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The Jehovah’s Witness organisation, also know as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, has become known as a very secluded and insular organisation. It is one of the more controversial denominations of the Christian religion. From my earliest days in Uitenhage I have been aware of their existence. And for the most part they came across as a group of people who were sincerely spreading their information brochures to clarify their teachings. Its only in the last few years that it has come closer to home because a cousin of mine converted to this religion and married into a Jehovah’s Witness family.
What I admire most about him till today is that not once has he tried to convert me, or has he insisted on me attending any services. I have been with him once or twice to the Kingdom Hall and noted some differences in how the religious ceremonies take place compared to my own experiences in the Dutch Reformed Church and some other Evangelical churches. At the same time my own mother became a reborn Christian in about 1988 when my sister was born, and when I entered high school. She is a staunch advocate against the Witness organisation and all other belief systems like Islam, Hinduism, etc. This stance is something that is difficult for me to reconcile. I have always preferred to find the things we have in common with those from different cultures or belief systems because after all we are all human beings, and we are all created in the image of God.
What Robin Jackson’s book has allowed me to do is become much more intimately acquainted with the discrepancies of the Jehovah’s Witness organisation. The doctrine that is taught by local Kingdom Hall’s and and also the changes in the historical policies that have come from the head office in Bethel, New York.
The most well known controversy that keeps coming up is the issue around blood transfusion. Robin does a splendid job of explaining how the organisation views organ donation, blood transfusion, racism, voting and child sexual abuse. The two witness rule must be one of the most ridiculous policies I have encountered to date, and is directly responsible for numerous sexual abuse perpetrators never being convicted or even when convicted bring treated as if they are innocent by the Jehovah’s Witness community. The organisation has a policy that does not encourage or discourage the reporting of these abuses. And I’m starting to cringe of the similarities between these incidents and those emanating from the Catholic church.
Perhaps the most important lessons from “Losing My Faith” is in the uncovering of the various inconsistencies that has been promulgated over the last hundred years. The end of the world or Armageddon being predicted in the years 1874, 1878, 1910, 1914, 1918 and 1925. The successor to Charles Taze Russell, the founder of the organisation, Joseph Rutherford, continued it’s false predictions and most notably he delivered a discourse entitled – Millions now living will never die – in 1918. This was published in a booklet in 1920. Rutherford himself died in 1942.
There are many more instances from Robin Jackson’s book that reinforce the idea that you should question everything you are told. In fact I like the subtitle to the book, “Truth under Scrutiny” because it is clear that truth as it is commonly referred to is a subjective matter. However, the evidence for truth can never be subjective because the facts can be proven by the deduction or logic. It is clear that this book has allowed Robin Jackson to begin a journey to freedom from repression and religious intolerance. Perhaps I am biased, because I know the author’s family, and those personal stories earlier on the book was some of the most heartfelt writing I have come across in a long time.
This book is highly recommended for those who are confused about what they have been taught as the absolute truth from their church, and not just those who are curious about the Jehovah’s Witnesses. There’s a quote I heard once which goes like this, “Hang out with those who are searching for truth. And run from those who claim to have found it.”
well you really want to know the truth go to the official site. Jehova’s witnessses dont claim to know the truth, and they admit their mistakes because some of the predictions weren’t based the bible therefore they were wrong.
I’m afraid that the “official” JW site will not even begin to address the points made in this article and by the book. The official site completely ignores all of the false dates for the end the WTS has come up with, and its answers to the JW shunning practice, whether a person can just leave the group and its blood transfusion policy have been misleading and dishonest.
To find out about the “real” Jehovah’s Witness organization. Talk to some people who’ve been there
Robin Jackson should make sure of his facts before writing rubbish just to make money.. the man should get a life. I am an ex jehovahs witness, for my own reasons.. and i am born again.
If you have properly reviewed his statements then Robin is wasy off line.
First off! I did not write this book for the money. South Africans for the most part have been largely shielded from the exposure the Jehovah’s Witnesses have been receiving in the US and the UK. As far as I am concerned peoples lives have been needlessly lost and continue to be lost because of the blood policy and their now reversed organ transplant policy.I wanted to show people how dangerous it can be to get involved with a cult like the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Dave, I have made sure of the facts before writing this book and if you have read it you will see that I use their very own publications to show the doctrinal flip-flops and cover-ups of the Watchtower organization.Its not what I said,its what they said.
Robin where did you find this amazing fact.. (following taken directly from the review on your book) …….. “child sexual abuse. The two witness rule must be one of the most ridiculous policies I have encountered to date, and is directly responsible for numerous sexual abuse perpetrators never being convicted or even when convicted bring treated as if they are innocent by the Jehovah’s Witness community.” Absolute Rubbish…
Dave you can direct your comments directly at me because I wrote the review. And if there is any mistake I made in quoting from Robin’s book I apologise. I’ll review that statement and make any corrections directly in the review if necessary. For me it is stupid that you need two witnesses before following up on rape or abuse, especially when it involves children.
“For me it is stupid that you need two witnesses before following up on rape or abuse, especially when it involves children.” Exactly my point.. The Witnesses do not believe that!!!!
MY BELIEVE IS HEART BAY BE CREATED FOR WHITES EVERY BODY IN MY COUNTRY CAN SAY THIS PLACE IS FOR HIM WHEN YOU FINDOUT IS SOUTH AFRICAN DUTCH
Dave you can read more about the two witness rule on Barbara Andersons (former Watchtower insider) website http://watchtowerdocuments.com
You my also want to check out http://silentlambs.org
this is all false information . i think you need to experience the life of a witness and see whats it really like then speak. this is all wrong. its okay alot of people have no lives and wants some extra money . its very common and false.
Searching for truth of any kind can be compared to examining a tree for it’s value.
Some would merely climb it and scour the first branch for fruit. If some fruit on it are bad, he climbs down in disgust and walks away.
Another may get further and try the branch above the one with bad fruit.
Still another may check all the branches right to the top before giving up.
Where did they all go wrong?
The correct way is to first examine the roots of the tree. Are they in rock crevices,
in infertile sand, in a swamp or in good fertile soil? That should indicate whether it is worth climbing to examine it’s fruit.
Naturally, one would encounter those with Balaam like worms or rotten Judas fruit, but search for the good ones.
If most of the fruit is pure and wholesome why condemn the entire tree.
The master of the trees will soon come to burn all the bad trees and lop off all the unfruitful
branches from the good trees. (Matt 3:12; John 15:1,2)
Dave claims to be an exJW; then he should know what the Bible teaches:
“No single witness should rise up against a man respecting any error or any sin, in the case of any sin that he may commit. At the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses the matter should stand good. In case a witness scheming violence should rise up against a man to bring a charge of revolt against him, the two men who have the dispute must also stand before Jehovah, before the priests and the judges who will be acting in those days. And the judges must search thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and has brought a false charge against his brother, YOU must also do to him just as he had schemed to do to his brother, and you must clear away what is bad from your midst. 20 So those who remain will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything bad like this in your midst. And your eye should not feel sorry: soul will be for soul, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
What if your one witness is a false witness???
Most human judges believe that it is better to let a sinner go free, than to condemn
a righteous man. A person is considered innocent-unless there is conclusive evidence
of a transgression. Is not the God of the Bible one of truth and righteousness? (Exodus 34:6-7)
Are his laws not more just than those of mankind? (Deut 32:4)
In the days of Israel the Jewish community were closely knit and far more social than in modern days.
Nearly everyone knew his neighbours. Science in these days is far more advanced.
In cases where young children are raped, a human witness will indeed help, but two will
surely confirm the matter. However, the second witness need not be a person.
Most courts will accept that if the DNA of the accused matches that found on the victim, it would seal the evidence against the perpetrator.
What it really boils down to, is that the Governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses
anoint elders as judges in harmony with the scriptures. (1 Cor 15:12) They will not condemn
any person without conclusive evidence.
Colin.