Let me tell you a joke.
A new employee starts his first day of work in his new office. After being shown to his desk, the IT support tech arrives to explain the computer system. He gives the new employee his login details including username and password. Then he says, “This is our computer system. Since it handles all the corporation’s secure data and traffic, we have spent billions on its state-of-the-art security: 128 bit encryption, multiple firewalls, virus detection. The works. For the next five seconds, this is one of the most secure computer systems in the world.”
“Why only for the next five seconds?” asks the puzzled employee.
“Because you just wrote your password on a post-it note and stuck it to your monitor,” replies the exasperated computer technician.
Okay, it’s an old joke but it reflects a very real truth: Even the most secure computer network is at risk to become vulnerable if the people using it do not follow proper security guidelines.
Why, you might ask, am I going on about cybersecurity?
The reason? Because Watchtower has just sent a rather forceful letter to all congregations in Nigeria, trying to address serious concerns they have over this very matter.
The Secret Side of the JW.org website
First, let me give a bit of background. To the casual observer or a dedicated Witness not exposed to the inner workings of Watchtower, JW.org might seem no more than an online streaming and publishing website, a place to obtain magazines, books, videos and the like.
However, the website also has a logon section where approved users login with provided, individual credentials and gain access to confidential materials. These users are typically elders and other appointed men. They can exchange correspondence between other users, departments and branches, as well as, view confidential letters, review procedures, and exchange sensitive information. All of this is kept out of sight from rank-and-file Witnesses and other non-approved persons.
Understandably, Watchtower is very serious about the password-protected section of their website. For one thing, leaks of confidential information have proved very damaging in court. An unforgettable example of this was when Angus Stewart confronted Terrence O’Brien on stand during the Australian Royal Commission with his organization’s own internal branch manual. Stewart shared the contents in open court thus exposing that Watchtower had been actively misleading the Royal Commission.
So, now that we understand the full scope of what JW.org actually comprises, let’s take a look at the letter.*
Dated July 03, 2016, the letter is entitled:
Re: Serious Violation of JW.org Confidentiality
The letter starts by praising the JW.org website as a “wonderful tool and gift from God” but then quickly switches gears and tone with the following words:
However, many congregations and elders in Nigeria are not following the procedures provided by the organisation when it comes to the use of jw.org. This has resulted in serious violations of confidentiality on Jw.org which could give enemies of the truth and apostates undue access to our website.
I was quite surprised by the tone of this letter. Most of the letters sent from Watchtower to the bodies of elders have a friendly tone, written in a spirit of fellowship, even if the advice or orders contained within are of serious nature. But this letter, overall, is very direct and to the point. You get the sense that the writer was clenching his teeth while hitting the keys hard.
Additionally, it would seem that Watchtower is not happy with, as the letter indicates, “many congregations and elders in Nigeria.” [italics mine] Again, it’s unusual for Watchtower to use such language. In my many years as a Witness, along with my time as an activist, I have often observed Watchtower trying to minimize the scale or severity of any internal problems they are experiencing, even when addressing these issues in confidential letters. Usually, if there is a problem, they would describe it as the fault of some brothers or a few brothers. It’s rather rare for a Watchtower letter to chastise “many congregations and elders” in this blunt, angry tone.
So, what exactly are these elders and congregations in Nigeria doing that have Watchtower so upset? The letter lists six types of behavior that risk the security of the website:
- Scenario 1: Elders have been assigning access rights for the website to those outside of their congregations, simply because they are computer literate.
Let’s be honest, we’ve all been there. When confronted with the often confusing and temperamental world of Microsoft and RAM, ROM, SCUSI, DVD, FLIM, FLOM, WTF, RTFM, etc., it is tempting to just find that friend who works in IT (who seems to understand this gibberish) and get them to sort it out. Apparently, this has resulted in rights being given to those in congregations other than the designated elders, meaning their access cannot be monitored. The letter admonishes elders not to do this, even if the other person is an appointed man (even a circuit overseer).
- Scenario 2: Ministerial Servants have been given access to JW.org as domain administrators.
This is a very high level of access that allows a person vast control over other users and information, including the ability to grant access rights to others. They have thus apparently gained access to very sensitive material that only elders should get access to. Thus, all congregations are to remove these rights from any MS they have granted them to.
- Scenario 3: Those disqualified by judicial or other reasons have not had their privileges revoked.
This one is pretty astonishing. I know that in the corporate world, as soon as a person is fired, their computer access is revoked to make sure that an angry or upset employee doesn’t have access to sensitive information or systems. One would have assumed, given the near phobic level of paranoia Watchtower encourages Witnesses to have about the disfellowshipped or the sinful, that congregation elders would instantly remove access rights from such ones. But, apparently not.
It seems that in many cases, one who has been reproved, had privileges taken away, or even disfellowshipped, has been left with full access to the digital heart of Watchtower. One wonders how many freshly disfellowshipped or disassociated ones have walked out of their traumatic judicial committee, settled down at home in front of the laptop, flexed their fingers over the keyboard and gone to work …
- Scenario 4: Some congregations only have one domain administrator with no backup.
This is potentially a serious problem. If you have a locked room full of important information, and only one person knows the code to get in, you’d better hope that person doesn’t go anywhere. This principle also extends to the digital world. Apparently, congregations have been operating in these exact circumstances, meaning that when the admin dies, moves or becomes disqualified, the congregation loses access to the site.
- Scenario 5: Some have given their passwords to family, ministerial servants, and/or cybercafé attendants so they can log in for them.
Remember that joke I told you at the beginning of the article? Your password is only as good as the number of people who know it. Hint: If that number is more than one (i.e., you) your password is no good.
- Scenario 6: In some cases, judicial, legal and other sensitive matters (details specified in the letter) have been sent to the inboxes of all bethel departments, thus exposing material to those ones. The letter makes a special point that this means unauthorized ones, even sisters, have been exposed to material they should never have seen. Seriously, the letter makes a special point about the fact that sisters have seen this information.
(Apparently, those fragile female brains just explode when exposed to the serious business of running a religion, or something.)
The letter goes on to outline processes to avoid repeats of these incidents, and then concludes by stating, in underlined text, that the qualifications of any brother not following these orders could well be called into question.
Can Watchtower ever really secure its data?
On one level this might seem to be nothing more than a humorous distraction, an amusing glimpse of an organization trying to run a global religion in the Internet age, but this letter is worthy of serious consideration for two reasons:
1: The image the Organization often projects, that of a smooth, celestial chariot guided by Jehovah, gets a bit tarnished once you take a look behind the curtain and see how poorly the Organization’s affairs are frequently managed, especially in comparison with professional (worldly) organizations that Watchtower often holds in disdain.
2: Watchtower can’t fix this problem with the measures they have outlined in the letter.
Why?
Security systems are only as secure as the people who use them. You can train people who lack skill, but you can’t account for people who are secretly disloyal to you.
People like elders.
Watchtower has more than a few elders who are fully awake to the true nature of the organization as a harmful controlling cult, but because of the shunning sanctions, are unable to leave for fear of losing their family and friends. Often, these elders do whatever they can to assist activists and government investigations, such as the Austrailian Royal Commission, by providing such ones with confidential Watchtower information taken directly from letters and sources such as the secure login sections of JW.org.
Watchtower might be able to correct for accidental security breaches but, until it embraces a person’s human right to change their religion without penalty or punishment, they will never be able to correct for those trapped inside who choose to strike a blow against their Orwellian captors by passing information to those on the outside who are aiming to break those chains.
I mean, how do you think we at JWSurvey get these letters?
*We cannot host the letter here for risk that Watchtower will try to shut down this website with legal measures if we share their material.
However, in unrelated news, I have recently started to express my inner mind in the form of modern art, comprised of alphanumeric gibberish. I’ve included an example below.
Isn’t it pretty?
Being elder and awoken? Why does you not shift down a gear and say it is to much, they won’t throw you out of the religion for that.
@ Jaak
Are you kidding? You would get df’d for that dude!
I believe Jaak is suggesting stepping down as an elder, saying that you can no longer serve due to your circumstances. No, they wouldn’t nornally df you for that. Maybe some elders feel that there is still some good they can do if they continue to serve.
WS
@ Winston Smith:
Personally speaking, I don’t believe any possible good can come from continuing to bail out the Titanic with a tea spoon. It’s time for anyone who is still in or on board the Titanic (WTBTS/Organization) to put on a life vest and abandon ship!
If enough sheeple see that long-serving elders have left maybe, just maybe they will start doing their homework and research what is happening.
Again, everyone has their reasons for staying, family shunning, etc. But continuing to serve a corrupt cult “in hopes of doing some good” is foolishness.
If you truly believe that this organization is an distopian Orwellian doomsday cult filled with snitches and Bible thumping hypocrites, then staying around is showing your approval. Period.
Just my two cents for what its worth.
Well said! :)
I personally agree with your assessment, but I am simply proposing reasons why some may choose to stay in and continue serving. And no doubt JW survey gets valuable information from some of these ones who continue in their respective places in the org.
I think people/sheeple in the org fall into one of three categories: (1) those who believe it hook, line, and sinker – the org is inspired/spirit-directed and Armageddon is iminent, (2) those who recognize serious issues, but think that there is still value in membership and hope for reform, and (3) those who have seen behind the curtain and know it’s a sham and simply stay in for the sake of avoiding shunning by their relatives.
WS
The danger to the individual elder, staying in that position, is false teaching. We are to follow Christ’s example…he never joined elders of his day spreading false lies about God.
Sharing in attacks to other Christian for breaking laws that are not unbiblical is another danger for the elder. A very dangerous position to be in the way I understand scripture. Remember the mill stone scrip warning from Christ.
Your art doesn’t seem to move me. You dig?
Um … me too, alas. A tad computer … er … art illiterate I’m afraid. Copying and pasting the art didn’t illuminate its beauty either. Great article tho Mr Covert interesting and concise as always. Any problems the borg is experiencing is Good News!
It was no Jackson Pollack.
Do not copy and paste the art. enter it into browser. I got it, amazing!
I was able to get this gorgeous artwork to work. Whatever do they have to hide??
Good for the Nigerians. Lets hope that those within the Nigerian branch / Territory, and elsewhere, continue to expose the Org for what it truly is.
Nigeria.. Let’s see, the elders are probably looking for email addresses so they can inform all the poor JWs in the states that their recently deceased great uncle twice removed has left them a large sum of money and they only need to deposit 10,000 USD in a Nigerian bank via wire to receive this windfall inheritance.
Too funny!!
No surprise that this has been taking place. The elders are already tired as hell. So if they find a shortcut to accomplish a congregation task many will absolutely take it.
In one congregation I was in the accounts servant would just add money where it was needed to make the accounts balance out. Which would screw up the audit. Then the CO would come and tear them a new one lol.
I’m no longer a JW and I still get emails from the LDC looking for volunteers for construction projects! I’m pretty sure I can still log into the system. Even the indoctrinated elders get tired of all the busy work. Only the most brown nosing uber dub elder will consider it enjoyable, and he’s only concerned with maintaining his corporate position.
To Chifade: I agree the Elders are tired as Hell. I know I was when I was an Elder. I had 3 kids an early morning full time job, a commute to work of 1 hour each way and normally overtime required on the job. Then you get home exhausted, barely can shower and eat and run out the door to a meeting! Then the meeting has an elders meeting after for dumb stupid stuff like “Bro Smith” hair is getting to long or Brother “Jones” kissed a girl, or Sister Smith is selling vitamins to the brothers and sisters so we need to have a special talk! Then go out in Field service your only day off and more meetings and letters from the WT etc and don’t forget the Shepherding calls on your night off!
The WT never care a minute about the health of the Elders or anyone else. After about 10 years as an Elder I thought to myself WOW? is this what I signed up for? I don’t want to be a Lawyer to protect the interest of the WT, I don’t want to be a late night slave enforcing WT policies, to me it all started to add up that this is a corporation with economic interest and they are a mix of Cultish religion that controls everyone and we all MUST work for the Borg.I was exhausted from the work load the WT put on Elders and others, work, work ,work! Oh yea for free and dare not complain you slaves !This is what destroys families. No quality time together, no tie for real SPIRITUAL enlightenment or reflection. Man, glad I got our in my Early 40’s after over 22 years in it. I have apologized to my 2 adult boys who are no longer JW’s for raising them as JW’s. My Wife and daughter are still in it. It is a brutal workload they put upon people. Someone on here last week or so said the JW world is FOG. Fear, Obligation, Guilt. I thought that was a god analysis.
Also when you are pioneering tons of workload. I wonder why people got into it.
Holy Connoli,
Just reading your post brought it all back.
I never had kids and I only served for less than 2 years, but I can certainly agree that the experience was exhausting. Endless preparation – endless participation – endless meddling in petty issues… One time we decided a sister did not qualify for pioneering because she was not submissive enough in her marriage. Ugh! It disgusts me just to write this.
I’m happy for your freedom. I hope your wife gets to see it all for what it is.
How is it that elders can be so busy but are still so nosey to get involved in my affairs, which will keep them even more busy because I try to appeal every decision that I don’t like.
Why couldn’t they just leave me alone and use more time for their family and then I could use more time for mine?
I’m going back to my roots. Recall a few weeks back we got all rattled about the person allegedly listed on sex-offender registry seen in field service? There were statements about policy and procedures. Later, we discussed 501c3 corporations and lack of taxation. I believe I mentioned that this “enterprise” showed incredible failings in terms of organizing? In continuing that discussion, I note this article does not highlight whether the letter itself refers back to a policy. While churches have long been taken for granted as offering privacy for counseling and other personal development matters, when a church wraps itself inside a corporate structure–501c3 or not–it exposes itself to the legal ramifications when privacy goes unguarded. What policy guidelines are set forth in the Elder Policy handbook regarding IT Security or Personal Data security? Does it recommend how to handle paper documents possessing personal information and confessions? Does it recommend how to dispose of IT equipment used to access confidential materials or personal information?
Since our backwater author, or harbor waters author, hasn’t gotten the right goo.gl link picture posted yet, I may need to recant and revise, later :-)
However, to show how disconnected 501c3’s are from federal control, corporations in the for-profit and not-for-profit arena (non-religious) are required to adhere to federal guidelines for handling privacy on national and international basis. So, even though these violations were happening in Nigeria, the USA-domiciled corporate entity is liable for violating privacy laws, but since this is a religion, apparently, there is no oversight to ensure adherence to these rules. Insert a church inside a corporation, and the sociopath/psychopath can wreak havoc unchecked, and it’s all in the “name of God”.
Last, F. M. (Year, Month Date Published). Article title. Retrieved from URL
Jones, Sarah. (2012 April). If Corporations Are People, They Are Psychopaths. Retrieved from http://www.politicususa.com/2012/04/19/corporations-people-psychopaths-2-2.html
Achbar, M., & Abbott, J. (Directors). (n.d.). The Corporation [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.thecorporation.com/
Kohls, Gary, Dr. (2013, August). The US Corporation as Psychopath, One Good Reason to Overturn the 2010 Citizens United Ruling. Retrieved from http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-us-corporation-as-psychopath/5345811
Niose, David. (2011, March). Why Corporations Are Psychotic; These “people” are not healthy. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/our-humanity-naturally/201103/why-corporations-are-psychotic
Additional information:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Corporation_(film)
Yes, a recant–there is a reference to policy and procedures–corporate maneuverings. So, a “church” wrapped in an corporate shell, wrapped in an enigma.
Think about this one–if you’re a JW, you’re also an ordained minister–maybe not to officiate at KH weddings, but for IRS purposes. So, are we in it for “the truth” or the other “t”–“taxation benefits”?
This whole login business is a disgrace – it started just as I was being removed as an elder for being too vocal about child abuse and everything else I thought Watchtower and the sycophantic body I was serving on were doing wrong (which was just about everything.) The first thing I thought was “no, we’re not a secret society, but we need a secure line of communication now back to the bat cave.” More secrets, especially from the sisters it would seem!
And the tone of exasperation in the letter, like the current convention programme, is just another example of Watchtower’s frustration at not having the level of control they want. The bigger and more multicultural the organisation gets, the harder it gets to bring people to heel. I wonder if they have ever heard of free will?
And I’m still hoping that some kind soul out there will hack into and release the dossier of over 20,000 child abuse cases they have stored somewhere but are withholding from the courts. If they don’t collapse under the weight of their own Orwellian bureaucracy first, the dossier ought to do it. If I had the skills I’d do it myself. Anybody know anyone in Anonymous?
Anonymous does not normally take suggestions–after all, they’re busy folk. However, the best way to contact them is to post a video response to the video at the link listed below. (The video provides instructions for contacting them, along with guidelines on the types of suggestions they’ll consider.) IF jwsurvey.org needs help hacking the website(s) in question, particularly to obtain information on the child abuse crisis in the bOrg, then I would think that’s the kind of issue that might get their attention. (I realize you may have been speaking facetiously, but in case you weren’t, I thought I’d pass this along.)
https://youtu.be/mUJAhNoTYR4
Kamal. Can we get hold of Edward Snowden or Julian Assange? lol
They would do it I bet.
Oh how I would love to hack into the GB’s emails…
Maybe we need to get the child abuse cases on to Anonymous’ radar so they can get cracking on the hacking!
Good stuff even tho lot of it is too techi for my brain…
Thanks for the update CF and ignore the insulting comments of some on here. Your hard work is much appreciated.
I had a JW say to me the other day that the proof this is Jehovah’s organisation is the fact that our website has never been hacked, and that it’s more secure than even the FBI’s site as we have God’s backing!
That sounds like throwing down the gauntlet to me :)
Average Joe: If that is proof then they just got hacked so Jehovah must have gave up on them,lol
Another thing is funny for him to say that when just a few years ago the WT said the internet was from the devil! Now my estranged JW wife brags that they get more hits on JW.Orgthan almost all other websites etc, What nonsense. If you have 8million JW’s in the world and 25% are kids nd 25% are 3rd world people that have no computers yet that means you have maybe 4 million JW’s a day who go to JW .org 2-3 times so it is made to look like they are getting 10-12 million hits a day. Just like Enron they cook the books.
I have a feeling that that letter isn’t because of the Nigerian brothers “leaking” information but I think they are naive’ and don’t realize just how secretive they are supposed to be when it comes to their brothers and sisters. I think they can’t even imagine that the religion they belong to could ever be lying to them. I think it could be that they trust that the religion is really run by God (i.e. the Governing Body, the Faithful and Discreet Slave).
Maybe this letter might wake them up to the fact that they are being ordered around like they are stupid kids and the Society is laughing at them. Here they thought the Society had respect for them and now they find out that no, they are nothing but stupid children who need to be spanked.
I have an older brother (actual brother) on assignment in the Nigerian branch. Would you like to know what they’ve been saying to him since he got there? “I don’t know why they are sending brothers from other countries to work here. It’s as if the organization doesn’t trust us”. Those are bethelites saying that. Don’t think that hasn’t gotten out.
@Caroline, I agree with your thoughts. I feel bad for the Nigerian elders who just do not understand computer stuff, and were naive.I do not think they actually hacked, but I think because they were careless with that login and password well, it made trouble with their corporate masters.
Great article Covert, and thank you.
peggy
Well WatchTower,
I guess thats what happens when you want to do ‘worldly’ things, like run websites, have your own broadcast, own real-estate, run a printing business, build a resort, avoid taxes, avoid the law, make rules and regulations, ect…..
the more you want to control, the less control you have.
“the more you want to control the less control you have.”
That’s absolutely right. There are so many examples of narcissistic sociopaths trying this and failing. Take for example the cult leader in that documentary “Holy Hell” on Netflix. As soon as he went mad with power and wanted people to ask him permission to buy things for themselves, and to sleep with him! His followers started to wake up and it began to quickly fall apart.
The SAME DAMN THING is going to happen to watchtower. The leaders are arrogant narcissists who will never admit fault or apologize because they are never wrong. It may not be tomorrow but they are surely pushing jehovahs chariot into the trash compactor.
@chiafade – missed something in that “Holy Hell” documentary, because at the very end it shows this cult leader has been able to attract more individuals. And, why? Because a core–a hard core–of original followers stuck with the leader despite scandal. Some persons are always willing to rationalize conflicting information and resolve internal conflict.
Absolutely some people NEED to follow. To be told what to do because it gives them meaning. That’s why some move from one cult into another. In the case of the Buddhafeld or to a larger extent the worldwide church of god, they fell apart and became a shadow of their former selves. The true believers will always try to keep the movement going.
Recall, that the actual faithful and true Son mentioned in the parable, that if an entrusted servant began to conduct themselves evilly, they too would be assigned their portion with other hypocrites.Realize and note too that those who eventually are actually escorted ‘out of great tribulation[‘ like the truly long ago selected celestial 144,000 overcomers singing of a triumph anew, following wherever the all-seeing all empowered Lamb has gone, find alliance and company in a great multitude no longer defiled, but cleansed in the Lamb’s overcoming vigororous life ande thus are guided to living fountains.[See Rev. chapters 7 & 14].
A question: the letter mentions a “jw.org trainer” several times. Any clue who is that?
Yesterday I told an elder that his secret rules were unlawful. He claimed he didn’t know what I was talking about. Then he said the org did nothing in secret. I told him he had just lied.
Maybe he was shocked that a female knew what was going on behind closed doors. Whatever is WT teaching their elders? They have no idea what human rights are or how to implement them. They have no idea what the principles of justice are, yet they set up a judicial system. They believe it’s acceptable to lie to hide WT’s secret side.
Are you sure you are a witness?
The elder was on the street with a cart. He got really angry because he knew I was telling the truth. He tried to make me leave but I had as much right as they did to stand on the street and speak out. He didn’t want the two sisters with him to know what was going on.
Maybe more of us could speak to those on the street with carts. There’s no need to raise our voice and what we need to say can be done fairly quickly.
And it’s a bit of a captive audience. If they pack all their crap, it could make a scene. I’ve itching to ask them about the Australian Commission and their thoughts.
Oh well this is way beyond me. I just about manage to post this! However I am great believer in “truth will out” . It is all a matter of time. The more they deviate from the bible and run with temporal pursuits the more the crash will devastate the whole corrupt corporation. As has been said I too hope someone does the right thing and release the list of paedophiles to the courts. That would be a start in seeing justice served. Before the governments gets their hands on all the loot someone in legal land should be looking at the compensation all of us hoodwinked born ins can claim for loss of life . I know that is not much to do with hacking and privacy, but everything needs to be reviewed. This org claims they are from god ,so there is nothing to hide. One question where has all the money gone? Ruthlee
Don’t think they are that stupid to save the pedo file in the network, but we may never know with those idiots.
The WBTS is falling down.
Anyone know why JW Leaks has been taken down?
They’re losing total control, and this is something they just
cannot countenance, hence the hysterical tone of the letter.
Overt threats about loss of “privileges” for failing to follow
instructions, naughty children ! No TV for you tonight. —
And the ultimate shock horror from these retards, who seem
to believe that women are some kind of sub species, imagine
them getting hold of sensitive. Info, aren’t they only supposed
to know what men tell em ?
Paranoia is setting in, apostates are now supplanting Satan
as their main threat, unfortunately for them the number of
these is increasing rapidly. Expect more hysterics soon !
Haha! Nigeria! Go figure!
Exactly, the UN gave Nigeria those computers to educate themselves, little later all scam from the world came from Nigeria.
Jehovah can’t protect his own website?! How is he ever going to protect his people during Armageddon! He can’t even get his passwords straight!
It sounds like Watchtower needs to go to the university and take up some courses on cryptography and create ciphers to encrypt clear text or if Alan Turing were alive he could help out. Never mind, Alan Turing is a homosexual and Watchtower would not have any of that. Also, passwords such as “1234” or “1914” are not secure. In addition, learning Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Top 10 Security vulnerabilities should be high on their to do list. Oops! I totally forgot. They have been banned to going to higher education. Well Watchtower your in a bind. Wish you well. I wish I could help, but you thought I was limited in what I can do and let me go. Now the shoe is on the other foot.
“Passwords such as… 1914”
Haha! I bet you’d be able to open a lot of Witness garage doors with that one!
Just for poops and chuckles I went to the borgs website and made myself an account (user name Hugh Jasole if you want to look me up!) and I must say that while it didn’t shock or surprise me to see that the left side menu are as follows:
My password :
My user profile:
My donations:
“we’ll take cash, we’ll take checks, we’ll take credit cards, we’ll take jewelry we’ll take your mommas dentures if they got gold in them” – Mike Muir
He he he, lets see, 1. the internet is from the devil don’t use it! 2. here is our new website on jw…org isn’t it pretty? Numerous Jw’s unfamiliar with how internet searches work innocently type in Jehovah’s Witnesses and are instantly assaulted with all the scandals of the Watchtower from the United Nations to the pedophile problem! Many have woken up. I think watchtower has shot itself in the foot yet again. Keep the members ignorant of how things work on the internet, tell them to keep things confidential, and of course they need assistance! Oops! LOL!
Panic on the Brit Charity Commission front; child abuse cases still queueing up for court hearings; most baptismal candidates teenagers or younger not in a position to defy their parents; massive dropout and defection rate. This ‘anonymous traitors on the inside’ paranoia can only heighten the WT desperation. The cult’s demise may not be immediately imminent, but it must be on the horizon.
Great article. Seems to me they’ll never be able to keep all their secrets safe
As a now 50 year old and having been an elder since i was 23, i have had to deal with numerous complex and confusing situations. Many i think Elders are unqualified to carry out. I do however feel love people should be the priority. I questioned a few things as a COBE and the tables turned, just about policy. In the end i left my “eldership, reg Pioneer badge and all the privileges ? that came with it” the reason i discovered i had to have a mind that was nor dictated by robotic responses. The more time away the more ridiculous i feel about how long i stayed. Having said that i still feel a lot for few who were special and sincere people, mislead p in my opinion and scared carrying huge guilt as a motivation. My word is ask as many questions as you can about everything. Be sure in your mind without blinkers that what you believe is what YOU believe to be Gods word, not what you are told to believe. I am no longer a witness and as you can imagine my first meeting was when i was 5 years old. I have lost a complete social world. Now i have to work out how to have a new one
Dear Ex Elder –
Join the club! I became a witness at 30, thought I’d have ‘friends’ forever. How desperately sad that now at 63 years of age, just because I spoke out about certain things that concerned me, I am now shunned and avoided by all the ‘brotherhood’. Love, as you say should be the priority – they don’t know the real meaning of the word.
Complete social world swept away, best years of our life gone – it’s damn hard to pick up the pieces. I personally have determined to travel more and try to make the best of life without JWDom pulling the strings. At 50 you have time to rebuild a life for yourself – look forward, not back. We are all here to help you.
To Bad Penney. I left in my 40’s bad Penney and now close to your age but my life was still surrounded by JW’s and other WT influence, I have made some great friend since then but I agree they like to Claim they have this great LOVE but it is only based on how good of a JW you are. If you dare say anything anti JW or have another opinion and stop going to meetings you are shunned and you are no longer there friend. They destroy friendship s and family like nobody else. You just have to pick up the pieces and do your best to move on. It can be done .
It is done everyday by former JW’s.
I turned 50 this year. Been fading for two, Elders are doing their best to have a ‘chat’ to me and my daughter… I call it stalking and curb crawling. My advice is to join a club. It took a lot of courage on my part to so that but I am slowly building up new friends. Let them know your situation, it’s amazing the support you get. Do something you have been programmed not to do…. It’s amazing how liberating it feels.
To Tara: I woke up in my around 40 years old but it took me a good 4-5 years to finally make my break. I had family in and I raised them as JW’s and I was a very good JW/Elder.My wife is still gung hoe and will not discuss anything negative about WT with me. She freaks out if I say anything negative. We have been separated for a year now and does not look like she is coming back. I said how can you just walk away from your family like this? She said she needs her space etc. I have even talked with the elders trying to get her back home and the Elders told her to come back and she just wants her freedom she says and yet she continues to pioneer on my dime! That is all she does which has been a major part of our issues. My boys are both out but my daughter is still in w her husband. Even though I have been faded for nearly 20 years the negative effect of the WT is still for me. I think it is bc it was such a big PART of my life and I raised my kids and family in it. After I left I also joined a few clubs, AN Italian Club ( lot’s of fun ) and a baseball club, a hiking club,and a few other social outlets. It does take time and we all heal at different speeds. It takes some time for sure but little by little everyday gets better. There are good people out there that are understanding and will help you get over the BORG and The effect of the WT Cult can be pretty overwhelming to some. I think as we exit the BORG everyone has to do it in a way that makes them feel good and opened their eyes to other possibilities in life that we never knew. I joined the WT when I was very impressionable around 10-20 years old and it made a BIG impact om my young mind although I always knew something wasn’t right in the ORG bc of the the immense pressure they would put on people to always do more and more and the control they demanded over the Congregation and publishers. When I would read Jesus words about his load being kind and light and refreshing I would compare it to what I see and experienced in the Congregation and it was the opposite of what Jesus said,. Many publishers were so depressed and several were suicidal and some did commit suicide, I kept asking myself how this could be if this was the “TRUE FAITH”.
Tara. I meant to say I was 19-20 years old. Bad typo on my part. Although I did get witnessed to when I was about 16-17 years old by a classmate who had been converted.
He impressed me at the time bc he had a wild teenage life and stopped doing that and got converted to the JW’s. He impressed on me that Armageddon was imminent! I think he was sincere and he even became a missionary in Kenya for several years. I always looked up to his “spirituallity”. This guy was a SUPER witness. He no longer attends meeting or associated with JW”s at all. He is a private guy and he told me a while back when we discussed the “TRUTH” that he said How can any man tell you about God and claim he has more knowledge than the next person when he has no proof of it at all. It seems hes said that “Men just ant you to believe thy have a powerful connection to God and you need to listen to them” in reality he said nobody can prove anything.
I’m stronger each day. Having the support on here is amazing. I thank everyone. From the smallest comment to the most profound truth.
Ex Elder,
Like you I was appointed in my 20’s having been “in” since birth. I was a bit younger when I woke up, late thirties, but I still have that feeling of why did I stay for so long, why didn’t I see it sooner? But when you think about it our indoctrination was lifelong, from the time we were very small through our formative years we were told ‘this is the only way.’ It takes time to work through all that. It takes work, but we can become more forward thinking and focus less on the past. At times we will do or see something that reminds us of the former times, and we find ourselves dwelling on them again, but it soon passes.
WS
This letter amuses me and is unsurprising. There are a couple of old elders I know – not serving in Nigeria, by the way – who weren’t tech savvy and got their daughters’ help in setting up their jw.org accounts, passwords and in navigating around the elders-only areas. Not only did they enlist the help of *women* (the horror!) but one of the women is a former JW (*blood-curdling screams of terror*).
The Watchtower Society… having internet-related problems…
…with NIGERIA.
There’s gotta be some kind of karmic synchronicity at work, there.
Dear Ex – Elder,
There is a wondrous and beautiful life yet awaiting you (aside and apart from the org). I have PTSD which was only made worse by the societies teachings. Now, I am finely free from their atrocious misteachings of the Truth. Seek out your exciting new future. And be free of guilt. The LORD is still with you.
At the first-ever Nigerian Mothers’ Summit, the president of Nigeria expressed his deep concern about the country’s future. He had in mind, not politics or poverty, but “a much deeper problem”—the “general erosion of . . . core values within the family, at work, in the community and nationally.” (g 7/07 p. 4; http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/l/r1/lp-e?q=g+7%2F07+p.+4 )!
Hakizimana….are you suggesting that embracing a cult will fix the problems of mankind?
The experiment of Communism has failed miserably. What sounded like a good idea turned out to be an evil. You cannot stifle human individuality, creativity, free will and the desire to be in charge of ones own destiny.
Cults are a dictatorship and WT is right up there. They’re not qualified to run anything, let alone the world.
Capitalism is not perfect, but it’s the best we’ve got at the moment and we’ll adapt as needs dictate. It’s called surviving.
Constant communication, understanding and a desire to succeed is the key. We don’t need groups telling us that all is lost. Groups like that are part of the problem.
Janice Harper Ph.D., in her column of Psychology Today views shunning as an act of control and aggression. Also, she mentions that Shunning is a form of bullying. The article specifically names Jehovah’s Witnesses that use religious shunning. Clearly, she has seen cases in her practice where ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses have been shunned and have gone to her for help.
Psychologists are seeing negative impacts on the results of shunning. The act of shunning is a juvenile way of handling matters when you do not agree with someone based on who you are or what you are doing. Human society should not condone such behaviors.
Bullying people to conform to a religious standard shows no brotherly love and fails to give a good reputation to any organization that uses the practice.
I believe that religions that use shunning, should be shunned themselves. Governments should not tolerate such behavior for institutions that promote shunning.
The Silence of Shunning: A Conversation with Kipling William
Janice Harper Ph.D. official website
Right on , Brother! It beats me why such behavior is tolerated but I guess the world is slowly waking up to things like this.
The days of these cults are coming to an end, thanks to the internet.
Shunning is bullying.
Any religion that endorses shunning should have their tax-exempt status taken away from them.
Any religion that does not report child abuse should have their tax-exempt status taken away from them.
Thats right, Doc. Shunning in the workplace is illegal, so…..
It’s amazing, but typical, that shunning was once deemed as pagan, unscriptural and an instrument of control by them while it suited, but overnight it become a ‘loving provision’.
Red Flag!!!!, to anyone but the deluded.
and also, Doc, when you stated that shunning is a ‘juvenile way of handling matters’ is absolutely correct. It’s what young children do in the school playground. Girls especially.
Shunning by the Org shows desperation and an uncaring attitude, but we all know that.
Tanks to the internet a lot is being exposed. This week hachers revealed document from the antidoping agency That proves william’s sisters Serena and venus were taking drugs. And since the are jehovah s witnesses I wonder if they Will lost their privilèges or if the watchtower Will protect them…
Prince! Oh they won’t lose privileges bc they are
celebrities. Did Michael Jackson or prince lose privileges as Michael Jackson grabbed his crotch and
molested little children? Of course not. And Prince as he did everything JW’s are not supposed to do? As Long as the contributions kept coming in from the STARS nothing will happen.
The Williams sisters were never baptized, so there is nothing that the Org can do to them anyways. They talk about Jehovah and what he means to them, but they aren’t associated at all. Considering the latest District Convention and the counsel to shun unbaptized inactive ones the Org has a double standard for sure. They are quite happy to accept money from these ones, yet if it was you or I, they not tolerate us for a minute.
Congratulations on getting the book done, mate! May it be the missile down the reactor shaft of the Death Star.
At the recent DA where i only attended Sunday due to family, i have been told that at some point they gave a part where they want us to forget the past & look ahead, mmm why? Obviously the past hurts them & they want to sweep it under the mat, as for the computer problems, well again as it has been said, a lot of old timers with no computer skills, obviously going to lead to leaks, my work included computers & highly sensitive material, so our passwords are changed all the times, funny at the local hall if you want wifi you have to ask for a croney to put in the password in secret so no body knows what it is.The internet is killing them, so much info is out their, who remembers the days when the borg condemned tele evangelists & the use of lap tops, all very funny
I am going to do something that David Splane or any other Governing Body member cannot do. I am going to do a resurrection. A resurrection of a story called Watchtower Child Sexual Abuse.
The Child Abuse in the Jehovah’s Witnesses story will never die. Sorry to disappoint you David Splane. Every time we google the words, “JW Child Abuse”, over 1.4 million links get returned. In addition, millions of images will be returned as well. It will continue to be resurrected time and time again. The picture of Governing Body member Geoffrey Jackson at the Australian Royal Commission on child sexual abuse will be fixated in people’s minds.
The very troubled organization and its inability to handle matters appropriately will haunt the Watchtower organization for decades. We are not buying Watchtower’s “We are imperfect” cop-out anymore. It is time to bone up on responsibility and start respecting people for who they are.
@ Doc Obvious:
“We are not buying Watchtower’s “We are imperfect” cop-out anymore. It is time to bone up on responsibility and start respecting people for who they are”.
Well said! If they had the smallest particle of God’s Holy Spirit they wouldn’t be making so many blunders. I don’t recall the doctrines set in the sacred scriptures ever changing with flashes of “New Light”.
Operating in one form or another for over 100 years the WTBTS cannot get its doctrine straight to save their lives. You can count on changes, adjustments or “New Light” every twenty years. I know because I was involved (ashamedly) for over 55 years.
The corrupt WTBTS is truly reaping what they have sown for the last 50 years. It is plain to see that the sheeple are their “harvest” for the Lord. And what kind of “Christians” have they produced? Sheeple; that are uninformed, unsophisticated, incredulous, sycophantic, tattle tale telling dupes willing to believe anything or anyone at Walkill, whatever it is. They don’t understand their own doctrine because they (even the elders) can’t explain it. How many missed the ‘rapture’ of the remnant shown in the July 15, 2013 Watchtower?
A presiding overseer (coordinator of the body of elders) that I asked for one.
Keeping on bringing them to account, I say. Child molestation, U.N. involvement and everything else. Let them squirm. As Derek Jacobi playing Emperor Claudius of Rome said, “Let all the poisons that lurk in the mud, hatch out.”
@Big B
“uninformed, unsophisticated, incredulous, sycophantic, tattle tale telling dupes willing to believe anything or anyone at Walkill, whatever it is.”
Well put. And sadly, as we must admit, we once fit that description prior to our awakening.
The constantly changing doctrine goes all the way back to the beginning of the movement. Early on, Russell kept changing his pyramid dimensions in each new edition of Studies in the Scriptures to fit his modified predictions as they failed to materialize. This in the books that he once said were more valuable than the Bible. See details of the changes at http://www.neirr.org/pyramidscheme.htm
From such duplicitous beginnings should we expect anything less from this org after almost 140 years?
WS
@ Winston Smith
Very well stated as always. In our previous discussion you mentioned the three categories that Witnesses fall into;
“(1) those who believe it hook, line, and sinker – the org is inspired/spirit-directed and Armageddon is imminent, (2) those who recognize serious issues, but think that there is still value in membership and hope for reform, and (3) those who have seen behind the curtain and know it’s a sham and simply stay in for the sake of avoiding shunning by their relatives”.
This is definitely the case without a doubt.
Those representing the first class are like most of us were until enlightened and therefore the most needing help.
Those of the second class are delusional as the WTBTS will never change their governing body electoral procedure any more than the Catholic church will in electing their pope.
Those I have empathy for are the third group, those who stay knowing what awaits them and their family should they dare leave this distopian farce cultist Christianity.
I must say…and big totally honest here (what else?) …I really enjoy your synopsis style writing and cloak and dagger approach to these oftentimes laughable scenarios that the jw org gets themselves into….but and a big but…as a budding writer myself I have to say you tend to ‘mislead the witness your honour’ and project your own motive. I would guess as a neutral observer, based on surface reading, that u have major unresolved bitterness lurking just beneath all the ‘tongue in cheek’/border humorous ‘interpretations u present. Maybe this undermines the objectivity you aim to present.
A good story teller doesn’t tell the story. He just shows it and it tells itself.
U have a great ability for detail and an engaging writing style…but maybe lose the kindergarten (I am sure isn’t intentional) approach to your audience. We can draw our own conclusions. Besides that, awesome research and detail without which I would not have had my witness from birth eyes opened up to a new approach to truth. And this is just a writing style crit in the interests of good media and not a content crit. Cheers.
I’m in turmoil I someone who is “alone” out spoken and a sister . The love of my life was d/f 20 years ago he with drew from me and life, he wanted out of our marriage he said “he didn’t love me any more” so after 7 years off hell, I let go , it comply broke me I had a nerves break-down. I went from “wife” to none person, a ship with a Captain, to being set adrift, I’m sure you get the picture, well I’m still on my own readjusting my life still being over looked . I like it that way!!!!
After reading some of y”all comments, I didn’t get angry or surprised. I just know for sure that an ignorant flies follows the dead to the grave. Y”all should do a honest examination on yourselves to see whether the devil is not dragging y”all to the grave like the an ignorant flies.
The organization is run by imperfect men so if you y”all have any problem with the way it’s being run, go and tender your with the one who is directing it which is JEHOVAH!
Know this fact, Jehovah will not use Angels to preach to humans or settle there Marital problems etc, it is imperfect humans who understand themselves better that he will use and that has worked out very fine.
So stop gnashing your teeth because you are disFellowshiped or you disassociate yourselves with the organization rather go think about how your spiritual lives has turned out to be now! Matt 24:13, 1jhn 2:15-17 read.
After reading some of y”all comments, I didn’t get angry or surprised. I just know for sure that an ignorant flies follows the dead to the grave. Y”all should do an honest examination on yourselves to see whether the devil is not dragging y”all to the grave like an ignorant flies.
The organization is run by imperfect men so if you y”all have any problem with the way it’s being run, go and tender your case with the one who is directing it which is JEHOVAH!
Know this fact, Jehovah will not use Angels to preach to humans or settle there Marital problems etc, it is imperfect humans who understand themselves better that he will use and that has worked out very fine.
So stop gnashing your teeth because you are disFellowshiped or you disassociated yourselves with the organization rather go think about how your spiritual lives has turned out to be now! Matt 24:13, 1jhn 2:15-17 read.
@Prince – to your comment: “go think about how your spiritual lives has turned out to be now” OK, challenge accepted!
My spiritual life is so much better now compared to when I was controlled by the JW cult. I am finally able to love, understand, and accept all people as opposed to only those approved by Watchtower. I no longer carry around immense guilt for not being able to live up to a litany of man made rules. And I have a deeper appreciation for the creator and the creation. The world is reallly an amazing place, full of wonder and awe. It does not need to be burned up and rebuilt. While there are problems and evil, there is also much good.
My advice to you is to stop believing the Watchtower propaganda that all apostates are angry, volatile people. That is a misrepresentation used to keep you in line.
WS
Prince, I thought the Organization was being run by Jehovah. You just said it’s run by men. Are you sticking up for the Organization or what? Are you saying the Organization is Jehovah? If Jehovah and the Organization is the same thing then it can’t be imperfect.
Caroline…..are you suggesting that the Watchtower is trying to be two things at once? Would doing that be called ‘duplicitous’?
If a person were to willingly follow a duplicity, would that be like flies following the dead to the grave, I wonder.
@Outandabout, I am saying just that, that the Watchtower is trying to be two things at once; Jehovah and the Watchtower are one and the same and when the Society claims that they are not inspired but the Organization is run by Jehovah, then they are saying that that Jehovah’s organization is imperfect and Jehovah is imperfect, so why does anybody have to listen to them?
It is a hard road to tow so is being baptist catholic mormon or even penecostal the bottom line is Shut the Hell Up!!!
Hi people i receive WT people every Sunday .to be honest doubte and ague with most of there teachings.but still am bit behind here are these people for real GODs people? Please help me am only 22
Hi JR.
I would reply that no, they are not God’s people, but this is something you must decide for yourself.
Look at the evidence and make up your own mind.
A useful research tool for you is jw.org. This is the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses and contains all their teachings. Another useful tool is JWfacts.com. This website looks in depth at all the claims made by Jehovah’s Witnesses on jw.org and argues that they do not stand up to scrutiny. I would also suggest that you offer to review jwfacts.com in the company of those Witnesses who bring you the Watchtower. They will almost certainly refuse.
I would then ask you to consider if you can trust people who only want you to listen to their side of the argument, but refuse to even look at the arguments against them.
Real truth fears no enquiry.
Hi jr:
You are doing the right thing in investigating a religion, rather than simply talking to current members, you are also considering what former members have to say.
I was a member for over 30 years, born and raised, with relatives who were acquainted with the early founders of this movement. While many of them are very nice people who really want to do what is right, the are sadly quite misled and prisoners to a cultish concept. They are not God’s chosen people as they claim.
One way to show, biblically, that they are not God’s people is the principle found at Deuteronomy 18:21-2: “You may say to yourself, ‘How can we recognize a message the Lord has not spoken?’ When a prophet speaks in the Lord’s name, and the message does not come true or is not fulfilled, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”
The Watchtower Society has made countless predictions as to when the end of the world would occur and they have all failed. When I came of age, they assured us that those living in the year 1914 would never die off before the end came. Well for this to be true, these people would have to be well over 100 years old, and the Watchtower claimed that millions from this time period would never die. And this is just one of many of the failed predictions. Check out many more at http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/1800s.php.
If you ask Jehovah’s Witnesses about these failings they will try to explain them away with cliches such as “the light gets brighter” or that God’s people have often had misunderstandings.
Other troubling practices you might consider/research:
-The current issue with the covering up of child abuse; I recommend you google the latest Australian Royal Commission investigation.
-The practice of shunning anyone who leaves the church, even family members
-The mandate that members cannot accept certain medical treatment even if their life depends on it
-The idea that God will soon kill anyone who is not a Jehovah’s Witness i.e. about 99.9% of the world’s population
Best of luck in your research.
WS