Neither her Facebook or Instagram account seem to suggest she is in a relationship with anyone at the moment. If she is best of wishes to her.I spoke to her a couple times when she was in Wilmslow and me being from the same neck of the woods she always gave me good vibes, a jw woman that wanted a family and an elder husband. Poor thing she was dazzled from the whole living in Wilmslow in a big house. Little did she know about the vomit that the Evans family is. The kind of trauma she endured from that vermin publicly and privately I think it will take a lifetime to recover.
raymond frantz
JoinedPosts by raymond frantz
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It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars (continued)
by Simon inuh oh, looks like the mega thread gave up the ghost, so while i investigate / fix it just continue the discussion here .... it's been a long 9 years lloyd evans / john cedars.
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Is Jesus a Created Being? Debate with a Pastor
by raymond frantz inhttps://youtu.be/ro6q_osgkns?si=hyxualluhruwvjnb.
—colossians 1:15 from the nwt says it plain as day: “he is the image of the invisible god, the firstborn of all creation.” that’s not vague; it’s got a punch.
“firstborn” and “creation” sit side by side, and in greek, that second word is “ktisis,” which means the physical stuff—trees, stars, you name it.
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raymond frantz
https://youtu.be/ro6q_OSgKNs?si=hyXUALLUhRUwVjNB
—Colossians 1:15 from the NWT says it plain as day: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” That’s not vague; it’s got a punch. “Firstborn” and “creation” sit side by side, and in Greek, that second word is “ktisis,” which means the physical stuff—trees, stars, you name it. The Witnesses are onto something: Jesus being “firstborn of all creation” ties Him right into that group. It’s like saying someone’s first in the queue—without “queue,” “first” is just a floating word. You can’t define “first” unless you know what it’s first of, and here, it’s “creation.” The pastor, though? He’s doing Olympic-level gymnastics to dodge that. He wants “firstborn” to mean “most important” or “top boss,” not “first one made.” He’s basically divorcing “firstborn” from “creation” like they’re in a bad marriage, pretending “ktisis” doesn’t mean what it means. Newsflash, pastor: words don’t bend that far without breaking.
Let’s run with that queue example. If I say, “I’m first in the queue,” you don’t think, “Oh, he’s the king of queues!” No, you get that I’m part of the line, just at the front. “First” only makes sense because of “queue”—I’m in the group, not above it. Same deal here: “firstborn of all creation” puts Jesus in the set called “creation,” not hovering over it like some cosmic VIP. The pastor’s trick is to snip that connection, toss “ktisis” into the metaphor blender, and serve up a Trinitarian smoothie. He’s banking on you not noticing that “ktisis” is about tangible, made stuff—sorry, no poetic license gets you out of that. Sure, “firstborn” can carry rank in some contexts, like a prince in a family, but when it’s tied to “all creation,” you can’t just wave it off as a title. The text isn’t playing that game.
And can we talk about the pastor’s smug vibe? He’s out here acting like he’s got the golden ticket to truth, while the Witnesses are just lost sheep. That “borderline heresy” jab at the end? Classic move. Trinitarians love to slap labels on anyone who doesn’t buy their three-in-one deal—sounds familiar, doesn’t it? The Watchtower does the same thing, calling dissenters apostates or worse. Pot, meet kettle. Both sides are so busy name-calling they forget to wrestle with the actual words. The pastor’s tactic mirrors the Witnesses’ own playbook: dodge the hard stuff, lean on your doctrine, and dunk on the other guy. He’s not debating; he’s preaching with a side of sass. Meanwhile, Sarah and Mike are at least trying to stick to the verse, even if their lens is tinted too. Point is, “firstborn of all creation” isn’t a riddle—it’s a statement. The pastor’s the one muddying it up to prop up his Trinity tower.
So, what’s the takeaway? The pastor’s got charisma, but his argument’s a house of cards. Splitting “firstborn” from “creation” is a stretch that’d make a yoga instructor wince. “Ktisis” isn’t some abstract vibe—it’s the nuts and bolts of the universe. Jesus as “firstborn of all creation” fits Him into that story, not above it. The queue analogy holds: you don’t get “first” without the group it’s tied to. The pastor can smirk and sling “heresy” all he wants, but he’s the one playing fast and loose with the text. Next time, maybe skip the theatrics and just read what’s there, right?
Also just because I'm an exjw doesn't mean I can't see patronising cult behaviour from other Christian sects who like name calling when things don't go their way.
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The Pella Deception: Watchtower May 2025
by raymond frantz inhttps://youtu.be/4otnshkqdbi?si=5ilzez_lxqscp1ww.
so, in the latest may 2025 study watchtower, the writers of this magazine, they have another go at revising church history for their own ends.
they take a well-documented historical event—the flight of christians from jerusalem before its destruction in 70 ad - and twisting it into a convenient narrative to reinforce blind obedience to organizational leadership.
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raymond frantz
https://youtu.be/4OTNShKQDBI?si=5iLzez_lXQsCp1ww
So, in the latest May 2025 Study Watchtower, the writers of this
Magazine, they have another go at revising Church history for their own ends. They take a well-documented historical event—the flight of Christians from Jerusalem before its destruction in 70 AD - and twisting it into a convenient narrative to reinforce blind obedience to organizational leadership. By cherry-picking sources, omitting key historical facts, and subtly reinterpreting scripture, the Watchtower seeks to create a precedent for Jehovah’s Witnesses today: obey the “faithful and discreet slave” without question, or risk divine disapproval.
In the past, the Watchtower has written about the account of Christians fleeing Jerusalem before the destruction of the city in 70 AD by the Romans under divine directions BUT now for the first time they introduce a new narrative that has never been published in the Watchtower, as far as i am aware. Let's see what paragraph 8 of Study Article 21 in the May 2025 edition has to say:
"A few years after receiving Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, Christians saw the Roman armies surrounding the city of Jerusalem. That signalled the time for them to flee; the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed. (Matt. 24:3; Luke 21:20, 24) But where would their flight lead them? Jesus had simply said: “Let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains.” (Luke 21:21). There were many mountains in the region. So, in what direction would they flee?"
One of the biggest issues with the Watchtower’s narrative is the implication that early Christians were confused about where to flee, that's the first time I'm hearing this, and needed centralized leadership to guide them. The text suggests, they now say, that because Jesus merely instructed them to flee “to the mountains” , Christians would have been uncertain about which specific mountains to choose. But this argument is simply unfounded. Is this even a justified argument?No, on the contrary, the Gospel accounts do not indicate any confusion about where to flee. Nowhere in Matthew 24 or Luke 21 do we see Christians frantically debating which mountain range to choose. The decision to flee was a straightforward one: get out of Jerusalem and into safer territory. Historical records indicate that many Christians fled to Pella, a city in the region of Perea. But contrary to the Watchtower’s implications, Pella was not an arbitrary or divinely chosen location—it was a logical destination because it was a known, established Christian community in a Gentile region, neutral to the Jewish-Roman conflict.
Let's read Paragraph 9, where they further make their case:
"Consider some of the mountains to which Christians could have fled: the mountains of Samaria, the mountains in Galilee, Mount Hermon and the mountains of Lebanon, and the mountains across the Jordan. (See map.) Some of the cities in those mountainous areas may have appeared to be safe havens. The city of Gamla, for example, was situated on the rough ridge of a high mountain and was extremely difficult to reach. Some Jews viewed that city as an ideal place of refuge. However, Gamla became the site of a vicious battle between the Jews and the Romans, and many of its inhabitants died."
The Watchtower presents the flight to Pella as though it were the result of last minute divine revelation given specifically to “those taking the lead” in the congregation, for that they quoted Eusebius’ account of Christians receiving a revelation to flee. Eusebius was a 3rd century Father of the Church who wrote the first Ecclesiastical History of the Church and which the Watchtower quotes further in paragraph 10. Let's see:
"It appears that Jehovah guided the Christians by means of those who were taking the lead in the congregation. Historian Eusebius later wrote:
“The people of the congregation in Jerusalem, by divine providence, received a revelation given to approved men; they were commanded . . . to migrate from the city before the war and to settle in a certain city of Perea called Pella.” Pella seems to have been an ideal choice. It was not far from Jerusalem, making it relatively easy to reach. It was primarily a Gentile city and, for the most part, unaffected by the fanatical Jewish freedom fighters and their battles with the Romans."What the Watchtower fails to acknowledge here is a crucial fact: Pella was already home to an established Christian community.
Pella was part of the Decapolis, a group of ten Greco-Roman cities that had little to no involvement in the Jewish revolt. This made it a natural place of refuge for Jewish Christians who wanted to escape Roman reprisals without becoming embroiled in the conflict. The Watchtower, however, omits this important context, preferring instead to frame the event as a divine directive that came through appointed leaders. Why? It reinforces their modern teaching that Jehovah provides guidance only through organizational hierarchy.
Another glaring flaw in the Watchtower’s argument is its claim that early Christians might have mistakenly sought refuge in Gamla. The paragraph will have you believe that the city was a safe haven that later turned a stronghold of Jewish rebels. In fact history proves the exact opposite is true.What the Watchtower fails to mention is that Gamla was already deeply involved in the Jewish rebellion against Rome, and any Christian with basic awareness of the political situation would have known that fleeing there was not an option.Gamla was already a hot target for the Romans and it didn't miraculously become one after the rebellion of 66 A.D. broke out.
Josephus, the first century historian, suggests that Gamla was already a Zealot stronghold and that the city had long opposed Roman rule.Gamla was part of the kingdom of Herod Agrippa II, who was pro-Roman However, Josephus indicates that the people of Gamla revolted against him, an event that likely occurred before 66 AD. We read:
“Gamla revolted from King Agrippa, though he had put a garrison into it, and relied upon the fidelity of the inhabitants; those that were the authors of the revolt had seized upon it.(The Jewish War, 4.1.1)
This passage indicates that before the general uprising of 66 AD, Gamla had already turned against Agrippa II’s rule, suggesting anti-Roman resistance.
Also,Josephus describes how Gamla's rebellious leaders took control and fortified the city before the Romans attacked, implying that the city had become a center of anti-Roman resistance earlier.We read:"They compelled the people to join with them in the revolt, and erected walls for their security, and when they expected that the king would come against them, they prepared to fight him.”
(The Jewish War, 4.1.2)
So, it is obvious that this part of the Watchtower’s narrative is particularly disingenuous. It tries to paint early Christians as incapable of making rational decisions on their own, needing authoritative guidance to avoid disaster. But history does not support this claim. Early Christians were intelligent and resourceful. They did not require organizational oversight to recognize that Gamla was a dangerous destination. By creating a straw-man argument that Christians were in danger of choosing the wrong place to flee, the Watchtower falsely justifies the need for centralized leadership.
Even more troubling is the Watchtower’s claim that Jehovah provided direction through congregation leaders, citing Hebrews 13:7, 17 as proof that Christians should obey those “taking the lead.” This is a deliberate distortion of the biblical record.
We further read in paragraph 11:
"The Christians who fled to the mountains applied Paul’s counsel to “be obedient to those who are taking the lead” in the congregation. (Read Hebrews 13:7, 17.) As a result, God’s people survived. History confirms that God did not abandon those “awaiting the city having real foundations”—God’s Kingdom.—Heb. 11:10"
If only there was another example in the first century Christian history that shows that the so-called governing body in Jerusalem was the one that always took they lead like the Watchtower will have you believe! Hold on there is, in Acts 11:27-30 we read about a famine that threatened the Christian community in the area around 45-46 AD, and a divine intervention and a forwarning by God was important! Let's read the account :
"In those days, prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them named Agʹa·bus stood up and foretold through the spirit that a great famine was about to come on the entire inhabited earth, which, in fact, did take place in the time of Claudius. 29 So the disciples determined, each according to what he could afford, to send relief to the brothers living in Ju·deʹa; 30 and this they did, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barʹna·bas and Saul."
Did in this recorded occasion divine guidance come through prominent figures like Peter, James, or Paul? No. It came through a relatively unknown Christian named Agabus, who was not a member of the governing body in Jerusalem! So much for the Watchtower’s claim that the governing body in New York will be the only recipients of divine direction during the Great Tribulation.
This completely undermines the Watchtower’s premise that Jehovah always works through centralized leadership. In times of crisis, God’s direction has often come through unexpected sources—not exclusively through organizational hierarchy.
Why does the Watchtower go to such lengths to craft this particular narrative? The answer is clear: control. If they can convince Jehovah’s Witnesses that survival—both physical and spiritual—depends on unquestioning obedience to the organization, then they solidify their authority. The subtle message is that just as early Christians were saved by following the directives of “those taking the lead,” modern Jehovah’s Witnesses will only survive the “Great Tribulation” by adhering to Watchtower leadership.
This analogy is not only flawed but dangerous. It conditions Jehovah’s Witnesses to ignore personal discernment, historical facts, and even scriptural precedent in favour of whatever the Governing Body dictates. The organization wants its followers to believe that independent thinking is akin to rebellion and that questioning leadership equates to defying God. This is classic authoritarianism wrapped in religious rhetoric.
What the Watchtower fails to mention is often just as revealing as what it chooses to include.So to recap, why I think this article is disgenuous. Here are the 3 main omissions I refer to earlier:
The Christian community in Pella was already established. This undermines the claim that Christians needed special direction to go there.
Secondly, Gamla was an obvious no-go.The idea that Christians might have mistakenly fled to a war zone insults their intelligence.
Thirdly, Agabus, not church leaders, provided famine guidance in Acts. A direct contradiction to the Watchtower’s argument that Jehovah always speaks through hierarchy.
By selectively presenting history and scripture, Watchtower manufactures a self-serving narrative that reinforces their claim to exclusive divine guidance.
The Watchtower’s retelling of the Christian flight from Jerusalem is more than just bad history—it’s a calculated attempt to establish an unbiblical precedent for blind obedience. By portraying early Christians as confused and in need of centralized direction, the organization subtly conditions modern Jehovah’s Witnesses to think the same way. The historical reality, however, is much different. Christians fled because they heeded Jesus’ words and used common sense—not because they waited for official instructions from a centralized authority.
Jehovah’s Witnesses today should take note: history does not support the idea that survival hinges on unquestioning obedience to an organization. In fact, scripture itself contradicts this notion. Instead of promoting critical thinking and spiritual discernment, the Watchtower continues its long tradition of manufacturing crises to justify its own power. The question Jehovah’s Witnesses should be asking themselves is not “Where should we flee?” but rather, “Why does the organization want us to think we can’t decide for ourselves? -
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Flee to the Mountains......What Mountains?
by liam inmay 2025 study article 21 seek the city that will remain.
what i remember was, when you see the romans, flee to the mountains.
now the wt is saying that's not enough.
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raymond frantz
No Earnest, I dismiss all those who try to say whether they have a PHD or not ,that they know better from the historians that lived nearer at the time of the event. All these experts sprang up the past 100-150 years and surprisingly they have the same agenda , to dismiss historical events and their validity ,the things that Christians have believed in the past 2000 years. Yes there has been an orchestrated effort to take over the academic community and "experts " that discredit Christianity and its history to be promoted over others who don't push this agenda. Surprisingly this kind of agenda benefits only the traditional haters of Christianity who believe that Jesus is currently in hell eating excrement -
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Flee to the Mountains......What Mountains?
by liam inmay 2025 study article 21 seek the city that will remain.
what i remember was, when you see the romans, flee to the mountains.
now the wt is saying that's not enough.
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raymond frantz
@Earnest
So what if there was no mention for the first 200 years? The Church was under persecution for the first 200 years so Christian writing was sparse or lost for example Eusebius quotes or references numerous early Christian writings that are now lost, such as those of Hegesippus and Papias.He includes imperial edicts, letters, and church council documents which are now lost. Are all those documents in question now 2000 years later that some Jewish, Christian hating, so called historians want us to question everything about our faith? Many biographies or historical accounts were written hundreds of years after the events, we don't question them we accept them as history recorded, but when it comes to Christianity all bets are off🤣🤣🤣
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Watchtower May 2025: The Mystery of the Holy Angels
by raymond frantz inhttps://youtu.be/xfk3wpsqoms?si=ep5uts_4uggces0w.
so from the get go in study article 18 and the theme :"imitate the faithful angels" we read the following questionable statement in paragraph 1: "when jehovah drew you to the truth, he invited you into a diverse and loving family of worshippers, which includes millions of faithful angels.
(dan.
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raymond frantz
@Fedupjw
Good on you!
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Watchtower May 2025: The Mystery of the Holy Angels
by raymond frantz inhttps://youtu.be/xfk3wpsqoms?si=ep5uts_4uggces0w.
so from the get go in study article 18 and the theme :"imitate the faithful angels" we read the following questionable statement in paragraph 1: "when jehovah drew you to the truth, he invited you into a diverse and loving family of worshippers, which includes millions of faithful angels.
(dan.
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raymond frantz
https://youtu.be/XFk3WPsqoms?si=ep5utS_4UggcES0w
So from the get go in Study Article 18 and the theme :"Imitate the Faithful Angels" we read the following questionable statement in paragraph 1:
"WHEN Jehovah drew you to the truth, he invited you into a diverse and loving family of worshippers, which includes millions of faithful angels. (Dan. 7:9, 10) As we think of angels, we may reflect on how different they are from us. For example, the angels have existed far longer than we have been alive. (Job 38:4, 7) They are more powerful than we are. And they are holy and righteous to a degree that we cannot reach as imperfect humans.—Luke 9:26(=26For whoever becomes ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of man will be ashamed of that person when he comes in his glory and that of the Father and of the holy angels.)
When the Watchtower tells you that angels are holier than humans, they’re expecting you to just nod along without thinking too much about it. After all, angels have been around longer, they’re more powerful, and they live in heaven. That must mean they’re on a whole different level of holiness than us flawed, imperfect humans, right? Well, not exactly. In fact, not at all. The Bible, the very book the Watchtower claims to follow, says something quite different. But, of course, they wouldn’t want you looking too closely at that.
First off, let’s talk about who the Bible actually calls holy. Because if you ask the Watchtower, it sounds like holiness is an exclusive club, and humans—especially the ones not on the governing body—just don’t measure up. But when you open the Bible, you’ll see that it repeatedly calls faithful followers of Christ “holy ones.” Yes, actual human beings. Romans 1:7 says, *“to all those who are in Rome as God’s beloved ones, called to be holy ones: May you have undeserved kindness and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”* Notice it doesn’t say, “To all those in Rome, who unfortunately will never be as holy as angels.” No, it calls them holy ones.
And if that wasn’t enough, there’s 1 Corinthians 1:2: *“to the congregation of God that is in Corinth, to you who have been sanctified in union with Christ Jesus, called to be holy ones, together with all those everywhere who are calling on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.”* Paul is talking about everyday Christians here, people just like you and me, and he’s calling them holy. If holiness was something reserved for angels, why would Paul use that term for humans—repeatedly?
But maybe the Watchtower would argue that even if Christians are holy, they’re still on a lower level than angels. Surely angels deserve a little extra reverence, right? Not according to the angel in Revelation who completely shut down John when he tried to show him some special honor. Revelation 19:10 says, *“At that I fell down before his feet to worship him. But he tells me: ‘Be careful! Do not do that! I am only a fellow slave of you and of your brothers who have the work of bearing witness to Jesus. Worship God!’”*
Imagine that. A mighty angel, appearing in a vision to the apostle John, and yet what does he say? *“I am only a fellow slave of you and of your brothers.”* No special titles, no claim to superior holiness, just a fellow worker in Jehovah’s purpose. And just in case John—or anyone else—didn’t get the point the first time, it happens again in Revelation 22:8-9: *“Well, I, John, was the one hearing and seeing these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who had been showing me these things. But he tells me: ‘Be careful! Do not do that! I am only a fellow slave of you and of your brothers the prophets and of those who are observing the words of this scroll. Worship God.’”*
It doesn’t get clearer than that. If angels are rejecting special treatment, why does the Watchtower insist on giving it to them? If angels themselves say they are just fellow servants, why does the Watchtower elevate them above Christians? It’s almost like the Watchtower is more interested in creating a hierarchy where certain humans are always reminded of their inferiority.
But here’s where it gets even more concerning. By teaching that angels are on a higher level of holiness, the Watchtower is setting up Jehovah’s Witnesses for serious deception. How? Because they’re conditioning them to trust angels over their own God-given ability to discern truth. And that is exactly what the apostle Paul warned against. In Galatians 1:8, he wrote, *“However, even if we or an angel out of heaven should declare to you as good news something beyond what we declared to you as good news, let him be accursed.”*
Now, why would Paul say that? Because he knew that not everything that looks divine actually is. Just because a message comes from an angel doesn’t mean it’s true. And yet, the Watchtower is priming Jehovah’s Witnesses to accept whatever an angel might tell them, as if angels are somehow immune to deception themselves. That’s dangerous thinking, especially when you consider that Satan himself *loves* to play dress-up as an angel of light.
That’s not just speculation—it’s straight from the Bible. In 2 Corinthians 11:14, Paul warns, *“And no wonder, for Satan himself keeps disguising himself as an angel of light.”* Think about that. If Satan masquerades as an angel of light, and the Watchtower is teaching that angels are holier than humans and should be revered, what exactly is stopping a Jehovah’s Witness from falling for a false angelic message? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
This is the real issue with the Watchtower’s claim. It’s not just incorrect—it’s dangerous. By elevating angels, they are priming Jehovah’s Witnesses to trust messages that *feel* holy rather than testing them against the Bible. They’re creating a spiritual vulnerability that Paul explicitly warned against. And they’re doing all of this while completely ignoring the fact that the Bible already calls faithful Christians “holy ones” and that even angels themselves reject any kind of superior status.
So the next time someone tries to tell you that angels are holier than humans, ask them why Paul, John, and even the angels themselves disagree. Ask them why the Bible warns against blindly trusting angelic messages if angels are so beyond deception. Ask them why Christians are repeatedly called holy ones if they’re supposed to be on some lower level. And while you’re at it, ask them why the Watchtower always seems to have a vested interest in making sure regular Jehovah’s Witnesses feel just a little bit unworthy.
Because at the end of the day, holiness isn’t about being an angel. It’s about being faithful to Jehovah. And according to the Bible, that’s something humans—yes, even imperfect ones—are fully capable of. -
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Flee to the Mountains......What Mountains?
by liam inmay 2025 study article 21 seek the city that will remain.
what i remember was, when you see the romans, flee to the mountains.
now the wt is saying that's not enough.
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raymond frantz
@Earnest
I'd rather believe Eusebius who lived 200 years after the events rather than a Jewish "historian" who lived 2000 years later with bias who questions everything. By the way Eusebius is not the only one of that period to write about the Christian Exodus.
In his work Panarion, Epiphanius of Salamis discusses the flight of early Christians from Jerusalem to Pella prior to the city's destruction. In section 29.7.7-8, he writes:
"This sect of the Nazoraeans is to be found in Beroea near Coele Syria, in the Decapolis near the region of Pella, and in Bashanitis at the place called Kokabe—meaning 'Star,' but 'Kochabe' in Hebrew. For it was from there that this sect began after the exodus from Jerusalem, when all the disciples went to live in Pella, because Christ had told them to leave Jerusalem and to emigrate since it would undergo a siege. Because of this advice they lived in Perea after moving to that place, as I said."
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Flee to the Mountains......What Mountains?
by liam inmay 2025 study article 21 seek the city that will remain.
what i remember was, when you see the romans, flee to the mountains.
now the wt is saying that's not enough.
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raymond frantz
Here is the full text from Eusebius "Ecclesiastical History" book III ,chapter 5, paragraph 3, thank me later😀
"But the people of the church in Jerusalem had been commanded by a revelation, vouchsafed to approved men there before the war, to leave the city and to dwell in a certain town of Perea called Pella. And when those that believed in Christ had come there from Jerusalem, then, as if the royal city of the Jews and the whole land of Judea were entirely destitute of holy men, the judgment of God at length overtook those who had committed such outrages against Christ and his apostles, and totally destroyed that generation of impious men."
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Her Handbag Told Her to Stop Preaching
by raymond frantz inhttps://youtu.be/qzpj3kzgidi?si=x1xazpqmed1zq5h2.
ah, yes, another shining example of the watchtower’s *unmatched* commitment to rational thought.
forget logic, science, or even basic common sense—just blame that suspiciously cursed handbag for all your troubles!
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raymond frantz
https://youtu.be/qzPJ3kzGIdI?si=x1xAZpqmeD1Zq5H2
Ah, yes, another shining example of the Watchtower’s *unmatched* commitment to rational thought. Forget logic, science, or even basic common sense—just blame that suspiciously cursed handbag for all your troubles!
SO this story comes from the 1966 Watchtower 15th December, link attached bellow in the description and it comes from the good old times when superstition, demonic attacks and paranoia were the order of the day for Watchtower writer, there we read:
"Another Christian woman kept a handbag given her by an aunt who was a fortune-teller. Using the handbag in the ministry, she experienced powerful thoughts of “Go home!” Bad thoughts rushed into her mind almost audibly, all of them anti-kingdom. She could not understand herself, as these negative thoughts entered her mind as if by telephone, so that she complained of “hearing herself think.” Only after getting rid of the handbag did she get relief."
So clearly evil spirits have nothing better to do than lurk in old handbags and haunt unsuspecting Jehovah’s Witnesses in their door-to-door ministry.
But let’s take a moment to admire the sheer brilliance of this story. A devout woman, supposedly under the divine protection of angels while out preaching, suddenly finds herself bombarded with anti-Kingdom thoughts—*but only when carrying a particular handbag.* So, what happened here? Were the angels on a lunch break? Or do demons actually have more influence over Jehovah’s Witnesses than their God does? If their ministry is *so* divinely sanctioned, why is it so easily disrupted by a piece of fabric gifted by an eccentric aunt?
And let’s not ignore the truly concerning detail: the woman’s mental state. She’s experiencing intrusive, almost audible thoughts that she interprets as demonic attacks. Any reasonable person might suggest a psychological evaluation, but no, in true Watchtower fashion, the solution is just throw away the handbag! The real question is, why did the elders allow someone in such a state to participate in the ministry? Were they so desperate for recruits that they overlooked what could be serious mental distress? Or did they actually encourage paranoia as a recruitment tool?
But wait, it gets even better when we read the previous paragraph:
"A vital question to ask if one experiences trouble with the demons is: Have you accepted any gifts from relatives or persons who dabble in spiritism? Any kind of article from such a person can cause trouble. In some actual cases it has been a radio, a sewing machine, a pair of shoes, jewelry, a “good luck” charm, a bathrobe, a blanket, a book. One woman had her bed tipped up at night when she tried to sleep on a mattress given her by her Spiritualist mother. A young woman had a fever of 106 degrees when wearing a garment given her by a Spiritualist."So this wasnt just an isolated incident; apparently, demons have been wreaking havoc via sewing machines, radios, and—my personal favorite—a mattress. Imagine being an all-powerful evil entity with the ability to possess objects, and you decide the best course of action is to tip someone’s bed at night. It really makes you wonder: Are these demons just mischievous pranksters with a love for home decor disruptions?
This story raises far more questions than it answers. If a simple handbag can drive a Witness to the brink of spiritual collapse, what does that say about the supposed strength of their faith? If angels are meant to protect them, why does it take a handbag purge to fix the problem? And most importantly, if demons are truly running interference on their ministry, wouldn’t that suggest the Watchtower’s message is a little too *threatening* to the forces of darkness? Or perhaps—dare we say it—their “ministry” is more connected to superstition and manipulation than divine guidance?
At the end of the day, this story isn’t a cautionary tale about spiritual dangers—it’s a perfect example of how the Watchtower preys on fear and irrationality to keep its members in a constant state of paranoia. Because nothing strengthens faith like convincing people that their personal belongings might be demonically possessed