Waiting on Jehovah - My Story
Monday, July 26, 2010 at 11:49AM 
This September (2010) marks the eighth year since e-watchman.com first came online. Over the years since then I’ve received numerous email inquiries about my identity and my history as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and my present relationship with the Watchtower Society. Although the Watchman is not about me, it seems natural that I ought to provide readers with a bit of background. So, here is my story:
Originally I published anonymously. But in 2004 that changed. In the Spring of that year I undertook a massive mailing campaign of an eight-page letter addressed to every kingdom hall in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand, Australia, and all 100-branch offices of the Watchtower Society throughout the world. I also handed a signed copy to my local elders at the Kingdom Hall on 8 Mile Road in Detroit, Michigan; informing them that I was publicly accusing the Watchtower Society of apostasy in connection with their secretive, 10-year NGO partnership with the United Nations and that I was calling for a formal judicial investigation of those at Bethel who were directly involved. That, of course, initiated my own judicial hearing with the elders for my supposed apostasy! (CLICK HERE for the facts regarding the Watchtower's partnership with the United Nations)
Amazingly, I was not disfellowshipped at that time; the reason being, that I had not spoken about this issue with anyone in the congregation. Admittedly, though, I had not made fully known to the elders the whole range of my issues with the Watchtower nor the extent of my anonymous presence on the Internet. However, later that same year I undertook another more modest mail-out of an open letter entitled: Is It Time (for the Watchtower) to Say ‘We Are Sorry’?
After some months a letter came from Bethel, again directing the local elders to initiate judicial action against me. At that hearing I made known to the elders some of the unseemly, backdoor lawyering the Watchtower had been doing, such as denying in legal cases that overseers of Jehovah’s Witnesses have any fiduciary duty to protect the children of the congregations from the sexual crimes of fellow congregants. I also expressed my conviction that the judgment of the house of God did not occur in 1918, as the Watchtower Society teaches; but rather, the parousia of Christ is a future event, though imminent. I was subsequently disfellowshipped in the Spring of 2005.
But, as is the right of every disfellowshipped Jehovah’s Witness, I appealed the decision. I knew the outcome would likely be the same but I wanted to expose another three-member body of elders from another congregation to the issues I had raised. Perhaps the decision may have been overturned if I had expressed remorse over publicizing the Watchtower's unseemly doings. But how could I renounce that which I knew to be true? Also, at the very time the appeal committee was considering my case I let them know that I had just sent the manuscript of Jehovah Himself Has Become King to the publisher. So, I left them few options but to uphold the decision of the original committee.
I will state here and now that the elders treated me kindly and fairly and I harbor no ill will towards them. If I had been in their position, as I have been on a couple of dozen judicial cases that I had sat on as an elder myself, I would have made the same decision as they. I did not really want to be disfellowshipped. But I it seemed hypocritical for me to continue to publish anonymously – especially on the mailing campaign and the publication of a book.
Ultimately, I felt that the exposure of the Watchtower’s apostasy was more important than my good standing in the congregation. I was driven to speak out and try to shake things up, even at the cost of being branded as an apostate and losing a lifetime of friendships. Although I have suffered loss, I do not regret the actions I have taken. It had to be done.
Although I now have no face-to-face fellowship with Jehovah’s Witnesses, I do have many interchanges with active Jehovah’s Witnesses online and through e-mail, many of whom are disturbed or have been stumbled by the Watchtower in some fashion or another.
Ironically, since I have been disfellowshipped these last five years now, I have acquired a greater freeness of speech and credibility, particularly among those just studying the Bible who have questions and issues and the growing numbers of disassociated and disfellowshipped Jehovah’s Witnesses. I no longer am compelled to always defend the Society, but can speak the truth. In a very real sense I have become the minister of the disaffected. But my foremost purpose in being online is to publish the insights that I have been given. After all, did not Jesus say that no one lights a lamp and places it under a basket? So, it is my intent not merely to expose the hypocrisy of the Watchtower Society, but to shine a light on the things to come by means of a fresh and unique presentation of God’s prophetic word in order to announce Jehovah’s soon-to-be-unveiled judgments.
But how did I arrive at the point of accusing the Watchtower Society of apostasy and what emboldened me to promote what some may feel are my own personal views?
I began studying with Jehovah’s Witnesses in the summer of 1973. Actually, I found the Watchtower Society before Jehovah’s Witnesses found me. Let me regress. Prior to that summer I had been on a quest to find God. I do not know what it was, but as I was entering young manhood I developed an intense spiritual yearning. Although my parents were not particularly religious, as a child I had been sent to Sunday school. So, I was at least inclined to towards Christianity and the Bible when I began to have this spiritual awakening. I started to read the Bible for the first time. I was deeply moved by the life and words of Jesus Christ. (I also spoke about my becoming one of Jehovah's Witnesses in the #12 podcast)
Although I had long since stopped going to Sunday school, as part of my quest to find God I began going to a different church every Sunday to see if there were any that made sense. Sometimes I would stay for the whole service, other times I would walk out and scratch them off the list. I went to several Catholic masses. One Sunday I went to a Methodist church. One Sunday I went to a Baptist church. I also went to a Christian Scientists service. At one point I was invited to a Pentecostal church and they baptized me on my first visit and ‘tarried’ with me to try to get me to speak in tongues, which, fortunately for me, was unsuccessful. I frequently spoke with Jesus freaks – hippies who supposedly found Jesus. I even hung out with Hare Krishnas at the local Divine Light temple a few days and ate brown rice with them and listened to their spiel.
Then I came upon a Watchtower publication on a bookshelf in a lodge where we were staying while on vacation, my parents and I. The book was entitled: Things in Which it is Impossible for God to Lie. Just as it was said of Jesus, that he was a man who spoke with authority, unlike the Pharisees, I recognized the Watchtower also spoke with authority and knowledge. A few months later I met two individuals, a man and a woman, who had studied with Jehovah’s Witnesses for some time, but had since left off. Both of them gave me boxes of books and old Watchtower magazines and bound volumes. So, for weeks I read and read and read some more. I was fascinated with Bible prophecy particularly and devoured the Society’s books such as the The Finished Mystery of God commentary on Revelation; The Nations Shall Know I Am Jehovah – based upon the prophecy of Ezekiel; Your Will Be Done explanation of the prophecy of Daniel; and Babylon the Great Has Fallen - God’s Kingdom Rules! I think I read pretty much every book the Society had published back to 1950.
About that same time one of Jehovah’s Witnesses knocked on my door and a formal study was begun. I also began attending meetings at the kingdom hall. And I started talking to others about what I was learning. I probably would have been baptized within a short period of time, but in December of 1973 the Watchtower instituted a no smoking policy and would no longer allow smokers to be baptized. And I was a smoker at the time. I was also a recreational drug user. It took me a few more years to get sorted out, as the saying goes. But I was finally baptized in April of 1977 at a circuit assembly on the campus of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana.
It was a joyous day for me. I was so pumped up with the Spirit that immediately after getting baptized, while everyone else was eating lunch and chatting, I went out witnessing to the college students who happened to be sitting around on the lawn on the campus grounds.
When I first began studying I was working as a mechanic at a John Deere farm equipment dealership, but when I witnessed to some of the fellows during lunch, I was promptly fired. I would venture to say I offended a few Trinity devotees. But it all worked out for the best. I soon got a job with a brother in the landscaping and tree trimming business. A few years later the brother who owned the business, along with his wife, were accepted at Bethel. She was a computer programmer and the Society was turning everything over to computers back then. I ended up buying his business and equipment. Being self-employed, or self-unemployed as I termed it when the business was slow, I was able to spend more time in the ministry. And in 1981 I became a regular pioneer and also that same year I was appointed as a ministerial servant in the congregation. It turns out I had a knack for public speaking and so I was privileged to give regular public talks as a ministerial servant.
In 1982 I had had enough of the “Rust Belt” – as Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan were called back then due to economic stagnation, and I moved to Houston, Texas. Within a few months I met a pretty little sister and we were married in 1983. She too was a regular pioneer. In fact, most of our “dates” were in field service and afterwards when we stopped for coffee with many refills.
Over the years I studied with well over 100 individuals and families and about a dozen of them became baptized as Jehovah’s Witnesses. My pioneering, though, was an on-again off-again thing. I struggled with health problems and low energy and it was hard to run a business part-time and keep up with the ministry. I think I was on and off the pioneer list about four different times. In 1985 I was appointed as an elder and during one stretch when we were both pioneering the circuit overseer said he was going to recommend me as a substitute circuit overseer on his next visit. But alas, I was off the list by the time he came around again. As an elder, though, I usually served as the School Overseer or the Service Overseer.
I first began to suspect that something was not quite right with the Watchtower’s interpretation of prophecy back in 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. I kept expecting the Society to revise their interpretation of the prophecy of the king of the north, but they never did. Even in 1999, eight years after the USSR had been dissolved, the Watchtower saw no need to revise their interpretation in their Pay Attention to Daniel’s Prophecy commentary.
But shortly after the collapse of the USSR I began looking into the conspiratorial view of history and current events. I first began reading the literature of the John Birch Society. Also I took up a more intense study of the work of Lyndon LaRouche. I have found the Executive Intelligence Review, of which LaRouche is the Founder and senior editor, to be very valuable.
In 1995 my wife and I moved to a small town in Oregon, Lake Oswego. We had moved a few times prior to that and I had always been reappointed. I knew that I had been highly recommended by my previous congregation, but it made no difference. I was not reappointed. And although the Society’s policy was that any elder who moves into a new congregation can still serve as an elder, for instance, giving public talks, even without being reappointed. He just can’t sit on judicial committees. No matter. The elders in my new congregation had their own way of doing things. Although I had more experience then some on the body, they considered me unqualified to do what I had been doing for the past decade, and that was that.
As an anecdote, because things became pretty intolerable there we moved to another congregation in the Seattle area. A few years later we ran into one the elders from Lake Oswego at a convention. He was an older man, a former Bethelite, whom I liked a lot. When we approached to extend greetings he suddenly burst into tears and weep. He didn’t say anything, but we both knew he felt terrible about the way I had been treated. As it turned out, the power-hungry elders that had refused to allow me on their body also turned on him and booted him off the elder body. What a disgrace. He was old enough to have been the other elders’ father.
As distressing as it was to me at the time – being prevented from serving as an elder by power-coveting brothers – I gradually began to appreciate that Jehovah has disciplining and humbling me in preparation for another assignment that did not depend upon having the approval of any elder body or Service Department.
Then in October 1996 I had a profound experience that changed my life. I was anointed by God’s spirit – called to the heavenly kingdom. I resisted at first. But after some months of wrestling with it and trying to ignore it, the Spirit convinced me. The way the Spirit manifested itself upon me at the time was, I suddenly developed an insatiable desire to read the Bible – and not just the Bible, the prophets in particular. Up until that time I was like most of Jehovah’s Witnesses; I concentrated more on the Watchtower Society’s literature and only read the Bible as part of the weekly Bible reading routine or when studying Watchtower material. But in 1996 I began reading the prophets every day, sometimes all day long. I started with Ezekiel, then Isaiah, Daniel, Joel, Habakkuk and others of the so-called Minor Prophets. I read some of the prophets 20 or 30 times.
But from the very beginning a new understanding opened up to me. For example, when reading Ezekiel chapters 26-32, I immediately discerned that the prophecy did not merely apply to Tyre and ancient Egypt, but that it was written in such a way so as to foretell the sudden, horrifying downfall of the mighty Anglo-American kingdom; the city of Tyre representing London and Egypt picturing the United States of America. The takedown of Tyre and Egypt must correlate with the death-stroke upon the head of the seven-headed beast of Revelation. I also discerned that Babylon represents the eighth king to come, which will be realized with the imposition of a tyrannical world government. These are the things that make up part of my wiritngs now.
About that same time I also acquired my first computer and I began pecking around on the keyboard, writing essays and mailing them off to various departments and brothers at Bethel. I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned this before, but one of my first research projects on the Internet involved looking up information about NGOs, because I had read that NGOs were being used by the United Nations to condition society to accept a world government. To my astonishment I saw the Watchtower Society listed as an NGO working in cooperation with the United Nations. This was back in 1996. I did not know quite what to make of it at the time, but I did take note. When the Guardian article came out in October of 2001, I was not surprised. Rather, I had been expecting it.
Prior to that time I also understood that the Hebrew prophecies, as well as Revelation, did not apply to Christendom as Jehovah’s Witnesses have been taught. But then I could not fully understand why Jehovah would so sternly denounce the Watchtower Society. But when the Society’s hypocrisy and treachery came to light in 2001, it all came together for me. And then in 2002, with Bill Bowen’s and the Silentlambs appearance on Dateline and other programs, it became even more apparent to me that the Watchtower had gone deep in dealing treacherously with Jehovah.
The child-abuse exposé did not really come as a shock for me either. As an elder I had had the unfortunate experience of dealing with several child abuse cases and I saw firsthand how the Watchtower’s legal department strong-armed the brothers and victims’ families to prevent them from going to the police. In one case I appealed an injustice to a circuit and district overseer, only to be told that their hands had been tied. Guess who tied their hands?
On another unsatisfactorily resolved case I wrote to a member of the Governing Body, whom I had met a few years before and actually had the privilege of working with out in field service. I explained to him how a brother had committed horrible sex acts with his own daughters over a period of years and instead of being turned over to the police and disfellowshipped, incredibly, the elders merely arranged for a Bible study with him! I received a reply from the Watchtower Society exhorting me to ‘wait on Jehovah.’ In 2002 when the many child abuse victims told their stories to the public most of them had also been told not to worry about the injustice done to them, but to 'wait on Jehovah.' As I recall, Bill Bowen had even recorded a conversation he had with a Bethel elder who advised him not to pursue a case but to ‘wait on Jehovah.’ It seems that ‘wait on Jehovah’ is the Society’s pat answer to all complaints against their unjust policies and practices.
Also that same year (2002) it suddenly dawned on me that “the appointed times of the nations,” about which Jesus spoke, could not possibly have been in reference to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 607 B.C.E. Jesus was discussing the future desolation of Jerusalem by a disgusting thing, not something that had already occurred. So, as I stated already, it all came together for me in 2001-2002. And that is when I determined to start a website and things have sort of developed from there.
I should also mention as well, that, in spite of my view that the leadership of the Watchtower Society has betrayed Jehovah, I continued on as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, going to meetings and out in service up until I was disfellowshipped; although, admittedly, not with the same innocence and unbounded zeal that I had formerly.
So that’s my story. It is rather ironic that I find myself heeding the Watchtower’s advice after all. I am still waiting on Jehovah. However, now I am waiting on Jehovah to set matters straight with the Watchtower, which I am confident he will do, and soon.
Robert King
Reader Comments (46)
Thank you for sharing that story. I feel blessed to have an understanding of what is going on in the world because of your writings. It wasn't too long ago that I woke up to the vast conspiracy going on in the governments and media. Your book ties together the prophecies and the conspiratorial view of history for me.
May Jehovah continue to bless your efforts.
Thankyou for sharing watchman, it surely must make Jehovah proud to have ones as yourself who love and serve Jehovah with your whole heart , and strength, and cling to Him, and who have not put their trust in Egypt as some who are suppose to be leading us to Him thru Jesus have apparently done.I know that it is probably lonley at times, but probably, there are more for you than against you!
Hey Bro,
As you know, the work you do is serious business. Our very human lives depend on the truth in so many ways. Only the ignorant and undesirables would take issue with the food that is given so freely.
Robert, you have been an inspiration of hope for many, many JWs and non JWs. Thank you for your perseverance and sacrifice.
Thank you for speaking out and taking a stand. You are doing the right thing and nobody can call you down or trash you for your track record of holding the WTB&TS accountable and for trying to stear people in the right direction. You have been very honest and accurate while maintaining a humble attitude.
I am honored to call you a friend and a true brother that has not turned his back or hid in a corner when the "TRUTH" gets tough and adversaries show up everywhere.
To use an old military term, - I got your back if ever needed. ....
Take care and may Jehovah bless your work and thoughts.
KIM
I have always been curious about your story Robert, you have touch on several sections of this overview the last couple years, but this one has a well rounded snapshot of the process that has you were your at this present day. Very nice job brother, and may blessings continue to you from Jehovah!!
Brian
Very interesting. I look forward to the day when the Watchtower will be humbled before Jehovah.
Thanks for sharing your story Brother King...
Just wondering why you wrote, concerning speaking-in-tongues, "fortunately for me, was unsuccessful"...??
I know virtually all current and ex-Jehovah's Witnesses view those who speak in tongues as either mentally ill or demon-possessed, yet I associate with a small group of Christians whose understanding, zeal and implementation of Christianity is far more mature & advanced than any I've ever witnessed elsewhere and most of them speak in tongues. I, personally, do not (not yet, anyway) - but far from withdrawing from these ones, I've found their intense, warm, brotherly love to be most inviting. Far from being an unorganised babble, having people flailing about & convulsing, their meetings are respectable & give glory & honour to God. They have an exceptionally strong grasp of biblical truths and besides placing great emphasis on walking in the spirit and loving God & neighbour, they have rejected many pagan falsehoods (the trinity, birthdays, etc.) It is most apparent that they are welcomed by God & he has blessed them in countless ways. They are not agents of Satan nor are they "misled" or "uninformed"; quite the opposite, in fact.
Tellingly, Paul wrote "do not forbid the speaking in tongues" (1 Cor 14:39). Yes, the words were written in the context of proper conduct at Christian meetings, but there is ample evidence that speaking in tongues was an accepted spiritual gift and despite the oft-quoted argument that Paul wrote that the gifts would disappear, clearly the "perfection" spoken of in 1 Cor 13:10 has not yet come, thus it's wrong for any Christian to suggest that speaking in tongues is demonic or otherwise un-Christian.
Best wishes.
Speaking in tongues is a rare phenomenon as was experienced by Christ's disciples during the festival of Pentecost in Jerusalem. Jesus will employ this method of speaking through the 144,000 during the intial phase of the great tribulation to gather the great crowd.
Acts 2 Now while the day of the [festival of] Pentecost was in progress they were all together at the same place, 2 and suddenly there occurred from heaven a noise just like that of a rushing stiff breeze, and it filled the whole house in which they were sitting. 3 And tongues as if of fire became visible to them and were distributed about, and one sat upon each one of them, 4 and they all became filled with holy spirit and started to speak with different tongues, just as the spirit was granting them to make utterance. 5 As it was, there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, reverent men, from every nation of those under heaven. 6 So, when this sound occurred, the multitude came together and were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 Indeed, they were astonished and began to wonder and say: “See here, all these who are speaking are Gal·i·le´ans, are they not? 8 And yet how is it we are hearing, each one of us, his own language in which we were born?
Robert, I Just wanted to say thank you for sharing your story, I some how had guessed part of it already. Im not suprised to hear that you were an elder, no doubt you were an inspiration to the congregation's you were a part of during your time as a witness. Over the past year since I came across your work I have enjoyed reading and listening both here and on YouTube. Keep up the good work! -4n7h0n9
"...Contiune waiting on Jehovah" that sums it all up!
Interesting read; thanks for sharing!
Aloha Mr. King; I appreciated reading your 'story'. In fact, it could have been mine,if you backed up the date to 1970 [baptized at Dodger Stadium July 16, 1971] and of course I could never serve as an elder, wrong gender. But the zeal to devour everything ever written I could get my hands on and eagerness to get out and tell others, excelling in the congregation in giving talks, vacation, temporary and the auxiliary pioneering as it was known through the years. Strict devotees to the black and white word of the WT! Our naivete came to an end in 1983 when we tried to bring to the attention of our body that one of their own was regularly sexually abusing his step daughter. She and her mother confessed it to us [the teen and our daughter were same age] but when confronted by the body her mother renounced what she had said. The teen was disfellowshipped for lying about the sexual abuse despite the medical proof to the contrary and we were disfellowshipped for being part of the plan to expose and because we provided a home for the 14 year old when her folks kicked her out of their home for 'lying'. We told the elders at the time we would stay 'disfellowshipped' until the 'elders' came and invited us back. In 1991, when the new provision was made for elders to visit DF'd ones annually to see if they'd had a change of heart I considered that the answer to my prayers. We started the tedious walk back and were reinstated in Dec 1991.
We did well and were thrilled to be back until 1998. Earlier, the change in the understanding of 'generation' did not sit in my heart well but I was patient...but I was also online and participated in chat groups and message boards where there was a mix of JW's and non JW's and things were pointed out in the literature that I had already had concerns about which triggered more and more doubts. It was a tough decision to make and there was a lot involved in the decision, but after spending time reading NOTHING but my Bible, and then all sorts of Bibles, it seemed clear to me I no longer fit. I found I did not have a relationship with God, but one with the WTBTS. I was an 'organization' Witness. When that which I 'adored' began to unravel so did my conviction. At one point, when I had auxiliary pioneered for a year and had applied to regular pioneer, having made every change in our circumstances to commit to the time, and then declined the 'privilege' due to personal bias on the part of some on the body, I lost it. I actually felt my heart break and collapsed onto my bed and stayed there in the deepest funk for a week. I could not understand how much more I could do for Jehovah that would cause HIM to be so upset with me that he would deny me the privilege of pioneering. As I came out of my state my spirit had been so dampened I no longer recognized myself. I spent a few months being torn between having no feelings to self recriminating because I did not have feelings. I then poured myself into my Bible and in time I realized that what was missing was not the loss of feelings but the fact that I had NO RELATIONSHIP with Jehovah and apparently the one I had with the organization had died. As I began to pray one to one with Jehovah, studying what had been a momentary black hole in my spirit was filled up with joy and peace never before felt and with faith that continued to gush. The same teen who had been disfellowshipped in 1983, and who we adopted legally, married in 1998 and took our granddaughter, who she'd had while in the df'd state, and moved to another congregation with her husband. The dynamic changed radically within the family. He did not want our granddaughter spending time with us because he did not believe we were strict enough. She was 6 years old. She was on the platform and was my householder at age 4..she was my pioneer buddy and later her mothers. At age 3 she knew every detail of ever story in her copy of "My Book of Bible Stories' and regaled the 'friends' while out in service with her tales. I don't see that as happening from lack of 'discipline'. But, it happened. We bucked the decision and wound up butting heads with everyone and one day my husband and I, after nearly 30 years as Jehovah's Witnesses decided it was time to call it quits. I flew to California to inform my brother who was baptized with my husband and myself in 1971, that we were leaving. We had a great talk...exchanged many personal thoughts. He was frank and told me he could not see himself out of the Organization even though he agreed with much of what I said. He told me, despite the issues, remaining active was like being in an abusive relationship. You know what buttons not to push and you are fine. Of course, since that time we have not spoken. Because we disassociated and because we did not support some of the teachings we were branded apostates.
I have been a visitor to your site, even from long ago. I have to tell you, a couple of years back, you had a series of articles on the financial situation which were so dire and so unbelievable I thought you were nuts! Yet, here we are, and everything, almost, that you wrote has happened and nearly as LaRouche said it would. I am not a fan of his, particularly, but at least on this he has proven to have much expertise.
Thank you for all that you do and write. It feels like a home I had to vacate...the new owner has changed things a little but the structure is still there and it still feels like home. I have no desire to return to the organization, as it is now, and frankly, probably never if they do not change the way they view someone who disagrees with them and must disassociate. I know of no other place where if you harbor a different opinion you are forced out of the circle of friends and considered bad association. I know some religions still disfellowship, but to disagree with something that is a stretch. We chose to disassociate because we did not want to have the small minds gossiping in our small town, where we had a business, that we were disfellowshipped thus we must be 'sinning'. As I said back then, I'd rather quit than be fired. I know many who have done as you did, used the opportunity to share what you had learned concurrent with the judicial hearing and announcement. I laud you all who did that. Just not me.
Please know I appreciate your efforts and insights.
Don't you ever think that you might have sinned against Holy Spirit ?
What makes you so sure you haven't ?
Why are you sure ?
Season with salt (peter)
Sinned against the Holy Spirit? Now WHY is the definition of that statement so vague? Why not give a precise definition so nobody will commit such a thing? AND WHY, WHY, WHY is there NOT, NOT, NOT a CLEAR AND PRECISE DEFINITION IN THE BIBLE???
Please tell us this!
ToKNOW
Toni,
I enjoyed your post/story
see at poster's name if that may comfort you .
let the peace from Christ be with you
Toni said:
" But the zeal to devour everything ever written I could get my hands on and eagerness to get out and tell others, excelling in the congregation in giving talks, vacation, temporary and the auxiliary pioneering as it was known through the years."
....more to read (for you)
Many thanks for your story - especially it was interesting to know what happened right after you were anointed by God’s spirit.
Only my thoughts watchman, you know that we can not be bought at any cost, we try hard to please One, in recognition of, and, with great love to our master Jesus, so we shall to try as hard as we can to please Jehovah only, we do not follow smooth words that would deceive even the elect if possible!!!
Sinned against the Holy Spirit? Now WHY is the definition of that statement so vague? Why not give a precise definition so nobody will commit such a thing? AND WHY, WHY, WHY is there NOT, NOT, NOT a CLEAR AND PRECISE DEFINITION IN THE BIBLE???
Somebody please explain this for me, PLEASE?????
It was with great interest that I read your life story. So much of it mirrors my own experience. I was baptized in April of 1975 (with the expectation that it would all come to an end that fall). I started pioneering as soon as I could. Because I was told that it was not necessary I quit college mid way through my sophomore year. At the beginning of 1977 I put in an application for Bethel service and was accepted in June of 1977. I worked as a night watchman and was actually able to not only do my theocratic assignment but was also able to auxilary pioneer when the hour requirement was reduced that summer. So from 1977 until 1979 I practically lived, breathed, and totally immersed myself in spiritual activities.
One thing that happened while I was serving at Bethel was I happened to stumble upon some of the notes from Governing Body discussions. Knowing where they were caused me to spend many hours at night reading over some of what was going on. That was a time of heated discussions among the members. Brother Knorr had a limited capacity to run things and shortly passed away. Brother Franz was in every way basically a dictator as to the direction that he thought the organization should be run. This was the same individual who was trying to cover his a** when the end did not come in 1975 like Jehovah had told him it would. Thousands were leaving the organization at that time because of his failed prophecies.
I was amazed at how much contention there was between Brother Franz and his nephew, Ray. It was to the point that many were taking sides. I was also amazed at how limited Bible knowledge was among several of those "annointed" brothers. They took the hardliners side of any discussion so even though Ray knew they were scriptually wrong they had the power in numbers. I honestly don't know how Ray put up with it as long as he did.
One of the areas he was assigned by the governing body to investigate was the 1975 "prophecy" of his uncle. If you ever want to cause confusion with a brother or sister, ask them to find in any history book or archeology book proof that Jerusalem fell in 607 BCE. No where except for Watchtower literature is this date backed by professors at any university. They will all say that it happened in 587 BCE and this is exactly what Ray Franz discovered when he visited the universites in New York City. Of course this caused Fred Franz to lose his temper and it was decided by the governing body to ignore the evidence because that would throw off there whole 1914 time of when the last days started.
I went to Bethel with zeal and a love for the organization and I left in 1980 a very confused young man. I thought I could accomplish more at the congregational level. Shortly after I left I met a very sweet sister and we were married that August. Due to the fact that the elder body was upset that I married instead of pioneered we were forced to move to another congregation about 100 miles away. Here I advance fairly rapidly as there was a need for qualified spiritual men and an exBethelite was considered the cream of the crop. By 1982 I was appointed as an elder in the congregation.
Again I was astonished by the lack of qualifications that some of the appointed elders displayed. For 15 years we bounced around to a congregation in Oregon, two in California, one in Missouri, and two in Arkansas. Every congregation I served in I felt that two thirds of the elders would have been better off remaining as ministerial servants. Their lack of qualifications caused the meetings to be dull, the shepherding work to be practically non existent, and minor problems soon became major elder body headaches because some of the elders simply did not know what they were doing.
It bothered me that I found so much deceit and hypocrisy on the elder body. Many of them and their wives would have been found among the Pharisees of Jesus day. Trying to do things right caused me to lose my health. I don't know how many talks I gave in the congregation, at circuit assemblies, and at district conventions that I felt fell on deaf ears by those who needed the admonition the most. I shook my head when I was repeatedly told that there was no need to shepherd the elders. I finally realized that this organization was a do as a I say and not as I do hypocritic and false organization. I soon found out it was rotten to the core.
After approaching both the C.O. and the D.O. about some of the major problems that were happening in my congregation because most of the elders were the problem and still not seeing anything being done to correct it, I finally sent a letter to the C.O., D.O. and the service desk at Bethel about what I felt was a complete lack of training of Ministerial Servants to become qualified as elders. I advocated that if the entire elder body,including myself, would step down that the congregation would probably dissolve. We had several elders in our circuit that were serving merely for the glory that came with their position. That was the main reason I felt that we seen a constant churning of the congregation. Publishers were becoming disgruntled and leaving the organization as fast as new members were joining. And without their position and the glory that goes with it several elders and their families would leave. I basically said that I felt it was a waste of time to go out in service and study with people and bring them into the organization if the action of these unqualified elders would just cause them to leave once they discovered the hypocrisy.
Well I got action from my letter. A judicial body was soon assembled made up of several of these elders that I thought should have stepped down. I met with eight elders and the circuit overseer with the district overseer on a speaker phone. I was informed that I was being disfellowshipped for causing divisions within the congregation and apostasy. I was further informed that a letter of their decision to disfellowship me would be made a permanent record in my file back in Brooklyn so that I would never be allowed to serve in a congregation again. There was to be no appeal to their decision as I was meeting with both the congregational committee and the appellate commitee that evening at the same time. Isn't life sweet.
After I was disfellowshipped (along with my wife and all of my kids who were baptized) I moved 1500 miles away from that area. I now live in a gated community and in the last six years we have never been called on by anyone out in service or by the elders. No one even knows that we are former JW's. We have attended a few of the churches of friends that we have made but I find that for the most part the Churches are designed to allow the pious Pharisee-like individuals to look down at those they feel are not as spiritual as they are. And the pastors are only worried about how they can fleece their flock.
I find that I don't need to be a part of any organization that its primary purpose is to allow some individuals the opportunity to lord it over other individuals. I have come to the conclusion that no man made organization will ever follow the humble words of Jesus because that is too contrary to our imperfect human nature. I don't tell my neighbors and friends how to live their lives and ask that they respect me enough to do the same.
So that is my story. I actually found that it felt good just to get it off my chest. I don't know if anyone will ever read it but every word of it is true. I have no reason to lie and do not follow the father of the lie as so many appointed men in the Watchtower organization do. I don't feel that the 25 years that I spent in that organization was a complete waste. I met a wonderful companion that we are spending the weekend celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary. And I do know a lot more about the Bible than most individuals do. I still have several different translations and I still spend time reading these Bibles. I just recently stumbled on to the Queen Jane version and have had many a laugh out of reading it. I sometimes wonder what the elders would do if someone read out of this version from the stage. In fact I do spend time talking with my kids about several of the events that happened at the Kingdom Hall that became a laughing silly judicial matter.
Charles , I believe your testimony .
The true God's Organization is Heavenly , and it is called "God's Kingdom"
the time is at hand that this Organization or Kingdom of God to come on earth >> be glad for this reason !
Jesus tell us to "seek firstly the Kingdom of God , and His righteousness " - a command for all of us !
The answers why you have experienced that within the "organization" is found specially in prophecies
let you study the Song of Moses(Deut. 32) - it is the "spinal column" of "latter days" prophecies concerning God's people / click also on poster's name .
Let you not loose your faith , Jesus Christ is at the door !
with Christian love and respect
rus virgil
I admire and appreciate your endeavor to expose the hypocrisy of the Watchtower, especially the issue regarding the Watchtower's involvement in the United Nation. When I learned about it in the internet, I am really shocked. I wonder how God will continue to use Watchtower to be its 'channel' for spiritual food to his people in this last days...God will provide in his own way.
Today, I am no longer a member of the Watchtower after being disfellowshipped due to one serious mistake that I humbly admitted to God and to the body of elders. My heart still favors the association of Jehovah's people, but due to the dogmatic interpretation of the Watchtower about shunning disfellowshipped persons like me, I suffer deep in my heart the consequences of my previous action. I am not really in favor of the dogmatic interpretation of the Watchtower regarding shunning former members of the society. Its like you have a highly communicable disease! It does not teach love. it teaches hatred and implants anger to your heart.
I would like to share to this page a true event that took place in my area (Bataan, Philippines). Sometimes in the first quarter of this year (2010), one anointed elder was invited to give special talk. This is an ordinary things for me, or for most of us. But what really surprised me is that the Special Talk is not for everyone to listen!! Not all are invited. Only those selected by the local elders in every congregation were given privilege to listen to the words of the so-called anointed elder. What an actual example of hypocrisy!!! Jesus gave his message to everyone. What a total difference. What really is happening? I don't have the answers to all my questions but one thing is for sure! deterioration is now occurring...within...
In due time, Jehovah will render judgment to all of us. He is our rightful judge, being our creator. He reads what's in our heart, and he knew very well what is happening to the Watchtower Organization who publicly announces that it is God's visible organization. Jehovah God will also publicly punish them because of their hypocrisy.
With my respect,
joey
Aloha Charles,
I enjoyed reading through your life experience. We all have similar experiences, which I guess proves they managed to create the 'unity of brotherhood' they wanted, just not the outcome from a dysfunctional unity.
The couple that studied with us in 1970 were pretty tight with the Organization and in 1973 they were asked to serve 'where the need was great' but said need was in 'elders'. They were assigned to Ames, Iowa. The wife had been a long time regular pioneer and he had served as congregation servant for years before the new title of Elder was adopted. They served in the congregation for less than a year and returned to our area directly. He had been removed as an elder and she as a pioneer. She later suffered a horrible breakdown from the stress of the entire event. It took several months of correspondance with Brooklyn before he was re-appointed as an elder and she never fully recovered, thus never returned to the regular pioneer ranks. After years of normalizing she did auxiliary pioneer, sometimes regularly, sometimes seasonally. The entire body of elders in their former congregation in Aames wound up being removed after a spell as corrupt due to nepotism. That bias was what caused their having lost their privileges while serving there.
There are so many stories of abuse of power, When we found the 'reasonable' elder we really enjoyed the association. When we found the human elder, the one who had their own personality, a sense of humor, didn't take stuff so seriously, though I took things way too seriously, we enjoyed them all the more!
Nowadays, my life intersects with active Witnesses through business and because our 'adopted daughter' is on Facebook through her page we are able to see how things are with those we used to serve. What really shocks me is how 'worldly' they have become. I use the term not as a means of judgment but as a means to describe what used to be considered inappropriate behavior. They routinely use expletives, some make no bones about observing their birthdays and other holidays like Valentines...and yet they show up for Tuesday night Book Study at the home right next door to me and are married to elders!!! I love it! To me, it shows the GB is losing control of the 'other sheep' and someday they may actually begin to reason with God's Word alone!!!
The only thing I honestly miss besides my family that are still Witnesses, is the sense of relaxation I enjoyed because I had absolute trust with everyone and I felt there would never be any sort of criminal intent, deliberate violence, and a modicum of personal integrity when it came to respecting others. We have begun to find that now of late with those we seem to be being brought to during this time of our lives.
May God bless you all in all that you do in HIM
I hope that everything is OK with you, "e-watchman". Haven't seen anything from you recently, even though I see that this site has been updated. (August 12)
Hang in there!
He Bro,
thanx for your story; we, here in the Netherlands; al my friends share the same opinion with you; keep
on rock and rolling; keep on fighting and have faith; we admire your strenght.
KIH
Hey Robert!
It's been a decade since we last did battle on the old H20! It's nice to see you are still around and doing your thing!
Write me and let me know what is happening in "You Know" world. After all, you did trust me enough to snail mail me materials around the year 2000 or so, and I never violated that trust.
Doug, Your Old Nemesis, but Only For Debate Purposes
Hi Robert
I've just come across your website for the first time and found this article interesting. Most of my family are JW's and for some time I have had concerns with some of the teachings only to be put down by my family, who if they were also to be honest have theirowncocnerns.
I have few friends outside the religion, but deep inside my heart I have a number of doubts on some of the teachings of JW's. Tonight I will be having a shepherding call but I know from past experience - I was brought up as a JW and am in my mid 50s - that having a different view to the Watchtower society will lead to me being isolated and distanced by some members of the congregation.
I continue to pray to Jehovah to be brave and to help me move forward in the right direction.
I liked your story. I think all JW's need to lighten up and stop taking themselves so seriously. Just a bunch of wolves in sheeps clothing.
Bye Bye.
Hi Watchman, so many 'watchers' soooo happy to 'know you better' your personal journey was interesting, because when I 'came on board' it was there already, and good to TRUST the source of your information, a lot of effort, 2 study the Hebrew scriptures so obsessively.....it happens to ALL of US after the "CALLING" , the ensuing 'struggle' between flesh & spirit, not a small thing to leave your earthly HOME being flesh & blood.....this is only the beginning of the JOURNEY of course, and many TESTS await those called (before being CHOSEN..thats why we are given the "TOKEN" the 1st seal, the HELPER our MASTER sends from His Father (John 14:26) My prayer is for your enlightening interpretations of so many PROPHECIES will reach those 'SONS of the KINGDOM' who, with the help of GOD's HOLY SPIRIT will turn away from MANs ORGANISATION & CLING TO CHRIST who awaits them, what did he say in Matthew ? 'as a hen gathers her chicks'
Brother King do you feel that now is the time for a religious organizationn without the history of blasphemous hideous doctrinal error of the WTS to come on the scene...just think what a positive way to marginalize the WTS as yet another aspect of worldwide religion. And to expose how the WTSis based on false premises and untruth and lying promoted as coming from Jehovah. As it stands they have positioned themselves to just steal the wonderful research of yourself and others to present as new light to the growing uniinformed and disadvantaged that make of the majority of the ranks now.
I day dream about being part of a non judgemental community of bible readers and students who obey Jesus conmands of preaching truthfully about his kingdom discreetly efficiently non intrusive, taking care of the poor and living by the golden rule as Jesus decreed not counting hours, and distributing for a multimillion dollar publishiing house that has disguised itself as a non profit religion , that coerse individuals to conform to there whimsical writings or face condemation. Think of it everthing made available ,online highly educational, no need for chruch like setting of setting up kingdom halls, just seminar style meetings of encouragement and fellowship on a concensus basis,... I know dreaming again.
Hay Amazed
Quote… “I know dreaming again.”
It’s a good dream amazed – and maybe not so far from reality but it will be at Jesus hand that it will be done.
Its always Men who muck it all up it’s just are nature
Interesting read. I was on a Judicial Comm in 1995 that involved child abuse on two different children. However, the Legal Dept. informed us that we were"to provide spiritual comfort to the victims and their families" and that "it was up to the victims and their families if they wanted to report it to the authorities". No cover up, no attempts to sway our thinking either way!
By the way, what does your wife think of your transformation?
HELLO: THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN ONLY COME FROM DISBELIEF... WE MIGHT GET JESUS' NAME WRONG BUT BE FORGIVEN IF WE GET THE SPIRIT RIGHT... ALL WILL BE FORGIVEN... ALL WILL BE FORGIVEN... THE ONLY SIN THAT CANNOT BE FORGIVEN IS ONE THAT WILL NOT BE REPENTED... THE ONLY SIN THAT CANNOT BE FORGIVEN IS ONE UNDERTAKEN DELIBERATELY AND LEFT THAT WAY DELIBERATELY... FOREVER... THAT SAID: I KNOW SOME THING/S THAT PEOPLE BELIEVE ARE UNFORGIVABLE THAT GOD HAS LET ME KNOW ARE INDEED FORGIVABLE... HE LOVES US MORE THAN WE LOVE OURSELVES... HE KNOWS OUR HEARTS... WHAT HE IS AFTER IS A HEART LIKE DAVID'S--A MAN AFTER HIS OWN HEART; DAVID SINNED BUT ALWAYS TURNED TO GOD; IN HIS HEART, DAVID ALWAYS TURNED TO GOD... GOD KNOWS THE DIRECTION OF OUR HEART; IT IS THE DIRECTION OF OUR HEART HE IS AFTER; IT IS THE FINAL DIRECTION OF OUR HEART HE IS AFTER... <3+
I was wondering if you're still (now that you're no longer with the organization) looking into different churches to seek for more Bible truth. If you are, I would like to invite you to look into the "Seventh Day Adventist" organization and (with an open mind), learn some of our basic believes and compare them with the Bible to make sure they go accordingly. I think this will help you more in the study and understanding of the Word of God.
My name is Marlon Rangel and I am a Seventh Day Adventist.
Blessings to everyone.
MARLON THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS ARE OFF-COURSE BIBLICALLY... <3+
I was at one time an active Jehovah's witness. My dad was an elder, and my mom a full time pioneer. I was baptized at 19 married in the kingdom hall. I understand bible truths well. I was recently disfellowshiped. At a shepherding call I admitted to doing some things that were not good. I had a committee meeting a few days later and disfellowshiped that day. I took it, thinking it came from Jehovah. I went to a few meetings, then stopped. I got hardend. I blamed others for what I did. thinking those brothers didn't know me well enough, they don't know my heart condition or relationship with Jehovah. I love Jehovah. But then I remembered what one brother said to me at my committee meeting. He said that I did not act like a jehovahs witness. I had been a good witness onces. I knew what he meant. I meditated on that. He was right. Jehovah has high standards to be a witness. We are all imperfect. I forgot how important it was to always work at being a better person, putting on that new personality. I don't care about what you said. I love Jehovah. I look back at all of the mistakes that the isrealites made when they were on earth. We are imperfect so? I am working on getting back in the congregation. I hope to be reinstated by the summer convention. So what if I am right and I shouldn't have been disfellowshiped. I am, so if I truly love Jehovah he will make sure my wrongs have been righted. But I think I am wrong. and I do need to be more humble. The faithful slave is wrong sometimes. OK, who cares. I have been on your site for 20 min. and I don't believe half of what you are saying, why I don't believe you. Why would Jehovah choose you as an outlet for truth? name one other time in bible history, when Jehovah had a chosen group of people, and went in a different direction? Oh I can Jesus, are you comparing yourself to him now? well good luck, but I have to say the bible warns of people like you. I don't understand it either. I miss my family so much. I miss my friends and I miss the rich blessings I received as a Jehovah's witness. I knew better than to click on this site. goodbye.
After reading all this (sigh) . . . what can I add? Plenty, but most of you here would not bother searching within yourselves or begging Jehovah to humble you.
I was raised in the Truth. I am 60 years old now. My gender is of little consequence. I came from a very intense family background. Only my parents were Witnesses. The rest of the family openly opposed their decision. The Northeast section of the US is/was heavily populated with Catholics. Because of the influx of foreigners, both sides of my extended family coming from different countries and backgrounds, I was exposed to many views and beliefs.
Some, such as a couple of cousins, were raised in the Orthodox belief, some Episcopalian . . . Some attended the Catholic church and also wanted to serve the people through that faith.
My own mother wanted to be a nun but her conclusions and questions from Bible reading irritated the nuns and priests. Other religious investigations left her frustrated.
Although we sometimes got frustrated with some of the elders attitudes, we knew/know fully well that the Society is and never has claimed to be infallible. Although there were sometimes when one felt very discouraged at 'things,' we DID take the 'waiting attitude.' I will say that, in time, Jehovah DOES clean his organization. There ARE some things right now that we have to have a waiting attitude about. Jehovah WILL clean house. There ARE some elders who should not be serving in that capacity as well as pioneers who have taken on a very self-righteous attitude. It WILL be taken care of in due time.
I have seen this time and time again.
I also have been disfellowshipped (twice) but I was the one to go the elders. Actually one committee, one elder in particular did not handle matters correctly but I felt that that really did not matter because in the days of the Isarealites, I would have been stoned anyways. It is only through Jehovah's mercy that our sins are put off far from Him as we repent and show humility.
That last time, I earnestly prayed over and over and wrote a very sobering heartfelt letter and was actually reinstated extremely quickly, so much so that some in the Hall asked me privately if a mistake had been made in the committee's decision. I answered truthfully that "no" . . . I fully deserved to be disciplined and I was so completely surprised to be reinstated that quickly. Very unusual. But it taught me a lesson . . . that Jehovah IS there for us.
There have been times when I have felt great discouragement, but when one looks at the big picture, the preaching work being done all over the world and one realizes that they, individually, stand before Jehovah in the end? They can have peace of mind being one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
I have seen (1 town over) an entire elder body removed and a congregation 'dissolved.' This actually occured back in New England and again in California. Why? because Jehovah does clean house when he sees fit.
As the writer said in the book of John, where else should we go?
I come from a very well educated family and I too have formal education from some of the best institutions in this country. Thankfully my Christian education is the one I cherish the most. I cherish my relationship with Jehovah and his Son. I put full trust that whatever stumbling blocks may occur, that God's will WILL be accomplished fully.
Nothing that Witness bashing disgruntled former Witnesses have ever written or told me in the field ministry or outside a convention has shown me that 'they' have God's spirit directing them. There is no witnessing to the nations, no real direction - only fault-finding.
Just as God's chosen people had many who did not live up the Jehovah's standards, King David fell into serious sin also, so too the early Christian congregations had to 'shun' (as you call it) unrepentant ones. Some of those congregations had to be reprimanded for their lack of love also, or even many were counseled to start all over again, as if babes just learning the truths from the scriptures. Obviously, this shows that even with the highest of intentions and love of God and understanding Jesus' true position, they had lost sight.
Do not you yourselves, place yourself higher than God. Don't forget, prophecy is not always fully understood until after its fulfillment.
And about the pedophiles? Yes, disgusting! Filth! But I have never ever seen one committee that told parents not to report it to authorities. I have personally seen brothers DF'd and sent to prison.
The main concern the brothers always have (and this can be hard to take if you are a victim as I was - NOT from a Witness but from an Orthodox) was that I was brought to doctors and also to be treated with love and respect and get whatever help may have been needed. With friends who have had (unfortunately) brothers assault their children? they were counseled to report it and get help for their children. The ONLY time there was caution and a need (they said) to keep things quiet, was when there was not real evidence, no proof. At times this could be very distressing for parents, but even in a court of law this occurs over and over again.
The stance has always been to keep Jehovah's name clean and any one of you former Witnesses should know this to be true.
I abhor what some former Witnesses have done. But as these are sins like any other serious sins in God's eyes. That children are involved is hideous.
At the End, Jehovah will certainly not bring any so-called Witnesses through Armageddon. Ones who are not acting according to His righteous standards will not have his protection nor favor. I do not follow any man. Men are known to falter, to stumble, to fall . . . the Organization is NOT perfect but the counsel received weekly is always for a Christian's benefit. You KNOW this. The pages of the WT are to organize topics for study. The study articles are more and more about stressing how we lead our lives in private not just at the Hall. The private part is what Jehovah sees.
I will not be reading in this site again for what was already stated above about Jehovah NOT using ONE man as a channel is true. While some of my friends and I questioned a couple of things for decades, now the WT came out with a better understanding of what I always felt. Did I feel *exonerated* ? . . . not really, I was glad that my feeling on the matter was not unscriptural but I never *pushed ahead* but took a "waiting attitude" . . . so many times I've prayed over things that needed to be *cleaned up* and sometimes it tooks years, but they were and they will continue to be made right in Jehovah's due time.
Couple of points;
1. If Jehovah's spirit was not with the JW's, then how can they continue to flourish?
2. Is it appropriate to criticize an entire organization by the acts of a few? If someone makes a bad decision, I think the idea is that Jehovah will allow it. Though that doesn't mean the organization is corrupt either does it?
3. I noticed the stream of information following the course experiences came from apostate material. Don't you think it is ironic that you began to harbor doubt in your heart?
4. I think the big issue here is that you fell from God's grace by means of your own course of actions. And though it is quite common for people to end-up where you are today, I can see no good in being where you are now for anyone other than those who have turned against Jehovah and His people.
I think it is quite sad to see someone as intelligent as yourself end-up where you are today. You clearly know the truth as you so openly speak in favor of Jehovah and his word. Yet you continue to deny yourself the right to take part in His works as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I also think that the right thing to do now would be to ask Jehovah to guide you so that you can take part in his ministry. Which would not mean satisfying your own needs, but so that you can cope with satisfying His ways(there is a huge difference between those two conditions).
May Jehovah have mercy on you.
It is certainly nice to hear of someone else interested in bible prophesy. I am a bible researcher myself and I have a touch of asperger's syndrome.
I was wondering if you felt you were an "Elijah" for this day.
The "Elijah" for this day not only was to show God's people where they were wrong but he was to "make them" see their wrong so that they would straighten their course. (Mal.4:5,6)
However, the "Elijah" would have to know what was correct and what was not in order to do this.
So I have a couple of questions for you that I can answer scripturally: Who are the "two-witnesses" in Revelation 11? And what is the significance of the number 666 in Revelation? thanks
And for anyone interested, I have just started up a "no-frills" website specifically designed to help those who have been spiritually "wronged" or stumbled from things they may have experienced with organized religion at: http://JehovahsFollowers.com - That one is linked also to my other site "for bible nerds" at http://jwjw.org which contains detailed video links on why according to prophetic timelines, the doctrine of "1914" is incorrect. These sites are not designed as "complaint" sites but rather a place for people to go to help them understand according to biblical timelines where we are and what to expect.
Sad to say, many people do not realize the fact that teaching falsely about Jehovah is apostasy. So the bragging about how many "bible studies" are being conducted worldwide is nothing to be bragging about. And when the society protects the doctrine from scriptural challenges (I've tried) they are placing their doctrine above God's word!
Dear Brother:
I would love to share a experience with you. I'm not sure if you will read it but here it is. In 1977 my oldest daughter was run over by a car. My family and my wife's were witnesses and both our fathers were elders. We also were witnesses and I had served as a ministerial servant. When I saw the shape my daughter was in I told the Dr. to give her blood, she needed 6 units, even though it was against society rules. It affected me greatly and even though my daughter lived, and still lives, I became depressed knowing I went against a rule. I quit my job so I could spend the next 3 months at my daughters side. Though I loved my wife I decided it would be better to leave. In retrospect this was a decision of depression not logic. My wife complained she would not be able to remarry so I got a girlfriend and gave her scriptural grounds. Then 8 month later I apologized to her and divorced the second to get back to her and the children. Of course I had been disfellowshipped. My first wife married a witness at her parents urging and I was alone and twice divorced in 8 months @ 30'
Fast ahead, I got 5 of those children in court and raised them despite a constant battle with my ex ( whom to this day I still love) and her parents. My mother, brothers,and sister never talked to me again ( since 1978). I then in 1990 started to attend meetings again but in 18 months was never given a chance to get re-instated for whatever reason the elders had in mind. My father always talked to me and helped me maintain. I found out one of my daughters was molested while living at her Uncle and Aunts house, who wer witnesses and he an elder ( my exes sister) I brought this up to the elders and my father ( Elder at another hall ) brought it up and were both tol because I was disfellowshipped they would not consider ot talk to the parties involced. I quit going for 18 years because of this. I still wanted to talk to my moother and siblings so in 2008 started going again. Had been married a 3rd time and she left in 2005. Was forced to rent from 2nd wife (ex ) and live in lower level with my young son. Never any sexual contact, which she will verify, we are just friends. Brothers said I must buy a suit, so I did ( result of first elders meeting) I found out my older sons had been molested by first wifes nephew so brought it up to elders, I was told they would do nothing. I was angry but kept attending. Next elders meeting ( 6 months later ) told I had to quit picketing for the Union ( per 1961 Watchtower) so had to give up only income I had in this bad economy. ( I was a Union carpenter since 1969). I waited 6 months and asked to be reinstated one more time. This time was told no because I lived at exes house, even though she offered to write a letter that nothing inappropiate was going on.
Meanwhile one of my brothers ( who went to Bethel and travels for society for construction) has given me a little work and encourages me to attend ( which after 3rd turn down in 30 month period) has been hard to do. I wrote to society and Elders lied and said I lived as husband and wife with ex ( can produce letters, up to 100,) to prove this is not true. So 4 children molested and still kept out. How can this be Jehovah's organization? Thanks for listening. Contact me if you wish with council. JOHN
HELLO: WHAT A DISCOURAGING STORY... "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN NOW..." THERE ARE PLENTY OF US! HOW ABOUT WE GET BACK TO THE POINT... WHAT WE WANT IS REAL CHRISTIANS... IN EVERY CONGREGATION OF CHRISTIANS THERE ARE GOING TO BE REAL CHRISTIANS AND WOLVES TRYING TO HIDE OUT SUCCESSFULLY OR UNSUCCESSFULLY... WHAT WE WANT TO BE IS REAL CHRISTIANS... THE POINT IS A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD OUR FATHER THROUGH JESUS CHRIST AND HIS SACRIFICE... GOD WANTS US BACK! WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT GOD SAYS...
<3+
Thank you so much for this site. I do not even know you. Never read anything printed by you, until I was surfing Lo Hud.com. I was curious,as to the latest news involving the proposed nursing home in Ramapo. For those who chastise you, it is their self-righteous ignorance that blinds them. I was blinded by the same self-righteous, scripture- encasing blindness for fifty years. Jehovah, is the only one, who can disfellowship you. It added to their hatred that you began partaking on memorial. That hatred marks them as evil slave. Matthew 24:48-51. They are" gnashing" their teeth ,because they got caught, not because they are wrong. It is the "golden cup" syndrome. It's more important what the public persona is of Watchtower, than telling the truth. They do not understand the role of the anointed. We not only watch Bible prophecy as it unfolds, we are the keepers of the Kingdom Covenant. That involves being eyewitnesses, to the goings on in the organization, and each kingdom hall, especially the one we attend. Jehovah holds us responsible when we see hurtful wrongs, and do not report them. The prophet class, is the anointed, as a body. Each one is a prophet making up the group. We dispense scriptural light to the other sheep, not the other way around. What I got disfelloshipped for; I called a meeting in the spring of 2004 to hand a scriptural" gift" over to the elders. At that time, we were actually having a time of peace, and acknowledgment. This gift was the proof of a scriptural fulfillment. I had a manuscript of research, FROM WATCHTOWER PUBLICATIONS, that a certain scripture had now reached fulfillment. I did not go there to teach them, threaten their authority, or denounce them. I wanted them to take this manuscript, of which represented years, and hours of time spent, and examine it carefully. I was in no hurry. We are to test out the inspired utterances. I was immediately read 1 Cor. 13:8-9. I was told that I was acting as a prophet, and there are no prophets today. I asked them if they could tell me then, "what is 'that which is complete (or perfect)'." They did not know. I said,"when you define that statement then you can apply that scripture, but until then, you are not qualified to tell me how, and when that scripture is fulfilled. I am in the prophet class, and like Paul, I got my answer directly from the resurrected Jesus himself. I'm sorry you do not see this as a 'gift'." I was told not to tell anyone what we talked about in that meeting. That was on a Friday, and by Monday, I was called to a meeting for disfellowshipping. Paul was talking about love in 1 Cor. 13. He then interjected the thought in verse 8-10. It was not the main focus of his teaching. He ends the chapter saying, "but the greatest is love." How quick the elders are to use this as a means to slam the door on the gifts of the spirit, which are brought forward in love? The grounds they chose against me? I was inciting divisions and sects. Interesting, it took them five months more of appeal meetings to stick with that verdict. I had no group and no following. They, could not prove, I had influence over anyone. I was there to give a gift and they returned it with a slap on " the gift givers hand". I gave them love, they gave me snakes. After I left , they divided the congregation. And who causes divisions and sects? I will not lie, and deny our Savior, in order for them to keep their authority. Their scripture cases are tarnished.
I have gone back to College ,and I'm getting my degree in social work. I am developing an organic gardening project on my land for foster children. This spring I will be a licensed foster care giver. In the meanwhile, I know Jesus, is working day and night forming a new plan. We will know soon what it is. Keep chins up our deliverance is soon.
I stumbled across this page and began to read through much of it as it caught my attention on various points. But the dilemma I see is that if the WatchTower is apostate, then who is left? Who is Jehovah's channel? The notion that a massive apostasy took hold shortly after the apostles died remained such for 1,800 years until Russel is saying something...but to add that now the WT has gone apostate as well is...what is that saying? If Jehovah's chosen body has now gone apostate, then we're back to a period of no official link between Jehovah and mankind. It reminds me of 2nd Peter 2 where it says the second falling away is worse than the first.
Reply to Nick:
Actually, I discern from Daniel 11:32-35 that the true knowledge for our day will not be "better" known until the cleansing period of approximately 3.5 years before Jesus stands up in Dan. 12:1. More on my other web site: http://jwjw.org . That is why the "truth" is not evident to many in the recent past. We will know that we are in the "cleansing" period when the king of the north of our day captures Jerusalem of old. Dan.11:31; 12:7,11
Thanks for sharing, Brother King. Good to know something of your background.
I have been a Witness for a few decades now. Over that time, I don't think I can recall an occasion ever where the Watchtower Society actually made an apology for anything. They have truly set themselves up as a "God" in Jehovah's Temple. About a year ago now, there was a WT study article (think it was Feb 2010) that idolised the Governing Body and put it up on a pedestal. I had a very difficult time sitting through that meeting - ate one and a half packets of mouth mints so as to keep something in my mouth to prevent me from blurting out anything that might get me into trouble.
HEY I'M FROM COLOMBIA AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES ARE THE TRUE RELIGION HOW CAN WE KNOW THAT? BECAUSE THEY HAVE DONE SOME THINGS LIKE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OR GOSPEL PEOPLE
N I READ SOME ARTICLES ABOUT THE NATIONS IN THE PAST THAT REPRESENTS THE ACTUAL LANDS LIKE FOR EXAMPLE ISRAEL REPRESENTS JEHOVAS WITNESSES, SO WHAT REPRESENTS EDOM?, IS THE CHRISTENDOM? I SAY THIS BECAUSE ISRAEL N EDOM WERE BROTHERS, CAME FROM THE SAME DAD, N SOME WAY THE JEHOVAS WITNESSES ARE ''BROTHERS'' OF CHRISTENDOM BECAUSE IN THE BEGGINING OF CHRISTIANISM THERE WAS ONLY ONE FAITH, AND AFTER THAT WERE BORN THE CHRISTENDOM N THE TRUE CHRISTIANS
ANOTHER THING IS THAT MAYBE BABYLON REPRESENTS THE ONU AND THE CHRISTENDOM HAVE DONE PACTS WITH IT N THE ONU WILL DESTROY THE CHRISTENDOM JUST LIKE BABYLON DID WITH EDOM... JEREMIAH 24 AND 25
i read it in spanish on www.e-testigosdejehova.org i thought that's yours