witnesses 'a cruel cult'

Share this