The November 2014 JW Broadcasting episode shows mail being sorted at Watchtower's correspondence department
The November 2014 JW Broadcasting episode shows mail being sorted at Watchtower’s correspondence department

The last few weeks will have been deeply frustrating for the Governing Body, as multiple leaks have exposed a growing resentment of their attitudes and policies among an increasing number of bethel workers.

And now a fresh leak from a Watchtower insider has blown the lid wide open on how the organization deals with issues affecting the rank and file.

“Correspondence Guidelines” is a 118-page document issued to key staff at bethels around the world, giving cookie-cutter responses to a long list of scenarios involving various doctrines.

Previously only available to a privileged few, a 2011 edition of the document is now freely available, effectively meaning that anyone who has the document knows how Watchtower will reply to almost any letter they write before they even put pen to paper.

For the avoidance of further entanglements with Watchtower’s legal department over its interpretation of copyright law, we at JWsurvey have decided not to distribute the Correspondence Guidelines on this website.

Whether you, the reader, choose to access the material from elsewhere on the internet is entirely your decision.

pictureThe Correspondence Guidelines were virtually unheard-of until mentioned by former Governing Body member Ray Franz in his follow-up to Crisis of ConscienceIn Search of Christian Freedom – on page 242.

in-search1 The subject list continues over a further two pages before Franz summarizes on page 245…

in-search2After spending an hour or so last night perusing the pages of this fascinating document, I can fully concur with Franz’s characterization of it as “Talmudic.” A plethora of subject headings delve into areas as diverse as transvestism, refugees, animal blood, hermaphrodites, sterilization and “retarded persons” with giddying pedantry.

The writers of the document themselves seem to recognize how ridiculous it is by their attempts at defending it in their opening remarks…

Bear in mind that much of what is published on matters of conduct is to be viewed not as law but rather as mature Christian counsel. So it is not always necessary to think in terms of imposing sanctions if a person does not fully conform to the counsel given.

But this disclaimer is overtly contradicted on only the next page…

If the one inquiring reflects a challenging, disrespectful attitude, it may be advisable first to contact the elders to determine the person’s standing in the congregation and what assistance they have been able to render.

Therefore, anyone who writes to the organization with anything other than praise and flattery, or who gives the impression they know what they’re talking about, can expect their local elders to get a phonecall – an underhanded breach of confidence that surely represents a “sanction” in and of itself.

Further contradictions present themselves as the reader delves into the various subjects. For example, accepting a blood transfusion without regret, even if it proves to be life-saving, remains a disfellowshipping offense…

A baptized person who willfully and unrepentantly takes a blood transfusion thereby chooses to reject the Scriptural sanctity of blood and violates God’s law. Three elders (not a judicial committee) should meet with him. If a blood transfusion has been accepted without repentance, the congregation will consider that the person has disassociated himself. It would then be announced: “[Name of individual] is no longer one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” The matter would be dealt with as in other cases of disassociation.—w86 10/15 31; w73 9/1 543-4.

But if you happen to be a JW nurse or doctor, and you are instructed to administer a blood transfusion to a non-JW patient, you can do so without fear of reprisals…

A Christian who is a nurse or a doctor respects the Scriptures and therefore would not recommend or order a blood transfusion for a patient. If he or she as an employee is not responsible for deciding the matter and is directed by a superior to administer a transfusion to a non-Witness, whether to obey is a matter for personal, conscientious decision.—w99 4/15 28-30; w75 4/1 215-16.

On the other hand, if you’re a farmer and allow a blood transfusion for one of your animals, expect a slapped wrist at the very least…

It is not proper for a Christian to administer a blood transfusion to an animal owned by him or to authorize another to do so.—w64 2/15 127-8.

Since this is a 2011 edition, we have no way of knowing whether the subject of child abuse has been addressed more comprehensively in more recent editions (which seems likely given all the media exposure on that subject since the Candace Conti victory in 2012).

Even so, given the fact that mishandling of child abuse among Jehovah’s Witnesses has been highlighted since at least 2002 (when BBC Panorama and Dateline documentaries first exposed the issue to a mass audience), you would expect the safeguarding of the children of Jehovah’s Witnesses from sexual predators to merit more column inches than, say, discussing the propriety of Tae Bo.

But child molestation gets only three passing mentions in this document. Pages 41 and 110 give far-from-unequivocal guarantees that molesting a child will prevent a Witness male from serving in a position of responsibility.

For example, the sin may involve past child abuse, and this would likely disqualify him for many years.

Some who are guilty of child molestation, even if not disfellowshipped for such actions, might never qualify for special privileges in the congregation.

Then on page 53 the writers ponder the situation of a minor girl who is raped and falls pregnant. Rather than worrying about the girl’s well-being and the urgent need to pursue justice for her assailant, attention turns to the living arrangements of the resulting baby, and whether the abused child will have to marry her attacker or not.

Child that results either from fornication or from rape of a minor girl: The father of the single, minor girl (or the mother in a singleparent home where there is no father) bears the responsibility to decide whether the infant will be raised in the home or elsewhere. It shows consideration on his part to consider the minor’s valid wishes. He must also decide whether to permit the girl to marry the male who caused the pregnancy. Being pregnant does not require marriage to the father of the child simply to avoid illegitimacy. A hasty or improper marriage may only make a bad situation worse. Emotional support from individuals in the congregation is sometimes helpful.

The failure of the writers to adequately explore and address what we now know to be a rampant problem of child abuse in the organization, with 1,006 suspected pedophiles on the records of Watchtower in Australia alone, highlights either stunning naivety on the part of the Governing Body (who will have sanctioned this material), or deliberate negligence of their duty to protect children from a clear threat.

Ray Franz described the "Correspondence Guidelines" as "Talmudic"
Ray Franz described the Correspondence Guidelines as “Talmudic”

The proper handling of domestic violence, also a huge problem in the organization, is similarly given short shrift. Page 51 briefly mentions court action as being favorable in the case of a violently abusive husband for the protection of his victim, but nowhere does it suggest that a believing woman who finds herself in such a situation would be allowed to find happiness with a new husband.

In contrast to the terse treatment of such a pressing issue that affects battered spouses in countless marriages, nine pages are devoted to the various nuances of divorce, adultery and remarriage. Every conceivable permutation of marital infidelity is explored in fanatical detail.

Again, “Talmudic” is the only word that can do justice to Watchtower’s obsession with sex and morals. And only the word “pharasaical” can describe their corresponding indifference to the countless victims, past, present and future, of physical abuse in its various forms.

Finally, I was struck by the section on “bloodguilt,” which had the following to say…

The Bible condemns murder, a sin for which a person may be disfellowshipped.—Rev. 21:8.

Bloodguilt may also be incurred if a person causes loss of life through carelessness or because of violating a traffic law or other safety law of Caesar. If a Witness is liable for someone’s death in an accident, the elders should investigate and if warranted appoint a judicial committee to hear the matter, for the congregation wants to avoid community responsibility for bloodguilt.

One can’t help but wonder just how much blood is on the hands of Watchtower leaders past and present, from Knorr to the likes of Morris, Splane and Lett, for the countless lives that have been lost due to the ridiculous prohibitions on blood.

How many lives have been brutally cut short as a result of indoctrinated cult victims declining medical treatment with blood, a practice on which the scriptures are silent? We may never know. And that is to say nothing of the unknown number who have ended their lives as a result of Watchtower’s ruthless shunning practices.

One thing is certain, namely that the Governing Body won’t be making changes to save lives or protect the vulnerable any time soon. But at least there is some comfort in knowing that a growing number within bethel corridors are awakening to the full reality of a shared struggle, and working with myself and others to give thorough exposure to this devastating cult.

 

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Further reading…

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366 thoughts on “Highly-secretive “Talmudic” Correspondence Guidelines document leaked by Watchtower insider

  • October 24, 2015 at 4:33 am
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    For those of us who have been associated for a lot of years, we would have known about how we can’t get sterilized unless if a woman gets pregnant, she will die but most new people wouldn’t know that unless they start talking about doing it and then they would get counseled.

    Can you imagine getting a new Bible Study and start telling them all about the more than one thousand rules that Jehovah’s Witnesses have to follow right at the start of the study? How many of those people would continue to study?

    They wouldn’t continue the study and so the person is first convinced that the Bible is from God and then they are convinced that the Watchtower has a personal one on one relationship with God and that they are the only ones who can interpret the Bible and then they convince us that Armageddon is going to wipe out every single man, woman and child at any moment, who doesn’t convert to Jehovah’s Witnesses because only Jehovah’s Witnesses are the only one using “His” name and preaching it. That is their modus operandi.

    The Watchtower doesn’t hold anybody responsible if they had done those things before being converted, so if a man or woman got sterilized before becoming a Witness, they could still have all the privileges that anybody else could have but if you are a new Witness and go ahead and commit one of those offenses, they would remove them from any privileges.

    I know of a couple who the husband is the father of the girl’s first husband. He broke up his son’s marriage and married his own daughter-in-law and that man and wife are in the same congregation as her ex-husband but because this all happened before becoming Witnesses, everybody is supposed to accept that marriage with open arms and they do. It’s crazy to me.

    The Watchtower expects that once a person gets baptized, they should know all the rules going back one hundred years. Who could keep up? The Watchtower has though. They must have a list of all the offenses.

    As long as Witnesses break these rules in private, nobody would know but it’s the telling of others (by mistake because of not being informed of all of them) that gets them into trouble.

    Being a Witness, means that if you do know all the “rules” then you can’t talk about what you do in your private life if you are breaking one of those rules, or if you don’t know all the rules, you are bound to break a rule and get into trouble if you talk about what you do in your private life because you are bound to break them, since you don’t know what they all are.

    You can’t have any close friends either who will blab to the elders about something you have done which means, to be a Witness, it is almost impossible to have a real friend in the “truth”.

    All those rules are passed on from generation to generation and Bible Study to Bible study and it’s gradual. If it happened all at once, people would be so turned off but first it starts with real little things, like you can’t say gosh or golly as it’s short for God.

    After they have been Witness for years and years and learn all the rules, they think it’s perfectly normal and anybody who breaks these rules are bad.

    It is all very sinister in how the Society tricks people into it.

    Can you imagine telling a regular person in service, that we can’t play chess because it’s too “violent”? They would run the other way so fast and realize that that religion is stupid. Witness are expected to know every silly rule going back one hundred years and how they have also changed and how the light got “brighter” too.

    What ten year old child is going to know all that when they get baptized? But once that kid get baptized and breaks one of those rules that they were never told about before getting baptized, they face getting disfellowshipped.

    One of the most important rules is that if you find out that the Society is telling lies, you will be forbidden to tell anybody about it or you will be disfellowshipped for apostasy.

    Why don’t they tell anybody about those rules when they first start studying with them????

    • October 24, 2015 at 8:34 am
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      @Caroline:
      “Why don’t they tell anybody about those rules when they first start studying with them????”

      I’ve often wondered the same thing. The JWs entice you into their religion with lots of love bombing and makes it sound so nice, they magnify the problems in the world, Armageddon is always imminent – this is how they trick you into joining the religion. A lot of people fall for it because of the lure of a Paradise earth but they aren’t told up front of the consequences they will face should they decide to exercise their right to freedom of religion and cconscience and decide that they no longer wish to be a JW.

      They aren’t told up front that if they disassociate themselves from the religion they will be shunned and cut-off from family and friends because the rules of the religion are designed to ensure that persons will regret their decision to leave. CULT!!!!

      • October 24, 2015 at 8:57 am
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        They trick people into joining the religion by creating a ‘specialness’ about the group:
        1. Only JWs use God’s name.
        2. JWs will be persecuted for their faith; Satan will cause relatives and friends to say bad things about the group. JWs see persecution as a sign that they are doing it right – after all, Jesus did tell them to expect persecution.

        But people aren’t told up front what exactly they are getting themselves into regarding the rules of the religion.

        • October 24, 2015 at 3:59 pm
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          I swear “Jehovah” is a trigger word for the indoctrination. Watching them say it gives me the creeps.

          • October 25, 2015 at 8:35 am
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            I know from personal experience that when I even say that name in my head it feels like there’s a surge of dopamine released…I don’t know how they do it, but that’s what happens.

      • October 27, 2015 at 8:54 pm
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        Cults are well known to hide many of their more controversial practices from newcomers and prospective members. The smiling Witnesses who knock on your door do not talk about shunning, no birthdays, blood transfusions or suppression of enquiry etc.

        When JWs go door-to-door they do not let potential converts know that, after they get baptized in the JW religion, they cannot change their minds and return to their former religion without being punished. Potential converts are not informed up front that if they change their minds and resign from the JWs after getting baptized, they will be considered mentally diseased apostates and will be shunned for the rest of their lives by their family and friends who remain in the JW religion.

        JWs go into people’s homes who are at times already committed to God in some way and take them from their churches not telling them up front that they risk breaking up their home and relationships.

        JWs go door-to-door telling people they should leave their religion and become a JW. These prospective converts are not told upfront that if someone does the reverse and leaves the JWs they are shunned and lose their family and friends who remain in the religion.

        • October 28, 2015 at 5:57 am
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          Prospective converts are not told upfront of the isolation and alienation that they will experience as once they get baptized they will be expected to cut-off associating with non-witness friends since such persons are worldly and bad associations yet if you are in need it may very well be these friends whom you turned your back on who would be the most likely to come to your aid.

          Prospective converts are not told upfront about the isolation and alienation they will experience since JWs can’t play a competitive sport. You are expected to give up all these things and instead spend more time preaching and selling magazines and will be told that the walking up and down that you do while preaching is such good exercise that you won’t miss the exercise you get from playing a competitive sport.

          Prospective converts are not told upfront of how alienated they will become from their natural family who genuinely mean them well and are the ones who genuinely care about them and love them as they will be indoctrinated and brainwashed to believe that they are their enemies should they oppose their becoming a JW because after all Jesus did say: “For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household” (Matthew 10:35, 36). You thereby inadvertently end up casting your natural family aside and substituting members of the JW religion for your natural family.

          • October 28, 2015 at 6:43 am
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            The smiling JWs who come to your door paint such a ‘hunky dory’ picture of the religion that JWs are so different from the world that you will begin to believe that if you should become a JW you just won’t experience any hostilities while in the religion. But surprise, surprise, little did you know that once you become a JW and the members of the religion begin to show their true colours then you will realize that everything is not so ‘hunky dory’ after all.

          • October 28, 2015 at 7:24 am
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            You are not told up front that should you change your mind after getting baptized and decide that you no longer wish to be a JW then you risk ending up in a social vacuum since you will have no one when you decide to leave – when you became a JW you cut-off your association with your friends as you were discouraged from having non-witness friends as they are worldly and bad association; you limited your dealings with persons outside of work and school because worldly people are bad association; your JW family and friends who remain in the religion will cut you off and shun you because this is what the religion tells them to do to persons who leave the religion and also because associating with you puts them in jeopardy of being disfellowshipped (as happened to Ray Franz).

          • October 28, 2015 at 10:28 am
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            Prospective converts are not told upfront that they will be taught that those of the world are evil, and even though worldly people may appear to be kind, this is one of Satan’s tactics to lure people out of God’s organisation.

    • October 24, 2015 at 2:31 pm
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      Good Day Caroline. Or should I say G’day Caroline. When I was studying, I could not get over how many rules and regulations there were. Yet, there were more and more and more and more. I should have followed my instincts and ran for my life.

    • October 25, 2015 at 3:17 am
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      I love this Caroline!….. they go on and on about the fact Jesus only gave 2 principles to base our life on and then go and conjure up a million rules!
      I remember being very cynical about people leading ‘double lives’….. now I am the Queen of double life!… because if you have a brain in your head and have to stay shackled to this cult its the only way to survive.
      What you said about friends is so true as well…I have dear friends but if I gave them an inkling of what I was really thinking they are so indoctrinated they would shop me so fast….I know Iv done it myself many many years ago…it was the precurser to my first real doubt that this was The Truth…because I felt like such a sorry human being afterwards….well done Caroline you have described the idiocy of this organisation in a few well chosen words.

      • October 25, 2015 at 11:20 am
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        I too at one time felt that way “Idontknowhattodo” It wasnt till I finally took a stand for myself and children. I sat my parents down and told them I could no longer be a JW. My mother stood up and walked out of my home. Didn’t speak to me for 10 years! But what freedom my family finally received. Born Free!!!!
        It takes amazing courage and strength.

        • October 26, 2015 at 1:27 am
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          I would think it would take amazing courage and strenth Lisa and maybe I am a coward but I couldnt face my grown children shunning me…they are all away from home now but devoted to this organisation all the same… I am trying to build a life outside but that is hard…Im no Spring Chicken and have been in this cult my entire life…so for myself I would find that too much to do…I would be alone…I feel cowardly many times in the day and have found friends on this site…I admire you I really do…you saved your family.

    • October 25, 2015 at 6:53 pm
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      I’m going to counter you on that @Caroline because if you read a little further in the Correspondence Guidelines, you’ll notice that the Watchtower does expect SOME “sins” to be reversed. Like if you had your baby-maker removed because mentally you felt like a woman, and not a Shania Twain thing but a Caitlin thing, so now you got to stop the hormones and dress like a man. Granted a man with breasts and big lips and hips, but dress like a man. And, if you got married to a man, you would have to get divorced–unhitched.

      So, you see the Holy Spirit (God’s divine tool) sometimes gets a little confused and has a 180-degree change regarding handling matters.

      On the other hand, if you wanted to have a franchise that handles matters consistently across the board, with the same looking McKingdom Hall in every city, the same uniformed McElders, the same McMeetings, and the same McGuidance, yeah, you need a branding manual with policies and guidelines.

      Religion. Business. Enterprise. Religion. Business. Enterprise. Puppy. Tail. Religion. Business. Enterprise. Puppy. Tail….

      • October 26, 2015 at 8:18 am
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        Jbob,
        That’s hilariously accurate, so when we start the Christian life and ministry meetings,
        ( the dumbed down version ).
        I got one question …can I super-size that for you, and do you want fries?

  • October 24, 2015 at 5:18 am
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    I’m disassociated for 20 years now – I got kicked out by my JW mother because I started to question things more openly at age 17. My JW father beat me regularly from the age of 2 until I ‘left’ home as well as having seven shades of shite kicked out at mr throughout every year of school for being a JW child. My dad would even give me beatings in the KH toilets and dig his nails so deep into my hands and arms I’d bleed so when I’d sfinally stopped crying I’d have to go back into the hall and sit on my hands so nobody could see the bleeding. The elders knew what was going on. The whole congregation knew what was going on, yet nothing was done. My abuse was only physical (and mental) so in a way a blessing (of sorts) compared to some unfortunate children. To allow this to happen to a child you must have to be utterly brainwashed.
    And that is how this cult operates. Reels you in with false/non-scriptual promises after feeding on peoples fears/fragile emotional states, and just bombards you day after day after effing day. No respite. No days off for good behaviour. 3 meetings a week. It doesn’t matter how far you are from a KH – BE THERE. Squillions of magazines, books and pamphlets repeating themselves over and over. Here’s more new shit. Here’s some more new shit. Hey, I know it’s only been a week but here’s some more new shit. Apparently there’s some more new shit coming out next week. The week after, 3 lots of new shit will be held aloft by the speaker during a special announcement WHICH YOU WILL BE AT. BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM – DON’T EFFING QUESTION US – BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM aaaaaaannnnnd… BOOM there’s some more new shit landed in your lap to read/adhere to/not question. Contribute financially if you can, or with your ‘time’ if you like.
    My mother is still in the clutches of this horrid cult who are, ultimately, responsible for death of thousands due to there blood policy and shunning policy. They cannot claim manslaughter. They are God’s chosen spokespeople, apparently. God wants this. His Holy Spirit says so. About as believable as Joseph Smiths’ sear stone in a smelly old tophat. No. This is murder. No spirit visits these men. No moans or clanking chains. No whispers in the ear or ‘visions’ or any of that BS. They are fully aware of their actions. God did not send Casper the Friendly Ghost along to the GB to help draw out a paedophilia policy so utterly disgusting that – even trying to stretch our own compunction of how life, space and time works – makes you wonder if the GB are stuck in a perpetual loop of April 1st days.
    My mother has been in for 40 years now. My Dad has always been half-in, half-out. My 3 brothers have faded but my sister is still in. I think. None of them are talking to me, because various men make themselves a foot-and-a-half taller by standing on a platform with nice angled lighting and tell them not to talk to me. Oh, and while I’m on the platform Brothers and Sisters… BOOM here’s a new book called ‘The A-Z of Shunning’ please obey it.
    Back to Mum. I wish she’d just take a break. I miss speaking with her. She’s so lovely but utterly indoctrinated. Brainwashing doesn’t do holidays though. Wouldn’t that be nice for those ‘still in’? Just take a month off. Treat yourselves. Come ooooon – you’ve been in for 4 decades. Take the weight offa yo feetsies. I assure you ‘God’ won’t judge you for it. You’ve put a lot of time and effort in. Just a month. No literature. No meetings. No JW.org on your tablet and any of the new songs that make me wanna eat my own fricking feet with embarrassment. The New System should’ve arrived long before now. I can guarantee you it ain’t gonna arrive within the next month. Sit back. Relax. Reflect. Question. Reason. NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! SAY THE GB – BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM AND ANOTHER BOOK IN YOUR LAP OR AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD THROUGH APPLES’ APPSTORE SOON BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM.

    I’ve come to the conclusion that those that are still in – and who must be aware of all the radical changes at the top followed by the trickledown to all the filth that’s happening at the KH end – are terminally deluded. From a Humanistic standpoint, these people need urgent mental help.

    Jehovah’s Witnesses. Please. Treat yourself to a month off.

    • October 24, 2015 at 5:29 am
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      Oh, and as a by-the-way being as my post wasn’t really on-topic, I’ve flicked through this latest document. If I’m honest, it’s no best-seller. Actually, it’s quite shit as fictional works go.

  • October 24, 2015 at 5:34 am
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    Can I get the whole letter?

  • October 24, 2015 at 5:38 am
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    Thanks John

  • October 24, 2015 at 5:50 am
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    I’m curious how the watchtower keeps from lawsuits by threatening disassociation if one accepts blood to save their own life. If someone in your car does not have a seatbelt on, and you say stayed up all night. Then drove while exhausted and hit a tree killing the passenger. You would go to jail.

    There has to be some form of negligence (legal that is) on the part of watchtower for indoctrinating people to not except the blood transfusion by forcing them with disassociation. I always thought they couldn’t disfellowshipped someone or basically disassociate them if they willingly accept a blood transfusion, because it would cause legal issues. But now after reading this information it appears that if you willingly except a blood transfusion and you are to be disassociated. So really one is actually forced by the fear of separation from family. But somehow they make it the person’s own choice by them signing the DPA.

    • October 25, 2015 at 7:23 pm
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      @RK – keep in mind the Watchtower lobby and then the naive general public has the attitude that individuals are free to choose to abide by or toss aside any community or club guidelines (not standards or laws, or rules). Viewing JW.org as a club means that individuals choosing to not take blood were aware of the risk (dying) and assumed it. This legal dog and pony show has been shown often, and Watchtower, Inc always comes out smelling like Febreezed horse manure.

  • October 24, 2015 at 5:51 am
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    Such understanding treatment of Transgender persons requesting baptism! Was this written in the 50’s? Truly appalling, although what would you expect:(

  • October 24, 2015 at 7:06 am
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    Covertfade.

    Your comment on membership of organisations, listed in the
    secret document, and linking it to the org, joining the UN as a
    NGO, was excellent, and very coincidental for me.

    Just 3 days previously, my brother in law elder asked to see me
    for a discussion on questions I had previously raised about the org.

    I prepared for his visit by printing out “The Guardian” article on the
    orgs, hypocrisy and also the UNs letter showing that NGOs had to
    agree with its charter, I pointed out to him page 112 in the Flock
    Book, that shows that he would not only lose his eldership, but
    would be D,A-d, for membership of a political org. The extra info
    from the secret file would have been most useful.

    Brother in law made the feeble response, “That we all sign things
    without reading the small print. ( We all know the org,lawyers check
    every full stop and comma,)

    We also discussed Shunning. I had printed. an article from the
    January 8 1947 Awake, “Are you Excommunicated”. The last
    paragraph describes excommunication as “A Weapon of Tyranny
    used by the clergy, that finds no parallel in history. I asked, why
    is a weapon of tyranny being used against gods flock today?

    He left, rather subdued and took the printed material with him.
    I didn’t get any Joy from this, he’s been a JW 57 years and is
    getting on in years himself. But it was he who requested the
    discussion, and I had no intention of listening to WT propaganda.
    I’ve had my fill of that.

    • October 24, 2015 at 2:34 pm
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      What a victory. Maybe he will have a crisis of conscience too.

    • October 26, 2015 at 12:10 pm
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      The UN NGO is now a bit of a distraction. What WTBTS did was join the UN Secretariat “Deartments and Offices” as an annex of the UN DPI, by way of the “grassroots” tier of the Outreach Division of the DPI.

      So the UN NGO is a low level “affiliate” “partnered” membership, that now dovetails out to many UN “Intergovernmental Organizations” that the WTBTS is now involved with, out of the UN NGO shell, but still performing UN lobbying in organizations intended to influence national legislation.

      The OSCE activity, a UN IGO, is not the only place the WTBTS still lobbies for the various layers of the UN international agenda, which penetrates all nations by various routes like “religious freedom” and “human rights” and “sustainable development”.

      For example then OSCE is at the core an “arms control” focused organ, so what is the WTBTS having to do with “arms control”? So it was just an in to allow the WTBTS to continue to “ride the wildbeast” under various “good intention” cloaks.

      But in the end, the WTBTS is used to influence national directions for the UN agenda into national politics.

  • October 24, 2015 at 10:22 am
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    “…for the congregation wants to avoid community responsibility for bloodguilt.”

    There it is: the reason the WatOrg will never fully allow blood transfusions. Instead, they’ll slowly decrease restrictions so that, when they’re done, accepting blood becomes a matter of conscience. No announcement is made, no new light blooms. Witnesses will be able to take blood in everything but name. They nearly can already.

    It’s all about the liability, guys.

    • October 24, 2015 at 12:46 pm
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      Excally. !!!

  • October 24, 2015 at 10:56 am
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    The genuine person who disclosed this nauseating
    document is obviously someone who is disillusioned
    and unhappy with the wt,orgs, principles and conduct.

    Furthermore they see Lloyds site as a major influence
    in combatting the cult control that many are trapped in.

    it’s a privilege to have a little part in it.

    • October 24, 2015 at 3:44 pm
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      With this kind of “inside and insightful ” information, for once the light is really getting brighter.

      • October 25, 2015 at 8:22 am
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        It def. makes reading the scriptures different.

    • October 25, 2015 at 7:28 pm
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      @Ted – really this is old news. As Lloyd outlines, RFranz served up this in his 1st book, CoC. No lawsuits in that case. The material has surfaced once and again, over the decades intervening, but now that we have wikileaks… and activist hackers..

  • October 24, 2015 at 11:16 am
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    Hi dee,
    Have read that book by Don Cameron as well. Also reasoning the scriptures with jehovah witnesses by Ron Rhodes. If there are any other books please let me know.
    @wifibandit
    Thanks for the link.they can target my countrymen as much as they can but so far their efforts have not yielded much success. People here are a little bit ambivalent when it comes to religion. Being majority hindus they generally dont listen to JWs . The government has not granted permission for the JW to receive foreign donations. They appealed in court but seems like the case is going on for at least a decade with no end in sight.

    • October 25, 2015 at 6:49 pm
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      @RC
      Just wondering, has your cousin expressed the reason(s) why he has decided to become a JW? Why does he believe that this is the true religion?

      I recall that when I used to be a JW, I was told that the best way to preach to Hindus (I assume your cousin was formerly a Hindu?) was not to discuss their religious beliefs but just show them the pictures of the coming paradise in the JW publications and ask them:

      If they could be in Paradise without having to go through several cycles of death and rebirth, would they prefer that?
      What if the Paradise could be on earth instead of in heaven? Would they prefer that?
      Based on their answers they were then told that the Bible teaches that there is a coming paradise on earth without the need to go through several cycles of death and rebirth before getting to that Paradise.

      At the time I was living in a country with a very significant Hindu population and some of the Hindus did fall for this apparent express route to Paradise and became JWs. Perhaps your cousin has fallen for these arguments as well?

      • October 29, 2015 at 3:43 am
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        Hi Dee,
        Sorry missed your reply did not visit the site for a couple of days. Yes my cousin seems to have unnatural fear of death which these guys exacerbated. Yes it was the hook they used to get him in. He asked me the same question and i asked him where in the bible is the earthly paradise mentioned. Our arguments are going on on that front.

  • October 24, 2015 at 11:56 am
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    What to do when you are of advanced age — with health problems — and the faithful slave no longer wants to support your missionary work, traveling work or district work? Being demoted to the Special Pioneer work does provide a meager income, but all other provisions are gone. Surely the answer lies in the “Correspondence Guidelines” document. Well, maybe not.

    However, there’s no need to become discouraged because the Governing Body has lovingly provided “Iron Sharpens Iron”, a video which shows how to “throw your burden on Jehovah” when God’s visible Earthly organization throws you out on the street. First, you must focus on the privilege and joy of serving the Watchtower organization and pleasing the Governing Body members who have a great abundance of love for you.

    Next, you must actually throw your burden on the local congregations to which you are now assigned. Therefore, you should try to relocate in areas where you are already known for your faithful Watchtower service. Then, think about why the Governing Body has made these “adjustments” and the benefits that are going to come to the congregations.

    Always think about the good times you had when you were young and serving the faithful slave, not about the stark reality that you are all used up and being discarded because the Watchtower has no further use for you.

    As a loving provision, the Governing Body has compiled all of these helpful survival tips and many more into one simplified video:

    http://tv.jw.org/#en/video/VODIntExp/pub-irn_x_VIDEO

    • October 26, 2015 at 8:24 am
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      Basically let me sum that video with a more accurate title. ” go and be warm and well fed”, now go on and get the hell outta here

      • October 26, 2015 at 7:38 pm
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        The Watchtower recently made the statement, “Older Christians can reflect Christlike humility by supporting younger ones now taking the lead.”

        In response to this, a commentator made this observation, and several others:

        “Policy changes in the organization are resulting in older men being marginalized solely on the basis of age. Men with 60, 70, even 80 years of experience are being sent out to pasture, while the ranks of travelling overseers are being filled with men in the prime of youth. Concurrent with this Watchtower’s study is the release of a video on tv.jw.org called “Iron Sharpens Iron” in which three forcibly retired district overseers are interviewed to put a positive spin on the new arrangement.”

        http://meletivivlon.com/2015/10/26/wt-study-are-you-reaching-the-stature-that-belongs-to-christ/

  • October 24, 2015 at 3:21 pm
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    Thank you for the work that you do. I have been cut off from my entire immediate family and suffered years of depression due to being a witness. I applaud you.

  • October 24, 2015 at 7:12 pm
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    I just looked under the section about sexual conduct. Do you remember the dentist here in the U.S. who raped women patients while they were unconscience in his dental chair? It took several years before he got caught. According to my sister a regular pioneer got pregnant by that dentist and was disfellowshipped because she kept telling the elders she didn’t know when it happened or who the father was. The elders didn’t believe her until DNA proved the rapist was the father. It took years before she was reinstated because the elders thought she was unrepentant. It took DNA to help her. It turned out she was telling the elders the truth the whole time. Things like this proves these are man made laws and not from Jehovah or Jesus. She kept going to meetings until she got reinstated. Now she is inactive. Disfellowshiping and shunning scars people for life.

    • October 24, 2015 at 7:30 pm
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      @Catalina:
      If this is really God’s spirit-led organization, why didn’t God’s Holy Spirit tell the elders that the raped sister was telling the truth?

      • October 24, 2015 at 8:56 pm
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        Oh Yes, that is such a great point. I get what you mean. When an elder is chosen it’s supposed to be by holy spirit. According to my sister the elders felt the pioneer sister was hiding something and wasn’t being forthcoming. If holy spirit was really there they would have trusted her. I never thought of that.

        • October 24, 2015 at 10:51 pm
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          She must have felt like “Why would I bother?” Sounds like she didn’t when they never believed her. Classic story. The Holy Spirit was never there.

    • October 25, 2015 at 4:02 am
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      Catalina, in my circuit there was a regular pioneer sister who left her husband and married another Witness man and she wasn’t even publicly reproved. That was in 1974 and because she didn’t even get a slap on the wrist, there was a rash of divorces (probably because that sister didn’t even get publicly reproved and so they thought they could do the same thing).

      It all depends on if they say “sorry” good enough and if they are innocent, that person would still have to say “sorry” to satisfy the requirements not to get disfellowshipped. It is much like in the U.S. if a person is convicted of a crime that they did not commit, if they want to get out of jail in a matter of years later, they have to say they were sorry for the crime they did not commit and if they refuse, the criminal system will keep that person in prison, that is unless they are released because of finding DNA evidence to exonerate them.

      Holy Spirit has nothing to do with their decisions. The elders’ first order of importance is that they have to make people on the “outside” believe that the Watchtower Organization is the cleanest religion in the world because after all, it is God’s “only” organization that He is communicating with today.

      When the elders play favorites and don’t disfellowship somebody and not the next person for the same “sin”, nobody in the congregation is privy to what went on behind the closed doors of the committee hearing and are forbidden to even ask questions.

      Those elders should not be put in that position. If a sister shows up pregnant and is not married and she says she can’t remember how it happened, the elders have no other choice but to disfellowship her.

      I am sure that after she was exonerated, they felt bad for their decision to disfellowship her but their conscience was clear because they were following the Governing Body’s orders.

      They should feel very ashamed and brokenhearted though because of all the pain that that Sister went through all those years and those elders can’t take that back from her and in any other organization, she could sue the pants off those men for what they put her through.

      • October 25, 2015 at 7:57 am
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        Caroline and Meredith, that’s probably it, she wouldn’t say sorry and the elders cared to much how things looked because she was pregnant.

    • October 25, 2015 at 7:45 pm
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      @Catalina – This may be off-topic, but since it is Halloween.. JW’s are noted for NOT observing any holidays, and especially, the Halloween festivities as being “Satan’s Day/Night,” so no telling of ghost stories, etc. But, JW’s do have their own style of Halloween ghost stories–demon stories.

      The famous ones are related about some poor pioneer sister who frequented flea markets and garage sales to recycle and salvage items to furnish her rental. As it goes, she finds an innocuous little curio item and places it inside the home. Nothing major happens, but she begins to notice little strange things–items seem to be out of place, doors open that she thought she closed. Then, as the elder or MS, continues the story, one night, or morning, an Incubus calls and without a graphic telling molests (rapes) the sister.

      Now, stories of this origin are steeped in superstition but the reasons for these tales derive from uncles and household males attempting to avoid suspicion of incest. A woman’s story of rape–perhaps being drugged–would be interrupted by the predatory interjecting the Incubus as culprit to throw suspicions off of himself.

      In light of the rise of molestation cases and what we know of predators using drugs to subdue females for rape, I wonder if these stories were brought up by these JW men to cover their own outrageous actions–throwing confusion into the heads of the woman that had been, or would be, a target of their rape?

    • October 26, 2015 at 6:55 am
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      Catalina … If I may ask … the incident of the Dentist you mentioned … in what State did that happen ?

      I ask because I also know of a similar case that happened where I lived . I know of one Sister who worked for this Dentist ! If its the same case … I have inside information for you .

    • October 26, 2015 at 7:04 am
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      Catalina … If I may ask … the incident of the Dentist you mentioned … in what State did that happen ?

      I ask because I also know of a similar case that happened where I lived . I know of one Sister who worked for this Dentist ! If its the same case … I have inside information for you .

    • October 27, 2015 at 3:14 am
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      @ Catalina. I remember reading about that Dentist. Is that a verifiable story you heard about the sister getting pregnant from the Dentist and her eventual Disfellowshipping? I am sure there is a newspaper article somewhere about it. Do you have access to it or more info on it?

  • October 24, 2015 at 7:50 pm
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    How many jws does it take to change a lightbulb? It doesnt fµ¶€½%# matter, youre getting new light next week. Just remember,todays new light is tomorrows darkness!!!

    • October 25, 2015 at 7:59 am
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      1914 ha ha ha, that joke made me laugh and laugh and laugh out loud.

  • October 24, 2015 at 8:01 pm
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    How many jws does it take to change a lightbulb? It doesnt fµ¶€½%# matter, youre getting new light next week. Just remember,todays new light is tomorrows darkness.

    • October 26, 2015 at 8:44 am
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      I would buy that T-shirt !

  • October 24, 2015 at 8:11 pm
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    sorry about the repost, i just cant get my head around the mindset of (my mum & dad) jws. Are they really that gullable?

  • October 24, 2015 at 8:14 pm
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    If a person is to be judged on their love of what is truthful how is the Watchtower getting along?
    Uzziah burnt incense in the temple and was struck with leprosy for doing so, how different is it to proclaim you have been appointed to a position ‘over all’ when you have not and have disfellowedshipped those who have disagreed with you?
    It is not apostasy to disagree with those who promote false teachings.
    If we are to ‘test the inspired sayings’ then questioning the Watchtower Society is the right and proper thing to do, especially in view of its horrendous past record of false teachings and bully boy tactics.

  • October 24, 2015 at 8:35 pm
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    The Watchtower loves it when people rant against them, it’s how they made their money, they laugh at people like us, in fact they love people like us (it’s a rather scornful arrogant organisation).
    But if you present a sound and scriptural argument against them, regardless of what they say, they are the ones they fear.

    • October 24, 2015 at 8:45 pm
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      Spot on Jake

    • October 25, 2015 at 8:27 am
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      They believe we are helping them fulfill scripture but as POW mentioned earlier the light is getting brighter but for a totally different reason than they – WT think.

  • October 24, 2015 at 8:44 pm
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    Beware it’s ‘unity at all costs’.

  • October 24, 2015 at 8:59 pm
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    The Watchtower lauds Christ, and yes I might die, but he did not bow to religious oppression.
    So on your bike with one shoe that fits all.

  • October 24, 2015 at 9:43 pm
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    Amazing leak.

    In some ways it’s not the content that should raise much in the way of eyebrows. With some notable exceptions, much of what is in there can be established from published WT articles. You could even argue that this is simply an internal document for use by Bethel staff and not especially “secret”.

    It’s also something so that whatever minion gets to write letters back can have some point of reference without having to trawl through years of flip flops, changed light and confusing doctrine.

    I think what is far more interesting is the mere fact it has been leaked. This is the latest in a bunch of documentation that has had relatively restricted distribution, only to those in trusted, senior roles, yet here it is being shared openly.

    The contradictory nature of the WTS claiming to be led by principles and basic Christian values whilst producing lengthy document after document after document about process is being exposed time after time after time.

    Great work!

  • October 24, 2015 at 9:48 pm
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    What is it about Northenden and the 1920’s?
    1990 and if I could of said I would. Did like the dinner tickets and the 1st floor though :-)

  • October 25, 2015 at 1:07 am
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    So upset that I can’t get a copy!

  • October 25, 2015 at 4:35 am
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    Amazing that even in the case of murder, it doesn’t say squat about reporting it to the authorities… and for manslaughter, it seems to imply that it should stay in-house. WTF?!?!

    • October 25, 2015 at 7:51 pm
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      I think I posted a few years back here, you could get away with murder as a JW?

  • October 25, 2015 at 8:23 am
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    On page 63, under Holidays and Anniversaries, it lists Hanukkah and refers to the Awake 1990 Dec. 8, pages 11-13 where that article actually admits that from the scripture at John 10:22,23 that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah in the wintertime.

    The article went on to explain what Hanukkah was and how they had decorations with lights etc. but really no explanation why Christians would not celebrate it except that the Law Covenant came to an end but on page 12 of that article it says:

    “Even though this festival was not a part of the original covenant God made with Israel, Hanukkah became an accepted part of the Jews’ worship, much as the Festival of Purim had become in previous years. (Esther 9:26,27) Like Purim, Hanukkah was celebrated with songs and prayers in the synagogues, unlike the three major festivals mandated by he covenant (Passover; Festival of Weeks, or Pentecost; and Festival of Booths) that required trips to the temple in Jerusalem. – Deut. 16:16.”

    This is how that article concludes:

    “So even though the rededication of the temple was an important event in the history of God’s ancient people, there is no reason for Christians to commemorate Hanukkah.”

    What is interesting about this is that if you say to Witnesses that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah which is a winter holiday right around Christmas and it has nothing to do with the festivals that were in the Law Covenant, most Witnesses would be surprised by that fact. That little sentence and that scripture in that article went right past me, and I bet almost every Witness.

    That article doesn’t answer the question about whether or not a Christian could celebrate Hanukkah because it refers to the Law Covenant being done away with. It doesn’t answer the question because it had nothing to do with the Law Covenant in the first place.

    If brother who is answering correspondence, is being asked that question, all they would tell the writer to do, is to look at that Awake article for their answers and the article doesn’t answer the question at all but just gives the runaround.

    If it had been me who had written to the Society for an answer to that question, the answer would not have satisfied me and that is because the Watchtower can’t answer it satisfactorily because Jesus celebrated Hanukkah and it had nothing to do with the Law covenant.

    The Watchtower has to give the runaround when it comes to Jesus celebrating Hanukkah because that is one scripture that they could not leave out of the New World Translation but if they could leave it out, they would have so they slide right over it with a slippery answer, hoping that nobody will notice.

    Slippery little answers like that, just go to show that they don’t know what they are talking about when it comes to the Bible. They just want the rank and file to think they have all the answers and the rank and file won’t put their brains in gear to question it.

    We read that stuff but didn’t think about what we were reading and that is because we were ordered to read all the magazines and so we read them, to get it over with. We didn’t really read them because they were interesting articles.

    We read them to get it over with so if a householder asked us a question like “did you read it?”, we would be able to answer with a clean conscience, “yes I read it.”

    • October 26, 2015 at 2:10 pm
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      Carolina,
      Good point, in fact I remember a question from readers that dealt with whether a jdub.could attend a bar mitzvah, somehow the answer was worked around Paul’s counsel concerning what sharing does Christ have with Belial, really, like Paul never stepped foot in a synagogue. So the Jews were devil worshipers? Didn’t Jesus and Paul and James , ect….all worship at the temple and local synagogue.

      • October 26, 2015 at 5:07 pm
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        @Pow, the things we read and never questioned it. We would never have believed that the Society would ever deceive us. Now I look at absolutely everything they say and do with a skeptical eye and can see it so clearly that it’s all smoke screens.

        What sickens me so much is that now that I can see it for what it really is, is that when people around me talk about the “truth” like it’s really the “truth”, I want to scream at them what I have found out and I can’t. It is so frustrating. They go on and on about it and I just let them but the whole time, my brain is screaming at them in my head that they are being made fools of by the Society and I bite my tongue and let them think they are “encouraging” me.

        I can’t even roll my eyes at them. They always have to say a prayer and I can’t even bow my head. All I do is smile at them while they go on and on. It’s the worst kind of hell a person can live through. It’s like I am the only one living in a mental institution that is sane. They all think I am the crazy one but I know they are the one that is under mind control. If it wasn’t for the fact that if I disassociate myself, I’d be disfellowshipped and wouldn’t be able to talk to my kids, I’d divorce them so fast.

        It is so great being able to vent here. It helps us realize that we aren’t the crazy ones.

    • October 27, 2015 at 4:40 pm
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      The GB conveniently chooses when the law convenant came to an end; the law covenant ended only when it suits them – isn’t the two witness rule at Deuteronomy 19:15 which they use to protect pedophiles also a part of the laws given under the law covenant?

      • October 27, 2015 at 5:33 pm
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        Oh I get it. Jesus did repeat the two witness rule in the New Testament at Matthew 18:16 so I guess that makes the two witness rule OK.

  • October 25, 2015 at 11:12 am
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    I dont even read it.
    Cause i just can not believe how stupid you all pretend to be.

    This one part of article clearly says that JW is true religion.
    How blind all of you has to be to not see it?

    *** w12 9/1 p. 15 Now I Know the God I Worship ***
    Though my father and brother now vehemently opposed me, two weeks before my baptism as a Witness, I mustered up the courage to go home to burn all the things I had used in my former work as a pastor. After doing so, I realized that any special powers previously given to me were gone. In the past, when I slept, I felt that something was constantly pressing down on me. That feeling was gone too. The shadows I used to see at the window of my room never appeared again. My study of the Bible had taught me that any so-called gifts today, like the power to heal, are not from God but from wicked spirits. I am so happy that I broke free from their influence, just as the servant girl did whom Paul freed from “a demon of divination.”—Acts 16:16-18.

    Why would demons leave her?
    WHY?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

    • October 25, 2015 at 11:42 am
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      Who’s to say this experience is true… Personally I think just telling this experience is weird. I don’t talk about demons at all! Witnesses are more preoccupied with the spirit world more than any group I know..:/

      • October 25, 2015 at 12:11 pm
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        You got that right. Before I became inactive I remember during a meeting some comments made about spiritism. While I was inactive my step daughter played a cassette tape in my car of ghost stories. The copy right date was 1959. The stories I heard on the cassette tape were identicle to the comments I heard at the meetings. That was the first time I realized I what I heard at the meeting was fiction.

    • October 25, 2015 at 2:55 pm
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      @idontbeliveyou:

      There are members of other religions who have also claimed that demons stopped attacking/harassing them once they joined that religion. Would that make those religions true as well or is it only the JW religion that is true when its members have this kind of experience????

      It seems to me that you have fallen for the ‘specialness’ ploy used by the GB whereby the GB creates a ‘specialness’ about the JWs so that they can in turn claim that on account of this ‘specialness’ JWs must be right:

      1. Only JWs use God’s name.
      2. JWs will be persecuted for their faith. Satan will cause relatives and friends and other religions to say bad things about the religion. So we must be doing it right as, after all Jesus did tell us to expect persecution.
      3. The demons can’t attack you if you flee to Jehovah’s organization.

      Freedom from demonic attack/harassment has also been claimed by members of other religions so maybe the JWs aren’t so special after all???? So, I wonder if the JW religion is really the true religion????

      • October 25, 2015 at 3:28 pm
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        Alleged claims of freedom from demonic harassment/attacks does not in and of itself proove that the JW religion is the true religion since this is not a unique experience – members of other religions have also claimed to experience freedom from demonic harassment/attacks when they joined those religions.

        • October 25, 2015 at 4:02 pm
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          *prove

        • October 25, 2015 at 4:45 pm
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          I can say that from experience and this story will sound far-fetched but it is true. A couple of years ago, my cousin had a so-called “demon possession” experience inside her kingdom hall with elders holding her down while she was spitting at them & screaming foul language at them. Apparently she was so strong that the 5 men that had to calm her down were struggling to hold her down.

          It came out that she has been diagnosed with some severe mental illness. I don’t exactly know what she has been diagnosed with because I was leaving the religion at the time & was labelled by her as an apostate for not going along with the whole superstitiousness of it all. I kind of thought that she was inviting the whole thing on anyway. Also, if she really was possessed & the kh is god’s house & is free from demons then why did she have it in the kh.

          So many people were having mental illness problems & physical illnesses that were making them depressed that I started to question the sanity of this religion & the impact it had on everyone. Then it dawned on me how much the underlying negative messages were. Everything was so negative with a topping of fantasy to sweeten it.

          At the time, I felt like the woman in the original 1984 film where she was looking out of the window at the woman hanging the clothes out on the washing & longing for that sense of freedom. The sad, tragic thing about that movie was that they went back because the mind control & groupthink was so powerful.

  • October 25, 2015 at 4:26 pm
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    Just lost the screen while I was writing a comment, so if anything across not finished, that’s me..
    Not many surprises in the guidelines, it just reinforces the controlling aspect of the cult. The rigidity and the inability of ‘appointed’ ones to use common sense, impartiality and empathy is truly heinous.
    After 20 years in and currently doing a quick fade, I have seen so many cases of rules being overlooked for those who are a pioneer, part of an elder’s family, or just good at sucking up. But have any independent action or thinking, secular success, family problem or brain usage and any of these rules would be used to the maximum against you..
    Examples: sterilization in families has not ever been an issue in the standing or privileges in congregation here. Our presiding overseer and his wife were in Bethel for a time and she had her tubes tied while she was there. She just didn’t want children. And when my husband had a vasectomy, it was certainly not frowned upon. Had we been on tbe outs then, apparently this was shameful decision.
    Also, the common practice of friending disfellowshipped family and former associates on Facebook and other social media. Our disfellowshipped ones and uninterested young adults are frequently asked about, talked to, eat at families homes, etc..and the common phrases when asked about this person is: ‘well Jehovah knows their heart’. This is certainly in contrast to what the same families would say at a meeting when answering who’s going to make it into Armageddon. There they would follow the direction and say’ Oh only us wonderful baptized in good standing witnesses’. I don’t know how they keep a straight face when commenting.
    Anyway rules are made to be used for ugly purposes and watch out if you look funny at them when they’re breaking them theirselves. You’re in for it!
    As I’m exiting, I’ve shared some the rules and expected behavior conditioning with friends from work and life (yes, I have always maintained WORLDLY friends. .ao naughty) and they are appalled by what I and others have accepted as truth, standards and doctrine. If I hear anyone us studying, I will find them and give them a copy.
    Thank u for this site..it’s truly helped me to have courage to choose this great life forward!

  • October 25, 2015 at 5:56 pm
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    Watchtower states that it is nonpolitical. Really? Think about the following.

    A lawyer is a person who practices or studies law; an attorney or a counselor. Watchtower has lawyers on their staff. What is a law? A law is a ​rule made by a ​
    government that ​states how ​people may and may not ​behave in ​society and in ​business, and that often ​orders ​particular ​punishments if they do not ​obey, or a ​system of such ​rules. Therefore, the government creates laws. Who in particular creates the laws in the government? In the United States laws are created by Congress. Congress is made up of men and women who represent political parties. A political party is an organization
    of people which seeks to achieve goals common to its members through the acquisition and exercise of political power. Who ultimately owns the political
    power? Could it be…Satan.

    Watchtower believes that having lawyers on staff is acceptable. Jesus Christ, while he was on earth, did not have one lawyer on his staff. Jesus did not want
    his father’s laws to be interfered with government laws. Jesus would state having lawyers on his staff would be a conflict of interest.

    • October 25, 2015 at 6:43 pm
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      The Watchtower never states it is non-political, but neutral. However, being neutral in their view means they are not taking a stand, or side, on any issues, which as we can see from the halal and hijab codes listed here is not the case. They clearly have a moral stand and moral stands ARE political in that they affect the lives and rights of individuals, just as laws do.

      That leadership doesn’t seem to follow the same “boogey-man” behind the political system fears as the r/f would indicate the leadership doesn’t really buy into the beliefs being served up. After all, the sovreign is never subject to the laws imposed on the plebes.

      • October 26, 2015 at 10:24 am
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        The Watchtower magazine’s masthead states that they are nonpolitical. Here is the quote: “This magazine has been published continuously since 1879 and is nonpolitical.”

        • October 27, 2015 at 10:39 am
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          The masthead does read that, but the group overall uses the term neutrality when it is asked about political stance and views. And, the magazine doesn’t print articles specifically endorsing candidates, but as you stated, and I did above, it is highly political because moral stands ARE what influences legislation.

  • October 25, 2015 at 6:12 pm
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    All kinds of people suffer all kinds of hallucinations
    and delusions. Religion seems to have more than
    it’s fair share,

    And no wonder, the idea of a very exacting God
    intruding constantly on every private thought,
    24 hour surveillance, it’s enough to drive anyone
    mad, not everyone can deal with that scenario.
    Orwell got it right.

    Then the very ones who have created the problem
    claim they are the only ones with the cure. It’s the
    oldest con in the world. It’s not just the JW org,
    we need to wake up from.

  • October 25, 2015 at 6:48 pm
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    From my experience what I have found of those that are recruited many seem to have had some sort of demonic experience in their lives before becoming a JW, and they experience more while studying, JW say its because the demons don’t want to let you go and just say Gods name out loud and they will flee, get rid of all books or things on the occult or anything someone may have given you that was involved in the occult, and crosses and heavy metal music and so on….

    But these people all seemed to not be happy after becoming a JW, and had depression and mental issues.

    I think the JW religion does attract a certain type for the most part.

    • October 25, 2015 at 7:07 pm
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      @Kat & Grace:
      Good points.
      There was also some research done on the problem of mental illness among Jehovah’s Witnesses by Dr Jerry Bergman, a former JW elder. He discussed some of the issues in the following video:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO-b65W-zWs

        • October 25, 2015 at 9:59 pm
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          Thank you Dee,

          That is a very interesting video. I would love to see stats on the mental state of JW’s. I do believe that it attracts those with prior mental health issues as was my cousin who was converted. She always had signs of something amiss & was the sweetest personality but over the years it seemed as though she was getting sicker & sicker. I also noticed that she became hypersensitive about demons & it became her focus a lot of the time.

          • October 26, 2015 at 4:57 pm
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            Grace:
            Dr Jerry Bergman also wrote a book: “Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Problem of Mental Illness”.
            It was published in 1992 so any stats on the mental state of JWs which it may contain would be dated.

            Also, http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/mental-issues.php
            documents quite a few studies which have been done on Jehovah’s Witnesses & Mental Health. Some of the studies mention the sample sizes used for the study.

    • October 25, 2015 at 9:44 pm
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      @Kat:
      “I think the JW religion does attract a certain type for the most part”.

      Could it be that such persons are overwhelmed by life’s challenges as they find it difficult/ lack the ability to cope with life’s problems or get in control of life’s challenging situations and this difficulty/inability causes them to have mental health problems?

      This inability to cope is what causes them to be attracted to the JW religion because of the fantasy paradise doctrine, as they see paradise as a panacea to their inability to cope with life’s problems?

      But once they are in the religion constantly hearing the negative message about how bad everything around them is, as this thought must be kept foremost to remind them of the imminence of Armageddon, they become depressed from hearing too much negativity and this exacerbates any mental health issues which they may have had before joining the religion?

      • October 27, 2015 at 10:43 am
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        There’s an interesting parallel. During the deepest parts and the final wind-down of the Cold War, the NATO powers held “nuclear Armaggedon” drills which required all military teams to be on full alert 24/7. These teams were under tremendous mental health strain. Compare that to JW’s who are constantly under an “Armaggedon” drill 24/7, always on the watch, and terrified of misconduct booting them out of the “bomb shelter.” Yeah, no mental health issues? I think not.

        • October 27, 2015 at 11:54 am
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          Constant fear & guilt that if you do not do what the GB says then God is going to do you something bad = Constant Mental Strain = Mental Health Issues.

    • October 26, 2015 at 3:25 am
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      Really, who is to know who is influencing us anyway? It would be easy to fake these things as if they were really coming from the true God. We were ripe for the pickins. Real suckers.

  • October 25, 2015 at 10:06 pm
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    I agree with what was said towards the end of this video. For me it is traumatic to be shunned by my family but in the long run I am happier. It took months for me to feel better. I say, It doesn’t work well to go back to what didn’t work. I was born and raised in the ‘truth’ I left it the first time in 1988. I felt guilty when I left for letting my family down. I returned a year ago and saw it was worse than when I left. They are like puppets. The society controls their mouths, minds and actions. They are unhappy. That’s why it’s so unhealthy. No one is allowed to think for themselves. Because of their marking and shunning policy they are very judgmental. This causes them to dislike each other and in the end it even causes them to dislike themselves, that explains the mental illness.

  • October 26, 2015 at 12:19 am
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    Dee you are right. The nice thing about this site is listening to people who make sense.

  • October 26, 2015 at 12:31 am
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    I agree, many who come into the religion already have mental issues. They are worshiping a God who can’t stand mankind so much he brought on the flood to destroy them and in the end he couldn’t even stand himself so he felt regret for doing the flood. I don’t know. It sounds so warped to me.

  • October 26, 2015 at 3:05 am
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    I agree Dee and as the time passes and no Armageddon but more of the same it puts ones hopes up then you go down again, up and down up and down, no wonder people in this religion can’t cope and suicide especially if they are DF and lose family and friends they have nothing to hang onto. Fighting to come back into the religion feeling unworthy takes its toll.

  • October 26, 2015 at 4:48 am
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    One week ago, my husband went to the hospital for some tests and they ended up keeping him for a week. While he was in the hospital, two of the elders from his congregation came to see him. They are lovely men, especially when they drove eighty miles one way. They were dressed in suits and looked really nice. You could tell they were “shepherding” my husband.

    When they were there, they asked my grown son to read a scripture to my husband and when my son was done reading the scripture, the one elder commended my son on what a good job he did reading the scripture. My son has been baptized since he was a teenager and is in his thirty’s and loves the “truth” and so commending him like that was demeaning.

    Reading that scripture to my husband was demeaning and it insulted my husband. I told my husband that those elders were doing their “job” as how they felt they should do. They had no idea by reading that scripture to “encourage” my husband was insulting but it was.

    It was so nice of them to go to see him but what they don’t realize is that we are all supposed to be “ministers” on equal standing when you are a Witness.

    When a fellow Witness “encourages” us by reading scriptures to us, they are saying in effect that “that they are “above” you in the “truth” but we all supposed to be ministers on an equal plane.

    When a paid minister from Christendom goes to the hospital to visit patients, they are being paid to do that and the patient expects the minister to read scriptures to the patient but when a fellow “minister” of Jehovah’s Witnesses goes to the church, who is the “minister”?

    Can you imagine that a paid preacher from a church is lying in a hospital bed and a “lay” person comes to the minister’s room and starts reading scriptures to the paid preacher who is lying in the bed to “encourage” the paid preacher?

    Why would all of a sudden the lay person start “encouraging” the paid minister with scriptures? Shouldn’t the lay person be quiet and wait for the paid preacher to start reading the scriptures, even if that paid preacher is lying in the bed? That is not how it works when the church members are paying a preacher to be their minister when it comes to Bible understanding.

    When my husband has been in the “truth” since birth and he is seventy years old, he shouldn’t be treated now as if another elder is the “minister” and he is not a fellow minister.

    When we are called into a committee meeting or any other time we are with fellow “ministers” we should all be treated with equal respect and when the elders start with the scriptures and we are not allowed to get out the Bible and show them scriptures where they are going wrong, they are putting themselves in the position as the paid preacher in a church and we are the “lay” person who doesn’t know anything about the Bible.

    When the Society tells us that we need to be “obedient” to elders, they are saying that we are no longer ministers but “lay” people.

    It isn’t just the elders who think they are superior. Anybody who isn’t “just” a publisher is put in their place by the next person up the ladder who gets more time in service or is a man.

    No matter how much the Society likes to tell new people who are studying that we are all equal, it is not true.

    Those rules that the Society has come up with, proves that.

    • October 27, 2015 at 10:48 am
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      Pecking order–google search it.

  • October 26, 2015 at 6:40 am
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    The posting of the “correspondence guidelines” manual brings to attention an issue that has always been an unsettling inside paradox. ( status of citizenship ) I served as an elder for almost 20 years (as P.O. / C.O.B.E. , school overseer, WT conductor and secretary) and have faded from the Organization about 3 years ago. But during my time as an elder, our congregation shared a multi congregation Kingdom hall capable of holding more then one meeting at the same time. Among the Congregations that shared the facility were 3 foreign language congregations. Two were Spanish. It was common knowledge that within the Spanish appointed bodies – ½ of the elders and about 1/3 of the ministerial servants were “ illegal aliens “ and did not have the legal right to be in the country nor work within it. Although many of them had been in the country for many years. One time after a “ operating committee “ meeting between congregations a couple of us asked the P.O. of one congregation and substitute Circuit Overseer (unbeknown to us an illegal himself) how is it that men are appointed despite the clear direction within the “ shepherd “ and the “ pay attention “ book that such men “ would not qualify or be considered exemplary because of a loss of freedom of speech “ because of their status. His response ? He said that many brothers have had to give parts about obeying Caesars law … despite the fact that they themselves were also in violation of it! He said it’s a topic that only gets mentioned lightly
    He said: The honest answer is … If the Society enforced that … then there would never be anyone to take the lead! He said it’s an example of Bible counsel NOT APPLYING TO MODERN TIMES ! I never forgot that. It was a prime example of what is written for guidelines and instruction was ALWAYS negotiable, it could be omitted if it was uncomfortable. Conversely it could be strictly enforced to the letter of the law … If you just plain old didn’t like the individual you were counseling ! Fair ? Consistent ? Scripturally Guided ? Spirit Moved ?. We were taught constantly both orally and in written form that jehovah’s Laws were unmovable and to be obeyed, no matter how difficult, because doing so yielded peaceable fruit. Just one proof to me at the time , that what was written was not from God … but wishy washy doctrine of men !

  • October 26, 2015 at 7:10 am
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    The title, “Correspondence Guidelines” indicates that this
    document was needed because of questions coming in from
    the R & F. Unlike the Apostle Paul, a mature Christian, who
    felt no guilt in buying meat from the market and asking no
    questions about it. The guilt of JWs is so intensely cult-ivated
    that many need to go into every nuance, for example, 8 pages
    devoted solely on questions of employment.

    A dependence on the self appointed God”s org, is created
    to sort out the minutiae and provide answers and reassurance.

    Despite claims to the contrary, mature Christian development
    is neither encouraged or produced. Using the Bible and your
    own conscience to make your own decisions is strongly
    discouraged. WT Oct 1st, 1967 p 587, “The Bible cannot be
    understood without Jehovah’s Org, in mind”,
    WT July 1st 1967 p 338, “There’s no need to spend a lot of time
    in Bible research, there are bros, in the org, assigned to do that
    for you”

    In an association of Mature Christians, a document entitled
    “Correspondence Guidelines” would be superfluous, not
    needed. Only immature children are dependant on others
    to make decisions for them.

    • October 26, 2015 at 7:55 am
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      When I first came into the ‘truth’ I was impressed that I was encouraged to search for the answers myself. I remember the sister who studied with me, telling me that she herself was brought up Catholic and that when she asked her priest a question he would tell her not to worry about questioning the scriptures because that is what the church was for. That they understood them and that they – the cong. only had to follow what they said. My church, Protestant, never said anything to us, just read scripture on a Sunday and told us to be good for the week. So the ‘truth’ was amazing and I loved studying and asking questions.
      Now I am too scared to ask a single question about anything because of the inquisition that will follow. So I stay quiet, do no study and just pray to the God I knew before I went to any religious organisation. He looked after me then and I trust him to do the same now without any man made org. telling me what I can and can’t believe.
      I am sad though. I have no friends in the world and have slowly pushed the ones away in the hall because I know they – or most of them are conditional friends who will not be around when I fade out completely or end up being investigated and df’d. It’s a lonely life.

      • October 26, 2015 at 9:40 am
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        It really is Tara…. I am in the same position…. and though they are lovely people you cannot trust them…they think they are ‘saving’ you and if they tell on you they are keeping the congregation clean…. I am trying at the age of 57 after a lifetime in this cult to forge a life for myself outside while still just slowly fading…it is lonely…thats why this site is invaluable…it gives us the validation we need without judgment….I have listened to wise advice from Excelsior…JB…and sympathised with the experiences of ruthlee and meredith…it is a gift and though life in our situation can be lonely its good to know we are not alone.

      • October 26, 2015 at 11:15 am
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        dear lonely Tara, Please know I am a friend,whatever u do…me,myself & others too. really appreciate ur humor,we share the same hollow feelings….wishing family was a million miles away…to make things legitimate & real,for the phone y excuses for not coming by,which leave u simply reeling! To me u are so very dear,dearer than any Phone y sister with a foggy brain~ U help me see things so much clearer!! So maybe it’s time somebody told ya,Tara…your comments bring happiness to my soul & thats testimont that we all cara!!!

        • October 26, 2015 at 5:56 pm
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          Well that’s me all teary now…. that is one of the nicest things anyone has said to me in a long time. Thank you fader blues…. yes, this site is family. I know who my brothers and sisters are… even the odd ones lol. We’ve all been put through the wringer one way or another haven’t we. Aw shucks… that was so nice. lub you lot x

  • October 26, 2015 at 7:56 am
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    Great that this 2011 Correspondence Guidelines for JW Bethelites has been leaked and is now available to all who wish to access it. Knowledge is power, as we all know; and facts should be able to withstand scrutiny.

    I, for one, might well be able to prove to one of my JW extended family members that the diktats on blood transfusions/blood fractions have indeed changed over the years. I was recently told that this wasn’t so. Now I can present the ‘Blood’ section of this document, should the subject again be brought up by that family member.

    Congratulations to all involved with this leak. So many people are going to be helped by this further exposure of the Watchtower Society’s secretive, high-control rules and regulations. Every leak like this erodes jw.org’s power and influence, and leads to more good-hearted rank and file JWs waking up. Well done!

    • October 26, 2015 at 8:42 am
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      Look up the Jensen letters, correspondence between an elder and the service desk. ..if there still available on line. long read but definitely leads one to the conclusion that the g.b. is just making up arbitrary rules as they go….without any need to even be consistent, kinda like defining a generation as consisting of anyone who overlaps another. Which means here in the United States that the generation that remembers Lincoln’s assassination is getting.up there in years.

      • October 27, 2015 at 4:50 am
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        Thanks for the ref, Pow. I’ll look that up. Best wishes.

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