" This report focuses on the Jehovah's Witnesses, a pseudochristian sect whose work spans more than 230 countries with more than seven million adherents. Jehovah's Witnesses are widespread and have worldwide fame through their active missionary work. While Witnesses identify themselves as Christians, they deny the fundamental doctrines of Christianity, such as the Trinity and the Incarnation of God. Witnesses categorically disagree with the fact that their movement is totalitarian and destructive. As a former member of the cult for the past ten years, I will try to analyze the ideology of the active religious groups in order to detect signs of guruizm.
Jehovah's Witnesses sincerely believe that their organization is not an authoritarian sect. They strongly emphasize that the head of their organization is not a personal leader - a guru who claims to have divine revelations. They are directed by a 'Governing Body', consisting of equal members belonging to the chosen remnant anointed of God. But do not jump to conclusions. The organization of Jehovah's Witnesses did the classic path of evolution guruizm. As we know, many sects fail after the gurus death, and if not, then either they have an heir to the founder, or the organization itself takes on its role. The motion of the witnesses did a step by step of all these stages.
The founder and first president of the Watchtower Society, pastor Charles Russell, was during his lifetime considered by most people to be the "faithful and discreet slave" whom the Lord has placed over the entire estate. Russell was estimated as the mouthpiece - the tool that God used to restore lost Bible truths. He had an incredible reputation in the eyes of the Bible Students (as Jehovah's Witnesses were then known). He was the author of all false personal prophecy and interpretation of the Bible, which were perceived by Witnesses as divine.
After the death of pastor Russell the reigns of power were seized by a lawyer, Joseph Rutherford, a powerful and tough man. Actually, it was Rutherford who laid the authoritarian image of the organization. He personally supervised the Organization. All false prophecies and theological revelations of the '20s - '30s were his own fabrications. All administrative and theological decisions were made directly by Rutherford. It was during his reign that all the features of this sectarian movement were laid.
After the death of Rutherford, up to the '70s, the sole leadership over the Organization was by Nathan Knorr, the third president of the Watchtower Society. He would always have the last word. His right hand man was the chief ideologue of the organization - Frederick Franz, the one that worked on the creation of its own translation of the Bible under the name "New World".
It was only in 1976 that management of the organization launched a collegial governing body. From then on, all questions were settled by vote, not the sole decision of the president of the Watchtower Society. Ordinary witnesses are accustomed to think it always has been this way. However, this is completely wrong.
As noted by Raymond Franz (a former member of the Governing Body) in his book "Crisis of Conscience", there was a lot of hope for some reforming. However, in essence the authoritarian management style was not overcome. In fact the power of one man was transferred to a group of people, who obediently continued to hold the general lines laid by Rutherford. According to the teachings of the Organization the members of the Governing Body are agents of a progressive understanding of divine revelation and the true interpreters of God's will. To go against them means to go against God. All things which are coming from the Governing Body, the common witnesses perceive as given by God himself. This Body is said to be representative of the collective "faithful and discreet slave", which is used by Christ, to spiritually nourish their ministers. Jehovah's Witnesses are based on speculative interpretations of biblical texts and chronological computations, claim that God chose them in 1919 as His people and leadership of the Organization has given them authority to organize the world preaching to gather those who will be saved at Armageddon. Consequently, personal salvation is possible only in close connection with the management of the Organization.
Consider the specific examples of manipulation of the life of millions of Jehovah's Witnesses:
Blood transfusion. As it's known, Jehovah's Witnesses believe a blood transfusion is a heavy sin. This prohibition they base on the interpretation of the biblical commandments to not eat blood. The witnesses cannot agree to transfusions of the major components of blood: plasma, red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells. However, they may agree to a smaller fraction of blood. I must say that many witnesses do not understand neither the ban nor the ongoing differentiation of blood into components. In addition, some procedures are considered unacceptable to blood (for example, storing your own blood to return it later), while others are resolved (for example, blood sampling for cleaning without disturbing the return channel of circulation). However, unshakable faith in the Governing Body in some cases makes the obedient witnesses choose death. If today's "anointed" decide that blood transfusions are acceptable, all witnesses dutifully agree with this and will allow transfusions.
Alternative service. Until 1996, the leadership of Organization considered the alternative non-military service to be unacceptable for a Christian. The alternative was seen as compromising with the government. The reasoning behind this situation lies in the fact that since this service replaces the military service, it takes its place so is essentially the same. As a result of this scholastic position all young witnesses refusing to serve in the army and even the alternative service were sent to prison. Moreover, many witnesses did not understand this position. However, in 1996, management changed its position and the torture of witnesses ceased.
Disfellowshipping. Leaders of the Organization teach that witnesses cannot communicate with those who have been expelled from the Organization. In the case of excommunication of a close relative, not living under one roof, all contact with them should be kept to a minimum. As a result of these rules, thousands of people have lost family and close family relationships. For many, this was a true tragedy. Attitudes imposed on ordinary witnesses are so deeply ingrained into their minds, that they are stronger than even parental affection for children.
Higher Education. The leaders of the Organization never approved study at higher education institutions. Today, education is strongly discouraged. As a result of such a position a lot of young witnesses have lost access to education. In consequence, many witnesses have engaged in low-wage labour, which leads to financial difficulties, being unsettled in life and depression.
The family and children. The leaders of the Organization have always called for young ministers not to think primarily about the welfare of children. Because we live in the "last few days", kids are a distraction from the preaching ministry. As a result of such appeals, many witnesses were either unmarried, because to make a family you can only marry a fellow believers, or stayed childless. They met their own old age alone. Because of this situation depression is particularly common in vulnerable single women.
Jehovah's Witnesses are charmed by ideas of the Governing Body being divine earth channels through which God guides his people. For example, all print publications and official letters of Watchtower Society are always anonymous. None of the witnesses know the real authors of magazines, but at the same time, definitely trust their contents. This is done by competent and veiled indoctrination. In the case of this organization, we are dealing with a collective guru, who turns out to be a mediator between the believer and God. Witnesses believe that they are free. But they implicitly trust the leadership of Brooklyn, New York, and will welcome any new provision or change of dogma. Sectarian consciousness does not take in even obvious facts, such as false prophecy about the "end of this system" from their leaders. In this case they will certainly say that the apostles were wrong, too, and that leadership was driven by the best motives.
The only way to help Jehovah's Witnesses get rid of this dependence is to show them the facts that the claim of leadership is mere speculation. The creation, development and management of the Organization was carried out solely by the Presidents of the Watchtower Society - the true personal gurus. The doctrine of the "faithful and discreet slave" as a collective group of anointed men, by which Jehovah has been working since 1919, is only a fiction. Ideology and beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses are always controled by a limited and closed group of persons whose activities are completely non-transparent to the ordinary witness. All meetings of the Governing body are held in a strictly confidential environment. The Organization still remains a collective guru for seven million obedient followers of this sect."