Watchtower's latest magazine uses "Jehovah" as a synonym for the organization
Watchtower’s latest magazine uses “Jehovah” as a synonym for the organization

Last year saw the publishing of a bizarre “Seven Shepherds, Eight Dukes” Watchtower article in which Jehovah’s Witnesses were told not to expect any justification for the commands passed down by their leaders.

The study magazine urged Witnesses to “obey any instructions” from “Jehovah’s organization… whether these appear sound from a strategic or human standpoint or not.”

But despite setting alarm bells ringing for those already concerned that Watchtower is sliding deeper and deeper into cultish fundamentalism, there was at least some distinction made in that article between “Jehovah” and his ‘organization’.

Now it seems that distinction, already so tenuous, is vanishing completely.

The latest October 15th Watchtower has this advice for Witnesses…

“Faithful servants of Jehovah have always been eager to submit to theocratic direction. (Read Hebrews 13:7, 17.) We may initially lack full understanding of the reasons for carrying out our assigned work in a particular way. Nevertheless, we are fully aware of the benefits of cooperating with Jehovah in any adjustments he sees fit to make.” -w14 10/15 pp.24-25

The same “obey without question” rhetoric is carried through from nearly a year ago, but with a troubling new twist. Direction or adjustments passed on to Jehovah’s Witnesses are to be considered, not as coming from “Jehovah’s organization,” but from Jehovah himself.

To drive this point home, the article gives the example of the recent spate of branch closures (or “mergers” as they are referred to in this article). How are bethelites uprooted from their homes and asked to relocate to a bethel in a foreign country to respond to this direction?

“Grethel says: ‘I accepted the invitation because it was my way of showing Jehovah that my love for him went beyond a country, a building, or a certain privilege.’ Dayska says: ‘When I remembered that the invitation came from Jehovah, I accepted it gladly.'” – w14 10/15 pp.25-26

Like a magician playing a cup and ball trick, Watchtower is making it harder for Witnesses to distinguish between themselves and God
Like a magician playing a cup and ball trick, Watchtower is making it harder for Witnesses to distinguish between God and the organization

The tinkering in rhetoric between the two articles, published less than a year apart, is subtle yet profound. If you can get Witnesses to think of Watchtower and Jehovah as one and the same, you bypass any need to justify how or why the organization deserves its authority.

1914 and 1919 become less relevant in explaining how Watchtower’s leaders received their divine mandate if Witnesses can mentally cut out the middle-man by considering themselves as obeying, not an organization, but God directly.

It will be intriguing to see how this mental cup and ball trick plays out in future organizational developments. Don’t be surprised if the name “Watchtower” gets dispensed with entirely as it grows increasingly obsolete in the minds of both Witnesses and those who rule over them.

 

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136 thoughts on “Jehovah and Watchtower – are they now to be thought of as one and the same?

  • July 14, 2014 at 1:21 am
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    I ain’t working on maggies farm; yes to comment about lawlessness:-) passion is a wonderful motivater.

  • July 14, 2014 at 2:10 am
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    Come in she said I’ll give shelter from the storm. The rest is up to you:-) never be owned young folks. Keep 1 eye open:-) x

  • July 14, 2014 at 2:26 am
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    I actually find this recent Watchtower shocking. I mean, isn’t this essentially blasphamy? Everything the Org has done wrong or has “adjusted” is what, Jehovah changing his mind? Jehovah getting it wrong before!? You say this is a subtle change in mantra, but its implications are so broad! Like you said about not having to actually give a scriptural basis for new direction. I can’t even find the words to explain how wrong this is.

  • July 14, 2014 at 4:48 am
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    I Took a little time to think this thing through, and in hind sight;i remember that in the record of the HOLY SCRIPTURES..GOD did select and appoint men on earth to act and speak on his behalf…now in each of these incidence,there were clear proof that they were given authority by him and backed up by the physical evidence thereof…Then again there were those that who were imitators and imposters falsely claiming to speak on GOD’S BEHALF.WHATEVER THESE ONES SPOKE BECAME JUST RABBLE TALK HAVING NO LOGICAL MERIT WHATSOEVER !!! And so this brings us now to WATCHTOWER WITH IT’S FLOODGATES OF RABBLE !!!!Why is it that they find themselves in this ever shifting quicksand ??? well here comes the answer in a nutshell on true light !At Hebrews 1:1 ,we learn that GOD who long ago spoke by means of the forefathers and the prophets, has at the end of these days spoken to us by means of his son…that being said..All those boldly claiming to have been duly appointed by GOD AS HIS SOLE REPRESENTATIVE WILL ONLY FIND THEMSELVES IN A DELUSIONAL MESS.!!!!SO THERE I’VE SAID IT AGAIN…So why don’t we just get together by the thousands and let our hair down..put on some good old boogie woogies and dance our (A.S.S)OF!!LET THEM SEE THAT WE ARE FREE …BEING MERRY AND HAPPY.

  • July 14, 2014 at 5:31 am
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    Rude awake,

    Yes, you’re right! Every human agent of God up until the Christians had a supernatural “seal of approval”.

    True, the scriptures say that gifts of prophesy etc will cease but the Congregation would have Love always.

    The test of any Christian church is whether they enjoy the fruitage of God’s Spirit. They are listed somewhere in the bible, I can’t remember where.

    Now, do the WTBTS exhibit the fruits of God’s Spirit?

    No, they most certainly do not! Sexual abuse cover ups, flip flops on blood fragments, false end time dates etc etc.

    Not to mention the shunning, marking and other forms of judgement!

    The WTBTS has always tried to usurp Jesus, even claiming that their publishing company is the Mediator between God and humans!!!

    Now, it seems they are effectively saying, ” nothing to do with us! It’s God’s fault that there are problems, because he keeps changing his mind!”

    I am moved with pity for those held in fear by the WTBTS. They truly are slaves to slaves.

    Anyone else have a problem with a faithful and discreet SLAVE bossing people around? I thought they were supposed to MINISTER? These terms imply servitude, not oversight, don’t they?

    My dear old Mum took about half an hour of deprogramming and reasoning before she could see the fallacy of the latest article. They have these poor people trapped and controlled to a worrying degree.

    It is impossible for God to be sinful. Therefore, any sinful behaviour (such as the cover up of child abuse and domestic abuse) cannot be laid at the feet of God. These sinful and disgraceful acts are the sole responsibility of the WTBTS and its Governing Body. They are the ones who initiate and continue policies that are unscriptural and unChristian, and they are the ones being sued because of them.

    This feeble attempt to usurp the rightful sovereignty of God and Jesus is receiving its reward in full – court cases, drop off in numbers and an increasingly aware public.

    Peace be with you

    Excelsior!

  • July 14, 2014 at 5:39 am
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    They really drive this idea home with experiences such as this.

    A brother at bethel who is from the Congo once escaped the violenece of war with his congregation. They were sent to a refugee camp in a nearby country. Now safe from the war they remained in the camp for a few weeks until the local branch requested they return to the Congo. The brother and most of the congregation thought there is still war and the Congo is still very dangerous, but most including the brother returned to the Congo trusting in Jehovah. The few brothers that remained were killed the very next day in a raid on the camp.

    This apparently a true story. Told by a CO that personally knows the brother. Gave his name and everything.

    It’s too bad he didn’t also allow the audience to consider the instance when witnesses in Malawai were pressured to buy party cards for $0.25 and were advised not to by the “local branch” and were beaten. Yet, on the other hand brothers in Mexico were allowed to bribe officials for a what I believe was a card showing military service completion.

  • July 14, 2014 at 6:00 am
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    I think the 1914 date for the invisible presence of Christ will be under review. Thank you John for your helpful article.

  • July 14, 2014 at 6:26 am
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    @Barbararadke;in reply:when Saul got very entrenched in a way of worship he though was right,he went to great length to whip others into his line of thought.Any one not complying were treated very badly,do you see the comparison in this as pertaining to watchtower; as to they methods of operation ??? SAUL WAS IN EFFECT ACTING AS GOD TO THE PEOPLE WITH SELF APPOINTED AUTHORITY TO DO ACCORDINGLY…THAT WAS UNTIL GOD SAID ENOUGH ALREADY !!!!!….Then he blinded him so he could not see…seems he has blinded the god’s of the watchtower…will they eyes be opened to see the light of truth as we are seeing now, as the scales have been removed from our eyes ???…only if they humble themselves to GOD AND NOT KEEP UP THE PRETENSE OF EXCLUSIVENESS…UNTIL SUCH TIMES AS MAYBE WE MUST LOOK TO GOD AND CHRIST JESUS FOR OUR REWARDS AS SALVATION BY MAN IS WORTHLESS…PSALMS 60 : 11…May we all find peace and comfort from the only source of true comfort…the most high GOD JEHOVAH THROUGH HIS SON CHRIST JESUS…I wish you peace !!Rudeawake.

  • July 14, 2014 at 6:27 am
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    what is discussting is the many that have lost their lives because of believing what is of the press one day only to die the next.

    its about lives, the innocent victims of the WT and their ever changing must believe one day and damn if you protest.

    the WT is blood guilty of their own, and their cries have been heard clear up to heaven.

    Christ was a liberator a humanitarian of man made rules and org, he came to rescue to help the people, the WT is the opposite they are the modern day Pharisees, with their judicial courts and unloving doctrines of shunning.

    The Wt is nothing like the love of Christ, the Wt is a business using Christ, they make me sick.

    they cause misery for their flock.

    unity in Christ rather than uniformity in doctrine? “

  • July 14, 2014 at 6:30 am
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    Rudeawake, I wished I could let my hair down and not let the Watchtower destroy my happiness but it isn’t possible until the Governing Body comes clean with all the lies in their history and admit to all their loyal followers that they really aren’t God’s spokesmen after all. Right now, all of us who have come to the realization that the Watchtower doesn’t have God’s approval in any way, shape or form have to live with the fact that no matter where we go, we are liable to run into our former Witness friends and relatives who think we have apostatized from the “Truth” and must shun us in order to “save” us from being destroyed at Armageddon and these people have to decide whether or not to listen to us or listen to the Society and we know that they are so brainwashed that in order to “save” us, they won’t listen to us and shun us. So, our choice is pretend to go along with all the lies and be a hypocrite in order not to lose our friends and relatives and let them waste their life away chasing a dream or for us not to live the lies and stop pretending the Witnesses have the “truth” and hope that our friends will listen to us, but we know what they will decide ahead of time before we even try, don’t we? All we can hope for at this point is that the Governing Body has some decency left in their big God-delusional heads, that they will come forth with the truth about the real history of the organization and then of course they will be out of a job. All that can happen I think, is for an underground uprising and I think there must be at least 1,000 Youtubers out there making videos exposing the Watchtower lies, so hopefully it won’t be that long. I hope to live long enough to see it. Those “friends” who are shunning us now out of “love” for us are suffering for us too but will be the ones to apologize to us in the end and suffer a fall from grace and feel the same anger towards the Governing Body that we feel now and will feel ashamed of how they treated us. We do know the Truth and our friends and relatives are in the dark. The whole world is laughing at them and they don’t even know it and they are the ones to be the most pitied. But right now, we have to suffer because of the position the Watchtower has put us in and the ones who are responsible for all the pain that we and our “friends” are suffering through is right on the heads of the Governing Body and I hate them with every breath I take of every second and every minute of every hour and every day. I wished I could be happy but I won’t be till the Governing Body comes clean and releases us all from this horrible religion we are tied to.

  • July 14, 2014 at 6:40 am
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    When that paragraph was read last year at the meeting, I hadn’t studied ahead, and I think all the blood drained from my face, and I gulped audibly. Even without being aware of my brain-washed status, this was disturbing. But judging from the reactions of the people who commented, this was an ultra-refreshing statement. Then when discussing it with an elders wife after the meeting, I got the impression she was so excited because it’s language that suggests Armageddon was almost here. (She said, we have to be like Moses) I don’t ever get the impression from anybody anymore, that the Governing Body is not synonymous with Jehovah. I’ve been told that my whole life, you hear it enough, and then you don’t even have to question or even think about it. You obey, never find out the history of why that couldn’t ple are thoroughly brain-washed, so to me, it just seems like the Governing Body is just trying to give itself license to do whatever the heck it wants, from here on out. YOU MUST OBEY ANYTHING YOU’RE TOLD. It’s scary, considering all the control they have already, but people just eat this stuff up. What will they do next? I imagine it’s just going to keep progressing and get more and more outrageous.

  • July 14, 2014 at 6:58 am
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    @excelsior; The scripture you reference is founded at Galatians 5 : 22,23…. And yes ! these fruitage of the spirit is has gone M.I.A in the org…and what is the reason ?? Note the reply of the apostle Paul at 1 Corinthians 13:1-3…now skip to verses 8 -13…there you have it …they are still wearing diapers…being babes….acting and screaming like babes do…all because they fail to grow up to maturity… calling people apostates…labeling them as being son of korah,being rebels against JEHOVAH…Remember ! The saying goes…A little learning can become a dangerous thing…I Think that is food for thought as to why we see what we are seeing.PEACE BE TO YOU AND YOURS..Rudeawake..

  • July 14, 2014 at 7:10 am
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    since the GB have declared themselves to be the only FDS, they have gone more control hungry this is what hey want complete control, more goofy teachings and more control can be expected by these modern day pharasees.

    So what is the answer? none concerning this false religion, only answer is to just do the best one can in obeying Christ, love one another, help those that are weak and care for those that are in need, that is all Christ asks. Forget the rest.

  • July 14, 2014 at 8:58 am
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    @Anonomus;look here now my good fellow!To free your mind ,means to put your mind at ease…IF YOU DO NOT MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT TOWARDS THE POSITIVE,BUT SPEND TOO MUCH TIME REFLECTING AND DWELLING IN THE NEGATIVES ;THEN YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE THAT TROUBLED MIND RATHER THAN A FREE MIND THAT ARE AT EASE..Now !!where do you start and how ?? Right here my boy,right here at Ecclesiastes 5 :18 -20…Micah 6:8 …1Peter 2 :6…Now you must make this your resolved not in the keeping foremost in your mind and heart the past of displaced loyalty which we blindly gave to man rather than GOD…NOW REDIRECT YOUR THINKING PROCESS TOWARDS THE POSITIVENESS OF FREEDOM FROM THE SNARE OF MEN, SO THAT YOU CAN ACCESS YOUR GOD GIVEN FREEDOM AND SO FIND CONTENTMENT,PEACE AND TRANQUILITY OF MIND ,HEART, BODY AND SOUL…AND YOU KNOW WHAT!GO OUT AND GET YOU SOME BOB MARLEY RECORDS AND LISTEN TO THE POSITIVE CONSCIOUS VIBRATIONS IN THE LYRICS IN HIS SONGS,YOU’LL BE AMAZED AT HIS WITS AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE EFFECTS OF MIND CONTROL..MAY YOU HAVE PEACE OF MIND..Rudeawake.

  • July 14, 2014 at 9:39 am
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    So, let me see if I got that right. The G.B. says ” we are not inspired” but yet when WE speak you must listen to us as though it was GOD speaking. Huhh???

  • July 14, 2014 at 9:46 am
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    This really doesn’t surprise me at all! These theological thugs have no boundaries! The WTBTS empire is crumbling in around the GB due to education and internet information. The old theology is now wearing thin from the exposure, so the GB has to shore up the masses with more lies and grandeur. It’s a grand sales job as it has always been from the beginning of this organization.

  • July 14, 2014 at 10:09 am
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    In my opinion the Governing Body’s statements to follow all direction from them without question is never questioned by the members of the congregation for the following reasons:
    Rank and file is too afraid to speak out for fear of being labeled an apostate
    Many people who form part of the congregation need structure and direction and live inside a box and do not want to think for themselves and would never question anything
    Many are just too tired or depressed to really care

    The last time I was in a kingdom hall which was for a Sunday meeting, I looked around and saw a sea of boredom, disinterest and absolute formality. The comments were robotic and mindless and I felt like I was in a meeting at my office at work that had lasted too long and was full of corporate rhetoric. I have not returned to the Kingdom Hall since that day.
    I truly feel sorry for those who are imprisoned by their fear of losing family and friends by a group of 7 men who have put themselves in a position of supremacy and who demand absolute obedience. How very sad.

  • July 14, 2014 at 10:46 am
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    Thank you Rudeawake for the pep talk! I try and tell myself the same thing over and over again so as not to let the Watchtower ruin my life from here on out but it’s my pure hatred of the Governing Body is what gives me the impetus to call them out at every opportunity that I have available to me and when I get in the mood, I will address letters to the Governing Body individually telling them how I feel about them not telling the rank and file the truth even though they probably throw my letters in the trash. At least I haven’t been disfellowshipped yet but sometimes I actually wish they would so I don’t have to pretend anymore. The only ones I would really miss talking to me are my children. I can live with the rest shunning me though, just knowing that they are the ones who are making fools of themselves and they will be the last to realize it.

  • July 14, 2014 at 11:42 am
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    Rob

    Your last comment including

    “Many people who form part of the congregation need structure and direction and live inside a box and do not want to think for themselves and would never question anything
    Many are just too tired or depressed to really care…”

    is very true.

    I was astounded (understatement) recently when a JW relative, after telling me in no uncertain terms everything that was so blatantly wrong within the Org and the double standards etc within the congregations, then proceeded to refer to it reverently as “The Truth!”

    I just cannot understand that when faced with and aware of so much evidence, the fact that it is NOT “The Truth” does not seem to register.

    As I have said before, what is it going to take to wake them up to acknowledge reality?

  • July 14, 2014 at 1:35 pm
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    In the past I have heard so many in the congregations speak in hushed tones about what is wrong with this religion and how the meetings are so bland and boring and how they hate going door to door, but they will never never say anything out loud because they just don’t want to rock the boat. They are content to never question the ever changing rules and regulations. They are content to disregard everything and everyone in favour of a corporation which calls itself the only true religion. They are content to never be able to question the Governing Body and even though they may not truly believe that the Watchtower and the Jehovah are one, they will never say anything out loud. They are content to stay on the hamster wheel or the perpetual treadmill.

    I once read an article about a fellow who was on a train and his stop was the last stop on the train’s route. The conductor kept announcing “last stop – end of line, last stop – end of line, last stop – end of line. But the train did not stop and he would not get off the train because he really believed that the next stop imminent. There was no conductor, it was just a recording and the train was really going nowhere. The Watchtower has used this same recording since its inception and this message is now so ingrained in the minds of witnesses and they are just too afraid to get off that train.

  • July 14, 2014 at 2:12 pm
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    Rob, I think of like somebody who has been stuffing quarters into a slot machine for years at the same slot machine and are so afraid to walk away because they are afraid that the next person who sticks a quarter in the slot machine is the one that will win the million dollars.

  • July 14, 2014 at 3:44 pm
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    @Searcher – I would think it a stretch to think that a billion-dollar industry is crumbling, at least not overnight. However, stranger things have happened—Enron, Worldcom, that UK bank (Barings). One more Watchtower with a snap-judgement change?

    But, as long as some “true believers” want to hear the story that Russell adopted and adapted, Rutherford adopted and adapted, and successive generations have adopted and adapted, there will be someone buying into the Society’s system of influence. The broader landscape reveals many groups [mainly those associated with the mentors of Russell and offshoots from Watchtower Society] with less headcount that hold common beliefs as the Society, so the market remains for this sort of fundamental millenialist, apocalyptic view. Even if the Society numbers rolled back to its heyday counts of 100,000’s worldwide, it would resort to the tactics that brought it name-recognition from obscure group of loosely-knit church groups to annoying door-peddlers.

    .

  • July 14, 2014 at 4:55 pm
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    Anonymous –
    Yes, you are right, this is a religion based on fear. The supposed fear of displeasing ‘Jehovah’, but really the fear of being disfellowshipped and losing out on everlasting life!A JW I bumped into recently said there was going to be a big push in August. The GB are obviously keeping everyone on the farm so they don’t have time to educate themselves with real truth. But who from the ‘outside’ is going to be gullible enough to fall for this scam when there is now so much adverse publicity out there? Surely the numbers of new recruits will inevitably tumble and hopefully the offspring of JWs will decrease as they are long overdue in reconsidering ‘Responsible childbearing in the time of the end’.
    Let us use our knowledge to protect people in any way we can from listening to this Watchtower deceit. A village near us has a sign ‘No doorstep callers welcome in this village’. A small step I know, but a lot of small steps can make a difference.

  • July 14, 2014 at 5:44 pm
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    Rob – everything you say, very true.

  • July 14, 2014 at 6:18 pm
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    The magnificent 7 ride again.

  • July 14, 2014 at 7:37 pm
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    The magnificent seven… hmm, I have a doubt about that, because the magazine outlines “unquestionable allegiance” to instructions from Jehovah [and as Cedars comments, Jehovah = Watchtower Society].

    Think long about how those instructions are composed and issued via letters, emails and representatives of the Watchtower. Do letters to elder bodies have signature of a/the Mag7 or the Watchtower Society [or whichever entity is setup to handle those affairs]?

    The Governing Body once = directors of the corporation & anointed, but no longer is 100% requirement (1992-93, “the helpers” declaration). And, heads/directors of corporations no longer have 100% requirement to be anointed/GB, which means ‘the wag is tailing the dog’ (long-term heads of Watchtower departments (and anonymous authors) writing the rules guiding the JW group–rules which can be bent to target and eject GB members [RFranz; Greenlees; Chitty] as need arises) and which GB members are subject.

    But, let’s see if the GB celebrity ride of ‘the magnificent seven’ continues or not.

  • July 14, 2014 at 8:01 pm
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    I’m sorry for the misunderstanding. I was being sarcastic. There is nothing magnificent abouth them, it’s just that I don’t like to call them governing body. I can call them the Seven Dwarfs too.

  • July 14, 2014 at 8:12 pm
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    Let you hair down and don’t let the WT destroy your only, ONLY happiness. Be happy that you are no longer a WT slave anymore. You are free. Why be free and in that freedom be attached to them and be a slave? They enslave people by keeping them in the past and in the future. But only in the present we are free. For the WT in the past we are siners, we are guilty, we are not good enough, we are missing the target they establish for everyone, never doing enough. In the future, we are waiting for perfection (what’s perfect anyway? can someone explain?) waiting for health, for happiness, for freedom, trying to reach the unreachable. Because of that we are always under stress, unhappy, unsatisfied & in misery, in poverty, emotionaly broken, & what for? For the satisfaction of those who benefit from the ignorance and misery of the beautiful people.
    Don’t let WT destroy your happiness, because when you are happy you show me what’s the real truth and in that state I want to be like YOU.

  • July 15, 2014 at 6:06 am
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    Well said, I hope for the same.

  • July 15, 2014 at 6:18 am
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    Conscience = freedom. Nobody else religiously or secular ly (spelling) has the right to control you. Fear & guilt are the weapons they use to control you. You were bought with a price. Conscience is the real you;

  • July 15, 2014 at 6:20 am
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    Freedom of self, religious or not, is where it’s at.

  • July 15, 2014 at 6:29 am
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    One scripture for the religiously minded. “Consider ALL things” & be yourself.

  • July 15, 2014 at 6:46 am
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    For jehovah witnesses regarding conscience. If I had all the blood fractions simultaneously (which would be a 98% blood transfusion) would that be a matter of conscience?

  • July 15, 2014 at 8:12 am
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    PM, I will experience real happiness when I see the Governing Body pay for the pain they have needlessly caused so many millions of innocent people who have been “taken in” by them. It’s much like when you have lost a loved one to a murderer who is living right next door to you and you know they killed your loved one and yet they are walking about free and even laugh in your face when they see you because they “know they got away with murder”. Finally this person has been found out to be a first degree murderer and has been sent to the gas chamber for what they did to your loved one. It’s only at this point do you feel closure for the death of your loved one because they have been finally been called to account for the loss of your loved one and you were able to. It won’t bring back your loved one but at least you didn’t let their death go without trying to bring to account the murderer. You bring honor to your loved one’s memory by making the murderer pay for their death. The Governing Body knows exactly what they are doing. How can seven men be that delusional in all of their thinking? Isn’t there a sane one in the bunch? They have to know what they are doing and have no conscience in what they are doing to 8 million innocent lives as well as all the ones who are suffering the pain of losing a loved ones to being disfellowshipped. It would be easy to “let my hair down” and be happy that I have finally learned the truth about the “truth” if I did everything I could to try and tell my friends and relatives the “truth about the truth” and they willingly didn’t want to hear it, but in reality, I know they are brainwashed by a very evil entity (if you believe in the Bible at all) and that is Satan the Devil. After all, wasn’t it Satan who told Eve “you positively won’t die?”. The Watchtower knows exactly what they are doing when they “twist” the scriptures (2nd Peter 3:16) to make the “flock” think just as that scripture says that only they (the Governing Body) are able to explain the scriptures to them and by listening only to them, they “positively won’t die”. But just as that scripture says, they are doing it to their own destruction. That is what I am looking forward to, their destruction. That is what will truely make me happy.

  • July 15, 2014 at 8:26 am
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    anonymous,you CAN be happy.When I told them of my reading websites like this the elders stopped my “privilege” of the Theocratic Ministry School studentship.I was unhappy for some time & even today I worry for my wife & daughter who are still in.By the way,I was neither baptized nor was I an unbaptized publisher.My wife,although baptized,has now come to realize the truth about the WTBTS “truth” due to my unrelentlessly arguing with her.In fact,she,too,is concerned about our teenager daughter’s enthusiasm for attending their meetings & study.I’d offered to help her study their magazines with critical thinking.Still waiting for her response.I still go to meetings with my family.I also attend a local church & I’m happy associating with the church members & singing along with them.God willing,my family will one day join me there,too.Then,perhaps we’ll quit the K.H.Difficult to move to another church but it CAN be done.God judges us individually.No one church has all the truth.

  • July 15, 2014 at 9:15 am
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    Some of my family are still active witnesses and I have found that talking to them about the flaws of the witness religion has really gotten me nowhere as they simply do not want to hear any negativity about their chosen way of life.

    I was a born in, baptized witness for over 30 years and since I was a young adult had many doubts and always questioned everything I read, hated the disfellowshipping arrangement, hated the fact that individuals who obtained a good secondary education and who secured a good job were looked down upon in the congregation, hated the fact that I could never question any of the ever changing doctrine and stupid rules (why can’t you clap after someone gives a really good talk in the ministry school? So what if its not their first talk.)

    I absolutely feel that the Watchtower equating themselves to Jehovah God is a form of idolatry, but my immediate family who are still witnesses just don’t see it that way.

    I finally made a decision that at this point I can only change my life and be happy with the decisions I have made for myself and hopefully at some point they will realize that my relationship with Jehovah God is much stronger now, my spirituality is much deeper and more real and that I treat everyone with the same dignity and respect that they deserve. Contrary to what I was told for years by the Watchtower, the so called “worldly people” aren’t so bad and many of them are truly spiritual people who love God and live their lives in harmony with the Bible and do amazing charity work. But according to the Watchtower these are all the “walking dead” just because they don’t agree with a very rich publishing company’s views on the Bible.

    I’ve seen firsthand in the corporate world, that where there is a lot of money, there is some corruption and the people at the top feel that somehow they are in a different stratosphere than the lowly nine to five workers. In my opinion the Watchtower, Governing Body are really no different, and its not surprising that they have put themselves on a higher plateau. They are probably adored by the lawyers and accountants who surround them and who undoubtedly advise them on many matters. I truly wonder who is really making all of the decisions in this religion now?

  • July 15, 2014 at 10:10 am
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    @JBob; you are correct when you put it in that perspective. “Crumbling” may have been the wrong choice of word. Maybe “Eroding” would be a better choice. They still have a lot of $$$ power and influential muscle that the GB must protect to stay in power.

    I have thought of one VERY IMPORTANT thing to keep in mind after re-reading Cedar’s post and many other posts here. The most striking example to use against the self-righteous bully boys is Deuteronomy 18:22; “When the prophet speaks in the name of Jehovah and the word is not fulfilled or does not come true, then Jehovah did not speak that word. The prophet spoke it presumptuously. You should not fear him.” How many times has this happened with this organization??? Consider the source! {BTW, that quote comes direct from the newest NWT bible.} Of course, the GB and my former ‘bible study’ teacher would say that the GB does not claim to be a prophet. Well, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then I believe it is a duck so to speak. The duck is acting like a prophet, a false prophet in this metaphorical case. With that said, the GB is misleading once again about their status and position in this world.

    God’s Spoken Word == Watchtower Society GB ‘provisions’? Yeah! My big butt on fire!!!

  • July 15, 2014 at 10:16 am
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    Fantastic and greatly useful article, John!
    I will use this…
    Thank you.

  • July 15, 2014 at 10:54 am
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    anonymous,

    Dear Lady, you have my sincere pity for your plight. You have been greviously wronged and you are righteously angry. Do not be afraid of your anger. It is right to be angry with an organisation that has caused so much suffering in the name of Christ.

    You need to find a way to channel your anger into something positive. I think your idea of writing letters to the individual members of the Governing Body is a good one. Write your letters and send them. I doubt very much that they will read them, but it will do you good to have at least tried to set them straight.

    Your family needs to know about what is really going on. You are in a good position at the moment, as you are not disfellowshipped.

    Choose one topic, one simple concept and start sowing the seeds of healthy doubt in their minds. I would suggest using Socratic Irony. This is where you pretend not to know something, and you ask for their advice. This way you are not seen as an apostate, but as someone genuinely confused by what you have read. Maybe, just maybe, your children will think about what you have said.

    You know that this is a hard road for you to travel. I have faith in your sincere belief and your good heart. I hope that your family will listen to you and that my humble suggestions will be of help to you.

    Peace be with you

    Excelsior!

  • July 15, 2014 at 11:42 am
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    Excelsior –
    Your suggestion of Socratic Irony is brilliant. I’m going to try that with any JW’s I may meet up with.
    Just thinking of a topic – What about the picture of ‘Jesus’ riding the white horse in the new publication release. The one where he has a bow in his hand. We could quizzically ask whether they have noticed that this depiction of the first horseman of the apocalypse corresponds with Jesus words at Matt.24 when he speaks about being misled by false Christs, then the wars, etc. We could then go to the description of the rider of the white horse later on in Revelation where he is described as having a sword protruding from his mouth and is clearly identified as Jesus Christ. Just a thought, but the truth was stunning to me when I first saw it.
    Perhaps all that theocratic training will come in useful after all.
    Cheers!

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