jehovah's witnesses leaving in droves jehovah's witnesses leaving in droves

I eventually left the faith at 18. But the fact that there is such a large turnover of the young people is a major symptom that something is deeply and fundamentally wrong with the Watchtowers model. I was born into it which means of course that I completely missed my childhood and early adulthood. I went to university, where I made even more friends who showed me that being in the world is completely fine, and that debate and discussion is also OK. Jehovah's Witnesses have been banned in Russia since 2017. Jehovah's Witnesses are taught to welcome doctrinal changes. None of these religions are the true religion. Are you inspired yet? This raises the issue of whether any benefits will ever be paid to other full-time JWs across the globe, who deserve them equally. Its hard to say. Witnesses are being approached and asked hard-hitting questions about child abuse, shunning, and other matters. By the time many young Jehovah's Witnesses reach their teen years, not only have they been conditioned to associate worshipping Jehovah with great displeasure; but they still dont have any groups or programs tailored to them as teens, or which meet their needs. - 63% of current Jehovah's Witnesses are a high school education or less. Amber Scorah writes about exiting the Jehovah's Witnesses in Leaving the Witness. He [the minister] handed me the Bible, and he told me, From now on, when we look up a scripture, I want you to look it up, and I want you to read it. And that was the biggest help for me in reaffirming me that what he was telling me was the truth. 2. When Andrea learned that the re-emergence of the Church Of Christ is clearly found in the Bible, she looked into the origins of JW and found that there was no Biblical proof to support JWs establishment. Copyright 2023 Jehovah's Witnesses. Youre taught by the organisation that once you leave you will become corrupted by the outside world and inevitably descend into selfishness, meanness and false happiness. And, it doesnt help the organization at all when governing body members like Jeffery Jackson get onto the stand in court and lie about their organization saying that it would be presumptuous to say that theyre the only spoakspeople for God when in fact, it says just that very thing in their literature. She was convinced shed lost me and that Id be changed for ever now, no longer the daughter shed always loved and cherished. When you factor how many people are baptized vs. the number of publishers the year before you realize that they . While I tried to maintain the utmost respect for their beliefs and not attempt to preach my own, they refused to extend me the same courtesy, and many assumed Id left so I could experience more freedom for worldly things. In situations such as this, I have often noticed that the kids dont have much in the way of emotional support and guidance. On the heels of a $35 million jury award to a woman who alleged the congregation mishandled her childhood abuse, other . Their lackluster growth will only continue; and they will find it harder and harder to recruit new members. random musings> However, the Watchtower stubbornly sticks to a one size fits all program for everyone. Just imagine if the Ford Motor Company was still manufacturing and marketing the Ford Pinto. Elders at a Utah congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses allegedly forced a 15-year-old to listen to a recording of her rape over and over again for hours as part of a religious inquiry, a. Left In 1977. Were a year and a half apart. It made them revered. Andrea grew up in a family of devout Jehovahs Witnesses. They put peoples lives in bondage to the religion. Id been treated badly by as many people who were Witnesses as I had non-Witnesses. Jehovah's Witness pervert who got sexual kicks from strangling children jailed despite cover-up by congregation. At that time, a small group of Bible students who lived near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States, began a systematic analysis of the Bible. I just want you to listen to the doctrines. Theres absolutely no room for error within the organization. Jehovah's Witnesses, Hendricks said, "fundamentally disagree with the idea of the Holy Trinity." "We believe that Jehovah is the sovereign, the only eternal one, and that Jesus Christ is a created being perhaps living in the heavens for billions of years," Hendricks said. The important thing for us is to show them that there is a great life to be lived after leaving the Watchtower. It is more like Satans group simply because of the harsh and inhumane rules and regulations that they harbor in their midst. And at one time their teaching was that Jesus was like God or was a God.. Boom Boom Boom! The carts also provide the public with the choice of approaching us or not, which some people appreciate. How many schools do you know of, that stick preschoolers, high school students, and graduate students all into the same classroom together? Moving to Warwick eliminated these costly payments. Originally from Kent, Laetitia says her parents became Jehovah's Witnesses about four years before she was born. Globally there are about eight-and-a-half million Jehovahs Witnesses. According to Watchtower's own figures, know the number of Jehovah's Witnesses decreased 0.6% from 2019 - 2020 (this represents 46,823 average publishers, for anyone interested) BUT I found a few other interesting facts that indicate, to me at least, that this cult's days are numbered and you can see you feel about it as well. They believe that salvation is impossible outside of the Watchtower. The rest will live forever in a paradise on Earth, never meeting the person who died for them - Jesus Christ. (We already know that growth has become stagnant and more and more people seem to be waking up than previously.). Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe that humans have an immaterial nature. If they act up and dont sit still; spankings are usually soon to follow. All rights Reserved. In South Africa, over 1400 congregations struggle to file their government mandated tax returns required of each congregation. Therefore, if young people are uninspired, bored, or unmotivated to engage in the theocratic treadmill, Jehovah's Witnesses can simply blame it on the influences of MTV, high school, or on their favorite buzzword: the world. After completing her Bible studies, Andrea was baptized into the Church Of Christ in 1981. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. We are in a great position to be a source of strength and compassion for those younger people who are wandering out and stumbling into forums like this. THE Jehovah's Witnesses religious denomination has been accused of selling assets and sending cash offshore to avoid paying Australian child-sex abuse victims. I have two beautiful children that I adore, that God blessed me with, and are very active in the Church. Andrea embraced its teachings and followed all of JWs beliefs to a T. She didnt celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any other holidays, and she avoided birthday celebrations. Jesus said himself that he was the way, the life and the truth and that nobody comes to the father but through him. ITV Dancing On Ice judge Christopher announced Jayne is out of surgery - and it was a success. The Russian Supreme Court's shocking ban of the Jehovah's Witnesses on 20 April 2017 also violates Russia's own Constitution which, in words, guarantees freedom of religion. He grew up in a Strong JW family in the USA but now thinks most of it is BS and Nonsense, By the way he does love Sweden and I need to go visit him. Its not hard to figure out why so many Jehovah's Witness children are conditioned from an early age to associate drudgery with the meetings and assemblies. However, the Seventh day Adventists say that theyre the only true religion, the Mormons say it and so do the Catholics and so on. There was always an air of mysti'c never seeing them except on occasion at a district convention. 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No other religion can do that. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that they have the one and only true religion and that their Governing Body is appointed by God himself. The Holy Spirit is . Getty Images 08 . Reportedly, one of the rules is that unless a perpetrator confesses to committing a sin, two people must witness the commission of the sin. Included with this the commissioning of the Last Messenger! Updated at 12:25 p.m. . Is it any wonder that they would seek to fill the void in their life with sex, drugs, and alcohol? They believe that ony 144,000 Jehovah's Witnesses will go to heaven. Brummies happily shopping and going. Is the Book of Daniel Prophetic or Historical? This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It is all about their money. In 2017, Russia banned the denomination, whose members believe in nonviolence and refuse to take up arms in war; Russia . When commenting on the young people who leave the organization, another common tactic that the organization uses is to cynically compare them with the ungrateful Israelites who found Jehovahs manna to be undesirable. He focused on his defense, like a narcissist who believes they are the center of the universe, unable to empathize with real people with real problems. Their whole going out to knock on doors sounds commendable, but truth be known, the reason why they do it is because theyre trying to earn their own way into Jehovahs new world; paradise Earth. Yes, one would think so, but this would involve the Watchtower leadership reinventing, and rethinking matters that they are convinced have already been settled. Two years later he founded Zion's Watch Tower and Tract Society, which was incorpo-rated in 1884 in Pennsylvania. If the Jehovahs Witnesses were the true religion, sanctioned by God, there would be no room for error and no mistakes!. Is the Book of Daniel Prophetic or Historical? Believers honor Jehovah, the God and Creator of all things. There's a limit on how long you can tell people that the world is about to end for so long before they get sceptical. Many of these were good kids too. Statistically, two-thirds of born in members leave, and of those that leave on. I myself was born and raised in the organization. Meanwhile, Watch Tower purchased four $8,000.00 scanners. However, none of that is really working and people are still waking up from this brutal North Korean type religion. I had panic attacks. So if Jesus said that, then that means all of these cultic religions are not the truth as they claim that they are. Shunning seams to be one of their favorite topics and favorite things to do. One would think that relatively simple endeavors like those offered in other churches would be worth it to the Watchtower leaders; when considering their inability to retain the young people. Right away, Andrea recognized that there was nothing Biblical about her grandmothers answer. The more the doctrines made sense, the more she wanted to keep learning. With all the false end of the world predictions that they have done in the past, theyre still crying that Armageddon is coming soon, and that they will be the only survivors of the battle. She listened and protected her faith and the teachings of the Jehovahs Witnesses until her beliefs could no longer defend her. 10. Other programs that would make for a much stronger, robust, and enthusiastic membership are pushed aside and dismissed due their possibly interfering with proselytizing. Nothing can be allowed to take any time away from the Watchtowers sole purpose of existence: proselytizing. Governing Body member Geoffrey Jackson The major damage has been done and it will only continue to spread throughout the organization as more and more proof of this religions terrible practices are leaked out and spread all over the Internet. It is truly a heavily works based religion. As education becomes increasingly important to eek out even a meager living, Witnesses are already being forced to become more educated. Its not what we post on AvoidJW.org that should worry Watch Tower. Jehovah's Witnesses ban comes into force in Russia after appeal fails. These elders are being retrained, and have been called disobedient by the branch. Those few born-in Jehovah's Witnesses who do stay in will pay an enormous price in that they will never have gotten to know who they really were. It is all about how much you can do in the organization that earns you status and salvation. Many former friends, including my best friend of 10 years, shunned me. Besides meetings and literature, what is the Watchtower doing, or even attempting to do to truly refresh, uplift, and inspire their young people? There is absolutely nowhere in the Bible where Jesus disfellowshipped anyone. She has never found a discrepancy between what is written in the Bible and the teachings taught in the Church Of Christ. On top of this, many Jehovah's Witness adults expect children to silently sit still through long convention talks on Daniels prophecies or the nuances of the word parousia. 1. - Among all U.S. adults who were raised as Jehovahs Witnesses, two-thirds (66%) no longer identify with the group. https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/religious-tradition/jehovahs-witness/, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/26/a-closer-look-at-jehovahs-witnesses-living-in-the-u-s/, https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/18/jehovahs-witnesses-murder-suicide-keego-harbor/409695002/. The organization of Jehovahs Witnesses is not Gods organization and never ever will be either. In more recent news concerning the Watchtower organization, Steven Lett made a really shocking and quite frankly damning statement concerning babies. I dont remember feelling that way 30yrs ago, but perhaps I am starting to get back to normal? With a spacious trunk, with low clearance to fit that pesky literature cart! Today it has 252 members, with those who have been associated with Pentecostalism, the Anglican and Baptist churches and the Jehovah's Witnesses dominating the group. When youre a convert, you know what its like to be in the world. One factor that was discussed at length was the high number of young people who do not stay in the organization. Already, members of the Watchtower are already being asked to donate money. And you have no promise. - The number of young Jehovah's Witnesses (aged 18-24) has dropped by 6% over the past 7 years. You know what its like to have no hope. And even though it was a challenging journey, she doesnt regret it. The Hardship of being a Gay Jehovah's Witness Drunk driver smashed into family car on M6 - while sipping cider, Jehovah's Witnesses denies telling abuse victims not to call the police, BBC Breakfast star Charlie Stayt halts show to warn Lenny Henry 'you shouldn't say that', Charlie was hosting BBC Breakfast on Thursday - but warned Lenny: "You really shouldn't say that. My grandmother was a pioneer. Tony Morris declared on multiple occasions that he was incensed with European trousers for men, designed by the homosexuals he hates so passionately and followed this tirade by producing a side by side photo of what proper trousers look like versus tight pants. However, today, information is in the form of aTsunami which cant be stopped. Jesus himself is truth, not those club-like religions. Jesus Christ is his firstborn son, is inferior to God, and was created by God. It's already a small pool of potential friends and romantic interests in a KH. What we see from regimes like North Korea is a disregard for many of the societal endeavors that make a nation stronger, such as infrastructure, good universities, economic freedoms, and democratic processes. Literature carts are being used not just in the Newcastle area but all over the world and we foresee them being a regular feature of our public preaching for many years to come.. Photos of JWfacts.com being Promoted More and more people each day are posting YouTube videos about their terrible experiences with this organization. They still teach that everybody else is doomed except for them. She met George, his family, and a few others from the Church Of Christ, including Brother Eddie San Gabriel, a Minister of the Gospel. I have never been able to find anything more true than what is taught by the Church Of Christ. I would love it if the young ones were leaving in droves, and I believe because of the Internet this will happen, but I don't see a great deal of evidence at present. Im grateful every day for my education and my desire to learn and think independently, a skill that fostered in me those initial doubts about Jehovahs Witnesses, and enabled me to have the strength to search for answers elsewhere in non-biased literature. They govern every aspect of your life from cradle to grave. I began a life where constantly questioning and improving my beliefs and ideas and always being open to those of others were my only constant doctrines. Truly the Watchtower organization has absolutely nothing good to say about any other religion because theyre too busy puffing themselves up over them. By Elizabeth Chuck. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. A big part of the JW organization's power comes from keeping dissenters isolated until they give in due to loneliness. Witnesses hold a number of traditional Christian views but also many that are unique to them. Watch Tower is very upset and concerned about all the leaks coming from their headquarters. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. AND I'm going to do the most non-Jehovah's Witness-y thing ever and, instead of just making up any shit I please, I will actually supply sources for my data so you can look it up for yourself: - 52% of Jehovah's Witnesses are 50 years of age or older, - Only 29% of Jehovah's Witnesses are parents to children under 18 - a decrease of 8% over the past 7 years. Everyone has a different "wtf" trigger and access to that information is just a curious click away. Authorities have also been accused of failing to look into allegations by whistleblowers that Jehovah's Witnesses may be hiding its money . There is a question regarding the longevity of JW.org given the events of the past few years. The Supreme Court of Canada will rule this year in a case involving shunning and discrimination, and if Watch Tower loses this case, the repercussions will be felt worldwide.