From JW Survey contributor Brooke

No girls allowed – a common theme throughout my childhood; raised with all older boy cousins, I had to learn to stick up for myself. I fought tooth and nail for my spot in the video game room, just to watch them play. Just to feel like a part of the group.

My rules for entry were simple: sit there, be quiet and don’t complain. Plus, please bring us chips and soda when we ask.

It amazes me that I was never allowed to grow up from this little girl; according to Jehovah, this was the role I was meant to play for the rest of my life

Sit There

Be Quiet

Don’t Complain

It is your “privilege” to do things for us when we ask. But you never get to hold the controller. it’s never your game. Isn’t it fun to watch us play?

To the Kingdom Hall! – No Difference

I was not having fun. Somehow the idea that I wasn’t qualified to hold a microphone didn’t sit right inside me.

(Among  Jehovah’s Witnesses, a rite of passage occurs when a young man is given the privilege of carrying microphones inside the Kingdom Hall, passing them to members giving comments or testimonials)

I was polite, smart and well spoken, with a natural ease for public presentation; but never granted the privilege to address an audience. I could only speak on stage, sitting down with my legs crossed, addressing another woman. I never got my day on the podium. It was never my turn to play.

But this is as God intended –  Jehovah’s Witness women are inferior, they are not capable.

Jehovah's Witness Leadership - Girls need not apply
Jehovah’s Witness Leadership – Girls need not apply

 

man’s little helpers

 

Somehow the ability to bear children makes me less desirable than a man who is deaf, dumb and blind. I was reminded that there are no princesses on the throne with Jesus. Well, you all sound like a bunch of pricks (or a word which rhymes with pricks).

 

nogirlsallowed650

I found myself wondering, why I could not do everything the boys did. I am a very strong woman, always have been. I wrestled with boys and played backyard football. I was never the biggest or the strongest but, I was not half-bad. I never identified with the daintiness of being a girl. I understand that some women do, but that was never me.

Despite the way I felt, I was born into a submissive role. As a female member of the Jehovah’s Witness Congregation, certain “feminine” attributes were expected of me. I was placed in high heels from the age of five and only permitted to wear skirts to the Kingdom Hall. Women were not allowed to wear pants suits; this was considered “inappropriate”. Once I became a part of the Theocratic Ministry School, it was made clear to me that the only instructional parts I was allowed to present were the bible study presentations, where I demonstrated how to conduct a bible study to the congregation by the passive manner of having a conversation on stage with another woman. I was not supposed to address the audience. My brother was allowed to stand at the podium and carry out a bible reading. This made no sense to me. Firstly, I was older than my brother. Secondly, I was a better reader.

sister-micc
A rare sight: Jehovah’s Witness female in Slovenia serving as microphone passer for the day

Then one year I noticed that one of the elderly ladies in my congregation was partaking of the emblems at the memorial observance of Christ’s death. This action symbolized that she was anointed and one of the 144,000 destined for heaven. Afterwards, I talked to my mother about it and asked her if this woman was ever allowed to speak from the podium. She told me no. She said that she remembered one time when most of the men were away for some reason and this woman was allowed to carry the microphones up and down the aisle for people to use when speaking. This privilege under any other circumstances was reserved for men. This paradox seemed absolutely absurd to me. A woman, who was so close with God that she was going to live with him in heaven, while the rest of us lived on Earth, was only granted the privilege of holding a microphone when all the men were away.  There is an obvious glass ceiling effect for women in the Jehovah’s Witness organization. Women are permitted to become pioneers for God’s work and spend hours preaching the word of God by knocking on their neighbor’s door with Jehovah’s Witness publications in hand. However, women are not allowed to hold any position of power within the organization. The roles of ministerial servant, elder, and committee member are reserved for men.

Who made up these rules?

Men made up these rules.

In our society, feminism often receives criticism. The definition of feminism according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities”. With this definition in mind, I would consider myself a feminist. Google defines misogyny as “dislike of, contempt for or ingrained prejudice against women”. I would consider anyone who tells a person they are not allowed to obtain a certain position solely based on the fact that they were born female, a misogynist. I feel that I saw and experienced many examples of ingrained prejudice in the Jehovah’s Witness faith for being female.

Jehovah's Witness Organization - no place for a feminist
The Jehovah’s Witness Organization – no place for a talented, intelligent, free-thinking woman

 

Developing in this environment undoubtedly affected my psyche. I came to have a great feeling of inadequacy. I felt like I was never going to be “good enough”. I felt I was powerless. What I want to convey to someone in a similar situation is that no matter your age, ethnicity, race, sexuality or gender, every person has the power within himself or herself to be the person that they want to be. Do not let anyone stand in the way of your aspirations. You do not have to obtain your goals alone.

Always Love,

Brooke

 

 

EDITOR’S NOTE: The archaic position of the Jehovah’s Witness organization is largely based on Old Testament Biblical principles, which carried over into the Christian era. The example you just read from Survey contributor Brooke follows the misogynistic mandates from the Apostle Paul, who stated:

Let a woman learn in silence with full submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but she is to remain silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. Also, Adam was not deceived, but the woman was thoroughly deceived and became a transgressor. – 1 Timothy 2:11-14, New World Translation 

Paul’s flawed reasoning consists of two arguments. First, that God created man before woman, therefore she MUST be inferior to man. Second, that a woman has lesser intelligence than a man, since Eve was intellectually incapable of recognizing deception. This mental deficiency rendered her useless as a decision-maker or judge.

The Watchtower Organization has no intention of revising its antiquated position on female members, as this would interfere with their entire organizational structure, and their relentless quest to harmonize every book of the currently accepted Bible canon. (including the misogynistic and homophobic statements of Paul)

The application of this Watchtower policy is being carried out even as I write this note. The 2016 Regional Assemblies of Jehovah’s Witnesses feature a live demonstration of the question and answer Watchtower study, during which 20-30 participants deliver their comments (or answers) to Watchtower paragraph questions. JW Survey has received a leaked copy of the instructions for this 30 minute talk, where very specific direction is given to the women who are assigned some of the comments. The edict states:

The sisters must NOT give the appearance of teaching

I know there are many JW women who feel unburdened by the existing family “arrangement” of male dominance and headship. To those we ask: Is this who you really are, or is this merely a role you are playing in life?

For all of the women trapped inside the Jehovah’s Witness organization, know that you are not alone in your feelings, and as Brooke says, you have the power to make a change, no matter how insurmountable this obstacle may seem.  There is a new sign in town – and it reads:

Girls Allowed
Girls Allowed

JR

 

Mark O'Donnell

Mark O'Donnell is a former Jehovah's Witness turned whistleblower after discovering the disturbing child abuse epidemic within the religion. His story, along with the revelation of a secret database of child molesters were featured in the March 2019 online issue of the Atlantic Magazine: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2019/03/the-secret-jehovahs-witness-database-of-child-molesters/584311/ O'Donnell continues to investigate allegations of child abuse within the Witness organization, and works with law enforcement, attorneys, and survivors of abuse, writing about his findings on jwsurvey.org and other outlets.

109 thoughts on “The Friday Column: No Girls Allowed – Growing up as a Female Jehovah’s Witness

  • May 28, 2016 at 3:27 pm
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    I do not see how somebody can argue against Jws on this , please see 1st COR ch 14 and 1st TIM ch 2 as it stands , the ORG is quite lax on this matter in comparison to what the scripture says , not working microphones may be more just a matter of practicality , there could be complaints about touching , yes it’s possible . I argue against Witnesses on this point because they are too permissive , often elders wives will take priority over a brothers comments , and more often than not women comment more than men do ? ? ?

    • May 28, 2016 at 4:01 pm
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      Dear William

      If you support misogyny or homophobia, you will be shown the door, as we will not tolerate ignorance of that magnitude.

      However your comments will remain on this site as a reminder of the archaic and twisted mentality which still exists in the 21st century.

      JR

    • June 1, 2016 at 9:31 am
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      Too permissive? I don’t think so!
      What would you like us to do, walk ten paces behind our husbands?
      Hi

    • June 8, 2016 at 8:34 pm
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      Clearly you think being born with a penis makes you special, William.

  • May 28, 2016 at 3:40 pm
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    I believe this article does a dis service for this web site , as we see here not a complaint against the ORG , but against scripture , and it is being treated as a legitimate complaint which detracts from real issues . We all know or expect the ORG to supposedly be supportive of scripture , so how do we argue that the society is ‘supposedly’ supporting scripture ; isn’t this what it supposed to do , this article just takes away from this sites meaningfulness ; we can’t justify this argument , unless the real purpose of this site is to condemn the Bible .

    • May 28, 2016 at 4:17 pm
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      William.

      At JW Survey we support universal human rights, which include the right of a person to not be discriminated against or have their options in life limited simply due to their gender.

      We make no apologies for that stance.

      If you consider that to be in conflict with your understanding of scripture, that is your choice. Many Christians do not see a conflict here.

      As the editor, I am content to let you voice your opinion here as long you do so respectfully and in a calm manor. I am content for other commenters to debate you as long as they do the same.

      But understand that we will not apologise for supporting the human rights of women not to be discriminated against due to their gender, and that we consider Watchtower’s conduct to be discriminatory in this way.

    • June 1, 2016 at 9:38 am
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      In Genesis we are told that Jehovah created Man, (mankind) in His own image, “male and female He created them!” That’s what the Bible originally said! Jesus Christ did or said nothing to change that!

  • May 28, 2016 at 3:59 pm
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    Most men in the church , if they are like me enjoyed the sisters comments , until they came to a realization that scriptuarally it is not allowed in the church , it has little to do with what many elders would probably prefer , it is very clearly written , and as much as some women , show hatred for some of the things in the Bible , which us men do also , we realize that the Bible gives us knowledge of life that is critical , and not found anywhere else , in large part .

    • May 29, 2016 at 11:52 pm
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      A book written thousands of years ago by men cannot provide any real meaning in life. It does not provide any useful knowledge. It is polarising and should be discarded as any source aside from one of amusement that people can be that moronic.

    • May 30, 2016 at 7:16 pm
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      Strictly speaking scripture, WDraper, by Paul’s writings, a woman was to be silent, period–just as the blogger has written in their challenge. This holds not only for JW’s but for many, many Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox denominations. A few progressive denominations do present ordained female pastors and ministers, even chaplains. Yet it remains controversial throughout Christianity and MANY world religions with exception being New Age, Wiccan and Gaian influences.

      The arguments for the presence and expanded role of women in ecclesiastic functions can be found everywhere on the Internet from scriptural counter-punches to academic critiques of biblical literalism.

      What the blogger doesn’t expound on in this brief article, but perhaps future segments will reveal is the timid nature of the Watchtower in bucking this tradition of misogyny with its usual scriptural gymnastics and tricks.

      I mean, if we can hack out huge sections of the gospels and discard these, why not hack out parts of Paul’s epistles as well? After all, Paul states clearly, “these are my opinions” on several occasions; and, he wasn’t even hands-laid-on-by-Christ (though some argue the Road to Damascus conversion was sufficient–“two witnesses rule?”) and begins ministry about two decades past the prime advent.

      References:
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dating_the_Bible#Table_IV:_New_Testament
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Testament#Dates_of_composition
      [strongly encourage researching the expanded Bibliography]

      Evangelical and believer timelines:
      http://www.compellingtruth.org/New-Testament-timeline.html

      • June 5, 2016 at 6:36 am
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        Yes, you are right. Paul wrote with comments “these are my opinions”. We are adults with capabilty to decide ourselves what to do. We don’t need to follow every word of his advice like fanatics. If to follow everything what Paul said, let’s not marry at all and die childless after which all humanity disapear. He gave advice that were usuful and applicable in the I century not now in 21st century.

  • May 28, 2016 at 4:14 pm
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    If you wish to end my participation on this site , that is your prerogative , in regards to homosexuality , in its real sense , the Bible condemns it , and if this site is to condemn the Bible then by all means. I want no part of it . But as I stated in studies on line , almost every person has a little mixed up parts, some more than others , one should not parade something that appears contact to nature , and others should be careful to be too quick in Judgement , some are actually living as normal and best that they can , and we can not condemn that .

    • May 29, 2016 at 5:37 am
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      William, I can see why you no longer attend JW meetings. As depraved as that organization sometimes reaches in its treatment of others, even they would not go as low as you!
      In my opinion you are an Arrogant but totally ignorant, uneducated, hate filled and stupid old man who demands attention which you don’t often get. If you had bothered to look around this site you would know what it was about and who comes here for support and why. If you had bothered to read the rules for posting you would also know what will get you banned. It appears that you did not bother to look because you are ‘arrogant’ or you did not understand because you are ‘ignorant and uneducated’.
      I think you broke most of the rules for posting, but I hope they leave your comments up, as you demonstrate why all forms of religion are BAD for the human race as it creates too many people like you. Men who look for reasons to demean Women and Hate anyone who is different from them.
      I consider your comments vile and hateful but you use an ancient book to justify them.
      Some may consider my comments a little harsh but I read through all your posts and think I have a good idea of what sort of person you are.

    • May 29, 2016 at 7:37 am
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      Hello William,
      Thank you for your viewpoint. As you know this site is open to everyone from all religions and beliefs to share their opinions in a safe environment. This site has no religious allegance or affiliation. I am simply sharing the experience that i had growing up female in that belief system and how it affected me as well as my beliefs about equal human rights. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs. I respect the right that you are allowed to believe whatever you choose. Please respect the right i have to believe whatever i choose wether it is supported in the bible or not.
      Thank You!

      • May 29, 2016 at 2:12 pm
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        By the way an excellent article Brooke and hope you get an opportunity to write again. I think you express the feelings and frustrations of many women both in and out of the org.
        I wish I could write so well but it would just turn into an angry rant so I will keep my soap box locked up :D

    • May 29, 2016 at 7:38 am
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      The bible is an ancient book that reflects the middle eastern attitude toward women some 2000 years ago (and look at how some middle eastern cultures view woman even today). Even with this background, many modern people are able to draw strength and comfort from the scriptures. How so? They don’t look for a literal interpretation of every scripture, but rather follow the spirit of the teachings of Christ about love and peace. Thus we see that many modern Christian Churches have female ministers and accept homosexuals into their flocks.

      I have never more than glanced through the Koran, but my understanding is that if taken literally it can be viewed as a book of hatred and bloodshed (not unlike the bible). But there are many peaceful Muslims who draw strength from its pages. So there is a similarity here between two major religions: those who want to take a literal interpretation of ancient holy writings choose a fundamentalist, radical approach and voice hatred and bigotries. Those who take a more open-minded approach find peace and love and are able to express these attitudes toward their neighbors.

      WS

      • June 5, 2016 at 6:46 am
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        I subscribe to every word of your comment. About Bible and Koran and their interpretation you write exactly right.

  • May 29, 2016 at 11:07 pm
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    Please don’t blame Paul . Make biased translation and misogynistic bible reading is to blame. Firstly he was writing to a very specific city context of extreme feminism( Ephesus). It was amazing he said ‘let the women learn’. ( after learning of course they could teach!!). Also he didn’t say what the net says….. He did not want the women there usurping or domineering or seizing ‘authority’, a different thing all together. The most prized gift of all in the nt was open to women. ‘Prophecy’ , all the operations of gifts in Paul’s letters are gender less. Don’t blame Paul blame the org

    • June 5, 2016 at 6:53 am
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      Yes, you hit the target! Right, Paul is not to be blamed. Interpretation and translation is to be blamed.

    • June 13, 2016 at 9:38 am
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      Wanting to serve as ministers or have positions of authority is “extreme feminism”. Okay dude.

  • May 30, 2016 at 6:35 am
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    I will leave one last reply , and will not bother with this site again , as I did not know this site encourages homosexual activity , nor did I know that the real objective is to trash scriptures , while it is true that many scorn the writings of Paul , many do so because they believe that he mostly argues against the LAW . In MATTHEW ch 5 , we see Christ speaking well of the Law ( certain parts of it ) , and we see Christ refers to the Ten Commandments numerous times , REVELATION also speaks harshly about deviant nature , We see in this world today , an encouragement of deviant behaviors of many sorts , Greed being one of them , we also see a lot of support to release criminals out of jail rather than a society trying to truly work at reducing CRIMINAL behavior , people that are victims of deviant behavior can surely understand . Now as I said before , and I believe scripture is a little lacking here on what some people call homosexuality , we all or many of us have mixed up parts , we even know some are born with obvious physical features of having duel sexuality , from this we can discern that there must be many somewhere in between , as I talked to one , I said , if you wanted children , would you marry a man or a woman ; I believe for most people this would be the answer to any possible confusion . But I do believe in the Bible , and that Homosexuality is WRONG , if one truly has to a greater than average mix up in their nature , we should be careful about making judgements against such a person , but such persons should not encourage others or parade this . Every one of us have things about us which are not desirable traits , and most make efforts to cover over these things or make changes in their behavior , like the one who is bashing me doesn’t he believe I should learn something and change , or does he or she believe I should relish in any of my short comings . Hopefully not as many type-os this time . SHOW LOVE FOR THE ONE THAT HAS GIVEN YOU LIFE ……. I will no longer be checking on this site . feel free to delete after a few days , some may appreciate .

    • May 30, 2016 at 7:47 pm
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      I don’t believe this site has endorsed or encouraged homosexual activity–if memory serves the website founder boasted of his procreative prowess with a child born of a female–his wife.

      The site has addressed the issue of marginalizing, bullying and ostracizing individuals out of any spiritual community based on prejudices and innuendos. There are other blogs that delve into the spiritual conflicts and whether innate, nurture, or environment causes homosexuality, but this blog has focused on the effect from many Watchtower, Inc policies.

      It is a very progressive website which an evangelical conservative, as it appears you are, may find offensive–initially, but different views and expressions challenge long-held beliefs and re-affirm or adjust them, they prove to be untenable. Something a pragmatic examination of Christian history reveals is the tenacity of this religion to evolve and adapt dogma over time when those items proved untenable.

    • May 31, 2016 at 1:09 am
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      In my opinion, only one of this posters comments should be kept and the rest removed. These comments are evangelising, not discussion.

    • June 6, 2016 at 1:29 am
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      The Bible is clear that homosexuals are condemned and deserve to be stoned to death (Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:24-27).

      It is an unnatural desire and practice.

      • June 8, 2016 at 9:01 pm
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        It’s mental to believe that an old book written by men centuries ago is more credible than the MANY examples of homosexuality in nature.

        There is SO much bigotry and ignorance in this world. Comments like Spade’s comment. Seriously horrible.

  • May 31, 2016 at 9:07 am
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    Deborah was the fourth Judge of all Israelites. She had God’s blessing in this most powerful position, yet if she were in the KH today, she would NOT be able to speak from the platform or carry a microphone! Hmmm. Very contradictory if you ask me!

  • June 1, 2016 at 7:06 am
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    The subjugation of women never set well with me when I was in the org. Very out of step with changing times. This article reminded me of an experience my mother told me years ago. Mom was at a book study and some of the witnesses bought their Bible students. Whatever they were discussing, it quickly escalated out of hand with people arguing aggressively and loudly. Mom was just sitting there with the Bible in her lap, when one of the students asked her directly, “What do you think?” She was calm and used the Bible to get the man to agree with her on some small point. He settled down, order was restored, and the study continued. Later, she was counseled that she was out of line because there were “capable brothers” there to handle the situation, although it would seem that the those brothers were allowing the situation to break down. They are so silly and insecure. And what was that Geoffrey Jackson said about the newest NWT being “sister-proof?” Absolutely insulting.

  • June 1, 2016 at 12:16 pm
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    William Draper:

    It seems you are opposing homosexuality on biblical grounds.

    The Bible not only condemns homosexuality, it also commands that homosexuals be killed:
    Leviticus 20:13: “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them.”

    Do you agree with this? Would you kill a homosexual? Just so that you know, under western society’s current standards of morality and ethics, if you were to kill a homosexual, you would be charged with murder.

  • June 2, 2016 at 3:46 am
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    It was a bit unfair that the day after this article was shared came another article that hit a nerve. Brook, if you do get a chance to see this, know that your article was superb and well thought out. When I was done reading it, I was shocked I was done. I wanted more.

    And as for these guys that find themselves offended because the “bible” was questioned and “criticized”, ignore them. I’m a guy as well, but hate how women are always treated inferior. History shows that when women were in charge, there was spiritual and creative growth for the people as a whole. Currently, I wish I had taken the time to back up my argument, but perhaps, like you, I too can submit an article solidifying my claim.

    Congratulations on being the first to be published and I hope you keep strong

  • June 3, 2016 at 11:51 am
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    It pains me to see that ex-JWs controlling this site have become almost tyrannical and dogmatic as the cult they once left.
    The author of this article has every right to create a piece explaining why she disliked the JW protocol of the place a woman has within the congregation. I respect it and can see why she felt the way she did. However, commentators on this page also have the right to explain their views in regard to the scriptures cited when explaining this concept. To claim someone is misogynist or homophobic because they still profess to believe in scripture comes off as to me as a spewing of the same kind of hatred this very site dedicates itself in demonstrating comes from the JW cult.
    If it is the case that this site condemns anyone that still believes in scripture, then perhaps it should be called “non-believers” or “anti-bible” survey.

    • June 4, 2016 at 10:27 am
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      Jonathan

      If you are referring to my comment, I made it clear that we do not tolerate misogyny or homophobia. Period. If you wish to draw the conclusion that this is some kind of attack on the Bible, that is your prerogative, but that type of conversation is not within the scope of this web site. We are religiously neutral. If you wish to discuss whether the Bible or the Koran condemn any particular viewpoint or practice, you need to locate a web site which hosts this type of discussion. This is not a place for Biblical exegesis. As you might know, there is a sizable debate among those professing Christianity as to the canonicity of various books of the Bible, and much disagreement which follows. As stated, this is not the place for such debate.

      We support human rights and morality, which are not established by religious debate, but by the politics of our sovereign nations, which enact laws in accordance with principles found in international documents, such as the UN declaration of human rights.

      If you are a member of a nation subscribing to the UN and its principles, you should take the time to review such principles, as they are based on a law much higher than that which drives religious intolerance.

      JR

      • June 6, 2016 at 6:40 pm
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        Directly cited from the Friday column: JW needs you!
        “Our goal is not to promote a specific alternate faith, or a lack of one. We are happy to accept articles from writers of all faiths or none, but the goal of the article should be to encourage critical examination of The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, not to encourage conversation to another specific religious or secular viewpoint.”
        So if you have writers from all faiths or none to encourage critical examination of WTBTS then you should accept people from all faiths to express their opinions as well. William was not being disrespectful. If he still believes in the bible which it’s obvious that none of you do…..then he is right to uphold it’s teachings (bible is clear on subjects re women and homosexuals and you know it), just as you have your right to express yourself. Calling him names shouldn’t be the answer, we r all here for “critical examination of WTBTS” not the bible.

        • June 7, 2016 at 10:07 am
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          Lisy

          We respect the rights of all of our readers to choose their own path of beliefs. However, as stated, we will not support misogyny or homophobia. Period.

          You have crossed the line from being objective to forcing your interpretation of the Bible upon everyone else. If you think that all Christians oppose homosexuality, for example, you are grossly mistaken. There are thousands of interpretations of the scriptures, many of which either do not include the words of Paul, or interpret them according to the times during which they were written. Clearly, Jesus had absolutely no comment on homosexuality, and most Christians rely on his words as a basis for their faith. Any further exegesis is beyond the scope of this web site. You correctly stated that we are not here for an examination of the Bible, yet you immediately jumped in with your interpretation of the Bible as if it were the ONLY interpretation which is relevant.

          I would suggest that you shift to an objective approach and do a critical examination on other web sites, where you will find extensive information on this subject. As for JW Survey, we will not provide a forum for Biblical analysis. Occasionally we will point out inconsistency or hypocrisy as it relates to the Bible, and Jehovah’s Witnesses current interpretation of its contents. But that is a far different matter than analyzing the scriptures and making moral judgments based on various passages.

          What we will provide is a place where Christians and Non-Christians alike can examine Watchtower teachings in the light of human rights.

          JR

          • June 7, 2016 at 12:16 pm
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            Please tell me where in my comment I gave any interpretation of the bible. I could cite bible scriptures and you can interpret them however you like but you know they are there.
            The approach of my comment was to defend people’s rights on posting their opinions, as William did.
            I am actual not mysogynist or homophobic and I’m sure neither is William, he was just stating a fact that the bible does say women shout be silent in the congregation, and wether you agree with it or not it is your right. But don’t bully someone for merely stating what the Bible says, and call him names. If he does or does not agree with it I don’t know, because again, he was just pointing out the fact that it’s in the bible. Plain and simple.

          • June 7, 2016 at 1:57 pm
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            Lisy

            First, I don’t recall “bullying” anyone or calling them names. We enforce equality here at JW Survey, which is why we allow you to comment and state your opinion.

            However, JW Survey is NOT a place where you will be allowed to debate biblical interpretation. You clearly are proselytizing your personal view that homosexuality is “wrong” based on your view of the Bible. You are welcome to your opinion, but you need to unlock the stagnant part of your brain which has disallowed you from parting ways with your personal opinion and giving credence to the scope of scientific evidence proving that homosexuality is not a choice, but is in fact a preference from birth. And since you likely believe God is the source of life, you will readily dismiss scientific data which opposes your personal religious viewpoint.

            “I am actual not mysogynist or homophobic and I’m sure neither is William”

            I think you have honestly deluded yourself into believing this. Based on your statements and William’s, you are indeed homophobic.

            “he was just pointing out the fact that it’s in the bible. Plain and simple”

            It goes without saying that the editors of JW Survey are well aware of what is “in the bible”. We are not interested in what is “in the bible” – we are interested in awakening people from a dangerous cult. In the process of doing this, we will certainly cross paths with persons who insist on trading one version of the “truth” for another version of the “truth”. By limiting yourself to the narrow viewpoints of those espousing ancient misogynistic and homophobic traditions, you help stall the progress of the human race, which I think is sad. We wish you all the best and hope that you experience an awakening which directs you into the stream of forward progress

            JR

  • June 4, 2016 at 9:27 am
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    William, I doubt you are a real Witness. Jehovahs Witnesses do not call their Congregation or building ” the church ” as you did in your comment.

  • June 6, 2016 at 8:07 am
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    Dear, Brooke. I agree with every word you wrote in your article about how they humiliate women not giving them speak from the scene and teach the audience. I met a lot of brothers in congregations in my city that are not capable to lead or teach but nevertheless they are given this resposibility. Of course, I can’t say that I didn’t see really smart, kind and sympathetic brothers and elders like Jesus Christ taught, but they are few. And I saw a lot of brilliant women who are thousands times better qualified to teach and talk but they are not given any opportunities. I was humiliated like this too. Even my husband, that is not JW and never was, is shocked how JWs are treating women. I will never return back to that place where I can’t feel free to speak myself out or treated like a retarded. Bye, misogynic org. Hello, world with new opportunities. :)

  • June 7, 2016 at 7:40 am
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    Bible humping on this post, SMH…

    Look, if you want to read a good book filled with fiction/fantasy and morals, get a book of bed time stories.

    The bible is so unrealistic and damaging to the human race. I can’t seriously accept anyone to be intelligent who lives their life to ‘any’ book, especially one with more contradictions than a politicians wrap-sheet.

    Great site BTW, life long fan here keep up the good work!

  • June 8, 2016 at 8:56 pm
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    Great article Brook. I was one of 4 girls raised in a JW family (father and elder, mother a regular pioneer). The brainwashing was complete. I used to think there was something wrong with me – perhaps I wasn’t humble enough – because the fact that I could assume no responsibility in the hall REALLY pissed me off. Women aren’t even allowed to have a say in the temperature control of Kingdumb Hall, so we women would freeze because the men wore warm suits and would turn down the temp!

    Only men could claim that being born with a penis makes them more worthy. The men who wrote the bible and the men who insist it’s not a book of fiction. Because men have lots of skin in the game.

    I’m now 54 years old. In order to walk my own path, I lost my immediate family and dealt with decades of emotional abuse at their hands, while raising two children single-handedly. Well-intentioned abuse, but abuse just the same. It has had a long term, serious impact on my mental health. Sadly, I missed lots of opportunities for a career that could have added real meaning to my life.

    All because my kind, caring parents were sucked in by a religion that comes from the Bible Belt in the US – a religion as bat shit crazy as every other religion from that area.

    If you’re a woman thinking of becoming a JW, think twice!

  • September 7, 2016 at 11:55 pm
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    WOMEN SHOULD BE SEEN AND NEVER HEARD LIKE A TERD FROM A BIRD

  • September 27, 2016 at 3:56 pm
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    I’m currently married to a Jw man , why don’t brothers acknowledge me let alone even look at me its like I’m invisible and they only say hello to my husband and by the way I’m a study student

  • November 3, 2016 at 4:29 pm
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    I have always felt inferior and was never allowed to further any of my wants and now it haunts me. This article hit me so closely, I’m in in tears .

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