That is the title of the local small town newspaper article in the religion section of the newspaper yesterday.
I couldn't believe my eyes, but it is a fairly large article stating everything from how ex-JW's are shunned to how the Witnesses disfellowshipped people for questioning their faith, to child abuse. It mentions the sexual abuse experience of one person, and how she was sexually abused by her BIL, and never dealt with properly within the congregation. It speaks of a local group that has formed to help the ex-Witnesses and anyone who wants to come including current JW's that are doubting, are welcome. The article stated that fear is used to hold ones in.
But the article does make some mistakes, unfortunately. It calls the body of elders the "governing body." It also stated that if you weren't a member in good standing and you had children who died before they reached the age of accountability set by the church, the children's souls were annihilated."
As we know, it is the body of "elders," not the "governing body." JW's don't believe in the "souls" at death dying, but just life ceasing to exist. So any current JW reading those things could just pass the article off completely. I really wish reporters would do their homework.
But the article has a side box with sites that include: Watchtowernews.org, Exjws.net, RandyTV.com, watchman.org, and: ta da!: silentlambs.org/ (which the article describes in detail)!!! It also mentions online groups like Yahoo's "Women Awake."
It discusses a Timothy Campbell, an exJW, who maintains the website, www.beyondjw.com. He bought out that "Honesty can hurt so much that we seek any reason at all to find fault in the information set before us. (When learning the "Truth" is not the truth.) It is for this reason that I try so hard to ensure my Web site doesn't contain any mistakes. It is a very human tendency to find one little flaw and use that to dismiss everything else that is being said."
What Campbell said here is true and that is why I felt that the reporter who did this article was one who should have done her homework better. Those two mistakes she made can shut down someone, JW's doubting in particular, who otherwise would have read the whole article and thought about it. Some will use those mistakes as an excuse to dismiss the whole article for the reasons Campbell stated.
I do intend to write the editor of the newspaper, but I think the damage is done as far as some JW's taking this article at all seriously.
But it is so cool that this stuff has even hit the small time papers. The truth about the "Truth" is really advancing!! It is exciting to watch.
The article concludes with the group contacts name and phone number and email. The group leader screens new members by meeting with them in order to protect the others in the group.
Be informed though, that she, although she studied with JW's for one year, and attended a few meetings, was never baptised. She is now pastor of DaySpring Church (Free Methodist), but due to her experience with the Witnesses "felt moved to create a nurturing environment, a forum for ex-JW's."
Anyone living around the Medina, Wadsworth, Valley City, Brunswick, Strongsville, Berea, areas of Ohio, if interested, you can call Diana Combs at 330-722-2317 or e-mail her at [email protected] if you are interested in joining, or at least exploring the option of joining, this support group.
As Always,
Lindy