Remaining Steadfast when Grandparents Shun
By Pedward · 10 Comments
A Christian woman whom we will call Joy tried to raise her son to love Jehovah God. When he grew up to be a man and educated himself about religion and cults the son made a personal decision to no longer be associated with his parent’s faith. As is often the case of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Joy reacted as if it was a personal attack against the family, she stated, “It was the deepest hurt I had ever experienced, I felt betrayed, broken hearted and frustrated. I was overwhelmed with negative thoughts.” Even though her son assured Joy of his love and that he always want his parents to be part of his families life, his parents cut him off completely.
Perhaps you too have tried help your parents understand that a personal choice of faith is no reason to persecute and victimize an innocent family. This son whom we will call Rick recalls, “My mom stated that I was dead to her and due to the teaching of the cult she was involved in, that my children, her grandchildren would be struck dead by God at Armageddon due to my decisions.” She stated, “Your father and I just do not want to attach ourselves emotionally when we know you are all going to be killed by God at any moment.”
You see the cult has informed them that God (Jehovah) will kill every man woman and child on the earth for not being Jehovah’s Witnesses. This destruction is so eminent that at any moment the sky could turn red and the slaughter could begin. The only way for anyone to survive this blood bath is to promote the distribution of literature produced by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society based on New York. The more Watchtower literature you distribute the less likely you will be to face execution by Jehovah.
As a result, “Joy” and her husband in their seventies feel it is more important to “pioneer” (a contract to spend 70 hours each month selling Watchtower literature) than to be any part of the lives of their grandchildren.
When a Son rebelled in the Bible
A famous story in the bible is of the “prodigal son”. (Luke 15:11-32) In that parable offered by Jesus the son did not just make a decision based on a difference in faith, but instead outright rejected his family and squandered his inheritance. The father in the story not only provided the son with money (his inheritance) but remained hopeful and supportive that son might someday return. Note the commentary offered in the scriptures when the son returned, verse 20,
“20 So he rose and went to his father. While he was yet a long way off, his father caught sight of him and was moved with pity, and he ran and fell upon his neck and tenderly kissed him. 21 Then the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Make me as one of your hired men.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves, Quick! bring out a robe, the best one, and clothe him with it, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened young bull, slaughter it and let us eat and enjoy ourselves, 24 because this my son was dead and came to life again; he was lost and was found.’”
As noted from the story that son asked for his father’s forgiveness not only for squandering the family inheritance but for not wishing to be his son. The father in his response not only showed that he remained his father throughout his son’s rebellion but that the son remained a member of the family on his return. The forgiving father ordered that a ring be put on the hand of the returning prodigal. (Lu 15:22) This act showed the favor and affection of the father as well as the dignity, honor, and status accorded this restored son.
In this story we see illustrated the essence of loyalty that a family should have for one another. This is further encapsulated in the definition of love offered a 1 Corinthians 13: 1-8, notice the eloquent way that real love is described:
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but do not have love, I have become a sounding [piece of] brass or a clashing cymbal. 2 And if I have the gift of prophesying and am acquainted with all the sacred secrets and all knowledge, and if I have all the faith so as to transplant mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my belongings to feed others, and if I hand over my body, that I may boast, but do not have love, I am not profited at all.
4 Love is long-suffering and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, does not get puffed up, 5 does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury. 6 It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails,”
The thought carried forth is that when real love is present, especially when dealing with family there is nothing that could justify shunning or disowning a family member simply because of a choice of worship and even more importantly in the event they make poor life choices. When children make mistakes that is when they need the favor and direction of their parents more than ever. As the reader can see this is biblically based and of course a good principle to follow even if you do not accept biblical directives.
Prisoners of a Cult
What though of Joy and the reason that she would choose to in one sense be so distraught and on the other hand so cold hearted and disloyal to her family? Joy and her husband over a period of years were programmed by a cult. The so called religion uses a form of mind control perfected by the Germans in World War II. Each week Joy and her husband attend three meetings in which they answer questions out of prepared paragraphs. They are commended and told how much smarter they are than any other religion as they recycle the same information over and over again year after year. What was the information? Basically sell literature for the “Watchtower Corporation” or Jehovah will kill you at any minute when Armageddon happens. This is the topic of every meeting and every convention attended by Jehovah’s Witnesses.
As a result Joy and her husband live in fear. They are terrorized into thinking if they do not obey this directive that Jehovah has a horrible death with fire coming out of heaven awaiting them. This in some ways is very similar to charismatic religions that teach the “hellfire” doctrine in which members must obey church directives or face eternity in a literal fire that roasts them forever. Jehovah’s Witnesses have simply repackaged this into a “God smashing you to bits” unless you obey our directives.
Directives that destroy families
Sadly those directives do not stop at “sell books for Watchtower or die” they continue with the way family members are treated that may choose to not be part of the cult. Note the commentary from an internal journal called “Kingdom Ministry” dated August 2002;
2 How to Treat Expelled Ones: God’s Word commands Christians not to keep company or fellowship with a person who has been expelled from the congregation: “Quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man. . . . Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.” (1 Cor. 5:11, 13) Jesus’ words recorded at Matthew 18:17 also bear on the matter: “Let [the expelled one] be to you just as a man of the nations and as a tax collector.” Jesus’ hearers well knew that the Jews of that day had no fraternization with Gentiles and that they shunned tax collectors as outcasts. Jesus was thus instructing his followers not to associate with expelled ones.” See The Watchtower of September 15, 1981, pages 18-20.
3 This means that loyal Christians do not have spiritual fellowship with anyone who has been expelled from the congregation. But more is involved. God’s Word states that we should not even eat with such a man.’ (1 Cor. 5:11) Hence, we also avoid social fellowship with an expelled person. This would rule out joining him in a picnic, party, ball game, or trip to the mall or theater or sitting down to a meal with him either in the home or at a restaurant.
This is not talking about non-church members per se, but instead the article states,
“The bond between family members can be very strong. This brings a test upon a Christian when a marriage mate, a child, a parent, or another close relative is disfellowshipped or has disassociated himself from the congregation. (Matt. 10:37)”
This covers about every aspect of someone that might be a part of your family. Why would a religion be so harsh in dealing with family members? The reason can be found in preserving the mind control of the group. If member were allowed to have interaction with ex members that have come to terms with cult mind programming then it could cause a mass exodus from the group. So by isolating members from non-believing family they preserve the total commitment to literature distribution without interference by demonizing outside family. This is reinforced by direct quotes from this literature in describing family members that may discourage them from sales, note this comment from the March 15, 2003 Watchtower:
“The apostle John wrote: “We know we originate with God, but the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19) Those words show a basic reason why Christians have to struggle to maintain their faith. When a Christian keeps his integrity, it is to a degree a defeat for Satan the Devil. Hence, Satan goes about like “a roaring lion” trying to intimidate and devour faithful Christians. (1 Peter 5:8) Indeed, he wages war on anointed Christians and their companions. (Revelation 12:17) In this warfare, he uses humans who knowingly or unknowingly serve his ends. It takes courage to stand firm against Satan and all his agents.”
So the thought offered is that anyone that does not promote book sales is basically an “agent of Satan”. That includes sons, daughters or any family members. The KM of August 2002 went on to give this example of how to treat a family member,
“13 After hearing a talk at a circuit assembly, a brother and his fleshly sister realized that they needed to make adjustments in the way they treated their mother, who lived elsewhere and who had been disfellowshipped for six years. Immediately after the assembly, the man called his mother, and after assuring her of their love, he explained that they could no longer talk to her unless there were important family matters requiring contact. Shortly thereafter, his mother began attending meetings and was eventually reinstated. Also, her unbelieving husband began studying and in time was baptized.”
So the “example” offered here is of a son and daughter cutting off their mother until she and her husband agreed to sell books for Watchtower. As can be seen cult mind control can have a very pervasive influence on victims of the programming. Many former members report anguish at being forced to pretend that they want to sell books for Watchtower to get “reinstated” and for their family to be allowed to talk to them again. Even so after “reinstatement” if the family member does not regularly sell books family members are directed to avoid close association with them.
Remain Steadfast to Protect your Children
How can a balanced parent today deal with grandparents suffering from cult mind programming and at the same time raise their children to be balanced members of society? In the scripture at 1Corinthians 13, notice the comment offered at verse eight, “Love never fails”. All children should treat their parents with love and respect after all they are the ones that brought them into this world to begin with. So in dealing with parents who are cult members it is important to not confront them in anger when they justify bad behavior. In most cases when you are completely cut off from your cult family remember to not allow this to affect your self esteem or self worth.
They made a choice and you simply are trying to live a happy and full life. Occasionally due to age or bad health cult members will bend the rules and allow limited contact, if so remember to check in on them from time to time as to their well being, help them with emergencies and other necessary things that all families do. Whenever they berate you for not being a member simply say, “I respect your beliefs and ask that you respect mine.” In the event of an emergency or funeral with face to face contact, they may attempt to insult your beliefs or speak judgmentally, simply change the subject or if worse come to worse say, “Excuse me,” walk away for a few minutes to give them time to calm down.
With regard to your children it is important to help them understand that their grandparents are victims of a cult and they are not allowed to act as normal grandparents would. Helping them to understand that the reason they never see their grandparents is their choice not yours. Assist your children to understand that you have explained to their grandparents they have an open invitation to be part of your lives and they refuse. Educating your children that cult mind control destroys unconditional love and that is why you would never want to treat them in the same way your parents treat you. By doing this you can help inform your children on the destructiveness of cults as well as reassure them that you want to be like the father in the parable of the “prodigal son”, you will never stop being their parents. Often children that have this frank communication are helped to be well adjusted and protected from the influence of cults.
To assist further look around your neighborhood often there are retired people that would love to have a nice family to befriend. You might share your story with them about how your parents are lost to a cult and that you are looking for adoptive parents to befriend and interact with. There are often many volunteers to fill the void in your family and it helps open your family up to how to show love for others as well.
Take your stand against the Devil
Religions, particularly cults, often use entities to frighten members into compliance. In this instance Jehovah’s Witnesses use the Devil as a way to say that anything that impedes book sales is the Devil trying to control you. The sad reality is the Devil is not involved in trying to stop Watchtower book sales nor if he did exist would he want to involve himself in trying to impede the evil perpetrated by cults. Helping your children to understand this while living a full and happy life free of cult mind control, for many they have found this to be the best way of life. So when Grandparents due to cult mind programming try to influence your thinking to their twisted directives remember to “Remain Steadfast When Grandparents Shun.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses Pedophile Scandal
By Pedward · Leave a Comment
This is one subject that just absolutely makes me angry. The Watchtower theocratic system as actually enabled pedophiles to continue to exploit children over and over. They hide these people in files that no one can see and try to use the “clergy penitent privilege” to justify NOT giving the names of Pedophiles to the authorities. You see, when a Jehovah’s Witness is faced with this problem, they are told to go to the elders first, not the police, and then let the elders make the decision.
So they do that and bring their child to the elders to explain and the elders hear the story and then bring in the accused. If the accused denies the charges, they leave it up to “Jehovah” to bring it out and go no further, unless there are witnesses. Come on now, how many witnesses are there for child abuse? In a recent article by SilentLambs.org, they have explained the problem fully and have even given out these flyers to everyone so they can post or give out to there neighbors;
SILENTLAMBS SERVICE BULLETIN
Jehovah’s Witnesses Forced To Open Pedophile Database!
www.silentlambs.org - 877-WTABUSE (982-2873)
Recent decisions in California Courts have ruled in favor of abuse survivors in that state. The Legal Department lawyers of Jehovah’s Witnesses have fought with filing after filing trying to claim “clergy penitent privilege” with information that would lead to the possible conviction or implication of further crimes against children by Jehovaha’s Witness child molesters. The secondary issue regards civil damages brought upon victims due to negligence of church officials in not reporting allegations of child abuse putting additional children in danger.
This ruling from the court states simply that the church cannot use “clergy penitent privilege” as a way to protect pedophiles from law enforcement. The ruling further states information stated in judicial hearings of Jehovah’s Witnesses as well as documents generated by those hearings are not “privileged” and will have to be released to the courts as any information that is relevant to the case. In addition, the Legal Department will have to produce all documents related to their abuse policy and how they investigate child abuse allegations.
Most importantly the ruling states; records kept by or under the “direction of the Legal Department concerning allegations of abuse,” that directly involves the pedophile database reported by silentlambs in April of 2002. This represents the first official ruling of the court that opens the database for public scrutiny.
This judgment is bitter sweet as in 2003 in New Hampshire silentlambs officials watched as Jehovah’s Witnesses attorneys defended the “religious right” of convicted child molester Paul Berry to prevent further convictions on allegations of his abuse of other children.
Thousands of dollars in donations to Jehovah’s Witnesses known as Worldwide Work monies were spent silencing the victims of Paul Berry. Each time you donate to Jehovah’s Witnesses a portion of that money will be spent defending the rights of convicted Jehovah’s Witness pedophiles from their victims.
The California case above to date has involved hundreds of thousands of dollars of Jehovah’s Witness donations to stop victims of abuse from getting needed treatment for the crimes committed against them. The religious hypocrisy of offering articles on abuse issues while secretly protecting pedophiles using “clergy penitent privilege” is far worse than the Catholic Church abuse scandal.
This month the Jehovah’s Witnesses are distributing this tract worldwide. They openly condemn the Catholic Church for their abuse scandal and use it as a basis to call them and all other faiths “false religion”.
Do members realize their Legal Department Lawyer elders are protecting pedophiles in the courts using the money they collect door to door to do so?
At silentlambs we appreciate the determination and courage of abuse survivors in going forward in the courts to bring these criminals to justice.
We look forward to the day when the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses follows the example set by the Pope of the Catholic Church and apologizes for their role in allowing policies that continue to hurt children. The truth will prevail and no amount of Worldwide Work Donations spent to protect child molesters will stop the real truth of these matters from being discovered in the courts. The pedophile database holds the key to that “truth.”
For a Flyer that you can give out in your neighborhood, Click Here>>jwpedophile-flyer.doc
Watchtower Library
By Pedward · 4 Comments
Here you can find copies of most of the Watchtower documents we reference in our articles. This should equip you the next time you quote a Watchtower and the Jehovah’s Witness tells you it’s not true. Make a copy and show them.
End of World 1874.PDF
The Watchtower History - Part 2
By Pedward · Leave a Comment
The Watchtower History - Part 1
By Pedward · 10 Comments
The Title of this post use to read “Jehovah’s Witnesses History Part 1″, because that is the name of the video. I think the name of this video is wrong and should be “The Watchtower History”, not the Jehovah’s Witness History. A few Witnesses have taken this as a personal attack and I can’t say I blame them with a title like that. Please understand when you watch this video, it portrays the history of the Watchtower and not a group of people who have been mislead by them! Therefore, I am changing the title of this post to more accurately reflect that it is about the “organization”, not the people.
Charles Taze Russell
By Pedward · 7 Comments
Charles Taze Russell was born in 1852 and died on October 31, 1916. He started the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society in the late 1800’s with the first publication of the Zion’s Watch Tower and Herald of Christ’s Presence being printed in 1874.
Depending on what you read, Mr. Russell started the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society for various reasons. Although he grew up in a Presbyterian home, most of his tutelage came from Adventist teachers when he was an editor of the Herald of the Morning.
There were a few Christian doctrines that lead him to leave his Presbyterian roots to start the Zion’s Watch Tower. His spiritually dangerous teachings grew from his refusal to accept or believe in the idea of Hell, the bodily resurrection of Christ, the deity of Christ and the Trinity.
The Watchtower December 16, 1916 had this to say about their leader.
“Charles Taze Russell, thou hast, by the Lord, been crowned a king; and through the everlasting ages thou name shall be know amongst the people, and thy enemies shall come and worship at thy feet”.
Considering the Bible teaches that only God is to be worshipped, I think we should all take notice of what level he is being brought to.
The Watchtower November 1, 1917 said this;
“Hence our dear pastor, now in glory, is without a doubt, manifesting a keen interest in the harvest work, and is permitted by the Lord to exercise some strong influence thereupon.”
Once again the Watchtower puts Mr. Russell as some how influencing the Lord. Interestingly enough, the Jehovah’s Witness believe that you are none existent when you die, so how he would be doing anything goes against their own doctrine.
In a watchtower book entitled “The Finished Mystery “, on page 31 of the 1917 edition it said,
“The special messenger to the last age of the Church was Charles T Russell, born February 16, 1852. He has privately admitted his belief that he was chosen for his great work from before his birth”.
Later in a bid to flee from the past and distance themselves from what earlier Watchtowers had written about him, the Watchtower May 1, 1989 said this.
“In the early part of our 20th century prior to 1919, the Bible Students, as Jehovah’s Witnesses were then know, had to be released from a form of spiritual captivity to the ideas and practices of false religion - Some were exalting creatures, indulging in a personality cult that focused on Charles Taze Russell, the first president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. “
I don’t think a few apostates could have exalted this “cult” type action on their own. It is very evident from his writings that he himself was the driving force behind these writings.
According to the book, “Jehovah’s Witnesses in Divine Purpose”, page 62 and “The Laodicean Messenger” page 106, Russell preached over 30,000 sermons, authored 50,000 printed pages, and sold almost 20,000,000 copies of his books.
Later, Joseph Russell the second President renamed the group Jehovah’s Witness to distinguish it from the other Bible groups that split off from Charles Russell after his death. To this day when you speak about certain doctrines, a Jehovah’s Witness may say that they do not follow that or teach that and what you’re telling them came from the “Russellites”.
