Jehovah's Witnesses use the threat of death to enforce obedience to their organisation. Disobedience often leads to expulsion and the threat that the disobedient one will be killed by God at Armageddon if he is still disfellowshipped at that time. In the meantime, the person faces a kind of spiritual and social death as he is denied association with his believing family and former friends.
This enforced obedience includes believing everything that is currently taught by the governing body of Jehovah's Witnesses. It makes little difference that their teachings keep changing. They must be accepted until they are changed and then the new teaching must be accepted immediately.
The new blog Death or Obedience explores this subject and asks the question of whether the unique teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses conform to the Bible, logic and reason. It also discusses the consequences when a member dares to question the official teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.
This blog features a set of audio recordings of Jehovah's Witness elders as they offer "encouragement" to some members who have doubts. The first recording begins at this post. I hope you will check it out.
5 comments:
I am disfellowshipped and don't agree with anything you say. I have been treated as kind as can be. You just can't practice certain things without getting in trouble for it. It's like drinking and driving. You can't keep doing it without consequences. Everybody wants a lenient god but you also don't want a god who lets everything go. Everyone who picks on the witnesses ALWAYS have a side agenda from what the real truth is. What I said is what it really is. So calm down man and get it.
I am disfellowshipped and I agree with what you say. I was treated so harshly and abusively by the elders. I was in an abusive situation, managed to free myself and they disfellowshipped me. Yes, there is more to the story, I could write a book, however the bottom line is I was wrongly disfellowshipped. I would now be considered an apostate also because I have seen the way Jehovah's Witnesses work for real and I now speak out against. "Oppression can only survive through silence" - Carmen de Monteflores
I will not be silent.
Anthony. You are a douche. This guy and his Mrs are totally on the ball.
Anthony, the only "sins" committed by the couple in the Death or Obedience podcasts is to question certain teachings of the Governing Body.
Matthew,
thank you for allowing us to down load your podcasts and to listen to the account.
What struck me as I listened to the whole recordings for the 3rd time was the fact that both you and the committee operated with a positive and respectful style and attitude.
1 felt very sad as I listened to the final section because it seemed such a pity that things had concluded as they did.
You and your wife made many valid points regarding the difference between the bible and official witness doctrine.
Sometimes these cannot be reconciled without your conscience being called into question.
I understand your observations of how holding private concerns and views can still cause trouble for you; however each individual has to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.
At the crunch- the end of wickedness whenever this will be- we will all stand before the judgement seat of Christ and will then hear his views of us.
A good enough reason to endeavour to be a genuine christian during this lifetime- in thought, word and deed.
Your wife is to be commended for her research and you for your efforts not to be a hypocrite;your bible references sounded fair and truthful.
Jehovahs witnesses may yet have the truth. But as time has gone on we may be observing ALL of Jesus words as recorded at Matthew 24 and verses 48- 51 which is often glossed over and ignored.
This would then mean that "his fellow slaves" would in fact be sufferers of injustice which Jesus would relieve them from at his second coming, would it not?
How do you view this scripture?
Early christianity took a sharp and bad turn as Jesus and the apostles warned mid way in the second half of the first century.
Perhaps JW's have as well or at least its Governing Body - see Acts 20: 29-30.
Where is the truth? Gods word naturally which it is clear you and wife believe.
Where do we not forsake to gather together Hebrews 10: 24, 25- fellow christians homes??
How do we fulfill the great commission? Matthew 28: 19,20
Are these the last days or just events which for the first time "all men can see" wherever they live in the world due to modern media such as TV and the internet or just chance and more chance?
We have 1 leader Christ , we should show respect to "those taking the lead among us"- 1 Tim 5: 17 and we should love our brothers and sisters -I John 4:20-21.
We should respect others who are not Christian but are sincere people nontheless- Luke 6:31-36.
We should never get beyond ourselves- Luke 18: 9-14 keeping our feet on the ground and respecting people who surround us who in many cases are simply trying to do their best.
None of what I listened to in your podcasts falls outside of what Christianity is all about if only we could respect each other properly rather than to try and mediate for each other- John 6:44-45.
Thanks again for your recordings and I wish you and your family well.
One of Jehovahs Witnesses AND I hope a Christian- Luke 17:10
Kind regards,
David.
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