Showing posts with label Jehovah's Witness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jehovah's Witness. Show all posts

Sunday, November 19, 2017

The Jehovah Witnesses would rather pay a fine of $4,000 a day rather than turn over documents about sexual abuse within the church.

Courtesy of The Week:

The Jehovah's Witnesses have refused to turn over secret documents regarding alleged child sex abuse. And it's getting very, very costly. 

A new report from Reveal details how the religion has been mandated to pay $4,000 for every day it doesn't release the documents. So far, the tab has reached $2 million. 

It all stems from a court case in which a former Jehovah's Witness and sexual abuse victim sued the religion for not warning congregants they were practicing alongside a confessed child sexual abuser. The accused, Gonzalo Campos, has admitted to abusing children. But the religion's headquarters knew of his conviction and didn't tell the congregation, court documents show. 

Reveal has obtained internal Jehovah's Witness documents that suggest this case is part of a much larger cover-up. One of the documents, for example, claims religious elders have been told to keep child abuse allegations a secret since at least 1989.

Okay if you are willing to pay over 2 million dollars in fines rather than reveal documents about sexual abuse that clearly means that there is rampant sexual abuse in this church. 

I have long heard that there is an epidemic of sexual abuse within the Jehovah's Witnesses and this certainly lends credibility to those claims.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Jehovah's Witness instructional video teaches parents that if they shun their children they will come running back to God. Seriously?

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

In a disturbing video being shown to Jehovah’s Witnesses during their regional conferences this summer, parents of independent teens and young adults are instructed to shun their children when they are unable to bring them to heel within the strict confines of the church’s rules. 

The video, uploaded to YouTube, is in Spanish only but with English subtitles, shows that by cutting off all contact with children they will suffer and become depressed –which hopefully will bring them back to “Jehovah.”

That's right as every parenting expert will tell you the best thing to do when a child does not embrace the strict tenets of your belief system is to throw them out onto the street, do nothing to make sure that they are safe, and stubbornly stick to your guns until they are finally so broken down they have no choice but to come crawling back to beg your forgiveness.

After all it's not as if they might be victimized by predators, get hooked on drugs, or even die alone and in pain, right?

Gee what a loving and generous religion, where do I sign up?

Friday, December 18, 2015

Religious parents in England do not want their children to be exposed to Harry Potter books because they "normalize and trivialize acts of magic." Is it possible to get poisoning from too much irony?

Courtesy of the Independent:  

Teachers are reportedly receiving complaints that teaching the Harry Potter books in classrooms exposes children to "witchcraft and Satanism". 

Tom Bennett, a school behaviourist consulting with the Government, has claimed concerns from parents, particularly of religious backgrounds, that the popular series of novels works to "trivialise acts of magic". Speaking at an event held at London's City Hall, Bennett stated, "Harry Potter deals with the occult. There are many, many parents who are uncomfortable with their children discussing or looking at or reading anything at all do with the occult. 

For many parents, particularly of Evangelical Christian backgrounds, and sometimes of Muslim backgrounds, the occult is not something which exists in fiction and fantasy, the occult is something which is a very living, live part of the faith. Many parents, particularly if they are Jehovah's Witnesses, will ask their children not to be exposed to books which trivialise or normalise acts of magic. It's part of witchcraft and Satanism. 

They say they'd rather their children weren't exposed to literature or fiction which normalised or trivialised or even applauded or encouraged what they would regard as witchcraft."

Uh huh.

Well it makes sense that these parents would not want their children exposed to the magic in Harry Potter books, and the be able to compare it to the pathetic parlor tricks performed by the hero of THEIR favorite book. 

Seriously, walking on water, cloning loaves and fishes, raising somebody from the dead?

I've seen that Criss Angel guy do those first two several times, and I learned that last one in my CPR/First Aid class.

I think these parents are just angry that J.K. Rowling had a more fertile imagination than the old primitive fools who compiled the stories of the Bible.

By the way if you ever want to read an excellent book about the writing of the Bible I suggest you start here.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

If not yet, then hopefully soon.

I think this idea terrifies many Christian leaders.

In fact one high ranking member of the JW's recently came out and said the following: 

… and be careful on the Internet. We were talking about that this weekend with friends. Oh my word, how many times do we have to tell you, be careful? 

You know, going here, going there, they’ll suck you in. Some of the stuff, it can seem so innocent. We’re just warning you. That’s all we can do — is admonish. 

Stick with what we have authorized. You’ll be safe. 

You wanna go out there? It’s at your spiritual risk.

Yes because the internet connects you to facts, and facts are the silver bullets that can finally put an end to superstitious belief systems.

And perhaps someday, yes science will have replaced the Bible, and every other holy book in the world.

Personally I cannot wait.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Courageous high school girl blows the lid off of the Jehovah's Witnesses in speech delivered in front of her classmates.

Courtesy of the Independent:  

A schoolgirl who left the Jehovah’s Witnesses after learning of its alleged failure to protect vulnerable women has blasted the organisation in a powerful speech to her classmates. 

Holding back tears, she recalled her personal experiences as a member of the church and how she was taught everyone outside the religion, including her father, would be sent to Armageddon. 

She also highlighted women’s lowly position in the hierarchy of the organisation and how they are viewed as inferior to men. 

“They cannot teach men. They cannot even speak at a podium in front of men as I am doing now,” she said. “They are not to question any decision made by a men. That is slander.”

The girl goes on to share the stories of three women she knew who were members of the Jehovah's Witnesses, and each is more horrifying than the previous.

I know this video is hard to watch, several times the young lady becomes so choked up she can barely speak, but I urge you to watch until the end. Her message at the end is especially poignant.

Besides if she was brave enough to share her story, we should at least be courageous enough to listen.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Jehovah's Witness leader rails against higher education as it might cause "spiritual disaster."

This comes to us courtesy of The Friendly Atheist: 

Jehovah’s Witnesses Governing Body member Tony Morris is the host of the January video on the new JW online television network and what he says is a terrifying tirade against higher education.

Here are a few excerpts from this tirade:  

… all too often, our young people have met with spiritual disaster, especially after leaving home and living on a university campus. So parents and children, you need to have a goal and you need to have a plan. If you’re missing either one, Satan will provide it for you. Young people, ask yourself: Why am I considering additional education? Is it because I’m pursuing a specific skill or trade to support my service to Jehovah? Or have I been pressured by the system into believing that higher education will somehow make me a more respected person or lead me to a better life?

So to be clear, education is a tool of Satan that Jehovah's Witnesses do not need. Since all that they need is available through faith.

Want more:

If we are in continued association with those who do not believe the same, it can erode our thinking and convictions… It is one thing to work on a job with others, and quite another matter to immerse oneself in an institution of “learning.”

In other words the only way this faith can possibly survive is if these people ONLY  interact with like minded folks and avoid anyone of a different faith of philosophy.

Here's a bit more: 

I have long said: the better the university, the greater the danger. The most intelligent and eloquent professors will be trying to reshape the thinking of your child, and their influence can be tremendous. One mom, I recall, asked me to try and help her son who was attending a prestigious-name university in Rhode Island. After visiting him, I later had to inform her that her son now believed in evolution. She refused to believe it until he finally told her himself. How sad.

Oh my God! They taught that poor child the dreaded evolution!

I have to admit that it is not often that a religious leader so clearly states that they their religious faith simply cannot stand up to scrutiny or that their only hope of holding onto congregants is to keep them as undereducated as possible.

But that is exactly what this guy just said in NO uncertain terms.

And let's face it he may be a Jehovah's Witness but his concerns are shared by the majority of religious leaders in this country, and beyond.

Saturday, June 07, 2014

New survey shows that Evangelicals are the most likely to cheat on their spouse.

Courtesy of New York Daily News:

A new survey from Ashley Madison, a website for married people looking for something on the side, found that the religious affiliations of cheaters lines up with the breakdown of religion in the U.S., meaning the majority of them identify as Christian. 

In fact, a quarter of the survey participants self-identify as evangelical, making it the most common faith among the unfaithful. 

Here is the actual breakdown:

Evangelical 25.1% 

Catholic 22.75% 

Protestant 22.7% 

Agnostic 2% 

Mormon 1.6% 

Muslim 1.5% 

Jewish 1.4% 

Atheist 1.4% 

Jehovah's Witness .5% 

Hindu .3% 

Now this IS America so it is perfectly reasonable that the majority of respondents would be of some Christian denomination or another, you know of course unless being a Christian meant you were the moral superior of those who were NOT Christians, but who believes that?

 I mean it's not like I'm doing the Snoopy dance around my desk right now in celebration of the fact that Atheists are more trustworthy marriage partner than just about any other group except Jehovah's Witnesses and Hindus, or anything.

That would be juvenile.

Though perfectly justified.

Monday, May 12, 2014

Jehovah's Witnesses instructing deaf people about the perils of masturbation is now my favorite video of the day.

OMFG! I was quite literally laughing so hard I had tears the minute I saw the gesture for jacking off.

All of this time and I had no idea I even knew sign language.

And by the way, who even calls it "jerking off" these days?

That is so crude.

I personally prefer "petting the python of love." But that's just me.

A few more religious PSA's can be found here for your viewing pleasure.

But remember, not TOO much pleasure. After all you don't want to go blind.

Sunday, July 08, 2007

There is going to be a Jehovah's Witness convention in San Francisco, so you can all answer your doorbells safely for awhile.

Roughly 70,000 Jehovah's Witnesses are converging at the Cow Palace in Daly City for a series of conventions this summer, and they'll be knocking on tens of thousands of doors along the way.

Jehovah's Witnesses are strict biblical literalists who say the Bible does not call for a celebration of Easter, Christmas or individual birthdays. Save for the commemoration of Jesus' Last Supper, the regional conventions are the most important events of the year for the faithful.

I am always fascinated by people who have such a strong belief in something that is so bizarre. These individuals are so convinced that they are absolutely correct that they are willing to go door to floor to convince others of their infallibility. I have strong beliefs myself, but nothing that I am so convinced of that I feel a desperate need to share with strangers. Unless of course you find yourself reading this blog. But remember I did not come to your house, you came to mine.

I believe that one of the main reasons that this cult has not grown very large is the whole no birthday or Christmas rule. It must be very difficult to convince little Johnny that he cannot have celebrations because God does not want him to. I think that would develop into a fairly powerful dislike for God.

I also find it sort of hypocritical when I hear about Christians dissing this group or others like it, as if their superstitious beliefs were anymore believable then the Witnesses. If you are going to cling to a silly set of rules to placate an invisible being, can you really feel superior to others doing the same thing in a different way?

Oh well, different strokes for different folks, just so long as they don't bother me with it.

Hang on I think somebody is at the door.