(This video is aimed specifically at Jehovah’s Witnesses, so I will be using the New World Translation all the time unless otherwise stated.)
The term PIMO is of recent origin and was coined by Jehovah’s Witnesses who find themselves being forced to hide their disagreements with JW doctrine and Governing Body policies from the elders (and those who would inform on them) for the sake of avoiding shunning in order to preserve their family relationships. PIMO is an acronym for Physically In, Mentally Out. It describes the state of those who are compelled to attend meetings and pretend to follow the Governing Body directives so that they will not be shunned, which means being treated as those who are spiritually dead. Of course, Jesus never shunned anyone. He ate with sinners and tax collectors, didn’t he? He also told us to love our enemies.
Mentally, and probably spiritually and emotionally too, PIMOs are no longer part of the Organization, but to some degree, outside observers will still view them as Jehovah’s Witnesses. They probably can’t tell the difference, unless they too know what it is like to be a PIMO.
I know of one PIMO who is serving today as a congregation elder, yet who is now an atheist. Isn’t that remarkable?! This video is not for a man like that nor for just anyone who would classify themselves as a PIMO. For example, there are those who remain in the Organization to some degree, but who have lost all faith in God and have turned agnostic or atheist. Again, this video is not directed to them. They have left the faith. There are others too who want to leave the organization and live life any way they wish, free of any restrictions from God or men, but who still wish to preserve their relationship with family and friends. This video is not meant for them either. The PIMOs I’m making this video for are those who continue to worship Jehovah as their Heavenly father and who view Jesus as their savior and leader. These PIMOs recognize Jesus, and not men, as the way and the truth and the life. John 14:6
Is there a way for such ones to leave JW.org without suffering the loss of family and friends?
Let’s be brutally honest here. The only way to preserve your relationship with all your family and friends when you no longer believe the doctrines of Jehovah’s Witnesses is to lead a double life. You have to pretend to be fully in, like the atheist elder I just mentioned. But living a lie is wrong on so many levels. There is real danger to your mental and emotional health. That kind of duplicity is bound to corrupt the soul and the stress of it could even make you physically sick. Most of all is the damage you will do to your relationship with Jehovah God. For instance, how can you continue to engage in the preaching work knowing that you are selling faith in a religion based on lies? How can you encourage people to join a religion you earnestly wish to leave? Wouldn’t that make you a hypocrite? What harm will you be doing to your hope of salvation? The Bible is pretty clear on this:
“But as for the cowards and those without faith…and all the liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This means the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
“Outside are the dogs and those who practice spiritism and the fornicators and the murderers and the idolaters and everyone liking and carrying on a lie.’” (Revelation 22:15)
The religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses has become a mind-controlling cult. It wasn’t always that way. There was a time when there was no official policy to disfellowship someone even for gross sin. When I was a young man, we could openly disagree with policies and even some Bible understandings without fear that the “thought police” would descend upon us with threats of excommunication. Even when disfellowshipping was introduced in 1952, it didn’t result in the total shunning that is now a requirement of the process. Things have definitely changed. Nowadays, you don’t even have to be officially disfellowshipped to be shunned.
There is now what has been termed, “soft shunning.” This is the quiet, unofficial process of distancing oneself from anyone suspected of “not being fully in”; that is, not fully committed to the Organization. In any mind-controlling cult, it is not enough to refrain from criticizing the leadership. A member has to demonstrate overt support at every opportunity. You need look no further than the content of congregation prayers for evidence of this. When I was growing up in the Organization, I don’t ever recall hearing prayers where the brother praised the Governing Body and thanked Jehovah God for their presence and guidance. Yikes! But now it is common to hear such prayers.
In a field service car group, if anything positive is said about the Organization, you have to speak up and agree, adding your own praise. To remain silent is to condemn. Your fellow Jehovah’s Witnesses have been conditioned to sense something is wrong, and they will react by quickly distancing themselves from you and talking behind your back to spread the word that something is wrong with you. They will inform on you at the first opportunity.
Sure, you may think you are still in, but you are definitely being handed your hat.
Breaking free is no easy thing. The process of waking up to the reality of the Organization can take months and even years. Our Heavenly Father is tolerant, knowing that we are flesh and need time to process things, to work things out so as to make an informed and wise decision. But at some point, a decision has to be made. What can we learn from Scripture to guide us to the best course of action for our individual circumstances?
Perhaps we could start by taking a look at one who was arguably the very first PIMO within the Christian community:
“Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away.” (John 19:38)
The apostle John, writing decades after the destruction of Jerusalem and surely long after Joseph of Arimathea had died, spoke only of that man’s role in preparing Christ’s body for burial. Rather than praising him, he focused on the fact he was a secret disciple who kept his belief in Jesus as the Messiah hidden because he was afraid of the Jewish Governing Body.
The other three gospel writers who wrote prior to the destruction of Jerusalem make no mention of this. Instead, they highly praise Joseph. Matthew says he was a rich man “who had also become a disciple of Jesus.” (Matthew 27:57) Mark says he was “a reputable member of the Council, who also himself was waiting for the Kingdom of God” and that he “took courage and went in before Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.” (Mark 15:43) Luke tells us that he “was a member of the Council, who was a good and righteous man”, one who had “not voted in support of their scheme and action.” (Luke 23:50-52)
In contrast with the other three gospel writers, John doesn’t heap any praise on Joseph of Arimathea. He doesn’t speak of his courage, nor his goodness and righteousness, but only of his fear of the Jews and the fact that he kept his discipleship hidden. In the next verse, John speaks of another man who believed in Jesus, but also kept it hidden. “He [Joseph of Arimathea] was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes , about seventy-five pounds.” (John 19:39)
Nicodemus’ gift of myrrh and aloes was generous, but then again, he was also a rich man. Though mentioning the gift, Luke pointedly tells us that Nicodemus came at night. Back then there were no street lights, so nighttime was a great time to travel if you wanted to keep your activities secret.
Only John names Nicodemus, though it is possible that he was the unnamed “rich young ruler” who asked Jesus what he had to do to inherit everlasting life. You can find the account at Matthew 19:16-26 as well as Luke 18:18-30. That ruler left Jesus saddened because he had many possessions and was unwilling to give them up to become a full-time follower of Jesus.
Now both Joseph and Nicodemus did a service to Jesus by wrapping his body according to Jewish custom and preparing it for burial with an abundance of expensive aromatic spices, but John seems more inclined to focus on the fact that neither man chose to reveal his faith openly. Both these men were rich and had a privileged station in life, and both were loathe to lose that status. Apparently, that type of attitude didn’t sit well with John, the last of the Apostles. Remember that John and his brother James were bold and fearless. Jesus called them “Sons of Thunder.” It was they who wanted Jesus to call down fire from heaven upon a village of Samaritans who had not received Jesus hospitably. (Luke 9:54)
Was John being too harsh on these two men? Was he expecting more than it was reasonable for them to give? After all, had they openly declared their faith in Jesus, they would have been thrown out of the ruling council and expelled (disfellowshipped) from the synagogue, and had to endure the ostracism that went with being one of Jesus’ disciples. They would likely have lost their wealth. In other words, they were unwilling to give up what was precious to them, holding on to it rather than openly confessing Jesus as the Christ.
Many PIMOs today find themselves in a similar situation.
It all boils down to a simple question: What do you want most? This is an either/or situation. Do you want to preserve your lifestyle? Do you want to avoid the loss of family above all else? Perhaps you’re afraid of losing your spouse who has threated to leave you if you continue on your course.
That is on the one hand, the “either” side. On the other hand, the “or”, will you put faith in God, faith that He will keep the promise made to us through his son? I refer to this one:
“Peter began to say to him: “Look! We have left all things and followed you.” Jesus said: “Truly I say to you, no one has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the good news who will not get 100 times more now in this period of time—houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the coming system of things, everlasting life.”” (Mark 10:28-30)
“Then Peter said in reply: “Look! We have left all things and followed you; what, then, will there be for us?” Jesus said to them: “Truly I say to you, in the re-creation, when the Son of man sits down on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit everlasting life.” (Matthew 19:27-29)
“But Peter said: “Look! We have left what was ours and followed you.” He said to them: “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the Kingdom of God who will not get many times more in this period of time, and in the coming system of things, everlasting life.”” (Luke 18:28-30)
So there you have the promise given to you by three separate witnesses. If you are willing to suffer the loss of all you hold to be precious, you will assure yourselves of far more than you have lost in this system of things, and while you will also suffer persecution, you will attain to the prize of everlasting life. I can attest to the truth of this. I lost everything. All my friends, many going back decades—40 and 50 years. They pretty much all abandoned me. My late wife stuck with me, though. She was a true child of God, but I know that is more the exception than the rule. I lost my status, my reputation within the community of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and many people I thought were my friends. On the other hand, I have found real friends, people who were willing to give up everything to hold on to truth. Those are the kind of people I know I can count on in a crisis. Truly, I have found a wealth of friends on whom I know I can count in times of trouble. Jesus words have come true.
Again, what is it we truly want? A comfortable life within a community we’ve known for decades, perhaps since birth as was my case? That comfort is an illusion, one that is wearing thinner and thinner as time passes. Or do we want to secure a place in the Kingdom of God?
Jesus tells us:
“Everyone, then, who acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father who is in the heavens. But whoever disowns me before men, I will also disown him before my Father who is in the heavens. Do not think I came to bring peace to the earth; I came to bring, not peace, but a sword. For I came to cause division, with a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Indeed, a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever has greater affection for father or mother than for me is not worthy of me; and whoever has greater affection for son or daughter than for me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not accept his torture stake and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his soul will lose it, and whoever loses his soul for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:32-39)
Jesus didn’t come to bring us a comfortable, peaceful life. He came to cause division. He tells us that if we want him to stand up for us before God, we have to acknowledge him before men. Our Lord Jesus does not make this requirement of us because he is egotistical. This is a loving requirement. How can something that brings division and persecution be considered as a loving provision?
In fact, it is just that, and in three different ways.
First, this requirement to openly confess Jesus as Lord benefits you personally. By openly acknowledging Jesus Christ before your friends and family, you are exercising your faith. This is the case because you know you’re going to suffer tribulation and persecution as a result, yet you fearlessly do it anyways.
“For though the tribulation is momentary and light, it works out for us a glory that is of more and more surpassing weight and is everlasting; while we keep our eyes, not on the things seen, but on the things unseen. For the things seen are temporary, but the things unseen are everlasting.” (2 Corinthians 4:17, 18)
Who would not want such everlasting glory? But fear can keep us from reaching out for that glory. In some ways, fear is the opposite of love.
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts fear out, because fear restrains us. Indeed, the one who is fearful has not been made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18)
When we face our fear and proclaim our faith before men, specifically before family and friends, we overcome our fear by replacing it with love. This results in true freedom.
The purpose of organized religion is to exercise control over people, to rule over the flock. When men mislead people with lies, they depend on the gullibility of their flock to naïvely accept what they are told without checking the facts. When they begin to investigate and question, these false leaders become afraid and use another tool to maintain their control: fear of punishment. In this, the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses excels among modern Christian churches. Through years of carefully contrived indoctrination, they have managed to convince the entire flock to cooperate in punishing anyone who speaks out. The flock collaborates because its members have been conditioned to believe they are engaging in a loving provision of Jehovah God to shun any dissenter. Fear of being shunned exercises a restraint and keeps the Governing Body in power. By giving in to this fear, by being afraid to suffer the consequences of being shunned, many PIMOs remain silent and so the Governing Body wins, at least in the short term.
There is a second way in which the requirement to confess Jesus publicly proves to be a loving provision. It allows us to show our love for our fellow Christians, both family and friends.
I began to wake up about 10 years ago. I only wish that 20 or 30 years ago someone had come to me with the scriptural evidence I now possess proving that the core doctrines of my former religion were false, or are false, and completely unscriptural. Imagine, if someone were to come to me today, a former friend from long ago, and reveal to me that he knew all these things back 20 or 30 years ago but was afraid to tell me about them. I can assure you that I would be very upset and disappointed that he hadn’t had enough love for me to give me that warning back then. Whether or not I would have accepted it, I cannot say. I’d like to think I would have, but even if I hadn’t and had shunned that friend, that would be on me. I would not be able to find fault with him now, because he had demonstrated the courage to risk his own well-being to warn me.
I think it’s very safe to say that if you start to speak out about the truths you have learned, the vast majority of your friends and family will shun you. But two things are possible. One of those friends or family members, maybe more, may respond and you will have gained them. Think on this verse:
“My brothers, if anyone among YOU is misled from the truth and another turns him back, know that he who turns a sinner back from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19, 20)
But even if no one listens to you, you will have protected yourself. Because at some point in the future, all the misdeeds of the Organization will be revealed along with the sins of all the other churches.
“I tell you that men will render an account on Judgment Day for every unprofitable saying that they speak; for by your words you will be declared righteous, and by your words you will be condemned.”” (Matthew 12:36, 37)
When that day comes, do you want your spouse, your children, your father or mother, or your close friends to turn to you and say, “You knew! Why didn’t you warn us about this?” I don’t think so.
Some will find reason not to openly declare their faith in Jesus. They might claim that speaking out will destroy their family. They might even believe that elderly parents might die because of having a weak heart. Each one must make his or her own decision, but the guiding principle is love. We are not primarily concerned with life now, but with ensuring the eternal life and welfare of all our family and friends and everyone else for that matter. On one occasion, one of Jesus’ disciples expressed concern for family. Notice how Jesus replied:
“Then another of the disciples said to him: “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him: “Keep following me, and let the dead bury their dead.”” (Matthew 8:21, 22)
To one without faith, that may seem harsh, even cruel, but faith tells us that the loving thing is to reach out for eternal life, not just for oneself, but for all.
The third way in which fulfilling the requirement to preach and confess the Lord is loving in the case of Jehovah’s Witnesses is that it may encourage others to do the same thing and help those still sleeping in indoctrination to wake up. There are many Jehovah’s Witnesses who are troubled by the changes in the Organization, especially regarding the emphasis on obedience to men. Others are aware of the child sexual abuse scandal which seems to be growing steadily and will not go away. Some have become aware of the doctrinal failings of the Organization, while others are being greatly troubled by the abuse they’ve experienced at the hands of self-important elders.
Despite all this, many are caught in a kind of mental inertia, afraid to take the leap because they see no alternative. However, were all those who consider themselves to be PIMO to stand up and be counted, it might create a groundswell which cannot be ignored. It might give courage to others to take similar steps. The power of the Organization over people is the fear of being shunned, and if that fear is taken away because the rank-and-file refuses to cooperate, then the power of the Governing Body to control the lives of others evaporates.
I’m not suggesting that this is an easy course of action. Quite the contrary. It may be the most difficult test you will ever face in your life. Our Lord Jesus made it very clear that a requirement of all those who will follow him is to face the same type of shame and tribulation that he faced. Recall that he went through all that so that he could learn obedience and be made perfect.
“Although he was a son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. And after he had been made perfect, he became responsible for everlasting salvation to all those obeying him, because he has been designated by God a high priest in the manner of Mel·chizʹe·dek.” (Hebrews 5:8-10)
The same goes for us. If it is our desire to serve with Jesus as kings and priests in the Kingdom of God, can we expect anything less for ourselves than our Lord suffered on our behalf? He told us:
“And whoever does not accept his torture stake and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his soul will lose it, and whoever loses his soul for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:32-39)
The New World Translation uses torture stake while most of the other Bible translations refer to it as a cross. The instrument of torture and death is not really relevant. What is relevant is what it represented in those days. Anyone who died nailed to a cross or stake, first suffered complete public humiliation and the loss of everything. Friends and family would disown that person shunning them publicly. The person was stripped of all his wealth and even his outer garments. Finally, he was forced to parade before all onlookers in a shameful procession carrying the instrument of his execution. What a horrible, shameful, and painful way to die. By referring to “his torture stake” or “his cross”, Jesus is telling us that if we are not prepared to suffer shame for his name sake, then we are not worthy of his name.
Opposers will heap shame, reproach, and lying gossip upon you. You need to take it all in as if mattered to you not at all. Do you care about yesterday’s garbage that you left on the roadside for collection? You should care about the slander of others even less. Indeed, you look forward with joy to the prize our Father is holding out to us. We are told by God:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” (Hebrews 12:1-3 ESV)
If you are a PIMO, please know that I am not telling you what you must do. I’m sharing the words of our Lord, but the decision is yours since you must live with the consequences. It all boils down to what you want. If you seek the approval of our leader, Christ Jesus, you must make your decision based on love. Your love of God is your first love, but intertwined with that, is your love for your family and friends. What course of action best serves to benefit them eternally?
Some have decided to talk with their family and friends to discuss the things they have learned with the hope of convincing them of the truth. That will inevitably lead to the elders contacting you with charges of apostasy.
Others have chosen to write a letter to renounce their membership in the Organization. If you do that, you might want to consider first sending letters or emails to all your relatives and friends explaining in detail your decision so that you have one last chance to reach them before the steel door of shunning slams down.
Others choose not to write a letter at all, and refuse to meet with the elders, viewing either action as an acknowledgement that those men still hold some authority over them, which they do not.
Still others choose a waiting game and a slow fadeaway in hopes of preserving family relationships.
You have the facts before you and you know your own situation. The direction from Scripture is clear, but it is up to each one to implement it as best fits his or her own situation, being guided as always by the overriding principle of love of God and of one’s fellow human, particularly those called to be children of God by their faith in Jesus Christ. (Galatians 3:26).
I hope this video has been helpful. Please know that there is a growing community of faithful Christians going through the same tests and tribulations you are facing, but who also recognize what it means to be in Christ as the only means to be reconciled to Jehovah God.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you. (Matthew 5:11-12 BSB)
If you would like to join us online, remember that our meeting schedule is available at this link, [https://beroeans.net/events/] which I will also put in the description of this video. Our meetings are simple bible studies where we read from Scripture, then invite all to comment freely.
Thank you all for your support.
Good morning all, Once every so often we have a family get together, and sometimes we get into a spiritual discussion. An interesting conversations that I’d like to share with all of you about birthday celebrations Christmas, Easter and so forth… Two of my family members who are elders in different congregations where present, I posed a question to them? Would you celebrate birthdays, or would you attend a birthday celebration or Christmas or Easter? And they emphatically stated NO. So I asked the question, that would make you a hypocrite, if you preach to everyone that these celebrations are… Read more »
“You must be reading apostate material.”
Thanks for my morning laugh, James.
That standard JW response when confronted with reasoning they can’t answer is an ad hominem attack. It’s a sure sign they are in the wrong.
Love the reasoning, James. Well done. Now, were is that scripture that says “Whatever things you may bind on earth will already be bound in Heaven ?”. Oh yes Matthew 16:19, or, if you like, Matthew 18:18.
Hum.
Dear brothers and sisters. Please allow me to comment on the theme of the personal names of our God Jehovah and his Son Jesus Christ and write something about my current understanding, but thinking about my imperfection at the same time (1 Cor 13:12). Names in the Bible can have different meanings: 1) Personal names unique to the given person, 2) Figurative names or attributes that characterizes the given persons, e.g. according to their qualities, characteristics, status or kinship. The name Jehovah is the unique, personal name of our heavenly Father. This name is clearly defined by Jehovah himself in… Read more »
Well done my brother many thanks ?
Good one mate, Let me also add to your P.S. about the Trinity: The Father sent the Son. The Son did not send the Father (John 6:44; 8:18; 10:36; 1 John 4:14) Jesus performed the redemptive work. The Father did not. (2 Cor 5:21; 1 Pet 2:24) Jesus is the only-begotten. The Father is not. (John 3:16) The Father gave the Son. The Son did not give the Father or the Holy Spirit. (John 3:16) The Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not send the Father and the Son. (John 14:26; 15:26) The Father has given the elect to… Read more »
Excellent.
Hello James!
You have put together simple logical arguments beautifully. I am pleased to present your arguments to my sister who posted a YouTube video about the NW Bible translation fraud. The film was followed by a discussion about what God is the Logos. It would be nice if you could join the discussion with Eric and Frankie. On YouTube: Raised in Truth.
Regards !!!
Be with God and Lord
Zbigniew
Polish YouTube Wychowana w Prawdzie
Hi all,
Just finished watching Samuel Herd, update… I felt sick to hear him talk so much about Jehovah and NOT a word about Jesus Christ the head of the congregation.
I wonder if JW’s do believe in headship arrangement, and what kind of future bride is GB to Christ, who don’t even acknowledge him at all.
Hi James, If you have accepted that you are led by Jesus Christ and not by men, and if you love Jesus, I am not surprised that all this hurts you. It hurts me too and that was one of the main reasons why I left the WT organization that stood between me and my Lord. That they speak little of Jesus and that they do not give him the respect he deserves is one of their many sins. But I consider their greatest sin to be that they go against Jesus’ command to take symbols at the Lord’s… Read more »
Many thanks Frankie… I really do enjoy your comments and especially the lists of the Scriptures concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.
May the Father and the Son give you the holy spirit to write some more comments for our benefits.
Thanks a lot, James (Philippians 4:13).
Frankie
Hi James,
I glad to hear you are invoking Jesus’ Name, and His Name at (Isa 12:4) clearly stands for His character and reputation. It will be interesting to see what this elder comes up with as for his explanation, surely he will revert back to the name of Jehovah in some sort of way.
Psalmbee
Good evening to all. I came across a puzzler of a scripture and need your help. Revelation 21:3 With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God (Theou) is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God (Theos) himself will be with them. The voice is coming from the throne of God, and it seems Jesus is sitting on God’s throne and speaking on behalf of his father. This is the same as John 1:1 and NWT states one is referring to Jehovah and the… Read more »
It is a matter of grammar. The last bit of a word can change depending on the function of the word in the sentence. The English language has a few similar examples. “Theou” is there because the subject is the tent “of God”, while in the next sentence, “Theos” is used because “God” is speaking. If I may take you back to Philippians 2:9-11, you find that God has given Jesus the name that is above all other names. Of course, that is Jehovah’s name. This is in line with John 5:22-23,31. Jesus states that the Father has given the… Read more »
Many thanks for your reply, I examined the Scriptures that you sent me, there is a clear distinction between the father and the son, however the voice in revelation is coming from the throne, there is no distinction between the father and the son, as I’m reading the scripture it doesn’t mention for example “my tent”, and “I will” reside with them.
The voice is coming again from the same throne.
Is that distinction important?
Remember that John sees visions, and if he says that he saw a voice coming from the throne, it may mean that he doesn’t know whose voice it was. If it wasn’t clear to John, does it have to be clear to us?
If we eagerly try to discern who was speaking, aren’t we completely missing the point of the vision, which lies in what the voice was saying?
Well the distinction to me is important and if I’m going to pray, and thank the “ONE” who is seated on the throne, I want to know who am I directing my prayer to, wouldn’t you consider that to be important?
When somebody does an act of kindness to you, is it really important to you whom you should be thanking?
I am being a Berean who examines carefully the Scriptures and I am 100% not missing the point of the vision. Many thanks for trying to help.
You are 100% correct James, Just remember everyday above ground is a good day and it’s a great day when you know who’s on the throne!
Psalmbee (Isa 12:4)
Amen my brother amen, A spirit of calmness has come over me as I have been praying for a soothing comment, Or an answer regarding this scripture. Isa 12:4 hit the spot and you’d be very happy to know that I have already asked one of the elders who is a member of my family concerning this text and I’m still waiting for his answer it’ll be interesting, I will share it with everybody. Today on zoom something very interesting happened as I was asked to share in the preaching work, and I was reminded, don’t forget we have to… Read more »
Like that a lot, James. I made a comment on Revelation 20:1-3 (Watchtower on Zoom) .The article is full of interpretations of the various beasts The book of Revelation is given as signs. So is the abyss literal ? It can only be symbolic. So the 1000 years is as likely to symbolic as any other time period in the book. We will have to wait and see what is true on that one, of course. Just keep those pointed comments going. It will make those who think, think. Later that day, another brother, mentioned the forecast made in 1942… Read more »
Thanks for the insight of 1942 Leonardo, I enjoy your comments.
In un certo senso ci troviamo come fedeli adoratori di Geova, nella stessa situazione in cui si trovava Gesù Cristo, riguardo ai farisei. Appropriatamente l’apostolo Paolo scrisse in efesini,5: ” “6 Nessuno vi inganni con parole vuote,+ poiché a causa delle predette* cose l’ira di Dio viene sui figli di disubbidienza.+ 7 Perciò non siate partecipi con loro;+ 8 poiché voi foste una volta tenebre,+ ma ora siete luce+ riguardo al Signore. Continuate a camminare come figli della luce, 9 poiché il frutto della luce consiste in ogni sorta di bontà e giustizia e verità.+ 10 Continuate ad assicurarvi di… Read more »
Good morning all, I would like to share my experience with you all. My niece has just attended the Pioneer school and there was a segment in the program about the New World translation why it is the best translation you could ever come across. This was a get together and a number of my family members were there congratulating her for attending the pioneer school. I was asked a point blank question to which I have to answer, what do I think of the New World translation, and some of them had a smirky smile on their faces. I… Read more »
Beautifully done, James. Beautifully done!
Well done James. I am glad you brought out the bit about “in union with”, as that is clear evidence of tampering with the scriptures. A number of years ago, after I had come off the BOE, an elder, who had just attended the elders school, said to me that they were told that the NWT was the best Bible translation. Where did he get that from ? The elders school. What was its source ? Who knows ? But it was not an independent source, that is for sure. HarperCollins Bible Dictionary lists the NWT among the major modern… Read more »
May I add to the above, that one line of evidence that the NWT is not a good translation is the reaction of the Organisation when anyone points out errors in interpretation of scripture. This alone demonstrates a reluctance to accept the truth, and if that is the case, how can one take it that the NWT itself has been produced in an honest way, especially when there is little evidence of scholars adequately equipped to translate from Hebrew or Greek in the first place.
Thanks for your insight Leonardo, I will definitely will keep the references in mind.
Sono anch’io un testimone di Geova, peraltro inattivo verso l’organizzazione, perché nel lontano gennaio 2017 inviai una lettera agli anziani della mia congregazione,con la richiesta di potere avere piena libertà di parola sia in sala del regno che in predicazione. La lettera in sostanza chiedeva questo agli anziani,ma tale autorizzazione a predicare e a parlare secondo il mio intendimento della parola di Dio,non è mai arrivata,e ci sono stati diversi incontri con due anziani e il sorvegliante viaggiante,col preciso invito da parte degli anziani di riportarmi alla “retta via”. Tengo a precisare che simili dubbi nascevano già prima del periodo… Read more »
I can just imagine how they received your request. Good for you.
Please do not condemn those of us who are PIMO. We have reached that stage but have not lost our fundamental beliefs, as some comments might suggest. While I agree that some may well turn to atheism, another church, etc, much of this is down to the mess that has been brought on us. I was brought up RC, left when I was 21, because I could see nothing in it. However many years as a JW have contributed to my brain being scrambled and my relationship with God being messed up by the teachings of JWs. It will take… Read more »
Thank you for the above note as I am in the same position. As a 3rd generation JW and ex-elder who has been in the FADE mode for a few years, it is difficult to dig through everything doctrinally although I am understanding more and more by simple Bible reading and study. To simply make a break with all family and friends is not how I choose to move forward as of now. I find that in most situations, doctrine rarely comes up when associating with JWs anyway. When it does, I make some general comments emphasizing the scriptures as… Read more »
I don’t think you need to worry about any of us judging you. Judging belongs to Jesus (Joh 5:22-23). I haven’t seen any evidence that Jesus delegated this role to any of us. In fact, in several places, Jesus speaks against judging. The apostles have spoken likewise and refrained from judging. Secondly, not all is being said when mentioning the need to “confess Jesus”, as we find in Romans 10:9. There are tact and discretion. I’m quite straightforward myself, but sometimes it is wise to be a bit more subtle, for instance when we have family and friends within the… Read more »
To all the minorities who are PIMO. I am one of you, I recognise I am a child of God and a brother of Christ. Remember one thing if you get disfellowshipped, how can you help your family members to reason from the Scriptures with you? You will be a leper in their eyes. So to the minorities of PIMO, who recognise they ARE a child of God and Christ’s brother, use Jesus method in making people and JW think… Asking questions… What do you think? Reason with them. As a PIMO who has family members who are elders and… Read more »
James, that was encouraging for me as PIMO. It is hard wearing two hats, but we also need support for the sake of family. It must be pretty obvious to the BOE that, as an ex elder, something is not right, but no one bothers to ask the questions, at least not yet. Your encouragements will help me to tread carefully as I make my way to wherever it leads.
Thanks for sharing those insights, James.
Je vais suivre l’exemple de Fani, pour t’aider à comprendre le don les langues. 🙂 Merci Eric d’aborder cette question qui nous taraude tous, nous qui apprenons à avoir et développer notre amour pour Christ, notre soumission et notre adoration envers lui. Je me rends compte depuis mon éveil, par mon étude personnelle et avec mon groupe que je n’avais rien construit avec Jésus, aucun liens. Or çà doit être la base du Christianisme, non? Etre des adorateurs de Jésus? J’ai pensé à un autre PIMO, mais c’est de ma propre réflexion. Est ce que l’apôtre Pierre n’a pas été… Read more »
Good for you, Peter. I’m so very happy to read that you and your family have taken this step to free yourselves from false religion and are embracing the freedom of Jesus Christ. What we need now is a zoom bible study group. We have one in English, Spanish, German, and soon Italian. What we do in our groups is pick a book from the Christian Scriptures (New Testament) and read from the start. We advance only a few verses a week, because we read and then open the floor to comments. There is no one who is the teacher,… Read more »
Dear Peter !!! Thank you for your speech. You are a great builder for me. I congratulate you on being unanimous with your wife. Of course, everyone represents themselves before God personally, and you cannot force your loved ones to act for which they are not ready. In addition, we forget with bowls that it is our Father who attracts his son, and not ourselves John 6:44. I wish you to show love to your wife. Leave the rest to our Father. I have a similar situation. From March 2020 I left JW church. I had a 3-hour interview with… Read more »
Thank you Zbigniew for your kind message. You are extremely brave for expressing your faith to everyone, for telling the truth about Jesus and our hope. It must have been hard for you to endure the rejection of your brothers and sisters and the pressure of the coordinator. But you have the truth. You have expressed with your mouth the faith you have in your heart (Rom 10:9-10). Like the Jews of the first century, the brothers and sisters systematically reject anything that does not correspond to what the Central College orders them to do. But they don’t all do… Read more »
Dear Pierrot Sud, I really like your comment. You are on the right path (John 14:6) and I believe that Jesus is in you (John 17:21). Let me add something to your last sentence: “And so, now all I’m missing is the “Approved” stamp.” You’re waiting for something you already have. You know that our approval does not come from works but from faith, and from your comment I feel great faith in Jesus Christ. It’s important. The word “approval” is very often used in the JW environment in connection with deeds of work for WT. Salvation by faith is… Read more »
Hello frankie, Thank you a lot for your sincerely encouragement. I am totally agree with you. With the study, with my brothers and sisters like you, with the help of the spirit, i understand the real words of Jesus. When he speaks with the Samaritain, he spoke her a simply of the hope with simply words, like for our. To be approved, you are right, we don’t need to remove an registration. But, i spoke about the terms “be approval”, and it’s not the good terms. In my mind, i would like that all the JW Brothers and sisters know… Read more »
Dear Pierre, As you wrote, your name is written in the Book of Life through faith in Jesus Christ (Col 3:2-3) and you are a child of God because: 1. “To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12) 2. “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” (Gal 3:26) 3. “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him… Read more »
Very good article MVEW, it will also prove to be timely for those who are struggling and in some cases suffocating from the grips of remaining in a PIMO position. I liked the way you distinguished certain definitions or even classifications of the actual types of PIMO’s there are, of course every situation can be different. I think it’s fair to say that all PIMO’s do not, and actually should not think alike. What is your view on those that continue to claim PIMO but in reality have no plans on fully awakening or shall we say “come out of… Read more »
I think that the majority who are PIMO are not really looking for the Christ. They are just trying to preserve family relationships, but if they were disfellowshipped, they would not pursue the freedom of the Christ, but would just live their lives as they wished, turning to atheism, agnosticism, of joining another religion for the social benefits. The article wasn’t written for them, but for those seeking to be adopted children of God.
Hello Brother Eric !!! I am glad that this topic you discussed in your lecture sparked such an instructive discussion. Indeed, the concept of PIMO does not apply to everyone leaving the JW congregation. Many people value relationships with these conditional friends more than with God and his Son. Sometimes it is comformism, but we’d better not judge them, just give them a witness. Our task is to testify and show the Way of Christ. Although we would worship very, very much, we will not draw our loved ones to the Lord Jesus. It must be allowed by Father John… Read more »
Hi brother ZbigniewJan. I do hope that this video helps many to make a clean break with JW.org. I believe that if all the PIMOs left today, the whole shunning problem would go away because there would be so many that the Governing Body would lose its hold over the flock.
Luke 14:26.
Thank you, dear Brother Eric, for bringing up a very important topic. The confession of our Lord Jesus is a fundamental matter of our salvation. Acts 10: 9,13 “So if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe with all your heart that God raised him, you will be saved.” “And whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. ” This is the beginning of leaving the religion we believed to be the only true one. If we have been indoctrinated in this way for several years, the mental process of emerging from human… Read more »
Dear Zbyszek, I also remember very well the times behind the former Iron Curtain. Yes, they gradually created a totalitarian WT Party headed by a central GB Committee :o)
Thank you for the excellent thoughts in your comment.
Frankie
So good to hear from you, Zbigniew. Very encouraging words!
The teaching that all non-witnesses would be destroyed at Armageddon is what was most disturbing to me. When I realized that God is not waiting for the world to be converted to Christianity in order to bring the end, then it made God seem unloving to destroy billions of people without a chance to put faith in Christ. I then began to find scriptures that indicated God’s love and mercy for all. Also my curiosity in early watchtower writings and the organization’s avoidance and covering of their own history led me to seek out copies of early watchtower publications and… Read more »
Yes, dear Mattlunsford, we are witnesses of Jesus Christ: Matt 10:18; Mark 13:9; Luke 24:47,48; John 1:15; John 5:37; John 8:18; John 15:26,27; Acts 1:8; Acts 5:32; Acts 10:39; Acts 10:43; Acts 11:26; Acts 13:31; Acts 22:15; Acts 22:20; Acts 23:11; Acts 26:16; 1 Cor 1:6; 1 Tim 2:6,7; 2 Tim 1:8; 2 Tess 1:10; 1 Pet 5:1; 2 Pet 1:16; 1 John 1:2; 1 John 4:14; 1 John 5:9,11; Rev 1:9; Rev 12:17; Rev 17:6; Rev 19:10; Rev 20:4.
Frankie
I appreciate having this exhaustive list. Thank you, Frankie.
Excellent article Eric. Yummy!
Thank you so much, Frankie.
Nice reasoning, Mattlunsford. Good to have you with us.
Je suis tout à fait d’accord, nous devons tous à un moment donné marquer notre position. Néanmoins, je pense qu’on peut peut-être insister davantage sur le fait que les situations de chacun sont différentes. Dieu a bien voulu faire des concessions en raison de la dureté des coeurs des hommes : «C’est à cause de la dureté de votre cœur que Moïse vous a permis de divorcer de vos femmes; au commencement, ce n’était pas le cas”. (Matthieu 19.8) Les hommes peuvent aussi faire des concessions parfois pour la bonne cause. L’exemple de Naaman montre que Dieu voit le cœur… Read more »
Chère soeur Nicole !!! Merci pour votre commentaire, pour votre chaleur et votre empathie. J’écris en français pour la première fois (avec l’aide de Google, bien sûr) Je suis polonais, vous connaissez peut-être ma langue ? Je vous salue cordialement et j’attends avec impatience vos prochaines réflexions, les commentaires de Sr. Christ. Votre frère Zbigniew
Merci Zbigniew de ton effort pour répondre en français.
Comme dit Eric nous n’avons pas le don des langues, mais Google traduction fait du bon travail.
Je ne connais pas le polonais mais quel plaisir de pouvoir communiquer avec un frère polonais ! Merci pour tes réflexions spirituelles.
A bientôt
Nicole
Hi Nicole, You make me wish we still had the gift of tongues so that I could read your comments in thenative French instead of using the auto-translate function.
Thanks, Eric, very argumentatively. Still, one thing bothers me … 30 years ago when I became a JW (as teenager) I had to endure the persecution of my parents who were devouted Catholics, they even kicked me out of the house. Then I believed I was experiencing the fulfillment of Matthew 10:16-21, 24-33. Based on the Bible, I then understood that the teachings of the Catholic Church are wrong, that Jehovah is God’s name, and that I had to proclaim the gospel if I wanted God’s approval (which was a major stumbling block between me and my family). Today, I… Read more »
Join us for our bible studies and meet the type of sisters and brothers you seek: https://beroeans.net/events/
Dear Mariamaria. My journey to Jesus Christ is similar to yours, so please allow me to briefly share my experience with you. ………………………………. In my thirties, I was basically an agnostic, but I knew that coincidence could not be behind all the things and complex systems around me (because of my education – cybernetics). The problem was the Christian mainstream religions, e.g. Catholic. I condemned their hypocritical actions, so the question of God remained open. Then I came into contact with JWs, and when thinking about the Bible and WT literature, I found that everything could be different. Some… Read more »
Oui Maria j’ai été dans ta situation. Baptisée à 15 ans, excommuniée à 63 ans. Est ce que pendant toutes ces années Dieu m’a ignorée ? Je ne le pense pas. Tout ce que j’ai fait, je l’ai fait par amour pour Dieu. Je me suis toujours sentie proche de Dieu ; ses lois m’ont aidée dans ma vie. J’étais dans l’erreur oui, mais aujourd’hui aussi je ne comprends que partiellement. Je pense que l’essentiel c’est de reconnaître que nous devons tout au Père Céleste et à son Fils qui nous a redonné la vie, ce que nous avons toujours… Read more »
I have learned to draw a distinction between the organisation on one hand, and the individuals at the other. I do not believe Jesus supports any particular human organisation, but he most certainly supports honest individuals who seek God through him. I had left a Dutch reformed church due to the hypocrisy I saw: things were happening that even as non-Christian I wouldn’t approve of. One particular thing I once found out was quite frankly repulsive. The Witnesses did help me to have a fresh look at the Bible. Unfortunately for them, I studied a bit more thoroughly than they… Read more »
Thanks for encouragement. I really appreciate it. Somehow, none answered my question – did the person who suffered as a Jehovah’s witness because he/she THEN understood that it was the only true way (exit from the Rimocatholic Church or Communist Party or else; God’s name is Jehovah; there is no Hell; God’s kingdom will fill the earth; separation from the world that Jesus spoke about) fulfilled Matthew 10:34-42, or not. I am speaking from the perspective of PIMO Jehovah Witness in Eastern European country where people were shot and went to prison for 20 years, because they understood that in… Read more »
Hi MariaMaria,
There are facts concerning what happened with Jim that you are unaware of, but to say more on a public forum would be inappropriate. Suffice it to say that we’ve patched everything up and are back on good terms. Of course, we want everyone to have freeness of speech, but giving everyone freeness of speech also opens the door to being offended when someone exercises that freedom.
Eric
Dear MariaMaria. I have one comment about your question about Matt 10:34-42. We are not competent to answer this question with a simple yes or no, because any answer would carry the seed of judgment of others. If you are PIMO and therefore you are mentally out, if our Lord has set you free and you found your savior, then run after him, do not look back, do not worry about what is not essential. Those who suffered, either for Christ or for the WT, will be justly answered by our Lord at the appointed time, because: “We must all… Read more »
Thank you to everyone involved for yet another outstanding effort to help your former brothers and sisters in the Watchtower organisation – snared by the fowler Psalm 91 Your totally right – this is all temporary and we must reach for citizenship of the kingdom even if it is costly initially we will gain long term ( Eternally ) I realised a couple of years ago that being a Christian would be about saving myself Finding the group last year was amazing At last I felt at home And it is very true that it is those within your own… Read more »
Ciao fratello! Volevo solo dire che sono d’accordo con lei, ma per fare il punto su alcune questioni! Sono un fratello italiano, con sua moglie saremmo pronti a farlo e sostengo tutte le parole che Eric ha detto in questo post. Il vero problema è che in Italia facciamo davvero fatica a trovare fratelli che si riuniscano nella loro lingua. Questo è un grosso ostacolo! la lingua. Ho già affrontato questo argomento con il fratello Eric e ci eravamo promessi a vicenda di affrontare questo argomento e di approfondirlo! ora, dopo questo articolo, mi rendo conto che il Padre ha… Read more »
We have some Italian brothers who will join with you. They meet with us on Sunday at https://beroeans.net/events/
also know Italian and I am from a small country that shares Italy with the Adriatic Sea ,, I am PIMO ,,, We join brother Erik on Sunday together
ciao che felicità saperlo! mi dici a quale delle riunioni sarai presente? quella inglese o quella spagnola? grazie! scusami Eric se ho parlato in italiano…eheheh
hello what a joy to know! can you tell me which of the meetings you will be present at? the English one or the Spanish one? thank you! excuse me Eric if I spoke in Italian… heheheh
Questa domenica sono con il gruppo inglese, anche se non capisco bene l’inglese,,,,, con questo nome e cognome,,, benvenuti,,,,, ci uniamo tutti lì ,,,,,
My e-mail adress:Alekskristiani@gmail.com
Thank you for your support, Elaine. The schedule for our bible studies is updated regularly and is available here: https://beroeans.net/events/