SHORT CHRISTIAN READINGS SELECTED FOR FORMER JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES




Is The Watchtower Society A Cultic Organization?
By Rafael Martinez
(edited)


We need to examine not only what we personally believe, but also what is taught by any religious organization with which we may be associated ... if we are lovers of the truth, there is nothing to fear from such an examination." Truth, pg. 13

Jehovah's Witnesses have often found themselves on the receiving end of sharp criticism wherever they go as they seek to spread their gospel. Why is this? A variety of reasons may be cited, ranging from blatantly religious bigotry to ignorant mockery; attacks we certainly in no way support, but would roundly condemn. Roughing anyone up verbally or physically is certainly the work of carnally insensitive and ignorant individuals that no one should have to endure.

However, one of the charges that is often leveled at Jehovah's Witnesses by those they call on is that their organization, far from being a Christian ministry, is instead a destructive cult that has adversely affected the members of the community. This unpleasant accusation follows Jehovah's Witnesses wherever they go, and has increasingly been a serious impediment to their work.

The February 15, 1994 issue of The Watchtower magazine represents one of the more recent efforts by the Watchtower Society to counter the numerous charges made against it that it is not a Christian fellowship, but a destructive cult. The title of the issue, which reads "Jehovah's Witnesses: A Cult or Ministers of God," is the first sign the casual reader may have that the WatchTower Society has been experiencing a serious amount of mounting trouble trying to convince both it's Jehovah's Witness constituency and outsiders that it is not a cult that destroys lives. We wish to examine the question the WatchTower Society has posed on page 4: "Are Jehovah's Witnesses a cult?"

Cults As Defined By The Watchtower

Let us briefly outline the content of The Watchtower magazine as it addresses this issue. The first article is entitled, "Cults -- What Are They?" and the second, "Are Jehovah's Witnesses A Cult?" In the first article, we are taken to Waco to review the Branch Davidian tragedy and supposedly see what a real cult actually is like while the Watchtower quotes several sources to develop a composite definition of what a cult is, admitting frankly that what it calls "anti-cult organizations" will refer to Jehovah's Witnesses as such a group. 

The best definition of a cult to which the WatchTower Society admits is found on page 4, it's source being the language of a state resolution: "A cult is a group or movement exhibiting excessive devotion to a person or idea and employing unethically manipulative techniques of persuasion and control to advance the goals of its leaders."

The second article "Are Jehovah's Witnesses A Cult?" draws heavily upon this composite definition to bolster the Watchtower's argument that it couldn't possibly be a cult, even citing Scripture to prove how the opposition made against Christ and the apostle Paul are examples of how new religious figures and groups with radical views and practices could be viewed as cultic. On page 6, the anonymous Watchtower authors exclaim "many who are not Witnesses readily acknowledge that there is nothing freakish or bizarre about Jehovah's Witnesses. Their conduct does not clash with what is accepted as normal social behavior." Responding to the same unnamed critics who cite them for the usage of coercive mind control techniques, on the same page, the Watchtower asks Witnesses if mind-control techniques were ever employed on them. "'No' would doubtless be your frank response," the article assures us. 

Pages 6 and 7 declare that ... "Jehovah's Witnesses recognize that it is their Scriptural responsibility to love and care for their families. They live and work with people of all races and religions. ... Jehovah's Witnesses are 'absorbed in humanity.'" Finally, on page 7, the Watchtower attempts to deftly evade the charge of cultism when they state that "the veneration and idolization of human leaders so characteristic of cults today is not to be found among Jehovah's Witnesses."

Responding To The Watchtower's Arguments: What Cults Are

Typically, we have used both theological and psychological perspectives to define what constitutes harmful and abusive activities in high-demand social groups, which - like it or not - are called "cults." We have stated that from a Christian perspective, a cult is any group of people who follow one man or the group's definition of spiritual practices and teachings that always contradict orthodox Christian doctrine and advance heretical or aberrant doctrine. We have also stated that, from a psychological perspective, the group will intentionally exert some form of deceptive recruitment and manipulative indoctrination to exert a very real and effective mind control on members of the group. These distinctives of destructive and damaging cultism are prevalent among many groups around the world, and the Watchtower certainly cannot escape this assessment. We will avoid discussion of theological perspectives here (saving this for another article).

First of all, the WatchTower Society makes an inspired attempt to prove that it is not a destructive cult by drawing heavily upon the other sources, arguing that it is not a secretive group of fanatics engaged in ritualistic and bizarre religious practices, nor a small fringe sect that isolates itself from society, using brainwashing techniques. To do this, the definitions the Watchtower cites are very selective and depict cult groups as crazed extremists completely out of touch with society. Note how the Watchtower has extensively used this kind of profiling in examples from a variety of their publications:

*** g93 12/8 29 Watching the World (Awake!) ***
The Daily News quotes Dr. Carl Raschke, a professor at the University of Denver, as commenting: "I see a lot more violent cults forming, and violent abuse occurring in the guise of occult beliefs." Experts at the seminar also warned that such hate groups as the neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan are using occult trappings to attract members and gain more control over them.

*** g93 10/8 4 Your Child Is in Danger! (Awake!) ***
In various countries disturbing reports have surfaced about religious cults that abuse children with sadistic sexual practices and torture.

*** w91 2/1 5 Why Take Religion Seriously? (The Watchtower)***
For one thing, religious cults tend to be here today and gone tomorrow. Their fadlike nature gives little reason for taking them seriously.

*** rs 202 Jehovah's Witnesses (Reasoning From The Scriptures)***
A cult is a religion that is said to be unorthodox or that emphasizes devotion according to prescribed ritual. Many cults follow a living human leader, and often their adherents live in groups apart from the rest of society. 

Note the way the WatchTower Society has chosen to characterize cultism as that of religious zealots whose obsessive devotion is twisted and perverse and who are usually involved in degenerate activities hidden away in secretive strongholds. The message is clear: hate groups and self-styled Satanist bands are the personification of what "real" cults are, groups whose antisocial practices clearly identify them. The Watchtower Society has been forced for decades to defend itself from precisely this charge laid against it by a variety of secular government:

*** yb82 160 Italy (1982 Yearbook) ***
We have already mentioned the fact that persecution against true Christians became harsher after 1935. Why? On April 9, 1935, the Cults Department of the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a circular on "Pentecostal Associations." At that time the authorities had not properly identified Jehovah's Witnesses and thought they were part of the "Pentecostal" community. The circular was sent to the provincial administration centers, calling for the immediate disbanding of those associations whose activity was declared to be "contrary to our social order and harmful to the physical and mental welfare of our race."

During the time of the Fascist Italian government's persecution of Pentecostal Christians in 1935, the WatchTower Society's Italian membership exerted great effort to distance itself from them on the basis that the Pentecostal groups were, as charged by Mussolini's governmental officials, undermining Italian society with subversive social activity that was both disruptive and harmful. This Watchtower apologetic - of distancing itself from other local groups whose activity appears to be far more outrageous then local Jehovah's Witnesses congregations - is important to bear in mind since it shows how the WatchTower Society defends itself from a charge it has had to face in many countries where other religious groups and authoritarian rulers have not tolerated its presence. It, in effect, went on to scorn the Pentecostal movement in the Italy of the 1930's as the real villain.

This "whipping-boy" tactic would be used again and again the Watchtower throughout the 20th century. It explains how this assumption became a standard defensive tactic in the WatchTower Society's repertoire of resistance offered against critics. The Watchtower Society essentially conditioned itself to accept this stereotype through much of the mid to late 20th century, and from the 1960's onward, the sharp rise of horrific cult activities has tragically served this crafty contention. Since Jehovah's Witnesses do not engage in antisocial activity resulting in wholesale death, destruction and disruption of human life, the Watchtower Society's argument goes, it cannot be considered a cultic group.

It is the ability of the Watchtower Society to cleverly conceal the true nature of its activity that enables it to continually use this argument. A knowledge of the counterculture of Jehovah's Witness lifestyle that clearly demonstrates would quickly explode it, especially when examined in the light of established principles on how cults operate:

Cult groups freely use deception and manipulative ploys to attract members. Jehovah's Witnesses will point out many societal ills and the failure of religious belief to cure them to argue their case at doorsteps and street corners around the world. But they are led by Watchtower Society indoctrination to present many more arguments based upon falsehood (contrived research used to manipulate facts to their advantage) or distortion (overstated or implied conclusions aimed at making things seem worse - or better - than they are). "Bible studies" offered free of charge by Jehovah's Witness Pioneers do not study the Bible, but selected Watchtower Society literature using their specious argumentation to indoctrinate. Recruits are warmly greeted by the local congregation and an almost instant intimacy is established with them in an effort to present themselves as truly loving Christian people. This warmth quickly fades to a relationship of conditional love based upon the convert's ability to successfully conform to their standards -- but not before they are made baptized members.

Cult groups routinely exalt their dogma at the expense of the welfare of members. Jehovah's Witness lifestyle is controlled by WatchTower Society teaching supposedly based upon Biblical interpretation, which in many cases, turned out to be entirely arbitrary. Bans on organ transplants and vaccinations were later removed, but not before untold thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses suffered crippling or fatal results of their obedience to these "Biblical" teachings. Many in an entire generation of Jehovah's Witnesses during the 1930s and 1940s put off marriages and family so their "preaching" work of an impending Armageddon would not be slowed. Blood transfusions today are still rejected as "unbiblical" - and some Jehovah's Witnesses still die. Jehovah's Witness children are instructed to avoid any interaction with non-Witness children in school and playtime activities to keep them "pure." And even marital sexual practices have been rigidly controlled by WatchTower Society teaching, down to even precise positioning. Through it all, the "truth" and authority of the Watchtower Society was continually vindicated, even if it cost the well-being and even the lives of Jehovah's Witnesses who looked to it for leadership in godly living.

Cults utilize some form of leadership structure that is illegitimately exalted 

A major WatchTower Society publication known as the "Proclaimers" book tried bravely to downplay just how many early Bible Students (the precursors of today's Jehovah's Witnesses) passionately believed that Charles Taze Russell, the first WatchTower Society corporate president (William Henry Conley was first prior to incorporation), was the "faithful slave" of Matthew 24, and therefore was a unique voice for God in the world (1). 

Although no one man today is exalted by Jehovah's Witnesses, the reverence and blind loyalty given to the Watchtower Society by Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide can not be described as anything but a veneration of human leaders. Jehovah's Witnesses unceasingly praise the WatchTower Society, led by its' Brooklyn, N.Y. based Governing Body, as the only true channel of Jehovah God in a dark and evil Babylonian world, the only sure leadership said to be filled with "holy spirit", and therefore, virtually infallible. 

On page 7, the article cites approvingly a reference work which notes the Jehovah's Witness rejection "of a clergy-laity distinction," and yet firmly upholds the sharp distinctions between the "anointed" leadership and the "great crowd" of Jehovah's Witness members. This attitude is nothing less than a last-day rise of idolatry, the establishment of a leadership caste "more equal" than others.

This is only the tip of a cultic lifestyle iceberg shaped by the Watchtower Society that barely breaks the surface of the sea of humanity it smashes through. Remember that most of an iceberg's vast and irresistible mass is unseen to those observing them from surface ships. We hold that this behavior, when placed into the context of a seemingly balanced and Bible-based lifestyle, is so well concealed that only careful observation can reveal it. When incidences of this cultic behavior among Jehovah's Witnesses are distributed evenly throughout the course of time, instead of being overtly, immediately manifest in the case of less-discrete cultic movement lifestyles (such as the Hare Krishna and Nation of Islam groups), their ability to conceal the reality of their profoundly cultic lifestyle is that much more successful. 

Most Jehovah's Witnesses recognize this antisocial behavior for what it is at one level of consciousness or another, but ultimately conclude that it is a "Bible-based" course of action. Couple this sincere faith in the WatchTower Society to their personal desire to please God and their outrage at seeing their piety and labor questioned by outsiders who haven't been "taught the Bible" is understandable; it is no wonder Jehovah's Witnesses will arise in anger to bitterly protest. Yet those are the facts.

Responding To The Watchtower Society's Argument: What Mind Control Is

Mind control is a process that mobilizes group dynamics and phobia indoctrination to compel group members to submit to the group's leadership and objectives. Following the crowd is part of human nature, and cultic circles of influence use this impulse to literally transform people through psychologically abusive means that the prospective member is completely unaware of. This is done through the control of their thoughts, and subsequently, their behavior. Over and over, cults emphasize that God has provided only one source of enlightenment, only one standard of truth -- and it is whatever interpretation of Scripture or human philosophy the leaders provide. Cultists catch on they can't trust their own reasoning, except as properly patterned after the cult leadership thinking. It is, after all, the only way they can truly know God's will.

Jehovah's Witnesses are no different than anyone else in that they are as human as their non-Witness neighbors. This fact alone explains the success of the incredibly pervasive and lifelong exposure to mind control techniques intentionally wielded by the Watchtower Society in its effort to consolidate the loyalty of and control over their members. New congregational social circles, Watchtower book studies, and numerous meetings and field ministry requirements are all used to implant the isolating and manipulative devices that the WatchTower Society uses to control Jehovah's Witnesses and those studying with them. How many family members can testify to the distressing transformation that occurs to a loved one who starts to study with Jehovah Witness pioneers! In a matter of months, they completely change to individuals whose lives are completely centered around the rule of obedience to the Watchtower Society, and family relationships are often shattered or severely strained as their Watchtower indoctrination relentlessly remolds them into compliant WatchTower Society membership. 

What are some of these "devices"? Steven Hassan has created the "BITE" acronym (2) to help define four critical areas of control cult groups must focus upon among their social circles to effectively achieve cultic mind control (control of Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotions). These characteristics of cultic control are prevalent among Jehovah's Witnesses and again, we assert, they are well hidden:

Behavior control - A comprehensive and never-ending effort is put forth by the Society to enforce a clearly defined, scrupulously detailed and rigidly enforced standard of conduct among all Witnesses. Society publications, social interaction and frequent "role-play" dramatizations in public meetings ensure that they are continually reminded of what is good behavior and what is "conduct unbecoming a Christian," as they would say. The pages of the Awake! and The Watchtower magazines are filled with prescriptive teachings on how to act in a wide variety of different situations; the constant readiness for Jehovah's Witnesses to rehearse their unsolicited wisdom to householders on how to beat a cold or do grocery shopping is a singularly striking example of this.

Information control - The Watchtower views its authority as part of "theocratic order" and a loyal submission by all Jehovah's Witnesses to it a serious test of fellowship. No more sure a test of this submission is how willingly Jehovah's Witnesses will "avoid independent thinking" (3) and reject any sources of information that may lead to critical thinking. The immediate response of Jehovah's Witnesses, upon being confronted with individuals or literature that question the authority of the Watchtower, is to demonize the questioner as unspiritual and blind and/or reject or destroy the literature. Jehovah's Witnesses surfing the World Wide Web and who view counter-cult websites (such as this one) do so under pain of harsh congregational sanction. Indeed, any and all information that contradicts and brings into question the Watchtower Society is viewed as spiritual pornography and must be vigorously shunned.

Thought control - Randy Waters has helpfully observed that the Watchtower Society's campaign to control the minds of Jehovah's Witnesses has gone so far as to result in the creation of "thought-stopping" cliches used frequently in Jehovah's Witness social circles (4). These cliches are the vocabulary, expressions and slang that Jehovah's Witnesses use among themselves to put any given situation or individual into an instant context that compels them to view it as the WatchTower Society wishes it to be seen, and therefore, thought of (former JW David Reed calls it "Jehovah-talk"). Usage of phrases like "rebellious," "whole-souled", "opposer", "loyalty" and "wicked system", each with a very specific and clear-cut meaning, are part and parcel of Jehovah's Witness thought. Remembered or used in the right order at the right time keeps the Jehovah's Witness in lockstep with the WatchTower Society's expectations and a WatchTower Society worldview. This is just one of many ways thought is controlled or even stopped in the minds of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Emotional control - The human capacity to both suffer guilt and quail in fear is exploited to an unspeakably insidious way by the WatchTower Society to reinforce the black and white mentality of the Watchtower Society's worldview. Fears of a demon-haunted world, of the fate of non-Witness loved ones, of an impending Armageddon, of not being "remembered" by Jehovah in the resurrection, and above all, of being expelled from the WatchTower Society are always in the back of Jehovah's Witness minds and hearts. Guilt over not working "hard enough" for Jehovah, for having sinful thoughts (such as questioning the local leadership), for neglecting study meetings, and for being unable to meet the code of conduct of a "clean organization" are also woeful companions for many, many Jehovah's Witnesses. This terrible internal pressure is subtly yet unmistakably paranoiac and has caused untold trauma to many Jehovah's Witnesses unable to withstand the mental stress. And to resolve this, the Jehovah's Witness constituency is endlessly admonished to bury themselves in faithful service to the organization, and to trust that Jehovah will take care of it all. Relief is then contingent upon service, and those who struggle emotionally are often viewed as lacking somewhere in that area.

As we can see, by using Steven Hassan's "BITE" acronym, a clear and compelling chain of evidence demonstrates conclusively that the Watchtower Society indeed does appear to operate in a decidedly cultic manner that is destructive, manipulative and harmful. The Watchtower Society's denials of any usage of cultic mind control on page 6 simply have no weight to them:

Of 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, we ask, Were there any attempts to brainwash you? Did the Jehovah's Witnesses employ mind-control techniques on you? "No" would doubtless be your frank response. Obviously, if these methods had been used, there would be an overwhelming number of victims in contradiction to any argument in favor of Jehovah's Witnesses. 

The rhetoric here bravely attempts to squarely face the evidence we have discussed but only raises more questions than it tries to answer. If the millions of individuals the WatchTower Society has indeed targeted in the past for recruitment were to be fairly queried about possible mind control usage upon them, why didn't the WatchTower Society explain what it is? Why was the ominous term like "brainwash" raised and then left completely undefined so those same millions could legitimately consider the issue? Cult mind control is designed to deceive an individual into voluntarily relinquishing the control over the only tool they have to make an objective judgment, that being a free mind. So therefore, how could those Witnesses whose reason and perception that has been controlled by the Watchtower organization be expected to give an objective answer to their rhetorical question on "victims"? Such questioning is like asking a hostage by telephone, with a gun to the back of his head, to condemn his captors. It is not likely to happen.

Why do those who have attempted to raise the question who were former Jehovah's Witnesses treated like reprobate dissidents who are labeled "apostates" - and hence off limits to all active Jehovah's Witnesses? Why does the Watchtower Society so firmly declare dialogue with former members as an off-limits activity that can be punishable with disfellowshipping? The Watchtower Society's attempt at candor here fails miserably. The hard truth is that the real victims of abusive Watchtower Society control are instead dismissed as bitter losers who could not measure up to "God's requirements" and who are branded as enemies of the Watchtower Society.

Responding To The Watchtower's Arguments: Where's The Love, Man?

The WatchTower Society routinely engages in great self-promotion when Jehovah's Witnesses, on doorsteps, street corners, and in wildernesses around the world, point to their warm, communal love for all within their organization. In the article, the WatchTower Society reiterates this point on pages 6 and 7 by citing a Czech reporter's alleged byline that stated "... they are not fanatics. They are are people who are absorbed in humanity." The Watchtower magazine goes on to explain that "Jehovah's Witnesses recognize that it is their Scriptural responsibility to love and care for their families. They live and work with people of all races and religions. ... Clearly, Jehovah's Witnesses are 'absorbed in humanity.'" We have heard, time and again, this same pious claim coming from many Jehovah's Witnesses that their group alone embodies the spirit of Christ's command to "have love among yourselves." (John 13:35 NWT). 

While it is true that there is much appealing warmth and community among Jehovah's Witness social circles, this love is hardly exemplary of divinely endued love for mankind. Genuine Christian love is inspired by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5), abundantly bestowed upon all mankind by God, whether righteous or not (John 3:16) and is to be fully manifest in the world by all Christians (Matthew 5:43-46, Romans 13:9-10, 1 John 4:7-12). However, the quality of socializing that Jehovah's Witnesses conduct among themselves is typically group-centered and leaves little room for non-Witnesses. The claim on pages 6-7 that Jehovah's Witnesses are "quick to respond" with relief supplies and other humanitarians assistance is clearly meant to imply that they engage in this activity as a matter of course for the non-Witness destitute around them, which is not the case whatsoever (5). The fellowship and fraternity Jehovah's Witnesses can expect of one another rarely seems extended outside their group, except, of course, to new prospects whom they are anxious to impress. Consider the following quotation from the same Watchtower issue we've been looking into, which speaks volumes: 

"We must be on guard against extended association with worldly people. Perhaps it is a neighbor, a school friend, a workmate, or a business associate. We may reason, 'He respects the Jehovah's Witnesses, he leads a clean life, and we do talk about the truth occasionally.' Yet, the experience of others proves that in time we may even find ourselves preferring such worldly company to that of a spiritual brother or sister." (p. 24).

The perpetual suspicion that a "worldly" person automatically will lead the "spiritual" to stray from Jehovah's Witness principles hardly demonstrates an absorption with humanity. Indeed, it only serves to show how socially isolated Jehovah's Witnesses are expected to be from the larger society outside their organization. This separatist attitude contributes to an aloof posture by most Jehovah's Witness communities to their local community. There is little to no corporate participation by Jehovah's Witnesses in mutual efforts put forth by other community groups for the local common good, such as the support of food banks, pro-life activism, or mentoring programs for youth at risk. "Clearly," the article says on page 7, "Jehovah's Witnesses are 'absorbed in humanity'" - but in practical reality, the global Watchtower constituency has yet to come anywhere close to even remotely suggesting that such an "absorption" is part of a "compassion consciousness" in which Jehovah's Witnesses excel.

We must sadly conclude that millions of sincere Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide are indeed being led astray by a powerful and destructive influence originating from the Watchtower Society that cannot be called anything else but cultic. We take no pleasure in making this assertion, yet we do so out of loving concern for Jehovah's Witnesses everywhere, and for those involved with them. It is our prayer that this article has helped you see why so many do indeed feel the Watchtower Society is cultic to the core, and why all truly God-fearing people should recognize it for the human enterprise it has long, long ago become.

If you are laboring under the spell of marching to the Watchtower Society's organizational drumbeat, we would encourage you to turn away from any blind obedience to a man-made religious organization and instead, consider once again the warm love and call of Jesus Christ for real and eternal salvation. His saving grace, which bestows true peace and communion with God is given so freely and immediately by nothing more and nothing less then faith in Him and Him alone for the forgiveness of sin. No organization can ever equal that! Turn to Christ Jesus for true salvation and the Scriptures for true instruction on Godly living, not the dictates of a cult group like the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Brooklyn, New York.

ENDNOTES

(1) Jehovah's Witnesses: Proclaimers Of God's Kingdom, p. 143: "The view that she (Russell's wife) voiced concerning the identity of the 'faithful servant' came to be generally held by the Bible Students for some 30 years. Brother Russell did not reject their view, but he personally avoided making such an application of the text ..." 

(2) Combatting Cult Mind Control, page 59.

(3) Independent thinking is the unforgivable sin among cultic organizations, since it engenders free thought and reflection and enables members to examine their attachments to them with an objective eye. Hence, the Watchtower Society sternly admonishes Jehovah's Witnesses to not engage in it, equating it with spiritual darkness: "From the very outset of his rebellion Satan called into question God's way of doing things. He promoted independent thinking. 'You can decide for yourself what is good and bad,' Satan told Eve. .. To this day, it has been Satan's subtle design to infect God's people with this type of thinking. -- 2 Timothy 3:1, 13. How is such independent thinking manifested? A common way is by questioning the counsel that is provided by God's visible organization." (The Watchtower, 15 January 83, p. 22) "But a spirit of independent thinking does not prevail in God's organization, and we have sound reasons for confidence in the men taking the lead among us. (The Watchtower, 15 September 1989, p. 23). "Due to background and upbringing, some may be more given to independent thinking and self-will than others. Perhaps this is an area where we need to discipline ourselves and 'make our mind over' so that we can perceive more clearly what the 'will of God' is. -- Romans 12:2." (The Watchtower, 1 February, p. 19)."

(4) Understanding Mind Control Among Jehovah's Witnesses, p. 30.

(5) In fact, a scornful rebuke used by Jehovah's Witnesses is to call those assisted by local church benovolence ministries (like food banks and clothing depots) by the insulting term "rice Christians," indicting them as converts who were lured by promises of food handouts. They go on to self-righteously decry the use of food as a "bribe" to make converts (an ugly accusation usually without any merit whatsoever). Their desire to avoid being guilty of such an allegation is their most cited reason for steering clear of any kind of ongoing community assistance ministry. And while Jehovah's Witnesses take great pride in being recognized for their one-day building projects that erect new Kingdom Halls, and are quick to point out how the unified effort of hundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses made it possible, you will never find them at the worksites of places like a Habitat for Humanity house-raising, a community clean-up day, or an evangelical "March For Jesus." And in virtually each instance a Jehovah's Witness response to natural disaster is reported upon in Society publications, invariably the aid is directed towards Jehovah's Witnesses only. The article "Christian Love Amid Disasters In Mexico" (Awake!, April 22, 1996, p. 31) is a perfect example of this. Paragraph after paragraph detailing the destruction wrought upon Jehovah's Witness homes and Kingdom Halls also showed how the aid Jehovah's Witnesses gathered went exclusively into their helping their own, while over half a million non-Witness Mexicans suffered privation. "Frequently, people noted regarding the Jehovah's Witnesses and their relief work: 'These really are brothers.' 'They are the better organized group.'" 



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GROWING UP WITHIN THE WATCHTOWER SOCIETY
HOW JEHOVAH'S WITNESS PARENTS ARE TAUGHT TO INFLUENCE THEIR CHILDREN

Brown & Watters
(edited)


One of the key roles of parents in any society is to shape the thinking and aspirations of their children for the future. Parents who are Jehovah's Witnesses are admonished to be especially keen on guiding their children away from any unnecessary involvment in the "world" in order to devote more time to the work of speading WatchTower Society doctrines. Ever since the beginning of the Watch Tower magazine in 1879, its readers have been told that the "end of the world" is right around the corner, and this event was specifically predicted for the years 1914, 1915, 1918, 1925 and strongly suggested for 1941 and 1975. 

In 1941 the Watch Tower published the book CHILDREN in which the ficticious characters John and Eunice give up having children to go door-to-door in the short time remaining before the End. Decades have passed, John and Eunice are still childless and in thier seventies, and the world has not yet ended. Yet even today, the Watch Tower is still encouraging young ones to sacrifice careers and even to forego marriage if it will make them more successful in the "short time remaining before the End."

What future is held out for youths today in the Jehovah's Witness subculture? 

Publicly, the WatchTower Society likes to put forth an image of happy, normal youths among their organization. Though many Witness youth seem to be well adjusted and have normal aspirations, the ones held up as models in the congregations are often disfunctional in their personal lives, some even leading a double life, morally speaking.

What is the future held out for Witness youth by their leaders ? The public image is well demonstrated in the WatchTower Society's booklet, "PREPARING FOR CHILD CUSTODY CASES" (distributed by the Society's legal department as an aid in child custody battles). It encourages the selection of "spiritually minded" young Witnesses by the presiding overseer of the local congregation to testify "to show that they are normal." The booklet cautions about the rehearsal: "Be careful that they don't get the impression that they are in a demonstration at the circuit assembly, when they would show that the first things in life are service [door-to-door preaching] and going to the Kingdom Hall. Show hobbies, crafts, social activity, sports, and especially plans for the future. Be careful they don't all say that they are going to be pioneers [full-time door-to-door evangelists]. Plans can be trade, getting married and having children, journalism, and all kinds of other things. Maybe you can show an interest in art and the theater." (from page 43). 

At a Witness circuit assembly (large religious gathering), a Witness youth would truthfully point out their primary interests are religious. In court, however, Witness youths are counseled to emphasize "normal" activities and a "normal" future career. Instead of pioneering, they should indicate regular interests that other children would have - such as journalism, art and the theater, etc. 

The WatchTower Society obviously is thereby promoting one image to the public (one of being just like other children) and another in the Kingdom Hall (of sacrificing careers and personal desires for the sake of warning others of the imminency of the Watch Tower message). 

The following are quotations from Witness literature showing what is actually taught to young Witnesses, both by example and direct statement. Material in brackets is added to clarify meaning or explain significance. Emphasis is added to some quotations to draw attention to key points. 

ONE THE NEARNESS OF THE NEW WORLD: 

"Most importnatly, this magazine builds confidence in the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away." [This statement appears on the contents page of every AWAKE! magazine which is a Watch Tower publication.] 

"...today, most of the generation of 1914 has passed away... Jesus' words will come true, 'this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.' This is yet another reason for believing that Jehovah's thieflike day is imminent." AWAKE!, April 08, 1988, page 14. 

[ In Witness belief, both Armageddon and the New World are due before the generation of 1914 passes away. This present world must be destroyed before this New World can become a reality. Only those associated with the Witness organization can have any hope to survive Armageddon into the New World.] 

[ A Witness youth in France named Samuel is quoted with apparent approval: ] "For the year 2000, I visualize a world tranformed into a beautiful paradise! But I don't think that either the present world or its rulers will live to see that day.... We are living in the last days of the system of things." AWAKE! magazine [ a Watch Tower publication ], November 08, 1986, page 7 to 8. 

HIGHER EDUCATION IS DISCOURAGED 

"If you are a young person, you also need to face the fact that you will never grow old in this present system of things. Why not ? Because all the evidence is fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that this corrupt system is due to end in a few years. Of the generation that observed the beginning of the 'last days' in 1914, Jesus foretold: 'This generation will by no means pass away until these things occur.' 

"Therefore, as a young person, you will never fulfill any career that this system offers. If you are in high school and thinking about a college education, it means at least four, perhaps even six or eight more years to graduate into a specialized career. But where will this system of things be by that time ? It will be well on the way towards its finish, if not actually gone! 

"This is why parents who base their lives on God's prophetic Word find it much more practical to direct their young ones into trades that do not require such long periods of additional schooling.... 

"True, those who do not understand where we are in the stream of time from God's viewpoint will call this impractical. But which is really practical: preparing yourself for a position in this world that soon will pass away ? or working towards surviving this systems end and enjoying eternal life in God's righteous new order ?" from AWAKE! magazine, May 22, 1969, page 15. [ Even though this was written in 1969, this policy is still endorsed - as can be seen in the following references. ] 

Under the subheading "ALTERNATIVES TO UNIVERSITY" in the article entitled "YOUNG PEOPLE ASK ... HOW DO I CHOOSE A CAREER?" (from AWAKE! magazine, March 22, 1985, page 17 to 18) they say: 

"After consulting their parents, many young people have decided against long-term education because of the uncertainty of the future. 'The time left is reduced,' say the Bible.... [Vocational training in High School is then recommended.] 

"A Christian's view of the future should also affect his choice of career. With 'the world passing away,' a career based upon worldly ambitions is most unrealistic. Bible prophecy indicates how short- lived such a career would be. 

"For this reason, many young people among Jehovah's Witnesses are choosing a career in full time Bible education - a volunteer work of helping people to understand the Bible. 'But,' you may ask, 'how can somebody make a living that way?' In order to support themselves financially, many have first received practical training in a trade." 

The  Witness youth handbook, 'QUESTIONS YOUNG PEOPLE ASK - ANSWERS THAT WORK' spends four pages discouraging a university education. (pages 175 to 179) It concludes: 

"In view of these facts, many Christian youths have decided against a university education. many have found that the training offered in congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses - the weekly Thoecratic Ministry School in particular - has given them a real edge in finding employment." 

At the end of this chapter are five questions that reveal the tone of the argumentation found in this book: "Why do secular careers often fail to bring personal happiness? Why should all God-fearing youths consider a career in full-time ministry ? What are the claimed benefits of high education, and do such claims always hold true ? What dangers might univeristy education pose ? What alternatives to university education can a youth consider?" (page 179) 

The WATCHTOWER magazine of April 15, 1986, (pages 28 to 30) spoke to young Witnesses: 

"As you think about your future, no doubt questions run through your mind. Should I go to university and seek a career as a doctor, a lawyer, or a scientist? Does the dream of climbing the corporate ladder to financial success and recognition intrigue me? Would I become a famous name in the arts through acting or painting? Or, as a youth devoted to Jehovah God, should I choose the full-time ministry as my career...?" 

After giving two testimonies - one a young man who quit his university studies after joining the Witnesses so that he could pioneer (full-time mission work), and the other of a young man who began pioneering in his last year of high school - the article concludes: 

"Youths, how will you use your future? For yourself of fully for Jehovah? Prayerfully consider the goal of full-time sevice now in your youth. Imitate Jesus by living the rest of your life 'for God's will.' It will prove to be a protection from harmful worldly ambitions, careers, and associations. Analyze your circumstances and set a specific date as your goal for entering full-time service. Work toward it. Pray for Jehovah's help to attain it." [ Pursuing a "worldly career" is viewed as selfish, as opposed to the goal of full-time service now "for Jehovah." The idea that God might call one to a secular career that can be dedicated to His glory is foreign to the Watch Tower Society.] 

START PREPARING FOR A MINISTRY CAREER BEFORE GRADUATING FROM SCHOOL: 

"Keeping in mind the limited value of physical exercise and the superlative benefits of godly devotion will help you to make balanced decisions when it comes to after-school activities.... 

"How about using your time to help others spiritually? Interestingly, some young ones among Jehovah's Witnesses in Japan start to make the ministry their career while they are still in school. They buy out their time before and after school to help others to know the Creator." [ From the article "Young People Ask...What About After- School Activities?" AWAKE!, December 08, 1986, page 18. 

Extracurricular activities are discouraged. Door-to-door "service" is recommended in it's place "before and after school."] 

SINGLENESS IS COMMENDED: 

"Putting your years as an unmarried Christian to the best possible use in Jehovah's service will bring present satisfaction and peace of mind. Doing so will also contribute to your spiritual maturity and stability. If you remain single for the Kingdom's sake until the end of this wicked system of things, Jehovah will not forget your self-sacrificing efforts in his sacred service . 

"If you diligently pursue Kingdom interests [religious activities like door-to-door work and attending congregational meetingings] as an unmarried man or woman, you will enjoy many blessings. Then if you should get married later in life, you will enter wedlock with greater experienceand a rich spiritual background." [ From the article "SINGLENESS - A REWARDING WAY OF LIFE." the WATCHTOWER magazine, Novenmber 15, 1987, page 20.] 

CHILDLESSNESS IS COMMENDED: 

The Watch Tower Society has no stated policy regarding childbearing. They state the decision to have children is a personal matter.But, they do remind couples of the nearness of the End and commend those who have decided to remain childless 'in order to have a fuller share in the Witnesses' religious activities: 

"Some young couples have decided to remain childless. Although the wives had maternal instincts just as strong as those in other women, they decided, in agreement with their husbands, to refrain from having children in ordr to devote themselves to serving Jehovah full-time. Many of them have served as pioneers or missionaries... 

"Many married couples throughout the world who have relinquished the joys of parenthood have been able to serve Jehovah in the circuit work, the district work, or at Bethel. [ Remaining childless is a condition  in these responsible positions. ] These likewise look back with satisfaction over their lives spent in serving Jehovah and their brothers in these special privileges. They have no regrets. While they have not had the joy of bringing children into the world, they have played a vital part in furthering Kingdom interests in their various fields of activity. 

"So the matter of childbearing in this time of the end is a personal one that each couple must decide for itself. However, since 'the time left is reduced,' married  couples would do well to weigh carefully and prayerfully the pros and cons of child bearing in these times." The WATCHTOWER magazine, March 01, 1988, pages 25 & 26. 

PARENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SET PIONEERING AS A GOAL FOR CHILDREN INSTEAD OF COLLEGE: 

THE KINGDOM MINISTRY (a Watch Tower magazine) of May 1973, page 6, (under the subheading "THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF PARENTS HELPS") says: 

"At times the heart's desire for what is good needs to be strengthened. Parents can do much to aid their children in this regard... 

"An elder in Korea encouraged his four children to pioneer. At a circuit assembly [ large Witness religious gathering ] he and the children were interviewed. The oldest daughter related how she had been the high scholastically in her high school. She herself wanted to go to college at one point. However, her father informed her that, while she was free to choose such a course, she could not expect financial support from him. She changed her mind about college, and now she is enjoying many blessings as a pioneer. The next oldest, a son, told how he also at one time wanted to go to college and follow a worldly course. But his father sat down and reviewed the Scriptures with him. His father also told him that, if he insisted on following a worldly course, he would also have to find another place to live. He heeded his father's counsel and is very grateful that his father was kind kind but firm in his stand. The two younger explained that they were impressed by what happened to the two older ones. From the beginning they planned to become pioneers. The youngest son gave up his high school education to pioneer." 

In the WATCHTOWER magazine of January 15, 1952, [pg 47], parents were counseled to: 

"Suggest that they become vacation pioneers [ a one momth commitment for 75 hours of door-to-door proselytizing ] during their summer holidays... The highest career you can plan for your children is that of full-time service as a minister. ["MINISTER" here refers to their door-to-door preaching work.] Work and plan to help them toward that most joyful and successful careers." [ Even though this article is nearly 40 years old, Jehovah's Witnesses today still follow this practice. many Witnesses who were raised in the 1950's and 1960's by this advice postponed marriage and then also postponed having children after marriage, so that they could devote more time to their proselytizing work. Some are still single or childless. Most who did eventually marry and have children found that it was too late to start a professional career, taking employment in the blue collar field instead. Still, these are raising their children with full-time ministry as their goal in life. ] 

THEATRICAL CAREER DISCOURAGED FOR WITNESSES: 

In the AWAKE! of August 08, 1983, pages 23 & 24, the Watch Tower published this testimony of actor who quit the theater after converting to the Witnesses: 

"Now, more than a decade later, I can honestly say that I do not yearn for the stage. I am still able to practice my art each year, as a director and an actor, in the Bible dramas that Jehovah's Witnesses present in their district conventions... The difference is that we have performed with a better motive. In the theater I wanted to be a star, to receive adulation. In these Bible dramas it is the story that matters, not the actors. Thus there is no competition, no upstaging of fellow actors." 

ART CAREER DISCOURAGED: 

In the WACTHTOWER magazine, march 15, 1981 (page 10) the Society published this testimony of a art student who decided not to pursue an art career after joining the Witnesses: 

"By 1952 I had been studying to be an artist for nearly four years. What would I do ? Returning to Puerto Rico, my desire to share what I had learned from the Bible was even stronger than my desire to be an artist. Thus, in August 1952, I began serving in the full-time preaching activity as a pioneer." 

MUSICAL CAREER DISCOURAGED: 

The AWAKE! of August 08, 1985 (pages 16 & 17) published the testimony of William Mullane, who left the prestigious Julliard School in New York City after he started studying with the Witnesses. He eventually entered "Bethel service." working full-time at Watch Tower headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. Bethel workers receive room and board and a nominal monthly "allownance" to buy necessities. Mullane explains: 

"After the summer-vacation period, I returned to school for another semester. But I felt very differently about things then. The desire to develop as a musician was not as strong as it had once been. I now knew that there was much more to life and that music could no longer be 'number one'... 

"I also remember clearly my father's reaction to my decision. He pounded on the table and sternly told me that I would be out of the house if I left school. But leave I did. Two months later I was baptized to symbolize my dedication to God, and soon thereafter I entered the full-time ministry... 

"I still practice my music but only for a small fraction of the time I previously devoted to it... 

"A career in [music] demands exclusive devotion. In this it competes with our Creator and the doing of his will. Music can be almost like a disease... 

"Frankly, I've come to look upon musical instituations as modern-day temples of worship that require people to devote their entire lives to music. But that is making a god out of it, and surely this does not have the Creator's approval. True, music is a gift from Jehovah, but it must be kept in its place." 

The February 22, 1984 AWAKE! (pages 12 to 16) published the testimony of a former Lebanese basketball star who forsook both that and his university studies to become a full-time pioneer. 

The December 08, 1984 AWAKE! (pages 16 to 20) published Herman Pizzanelli's Uruguayan concert guitarist in the 1960's. After joining the Witnesses he canceled his contracts including "a theatrical tour of Europe," because "my conscience moved more urgent work of preaching and other Christian activities."




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THE INTRODUCTION OF PHOBIAS AND OTHER DEVELOPMENT TRAITS
INTO JEHOVAH'S WITNESS CHILDREN
Brown & Watters
(edited)


Parents obviously have a very powerful influence on their children. Even when they are abusive and insensitive towards their offspring, children still desire whatever vestige of love and approval they can get from their parents, and will often be obedient just to receive attention and care. Understanding this dynamic helps to explain how children growing up in the Watch Tower may be so heavily influenced by the need for approval that they are willing togive up whatever goals or aspirations they may have in order to please their parents, even long after they leave home and/or get married. 

In order for the indoctrination to be lasting and effective, PHOBIAS (deep-rooted fears) must be introduced to the child in order to "scare" them away from a course contrary to Watch Tower idealology, and the organization is very adept at planting and nuturing these phobias. As in the case of the elder in Korea with the four children (mentioned previously in our first article), the fear may be the threat of being cut off financially as well as losing dad's approval, but it also comes directly from the pages of THE WATCHTOWER in the form of warnings about being in the very last days, and how Jehovah will not look with approval upon those who "squander their time and energies" in non-Kingdom interests. Jehovah thus becomes the all powerful parent who, even if the child's real parents may not be too concerned, will himself cut the child off from his favour and possibility even eternal life. A powerful motovation indeed! 

A PHOBIC WORLD VIEW

The first step that the Watch Tower takes in their indoctrination of their followers is to develop the concept of the "universal war" that all people are inevitably caught up in, namely, that Satan has declared war on Jehovah, and we are automatically on one side or the other; there are no fence-sitters. If you are not doing all that the organization asks, you are on the side of the devil. Everything outside of the Watch Tower is controlled by the devil, and all persons who are not Witnesses are misled by the devil and are bad or dangerous to associate with. An unbalanced fear of the supernatural is encouraged. Witness children are told to avoid "worldly" magazines, movies, TV shows, music, etc. Any information critical of the Watch Tower is automatically evil and dangerous. Most doctors are evil for wanting to administer blood transfusions. Children have nightmares about mom or dad having to refuse a blood transfusion. Everything is made to appear as part of a large conspiracy to destroy Jehovah's Witnesses. Satan is feared totally out of proportion to the role as represented in the Bible. 

What is the end result? The child learns to fear life itself, at least outside of the Watch Tower, so that if he/she were to ever leave the organization, the devil would destroy him/her and he/she would become miserable and suicidal. I personally knew several members of the Watch Tower's Bethel family at their headquarters in New York who knew the organization was wrong, but could not leave due to fear that they were incapable of getting a job, or that their lives would disintegrate. They were the victims of carefully planted PHOBIAS. 

Many of these phobias are rather obvious to outsiders. Simple, harmless things are blown out of proportion in order to keep Witnesses secluded from the real world. For instance: Birthdays are evil because someone is being worshipped. Christmas is evil because thousands of years ago someone worshipped the sun on December 25th. Saluting the flag is worshipping your country and a sign that you belong to Satan's kingdom rather than God's Kingdom. Saying "darn" or "geez" is the same as cursing. Smoking cigarettes is a form of drug abuse that can lead to demonic control. Little wonder that Witness youths are so paranoid and shy of the world! Even when they leave the organization, the phobias are still there, controlling their lives until they are recognized and eliminated through counseling and/or self-awareness. Many of our readers were raised Jehovah's Witnesses and still remain VICTIMS of multiple phobia implantations. Many struggle with low self-esteem and self-worth, since the Watch Tower impants and perpetuates such problems.