Jehovah’s Witnesses claim to have “The Truth” – Do they?

By Richard E. Kelly

Jehovah’s Witnesses often refer to themselves as having “The Truth” – but they also believe that it is okay – and even appropriate at times – to actually not tell the truth. It just depends on who they are sharing that “truth” with.

One of those Jehovah’s Witnesses knocked on my mama’s door when I was four years old. Six months later, Mama was baptized and a dyed-in-the-wool believer and already teaching my siblings and me the loaded language that earmarks the cult-like life of good Jehovah’s Witnesses, or any cult for that matter.

As JWs, we believed that we were the only group with the truth. Anyone who did not believe as we did were worldly people. We were called “publishers” if we went regularly in the field service. By the time I reached the age of ten, I knew what theocratic warfare meant. Mama was particularly adept at explaining how this strategy worked when it was needed, as using it somehow proved we really loved Jehovah.

Mama was especially proud of me one day. It happened after I picked up the phone. The caller was trying to find Mama, as she had been putting some crazy ideas into his wife’s head during their weekly bible study. He asked in a very aggressive tone if my mother was a Jehovah’s Witness. Prepped in advance, I responded with, “A Jehovah who?” He quickly put down the phone.

Mama praised me up and down and told all of her JW friends about my quick thinking. That, she said, was theocratic warfare in action. Deceiving and lying were tools we could use so as not to bring reproach upon Jehovah’s name and His Organization.

When I lived at Bethel between 1962 and 1964, I knew what theocratic warfare meant at the governance level of the Watchtower Society. The Watchtower’s vice president, Fred Franz, was particularly good at pointing out his skills in this area. “Yes, we have the truth, but it was okay to not always tell the truth when dealing with worldly people.”

Vincent Toole: Watchtower legal department, Australia

Vincent Toole: Watchtower legal department, Australia

So when I heard the head of Watchtower’s legal department in Australia, Vincent Toole, respond to whether he was aware of the theocratic warfare doctrine, I was not surprised at his reply. His very misleading response was, “Well, I’ve heard the expression, but I’m not really sure what it means.”

However, times are changing and one of those worldly people, Trey Bundy, is now publicly reporting (very well I might add) about this appalling practice. In fact, Trey’s September 23 article in REVEAL is a must read. You can access it at: https://www.revealnews.org/article/jehovahs-witnesses-can-hide-the-truth-in-court-to-protect-religion/ (Volunteer Guy Jolly has been kind enough to translate Trey’s article into French, which can be downloaded here: TJ Cachent vérité )

Trey Bundy is one of those exceptional journalists who gets it and is not afraid to write about it. I have attached links to other articles and broadcasts that he has written and shared about Watchtower polices that violate basic human rights.

Text: http://www.revealnews.org/article/jehovahs-witnesses-use-1st-amendment-to-hide-child-sex-abuse-claims/

PBS News Hour television segment: http://www.revealnews.org/article/are-jehovahs-witnesses-covering-up-child-abuse/

National radio broadcast: http://www.revealnews.org/episodes/the-secrets-of-church-state-and-business/

Text: https://www.revealnews.org/article/jehovahs-witnesses-cover-up-child-sex-abuse-and-oust-a-victim/

Text: https://www.revealnews.org/article/she-spoke-about-jehovahs-witness-abuse-and-her-home-was-vandalized/

Radio: https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/one-thing-leads-to-another/#segment-shunned-and-shamed-by-jehovahs-witnesses

Follow up on the governing body’s response: http://www.revealnews.org/article/jehovahs-witness-leader-says-child-sex-abuse-claims-are-lies/

Follow up on the Candace Conti Appeal: https://www.revealnews.org/article/california-court-guts-child-abuse-ruling-against-jehovahs-witnesses/

Who are the Jehovah’s Witnesses? : https://www.revealnews.org/article/what-you-dont-know-about-jehovahs-witnesses/


Comments

Jehovah’s Witnesses claim to have “The Truth” – Do they? — 24 Comments

  1. The Mormons do this too. My feeling is that if you truly believe that you or your group are the only ones who have the “truth”, then why tell lies? What are you afraid of if you have the truth? It seems like they have to lie to get people to believe the truth. Something seems very, very wrong with that.

  2. If one marginalizes the opponent, then it’s easier for the ‘superior’ group to victimize its opponent. Prior to WWII, Japan feverishly taught its countrymen that they were superior to the ‘dirty’ Chinese and other Orientals. Marching across the sea, taking islands, enslaving Koreans, killing was vindicated through this false belief. We now see ISIS & other radical Islam doing the same. This is why the Watchtower elevates its followers to a superior group status over the ‘worldly’, “mentally diseased”, “aligned with Satan”, “demon possessed” folks. For Jehovah’s Witnesses who lack self esteem, this elevated pedestal (and wearing suits and dresses and even being on the door-to-door missionary work) is both enchanting and purposeful. To those Jehovah’s Witnesses on the stand, lying to the worldly Royal Commission was vindication that the enemy is worthless . . and that they had the worth of Jehovah’s backing.

    I see the same marginalization playing out on a personal level. My JW relatives continue superior aura in my presence, and make snide comments about me and my family’s actions both in front of us and to other relatives. It’s so easy to see through their lack of self worth.

    • In countries where societal termites such as rapists and child molesters are publicly beheaded, they have a very low incidence rate. Not to mention a no incidence rate of one of these fruitcakes re-offending. They get rid of those that are crazy beyond repair or redemption. As long as we have a male dominated judicial system…men who may have committed similar acts to join high school cliques, and college fraternities who just might be sympathetic or empathetic to these sociopaths, we will have a male society that writes the laws that give perverts legal loopholes. I think too many elders have a lot of junk in their trunks and have committed rape themselves. Why else would they feel sorry for a sexual predator and not want to protect women and children who are physiologically weaker than a man, and especially one with a deadly weapon??? The only reason could be that they get turned on by it and they feel sorry for creep that gets busted.

  3. Watchtower has been going under the radar for many years when it comes to violating basic human rights. Fortunately, Trey Bundy sees it and has the skills and will power to expose this heartless, arrogant man-made organization to the big non-JW world community.

    • When I was in this nonsense for 32 years they had me hating every religion in the world.I used to even hate the Pope. But after this visit of the Pope I consider him a saint compared to this garbage called the governing body. They probably hate themselves and don’t even know it.I am hoping that this child molestation will be their waterloo.Maybe they have preached Armageddon so many times that this may be their own Armageddon.

    • It seems that you have no any idea who is the Pope and his church? Years ago to killed people when you change your believe. Today they have no power and never show The Bible. You have understanding, some, of The Bible with thanks to your own study and the WTC

    • Joanna. At least the Pope has changed and they admit the mistake and apologized for the Child Molestation that the Church hid. The WT has never apologized and they do not change. Also they are responsible for the death of thousands through the blood issue and misinterpretations of the scriptures. They also destroy families over the policy of shunning and cause 1000’s more to have emotional damage and even suicide. They are worse than the Catholic church. I was a Catholic and a I was a JW and the JW’s are much worse. They are a Cult and the Catholic Church is not a Cult. You can interpret the bible and read it on your own and come to your own conclusion as to the meaning and if you disagree with the Catholic Church no one cares or SHUNS you! THE WT is destructive, hurtful, hateful, harmful and a family destroyer and are responsible r for many deaths. Not a nice religion. The fact that someone learned some things from the Bible means nothing. Most Churches teach things from the bible.

    • I am no longer an apostate, mentally diseased,insane,cant think,lover of the world.and many many more. I am not going to be a nice guy any more. A jw came to my home yesterday and I was outside working.He has these 2 comic books in his hands and puts on his phoney smile and says “want me to put these in the door? Because he knows my wife is still a little brainwashed. I told him no. Do not put those comic books in my door.Then I said “when you people start accounting for child molestation then don’t stop no more. He goes back to get into his car and says “thank you” Now you know he did not mean that. What the hell was he thanking me for? This is an act they play to work on a persons conscience.They are like zombies. He pretends he knows nothing about the Australia Royal Commission.They wont admit anything they do. Its always that someone is telling lies on them. I really believe that if the governing body told them that 2 and 2 is 5 they would believe it. But in conclusion. NO MORE NICE GUY. PS–I WAS A SLAVE FOR 32 YEARS.LEFT 10 years ago.

    • Isn’t it odd how you tell witnesses about cases that have already been ruled on or current ones in the news and to go to the court documents that are found online usually in the USA and they refuse to follow any bad press? They refuse to be educated about what is going on. In fact one sister I know, her daughter was being molested by a teacher in high school. She reported it to the police and the whole congregation treated her like a leper. In fact some even reasoned that her daughter had asked for it because she is beautiful. The elders wouldn’t let her daughter get married in the Kingdom Hall because she wasn’t a virgin and in the elders eyes she practiced fornication therefore making her unworthy of a church wedding. They really like to dis-fellowship women when they are raped or girls when they are molested. In fact they are quicker to kick the female victims out before the male predators. This is the downside to not having any women representing women. Recently I watched a disturbing case of an elder in Sacramento, California that was removed as an elder because he stood up for a woman that had been raped and they had disfellowshipped. He was horrified and wanted the society to make changes. Instead the elder body insisted his parents take custody of his kids and run him and his wife out of town. He moved out of state to Oregon and they came after him there. He was at wits end financially, physically, and spiritually and he did not want to see his kids be raised by sexual sociopaths and he shot his whole family and then himself. He felt he couldn’t get away from them.

  4. It is always worth challenging the JWs whenever they come out with that expression “in the truth”. I was talking with some Witnesses in the Market Square in Dover, U.K. and one of them asked me how long I had been “in the truth”. I replied, “About fifty years since I left the Watchtower Society”. I met with total silence.

    • This black brother keeps coming trying to convince me that he knows nothing about all the things that is going on in Brooklyn. I have told him about the UN thing, child molestation and many more- He just stays in his box with no comment on anything I tell him. Finally I said to him xxxxxx”if the governing body sent him a letter telling him that he would turn into a white brother the first of December would you also believe that?” He said yes and that he could not wait until the first of December. He has taken that MD PILL so long that he has a closed mind. This MD PILL has destroyed him. PS the DM PILL is a mentally diseased pill.

  5. This was their Bible reading material from October 6th. It makes interesting reading.

    Jehovah knows those who belong to him.—2 Tim. 2:19.
    In late 1914, some Bible Students were disheartened because they had not gone to heaven. During 1915 and 1916, opposition from outside the organization slowed down the preaching work. Worse, after Brother Russell’s death in October 1916, opposition arose from inside the organization. Four of the seven directors of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society rebelled against the decision to have Brother Rutherford take the lead. They tried to cause division among the brothers, but in August 1917, they left Bethel—a cleansing indeed! Also, some Bible Students gave in to the fear of man. Still, as a whole they willingly responded to Jesus’ cleansing work and made the needed changes. Hence, Jesus judged them to be true Christian wheat, but he rejected all imitation Christians, including all of those found within the churches of Christendom.—Mal. 3:5. w13 7/15 2:8

    Perhaps they should have added the verse from Matthew 24 about counterfeit Christianity.

    • These 8 old men who have never had a job.never raised a family, never had a mortage, never had to worry about a leaking roof, a car that needs repairs,keeping repairs on a home, making sure kids were in school, never had to do things that a family head has to do. Yet they are going to tell me everything about how to run a home.They sit in their undeserved palice of luxrey, servants,travel by airplane, and sit in judgement of 8 million slaves. It might soon be over.Tighten your belts just like us common publishers.You might have to get use to the real world.The MD PILL will not help you in this case., not even kool ade.

  6. May 15, 1976 Watchtower, page 298.
    “It is a serious matter to represent God and Christ in one way, then find that our understanding
    of the major teachings and fundamental doctrines of the Scriptures was in error, and then
    after that, to go back to the very doctrines that, by years of study, we had thoroughly
    determined to be in error. Christians cannot be vacillating—“wishy-washy”—about such
    fundamental teachings. What confidence can one put in the sincerity or judgment of such
    person?”

    Up until 1931 the Society taught that Romans 13:1 referred to earthly governments. Then
    Joseph Rutherford came along and said that this was a “false teaching from the devil” and
    the true meaning was “Jehovah God and Christ” in heaven. Yet in 1962 the Society
    reverted right back to the original teaching that Romans 13:1 refers to human
    governments and is still believed today. According to Rutherford the Society went back
    to a teaching of the devil. Isn’t this “vacillating” like the Society condemns?

  7. I was told by elders not to go to the police to report a rape a brother committed because “they are worldly, and their judicial way is not the same as Jehovah’s.” Also, “if I warned others of this brother’s actions because he did not call over two to three other preferably male people to witness (what is 99.9% of the time done in secret), than I would be labeled a slanderer and that is the same as being called Satan the Devil.” I asked them, “Do you think the person that wrote the two to three witness rule to rape might have had a hatred of women and children and may have raped someone himself?”

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