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garybuss

Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 1996
Page 1

By CARSON WALKER
Argus Leader Staff

Twenty-five years ago, Gary Busselman watched his wife, Delores, die of leukemia. As Jehovah's Witnesses, the couple did not believe in blood transfusions or a bone-marrow transplant that may have helped her. Today, Busselman thinks the refusal of those medical procedures was wrong and he wants to help others who may have experienced similar tragedies.

"At that time they forbade transplants. They called it cannibalism." he said. "She died in 1971 and in 1980 they changed their rule and members since then can get transplants."

"I don't know if she would have recovered with the transplant, but she threw away a 50 percent chance. She deserved that chance, since nine years after, they changed that rule. "Busselman left the Jehovah's Witnesses in 1974. Recently, he's been using newspaper ads and telephone answering machine to find others who may have questions about Jehovah's Witnesses doctrine. The response has been so heavy, that the church Busselman now attends has decided to hold a forum to answer questions about Jehovah's Witnesses' beliefs. Harvest Covenant Church, will hold a two-hour seminar Saturday.

"We're not trying to persecute Kingdom Hall." the Rev. Steve Hickey, pastor of Harvest Covenant, said about the hall where Jehovah's Witnesses meet. "Based on the overwhelming response to the phone line we've decided to have a forum. "Local Jehovah's Witnesses leaders would not respond to repeated requests to discuss the denomination's doctrine or Busselman's concerns. But Merton Campbell of the Jehovah's Witnesses headquarters in Brooklyn, N.Y., said members never have been forbidden from seeking medical help.

Jehovah's /See 4A

Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 1996
Page 4A

"I've been a member since 1938. What (Busselman's) saying is not accurate," Campbell said. However, current literature from the Watchtower and Tract Society, the Jehovah's Witnesses' corporate body, explains why the organization does not allow blood transfusions. An article in a recent issue of the Watchtower, the Jehovah's Witnesses' bimonthly publication on doctrine, reads: "Jehovah's Witnesses stand out as unique and often receive bad publicity because of their not accepting blood transfusions. This position, however, is solidly based on the Bible. It shows that God condemns the misuse of blood, since blood is
precious in his eyes.

"As a result of examining the scriptures on this subject. Jehovah's Witnesses conclude that the Bible's directive to 'abstain from blood' would clearly include the modern practice of transfusing blood."

Campbell would not discuss in detail questions about the Jehovah's Witnesses' philosophy on medical treatment. "We're not doing anything in secret. People have been going door-to-door since the 1800s and the organization has grown fast over the last couple of years," he said. "When I became an associate there were only 50.000 all around the world." Now the United States has 956,346 members and there are 5,199,895 world-wide, he said. In Sioux Falls, three congregations of witnesses meet several times a week at Kingdom Hall, 4900 W. 49th St. Busselman estimates about 350 members attend.

Opponents often use the media "to make trouble for Jehovah's Witnesses," Campbell said. "We don't have much argument with them. They have the right to say what they want," he said. "With everything, there's always somebody who gets unhappy and disagrees.''

'Disfellowship'

Busselman, now 51, spent 23 years as a witness. He left after deciding that the group's biblical interpretations and prophecies -- particularly those predicting the end of the world -- were not Godly based, he said. Busselman said he now helps other former witnesses and counsels them on what he calls the shunning they receive when they leave the denomination.

One of the Watch Tower Society's rules bars members from associating with former members -- a practice called "disfellowship," Busselman said.
Busselman's parents, brother and other relatives who are witnesses don't speak to him, he said.

Campbell said the Bible talks about not mixing with fornicators "We don't hate people. We hate what they do. When they do something morally that disagrees with the Bible, then such persons who are totally unrepentive are disfellowshipped," he said.

For Bill Pike of Sioux Falls, that disfellowship came at age 18 when he started smoking. "According to them, I didn?t show repentance," said Pike, 37 whose parents are still witnesses. "They got out Bibles and started blasting me why I shouldn't be smoking. When I walked out the door, I was no longer a member. I felt that God had thrown me away. "

Campbell said smoking is a practice worthy of disfellowship:

"Smoking would be something that defiles the body and we believe we should not smoke. And anyone who's dedicated and baptized and wants to carry on smoking, that's his business. He can't be one of the organization."

Another former member, Dennis White of Sioux Falls, 53, now leads a Bible study at Harvest Covenant. He was a member from age 8 until about 12 years ago. He was disfellowshipped "for conduct unbecoming a Christian," but didn't elaborate on what that meant. Since then his mother, three sisters and oldest son have shunned him, White said. "I felt lost and abandoned by God," he said.

Deon Barlow of Sioux Falls, 38, said she was a Jehovah's Witness for only 1 1/2 years. She was recruited by a woman who came to her door "and caught me at a vulnerable time in my life." Barlow said she was abusing alcohol and her ex-husband was abusing her. She divorced, went into alcohol treatment, got the job Jehovah's Witnesses wanted her to -- working for them -- and went door-to-door 60 hours a month. When Barlow found out her
brother was dying of AIDS, she asked to visit him. A church elder consented but frowned on it.

"My brother was detestable in God's eyes because he was gay," she said she was told. "So when I saw him, I treated him like dirt. To this day I regret that." Her brother has since died.

When she returned home, the woman who had recruited her found her drinking. The elders ruled the alcohol use and the visit to her brother were evidence enough to disfellowship her.

When contacted by telephone, the leader of Kingdom Hall in Gordon, Neb., where Barlow lived at the time, said he was not interested in talking and hung up.

Power of attorney

Busselman, who supports his case with reams of the WatchTower and Tract Society's writings, said he also is concerned about witnesses who give power of attorney, or living will privileges, to church elders, instead of non-witness family members.

Busselman, whose two oldest sons are witnesses, said by signing power of attorney over to an elder, the individual gives the church leader the legal right to deny a transfusion needed to survive.

"I would sit there and watch my son die," he said. "That's why I want to educate the community...that you will be asked to shun your non-Jehovah's Witnesses friends and relatives and your kids will die. This is serious.

"I (also) want to contact people who the Jehovah's Witnesses has cast away. We have a support group and I want them to know there is support here for them."

End of world

The foundation of Jehovah's Witnesses end-time philosophy is centered around the year 1914. Early church leaders predicted the world would end when that generation started. Since then, doctrine has indicated that the end of the world would come "before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away."

A Nov. 8, 1994, publication of one of the Jehovah's Witnesses' magazines, Awake, explains the significance of the year 1914.

"The fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that we have been living in the times of the end since 1914. Jesus described this time as 'beginning with pangs of distress.'... The fact that we are now 80 years beyond 1914 indicates that we can soon expect the deliverance that God's Kingdom will bring." according to the magazine.

But ]ate last year -- one year after that prediction -- Jehovah's Witnesses fine-tuned that prophecy.

The Nov, 1, 1995, issue of The .Watchtower explains that the church will no longer focus on a specific date for Armageddon.

"We do not need to know the exact timing of events. Rather, our focus must be on being watchful, cultivating strong faith, and keeping busy in Jehovah's service -- not on calculating a date," The Watchtower stated.

The society's Campbell, reading from a written statement explaining the change, said: "This is not a major change in the witnesses' theology. They have always believed that the 'sign'
began to be fulfilled in 1914 and that the end of this 'system of things' is close; it is not delayed or put off."

Busselman disagrees: "They change these doctrines as I change T-shirts -- as needed."

Many Christian denominations believe that God, through the Bible, asks people not to spend time trying to figure out a date for the second coming. "Jesus said no one knows the
date or hour," Hickey said.
By changing the prophesied dates of Armageddon, shunning former members and changing philosophies on what medical procedures are allowed, Jehovah's Witnesses may have hurt people, Hickey said.

"A person would have been disfellowshipped by the JW elders six months ago for believing what they are now calling 'truth' today." he said.
?It is another thing to vacillate on teaching about vaccinations, organ transplants and blood transfusions. When these teachings don't pan out, it's too late. People like Delores Busselman die."

End

garybuss

There was a CBS local TV news magazine shot after this article and another article following the forum. Then there was another large front page article in the local weekly paper. After this my car was keyed and I recieved several threats.

Lady Lee

awesome article Gary Thanks for posting it

shotgun

Thanks Gary..great article

That Campbell guy has cateracts

Narkissos

Gosh. Awful story.

Gary, I'm sure you have opened many eyes.

Take care,

Narkissos

Dawn

Great job Gary! And it was so obvious that that Campbell was lying - and using the "Red Herring" approach - he never addressed the question of medical treatment, just tried to completely change the subject.

Tinkerbell4125

Gary, you are brave and I'm sure you have helped many. I'm so sorry that you lost your wife in such a manner. I hate the WTS.

simplesally

You're disfellowshipped but the guy who keyed your car is a "praiser of Jehovah."

Farkel

Thanks for sharing that, Gary.

: Local Jehovah's Witnesses leaders would not respond to repeated requests to discuss the denomination's doctrine or Busselman's concerns.

Lordy, lordy. Imagine that! Cowards!

: But Merton Campbell of the Jehovah's Witnesses headquarters in Brooklyn, N.Y., said members never have been forbidden from seeking medical help.

The question was about blood transfusions, Merton you nitwit. Your answer was a strawman.

Farkel

Nan

Gary,

You are a true "light" in the darkness. It would be wonderful if more ex-jws would do what you're doing......spreading the word about this insidious cult. The flip-flop belief of their organ transplant doctrine is so horrendous (and transplants should have been allowed in the first place!). I can't even imagine the sorrow and grief the family members must feel when their loved one was refused a transplant......and then......"Oh, we've changed our minds....it's okay to have one NOW". The WTS is responsible for so many deaths due to this evil doctrine (organ & blood)! And I'm sure they've NEVER apologized (as if that would help) or made restitution to the families of these victims! Many good Jehovah Witnesses have died needlessly. That is too sad for words.......

God BLESS you, Gary!

Nan

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