More than 6,000 had their say in the 2015 Global Survey of Jehovah's Witnesses
More than 6,000 had their say in the 2015 Global Survey of Jehovah’s Witnesses

You will all be pleased to know that the 2016 Global Survey of Jehovah’s Witnesses was launched this weekend, and already has 124 responses.

To add your voice to the new survey, simply click on the “have your say” graphic at the top of the right-hand column (or click here).

Last year’s survey attracted a record 6,083 respondents, including 1,022 active Jehovah’s Witnesses, 145 serving elders (including 25 coordinators), 772 inactive ones, 1,706 faders, 1,461 disfellowshipped/disassociated ones, and 949 non-baptized voters (including 597 with JW relatives).

The data yielded from such impressive numbers was tremendous, and I will do my very best to get the results published earlier this time round – hopefully in the Spring.

A few quick stats for you:

  • 67% of inactive voters said they would leave the organization if shunning were abolished
  • 90% of disfellowshipped/disassociated ones say they are happier since leaving
  • 66% of inactive/faded/former JWs were baptized at 17 or younger
  • Only 19% of inactive/faded/former JWs became Witnesses through the preaching work
  • 27 elders say they are aware of pedophiles in their congregation
  • 46% of active JW voters would either secretly or openly accept blood
  • 13% of JW voters would allow their child to die for want of a blood transfusion
  • 152 JW voters know of a fellow believer, or child of Witness parents, who has died from refusing blood
  • 46 memorial partakers took our survey
  • 77% of JW voters do not believe elders are appointed by holy spirit
  • 58% of JW voters say they have never assisted anyone to baptism
  • Geoffrey Jackson is the most likeable GB member among JW voters
  • Anthony Morris is the least likeable GB member among JW voters
  • Sam Herd is considered the least controversial GB member among JW voters
  • Anthony Morris is considered the most controversial GB member by JW voters
  • 50% of JW voters do not donate any money to Watchtower
  • 10% of JW voters are happy for their donations to be spent in legal costs arising from sex abuse cases
  • 22% of JW voters say that even if their religion were proven untrue, they would stick with it
  • 78% of all voters have known or heard of a JW committing suicide
  • 47% of all voters suffer from depression
  • 766 say they suffer from depression but haven’t yet obtained professional help
  • 1,123 voters say they have contemplated or attempted suicide as a result of their JW beliefs, or the prospect of shunning
  • 907 voters say they have self-harmed as a JW
  • 13.5% of voters were home-schooled as JWs
  • 54% of voters say they were bullied at school as a result of their beliefs
  • 55% of voters say they have experienced financial disadvantage as a result of JW teachings on higher education
  • 113 voters say they are victims of child sex abuse within Jehovah’s Witnesses
  • 58% of the 4,265 polled on their current beliefs expressed varying degrees of unbelief
  • The stigmatization of higher education continues to be the most-disliked Watchtower teaching
  • Only 136 out of 6,083 voters say they agree with all Watchtower teachings

I am sure, like me, you would consider some of those statistics as headlines in themselves, worthy of considerable press exposure. The fact that 27 out of 145 polled elders are aware of pedophiles within their congregation is nothing short of scandalous, as is the fact that our survey of over 6,000 current and former Witnesses yielded 113 professed victims of child sex abuse.

As shocking as these numbers are, I can only be grateful that we have this information at our disposal, and I am confident that our recently-expanded team at JWsurvey, temporarily under new management, will find time and opportunity to give these figures the exposure they deserve.

Meanwhile, I would like to thank each and every one of you who participated in last year’s survey, and I would urge all of you to do the same in 2016. By combining our voices on the harm being inflicted by Watchtower, we are no longer the silent majority.

 

 

new-cedars-signature3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please note: a new feature of the new 2016 survey is the possibility of seeing the results at a glance once you’ve finished. However, I have already started getting feedback from people who are confused because they are seeing questions they weren’t asked. Please bear in mind that not every voter answers every question. For example, someone who is not an elder will not be asked questions for serving elders, and someone who has never been disfellowshipped will not be asked questions for those who are disfellowshipped, and so on. I may withdraw this feature if it ends up causing too much confusion, but for now I trust that many of you prefer to see how the survey is shaping up after you have taken it.

188 thoughts on “The 2016 Global Survey of Jehovah’s Witnesses is launched!

  • February 11, 2016 at 12:09 am
    Permalink

    Another fascinating point from the survey is 66% inactive,faded or former JWs were baptised at 17 or younger which shows that baptism at an early age does not work & all that creates are many many divided families because baptism has very very serious consequences if you are a JW because then the shunning of the person begins even from close family members which is devastatingly traumatic & creates a cycle of depression & suicidal tendencies.
    I believe the GB think they are onto a winner by trapping people into baptism at an early age but I think it is backfiring by producing dysfunctional families & a lot of angry hurt ex JWs which makes them determined to bring this organisation down .

  • February 11, 2016 at 1:44 am
    Permalink

    The 2016 global survey is already a victim of its own success, and will be closed until March 5th. On our current subscription plan with surveymonkey we get a maximum 1,000 responses per month (which would be 12,000 per year). Considering our record for a year so far is just over 6,000, this isn’t normally a problem. But within a few days of launching the new survey we are already approaching the 1,000-mark. Hopefully I will soon be upgrading our subscription plan, but until then I appreciate your patience!

    • February 11, 2016 at 7:56 am
      Permalink

      Wow! that is amazing. That in itself is a news worthy item. Just shows the amount of feeling out there towards the org. Both from within and from those formally associated. Word is spreading.

      • February 11, 2016 at 8:20 am
        Permalink

        Yes, it would be awesome if we could break 10,000 this year. It shows the level of dissatisfaction within the organization and the number of folks starting to wake up or at least realize that something is not right.

        Still, even if we were to surpass 100,000 I don’t know if it would phase the governing body, wrapped in its cocoon of policies and elitism. And while Lloyd has an open offer to the GB engage in a healthy dialogue in regard to the survey, I don’t think that’s the main point of it all. I think the main point is raising awareness of the evils of this org and to give a voice to those it has tried to silence.

        Cedars/Lloyd thanks for all your hard work in giving us this opportunity to be heard.

        WS

    • February 11, 2016 at 1:12 pm
      Permalink

      Just finished listening to the late podcast and remembered this being linked on a Spanish speaking forum. Perhaps the law firms and dates will narrow down your search.

      The Associated Press
      February 10, 1986, Monday, PM cycle HEADLINE:
      Local Church Wins Fight With National Office
      DATELINE: BONHAM, Texas
      Members of a Jehovah’s Witness congregation have declared victory in their legal fight with the denomination’s national organization over ownership of a local church.
      Justice of the Peace Don Jones ruled that leaders of the national group, the Watchtower Society, unlawfully changed locks andtook over the church.
      The denomination, known for its door-to-door evangelism, has filed an an appeal of the ruling. The dispute centered on ownership of the Kingdom Hall and began last summer when Ralph Deal sent 14 letters to the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society in New York asking for answers to particular theological questions.
      Deal testified that when he persisted with his questions, the Watchtower Society sent a committee to Bonham on July 14 to choose new officers for the church. The group changed locks on the church after the new officers were chosen.
      Deal, along with Tony Jones, Wesley Ruddell and Tommy Johnson, were notified by letter that they had been “disfellowshipped”_ or dismissed for disciplinary reasons _ from the church. They filed suit to retain possession of Kingdom Hall.
      The title to the property is filed with the county under “Trustees of the Bonham Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.”
      After Friday’s ruling, lawyer David Mercot, representing the local church, said he thinks other individuals and congregations dissatisfied with the Watchtower Society will be encouraged to stand up.
      “For 40 years or more, the Watchtower Society acted like the local congregations were their pawns while in public denying any hierarchy,” Mercot said.
      The suit was filed because the local members were “rousted” from the church, Ruddell said. “We were intimidated to do exactly asthey said.”
      Jehovah’s Witnesses was founded by Charles T. Russell in 1884. The denomination is distinguished by its belief that only 144,000 people will go to heaven.
      Critics say defections from the denomination began after the world failed to end in 1975 as leaders had predicted. Other dates cited by church leaders included 1914, 1920, 1925 and 1938.
      Official spokesmen for the denomination have declined to answer questions about the case.

  • February 11, 2016 at 10:29 am
    Permalink

    I don’t believe anything short of a complete uprising within all of the congregations would catch the attention of the powers that be in New York.

    They live a comfortable lifestyle, do not have to worry about money or the economy, the lawyers have protected them from any personal liability and therefore they appear to have cocooned themselves quite comfortably.

    Does it really matter to them that out of 8 million, maybe 10,000 or 50,000 or 100,000 have woken up and have left? Apparently not. They still have lots of money in the bank, and still have witnesses that believe that they are God’s spokesmen and nothing has really changed- shunning still happens, higher education is still frowned upon and questioning the GB on anything is not tolerated.

    The lawsuits will take years to figure out and with appeals etc, they could be dragged on for many many years.

    In the meantime families are destroyed, and the rank and file simply keep on the hampster wheel and routine that is the everyday life of a witness.

    I wish things were different and I could have back my relationships with my family, but the religion still trumps all.

    • February 11, 2016 at 10:54 am
      Permalink

      Stay the course Rob
      Yes this movement is not an outright destroyer of this cult, but it is making steady gains as time passes.
      I wish I could show you pictures of my neighbors doors. I went to a sticker making website a few months ago and had a few hundred door stickers made with JW.org font instructing any witness to visit this site as well as jwfacts in order to prepare for the bible questions this house hold will have. I passed them out to all my neighbors sharing very crucial Australian royal commission and other pertinent WT facts with them and the danger this doomsday cult was to our community. I am very proud to say that I have successfully been able to convince 82 of my neighbors to place these on their front doors.
      I live in a suburb outside of Chicago and have made it my life’s mission to protect people seeking Christ from this dangerous faith killing cult. I hope to soon grow the stones necessary to post a video of my local work.
      If your truly worried about your family. I would recommend getting the truth about the “truth” to them indirectly by doing what you were trained to do so well. Go door to door in your best clothes and present yourself as a good neighbor and JW cult survivor. Explain some of the atrocities and anti biblical practices of this cult and how you’ve made these stickers in order to keep these brainwashed zombies away from their door and how together as a community you can keep them either out of the area or forced to confront facts about their cult.

      This Saturday I will be visiting local churches and canvassing for possible volunteer ant JW activist. I truly hope this helps JW’s in my area start asking the important questions.

      • February 12, 2016 at 3:06 am
        Permalink

        You are very brave. Thank you for standing up….it only takes one word or idea to start the awakening. Good luck.

      • February 12, 2016 at 12:24 pm
        Permalink

        @Robert67. Hi Robert. Your Ides are quite interest and energetic for sure I thought that you said you were still attending meetings and “active” in FS and I thought you said also you are a current Elder in the Chicago area? If that is correct how can you do these things that you speak about and not draw attention the Elders in yr congregation? We all know how the JW’s work They will gladly turn anyone in that they think is not following the rules.

        If I did that in my area I would be spotted immediately and turned in to the JW police. Then as we all know a Tri would be set up and get DF’d ASAP. If you are doing that and still an active official JW that is quite amazing to me. Please share.

    • February 11, 2016 at 2:49 pm
      Permalink

      The only thing that seems to phase the GB is noted drops in overall publishers. Back after the disappointment of ’75, they wouldn’t even comment on it until they saw two consecutive years of publisher drops.

      Currently, some of larger publisher bases are fairly stagnant (e.g. the US), but the overall growth continues. I am not looking at actual numbers right now, but from memory the conversion-retention rate is about 2:1 a for every 2 converts made, they loose 1. I predict that eventually this will slow to 1:1 and could start to go the other direction. That will get them worried. But it may be a ways off.

      WS

    • February 12, 2016 at 9:51 pm
      Permalink

      Rob,
      I totally get where you are coming from. I actually have felt like that many a day since I woke up. However, don’t give up… it takes time to chip away at something that seems so rock solid- but the day will come when the Watchtower will be fully exposed. Keep active and positive that one day other members of your family will wake up too. :)

  • February 11, 2016 at 10:34 am
    Permalink

    While we wait eagerly for the survey I have some food for thought.

    As most all here would recognize in a heart beat what Matthew 24:45 means to this Cult and its doctrines, I was wondering about its wording as used by the WT.
    This specific verse is, as the JWpodcast would describe a key piece of the Jenga puzzle that forms Watchtower doctrine.
    Decades as a witness, 23 years as an elder, now mentally free for a few years and I had never stumbled across the way the Kings James Bible translates this verse.

    King James Version says the following at Matthew 24:45
    Who then is A faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

    Notice it doesn’t ask Who then is THE, but rather who is A faithful and wise servant

    We all know for a fact that the Watchtower Bible and Tract Printing society take all sorts of liberties in misquoting and outright rewording Bible passages to harmonize their WT agendad Bibles with their brand. The way the Kings James Bible words Mathew 45:45 completely eradicates the notion that Christ left everything as pertains to Earth in charge of any specific human being or group of people.
    Jwfacts under the subject Goberning body, makes it clear how even that phrase “Goberning body” or the notion of a centralized headquarters for Christians administrating Jesus affairs on Earth is extra biblical and completely fabricated by this cult, but somehow this interesting factoid on the Kings James version of Mathew 24:45 is missing from the article.

    Would anyone here have any other source that could back the King James Version of Mathew 24:45 us of the word “A faithful slave” vs “The faithful space?
    The Kings James version would lead us to understand that all Christ followers hold that position and are in charge of Christ message during their short time on this rock. I know which Bible passage I’ll be sharing next time I get a knock on my door.

    • February 11, 2016 at 11:55 am
      Permalink

      @Robert67
      Once I awoke and was able to read that scripture with an open mind, I found some new perspective on it as well. First of all, I found the Holman Christian Study Bible to be a pretty good translation and this is how it reads there: “Who then is a faithful and sensible slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them food at the proper time?”

      Something I realized is that the use of chapters and verses in the bible is somewhat arbitrary and can separate lines of thinking that really were part of one thought. Thus I propose that Matthew 24:45 through Matthew 25:46 are all part of the same line of reasoning with 4 parables about being ready for the return of Christ: the faithful and evil slaves; the wise and foolish virgins; the slaves and the talents; and the sheep and the goats. They are all the same lesson and all apply to individuals, not to any specially selected groups.

      That’s my take on it.

      WS

    • February 11, 2016 at 12:34 pm
      Permalink

      @Robert67, here again is another example where the Watchtower took liberties and rewrote that part of the Bible for the New World Translation. In the King James Bible at Matthew 24:45-51, it says that if the faithful and wise servant turns into an evil slave that beats his fellow servants, then that evil slave will be cut asunder. How the Watchtower worded “cut asunder” in the K.J., the Watchtower put “punish him with the greatest severity” in the N.W.T. at Matthew 24:45-51.

      The reason the Watchtower most likely changed those words is because people like to think of the Christian scriptures as not as violent as the Hebrew Scriptures. There can be no other reason for that change except they want people to think that Jesus wasn’t violent in his speech.

      That same expression about the evil slave being “cut asunder” in the King James is repeated at Luke chapter 12 in the K.J. and the same expression “punished with the greatest severity” is also repeated in the New World Translation at Luke chapter 12.

      • February 11, 2016 at 1:46 pm
        Permalink

        Brings to mind the Genesis of all modern ex-Jw movement when Chris and Norma Sanchez of the Spanish translating commite uncovered the blatant liberties the watchtower took in outright rewording the bible to their own agenda. Their discovery of the 144,000 fabrication led to fantastic private Bible studies across Bethel, which eventually led to mass dissfelowshipping, which eventually put a Goberning Body member by the name of Raymond Franz out the door. Where the 607 b.c fabrication hit the awakened witness like a nuclear freedom bomb.

        You will come to know the truth and the truth shall set you free-
        Quoting Jesus at John 8:32 before the “faithful slave” has it removed like it did with most of this chapter of the Bible

    • February 11, 2016 at 10:25 pm
      Permalink

      The Living Bible Matthew 24:45 reads : Are you A wise and faithful servant of the Lord? Have I given you the task of managing my household,to feed my children day by day?

    • February 25, 2016 at 6:36 am
      Permalink

      Although i disagree with the WT in many things, i have to admit that they have translated Math 24:45 correctly. The ancient Greek texts reads as follows:
      “Τίς ἄρα ἐστὶν ὁ πιστὸς δοῦλος καὶ φρόνιμος,” the word “ὁ” before the faithful and wise servant (“πιστὸς δοῦλος καὶ φρόνιμος”) actually means “The” and not “A”. To see the ancient greek text check: http://www.greekbible.com/index.php
      http://www.codexsinaiticus.com/en/manuscript.aspx?book=33&chapter=24&lid=en&side=r&verse=45&zoomSlider=0

  • February 11, 2016 at 12:19 pm
    Permalink

    @ Robert67: Could A faithful Slave be referring to the same boy of Older Men that met and penned what is now the book of Acts 15? and, interestingly, may Jesus have even been referring to….Himself?

    Just curious

  • February 11, 2016 at 12:58 pm
    Permalink

    While we are on the topic of the governing body taking on the role of the slave class I have a question I would like to ask. I wonder if any of the 15,000 partakers of the emblems were ask, “How did you personally feel when the title of Faithful and Discreet Slave was taken from you and given to a few?” The reason that I ask this question is my wife’s grandmother was of the anointed and she was a very outspoken, very strong woman. In fact her grandfather was Alexander Majors one of the founders of the original pony express. She comes from very tough stock, and had a very tough childhood traveling under harsh conditions to wind up in Kansas. If she were alive today and you tried to take something that was very important to her away from her you better put your PF Flyers on so you could get away quickly from her because she was coming after you. I know that current witnesses will tell you that the ones of that class would never do anything like that, or have a very adverse reaction to the title of Faithful Slave taken away from them, but are you sure about that? That would be a very intriguing conversation with them would it not? The next question I would be asking them is how in the world did the number go from 8,000 to 15,000? I have yet to hear an intelligent answer on that one.

    • February 11, 2016 at 2:38 pm
      Permalink

      Well to answer your question, a few years ago there was this huge party in heaven, there was a full bar, rock band and dancing, you know the works….unfortunately, about 8000 of the 138000 already in heaven got reassigned. .as in lost their spiritual virginity ….let that be a lesson. …anyway. soon after another 7783 vacancies were filled. ….

      • February 11, 2016 at 2:55 pm
        Permalink

        Actually, to be serious for a minute. ..what happens at bethel is a reflection of what’s happening in heaven. ..turns out,, that with computers and the Internet, ,they don’t need 144k anymore,….So, the heavenly class has been downsized to 1000, and may even be reduced even further. …all these ones who think there of the anointed are really gonna be pissed when they find themselves doing dead body clean up on this fried earth.

    • March 7, 2016 at 4:18 am
      Permalink

      The anointed sent an open letter to the GB asking them to change the child protection policy.you can find a copy on silent lambs site. The reply to the anointed was the GB proclaiming themselves to be the FDS .i think we call it “snubbed”

  • February 12, 2016 at 12:28 am
    Permalink

    @Cedars. Not only is the Survey proving more& more popular but also your YOU TUBE channel has over 6000 subscribers & increasing daily which goes to show more& more thinking witnesses are waking up & enjoy logical reasoning about the falseness of the organisation.

  • February 12, 2016 at 5:43 am
    Permalink

    Says survey is closed. Said same yesterday. I tried both the ad on the side of the article and the link within the article. Is there another link I should try?

    • February 12, 2016 at 5:44 am
      Permalink

      Hi Raymond. Please scroll up the comments. Unfortunately I have had to temporarily pause the survey until March 5th.

      • February 12, 2016 at 9:47 pm
        Permalink

        I am anxiously awaiting! Looking forward to taking the next survey. Thanks for making them and for this site! I am not kidding when I tell you that your particular line of reasoning (in your articles and videos) played a key role in keeping me awake! I had woken up from our own (or should I say WT own material) and stayed in a bit of denial over it for a good while. I am slowly but surely getting stronger each day! (Like learning to walk for the first time) Just wanted you to know how much of a POSITIVE IMPACT this site and your videos are having- and I know there are many who are afraid to post anything on here- so I will speak for them too- and say THANK YOU!! Keep up this fight!

      • June 1, 2016 at 11:23 am
        Permalink

        GWAN JUST BELOW ON MAY 9TH IS OFFERING IN SPANISH PERSONAL AND CORPORATE LOANS AT A 2% INTEREST RAT E . INVESTIGATE AND GET BACK TO ME. I HAVE BEEN BI-LINGUAL (ENGLISH-SPANISH) FOR 57 YEARS. IF I COULD BE OF ANY HELP , E MAIL ME.

    • February 12, 2016 at 5:48 am
      Permalink

      Ignore me, just saw the post indicating the problem. Will check back next month.

  • February 12, 2016 at 3:17 pm
    Permalink

    Congrats on overrunning your SurveyMonkey limit. All good news!

  • February 15, 2016 at 8:38 am
    Permalink

    This is an amazing site!! Wish I had something like this 30 yrs. Ago when I was trying to find correct words to express my thoughts in why a person would deny intelligent thoughts. And blindly follow “GB”! As of novemember 1998 I formally gathered the courage to disassociate myself from Jw’s. Knowing that decision would come with heavy price tag! Aka…loss of parents, life long friends and children. It was worth paying that price!! Please keep up fine research and postings.

    • February 16, 2016 at 4:18 pm
      Permalink

      A heavy price indeed! But in the big picture, no price is really too much to gain your freedom. To live a life enslaved to the trickery of conceded men, full of their own self-importance, is really no life at all. You had the courage to stand up for your true self – that is admirable.

      WS

  • February 15, 2016 at 3:59 pm
    Permalink

    It says it is closed. I really want to do it. Thanks please advice.

    • February 16, 2016 at 4:19 pm
      Permalink

      Luke,
      See comment from Cedars above – the survey will reopen March 5th.

      WS

  • February 16, 2016 at 4:20 am
    Permalink

    Please say Lloyd you are going to reply to the Garlic Bread February Broadcast….I know its off topic but I just watched the rubbish….and know people are really going to take this all in!

  • February 16, 2016 at 5:39 pm
    Permalink

    My daughter went to the last meeting because her friend asked her to. She said she was ‘love bombed’ by many but hounded straight away by elders who either wanted to know where she had been, how disappointed they are in her or they just sat and glared at her from across the hall. I’m so glad I have not been for weeks. Why would anyone want to subject themselves to that.

  • February 22, 2016 at 7:33 am
    Permalink

    Had an absolutely shocking experience with the JWs end November. My elderly aunt, aged 91, who has been a JW since 1978, and has depression and is on meds for it, decided to ask her GP for a new drug – this didn’t agree with her and she had a severe ‘cold turkey’ reaction whilst she got ‘off’ the new meds and back on the old drug. This cold turkey lasted some 5 weeks, and we had to stay with her 24/7 in Durham (we live 200 miles away in Nottinghamshire). During that 5 weeks not ONE elder phoned or called, not ONE get well card (from the JWs), she got 2 from non-witness friends. She lives 200yds from K Hall, and many elders live within 2 miles of her in a small town. Only JWs who EVER call are 2 or 3 similarly aged Sis’s in their 80s, 90s, who of course just call each other to moan about their aches and pains, we know this as we spend several days a month up there with her and talk to her every day on the phone (there’s worse to come in this story). One day my aunt was refusing to eat properly, despite appetising meals prepared (depression thing) and a bible study woman she knows called and my aunt said, under withdrawal/cold turkey, ‘they’re hurting me’ (false of course). BS woman then calls congregation overseer, in his 60s, fit with car, who, like the other elders NEVER calls, visits, sends a card, let alone offer to help with shopping – I also know another elderly Sis from that congregation who died all alone in a horrible nursing home going do-lally whilst nobody ever visited. Anyway this Cong O then called Social Services (Jeremy Kyle style, and the next we knew was a nice lady from S S rang the doorbell – of course we said come in, she could se the place was lovely, warm, we were looking after my aunt well. The S S lady then said, I hope JWs dpn’t call on me (she had been dragged out on a Friday afternoon) because I think the C O is terrible).
    PS since then absolutely NO call, visit, from this C O who was so ‘worried’ he called the S S), or from any other elderl inc one who literally lives 50 yards from my aunt’s front door and passes it every day to go shopping etc.
    The Christian Love of the JWs, is really marvellous, you hear about it all the time – you just never see of feel it.

    • February 22, 2016 at 9:31 am
      Permalink

      @Peter
      The GB keeps the rank and file so busy with seeking out new converts (and puts them on a major guilt trip if they fail to do so) that they fail to perform the basic acts of Christian kindness. Meetings mid-week and Sunday, then service Saturday and Sunday, plus studying and reading all the material. Not to mention that since higher education is forbidden, they probably have to work like crazy just to scrape by. And for elders it’s worse cause you have all the parts to prepare and all the extra “training” (aka indoctrination). The one thing I always felt as an elder is that there was never time to shepherd (truly care for) the sheep. But we always found time to discipline. How sad.

      WS

      • February 22, 2016 at 10:26 am
        Permalink

        WS – totally agree – and one other factor (as well as no HE etc.) – the JWs insistence on ‘dress and grooming’ 9actually this vile phrase is borrowed from 1960s US marketing courses). So (aside from what you note) it’s also time consuming and tedious for the men to have to put on suit, polish shoes etc – and of course the women have to spend even more time dolling up. The ‘no trousers’ rule is bad for older women with veins on their legs, who would be much more comfy in trousers. What’s wrong, peverse, with that – the skirt or trouser has never been sex-specific in history or today, look at Arabs, Eskimo, Burmese, and in Roman times men wore ‘dresses’ and women wore ‘trousers’ (panatallons, or ‘feminalia’. So dressing up in uncomfortable gear stops JWs having a relaxed friendlt attitude, maybe what the GB actually really want of course.

        • February 22, 2016 at 12:09 pm
          Permalink

          And PS, how much time does it take to do a quick phone call? if you’re going to the shops anyway, how much time to pick up an older Sis? How much time to write a quick get well card? Now….if there was a space on the monthly witnessing card for ‘Old Biddy Visits’…….

          • February 24, 2016 at 6:16 am
            Permalink

            Peter, I understand your sentiments exactly.

            Several older members of my family have been very ill over the past years. It was left to the non-JW members of the family to show compassion and care for them while active JW family and “brothers and sisters” from the congregation stopped bothering with them completely.

            Of course those active JWs are quite happy to condemn the non-JW family members and tear their characters to shreds. (That is if they even bother to remember their existence.)

            Sadly the virtues of empathy, compassion, care and unconditional love are disconnected when people become JWs and their minds are controlled by this Cult.

  • February 23, 2016 at 8:45 pm
    Permalink

    I too was raised as a jehovah witness from age 8. From the day the religion was presented to me, my life was never then same. From that time I was instilled with the terrifying fear of Armageddon and was told I had to believe without question the doctrine. I was so frightened the only way I could survive and protect myself was to build a wall of inner anger. The hate messages that were served out in the meetings made it easy to judge and it became us (jehovah witnesses) and then the world. I witnessed the pain of 3 family friends commit suicide within our congregation, many of the teenage girls in our congregation ended up with serious life long auto immune diseases which I believe was caused by the stress, judgment and fear of what we were being taught. Our bodies became at dis- ease. Countless people suffered severe depression which we were told was because it was the end of time. The end of this evil system was coming at any moment like a thief in the night. I left home at 16 because deep in my heart I knew it was not right. My family shunned me and I have always felt looked down upon from them. But I am a survivor and I have been on a spiritual journey ever since. I am determined to find the truth and introducing the power of Jesus into my heart and soul was a defining physical experience. My body was pumped full of the energy of God and from that day on my real journey began. I will never allow any religion to control me or my family again. We were created in love and Jesus gave us 2 commandments. Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. From there the rest will follow. This last few days have been the first time I have ever read information or utubed anything about jehovah witnesses. I was made to feel like I made up these experiences and no one else in my family or within my witness friends felt like that. I felt alone. Since leaving the jws, i have suffered depression. But what I have watched tjis past few days has hit every nail on the head and I cannot believe that the religion was really like that… The devil in sheep’s clothing. God is love, not judgment. He loves all of us and would never strike us down because we make mistakes, as we are humans beings and none of us are perfect. Our creator is kind, beautiful and forgiving. I now can have the deep intimate relationship I so deeply desire from inside every part of my being.

  • February 26, 2016 at 5:17 pm
    Permalink

    Nice work Floyd. Boffo, Old Bean!

  • March 2, 2016 at 7:50 am
    Permalink

    I wanted to participate in the survey but clicking the link I got this message: “This survey is currently closed. Please contact the author of this survey for further assistance.”?

    • March 2, 2016 at 8:07 am
      Permalink

      @Sonke
      You will have to wait s few more days. See comments posted above: survey closed until March 5.

      WS

  • March 18, 2016 at 9:51 am
    Permalink

    Why the beard paradox – JWs frown on beards, but moustaches are allowed (many elders have them). Jesus had a beard, and when he was on Earth all jews had them, as did the Apsotles; the Romans on the other hand were clean-shaven. Maybe beards were ‘hippie’ in the 1960s, but that was half a century ago, and of we’re being historical, Charles Taze Russell had a beard. And if beards are so bad now (their absence gives a rather corporate salesman look, when twinned with a suit), why is hair allowed on the UPPER lip?

  • April 11, 2016 at 7:25 am
    Permalink

    Great work to put so many energy in this website and video’s.

  • May 9, 2016 at 9:43 am
    Permalink

    Qué opinas sobre cómo obtener un préstamo? Usted está en serio en necesidad de un préstamo urgente para iniciar su propio negocio? Está usted en deuda? Esta es su oportunidad de alcanzar su deseo, damos préstamos personales, préstamos comerciales y préstamos corporativos y todos los tipos de préstamo con interés del 2% para obtener más información póngase en contacto con nosotros a través de correo electrónico (andersongwanloanfirm@gmail.com)

  • June 4, 2016 at 8:05 pm
    Permalink

    ◾The stigmatization of higher education continues to be the most-disliked Watchtower teaching

    This is considered by the majority of voters to be worse than their stance on women’s submission, homosexuality, tolerating domestic abuse, and protecting pedophiles? Wow. That is both disturbing and very, very sad to me.

  • June 24, 2016 at 3:51 pm
    Permalink

    Why didn’t Jehovah restrict the angel that “eventually” became Satan from having any contact with humans until such time as he once again evidenced the “proper degree of loyalty” befitting a spirit son of God? Presumably the issues between him, Jehovah, and Jesus began to develop long before the creation of the first humans. Couldn’t Jesus have made a gesture of goodwill, a “sacrifice” of some sort, if you will, to his spirit brother that would have made the grand gesture of dying for all mankind unnecessary; not to mention the spectacle of the GT, Armageddon (and the terror they will cause), and resurrection?

    Is the whole thing not comparable to parents bringing other children into a divided home where those children are only going to learn of the disharmony after being personally, and fatally attacked; something the father not only permitted but knew would happen? And in order for what exactly to come to pass? That no one ever again question his right to rule based on a lie being told about him?

Comments are closed.