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News And Links for Ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses: Warwick OKs Site of New Watchtower Headquarters

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Warwick OKs Watchtower site

The Watchtower Tract and Bible Society has won Planning Board approval for a new world headquarters in a semi-rural section of town off Long Meadow Road.

I think it’s kinda funny that they got the name wrong. Because I’m easily amused, I guess.

Extreme Shunning

Written by AAWA’s Richard Kelly. As always, be sure to check the comments.

Team 10 obtains video of admitted child molester in Jehovah’s Witnesses

In a video deposition taken in 2011 during a civil lawsuit, admitted serial pedophile Gonzalo Campos said he abused several children in his San Diego congregation from the early 1980’s through the mid 90’s.
“I did abuse him,” said Campos in the video. “I touched his private parts.”

Church Usher Charged With Sexual Abuse of Boy Parishioners

An usher at a Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation in Sun Valley was charged Wednesday with sexually abusing four boys he met at the church.
Marcelo Lozano, 34, is expected to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon at Van Nuys Superior Court with nine felony counts…

Bradford paedophile jailed for abuse of boys

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday Capazzo, 41, who was formerly known as Andrew Collins, had been a member of the Jehovah’s Witness faith.
Prosecutor Sophie Drake said his behaviour had been brought to the attention of the elders at a Bradford place of worship and he was “disfellowed”. She said: “Although he was shunned by the congregation he was still allowed to attend meetings. At that time matters were not brought to the attention of the police.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses under fire

At the recent summer conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Silkeborg and Herlufmagle, speakers likened lapsed members to a deadly virus, snakes and contaminated soil that should not be mixed with clean soil.
The rhetoric was so strong that the movement may have breached article 266b of the Danish Criminal Code, under which…

“Shun your disfellowshipped loved ones!”: Shocking District Convention talk hits YouTube

From Cedars at JW Survey:

Recorded at one of the 2013 “God’s Word Is Truth” District Conventions in California, the speaker instructs Witnesses to shun family members, even children, as an act of loyalty.

Jehovah Witnesses dispel myths, discuss religion at Lyndhurst Kingdom Hall

The followers, which are anything but cult-like, come from all walks of life and transgress many cultures. The Watchtower is published monthly in 209 languages. Locally, followers get together in Lyndhurst at their hall on Stuyvesant Avenue on Thursdays and Sundays for “meetings.” The hall caters to local Portuguese and Spanish speaking, as well as English, Jehovah Witnesses.

Anything but cult-like??? Someone needs to do their homework. Check the comments for more.

PODCAST: BTR Guest: Former Watchtower HQ worker Mariuca Rofick
VIDEO: 7.0 Why I left Mormonism – How to Avoid Deception

VIDEO: Dad vs Jehovah’s witnesses

Economic stimulus: Jehovah’s Witnesses, Thunder are a boon to area businesses

To Jehovah’s Witnesses: Our Experiences At Our Kingdom Halls Aren’t About You

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I've never seen a yellow Kingdom Hall in real life before. It just goes to show you that all Kingdom Halls are not alike.

I’ve never seen a yellow Kingdom Hall in real life before. It just goes to show you that all Kingdom Halls are not alike.

Some Jehovah’s Witnesses assume that former Witnesses like me are lying when we talk about our old Kingdom Halls. If you’re one of Jehovah’s Witnesses who has read an experience at Atheist Geek News (or any other ex-Witness site) that doesn’t agree with your experiences at your own Kingdom Hall, please try to remember the following:

Our experiences at our Kingdom Halls have nothing to do with your experiences at your Kingdom Halls. And no, believe it or not, we aren’t lying about our experiences. We don’t have to.

If it’s hard for you to believe that our bad experiences with “the truth” really happened, then consider this: some ex-Witnesses suspect that you guys are the ones who are really lying to us. That’s because many of us had it so bad at our old Hall that we can’t believe you had it so good.

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Oompah, A Former Jehovah’s Witness, Has Died

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Oompah, also known as Eric Reeder, has committed suicide.

Oompah, also known as Eric Reeder, was a regular contributor to the ex-Jehovah’s Witness community. After losing all contact with his family due to being declared an apostate, he committed suicide. He was 51 years old.

Post from Oompah at JWD just over a year ago about being disfellowshipped.

Comment at JWD about the news of his death:

***g7/09p.29 Is It Wrong to Change Your Religion?***

“No one should be forced to worship in a way that he finds unacceptable or be made to choose between his beliefs and his family.”

Ironically, the religion and publisher of this statement is one of the biggest offenders with their shunning policy of its members who come to the conclusion that their form of worship is unacceptable.

For some, this severe shunning is too much to bear.

For anyone having problems leaving “the truth,” there are plenty of friends out there waiting to hear from you. Please consider reaching out to them. JWD is probably the biggest online forum for ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses out there. There’s also Ex-JW Secularists and JWR.

And in the long run, there’s no shame in talking to a secular therapist or a any kind of therapist, either.

Here’s an article about shunning for those who may have been told that Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t shun former members, or that Witnesses only do it out of personal choice and not in compliance with Watchtower teaching.

Shunning: No, It Isn’t Just A Matter Of Choice As The Society Claims

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As ex-Witnesses, we’ve all read about situations where the Watchtower Society (or its representatives) claim that shunning a family member is purely a matter of personal choice. That is to say that the family members who shun disfellowshipped Witnesses aren’t being forced to do so, but simply chose not to have any relations with that person for reasons of their own. This makes the Watchtower Society seem less cult-like to the public and may help the organization avoid certain legal issues for the practice of disfellowshipping in other countries. The video above shows us an example of a Witness downplaying the Society’s role in shunning disfellowshipped Witnesses in a court of law. Notice how he ducks questions relating to whether the policy of disfellowshipping is enforced by the Society or how such enforcement might happen.

There are other examples where the Society’s representatives seem evasive when it comes to answering uncomfortable questions in the media or in legal proceedings. The issue of blood transfusions is one that comes to mind. The claim, once again, is that the family is not being made to do anything by Watchtower policy. They are simply refusing treatment out of personal choice. Hence, it’s the family’s responsibility, not the Society’s.

But here’s the big question. Is any of this really true?

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