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.
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.
Written by Lester Somrah - September 30, 2023
For years, the 1st symposium of the Saturday Morning of every convention has been about providing guidance to Jehovah’s Witnesses in the audience on how to become better at recruiting non-Jehovah’s Witnesses into their religion. In the 2023 convention this recruiting activity/ritual is connected to being patient in four (4) areas - When Preaching, When Teaching Bible Students, When Encouraging One Another, and When Serving as an Elder.
We are also offered a peek into the recruitment process of how person moves from celebrating birthdays and Christmas to becoming a staunch Jehovah’s Witnesses lacking critical thinking skills and the ability to think for themselves.
Below are two (2) areas I found important to this review.
When Preaching (via the door-to-door activity)
The responses of non-Jehovah’s Witnesses to the efforts of Jehovah’s Witnesses to recruit them into their religion can vary widely. Some may be receptive and respond quickly, while others might take longer to understand and accept the religious beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In essence, patience in preaching involves a willingness to adapt strategies, invest time, and maintain a hopeful and persevering attitude, even when immediate results are not evident.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are advised that it is most effective to preach when people are at home, “when they're most likely to be receptive to the message of the good news” and not when it is it's convenient for individual Jehovah’s Witness to do so. Additionally, Jehovah’s Witnesses are advised to speak clearly and courteously over the telephone; continue writing letters and keep on going back on persons who show any interest in the religious beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
When Teaching Bible Students
Fighting Against False Teachings Together: The analogy at 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 highlights that the true battle (for the student’s mind) is not against the individual being taught but against the false reasonings and beliefs that may have taken root in their minds. As religious teachers and recruiters for Jehovah's Witnesses, your role is not to fight against the student, but to work alongside them to dismantle these ‘false’ religious beliefs and replace them with the religious beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Patience is essential here because it takes time for individuals to come to terms with these new ideas and gradually embrace the truth. Rushing this process could lead to resistance and reluctance to cooperate.
“Overturning Strongly Entrenched” Beliefs: The idea of toppling a mighty fortress as described in verse 4 symbolizes the deeply ingrained beliefs and practices that individuals may hold. Patience becomes crucial in this context because interested individuals are not likely to abandon their long-held beliefs overnight. Like someone inside a fortress, individuals need time and guidance to step out of their comfort zones and find refuge in a new way of thinking. Pushing too hard or too fast could result in resistance or withdrawal.
Guiding the Process: Patience is required as you guide individuals out of their "fortress" of ‘false’ religious beliefs. Rushing the process could lead to unnecessary tension and resistance. It's important to help them find a new foundation in their relationship with Jehovah and gradually work towards overturning these deeply entrenched falsehoods. Patience enables you to build a trusting relationship, allowing individuals to transition at their own pace while providing the necessary support and encouragement.
This 2nd symposiums covers four (4) areas in which Jehovah’s Witnesses are provided with ecclesiastical guidance on showing love and patience. They are Unbelieving Relatives, Your Mate, Your Children and Infirm or Elderly Family Members.
Below are three (3) of the above areas I found important to this review.
Unbelieving Relatives
Jehovah’s Witnesses are advised about the importance of patience, respectful communication, and tactful behavior when interacting with family members and relatives who are not Jehovah’s Witnesses (‘unbelieving family members’). Colossians 4:6 is used to emphasize the need to use gracious words seasoned with salt to effectively communicate and interact with unbelieving family members.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are further told “Your behavior and conduct can often speak louder than words. Living a life aligned with your Bible-based beliefs and values can have a profound impact on those around you, including unbelieving family members. Your consistent Christian actions can serve as a powerful witness and may inspire others to inquire about your faith. Look for appropriate moments to share your beliefs in a subtle and non-intrusive manner.”
Basically, the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses is encouraging individual Jehovah’s Witnesses to “be nice to unbelieving family members” not because they are blood relatives and ought to have a familial relationship; but for the sole reason to recruit them into their religion.
Your Mate
“Marriage mates are the closest of companionship between any two human beings. And being one flesh, marriage mates are fully aware of each other's shortcomings, idiosyncrasies, peculiarities, quirks, foibles, colorful habits, or weird characteristics. … Marriage is a beautiful arrangement that has been set in place by Jehovah God. But the reality is that due to imperfection, we at times will experience challenges within our marriage.”
Married couples are told “we should be committed to one another. We should stay closely joined together, not allowing misunderstandings, disagreements, personal preferences to put us at odds with one another. Marriage is a precious institution set in place by Jehovah God. It's sacred. It must be guarded, protected. In exercising patience in the marriage, we honor the originator of marriage, Jehovah.”
All of the above sounds all mushy-mushy and hunky-dory coming from the sometimes cozy atmosphere of a convention facility. However, the reality is that some marriages of Jehovah’s Witnesses do fail and end up in divorce. I can count about 10 Jehovah’s Witness marriages for the most, that I know failed and ended in divorce, during my time as a Jehovah’s Witness in Trinidad and Tobago.
Another reality is “so what happens when one spouse stops believing in the Jehovah’s Witness religion?” Most times, all the lovey-dovey sentiments previously expressed above, “We should stay closely joined together, not allowing misunderstandings, disagreements, personal preferences to put us at odds with one another”, is conveniently thrown out the window and replaced with dishonest claims at a family court and divorce filings by the remaining Jehovah’s Witness spouse.
One remaining Jehovah’s Witness spouse at the time said:
“I knew what was expected of me. I knew that I was supposed to choose my faith over my husband. I knew that if I had left and divorced him, it would be applauded, congratulated and celebrated by the church. I would then become a “spiritual widow”, attending meetings on my own and I would have to endure the sympathy, pity and morbid curiosity of others in the congregation. But ours had been a happy marriage. I couldn’t do what the church wanted me to do. I couldn’t leave my husband. I chose my husband over my faith.” - Sherrie D'Souza, “I was expected to choose between my religion and my husband”, Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), Australia
Your Children
In this part, a video is shown depicting an adult daughter (‘Olivia’) who “faces a test of faith”.
Olivia, employed at a medical institution, resides with her extremely devout Jehovah's Witness parents, Irene and Max. At the conclusion of a workday, one of her colleagues, a male doctor who is not a Jehovah's Witness, Mark Lewis, requests her mobile number, citing the need for it "just in case any work-related matters arise after hours." As many of us are familiar, this is a classic instance of someone trying to express romantic interest - Mark Lewis is trying to shoot his shot. Below is the video.
I'm not going to delve into the doctor's actions of asking Olivia on a date in front of her sister and sending her text messages a few hours after he obtained her cellphone number. Discussing the complexities of showing interest and dating a female Jehovah's Witness living at home with her staunch Jehovah's Witness parents warrants a separate conversation.
The truth is that the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses has received reports of this real-life situation occurring in the past. It has led to the expulsion of some Jehovah's Witnesses from the religion, with some returning and others choosing not to. This issue is taken seriously by the Governing Body, to the extent that they decided to address it in a video presentation during a post-pandemic convention.
This video portrays a real-life scenario that is commonplace in many Jehovah's Witness households, where adult children who believe are of dating age and seeking relationships with members of the opposite sex.
Observe the immediate reaction of Olivia's staunch Jehovah's Witness parents. They haven't even met Mark Lewis, yet they have already made a premeditated decision for their adult daughter: any interaction with non-Jehovah's Witnesses, especially any attempts by a male non-Jehovah's Witness to date their daughters, will not be tolerated.
This video was featured at the 2023 Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses, one of their annual religious events of utmost significance. For most Jehovah's Witnesses, this video carries significant weight and is regarded as a guiding principle. However, it also conveys a misogynistic message to single Jehovah's Witnesses, particularly female ones, suggesting that they should exclusively date fellow Jehovah's Witnesses of the opposite sex and limit their associations with non-Jehovah's Witnesses. Furthermore, this video starkly illustrates how Jehovah's Witnesses isolate their members and infringe upon their "freedom and right to association." More insights on this topic can be found in the Editor's Comments and the BITE Model sections below and in the Saturday Afternoon Review.
At each annual convention, individuals approved by their local congregation elders, are baptized, thus becoming official members of Jehovah’s Witnesses. These individuals have spent considerable time and effort to reach the standards of Jehovah’s Witnesses to qualify for baptism, including abandoning their former religious beliefs, their former lifestyle, replaced their previous support network [with an exclusive new one comprising only Jehovah’s Witnesses], just to name a few.
Each baptism lecture at every annual convention, for the past few years, now feature interviews with exemplary Jehovah’s Witnesses who have or is presently facing threats/challenges on remaining in their religion. In the 2023 Convention, these interviewees were asked “what pressure did you face shortly after your baptism?”
The interviewee responses can vary for each convention, but I would focus on the responses from the sample convention. Each interviewee had the same response to “what pressure did you face shortly after your baptism?” – individuals who were not Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The 1st interviewee, L'Oreal Edens, said:
“I was baptized when I was young and I faced the pressure to be popular and to be liked by other students at school. Satan saw this and he definitely capitalized on that desire. Unfortunately, this led me down the path of bad association and I began hanging out with the wrong crowd.”
L'Oreal Edens did not say exactly what “to be popular and to be liked by other students” involved. However, she used the words “bad association” and “the wrong crowd”. Most of her listening convention audience are familiar with these two terms.
“Bad association” comes from a bible text that is well-known to all Jehovah’s Witnesses - 1 Corinthians 15:33. “Bad association” refers to acquaintances who do not share and are a threat to the religious beliefs and faith of an individual Jehovah’s Witness (see the video Learn to Reject Bad Association).
If being “popular and liked by other students” involved normal non-legal activities that teenagers would do, L'Oreal Edens viewed such as a threat to her religious beliefs and faith. What stopped her from continuing to “hang out with the wrong crowd” was not the advice from her school teachers or school counselors; but the religious example of another student who was not even a baptized Jehovah’s Witness as yet.
The 2nd interviewee, Scott Gardner, responded in a similar manner, regarding associating with family members who not Jehovah’s Witnesses:
“Mine was association with family. My wife and I moved back to our hometown, specifically to be with family after living out of state for nine years. Shortly after arriving, we got baptized and so being with such a large family in the area, there's a constant pressure, invitations to be with family. We loved our family. We spent time with them, but they're a little rowdy. So we had to limit our association with them. And that left a large void and we were lonely at times.”
Question: Did everyone react the same?
“No, my dad was really upset. Being one of nine, the only time the family got together was the holidays. He put us all through Catholic school and I became a witness. So he was ashamed. He told family and friends that I was a pretty rotten son for a while.”
Question: So were you able to mend things with your father?
“Yes. I realized he loved me. I loved him. It was a matter of spending time. So I went out of my way to really spend some time with him outside of the holidays and being patient. It took a couple of years but we got back to a nice solid good relationship.”
Question: What about the loneliness? How did Jehovah help you in your family with that?
“Jesus' words at Matthew 19:29 rang true for us. “We left fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers”. But Jehovah provided for us by being active in the congregation. We made so many friends. And on top of that, a strong, large, spiritual family brought us in and made us part of theirs. It was such a blessing from Jehovah.”
Scott Gardner probably had a Catholic upbringing and subsequently converted to Jehovah's Witnesses. His newfound faith led him to believe that family members who do not share his religious beliefs and faith are considered "bad association," resulting in limited interaction with them. While Scott Gardner asserts that he spends time with his father on occasions other than holidays, the Jehovah's Witnesses community mandated that he prioritize exclusive association with fellow members of his new faith, individuals who may have limited familiarity with him.
In the 1st symposium, We Recommend Ourselves as God’s Ministers . . . by Patience”, the Governing Body offers a peek into the conversion of a non-Jehovah’s Witnesses individual who already has a set of religious beliefs he/she considers to be true, but considered as ‘false’ religious beliefs by Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Apostasy is defined as follows:
So basically, apostasy is the complete and voluntary abandonment, the act of giving up your current religious beliefs and leaving a religion, whether these are Christian or non-Christian; and subsequently joining or adopting a new set of beliefs or subsequently joining or adopting no religious beliefs whatsoever.
According to the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, on the other hand, apostasy is defined as follows:
Conversion is defined as follows:
Proselytism is defined as follows:
The act of joining or adopting a new set of religious beliefs is called conversion. The act of converting, persuading and convincing someone to change their existing religious beliefs (“overturning strongly entrenched” beliefs - 2 Corinthians 10:4-5) is called proselytism.
Assuming that the definition of apostasy according to the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses is the only correct and true meaning, then the previous statement should be:
So basically, apostasy is the complete and voluntary abandonment, the act of giving up your current religious beliefs and leaving a religion, of which you were thoroughly convinced to be the truth, and subsequently joining or adopting a new set of beliefs which you were “persuaded and convinced” now to believe to be true.
Its like switching fake money for genuine dollar bills or vice versa!!
Every year, Jehovah’s Witnesses create apostates by thoroughly convincing and persuading thousands of persons to apostatize (or abandon) their current religious beliefs and replace them with the religious beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses threads a fine line between using their “freedom of religion and belief” and infringing on the “freedom and right to association” of individual Jehovah’s Witnesses. This is evident from the video shown in the part “With Patience, Put Up With One Another in Love-Your Children”, which basically tells the listening audience that people who do not share their religious beliefs should not be their friends.
This is not the 1st time the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses have promoted this toxic behavior. A similar video was released in 1999, “Young People Ask—How Can I Make Real Friends?”, that portrayed non-believers as people who can cause a Jehovah’s Witness to ditch their religious beliefs.
Both videos are particularly directed to young Jehovah’s Witness adults and highlights a growing fear of the Governing Body that have non- Jehovah’s Witness friend may cause them to question and abandon their religious beliefs – a fear that is ever more present in 2023 than in 1999.
In the Baptism Lecture Jehovah’s Patience Is Our Salvation!, the two (2) interviews were about challenges faced by Jehovah’s Witnesses in having friends and a support network that are comprised by fellow Jehovah’s Witnesses exclusively. No non-Jehovah’s Witnesses are allowed to be part of this support network.
The Watchtower, January 15 1966 said:
“There may be some Christians, young and old, who feel that Bible principles on association restrict them too much; so, for an excuse to associate with undedicated persons or marry them, they will say, “Our congregation is so small that there are no boys or girls with whom I can associate.” Others will say, “In our congregation there is no marriage material available in my age-group.” So they seek association outside the household of faith…. It is far better to have only a few social associates that love Jehovah than to associate with many who may turn you away from God.” – para. 19 & 21, Guard Against Bad Association
Our Kingdom Ministry— June 1989 had this to say:
"One cannot walk with God while running in association with those of the wicked and sick society that approves of everything that God abhors. The Bible warns: “Bad associations spoil useful habits.” (1 Cor. 15:33) Some in the congregation may be inclined to invite worldly acquaintances and unbelieving relatives who have no interest in the truth to social gatherings, thinking that this will encourage them to accept the truth. However, is this wise and in harmony with the Scriptures?
We have been counseled to be cautious in our dealings with men of the nations, unbelievers, and ordinary persons. (See the November 15, 1988, issue of The Watchtower, pages 15-16.) Why should we have unnecessary social contact with people who still pursue worldly ways and who have not become worshipers of Jehovah? (2 Cor. 6:14, 15) Some who are negligent spiritually may seek out others who also hold on to worldly thinking and ways instead of seeking association with mature Christians who could help them become strong in the faith. They fail to appreciate that attendance at social gatherings with worldly, unprincipled people can weaken their faith and corrupt them.—Compare 2 Thessalonians 3:14, 15." – para. 5 & 6, Enjoying Theocratic Association
“Keep Yourselves in God’s Love”, 2016 Edition (a book for persons interested in joining Jehovah’s Witnesses):
“Because some in the congregation in Corinth did not uphold certain Christian teachings, the apostle Paul warned the congregation: “Do not be misled. Bad associations spoil useful habits.” (1 Corinthians 15:12, 33)……How can we apply the principle behind Paul’s warnings? By avoiding close association with anyone—inside or outside the congregation—who could be a corrupting influence. (2 Thessalonians 3:6, 7, 14)” – para. 13 & 14, chap. 3, Love Those Whom God Loves
How to Remain in God’s Love, 2018 Edition (a book for persons interested in joining Jehovah’s Witnesses):
“We must protect our relationship with Jehovah. It is the most precious thing we have. So we avoid being close friends with anyone who could weaken our faith and damage that relationship. Just as we cannot soak a sponge in vinegar and expect it to become filled with water, we cannot have friends who do wrong things and expect that it will be easy for us to do right things. We need to choose our close friends carefully.” – para. 14, chap. 3, Choose Friends Who Love God
Enjoy Life Forever!—An Interactive Bible Course, 2023 Edition (a book for persons interested in joining Jehovah’s Witnesses):
“People who do not love God and his standards are bad association. Play the VIDEO, and then discuss the question that follows.” – para. 3, Lesson 48, Choose Your Friends Wisely
Jehovah’s Witnesses have consistently used their religious beliefs to dictate who their members can and cannot associate with. Having friends and associates “with worldly, unprincipled people can weaken their faith and corrupt them” and can threaten the faith and religious beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Using one’s freedom of religion to tell persons who should and should not be their friends on the basis of one’s religious beliefs is, offensive, immoral and obscene. This is a form of religious discrimination.
The above articles and videos, produced and promoted by the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, are in my opinion, an infringement on the freedoms and rights of individuals to associate. See Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 17 of United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the First Amendment, Constitution of the United States, for further reading.
(See BITE Model of Authoritarian Control by Dr. Steven Hassan for a full description)
“Dictate where, how, and with whom the member lives and associates or isolates." Dictate an individual's' choice of friends based on religious beliefs.
When people think of a cult, they often recall Jim Jones (Georgetown, Guyana) or David Koresh (Texas, United States). These cult leaders isolated their members physically from the rest of the outside world, making them look like hermits or monks isolated in monasteries. Unlike these cults, Jehovah’s Witnesses have created the public perception that they are a harmless and docile religion. However, Jehovah’s Witnesses are much the same as other cults except that they isolate their members and recruits socially and psychologically. These is evident at the Saturday Morning Session of the 2023 Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Social Isolation and Alienation From the Outside World
“Social alienation is a more broad concept used by sociologists to describe the experience of individuals or groups that feel disconnected from the values, norms, practices, and social relations of their community or society for a variety of social structural reasons, including and in addition to the economy. Those experiencing social alienation do not share the common, mainstream values of society, are not well integrated into society, its groups and institutions, and are socially isolated from the mainstream.” - Crossman, Ashley. (2020, October 29). Understanding Alienation and Social Alienation. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/alienation-definition-3026048.
Social isolation and alienation are the equivalent of the term “remaining separate from this world”, “separateness from the world of ungodly mankind” found in the many religious materials produced by the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
I won't extensively explore how Jehovah's Witnesses utilize their religious beliefs to foster social isolation and alienation in this review, as this is a huge topic. However, I will present examples of this in the Saturday Morning Session. This session is filled with examples of Jehovah’s Witnesses who are “disconnected from the values, norms, practices, and social relations of their community or society”.
In the first instance, Governing Body promotes social isolation and alienation of individual Jehovah’s Witnesses in the part “With Patience, Put Up With One Another in Love” - Your Children, with a video of Olivia and her staunch Jehovah’s Witness parents’ cold-hearted reaction toward a non-Witness male employee who wants to take her out on a date, most likely her 1st date at that too.
As mentioned earlier in this review, this re-enactment video is particularly directed to young female Jehovah’s Witness adults. It highlights a growing fear of the Governing Body that having and developing friendships and associates with individuals outside their religious community may cause (and have caused) some Jehovah’s Witnesses to question and abandon their religious beliefs. This is also known as “drifting away” from the faith and developing “a wicked heart lacking faith.” (Hebrews 2:1; 3:12)
In the second example, in the Baptism Lecture Jehovah’s Patience Is Our Salvation!, the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses provided two (2) examples of Jehovah’s Witnesses who have been successful at social isolation and alienation from the outside world. L'Oreal Edens was able to maintain her isolation whist attending high school by not associating with students outside her religious community, even if this meant being alone. Scott Gardner was able to do likewise by limiting his association with relatives and family members who were not part of his religious community.
Lester Somrah writes about the beliefs and practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses on his social media platforms and was baptized as a member in 1998.
The eyes of Jehovah are everywhere, watching both the bad and the good – Proverbs 15:3