January 30th, 2012
By Cynthia Hampton
For several years I have been honored to coordinate and moderate a Jehovah’s Witness support group based in Los Angeles and San Jose, California. Our group stays in touch by using the Yahoo!Groups email system and through our ExJWsLosAngeles.org website.
I recently received the following question from a non-member of the group submitted on an automated email form located on the Contact Us page of our website:
“How does one cope with the new information that Armageddon will not come in our lifetime using the information from scripture, ‘This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur…’? My generation? Or [the generation of] those who saw the beginning of signs that Jesus gave us to watch for that will mark the end of this system? My hope is gone from my heart. I miss my God, but I am no longer sure he is there. How does one cope with that? Thanks for reading.”
Here is my response to this person’s question:
I’m glad you contacted me. I’ve been free of the Watchtower organization for about 30 years. I left when I was 24 years old and have never looked back. I am no longer afraid, because after heavy investigation and research I determined that the Watchtower is a false teacher. In that way, I was able to cope and search for God in a different way outside the clutches of the Watchtower organization. The more I researched and read, the better I felt, and the better I understood that I need not fear any longer.
When I was in the organization we all believed that Armageddon would surely be here in 1975. But 1975 came and went and nothing happened. The same for the rest of the dates the Watchtower had set that proved to be false prophecies. That includes when the Watchtower built a mansion in San Diego [in the 1920s] naming it Beth Sarim (“House of Princes”) for the Old Testament prophets (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, King David, etc.) to live in. According to the Watchtower, those Old Testament saints were to return in 1925. In 1921 Joseph Rutherford gave a speech referring to the “indisputable truth that millions now living will never die!”
(Continue Reading…)
January 29th, 2012
There is a new online survey about Jehovah’s Witnesses available for participation by all current and former members at JWSurvey.org.
“Cedars,” the founder and main contributor to the website, announced during a podcast on Saturday, January 28th that the new 2012 Global Survey of Jehovah’s Witnesses is now open for business. The new survey is designed as a more specific and definitive follow-up to the successful 2011 Global Survey that began in September 2011.
Using suggestions from many of the website’s readers and previous survey participants, Cedars decided to expand the 2012 version to include more specific questions directed to subgroups within the Witness culture. There are questions for elders, those claiming membership in the “anointed” class, average active publishers, and even disfellowshipped or disassociated members. Groups also include those who have not been baptized yet and Witnesses who have simply faded away from active membership.
Like the 2011 Survey and the site’s “Mini-Surveys,” participation is free, easy and secure. It also has the added benefit of immediate feedback. After a participant answers each question, the system updates the current totals and shows the results instantly.
The 2011 Global Survey was only online for a little over three months – but had nearly 1200 respondents. “Cedars” and webmaster John Hoyle are hoping that with eleven months left in 2012 they will eventually see hundreds of participants in every one of the six subcategories. “We’re not expecting a lot of ‘anointed’ members or anyone from the Governing Body to take the survey, but we feel that all other categories should be well represented given the amount of time the survey will be online.”
(Continue Reading…)
January 24th, 2012
By John Steele
Disclaimer: This article in no way reflects the views of the parties who run this website, are solely my views and opinions, and as such I am merely sharing them with the public. – John Steele
By now many of you know that the court case has been terminated; not dismissed - but terminated. I say this because there is a difference. If the case had been just dismissed then we would have action at an appeal. But by terminating the case and forcing it shut, it basically means that they [the Court] are forcing the case closed and effectively preventing any leave for appeal. In plain language: someone wanted this case shut down and buried.
We were less than 90 days away from trial. As many of you already know, I turned in the “witness list” several weeks ago and stipulated that Don Adams [President of the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, Inc.] would be the first Witness I would put on the stand. That coupled with the nearly 300 page opposition to the Summary Judgment, which had a great deal of evidence attached, was enough to terrify the “powers that be” at the Watchtower.
Through this whole affair the Watchtower has only been concerned with one thing – and that is not dealing with the problem, but trying to cover it up.
To this end they have used the usual type of tactics, threats, intimidation – and ultimately money. Yes, they basically paid to have this case forced shut. The Watchtower has made payments to various agencies and parties involved in this, and this is just one of the behind the scenes things that most are not aware of.
(Continue Reading…)
