Several years ago, just after I had completed a BA Degree, I unfortunately got romantically involved with a woman
who lived life in the guise of a Jehovah Witness.
Getting involved with this woman was the worst mistake i have ever made in my life, and it ruined my life.
She forced me to convert in order to be involved with her, and then later on forced me to marry her (again in order to be with her). In hindsight i wish i had ran a mile.
Nonetheless, i went through an extremely emotionally unstable time with constant psychological pressure to convert.
In order to convert, i was forced to go to 3 JW meetings a week, plus small group workshops, plus personal home study, and eventually i was also expected to go out on the door to door ministry.
During this time i also had to obey the JW strict and extreme rules, which were nuts.
Things like: No swearing, no drinking (more than 2 pints!), no smoking, no drugs, no associating with people who are not JWs, no sex before marriage, no associating with the opposite sex, no dating without chaperone, no physical contact before marriage, no playing computer games, no watching tv/films that has a rating higher than 12, no porn, no reading controversial books, no speaking to ex-JW, no free opinions on any religious matters, no making cheeky jokes, no training in martial arts, no violence, no wearing casual clothes as meetings, the list goes on and on and on.
Subscribing to the JWs totalitarian rules and their single opinion on all things religious was extremely tiring and caused a great deal of physical and psychological stress. I think this is by design. So as to wear a person down so as to make them easier to brain wash.
During the conversion process, i also did my own independent study of the Bible using scholarly works from historians and I came to the conclusion that the JW's take on Christianity was distorted and not accurate.
I also read some books written by ex-JW's (which they call apostates and regard as evil, who all JWs are told to shun, turn their back on, cast out). One book in particular was really interesting, it was called Crisis of Conscience, and was written by a man who used to be really high up in the Watchtower Organisation.
From reading these books and examining the history of the religion, but also examining the religions structure as well as some of their beliefs, i came to the conclusion that their religion was indeed most likely a sophisticated cult that used psychological manipulation to enslave their members so as to generate revenue from them in the form of donations, and free employment, at the cost of ruining the lives of a what mostly are well meaning individuals.
There are now officially at least 6 million JW's, plus a number of non-baptised followers. If even half of these people give a donation of £1 a week, it would generate £3 million per week. The cost of the up keep of their properties is low, as the people work for free. The value of their property portfolio must also be worth a fortune.
Now, if you also take into consideration that the JW's have been going for over 100 years, think of how much money they would have made. Especially, as in the early days they also sold books and records etc. door to door.
When I looked into the infrastructure, there was all sorts of mad aspects to the religion.
For example. They believe that Jesus has returned to Earth to fulfil the prophecy of the second coming, but as no one has seen him, they say that he has returned but is invisible.
Where as the JW's are supposed to be an egalitarian religion, there are Elders who are like group leaders.
then there are also the "anointed" class of people who run the watchtower society, who are supposed to be Jehovah's chosen to lead his people, and who will go to heaven to continue to rule on judgement day while the rest of the chosen people will live on a renewed paradise earth.
To become an "anointed" you apparently have to have a realisation of something, like waking up one day and you feel like God has chosen you to be the leader....
In the second world war, the head of the German JWs made a pact with the Nazi's, to get the JW's to be helpers in the concentration camps, he made this agreement in return for his own freedom and flight out of Germany.
In the beginning of the JW religion, the original leader, a man named Charles Taze Russel started publishing a magazine warning people of judgement day. It was during the time of the great depression in the US, during a massive economic crisis, where people were dropping like flies and people had an extremely bleak outlook. Perhaps during these times it was understandable why people during this time would think the end of the world was coming, as they could see famine and poverty everywhere, then the first world war happened. again, something that likely convinced others.
Some time down the road, the founder, Taze Russel got into one or two legal problems, so enlisted a shrewd lawyer named Joeseph Rufferford who represented the JWs in court.
From what i can see in photos Rufferford looked like a shark. Someone who had a certain look in his eye, that wasn't holy. My own experience of lawyers also makes me think that he probably isn't the holy man who portrays himself to be.
Anyway, when Taze Russel died, Rufferford takes over the JWs by force and bullying.
And it is Rufferford that enforces the new extreme regime of requiring members to attend x amounts of meetings,
selling door to door, working for free, psychological ploys and donations.
While he himself does not get burdened with the work but buys a large mansion in California with the donations / sales,
which he kindly buys so that JC and Moses etc. have somewhere nice to live when they come back to life,
but until they come back to life, he really kindly looks after the mansion with one or two of his chums.
Personally i think it all sounds very fishy. So, i would be very cautious when getting involved in any man made religion.
Nothing against God or goodness or spirituality. Just think that man is prone to imperfection, so why deal with the middle man, you want to prey to God, prey to God. Dont need anyone's permission.
27 May 2019, 9:29 am
