SHORT CHRISTIAN READINGS SELECTED FOR FORMER JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
AN EXAMINATION OF CULT-TYPE BEHAVIORS EXHIBITED BY JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
By Kim Christine Callaghan
(edited)
The doorbell rings you out of a well-deserved sleeping-in shortly after 9 a.m. on a Saturday. You open your door to see a pair of well dressed, smiling Jehovah's Witnesses, briefcases in hand. Most people dismiss Jehovah's Witnesses without giving them a second thought, believing that they are benign, misguided, though well-intentioned nuisances. Others, however, consider Jehovah's Witnesses to be an insidious cult that uses a number of high-control techniques to govern the attitudes and behaviors of its members. Jehovah's Witnesses, naturally, deny that their religious organization constitutes a cult.
Social psychologists, theologians, and mental health professionals tend to disagree. What follows will explore factors that identify some cult-like attitudes and behaviors exhibited by Jehovah's Witnesses. One way the WatchTower Society leadership exercises extreme control over its members is by promoting the belief that they are a chosen people in sole possession of "the Truth". This is common among cult groups. Another high-control tactic used is that its members are not allowed to question or doubt the organization's leadership or to examine any information that is critical of the religion. The manner in which the organization's leadership, the Watchtower Society, emphasizes its self-proclaimed authority to members is a third factor that clearly identifies Jehovah's Witnesses as a religious cult.
In discussing dysfunctional religious groups, Booth (1991, 67) identifies several characteristics held in common. One of the main indicators is labeling the belief system as "the Truth". This confers a special status upon members, that they have responded to God's invitation to have knowledge that is exclusive to the group, elevating them to a spiritual level above the rest of society. These distinctions between members and non-members allow the group to operate with a pseudo-superior attitude.
As a case in point, "The Watchtower" magazine states: "Jehovah's Witnesses invite everyone to ... experience the joy that comes not only from having found a religion that surpasses all others but from having found the truth!" (Vol. 116, No. 8, 6). Another issue of the same journal states: "Allow [Jehovah's] Witnesses to help you learn the truth about God's will for us today. Respond to God's call to discuss true worship" in its invitation to non-members to examine WatchTower Society teachings (Vol. 116, No. 7, 8).
Early in the indoctrination process, outsiders are encouraged by the Jehovah's Witnesses to critically examine their current beliefs, while at the same time being presented Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs. The initiate receives the impression that tolerance and respect for differences in opinion on religious matters are not only practiced by Jehovah's Witnesses, but are actually encouraged:
"Truly, it is at least educational and mind broadening to understand what others believe and how their beliefs originated" and, "people may strongly disagree with their religious beliefs, but that is no basis for hating a person just because he or she holds a different viewpoint" (WTBTS, 1990, 10).
Once the person has progressed past the initial pleasantries, however, tolerance quickly evaporates. In describing former Jehovah's Witnesses who disagree with Watchtower Society teachings, or doubt the veracity of the belief system, it states: "apostate ones are judged with the greatest severity, they are disfellowshipped [excommunicated], no more to act as leaven [an undesirable influence] among God's people" (WTBTS, 1988, 45).
Jehovah's Witnesses are warned against "independent thinking". This is done with convoluted reasoning that includes the idea that the "Devil" lures people to "pursue a course of pride", and that a symptom of pride is insubordination to directives of the Watchtower Society (WTBTS, 1995, 60).
Booth believes this is the primary identifying mark of a dysfunctional system: "if you cannot question or examine what you are taught, if you cannot doubt or challenge authority, you are in danger of being victimized and abused" (1991, 62). He further notes that members of dysfunctional groups become hostile toward those who choose not to toe the line and use strict adherence to rules to absolve themselves of personal responsibility for hostility against dissenters, to achieve a sense of control, and render them helpless to choices imposed upon them by the groups leadership (Booth, 1991, 82).
Even family members are expected to participate in the shunning that follows against disfellowshipped former Jehovah's Witnesses. Stock phrases employed to excuse this behavior are, among others, "it's so they will come back to their senses", "they need to feel ashamed of what they have done, and "we need to keep the congregation clean."
The organization insinuates itself into salvation, stating that anyone desiring to be saved must learn and practice the truth as taught by the faithful and discreet slave, the men at the helm of the Watchtower Society.
Jehovah's Witnesses receive constant reminders to "pay attention to the sayings of everlasting life" appearing in Watchtower publications. For instance: "Since Jehovah is an orderly God, it is reasonable that he would provide authoritative and well-organized leadership for his people" (WTBTS, 1995, 137). By reminding Jehovah's Witnesses of who is in charge, and expecting compliance and submission to its directives upon pain of excommunication, the Watchtower Society gives authority to itself. Since authority must be mandated, subjection to its authority also must be mandated (Johnson & VanVonderen, 1991, 66).
Jehovah's Witnesses boast that their members are decent, hard-working members of society, paying their taxes and abiding by the laws of the land. While these are commendable traits, they are not exclusive to Witnesses, nor do they completely free the organization from corruption among its membership. There are individuals who have benefited from the Witness way of life, having been helped to leave unhealthy lifestyles. It raises the question, though, whether these people have merely exchanged one dysfunctional lifestyle for another, given that Witnesses adhere so rigidly to the mandates of the Watchtower Society. Even though some individuals have improved their lot in life by becoming Witnesses, these in themselves do not negate the facts showing that Jehovah's Witnesses are indeed a religious cult.
The belief that they have "the Truth", the inability to question or doubt teachings and the legislation of the Watchtower Society's authority over its members are factors that show that this belief system is a cult. The fact that the group is growing at a rate of 250,000 members annually demonstrates the necessity to educate people about how cults operate, who is at risk of being ensnared by them and what means exist to help friends and loved ones who become entangled in groups such as Jehovah's Witnesses. It is vital to explore the usefulness of anti-cult groups, and to support efforts at identifying practices used by cults in manipulating people to become members.
References:
Baron, R. and Byrne, D. (1987). Chapter 11, Group and Social Behavior: The Consequences of Belonging, Social Psychology: Understanding Human Interaction, 5th edition. Newton, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon.
Booth, L. (1991). When God Becomes a Drug: Breaking the Chains of Religious Addiction and Abuse, Los Angeles, CA: Jeremy P. Tarcher.
Johnson, D. and VanVonderen, J. (1991). The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Minneapolis, Minnesota:Bethany House Publishers.
Revelation: Its Grand Climax at Hand! Brooklyn, NY: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, 1988.
Mankind's Search for God, Brooklyn, NY: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, 1990.
What Good Can Come from Discussing Religion? The Watchtower, Vol. 116, No. 7. Brooklyn, NY: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York.
Is Religious Truth Attainable? The Watchtower, Vol. 116, No. 8. Brooklyn, NY: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York.
Knowledge that Leads to Everlasting Life, Brooklyn, NY: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, 1995.
Watters, Wendell W, MD, Deadly Doctrine: Health, Wellness and Christian God-talk, Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books, 1992.
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Are Jehovah's Witnesses A Cult?
By David A. Reed
(edited)
Watchtower Society mounts defense against recent exposes, tries to show itself unlike Waco cult.
Are Jehovah's Witnesses a cult? More voices must be saying so, or why else would six pages -- including the cover -- of the February 15, 1994, The Watchtower magazine be devoted to answering this charge?
The Watchtower Society's answer comes in the form of two articles: "Cults -- What Are They?" (pages 3-4) and "Are Jehovah's Witnesses a Cult?" (pages 5-7).
Above a half-page photo of the burning Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, the first article begins by summarizing that recent tragedy, strangely without ever naming the town of Waco or mentioning cult leader David Koresh or his sect by name. The article then refers to the 1969 Charles Manson murders, the 1978 Jonestown disaster, and the 1987 mass-suicide of a pseudo-Christian cult in Korea.
Next, after noting the existence of organizations set up to monitor cults, and the anticipated proliferation of cults surrounding the advent of the year 2000, The Watchtower magazine goes on to ask in a new subheading, "What Is a Cult?"
It turns for the answer to such authorities as The World Book Encyclopedia, Newsweek magazine, and Asiaweek magazine to come up with definitions centering on the thought of "small, fringe groups" following "a single, charismatic individual," "a living leader who promotes new and unorthodox doctrines and practices," or "a charismatic leader, who often proclaims himself to be the personification of God."
To this it goes on to add from another source the thought of a group "employing unethically manipulative techniques of persuasion and control to advance the goals of its leaders." Then The Watchtower magazine comments in its own words that "Usually they conduct their religious activities in secrecy," and, "Many of these cultic groups actually isolate themselves in communes."
Finally, the article states the problem:
"Occasionally, anticult organizations and the media have referred to Jehovah's Witnesses as a cult. A number of recent newspaper articles lump the witnesses with religious groups known for their questionable practices."
The second article, titled "Are Jehovah's Witnesses a Cult?" goes on to offer "evidence" that they are not. Let's examine that alleged evidence point by point:
-- Jesus and his disciples were falsely accused
Yes, they were. But that does not mean that this is true of Jehovah's Witnesses. The same argument that "they persecuted Jesus too" has been used by countless cults, including the Branch Davidians of Waco, Texas. It has nothing to do with the guilt or innocence of the group in question, and is introduced as a tricky debating tactic.
-- A Russian official who had been told Jehovah's Witnesses were an "underground sect sitting in darkness and slaughtering children and killing themselves" discovered them instead to be "normal, smiling people"
This, too is a deceptive trick known as a "straw man" argument. The Watchtower magazine sets up a fake "straw man" -- the extremely ridiculous description of JWs the official first heard -- and then easily knocks down that straw man. Of course, "normal, smiling people" can be found in many cults, including those cited earlier for their mass suicides.
The fact that The Watchtower magazine's first two defenses consist of clever tricks instead of real evidence should make readers even more cautious in examining the remaining arguments.
-- [Jehovah's Witnesses] meetings consist of Bible study and discussion.
The same was true of the meetings David Koresh conducted with his Branch Davidians at the Waco compound. His lectures revolved around the book of Revelation and other Bible prophecies. Cults and heretical sects have been twisting scripture from the days of the apostles. (2 Pet. 3:16).
-- [Jehovah's Witnesses] activities are public, not secretive.
While it is true that house-to-house preaching is a public activity and most Jehovah's Witness meetings are open to the public, there is much about the organization that remains hidden from the public eye. Most outsiders have no idea of the extent to which the Watchtower Society controls its members - punishing them if they vote in elections, or hang an evergreen wreath on their door, or read forbidden literature (such as this sheet you are now reading!). Even most relatives and neighbors are unaware that Jehovah's Witnesses can be put on trial behind closed doors, without right to representation by an attorney, and that they can be commanded to shun a life-long friend without even being informed of the friend's alleged offense against the organization.
-- With more than [20] million people attending, they are "far from being a small fringe cult".
True, the numbers involved exclude Jehovah's Witnesses from the category of a small fringe cult, but this does not exclude them from being a large major cult.
-- Victims of alleged brainwashing are lacking.
Speaking to "the millions of non-Witnesses who are studying the Bible with the Jehovah's Witnesses or who have studied with them at one time or another," The Watchtower asks rhetorically, "Were there any attempts to brainwash you? Did the Jehovah's Witnesses employ mind-control techniques on you? The Watchtower Society answers for them: "'No' would doubtless be your frank response. Obviously, if these methods had been used, there would be an overwhelming number of victims ..."
As a matter of fact, there are countless victims who have testified to Watchtower Society mind control in radio and TV interviews, in law courts, and in print. The non-religious book Combatting Cult Mind Control by exit-counselor Steve Hassan deals mainly with "Moonies", but lists Jehovah's Witnesses among the cults and refers readers to seven books by former Jehovah's Witnesses.
Because it is implemented much more slowly than in many other cults, the Watchtower Society's program of mind control often goes unrecognized, except by experts. But it shares basic elements with other 'brainwashing' programs: (1) repetitive instruction, with books, magazines, and meetings all hammering home the same information, (2) new members told to break ties with outside friends and limit fellowship with non-member relatives, (3) a ban on reading critical works, (4) denunciation and shunning of ex-members, (5) verbal attacks undermining the authority of all outside institutions - religious, educational, medical, governmental, (6) a unique vocabulary with "loaded" language reinforcing the sect's rules, and (7) an orchestrated superiority/inferiority-guilt complex. Former members who have not been deprogrammed commonly report problems with anxiety, fear, and disorientation, as well as difficulty reintegrating in society at large.
-- [... Jehovah's Witnesses] do not live in communes, isolating themselves from relatives and others."
Aside from the roughly 13,000 volunteers who live and work at Bethel office/factory/farm facilities, most Jehovah's Witnesses are not physically isolated. But they are socially isolated from outsiders. And when contact with "worldly" (non-member) relatives or neighbors does take place, Jehovah's Witnesses are taught to view this as an opportunity for witnessing rather than a time for fellowship. The statement quoted here denying that JWs isolate themselves is propaganda for public consumption; on page 24 of this same The Watchtower magazine, Jehovah's Witnesses themselves are told, "We must also be on guard against extended association with worldly people. Perhaps it is a neighbor, a school friend, a workmate, or a business associate. ...What are some of the dangers of such a friendship?..."
So, not only do JWs in fact isolate themselves, but their leaders are deliberately concealing this fact and falsifying information to defend themselves against the charge of being a "cult."
-- [Jehovah's Witnesses] adhere strictly to the Bible.
Again, this same claim is made by most pseudo-Christian cults, including the one whose members died in the fire at Waco; surviving children felt left out when the others 'went to heaven.' The Watchtower Society goes a step further than most cults, actually replacing standard Bibles with those tailored to fit the sect's doctrines, rather than rely simply on unique interpretation.
-- The veneration and idolization of human leaders so characteristic of cults today is not found among Jehovah's Witnesses.
The Watchtower Society has acknowledged elsewhere that early Jehovah's Witnesses "were exalting creatures, indulging in a personality cult that focused on Charles T. Russell." (May 1, 1989, page 4) Jehovah's Witnesses today exalt their collective leadership as a group. They view their organization as essential to salvation and feel obligated to obey its every command. They call it 'Mother' (God is 'Father'), 'God's channel of communication,' 'God's organization,' and pledge to it their full loyalty and allegiance. In effect, they idolize the organization as a corporate savior and lord. Thus, while avoiding a cult focused on an individual, today's JWs are a cult focused on an organization.
So, are Jehovah's Witnesses a cult?
Yes! The Watchtower Society's defense falls flat when faced with the facts.
In fact, Jehovah's Witnesses are a deadly cult. A single sentence in the February 15, 1994 Watchtower article admits, without comment, "They will not eat blood, nor will they accept blood transfusions." (page 7) But it fails to admit that this ban on blood transfusions has caused more deaths than the Waco, Texas standoff, the Manson murders, and the Jonestown mass suicide put together.
David Reed's book Worse Than Waco documents dozens of JW deaths -- giving names, places, dates, and media references - and cites statistics pointing to a total death toll numbering in the thousands. It goes on to detail how the Watchtower Society has instructed followers to break laws, violate court orders, smash medical equipment -- and how Witnesses have been jailed for carrying out such instructions, even kidnapping children from hospital beds and taking them out hospital windows.
Why are there no newspaper headlines classing Watchtower Society leaders with David Koresh and Jim Jones? Partly because Jehovah's Witness deaths have occurred -- and continue to occur -- one at a time in different locations, rather than in one spot where TV cameras could focus. And partly because the Watchtower Society continues to use its mammoth propaganda machine to hide the facts. The February 15, 1994 The Watchtower magazine article asking, "Are Jehovah's Witnesses a Cult?" is a prime example.
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50 REASONS
Why the Watchtower Society Will Remain a christian CULT,
and Will Never Become a christian denomination.
1. Teaching that true Christianity is an organization -- the WatchTower Society -- instead of a way of life for individuals.
2. Teaching that salvation is dependent upon being a follower of the WatchTower Society, i.e, being a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
3. Teaching that the WatchTower Society is controlled by and speaks for Jehovah, thereby equating the organization with God himself.
4. Centralizing authority in the WatchTower Society, instead of allowing Christ to be the head over each individual Christian.
5. Teaching that the "faithful and discreet slave" is the "Governing Body" of the WatchTower Society, rather than the class of true Christians who show themselves to be responsible and obedient to Christ.
6. Teaching that scattered early Christian congregations were governed by a "Governing Body" in Jerusalem.
7. Teaching that Jesus Christ selected the WatchTower Society as His sole earthly representative and true church in 1919.
8. More specifically, teaching that the "Governing Body" of the WatchTower Society is God's channel and prophet.
9. Putting more importance and emphasis on WatchTower literature than God's Word, the Holy Bible.
10. Regularly and routinely using Bible texts out of context in order to support the WatchTower Society's man-made doctrines and procedures.
11. Teaching for more than 50 years that Jesus Christ had "invisibly" returned in 1874, before then changing the date to 1914.
12. Teaching that Jerusalem and its Temple were destroyed in 607 BCE, when no historical records confirm this, and the actual date is believed by nearly all historians to be 587 BCE. (Historians believe that the Babylonians first placed Jerusalem and Judea under its governance around 606 BCE, returned to reassert its authority around 597 BCE, and finally put an end to continuing rebellion in 587/6 BCE. At each instance, treasure and human hostages -- including Daniel, Jeremiah, Shadrach, Meshach, etc -- were taken back to live in Babylon. Of course, the last trip was taken to the extreme.)
13. Falsifying the fact that Charles Russell had predicted since 1877 that 1914 would mark the end of that world system, and the beginning of the Millennium, and claiming that "Pastor" Russell had accurately predicted the start of World War I.
14. Teaching that 1914 marked a significant "increase" in earthquakes, famines, crime, civil unrest, natural disasters, etc., using greatly improved "reporting" of such as its "evidence".
15. Teaching that the United Nations is the "wild beast" of Revelation, and that religions which do business with the United Nations are "Babylon the Great, all while the WatchTower Society was registered as an official NGO with the United Nations, and was using such status for favors and influence with U.N. agencies around the globe. As part of the U.N.'s required bi-annual renewal process, the WatchTower Society published articles in its magazines, and distributed such worldwide, which favorably portrayed humanitarian activities of the United Nations.
16. Teaching that it is "sinful" to celebrate Father's Day, Mother's Day ("Honor Thy Father and Mother"), Thanksgiving (lack of thanksgiving being one of mankind's most prevalent sins), religious holidays (which Christians easily can celebrate biblically if they so desire), and anyone's birthday (again, which Christians easily can celebrate biblically if they so desire).
17. Teaching that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, King David, and other faithful men and women of old are not among the holy ones who will rule along with Jesus Christ in his Kingdom.
18. Teaching that the Jewish nation will never again be Jehovah's chosen people, who now are the "Jehovah's Witnesses" of the WatchTower Society.
19. Teaching that the unfulfilled prophecies relating to the Jewish people will instead be received in the near future by the "Jehovah's Witnesses" of the WatchTower Society.
20. Teaching that the Scriptures are addressed directly only to the "144,000" boound for heaven.
21. Teaching that only the "144,000" will be "born again".
22. Teaching that the unnumbered, much larger "great crowd" of all other Christians are not begotten or anointed by the Holy Spirit; nor are "sons of God"; nor are members of the "bride of Christ".
23. Teaching that Jesus Christ is NOT the mediator between God and the "great crowd" of Revelation.
24. Teaching that the resurrection of the "144,000" precedes the resurrection of the "other sheep", and that it began in 1918 (previously 1878, 1881, 1914).
25. Teaching that only the "144,000" will receive immortality when resurrected.
26. Teaching that only those professing to be members of the "144,000" should partake of the bread and the wine at the WatchTower Society's annual "Memorial".
27. Teaching and enabling 99.99% of all attendees at the WatchTower Society's annual "Memorial" to individually REJECT the two emblems which represent the body and blood sacrificed by mankind's Savior.
28. Teaching that the "spiritual food" provided by the WatchTower Society comes directly from the "anointed remnant", when nearly all the writers of WatchTower publications are members of the "other sheep".
29. Teaching that every other christian-professing denomination secretly is part of Satan's Babylon the Great.
30. Teaching that "true Christians" -- Jehovah's Witnesses -- should not read any biblical-spiritual literature which was not published by the "only true religion" -- the WatchTower Society.
31. Forbidding Jehovah's Witnesses to attend services of other christian-professing denominations if the JW attendee does so either approvingly, or with direct or indirect "participation" of any kind.
32. Teaching that the WatchTower Society has done more to protect its children from child molesters than any other organization on planet earth.
33. Teaching that the WatchTower Society maintains higher moral, ethical, and legal standards for its members than any other religion, or other organization, on planet earth, which results in Jehovah's Witnesses having the least percentage of members involved in criminal activity.
34. Hypocritically teaching that the WatchTower Society prohibits class and rank distinctions, prohibits the use of "titles", and teaches that all Jehovah's Witnesses are "brothers" of equal rank, and "sisters" of equal rank, all while also establishing more titles and more ranks than any other organization on planet earth, other than military organizations.
In the WatchTower Society, a "householder" becomes an "interested person", who becomes a "return visit", who becomes a "regular return visit", who becomes a "bible study", who becomes a "regular bible study", who becomes an "unbaptised publisher", who becomes a "regular unbaptised publisher", who becomes a "publisher", who becomes a "regular publisher", who becomes an "auxiliary pioneer", who becomes a "regular auxiliary pioneer", who becomes a "pioneer", who becomes a "regular pioneer", who becomes a "special pioneer", who if a male, becomes one of a countless number of kinds of "attendants" -- "parking attendants", "security attendants", greeters, "microphone attendants", "sound-system attendants", etc., etc., who then becomes an "assistant magazine servant", who becomes a "magazine servant", who becomes an "assistant literature servant", who becomes a "literature servant", who becomes an "assistant territory servant", who becomes a "territory servant", who becomes a "meeting for field service conductor", who becomes a "ministerial servant", who becomes an "elder", who becomes one of about a dozen different titles whose names have changed since this author was a JW (COBE, Assistant COBE, Coordinator of Bible Studies, Coordinator of Field Territory, Book Study Servant, Ministry School Servant, Service Meeting Servant, WatchTower Study Conductor, WatchTower Study Readers, Assistants for all of the aforementioned, etc.), who becomes one of multiple members of that congregation's corporation -- President, VP, Secretary/ Teasurer, etc. -- who becomes a City Overseer, who becomes a HLC member, who becomes a HLC Coordinator, who becomes one of another half dozen titles associated with the local "Building Committee", who becomes a "Substitute Circuit Overseer", who becomes a "Part-time Circuit Overseer, who becomes a "Circuit Overseer, who eventually becomes the biggest "A$$HOLE" in that state, which qualifies him for transfer to one of the WatchTower society's branch offices, or even one of the multiple administrative, legal, multi-media, farming, manufacturing, etc. facilities which are part of the WatchTower Society's World HQ scattered just outside NYC. There, there are even a greater number of ranks and titles than all of the aforementioned "local" titles and ranks. The fact that this editor can't even recall the exact titles of some positions should tell a reader much about this issue.
35. Prohibiting females, i.e. "sisters", from serving in any role in the congregation, even temporarily, which might place them over a baptized "male" of any age, including one of their own teenage children or grandchildren, while expecting "wives" and "mothers" to keep the Kinghdom Hall clean, and extremely more significant -- to perform the largest part of the "field service", or door-knocking work. The lives of "females" in the 21st century WatchTower World is not a great deal better than that of 19th century "slaves" in southern America.
36. Hypocritically teaching that Jehovah's Witnesses are the "happiest" people on planet earth while requiring JWs to live in a climate of fear created by cultish authoritarianism.
37. Constantly prodding of its Jehovah's Witness members -- by means of its literature, Kingdom Hall meetings, and its assemblies/conventions to do ever more, more, and even more in the service of the WatchTower Cult -- promoting an atmosphere where many, if not most, Jehovah's Witnesses believe that their best is never good enough, causing depression and even suicide.
38. Repeatedly setting eventually unfulfilled DATES for Armageddon, the Millennium, and/or preliminary and/or related DATES, such as 1874, 1878, 1881, 1909, 1914, 1915, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1922, 1925, 1932, 1954, 1967, 1975, 1984, 1994, and 2034, WHILE urging the membership to abandon normal living, careers, families, having children, receiving necessary medical and dental care, donating assets to the Cult, etc., etc. -- this often resulting in the ruination of health and family life, as well as creating unemployment and financial hardships
39. Hypocritically teaching Jehovah's Witnesses expressly that "salvation" and "justification" are "free gifts" of "undeserved kindness" from Jehovah, WHILE otherwise constantly and repeatedly implying that salvation and justification must be EARNED by never-ceasing "works" devoted to the never-satisfied WatchTower Cult.
40. Requiring individual Jehovah's Witnesses to submit monthly reports which record their claimed field service activity. That reported field service activity, along with the JW's personal meeting attendance, is used to gauge the "spirituality", and advancement opportunities, for individual JWs. Since the higher are the numbers, the better the local Elders look, and eventually the better the WatchTower Society looks, such reports are submitted under the "honor system". Jehovah's Witnesses effectively are encouraged to LIE on these monthly reports. Once a JWs "learns" that it is alright to LIE to Jehovah, and that there are no immediate consequences, the JW then begins to LIE in other areas of their lives. JWs are taught to LIE during field service; then taught to LIE about field service. Jehovah's Witnesses are among the biggest LIARS on planet earth.
41. Teaching Jehovah's Witnesses that accepting a life-saving blood transfusion is a "sin" because it violates Biblical prohibitions against eating blood as a routine food item. (Eating unbled meat was considered eating blood in the Bible, yet the "punishment" simply was being "unclean" for a few days.) Blood was treated as sacred solely because it symbolized "life" -- the sacredness of which a blood transfusion will maintained. The WatchTower Cult treats the "symbol" of "life" holier than the thing that it symbolizes -- life.
42. Deceitfully changing the act of accepting a blood transfusion from being a disfellowshipping offense to considering the recipient JW as having "disassociated" themself. Then the WatchTower Cult began telling the media and government officials that they had changed their policy with regard to blood transfusions by no longer disfellowshipping those JWs whom accepted a blood transfusion.
43. Deceitfully forming Hospital Liaison Committees for the alleged purpose of assisting hospitalized Jehovah's Witnesses and their families with "spiritual" matters. In fact, HLCs were formed worldwide to monitor and "spy" on hospitalized Jehovah's Witnesses, their doctors, and nurses and other hospital staff to prevent the Patient and their families from being convinced to accept necessary blood transfusions.
44. Hypocritically fighting tooth and nail for the WatchTower Cult to receive every last morsel of civil rights and liberties afforded them under local, state, national, and international laws and constitutions. Yet, within the WatchTower Cult's own internal law enforcement and judicial mechanism, the WatchTower Cult grants almost nothing to its Jehovah's Witness members. The very same group of elders investigate the alleged offense; decide whether or not to indict/prosecute the accused, prosecute the accused, and then judge the accused. Despite the biblical principle that an accused has the right to face their accuser, probably more than half the time, such never occurs. Jehovah's Witnesses are prohibited from having representation present during the proceedings -- legal or otherwise. Despite the biblical principle that such proceeding are to be conducted publicly, the WatchTower Cult conducts Judicial Hearing completely in secret. Jehovah's Witnesses accused of a "sin" are completely at the mercy of their local Body of Janitors. Their only right is to have the predetermined "guilty" verdict reviewed by their own elders' best friends from the county next door.
45. While the Bible sets forth the limited number of narrow scenarios when scriptural "divorce" can be granted to a Christian, the WatchTower Cult developed a brand new "broad" scenario called "spiritual endangerment" which is so interpreted as to permit an active Jehovah's Witness to "separate from" and "divorce" their spouse anytime after that spouse decides that they no longer desire to be a member of the WatchTower Cult.
46. Deceitfully encouraging Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide to monitor, spy, and report on anyone and anything which poses a potential threat to the well-being of the WatchTower Cult, whether the target be a fellow Jehovah's Witness, a former Jehovah's Witness, or a non-JW.
47. Teaching Jehovah's Witnesses that reporting on a fellow Jehovah's Witness who has secretly "sinned" takes precedence over any law or professional rule requiring "confidentiality"; further teaching Jehovah's Witnesses that if they are caught doing so that they must be ready to suffer the consequences knowing that Jehovah will compensate them according sometime in the future.
48. Repeatedly LYING to and DECEIVING its own Jehovah's Witnesses members attending WatchTower Conventions to lead them to believe that much larger donations were needed to cover convention expenses when in fact convention expenses often had been covered by "parking lot donations" sent in before the convention ever began. This editor has never once heard a JW or former JW report that the literally TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS provided by local governments and/or by local Visitor's Bureaus had been disclosed to the crowd of attendees.
49. Partnering with and becoming the "dupe" of the ACLU in its already ongoing failed campaign to remove displays of patriotism -- reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, etc. -- from schools and other public venues.
50. Requiring there to be TWO WITNESSES to an incident of child molestation before the congregation will remove the perpetrator from its midst.
51. Teaching that the celebration of the seventh day weekly sabbath established by Jehovah at the end of the sixth creative day, and instituted with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, was itself terminated when the Mosaic Law and its additional festival-related sabbaths were terminated.
Adapted from an older article authored by Frank J. Toth, a Born-Again Christian who formerly worked at both the Canadian and New York world headquarters of the WatchTower Cult.