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Punished for Choosing to Live

Twenty-two years ago a registered letter changed the course of my life. The letter stated that I had been judged guilty of “conduct unbecoming a Christian” and had been disfellowshipped from the Christian congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. What did that mean? What it meant was that unless I repented of my perceived sins in an acceptable way before a tribunal of church elders, I would forevermore be subjected to a life of shunning and ostracism by all of my church friends and four generations of family.

The webmaster of Emily Has Books is a friend, and so is the author! Check it out.

KU Hospital doctor delivers infusion of hope to Jehovah’s Witness

The cause was unknown. Maybe it was a ruptured vessel or a bleeding ulcer, which he had suffered before. But without oxygen-rich blood, his body was suffocating. He needed surgery. He needed to be stabilized. He needed blood. The problem: Watkins is a Jehovah’s Witness.

An Open Letter to Christians trying to “Convert” Atheists

Every time I get witnessed I have the same reaction, “Yeah, and?”. I’m completely baffled as to why you like to do this all the time. Sure it’s a great story. I liked Harry Potter too, but that had a better epilogue. The reason why this doesn’t work is simple. I and the atheist community, don’t believe you.

Hear ye hear ye!

Grandmother Says She is Persecuted if She is Not Allowed to Convert Grandson

One persistent sore point for me as a Heathen and even more, as a father, is the self-martyrdom of my mother-in-law…. She is my son’s only living grandmother, and as such occupies (or should occupy) a rather special place in his life. Not surprisingly he loves his grandmother and wants to spend time with her. I don’t begrudge him that. And I know she loves him and wants to spend time with him. Indeed, we, as parents, want them to spend time together.

So it breaks our heart when her insistence on some imagined right to proselytize our son gets in the way of what should be a wonderful relationship. I have cherished memories of my maternal grandmother and the time I spent with her and with her sisters. I know what my son is missing, what he has missed, and what he will miss in the years to come. And it breaks my heart. Grandma’s visits, if visits there are, should not have to be supervised. And they should not carry with them the prerequisite of conversion.

Notre Dame Professor Debunks Christian Myth of Persecution

She goes to lengths to argue that Christians were prosecuted, not persecuted. With true government persecution, victims have no room to negotiate when trying to convince the government to stop targeting them, Moss said. But when the government’s laws inadvertently lead to the persecution of Christians, there remains room for dialogue and debate over changing those laws.

BBC NEWS | Programmes | Panorama | Secret database protects paedophiles

Pain of ostracism can be deep, long-lasting

Dangerous message for Domestic Violence from JWs

Paris Jackson stands up against her grandmother’s Jehovah’s Witness beliefs and ‘refuses to preach door-to-door’

Oh, and don’t tell anybody, but AAWA (newly renamed to Advocates For Awareness of Watchtower Abuses) has been dealing with a slew of cyber attacks at their website. From where?

They call it “congregation discipline” and make it sound like it’s a punishment from Jehovah God himself. As if Jehovah floats down from Heaven and plays judge and jury instead of congregation elders. If those elders were truly being influenced by Jehovah or Jesus in any way, then why is it that some disfellowshippings get annulled? As in, oops, the elders made a mistake!

But you don’t hear about those very often, do you? (They do happen, though.) Never mind. Keep reading to learn more about disfellowshipping.

In the interest of fairness, I should point out that there are cases where Jehovah’s Witnesses are given special permission to write to – or even talk to (gasp!) a disfellowshipped person. These are usually special cases where an exception has been granted by local elders just once and only once due to extreme circumstances.

There are also stories – legends, almost – of congregations so liberal that they allow Witnesses to have some level of regular contact with disfellowshipped relatives on condition that religion is not a topic of discussion. I have never seen this happen with my own eyes, but like a factually accurate edition of the Watchtower magazine or a well-informed creationist, such stories could be true in theory.

Even so, the Society’s literature makes it very clear that it does not approve of any meaningful contact between its loyal Witnesses and disfellowshipped individuals for any reason. Period. So these are, at best, rare exceptions to the rule.

Unless you ask the Watchtower Society or many of its Witnesses, that is. Yep. Many of them deny shunning entirely to non-Witnesses. (That means dirty old “worldly people” like you.) The Society has also denied it to the media.

Can you believe that #@$&?

Denial of Shunning

I had to put this in because it’s something you’ll hear from time to time. It’s also complete horse doo-doo.

The Watchtower Society – the corporation behind the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses – has publicly denied telling its Witnesses to shun the disfellowshipped on more than one occasion. One example comes from the The Independent:

Rick Fenton, a spokesperson for the Watchtower Society, insisted last night that ostracisation was “a personal matter for each individual to decide for himself”. “Any one of Jehovah’s Witnesses is free to express their feelings and to ask questions,” he said. “If a person changes their mind about Bible-based teachings they once held dear, we recognize their right to leave.”

I need to point out something here. When it comes to its more controversial practices, the Watchtower Society has a knack for obfuscating the details.

For instance, it is technically true that a person can change his mind about the Society’s “Bible-based teachings,” which he “once held dear.” (I love how Rick phrased that line, BTW. Way to rub it in.) It’s not like they can chain you to the Kingdom Hall parking lot or cement you to one of those god-awful chairs they force you to sit in during the meetings. After all, there are laws against that sort of thing in most countries and the screams would be a bit difficult to ignore for the first few weeks.

But to leave the Society means losing your friends, your family, your home, and – in some cases – even your livelihood. So while it is technically true that Jehovah’s Witnesses are physically capable of choosing to leave the faith as the Society suggests, for many of them, it simply isn’t a real choice at all.

Another infamous example of one of the Society’s representatives denying the practice of shunning to the public - in court, no less - can be found right here in glorious video. The overseer featured in the video starts out by hemming and hawing over the meaning of the word “shunning.” It takes a while for him to finally deny that this is what Jehovah’s Witnesses are told to do. But deny it he does. Too bad the judge in this case wasn’t willing to let the opposing attorney’s ask more questions.

If there’s nothing wrong with the practice of shunning, then all of this denial seems pretty weird to me. Wouldn’t it be better – and more honest – to simply admit it and explain why it’s done?

Why Do They Deny Shunning?

There are several likely reasons. The fact that the Society has been sued more than once over the practice of shunning is probably one of them. It isn’t illegal to shun for religious reasons in the U.S. AFAIK, but defending itself in court still takes a lot of the Society’s money. And local laws may allow some wriggle room, too.

Oh, bull-cookies!

Here’s another reason to think about: the Society isn’t just an American religion. It can be found in many countries, and some of them aren’t so tolerant of shunning in the legal sense. Maybe this, combined with a desire to avoid the whole creepy-cult-like-vibe that could weird-out potential converts, has something to do with it too.

What’s even stranger is the fact that, despite its denials, the Society talks about shunning a lot in its literature. Even the Society’s website acknowledges that shunning happens, although the Society goes about this in its usual no-we-don’t but yes-we-really-do style of explanation.¹

Those who were baptized as Jehovah’s Witnesses but no longer preach to others, perhaps even drifting away from association with fellow believers, are not shunned. In fact, we reach out to them and try to rekindle their spiritual interest.

Oh, I guess I was wrong. They don’t shun after all. Or so this quote might lead us to believe. Maybe I was high during that chapter of the Live Forever Book … or was I?

If, however, a baptized Witness makes a practice of breaking the Bible’s moral code and does not repent, he or she will be shunned or disfellowshipped. The Bible clearly states: Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.—1 Corinthians 5:13.

So which is it, guys?

Please note that the Society’s literature is full of contradictions like these, especially literature that’s open for easy public consumption. Somehow, most Jehovah’s Witnesses always know which lines count and which lines don’t.

Also note that what the Society sees as a violation of the Bible’s moral code may not jive with yours and mine, but I’ll get to that in a minute.

Here’s another quote that is technically true but also leaves out certain details that you and I would probably deem important.

Disfellowshipped individuals may attend our religious services.

Well, that’s true. What the article doesn’t mention is that no one will speak to him, that he will have to sit alone, that he will have to scamper off with his head held low right after the prayer, or that anyone who does speak to him can be disfellowshipped too. If he tries to talk to anyone, he will be asked to leave. If he makes a fuss, the cops will be there to drag him away.

But hey, none of that’s important, right? (Yes it is.) It’s not like that detail completely alters the impression made on anyone who reads the article, right? (Yes it does.)

More recently, on page 16 of the January 2013 edition of the Watchtower, under the article entitled “Let Nothing Distance You From Jehovah,” it tells Jehovah’s Witnesses the following:

Really, what your beloved family member needs to see is your resolute stance to put Jehovah above everything else – including the family bond… Do not look for excuses to associate with a disfellowshipped family member, for example, through e-mail. (1 Cor. 5:11).

The Spanish language version even mentions other forms of communication, like texting.

Maybe it’s time the Society stopped pretending that this doesn’t happen? It’s starting to get embarrassing already.

Here’s an example of the Society encouraging Witnesses to shun.

There are degrees of shunning. For instance, I was never officially disfellowshipped by my old Kingdom Hall. Yet many Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to talk to me anyway. I’ve literally had some of them approach my wife to talk to her about her meeting attendance or to offer her the latest magazines (to remind her that she isn’t living up to their expectations) while completely ignoring me as if I wasn’t there.

They have done this while literally standing three inches away from me. While I was talking to them. Waving my arms. Jumping up and down. Offering to shake their hand. And getting nothing – not even an acknowledgement of my existence – in return.

As a former Witness, I am a very bad associate. That’s pretty much a done deal. So many Jehovah’s Witnesses will shun me even though I was never officially disfellowshipped. And that’s without any of them knowing that I have written vile, apostate articles like this one. If they did, I would be disfellowshipped for it! It would pretty much be an open and shut case.

Some people honestly don’t see what the big deal is. For many Witnesses, disfellowshipping is a devastating loss of family, friends, even livelihoods. Some Witnesses commit suicide after being disfellowshipped, too. I personally know of one case where a disfellowshipped Witness finally committed suicide after years of separation from his wife and children. His death had a big impact on many in the ex-Witness community. As you can imagine, developments like this don’t make the Society look very good, either.

What Can Get Jehovah’s Witnesses Disfellowshipped?

Only the most horrible of crimes! Like putting up a Christmas tree. Smoking. Openly disagreeing with the Society’s teachings. Expressing a lack of faith in the Society’s leaders or in Jehovah God. Accepting a life saving blood transfusion. Celebrating someone’s birthday. Premarital sex…

Well, you know that last one would do it. They all hate the sex. And the gay. But you get my point. Surprisingly, masturbation won’t get you disfellowshipped. They don’t approve of it, of course. I sure hope they aren’t checking you for it, either. But they consider it better than premarital sex.

Conclusion

At least there’s one upside.

In the end, Jehovah’s Witnesses do shun and they do it because the Watchtower Society tells them to. Many will deny it unless you ask the question in the right way. Don’t waste your time with something like, “Is it true that you guys shun your own family members?” Many of them will deny it if you ask it that way. Their excuse? Technically, they don’t call it shunning, which is the word you used when asking the question.

No, I’m really not joking. That’s really how they think.

But if you ask them, “Is it true that you refuse to talk or interact with family members who have been removed from the congregation for serious wrongdoing?” many more will admit it then. Just remember, once again, that their idea of serious wrongdoing isn’t the same as yours and mine.

I think shunning and using emotional blackmail to force people to do what you want should have made the list of serious wrongdoings that are in the Bible. But what do I know? I’m not a professional therapist or a psychologist, right? (Check those links to find out more…)

I have some updates for you about the Association of Anti-Watchtower Activists below.

AAWA has an update for us at An eventful journey – summing up AAWA’s launch | JWActivists.org

There have been highs, and there have been lows! I will do my best to state candidly and factually what we did right and what we got wrong.

My fellow board members and I went into this with our eyes wide open, expecting to divide opinion and make mistakes – but it was always going to be impossible to predict the response to something that has never been done before to this extent.

Atheism TV ran a story about the AAWA via The Infidel; News for the Damned (2013-04-12). The part about AAWA is about two minutes in. Note that this is a video link to an online news channel on YouTube.

Religion News ran a story called New organization takes on Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Watch Tower Society

AAWA says it is a strictly religiously-neutral organization. Legally incorporated on March 7th 2013, AAWA works with a Board of Directors, an Advisory Board, and volunteers.

Here’s a link at Topix called Association of Anti-Watchtower Activists about the AAWA. One commentator had this to say:

They selected a politically incorrect name out of the gate

Interesting name selection

Folks like to be For something. hence Pro-

While they are not to excited to Be against something. Hence Anti

The abortion groups learned this and on both sides of the issues changed their names to

Pro life

Pro choice

As jw we were so shutout of political things we never learned these techniques that others learned years ago from being involved in politics

Just my 2

I confess some misgivings about the name as well. I do think it conveys the wrong message on one level. Yes, it’s a strong name for a strong stance, but it also makes the association sound like it could be full of extremists who want to picket Bethel headquarters. On the other hand, what do you call it? “The Association of Pro-Ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses?”

There were also some rumblings about the name at JWD.

Time will tell. If need be, I suppose they can always change the name.

The AAWA was also mentioned at a blog called 100 USES FOR MUESLI at this link: Watchtower, beware!

You can volunteer to help the AAWA through their website and can join their Facebook page (but you have to be invited first). You can also get a badge added to your Facebook profile pic here to show your support.

This is video from a new group with a new website.

JWActivists.org is the official website of The Association of Anti-Watchtower Activists, a legally incorporated organization representing an international group of campaigners against the Watch Tower Society. Most of its associates are either current or former Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The best part is the message on their Open Offer page:

AAWA extends an open offer to the Watch Tower Society to meet with the Governing Body (or its representatives) to discuss ways in which the organization can continue its religious activities without harming both current and former believers. AAWA firmly believes in the rights of religious freedom, but not when these impinge on other individual rights. Specifically, AAWA believes that Watchtower has become guilty of impinging the individual rights of its followers in five key areas…

The message implies that this isn’t a website for angry rants or name calling. They seem to be in-line with my own philosophy on dealing with the culture of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the organization behind it, the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society. I hope you guys will support this voice of sanity.

Best of luck to AAWA from the Atheist Geek!

This article makes 10 points about the culture of Jehovah’s Witnesses using the Society’s book, Revelation: Its Grand Climax at Hand! You might want to bookmark this one.

Religious Trauma Syndrome: How Some Organized Religion Leads to Mental Health Problems

Another one to bookmark. Here are some highlights from the article.

Groups that demand obedience and conformity produce fear, not love and growth….
As Journalist Janet Heimlich has documented in, Breaking Their Will, Bible-based religious groups that emphasize patriarchal authority in family structure and use harsh parenting methods can be destructive. But the problem isn’t just physical and sexual abuse. Emotional and mental treatment in authoritarian religious groups also can be damaging because of 1) toxic teachings like eternal damnation or original sin 2) religious practices or mindset, such as punishment, black and white thinking, or sexual guilt, and 3) neglect that prevents a person from having the information or opportunities to develop normally….
In fundamentalist Christianity, the individual is considered depraved and in need of salvation. A core message is “You are bad and wrong and deserve to die.” … Decades later they sit telling me that they can’t manage to find any self-worth….
Born-again Christianity and devout Catholicism tell people they are weak and dependent, calling on phrases like “lean not unto your own understanding” or “trust and obey.” People who internalize these messages can suffer from learned helplessness….
Authoritarian religious groups are subcultures where conformity is required in order to belong. Thus if you dare to leave the religion, you risk losing your entire support system as well….
Religious groups that are highly controlling, teach fear about the world, and keep members sheltered and ill-equipped to function in society are harder to leave easily. The difficulty seems to be greater if the person was born and raised in the religion rather than joining as an adult convert…

The next part addresses one of my core gripes about the culture of Jehovah’s Witnesses, as provided to them by the Governing Body. It also points out the difference between a religion like The Watchtower Society’s and one that promotes a healthy state of mind. Contrary to what some people say when they see an article about Jehovah’s Witnesses, not all religions are like theirs.

What do you see as the difference between religion that causes trauma and religion that doesn’t?
Winell: Religion causes trauma when it is highly controlling and prevents people from thinking for themselves and trusting their own feelings. Groups that demand obedience and conformity produce fear, not love and growth. With constant judgment of self and others, people become alienated from themselves, each other, and the world. Religion in its worst forms causes separation.
Conversely, groups that connect people and promote self-knowledge and personal growth can be said to be healthy. The book, Healthy Religion, describes these traits. Such groups put high value on respecting differences, and members feel empowered as individuals. They provide social support, a place for events and rites of passage, exchange of ideas, inspiration, opportunities for service, and connection to social causes. They encourage spiritual practices that promote health like meditation or principles for living like the golden rule. More and more, nontheists are asking how they can create similar spiritual communities without the supernaturalism. An atheist congregation in London launched this year and has received over 200 inquiries from people wanting to replicate their model.

Jehovah’s Witness Memorial 3/26/13

This is an article written by a non-Witness (an evil “worldly person” or “nonbeliever,” as the Society calls us) about the Memorial of Christ’s Death. Note that the author is somewhat familiar with Jehovah’s Witnesses and is a Christian.

Not three seconds after [the attendant] walked away, a lady sitting behind me … started talking about some of their theology. She asked me a question; “Do you know what the world would look like if no one ever sinned?” I answered, “Well, I supposed we’d all be running around naked and living in a big Garden.”

“That’s right and one day Jehovah is going to return the earth to its original purpose.”

“You mean we’re all going to be running around naked in a big Garden?”

The thought hit both of us at the same time. Her facial expression changed as she thought about that, but continued to verbally affirm my statement. I kept thinking about all of the covers of Watchtower magazines I have seen over the years of happy families in a paradise earth. I didn’t say it, but all of those covers are wrong. If God is going to return the earth to its original purpose, then why are all of those people clothed? I could see from her face that she had never thought of that idea and was not exactly comfortable with it. I’m sure she could see from the look on my face that I wasn’t comfortable with it either.

Here’s another good one:

Every cult has terminology they use over and over so I think one day when I am old, wrinkly and can get away with it, I will make a few Bingo cards which contain a number of Jehovah’s Witness buzz words. I will bring a bunch of my old, wrinkly, decrepit friends and we will play Kingdom Hall Bingo. The first person to get a straight line of five words will immediately stand up and announce, “ARMAGEDDON!” If your card happens to include the word “appreciate,” you are sure to win.

Fun article on Jehovah’s Witnesses & Holidays

When you’re in the bOrg (how some ex-JW’s classify the Watchtower organization) there’s A LOT you’re afraid of. Oh my lord! If you participated in something with pagan roots you were just practically sending an engraved invitation to the Devil and all his henchmen to immediately come running because they had a new follower. You would’ve thought that December 25th meant a portal was opening so legions of demons could pass through with orders to devour anyone in a Santa hat or singing a carol. Like zombies with a homing device, they were ready to gorge themselves on your faith in Jehovah! You were just a true believer buffet waiting to be devoured.

All because the rituals are based in pagan practices and ceremonies, hence EVIL. It’s really just that easy and simple. Why was I having such a hard time with this?

This is part one. Still waiting for part two.

Betrayal of Jehovah’s Witnesses Soon – Topix

And now, for a dose of insanity, check out the link above. It will take you to a bizarre list of conspiracy theories written by someone called OnePoint (actually, 20571point428571, but OnePoint is good enough for me.). The comments were the best part.

JWs are already betrayed…… by their own FALSE PROPHET LEADERS. We don’t need pages and pages of useless blather, speculation and nonsense to tell us that.

Whatever this guy is smoking, I want some. I can’t even fathom wasting this much time thinking about this crapload of mythological fantasia.

What a dumbass.

The fool thinks that JW’s are fulfilling prophecy.

The only prophecy the JW’s fulfill is those describing false prophets.

Pointman is taking strong medicine.

Way to Witness to the nonbelievers. They’re practically running for their Kingdom Halls! Good job, OnePoint!