Found this
http://jwalumni.org/2015/06/08/who-are-jehovahs-witnesses-september-watchtower/
The September 2015 issue of The Watchtower is entitled Who are Jehovah’s Witnesses?. The timing of this issue and the issue itself are revealing, as it indicates critics of JW.org are doing it right and Jehovah’s Witnesses are losing the information war. Find out what this means.
Cover of the September Issue of The Watchtower (Source: JW.org)
Before I explain how JW.org is losing the war on apostates, let us get this out of the way: Nothing in the September 2015 issue of The Watchtower will be new information to anyone who has been following Jehovah’s Witness developments in the past years.
The level of disingenuousness isn’t surprising either. It is essentially an uberwhitewashed glossy promotional brochure, obviously targeted at gullible interested people without access to the Internet.
Neither does this issue of the Watchtower address the subject of child abuse cover-ups or their history of failed predictions nor are they honest in their self-portrayal. They actually have the audacity to print this:
In 1879, the second issue of this magazine stated: “‘Zion’s Watch Tower’ [as this magazine was then called] has, we believe JEHOVAH for its backer, and while this is the case it will never beg nor petition men for support.” We have not wavered from that policy.
Which is of course utter bullsh*t: They have been wavering from this policy for years and just recently escalated their money-grabbing antics.
Another noteworthy passage is one where they are guilty of lying by omission. Under the subheading What do Jehovah’s Witnesses believe? they “forget” to mention, among other things, that
- they shun former members
- they assume most people who are not Jehovah’s Witnesses will die at Armageddon
- they are homophobic
- they have betrayed their own ideals.
But I guess it wouldn’t look too good in the prospectus, right? Instead, they dwell on totally generic, innocuous aspects of Jehovah’s Witness doctrine that makes them look like the odd but harmless religious group they would like people to view them as.
But I digress. This is what I found especially revealing:
Right on the first page, JW.org quotes “testimonials” relating questions they had about Jehovah’s Witnesses that serve as an introduction and justification for this issue. This is what one of them says:
“I read a lot about Jehovah’s Witnesses on the Internet,” says Cecilie, quoted earlier. “I heard some rumors, and I listened to a great deal of prejudiced talk. As a result, I formed a very negative view of Jehovah’s Witnesses.”
This is an interesting detail. Notice how JW.org equates things read about Jehovah’s Witnesses on the internet with rumors, prejudiced talk and a negative view, thereby discrediting legitimate criticism. I will cover this shortly, but first let me address the accusations underlying this blurb.
I won’t deny that the website JWAlumni.org is prejudiced. But in writing every article I try to be as objective and fact-driven as possible, basing my arguments on Jehovah’s Witness literature. The majority of popular “apostate” websites have the same approach. So, if our articles are substantiated by Jehovah’s Witnesses’ publications – is it a negative view or rather a realistic one?
Also, JW.org forgets that they are prejudiced themselves. Which is only natural, as they would have an interest in keeping up appearances. But can one realistically expect a multi-million corporation to be completely transparent?
Not really. Jehovah’s Witnesses have been campaigning against the dangers of the Internet in general and against “apostates” in particular for over a decade now. They have repeatedly published articles slamming the Internet, and have a history of libel regarding former members and critics. Take this quote, for example:
Apostates “quietly” bring their ideas into the congregation, like criminals who secretly bring things into a country. Apostates use “counterfeit words.” […] 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? What is involved in avoiding false teachers? We do not receive them into our homes or greet them. We also refuse to read their literature, watch TV programs that feature them, examine their Web sites, or add our comments to their blogs. Why do we take such a firm stand? Because of love.
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not mince words when it comes to critical ex members:
Those who have continued to feed at Satan’s spiritual table, the table of demons, will be forced to attend a literal meal, no, not as partakers, but as the main course-to their destruction! – The Watchtower, 1994, July 1, page 12
The obligation to hate lawlessness also applies to all activity by apostates. Our attitude toward apostates should be that of David, who declared: “Do I not hate those who are intensely hating you?” – The Watchtower, 1992, July 15, pages 12, 13
This is what Jehovah’s Witnesses say about the Internet:
Some apostates are increasingly using various forms of mass communication, including the Internet, to spread false information about Jehovah’s Witnesses. As a result, when sincere individuals do research on our beliefs, they may stumble across apostate propaganda. Even some Witnesses have unwittingly exposed themselves to this harmful material. (Source)
Long ago, Satan hid behind a serpent to start a “chat” with Eve and told her that she could be like God. Today, anyone with an Internet connection can become a desktop professor, pretending to be in the know, without even revealing his name. And there are no rules on who can publish ideas, information, images, and suggestions. Do not become an “Internet Eve.” (Source)
After assessing the dangers, some people have concluded that it is better for them to avoid using the Internet altogether. (Source)
King Solomon said: “To the making of many books there is no end, and much devotion to them is wearisome to the flesh.” (Ecclesiastes 12:12) Those words could well apply to the Internet. Don’t get so involved in the search for facts and figures that you neglect personal study of the Bible and participation in the Christian ministry. (Source)
Considering these quotes, who is being negative or biased? JWAlumni.org has never and will never discourage readers from visiting and studying JW.org. To the contrary, we frequently link to the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses. There is nothing I am afraid of. Why? Because I’ve done my research. Because you, the reader, may come to a different conclusion but you won’t catch me lying, hiding something or tweaking the facts to fit my agenda.
So why are Jehovah’s Witnesses so afraid of the Internet beyond JW.org and “apostate” websites? Because the Watchtower Society is losing the information war!
Technology Review quotes Allen Downey, a computer scientist at the Olin College of Engineering in Massachusetts, who says that the demise of religious affiliation in general “is the result of several factors but the most controversial of these is the rise of the Internet.” His conclusion? The increase in Internet use in the last twenty years has caused a significant decline in religious affiliation.
It is practically impossible to ascertain how many Jehovah’s Witnesses have left “the Truth” due to Google, apostate websites, Wikipedia etc., but judging from the many E-Mails this blog alone receives from former members expressing appreciation for information found here which often led to a member leaving “the Truth”, it is safe to assume that the likes of JWsurvey.org, JWfacts.com, JW Victims and Watchtower Documents have had their fair share in causing harm to JW.org’s reputation.
This is down to two significant factors:
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Although websites like this one don’t have the firepower of JW.org in terms of human and financial resources, two factors have proven to be a game changer for XJW activism:
Social Media. And SEO
Consider the case of the video of the brave High School student that went viral overnight. No big budget, no expensive studio, no professional equipment. A courageous young woman with a strong opinion, a smartphone camera and thousands of shares on social media was all it took to generate over 628,000 views so far. Numerous media outlets reported on the video and it was an instant hit on reddit. A massive PR disaster for JW.org, if there ever was one.
Or think of the incredible reach of JW Podcast, a joint venture of several XJW activists; the clever rebuttals of JW Broadcast by Lloyd Evans; this Facebook group exposing Jehovah’s Witness hypocrisy; or Christian Freedom’s never ending stream of witty memes. All produced on little or no budget.
Through Facebook groups like the Ex Jehovah’s Witness Recovery Group, new articles, incriminating evidence or “apostate” memes spread like wildfire, reaching thousands of interested users in no time. Websites like 4 Jehovah, AvoidJW.org, JWAlumni.org or JWsurvey.org have a loyal readership on Facebook that drives new readers to the articles exposing JW.org every day. Let’s not forget: Every shared “apostate” article is a potential wake-up call, outreach no activist has the money to buy.
Speaking of which: I am very excited about a crowdfunding campaign I have the privilege to have supported which was born on Reddit. /r/exjw is a subreddit I love to frequent as it is a lovely little community of former Jehovah’s Witnesses. Besides sharing experiences and the odd must-read the redditors recently initiated a crowdfunding campaign to finance a billboard targeted at visitors of a Jehovah’s Witness campaign. Believe it or not, the campaign reached its funding goal easily. Looking forward to see whether the billboard will gain traction on social and old media alike. The subject: The child abuse cover up that went viral this spring thanks to a courageous reporter and social media.
But JW.org doesn’t need us to spawn PR debacles. Thanks to their very own impeccable track record of media governance malfunction, Jehovah’s Witnesses are perfecting the craft of exposing their embarrassing shenanigans all by themselves without outside influence:
- In 2012 JW.org’s own Sparlock children’s video went viral
- In 2014 Governing Body member Anthony Morris III went viral with his homophobic rant
- In 2015 JW.org’s own Ice Cream video went viral
- Most recently, a video of an interview with Jehovah’s Witness parents who cruelly blackmailed their child emotionally is gathering speed on social; another talk by a Governing Body member guilt tripping parents into having their children baptized early gained wide attention
And the mainstream media are picking up on it. Well-known Blogs like Raw Story or Friendly Atheist and news institutions like The Guardian, BBC or Die Zeit frequently report on subjects like the Child Abuse cover up or the shunning policy.
Is the sharing of and commenting on unfortunate material produced by Jehovah’s Witnesses a “rumor” or “great deal of prejudiced talk”? I think not.
Another factor that has empowered XJW activism is SEO, short for Search Engine Optimization. With numerous well-written “apostate” articles published every day, Jehovah’s Witnesses are losing ground on Google. Take the following long tail keyword, for example. When googling Do Jehovah’s Witnesses shun former members or a related phrase this is the search result the user will get:
The first result is Jehovah’s Witnesses’ official website, JW.org. But already the second, third and fifth results are critical websites exposing the exclusionary detailing used by JW.org to whitewash their so-called ‘loving provision of disfellowshipping‘.
This is only one example of many keywords where “apostate” websites are rapidly gaining ground in the Google turf war with the Watchtower Society. And there is nothing the Society can do about it! SEO, when done well, is not a question of money or manpower but simple craftsmanship. “Apostate” websites aren’t something the Governing Body can simply make go away. And they know that. All they can do is campaign against alleged “prejudiced talk”.
In other words:
The mere fact that JW.org is using the coveted space of their flagship publication The Watchtower, the most widely circulated magazine in the world, to counter “rumors” on the Internet proves without any doubt the Governing Body has registered the “apostate” success story on the Internet as well as the influx of negative media.
How you can support XJW activism:
- Visit XJW websites regularly
- Subscribe to their feeds and Facebook pages (like ours: Facebook and RSS feed)
- Found a particular article especially interesting? Share it via social media (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest), send it via E-Mail to people you love, bookmark it for future reference
Remember: JW.org is cornered. Yes, they may have the most translated website in the world. But on social media and google, they are now on a par with your everyday “apostate” website. Yes, Jehovah’s Witnesses are losing the information war. And they are panicking.
