Homo economicus’ Weblog

It has been a while since I wrote a blog. So a nine hour train journey from the West Country to the Midlands (thanks to Sunday engineering works) gives time which can be used to, literally right this wrong in a write way.

So a good place to start are comments which I have now gone through and approved. As usual the Jose Mestre and Jehovah’s Witnesses stance on blood transfusions has the most comment.

In the Blood

To have a substitue for blood in a critical blood loss situation would be brilliant; at the moment though it is only valid for minimal loss.

Health risks are nothing compared to being dead. Especially with death being a fatal condition with no after life healthcare coverage.

This is where my criticism of the religious refusal kicks in. As one who for many years was involved in going door to door in ministry work I do know the theological position, as I mention in another blog. The criminal act of letting your child die rather than give medical treatment, which gives them their only chance at living, is somehow countered with an after life faith in the resurrection. That spiritual care in whatever form has a priority over the material one.

The supernatural has no part in examing the best medical care for your child. A parent has no right to enforce their religious belief in this regard – their duty of care first and foremost is the life and physical well being of their child. Not what their interpretation of a text tells them.

Peace Out

Much as love, peace and understanding are good things the unnecessary death of a child cannot be allowed by a tolerance of religion or agreement that parents may give religious instruction to their children. It is a medical matter, and needs to be thought of in that way.

As to adults making the choice, it is their life to end as irrationally as they wish. In the same way that I can criticize that choice as being morally wrong, not with accord to the teachings of Jesus. The waste of a life, only serving as an example where belief in religion allows people to do things which for any other reason would shock more people to outrage.

My ability to tolerate belief is in the freedom of religion. That does not grant the liberty to inflict harm on those unable to reason for themselves with the ommission of medical care.

Comments

Thanks for the comments, keep them coming (whether you agree or not). When not on a train will link to the ones I am responding to here.

But please bear in mind two key points:

Argue with my points rather than personal comments – and if you do not know what a Homo economicus is think economics rather than sex.

Thanks guys …

Mentally it is a traumatic moment when you realise that the Jehovah’s Witnesses are not of god. While you may think your first thought is of freedom, to think for yourself and not be told what is right, and to celebrate life without constantly thinking of the pagan significance of symbols, your first reaction is one of abject horror that your belief is false. Because it felt so much like truth, and the mysteries of the world you understood.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the cage you were in felt comfortable. Your life was dedicated to Jehovah’s will to share the good news and save as many people as you could before Armageddon. Which was as real an event to me as tomorrow’s sunrise. When you step out of that cage you are seeing the world through new eyes. The framework by which you judged social interactions, based your daily routine is gone. You have to reinvent yourself. You have to understand the world anew.

The shock is that you find out who you are – rather than who you thought you were, a serf of god. I had been out of Secondary School since the first year learning at home (which is to say I read text books – home schooling sounds like I had teaching resources and a teacher) having prepared myself for a life of ministry work as a pioneer. Which is to say a missionary. Blown out of the water, with two years of secondary school left I realised that to have any opportunity in life I needed qualifications – I needed to go back to school. Back where I had been bullied as a Jehovah’s Witness.

Yet despite all this, the instincts you develop die hard. For example I still considered Christmas and birthdays incompatible with Christian teaching – and the Trinity and divinity of Jesus to be in error. The one good thing about that skepticism of other Christian teaching is that it stopped me and my mother joining the born again Christians or Mormons who were waiting in the wings to snap us up. I would wish to say we were wary of being fooled again, but the reality was we just wanted to come to terms with things for ourselves without someone trying to guide us to an answer. We wanted to figure it out for ourselves. In essence we believed in Jehovah, not the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

That helped me because the reason why we left was my inquiry into the past teachings of the Watchtower – designed to furnish me with answers on life the universe and everything, which instead revealed false prophets and changed doctrines. Now I was free to read books that were not published by the Watchtower Society, prevented because they would mislead you from the truth and also the time it took up reading Watchtower publications for meetings. As I have mentioned, I read Douglas Adams Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy in secret because elders considered it inappropiate reading. It got me thinking how the earth came into being and how you would prove god was the cause.

Part of getting over the horror was to learn about the world, and to reason for myself rather than be told this is the truth and that doubt is wrong. Time is an important healer. Going back to school, and joining a tennis club meant that social interactions which had been limited to Jehovah’s Witnesses in the past became more natural. Especially when trying to save people was not going to be part of the conversation.

Taking part in the school play gave me an adrenaline rush I had only ever experienced giving a talk in the congregation – but I felt part of a community. It was possible to be in a social network, even with people with different backgrounds and beliefs to yourself. Hard as it may be to believe about adolescents, sinning and having a good time were not the only considerations of people my own age – people did volunteering, others were getting over dysfunctional families with a dignity and strength that I thought only the holy spirit and not human will could give.

Down to the bookshop, while studying at 6th Form, I decided that what I needed to know was why there was life in all its variety. I had been taught to be a creationist, that evolution was wrong and how Satan took people away from the truth. Now I had an opportunity to actually read a book on evolution by a scientist – and the only one I knew was Dawkins thanks to Adams. The store assistant suggested Richard Dawkins “Blind Watchmaker” – which was perfect because before the Jehovah Witnesses (we started studying when I was eight) I had been into computer programing on my old Spectrum, so the fact that Dawkins was running programmes to understand evolution fascinated me.

There was considerable anger about how I had been taught to observe the world, and a recognition that one reason for belief had been terror about what the world would do to me without god and the need for approval from the congregation. It would be fair to say that the congregation was my surrogate father, with my parents divorced, teaching me right and wrong and being my role model. This anger was the final thing that made me burn that bridge to nowhere which accepted the dogma without the faith in organised religion. It broke the tethers of affection that I had as a child.

Yet I wanted it to be true. So while being agnostic going into University, I still hankered for a benign all powerful being that may yet make the world a better place – I just did not see the  evidence for such a being. Because whilst I now appreciated the human spirit, I still considered civilisation to have been a failure in the problems facing humanity.  Reading Bertrand Russell helped with that. Education is a wonderful thing – while expectations may make us feel that the world is a miserable place that does not live up to them, when you consider where we have come from the human story is one of hope and resilience against the odds. Finally there was a sunset on the delusion of a god that could, but not yet.

Yes there are grave dangers and social problems, but that is nothing new. We are best placed to face them like never before. There is an alternative to a benevolent hand from another dimension saving us. We actually do not have a choice in this regard – which may just make us realise that science, technology, research and education are vital for human survival as they are for bettering ourselves and our way of life. Religion should not get in the way, either by diverting our attention or corrupting the education process.

OTHER BLOGS:

Me and Douglas Adams (outline of life in the Jehovah’s Witnesses)

What was it like with the Jehovah’s Witnesses? (a week in the life of a Jehovah’s Witness)

Are the Jehovah’s Witnesses a cult?

Mothering Sunday – Mother’s Day (an example of how you deal with a celebration you cannot partake in)

Not just the catholics with child abuse covered up

It has been a rather long time since I blogged anything specifically about the Jehovah’s Witnesses. However, if you want a in depth analysis of the technique used in selling the faith to you then  check out this blog here.

To summarize, as you can imagine it is about introducing themselves, telling a narrative (crime, pollution etc) and closing a deal that the bible has something for you to meet these concerns. You can buy into this at no cost no risk – with a free book and at some point a free bible study. Of course the not celebrating birthdays, not voting, and keeping company with fellow believers while being on watch for none believers can wait as you are sucked in to the promise that you can live forever on a paradise earth because the bible tells you – but only with the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

They are the ultimate salespeople. Trained how to preach the word, they sincerely believe in the faith they are selling you. Though of course that is not how it sounds at first – rather it is like they are offering an education into what the bible offers. The rest will come later.

While I have discussed whether they are a cult or not the blog mentions this point:

Witnesses are presented with an elite social milieu, a feeling of certainty, and a hope for better things. These are things that most people dearly want to find. It takes great bravery to give it all up.

It is exceedingly difficult to face this challenge alone. If you have decided to leave the Witnesses, your first priority should be to find whatever support you can get, through books, articles, web sites – and people. As you move away from your “new” life into a newer one, you will find that the world is not as shadowy as the Witnesses have led you to believe. Love is everywhere, in many forms.

Be careful, though, that you don’t leave the Witnesses and jump into yet another controlling group (religious or otherwise). Take your time, and always remember the dictum: Tout ce qui brille n’est pas or – not everything that shines is gold.

Think for yourself, and keep asking questions.

I could not more agree, and if you are in that situation please get in touch. Because you are not alone in having gone on that road to come through the other side.

OTHER BLOGS:

Jehovah’s Witnesses (blogs under category)

Personal story in the JWs

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Adam and Amanda Hustler

Danielle’s parents told her to end her relationship with Jonathan Cook because he was not a Jehovah’s Witness. They also fired him from the family business where he had worked since leaving the RAF. A month later, he is accused of entering the family home on Saturday and shooting both parents with a hunting rifle rifle, murdering Mr Hustler.

Mrs Hustler was injured, though it is unclear if she refused a blood transfusion during surgery or just made her religious convictions known that any under circumstances she would refuse one. I am inclined to think it was medically not necessary, and some newspaper editors may be pushing the faith angle that little bit further.

Police laid siege to Cook’s home, in Penzance and police have been unable to question him yet after he apparently tried to take his own life, though that has not been officially confirmed that was how his head injuries came about. The family home is in Porth Kea near Truro, where the other daughter Abigail (16) witnessed the attack.

The good news for the daughters is that their mother survived the incident. The Religion NewsBlog after reporting this makes the case for the Jehovah’s Witnesses being a cult and that their health fades since the 1950s being that of quacks after telling the account of how they opposed vaccinations and organ transplants, and on numerous occasions have flip flopped back and forth on blood products. Thankfully faith did not add to the murder already done by a jilted lover.

I also wonder at the details that are given in the newspaper’s coverage. Do we need to know the value of the family home, that it has 7 bedrooms or whether Mr Hustler’s mother spoke outside her detached house? It sounds like there is a real estate market for property shootings in suburbia.

Thanks to Rebecca for sending me this story from the BBC News site. The court upheld a previous legal ruling that against Miss K’s wishes it was legal for her to be given a blood transfusion, after a hemorrhage from giving birth. Her refusal is based on the Jehovah’s Witness doctrine that a blood transfusion is the same as eating blood and that the blood is sacred unto god.

In many ways the court has upheld reason and science. For one, drinking blood and having a transfusion is not the same thing. It is the only medical treatment that in a critical blood loss could make a difference – there is no substitute that could work in time. To deny medical treatments based on the superstitions of people that were ignorant of biology thousands of years ago is not one that can be held to be reasonable.

However, did the courts have the moral right to overturn a person’s decision on their treatment – even though it is based on ignorance of the human body, superstition and belief in the supernatural? I have argued that a person has the right to refuse treatment, but not for those reasons for their child – that is nothing less than child abuse, and no hospital or court should cave in to such irrationality.

However the only way that I can try and say that this libertarian instinct on individual rights can be overturned would be if the decision of an autonomous, rational, self-willing human being’s judgment on this issue is impaired. That the decision is based on false information, that the decision is based on fear of the local Kingdom Hall, fear of a wrathful god, and the hope that death in this situation is a passport to a paradise earth after Armageddon.

With regards the protocol that the Jehovah’s Witnesses are calling for should a blood transfusion be issued to a believer – I hope this is rejected out of hand. The claims that medical treatment is a personal choice is lost when the clergy are allowed to make representations for their faith. The ultimate decision must rest with the patient and the doctor. Further, the doctor is probably the very first qualified medical person that can explain what a blood transfusion is and how the human body works – free from endless biblical quotations and references to what the great big scary sky fairy has said (attributed).

I have argued that the Jehovah’s Witnesses are a cult (and follow up blog here). In no way can a fully indoctrinated person be said to be autonomous in the situation of deciding to have a blood transfusion. It is not based on an open minded analysis of what the bible means, of independent thought, nor subject to outside scrutiny. To challenge the Society on this issue is to risk disfellowshipping, and those within the organisation that are campaigning do so in the shadows. As an unbeliever, my views can be considered a part of this world run by Satan – indeed according to the super-naturalism of their dogma I could be writing this blog inspired by the devil in the same way the bible writers were inspired by god.

The court’s decision can be supported in that it does not allow for the tyranny on the human mind of ignorant superstition that goes against the welfare of the patient. Because the patient did not consent they have technically not sinned in the eyes of their god – indeed one may rationalise that this is the best outcome for someone in the Jehovah’s Witnesses and that this dogma produces such hypocrisy as a “Get out of Shoal” card.

To refuse the treatment goes against the welfare of the patient, the welfare of their child who would have grown up without her natural mother. It goes against the welfare of society that would be deprived of someone that could make a contribution as a citizen. The only winner with her death would have been superstition and the power of group rule mentality that indoctrinates people to refuse all other things but what the group teachings, and their hegemony in all matters to do with living, nature and cosmology – the total acceptance that the Watchtower and Bible Tract Society knows best the will of god, that his name is Jehovah and that only they will be saved.

I hope that people will one day grow intolerant of people propagating a false view that literally is a matter of life and death. If you do too please consider organising a blood drive as part of the “Blood Challenge – Life Over Death”.

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has just published the above survey which you can view here.

It allows you to compare traditions as well.

A key finding is that the Jehovah’s Witnesses have the lowest form of retention into adulthood with only 37%. Contrast that with Hinduism which has a retention rate of 84%.  Not only that but they had the lowest attendance in further and higher education compared to all other groups at 9% (compared to 27% nationally).

Education is not seen as important compared to knowledge of Jehovah. Education is seen as preparing you for this system of things; what is more vital is being prepared for God’s Kingdom. As such do you make your life choices.

On another blog a christian denoted that public schools in America were left wing, Obama’s supporters being proof enough in their view, and that with the majority of faculty staff being in favour of abortion it was time for a new “Black regiment” and in the Lord’s name take children back out of schools for Jesus.

I would laugh but such thinking nearly ruined my life chances when taken out of school. Such thinking really does ruin people’s lives – and it is time that children are not labeled by a parent’s beliefs and that faith is not allowed to ruin a child’s education.

While I would not accuse all faiths to holding that view of education (most do not) it is important that those that do discourage or belittle education are held to account for it.

In the UK it is Mother’s Day this Sunday (if in the USA do not sweat you have till 11 May 2008 to get it sorted!). The date is not fixed each year as it is based on the middle Sunday of Lent – which in practise means three weeks before Easter Sunday.

This was one of those “pagan” festivals that as I could not participate in being a child in the Jehovah’s Witnesses . Even though honouring my mother would have been nothing more than giving a gift and a card, rather than slaughtering an animal before the Mother of God. The idea is that anything that has a connection, no matter how loose or how far back in antiquity, to worship or honouring of other gods than Jehovah must be avoided as if your life depends on it.

Which incidentally you think it does when you are a Jehovah’s Witness. Especially as a child because you would consider an affront before Jehovah worse than being particularly nice to your Mum on a day “unbelievers” have chosen for that purpose.

To give an example of how that alienates you as a child, when I was having a hair cut the hair dresser asked me what I was doing for Mother’s Day. I tried to be evasive but he persisted and got quite mad at me when he insisted that I buy my mum a card. At one point I feared my ears were going to be cut off as the scissors snipped away ever more quickly as he talked.

Then there was school where we were asked to write a poem for Mum on Mother’s Day. Thankfully I got around that by writing a poem that did not contain Mothering Sunday etc – just a general poem that you could give your mother whenever.

The issue is that I had to be careful – not only because my mother would notice any faults of mine with regards to faith. The ultimate policeman watching me was Jehovah and I really wanted to please him, and I was thankful I knew how to. Saddened that no one else seemed to be so keen to know or learn that which the Society taught.

A child does not know any better and will follow whatever seems to please those in authority in order to avoid sanction and get gratification. But I had my own reasons that went beyond that – I really believed that the generation alive in 1914 was going to be around when Armageddon came. The elders and Watchtower publications said that during the 1980s. I thought they knew what they were talking about. I wanted to live; I wanted to be a survivor, and I believed what the adults that I spent most of my time with told me.

Some things in the past are easily left behind, but not forgotten. Because how you behave over Christmas, birthdays, Easter, Mother’s and Father’s Day is a cause to divide you from other kids – and those outside your faith. It is used as an example that they are “bad associations” that do not know the way. I can assure you that the Society does not make up for children with the lack of fun unless you get a sense of justice done when the end of the system of things comes and kills everyone you ever knew outside the Kingdom Hall.

Frankly that terrified me that most people were going to die, and would be fighting God’s people till the battle was won. Such are the visions that get put in your head, and that 100% conviction in what the Society, and only what the Society tells you, will save you when Jesus comes back.

On that note going to write out my card. My Mum seems to be going through a desire to see environment disaster movies. So this weekend a triple bill of “Twister”, “Deep Impact” and “Dantes Peak” on DVD - my gift to someone who matters every day but especially on Mothering Sunday.

Regular readers of this blog will know my opposition to Jehovah’s Witness dogma being enforced on a child who would be refused a blood transfusion that may be the best, and possibly in a critical blood loss situation the only, treatment that gives them a chance at survival. The principle derived here is that a parent cannot enforce the consequences of their religious belief on a child who may as an adult choose to reject that religious belief, let alone a life or death situation.

Where do I stand on faith schools then? Well I have to start with the fact that my mother pulled me out of my first year of Secondary School (High School) when I was 11 years old because she firmly believed as a student of Jehovah’s Witnesses that the end of the World was coming – the generation of 1914 would still be alive when the Second Coming would happen as taught by the Society. Also, I wanted to read a book – The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy – which was blasphemous because it suggested that an alien race built the earth for mice (for more on that read here). The school curriculum approved it but my mother did not.

So I was pulled out of mainstream education and taught at home for the next three years. This involved studying the bible and reading Watch Tower and Tract Society books such as Live Forever, The Bible God’s Word or Man’s?, Life How Did it Get Here by Evolution or Creation, Revelation and many other works that were pumped out by the Head Quarters. The parents of others were so impressed at what I knew of the bible and teachings that they considered making similar arrangements for their own children.

I must point out that this is the United Kingdom we are talking about here – this is not an outback in the sticks. Throughout the three years an inspector visited twice – and each time he was impressed by my good manners, ability to quote scripture and talk about world events (which I watched intently for signs of the end of the world, though I did not mention that to him).

Thankfully, my intense studying allowed me to read the original publications of Russell and Rutherford – and the full horror of how I had lived my life hit me between the eyes. That this was a man made organisation that had believed in many things which had not come to pass. The internet did not exist then, and the ease by which you can find out about the history and even read the scanned book pages that I actually read in the original volumes makes me marvel that the organisation still barely hangs on. The power of the meme is one to be reckoned with.

I mention this because from talking to people that went to Church of England or Roman Catholic schools the experience was very different. Education did not suffer – evolution was for example taught, as was languages and science (things that suffered under my home tuition which was actually me being self taught). That faith schools have on average supposedly higher grades is one reason the Labour Government has been a supporter of them. Schools of a religious character are in demand by parents.

My concern though is that segregation of any kind is wrong. To divide people on sectarian grounds is not the way to have a community that understands the differences that make up the whole. Also I am concerned that religious education – which I think vital – is not one that is properly a part of the curriculum. It has to be taught, but there are no standards on how it is taught as it is not included in the National Curriculum.

Religious prayer for children is actually a legal requirement on schools in England. However parents can opt for children not to attend Religious Education lessons. For me I find it odd that the State should legally require a religious function to be carried out by a school – such as school prayer – but say that learning about other faiths is not compulsory.

The main contention is that it seems that parents are reinforcing their religious belief on children. On this score I have to make clear that I am not suggesting that religious parents to do not take their children to church, or tell them about their faith. But the faith most people have is based on where they are born and who their parents are – it is factors that have nothing to do with the choice a child makes. My contention is that children should be aware of other faiths, and be brought up to be capable of independent thought and critical analysis.

That is not because I want all children to become atheists when they grow up. But I want them to have the choice, with the best information at their disposal and the faculties to understand what they believe. To genuinely believe something is to appreciate and understand something – most tenants of faith are beyond the comprehension of a minor and even many adults have difficulty expressing certain aspects of dogma. As such they are children of faith parents – they have yet to reach an age where they have made an informed choice.

To put in perspective no one would say of Socialist parents that their child is a socialist child. There is no school of Socialist character where children in addition to learning the National Curriculum learn about the great traditions of the Labour Party, the leaders and policy through the ages. A mention is made of other political parties and philosophy but the school reflects the foundation of a mainstream political philosophy.

We would be aghast at children going to such a school, let alone one existing. Children are too young to choose such political ideology. Partisan politics is something kept out of the classroom. Yet we treat religion very differently. While the principle – a religious school or an ideological school – are similar the main difference is one of history. The Church of England was the provider of education before the State was. It should be noted that ideological education really developed more in higher education (think of the founding of the London School of Economics) with universities having a left or right wing reputation. Even then that campus distinction is not so marked now compared to the hey day of the 1960s unless you come across a particular lecturer that makes their feelings clear.

The other is should we allow all faiths to have their schools? For example suppose that the Jehovah’s Witnesses could start their own secondary school – would it have been alright for me to have gone there instead? The National Curriculum would have been taught up to standard so the school stayed open, but there would have been extra religious classes. I wonder if there would have been one entitled “The ever changing date of Armageddon in religious thought”?

The issue for me is that religion is for the private sphere not the public sphere. State education should not be financing religious establishments, and schools should be centres of learning not of a religious character. A school should be made up of students not selected on the basis of who their parents are. Religious education is one that should be taught as an appreciation of culture, literature and differences in thought among people – without this differences cannot be appreciated.

As such I would not want to see any more faith schools opened. I am concerned that because faith schools receive tax payers money and then additional money from their Church means there is not a level playing field of resources for State schools. I wonder if faith schools are chosen because they are on average better resourced and are considered in higher regard rather than because of the religious devotion of their parents (who according to the media are prepared to go to church and read up on the faith to pass the interview for selection – even move to the right catchment area).

We have been left in this country with an anachronism in the education system. Either we allow all faiths to provide education if they can do so allowing society to become further segregated. We would not allow this on racial lines, political lines, social class lines. We do for religion. It is time we seriously considered that if we do not take this issue seriously we will end up with more faith schools that make our nation even less tolerant and more divided.

And the elephant in the room is even more accepted despite the damage wrought in it’s name.

The links below are to a debate about faith and religion in schools as on The Big Debate which Richard Dawkins took part in with others on the panel:

http://richarddawkins.net/article,2194,Richard-Dawkins-on-The-Big-Debate,Richard-Dawkins-Jonathan-Dimbleby-BBC

http://www.teachers.tv/video/24057

It seems that my blog describing my experience as a child in the Jehovah’s Witnesses has caused a reaction, and here I will reply to an e mail I received from Tiffany.

Watchtower Publications

It is absolutely correct to say that reading Watchtower publications is the main reading material of a Jehovah’s Witness. More so than the bible. The claim to aid study of the bible is fine – until you realize that different editions of the same publications can have differences in theology – with no mention in the preface.

Examples – The Live Forever book mentioned that those destroyed in Sodom and Gomorrah would be resurrected on the Day of Judgement. A new edition changed this to they would not be resurrected as they had already been judged. Both interpretations had scripture.

A further was the book used in Theocratic Ministry School. The new edition had less pages. The main reason was a whole section in the old that explained that Jehovah was not the accurate pronunciation of the Hebrew god was gone.

The point I am making is that what you read is the publications from the Watchtower and Bible Tract Society – and only them. One publisher to aid in the understanding of the bible. One source. Now that may not be a good idea – good to know where there are differences of opinion. Now to restrict yourself to only one source of information, to have faith in one body that changes its views without recognizing these changes openly?

As to paying for the books – well yes I paid for them from the book shop at the Kingdom Hall – at print costs. Whether that was passed on to the person being witnessed was another matter. That was in the 1980s and I mention that had changed. You inform me that is based on members giving donations (voluntary) towards costs.

Meetings

The times I give include the talks and the socialising that happened afterwards. But I can assure you that Elders and Ministerial Servants do take a watch over their flock. Contributions are noticed – and with four meetings a week pretty easy for all to keep tabs on people. I never suggested that was anything sinister like note taking going on. I am sure they could see the spiritual development, and make judgements.

Isolated

Now the lack of socialising at parties, Christmas, Easter, pancake day, Valentines and anything else that remotely resembles ancient pagan practice you cannot participate in. As a child that proved very isolating.

As a citizen you do not vote or participate in government. Because this system of things is part of Satan’s world. Again, this view of society is one that isolates.

Bad associations spoil useful habits – I was constantly being told would Jesus hang out with these people? Which considering the people he did hang out with seem ironic. But it led to being isolated from people that were not part of the faith.

Women

The head covering of women while leading prayer in the presence of a brother is not one of respect. It is one of submission of one gender to another. Now not everyone embraces the idea of gender equality. For example only men can be Ministerial Servants or Elders. To defend this on bible principles is to suggest that we cannot move pass the views and prejudices of bible writers. Nor reason for ourselves. Or discuss that the Jehovah’s Witness dogma could be wrong? Yet time and revision has shown that to be the case.

Jehovah’s Witnesses a Cult?

This description at the end of my blog upset you. Now in simplest forms denying the divinity of christ would make the JWs a cult of christianity. But my meaning is more this:

CULT – Any group which has a pyramid type authoritarian leadership structure with all teaching and guidance coming from the person/persons at the top. The group will claim to be the only way to God; Nirvana; Paradise; Ultimate Reality; Full Potential, Way to Happiness etc, and will use thought reform or mind control techniques to gain control and keep their members. This definition covers cults within all major world religions, along with those cults which have no OBVIOUS religious base such as commercial, educational and psychological cults. Others may define these a little differently, but this is the simplest to work from. THE ‘ORTHODOX BIBLE-BASED CULT’

A group is called a cult because of their behaviour – not their doctrines. Doctrine is an issue in the area of Apologetics and Heresy. Most religious cults do teach what the Christian church would declare to be heresy but some do not. Some cults teach the basics of the Christian faith but have behavioural patterns that are abusive, controlling and cultic.

This occurs in both Non-Charismatic and Charismatic churches. These groups teach the central doctrines of the Christian faith and then add the extra authority of leadership or someone’s particular writings. They centre around the interpretations of the leadership and submissive and unquestioning acceptance of these is essential to be a member of good standing. This acceptance includes what we consider non-essential doctrines e.i. not salvation issues (such as the Person and Work of Christ.) The key is that they will be using mind control or undue influence on their members.

http://www.religio.de/cudef.html

Now for me the Jehovah’s Witnesses qualify as outlined here and in the previous blog. To be baptized is a very serious commitment. The constant mantra that Satan controls this system of things and bad associations spoil useful habits does control how you behave and interact with people. The chain of command of the whole organization, the lack of debate about doctrine within a Kingdom Hall, that interpretation flows from the top down. And is accepted, even when it changes, as being the will of Jehovah. The format of meetings, repeating what you have already read before the meeting at the meeting, than answering from what you have read - in triplicate - is a great mind enforcer.

The interpretation to die over a dietary commandment to ancient Israelites is one that especially marks out the faith for cult behaviour. The prohibition on blood transfusions makes no rational sense, there is nothing in the bible that suggests that it takes precedence over life and death situations. Prove it goes beyond the kitchen and the plate. It is also a big lie for an organisation that has predicted the end of the world from the founder Russell (in 1905 Abraham, Issac and Jacob were to be ruling on earth) to the generation that saw 1914 would see the end of this system of things when I studied. That too has changed, only that was not so easily put to one side unlike a new edition.

The definition of a false prophet is one that in the name of god predicts something which does not come to pass. To live by bible principle how do you get pass this one?

Deu 18:20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
Deu 18:21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
Deu 18:22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

Naturally I have an unfair advantage. I do not believe that one writer or book or organisation is special or more sacred than another. Ancient superstition does not hold me in the same way because of it nor do I prefer supernatural explanations for things best left to a bygone era. The evidence speaks for itself, and I hope that one day you realise that happiness is not dependent on you having something you call truth or holding to dogma you have no part in forming or questioning. I sincerely hope that you realise that the whole system of the organisation is one that is self serving and depends on you not to be a freethinker or to question – just to believe and help others to convert.

I can respect you – we both have the right to religious freedom and none. But I cannot respect the belief that leads to such inhumane treatment and degradation – legitimising it as being of god’s word.

John

I would define that in terms of meetings, study, witnessing and lifestyle. But it is 24/7 as you will see. As you read please bear in mind I was doing this from the age of 8 to 14.

Meetings (take place once a week)

Bible Study

This is the first form of meeting that you are started with – that could be with two or one person with you in the comfort of your own home. While it is called bible study it is actually reading one of the Watchtower and Bible Tract Society (WTS)publications. The first one I studied with an elder was My Book Of Bible Stories aimed at children. After reading would discuss the issues covered in the book and general chit chat about spiritual matters.

Hours: 2

Group Study

Like a bible study only with a group of people, in my case round an elder’s house. Again this would be reading another WTS publication. The first one I studied there was Life How Did It Get Here? By evolution or creation? Much more social afterwards drinking coffee biscuits and discussing the chapter we had just read (we would all take it in turns to read paragraphs).

Hours: 2-3

Theocratic Ministerial School

This is an essential meeting to go to when witnessing, going door to door, or taking part in ministry. Here you will not only learn theology of the Jehovah’s Witnesses but how to communicate them to people. How to preach with the right inflection, gesture. There would be a main talk, but also now and again you would be a part of a small group with for example an overseer or elder where you would give a talk on bible scripture being examined on one particular point (use of WTS sources, gestures, eye contact etc.).

This used to happen at the Kingdom Hall (i.e. church)

Hours: 2-3

Congregation Meeting (Kingdom Hall)

In effect what you would expect from church on Sunday. Except we met on Saturday (pagan doing that on Sunday!). A visiting speaker would come for the main talk, and we would also read an article from the Watchtower magazine. We would also sing hymns that the organisation had written with lines like: Christ died upon a tree, to set all mankind free.

This was the main event and after the bible and group study you would probably be invited to attend. For example I think I was about 10 when I started going regularly to the Congregation meetings and then the theocratic ministry school ones.

Hours: 2-3

So in a week that was ten hours worth of meetings discussing WTS publications. Now one thing is that when a bible quote is being read everyone would flick to that part on their bible to make sure it said that. I was competitive and wanted to get to the quote before anyone else did – or at least before the rustling of bible pages had stopped.

The format is very similar in each meetings. A paragraph would be read out then a question would be asked which was always in the footnotes of the page related to the paragraph that were numbered. In a bible study you answered all the questions – in a group study you could be called on to answer the question. In the other two main meetings it was voluntary to answer questions but it was noted who was putting their hand up and the quality of your answers.

In short you had to prepare for these meetings – hence me mentioning that life as a Jehovah’s Witness is also one of study.

Study

For the meetings it was essential that you had read the relevant section covered before the meeting. For example say in a paragraph it mentioned a verse in Matthew but did not quote it. At the meeting if you were asked the question and the elder asked you what does Matthew say you may be caught out. There was no fear here – but you wanted to ensure that you knew your stuff. If you could quote relevant bible sources not mentioned that was especially appreciated – such quote mining was what I aimed for. Not so much to look good, but to show I really cared about what the bible said.

As you can imagine the time you would invest in these meetings could be anything. Just reading the publications I would put at about 2-3 hours. But for serious study 5 hours.

Then of course there was the study you would do in your own time. For example each fortnight the new Watchtower and Awake! publications would come out. You would read these – not least because socialising afterwards people would talk about it. The Watchtower was more the dogma publication, while Awake! is more a lifestyle magazine reflecting the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ beliefs.

Then there were other books to read too. Reasoning from the Scriptures was the book to know when going door to door witnessing to people about Jehovah. It covered questions people asked, how to answer them and what scriptures to use. There was also a daily one that meant you would read the bible in a year. Then of course other publications too – especially if you wanted to give them to people on the doorstep. Originally we charged the cost of the book but I understand they are free now to the person on the door but I am not sure if the witnesses still pay for the book to use.

Total hours study a week: 5 -15

Witnessing

This is the bread and butter of being Jehovah’s Witness. Going door to door and saving people. Yes when we went out we thought we were bringing you salvation, the chance for you to call upon the name of Jehovah and be saved. All those meetings and study were aimed at effectively saving your life. That is the motivation, come rain or shine.

We had report cards that we filled in mentioning how many hours we did and what books or magazines we had given away. Also we kept records of responses on the door step and ranked them. For example if someone seemed very interested that info would be passed on to someone that was very effective in starting bible studies. It was organised, with feedback.

Pioneers devoted themselves to spreading the word in this way. It was my aim to become one. I liked talking to people and to save their lives seemed a noble purpose. The hours were about 100 a calendar month and I think there was a very small re-numeration – the sister I knew that was a pioneer had a part time job to keep going. For your hours you could include a conversation you had on a bus, or in a classroom.

I used to do about 4 hours on a Saturday and Sunday plus extra hours witnessing when ever the opportunity presented itself.

Hours: 10

Lifestyle

If you add up the hours you will see that  I was doing over thirty hours a week devoted to being a Jehovah’s Witness as a child. When I started Secondary School I found the extra work load was clashing with my time spent worshipping Jehovah. At the age of eleven I was getting warn out. Not only that but I was being bullied at school because of my beliefs (for more about that please see blog here where I talk about leaving the faith). In the end, believing that the end of the world was near my mother agreed to have me taught at home.

The mindset is the end of days is coming soon. There really is no time to waste because it could happen anytime. Be prepared, save as many as you can.

The other is that “bad associations spoil useful habits”. As a child I was constantly being encouraged to judge my classmates on the basis of whether their behaviour would cause me to fall away from Jehovah. That, and not celebrating birthdays, valentines, christmas, easter and not having much time to socialise outside the faith generally meant that I successfully isolated myself from my peer group. One that I did not have much time for anyway.

Additional get together included twice yearly regional conventions where speakers would turn up, and once a year national convention usually where a new book would be launched. These meetings and networking did invigorate you in your faith.

The lifestyle of a Jehovah’s Witness is 24/7. It impacts in how you intereact with people, the decisions you make and the time you have. The teachings are constantly being reinforced with regular meetings and personal study. There is no time for outside inquiry – indeed that would be frowned upon as the world belongs to the evil one. You cut yourself off from the darkness and trust in the Watchtower and Bible Tract Society being the only source of truth in this world.

Are they are cult? Yes in terms of the indoctrination and the way they isolate you from society. They may not be aiming to fleece you of your money, but they will take something of far more value

Your life.