On the 10th of this month, the Australia Royal Commission held Case 54 which was a review of the responses of Jehovah’s Witnesses to the Commission’s findings. The representatives from the Australia branch swore on the Bible “to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth”. Did they comply with this solemn oath before God? You be the judge after watching this video:
Technically a new born baby is “approaching adulthood”, they just have nearly 2 decades to get there! This is still deliberately deceptive in my opinion.
At 3m40s Stephen Lett said “The sooner you get baptised, the sooner you will receive greater blessings and protection from Jehovah.”
Does anyone know what these (1) blessings and (2) protection are particularly? I mean other than a bribe!
🙂
I just don’t get it. They have been caught with their pants down. Why not just confess that they have a serious problem and put into practice what the Royal commission told them? What are they doing? Are they hiding something else greater than we know? Did you notice how it ended? The judge was done. He didn’t even want to wrap up the subject of financial help. Why do they refuse to turn over information in the San Diego case, and pay $4000 a day? When the RC is done, what affect will this have on funds? I just… Read more »
They are caught between the rock and the hard place of their own doctrines. It is inconceivable that Jehovah’s channel of communication should take instructions from Satan’s wicked system of things. How could Satan’s world have good advice which the Governing Body hasn’t already come up with? Do we think that the rulers of this system of things know more than the Governing Body? Perish the thought! Accepting and implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission is tantamount to admitting that the Governing Body is not the channel Jehovah is using. That’s the rock. The hard place is the PR… Read more »
I agree with what you are saying. But something must give. This will continue beyond Australia. The fantasy that you will stick to a dogma because you believe you are God’s organization, doesn’t work in the real world. Adapt or vanish. At the least, you will shrink to an unrecognizable religion. This information is becoming so widespread, no one from the outside is becoming a witness, unless they have no internet. But like you said, if they change, it will prove they don’t have the truth. Even if they relax certain policies like shunning, this will not grow numbers. Because… Read more »
Your right they are caught between a rock and a hard place but what they’re doing doesn’t make any sense. Sometimes I wonder if they have had a consulting firm give them advice on their predicament and have formed an exit strategy. To liquidate all assets besides their main buildings and form an online religion of sorts. To even reorganize under a new name such as Jehovah’s Worshippers (so they can keep jw.org). Maybe they have run the numbers and know they will loose an estimated percentage of ones, but a core group will loyally stay with them. I don’t… Read more »
Hi vinman. You asked: why just not confess? I think the answer is simple. It’d be too costly. The org has made some $1.3 billion of the sales of their Brooklyn property in recent years. Some of that money has been put into the new HQ. But still, they should have quite some money left. However, they are not rich enough to admit their errors in court. As soon as they admit their wrong policies and the harm these have caused, they’ll swamp in court cases by victims. The damages may reach tens of millions each case. Out of court… Read more »
In defense (not really) of the two Brothers, with all their bumbling I think they were thrown under the bus. One even mention he wasn’t in Australia but they made him come. I think they were ill prepared and could not say anything because they probably didn’t really know all the details of what was going and out of fear of what would happen to them if they said the wrong thing. Spinks mentioned “ I am not an Attorney”. This is why the GB should have been there since these are their policies. However, we see what Jackson spewed… Read more »
They reminded me of two boxers on the defensive just ducking, dodging the blows and throwing the odd jab. This document that the presented to the ARC was referred to as a ‘living document’ based on a UK Policy of JW’s. Again many questions were asked by the ARC, regarding making this document available to all members , further changes to be made or adjusted as a result of Fridays meeting, the 2 witness rule, Shunning and a inclusion in the OM book regards to Child Abuse procedure. SC Stewart and Justice Mclellan was surprised at the lack of empathy… Read more »
If only Stewart had asked them to provide the Scriptural basis for disassociation. Then they would have seen just how baseless this doctrine is.
May be good to send an email to Stewart and explain what the scriptures actually say. I have done in the past on some other point. They are very interested.
The hypocrisy here is obvious and shocking. It’s bad enough (and unscriptural) that the org is pressuring the very young to get baptized when they can’t and don’t know all of the organizational ramifications. But the additional layer of abused children later leaving the org because of what they suffered, and then being shunned, is a disgrace. This one issue should be enough (although there are many others) for R&F JW’s to question the claim that this is Jehovah’s only earthly org.
I still remember watching the ARC proceedings where WT was asked why they never reported a single case of abuse in 60 years. They thought matters were better handled internally. When reminded that the current law in Australia required them to report, they said that they were obligated to call the Legal Dept. They were then asked if they knew for an absolute certainty that abuse was occurring, could they report then? No, they had to call Legal Dept. Pressed on this, they then asked, “Well, if you knew for a certainty that a JW congregation member committed murder, would… Read more »
I notice a pattern here. There has never been any acknowledgement of wrongdoing or misapplication of scriptural principles by the organisation, even when they are clearly in the wrong or even when they have made serious mistakes. The blame is always on the flock, sheep who our spiritual shepherds are meant to be serving. No wonder why Jesus lamented that people were ‘skinned and thrown about like sheep without a shepherd’ (Matt 9:36). That’s the same as back then as it is today, because the so call shepherds are not looking after their flock properly! Just think of all the… Read more »
Hi Candace Nice to see you thinking outside of the Org and backing up with scripture. After our families experience with Elders over the past 4 years especially, they really have shown themselves not to be a hiding place from the wind. isa 32:2. I know there are some sincere Elders out there still serving and hoping they can make a difference to help the congregation. If only they knew that the congregation is suffering under the ‘bad’ elders and the GB. After all they are just men- so why would any of us want to follow them down this… Read more »
What a “loving” organization, putting the blame on children by saying that these children knew what they were getting into. Just another reason John’s and Jesus’ words will find fulfillment… “Indeed, the ax is already lying at the root of the trees. Every tree, then, that does not produce fine fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” “I am the true vine, and my Father is the cultivator. He takes away every branch in me not bearing fruit….If anyone does not remain in union with me, he is thrown out like a branch and dries up. And… Read more »
Those words of Jesus make the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, right now all I can see is an axe , not a visible organisation.
this us an excellent documentary by BBC Panorama: https://youtu.be/Ep4h2lKWRlg
not new (2002) and it is therefore actually a big shame that not much has improved since then
I remember that programme. My husband was still serving as MS and I was pioneering. He said we should not watch it-( obviously after he was counselled by the elders possibly in a meeting for servants). I watch about 15 mins of it but felt guilty and thought that the victims looked as if they had rebelled, (tattoos and piercings), so I am sad to say now that I labelled them as apostates and didn’t watch the rest. Like many of our fellow brothers and sisters today I thought nothing more of it and thought these were lies, as they… Read more »
Hi Amitafal. What you mention is a typical reaction when we see someone with piercings and tattoos. I had to fight that same tendency in times past. There are different reasons for getting piercings and tattoos. Some just do it to fit in to a rebellious group, some because of spiritistic influence. But, with the little experience I have, I discovered that when someone is abused, the tremendous feelings of self-hate and abuse are so traumatic that victims often resort to drugs, tattoos, disfiguring, cutting and hurting themselves or even killing themselves. So, in these cases, the visible things we… Read more »
They were deceptive.