JEHOVAH’S
WITNESSES
More than 10 years revealing secrets because there is no excuse for secrecy in religion – w1997 June 1; Dan 2:47; Matt 10:26; Mark 4:22; Luke 12:2; Acts 4:19, 20.
JEHOVAH’S
WITNESSES
More than 10 years revealing secrets because there is no excuse for secrecy in religion – w1997 June 1; Dan 2:47; Matt 10:26; Mark 4:22; Luke 12:2; Acts 4:19, 20.
ICELAND: A former believer of Jehovah’s Witnesses responds to the reader’s letter “The wrong picture drawn” by Jørgen Pedersen, chairman of the board of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Norway.
Written by Eydís Mary Jonsdottir, first published March 23, 2023 12:00pm. Translated by Jason Wynne.
On March 18, the Morgunblaðin newspaper published the reader’s letter Wrong Picture Drawn, in which Jørgen Pedersen, chairman of the religious association of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Norway and supervisor of the Public Information Department (PID) of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Scandinavia, writes, among other things, about “serious, defamatory and baseless accusations” against Jehovah’s Witnesses and also draws attention to the importance of “verifying information and getting the facts right”. Jørgen also writes about the dangers of promoting hate speech and hate crimes against innocent people, and suggests that the debate about the church in the past year is hate speech. I really like that the chairman of the board of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Norway is aware of the danger associated with hate speech. I can’t eat, so I decided to answer the reader’s letter and also try to verify the information that Jørgen claims in it.
What serious, defamatory and baseless accusations is Jørgen referring to? What are these untruths that originate from people who claim to have belonged to the church and do not always aim to do the right thing? Does Jørgen think that the staff of the Equality Center are lying when the religious association was sent a letter to the effect that a video on its website, intended for children, contains material that does not comply with the law? Is Jørgen claiming that the women who appeared in Kompás are lying when they say they were born into the Jehovah’s Witnesses? Is Jørgen saying that they are lying because they have lost contact with all their friends, family and in fact their entire support network, when they stopped, some because of their parents’ decision. Are they lying when they all describe extreme cruelty towards children who could not sit still at gatherings? Are 70% of Japan’s former Jehovah’s Witnesses children lying when they report that they have been whipped since they were in kindergarten?
Am I lying when I say that I remember both experiencing and watching repeated violence against children who could not sit still and be silent at gatherings? Is my mother lying when she tells me that the elders of the congregation taught her methods to make sure that I, then a young child, was completely still and quiet during 90-120 minute meetings, two times a week? E.g. by poking between the ribs of a young child, pinching the thigh or pulling the hairs near the neck when I probably pretended to move or chatter like young children do? Am I lying when I recall that every Thursday and Sunday, for many years, I saw other children being pulled up by the ears or arms and dragged into a side room in the Kingdom Hall where the whole congregation could hear their cries for what I can just assumed there was a beating? Am I lying when I recall that all the adults in the congregation, people I looked up to and trusted, continued to look at the speaker as if nothing was happening beyond the wall? Am I lying when I say how terrifying it felt to be one of those kids dragged into the side room? All because we, being children, had a hard time keeping quiet and sitting still for 90-120 minutes. Sometimes at the same time, the speaker was quoting from the Bible, where we read, among other things, the following scriptures “The one holding back his rod is hating his son, but the one loving him is he that does look for him with discipline” (Proverbs 13:24). “Do not hold back discipline from the mere boy. In case you beat him with the rod, he will not die. With the rod you yourself should beat him, that you may deliver his very soul from Sheol (hell) itself” (Proverbs 23: 13, 14). “For whom Jehovah loves he disciplines; in fact, he scourges every one whom he receives as a son” (Hebrews 12:6). We children were taught that our parents were showing us love by hurting us for not sitting still and being quiet. And that we should be grateful for this “love”.
Physical violence was not banned in Iceland until 2009 and I am fully aware that at that time this was not illegal, although it was certainly immoral and not at all in line with the methods that were generally used at the time. I am indeed glad that these methods are no longer used within the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Iceland, and that the leaders of the congregation have seen fit to no longer ask the congregation members to follow these terrible instructions from the Bible. It gives me hope that the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses as a religious organization can continue to develop in line with general morality and even comply with human rights and child protection laws.
But Jörgen, even though the Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses made a policy change when they were forced to do so, with new laws in 2009, it does not mean that we are lying about what we experienced as children within the congregation. It is our statutory right to tell about our own experiences, and we should not have to suffer being called liars in a reader’s letter from a man in Norway. Since you are calling these women liars who have come forward recently, can you please identify exactly what it is that they are supposed to have lied about? Jørgen writes that “Jehovah’s Witnesses find it defamatory to be accused of such things and they are very offended”. I, the women who came forward in Kompás, and at least 70% of the former Japanese Jehovah’s Witnesses children quoted above, are deeply offended to have had to grow up within the Jehovah’s Witness religious community and to have been subjected to the mental and physical abuse we experienced as children.
Jørgen writes for example that research has shown that Jehovah’s Witnesses “have great respect for life and human dignity” and that their religious doctrines “are characterized by abundant freedom of choice and freedom to make one’s own decisions”. He mentions only one study in support of this, but it is a study by Raffaella Di Marzio, which only includes individuals who change their faith and become Jehovah’s Witnesses later in life. This study does not apply to individuals who are born into the congregation, but all the individuals who appeared in the Kompás episode had all been born into the congregation. It’s one thing to choose as an adult to join a cult. It’s quite another to be born into a cult and never really get a chance to choose and reject the faith. Therefore, by rejecting the faith, the individual is rejecting his family and support network as well. I think it makes sense that such a “choice” is not characterized by “abundant freedom of choice and freedom to make one’s own decisions,” or that it is an “unforced decision”.
In addition to Di Marzio’s articles, Jørgen points to articles by Dr. Massimo Introvigne, an internationally recognized scholar in the field of religion. Introvigne is one of the “respected sociologists” Jørgen cites who has “warned against believing the testimony of people who have left the congregation”. Introvigne is best known for defending cults and cannot be considered a neutral scholar at all. CESNUR (Center for Studies on New Religions), of which Introvigne is one of the founders, and publishes the journal which published Di Marzio’s article, has been described as “the world’s leading advocacy group for controversial religions.” CESNUR has, among other things, defended controversial religious organizations such as the Unification Church, the Church of Scientology and the Order of the Solar Temple. Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses choose to side with these highly controversial sects, citing CESNUR scholars? Do the Jehovah’s Witnesses themselves consider their religious organization to be on the same footing as the Unification Church, the Church of Scientology and the Order of the Sun Temple, and do they agree with them? To be honest, I find it surprising that people of “truth” should consider the “testimony” of such “scholars” to further their cause. Then to make it better in their effort for self-justification, they distort even this testimony.
Jørgen writes that Jehovah’s Witnesses have great respect for life and human dignity. The congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses respect life so much that they would let their children die, rather than allow them to receive blood transfusions that could save their lives. The congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses respects life so much that the mortality rate of bed-ridden women who are Jehovah’s Witnesses is 44-160 times higher than among women who do not refuse blood donation. Jehovah’s Witnesses in Norway respect human dignity so much that a woman from the congregation who was raped was expelled for being raped and subsequently ostracized from her family, friends and in fact her entire support network. Jørgen has so much respect for human dignity that he doesn’t hesitate to call women he doesn’t know, who are telling about some of their most painful and difficult experiences, liars.
Jørgen writes that Jehovah’s Witnesses do not practice infant baptism. The common age of baptism among Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide is 10-20 years old. According to Icelandic law, individuals are children until they are 18 years old. Everyone who is baptized before the age of eighteen is therefore a child, and it is safe to say that child baptisms are very common among Jehovah’s Witnesses. Given the great and serious consequences it has for individuals to leave the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, child baptisms should not be allowed at all, because no child should be put in the position of having to make a decision that can cause them to be completely socially ostracized. Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he was baptized. It would be desirable for the Jehovah’s Witnesses to take him as an example and wait to be baptized, at least until the brain is fully developed and the person is able to make as serious a decision as it is to be baptized into a religious organization such as Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Iceland wishes to ensure that all Icelandic children can enjoy their childhood, as stipulated in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which we have ratified. In light of what people have experienced on the part of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, it can be firmly assumed that children who now grow up as Jehovah’s Witnesses are at great risk of being subjected to serious mental abuse due to the environment in which they grow up.
I would encourage you, Jørgen, to do more to verify information and stick to the facts, especially when you accuse others of not doing so. Furthermore, it is extremely rude to make baseless accusations against people you know nothing about. It would be better if you came up with an example when you accuse people of lying. If only for people to realize what they are supposed to have lied about.
I wholeheartedly agree with Jørgen’s wish at the end of the reader’s letter, that “Iceland strives for all citizens to enjoy democracy, tolerance and respect”. It is particularly interesting that Jørgen chooses the word DEMOCRACY, because this is a term that I find difficult to associate in any way with the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not enjoy democracy, either inside or outside the congregation.
The congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses is not structured democratically. On their website, for example, you can find numerous articles speaking against democracy. In the articles of association of the religious association of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Iceland from 2018, it is stated that the branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Scandinavia, which is based in Denmark, supervises the work of the religious association of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Iceland and has full control over the assets of the religious association in this country. The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, based in the United States, appoints people to the branch committee. Calvin Rouse, the religious association’s lawyer, described it in court this way: “We are a hierarchical religion structured just like the Catholic church”. This to me is the epitome of top-down authoritarianism. Members of the religious association of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Iceland have no possibility to influence the management of the congregation, how its financial assets are handled, or who handles its management. It is the experience of many former Witnesses that they have been expelled from the church for raising questions about how the church is run. Because there is no room for democracy within authoritarian religious organizations such as the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is also very interesting to see the religious association’s lawyer compare it to the Catholic Church, especially in light of the huge criticism of the Witnesses against it over the years.
On the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ website, you can read that Jehovah’s Witnesses do not participate in any political activity, they do not run for office and they do not vote. The basic premise of democracy is that everyone is guaranteed the right to vote and that everyone has an equal say in the affairs of society. Article 64 of the Constitution of Iceland states: “No one may be deprived of civil and national rights because of his religion, nor may anyone be exempted from general citizenship because of that.” Everyone is free to stand outside religious associations. I would be extremely interested in receiving a legal opinion on whether it is permissible for religious organizations to prevent their members from exercising their constitutionally protected right to vote and run for office. Namely, rights do not only apply the other way. Of course, religious organizations should have space to practice their religion in modern society. What religious organizations do not have room for constitutionally protected rights of their members is breaking the law.
And now I assume that you Jørgen would answer this by saying that the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses does not control whether individual congregation members decide to vote, run for office, exclude family members, or celebrate birthdays or Christmas. That this is a personal decision of the individual. But with a very basic look at the website of the Jehovah’s Witness Association, it is very obvious to see what decisions the association expects individuals to make and what consequences it can have for individuals within the congregation if they do not make the “right” decision. And we all know what happens to those who don’t make the “right” decision, don’t we Jørgen? In Chapter 18 of the Congregation Elders’ Handbook, which covers matters that may concern expulsion, it is clearly stated that violating Christian neutrality is grounds for expulsion, and when reading the congregation’s website, it is obvious that participating in elections falls under that.
Hate Speech
Hate speech is generally defined as any form of expression, oral or written, that spreads, incites, promotes or justifies hatred based on intolerance. In addition, there must be an intention to promote hatred of a certain group and some kind of motivation to be able to talk about hate speech. There are countless examples of that on the website of the Jehovah’s Witnesses religious organization, where former members and other “enemies of Jehovah” are written about and how they should hate and attack or kill the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Although you write on the website that former witnesses hate Jehovah and the congregation, that is not a fact. Most, if not all, of us who are outside the congregation have loved ones within the congregation with whom we wish only good and wish to be able to have a healthy and good relationship. Most of us experience deep sorrow at having to mourn our relationship with living people who are still inside the religious community. When news comes of incidents like the one in Hamburg, we are no less saddened than the witnesses. In the discussion here in Iceland over the past year, I have not come across anything that is encouraging hatred or violence towards the Witnesses. People’s experiences are only being told and demands are made to ensure that religious organizations follow the law on registered religious organizations, which states that registered religious organizations must not commit anything that is contrary to good morals and public order. The experience of many former witnesses is that the religious association of Jehovah’s Witnesses does not fulfill this provision, and in a democratic society we are allowed to point that out.
I ask you, Jørgen, to provide an example of hate speech from the discussion that is being quoted here. The religious association of Jehovah’s Witnesses often resorts to accusing former believing Jehovah’s Witnesses of hate speech and lies when they tell about their experiences with the congregation. It would be nice if, instead of attacking former members, the Jehovah’s Witnesses could look at what has gone wrong and find ways to prevent people from reliving the things that the Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t want to talk about.
Therefore, resolve in your heart that you will never even touch the poison that apostates want you to sip. Heed the wise but firm commands of Jehovah to avoid completely those who would deceive you, mislead you, turn you aside into the ways of death.
Therefore, resolve in your heart that you will never even touch the poison that apostates want you to sip. Heed the wise but firm commands of Jehovah to avoid completely those who would deceive you, mislead you, turn you aside into the ways of death.
Apostates who hate former associates in Jehovah’s service no longer have such fellowship with God and Christ.
Our attitude toward apostates should be that of David, who declared: “Do I not hate those who are intensely hating you, O Jehovah, and do I not feel a loathing for those revolting against you? With a complete hatred I do hate them. They have become to me real enemies.” ... Apostates capitalize on errors or seeming mistakes made by brothers who take the lead. Our safety lies in avoiding apostate propaganda as though it were poison, which in fact it is.
I wonder, could it be that the Religious Society of Jehovah’s Witnesses engages in hate speech against its former members? For example, when a member of the governing body, in a speech about former members and other “enemies of Jehovah”, reads the following Bible verse: “But the wicked will perish, the enemies of Jehovah will disappear like blooming meadows, they will disappear like smoke.” Lights a match, blows it and laughs. What is he implying? You know I experience this as hate speech towards me and all other former witnesses. That someone wishes me to burn and disappear like smoke! Former Witnesses, in addition to being ostracized by everyone they knew, repeatedly have to endure being called “liars,” “fornicators,” “enemies,” “bad company,” “Satan’s team,” “adversaries,” “evil works”, we are said to “hate” the witnesses, “opposed to all good”, “deceitful” and so on. All because we choose, as is our constitutional right, to stand outside the Jehovah’s Witnesses religious community. I can’t see any better than you are completely responsible for the hate speech. And I prefer not to go into how your website attacks other religions, gay people and just the world as it is, because that is a topic for yet another article. It is a huge ambivalence on the part of the Jehovah’s Witness religious community, to claim tolerance and respect, when in words and actions it has repeatedly shown that it has neither tolerance nor respect for others in society. And please note that I am talking about the Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, not individual witnesses, because within the congregation there is a huge group of wonderful people who can certainly show both tolerance and respect. I make a big distinction between the religious community and its members who have no way of influencing the way the religious community is run.
Discrimination
Discrimination is defined as any kind of distinction, exclusion or preferential right based for example on race, colour, sex, religion, health, age, disability, political opinion, national origin or social status. In Iceland and in many other countries, this kind of discrimination is illegal. The Jehovah’s Witnesses practice violent discrimination against former members that has destroyed countless families and left victims with extremely deep psychological scars. If you look at the numbers published by the Jehovah’s Witness Association itself, you can see that approx. 1% of members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses religious community are expelled annually. There are about 80,000 people worldwide, of which 2/3 will not return. This translates to more than 1 MILLION climbing individuals who are subjected to exclusionary violence by Jehovah’s Witnesses. More than 1 MILLION individuals experiencing deep grief and various trauma-related issues. More than 1 MILLION individuals who can expect at any time that, for example, meeting a person at work who, when you greet the person like everyone else, tells you that since the person is a Witness, they refuse to have any contact with you.
A common response from the Jehovah’s Witnesses Religious Association is to say that it is up to the individual to decide if and how they relate to other people. That is certainly true, but in a controlled religion like the Jehovah’s Witnesses what matters is what the members are “recommended”. In chapter 12 of the religious association’s elders manual, which lists the types of behaviour that can lead to the expulsion of individuals from the congregation, it is written, among other things, about contact with former congregation members. An informative read to say the least, but primarily a sad read in my opinion, which shows in black and white that it is absolutely not up to each individual within the congregation to decide whether or not to have contact with people whom that person has seen as friends and relatives. The following sentences taken from the Jehovah’s Witnesses website say it all:
No communion at all with these persons that are disfellowshiped or put out of the congregation.
... withdrawing from an unrepentant wrongdoer protects us and the rest of the congregation from spiritual and moral contamination and upholds the congregation’s good name.
I encourage the Jehovah’s Witnesses to keep in mind the words of Jesus when he said, “Whatever you want other people to do to you, do the same to them.” Then there would be no newspaper articles or discussion about the fact that within the Religious Society of Jehovah’s Witnesses religious violence thrives.
Iceland wishes to ensure that all children in Iceland enjoy their childhood as stipulated in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which has been ratified in this country. I would argue that children who are now growing up within the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses are at great risk of severe emotional abuse because of the environment in which they are growing up.
Comments are welcome.