My conclusions about the mental health concerns in the Witnesses is based on about a dozen studies, some poorly done, and others are much better. Yet all of them conclude that the mental health problems among Witnesses is above average. What my critics need is 10 studies that conclude that the mental health rate is below average. No one has produced such a study. If the watchtower had even one such study they would cite it even more often than they have cited the quote about the league of nations being gods kingdom on Earth. I have responded at length in various places to the criticism of the research on the mental health of Witnesses and former Witnesses. I need to find a way to reference these articles on this site. I will give only one example. A major criticism of one of the newer studies (Spencer) is that his "sample was small" (n=50). Those who claim this do not understand research. An example is, if I did a study of Idiot Savants (a retarded person who cannot function in society, yet has a rare talent such as he can out perform a calculator) and found in every institution in the world there were a total of 10. Then I did a study of them and found their average age (the mean) was 34.4. One who did not understand statistics could try to discount this study by claiming that the sample size was small (only 10 persons! How can this be accurate?). This is not a sample, though, but a population. It is not an estimate, but a fact. The mean is not about 34 or around 34 but is 34.4. A sample is when you determine what the entire US population thinks by interviewing 200 people. Yet even here we with what seems like small samples researchers have correctly predicted every presidential election since the 1940.s (before the election, that is because people change their minds, so one needs to do this close to the election). Spencer did not use a sample but a population. He used every person institutionalized that self reported they were a Witness. I have argued that he underreported the results because in my experience many Witnesses in mental hospitals are not honest about their religious affiliation because they do not want to cause the WT to look bad. More soon (is anybody reading my posts??)
Jerry Bergman
JoinedPosts by Jerry Bergman
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by Jerry Bergman ini have now read the section that deals with me.
all i can say is i am amazed!!!
don't my critics have any concern about the facts???
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by Jerry Bergman ini have now read the section that deals with me.
all i can say is i am amazed!!!
don't my critics have any concern about the facts???
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I am working on it. First you must (and I stress must) read the following to understand what is going on. Bergman, J. (2002). Lying in court and religion: An analysis of the theocratic warfare doctrine of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Cultic Studies Review: An Internet Journal of Research, News, and Opinion, 1(2). http://www.culticstudiesreview.org
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all i can say is i am amazed!!!
don't my critics have any concern about the facts???
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Statements like "But in reality; they are the most miserable people in the world" are hardly accurate and I never said, as one person implied, that all JWs are mentally ill. I wrote the first draft of my book when I was an active Witness and my goal was to help the Witnesses. People have completely misrepresented my work (mostly due to the Watchtower's influence). If you have to face them in court,your opinion would change very fast. They are vicious and totally unethical. I have many court documents that they wrote and I would love to put them online. Most of you would be shocked. How can I do this? I need to talk to a lawyer first as to the propriety of doing this. They are public documents so I can not see a problem. If anyone has an idea let me know. The WT will not like it though. As to Richard, yes he has said many semi-unkind things about the WT but nonetheless he has testified in court and has worked for them (and I was told, but have no direct evidence, that he was paid well). He is an ideal witness for them because he seems objective. I can not imagine a knowledgeable witness reading his article in the German journal and not cringe. I have a 20 page reply almost ready. How can I get it on here??? Someone let me know. Thanks.
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by Jerry Bergman ini have now read the section that deals with me.
all i can say is i am amazed!!!
don't my critics have any concern about the facts???
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Jerry Bergman
You are correct. I was picked on constantly because I was a strict active JW and spent much time Witnessing (and turning off people to them as most Witnesses do). I was called Bible Bergman. I thought the end was going to be in 1975 so let people know they better get in Gods organization or die at Armageddon. I started to question 1975 in about 1970 or so.I got in trouble with the brothers due to this and from then on it was downhill.
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all i can say is i am amazed!!!
don't my critics have any concern about the facts???
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So called Scholars like Singelenberg and Besier are not objective. I have known Richard for over a decade now and he has become an apologists for the WT .I think they pay him to defend them. He has also of late disfellowshipped me and will no longer respond to my letters even though I have 50 or so letters from him in the past. His work on the WT is appalling and I cannot understand how a Witnesses could find him credible. I will do a brief review of some of his work soon and post it. Also, I admit that my German, Dutch, French, Italian, Swedish and a few other languages is very rusty and I included many spelling errors, but I could not get anyone to review this. Although my son is fluent in Spanish (he lives in Europe now) and French, so these sections were better. How many of you are fluent in 10 languages??
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all i can say is i am amazed!!!
don't my critics have any concern about the facts???
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Sorry I thing I left out some reviews. I do not want to do what I claimed others have done
Ken Raines, May 14, 2001,
A must have research tool on JWs
Jehovahs Witnesses A Comprehensive and Selectively Annotated Bibliography by Jerry Bergman, Ph.D., is just that it is a massive bibliography listing written material by and about Jehovahs Witnesses (JWs) and the Watchtower Society from the 1800s through 1999. In addition to listing all known Watchtower Society literature ever produced, it lists everything dealing with JWs from a tabloid article in the National Enquirer to scholarly books and Ph.D theses. It is 'comprehensive' in that it contains, according to the publisher, 'nearly 10,000 references on the Watchtower movement and the dozen or so major schisms' of the Society. The book is 'selectively annotated,' which means many, but not all of the 10,000 references contain a brief explanatory note by the author on the content or focus of the reference (article, book or manuscript). As is typical of bibliographic listings of material, the books references list the author, title, publisher, publication date and number of pages where known. The chapters are subdivided into topics such as reviews of the New World Translation, articles in medical journals, etc. on their blood transfusion doctrine, and so forth. Each chapter and many of the subheadings also has an introductory explanatory text by the author on the chapters subject. These often give advice on what material that is listed would be the best or most helpful to the researcher such as noting what references contain 'material found nowhere else' on an issue. Being a bibliography, this book is not meant to be read from cover to cover like a novel (though I did just that for this review). It is a reference source for further reading and research, a means of finding material on JWs, both pro and con, without spending several decades tracking them down in libraries across several continents as Bergman has done. (In addition to English references, the author also includes references on JWs in other languages such as German.) Jehovahs Witnesses A Comprehensive and Selectively Annotated Bibliography is an indispensable reference for the researcher and writer on Jehovahs Witnesses and their history. If you need a book on Jehovahs Witnesses as a reference source for research and writing, this is the one to have. With nearly 10,000 references on the Watchtower and its history from the 1800s to 1999, youre bound to find much material that will assist your research.Diane Wilson ( [email protected]), an author, March 30, 2001,
This book is like a treasure map!
Who are these annoyingly persistent people known as Jehovah's Witnesses, who knock on our doors bright and early Saturday mornings, disturbing our rare opportunity to get a few extra winks? The person who desires a deeper understanding of this sect will get a jump-start on their search for information with Dr. Jerry Bergman's book. It is an extensive listing of the works written by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (the administrative head of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion), and also a listing of almost every work written by others about the Watchtower Society. His annotations--brief comments about the contents of the listing--are most helpful in narrowing down the publications one is looking for. Dr. Bergman's book is a goldmine--a directive to a wealth of knowledge. It is like a map that directs one how to find the hidden buried treasure. Dr. Bergman has searched through hundreds of libraries for material about the Watchtower Society; he has invested an immense amount of time and effort in bringing his unique book to fruition, thus saving the writer, researcher,and persons interested in learning more about this religious movement an enormous amount of time and work. Some may at first compare this Bibliography to a huge card catalog in a library whose shelves are bare, as many of the publications listed are very old and seemingly unavailable. As it took the author 30 years to compile this listing, one cannot expect to find all the publications under one roof. Dr. Bergman assures, however, that most are obtainable through libraries in the United States, which can be accessed through one's local library on an inter-library loan basis; others can be obtained through the Library of Congress. Much of the older Watchtower Society publications can be purchased on CD-ROMs available from various Christian ministries. In addition to the listings, Dr. Bergman has included a valuable section on the history of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as a very interesting chapter on religions that have their roots entwined with them, 'American Offshoots of the Watchtower Society'. As a Watchtower researcher myself and author of the upcoming book, AWAKENING OF A JEHOVAH'S WITNESS: ESCAPE FROM THE WATCHTOWER SOCIETY (Prometheus:January 2002), I can attest to the value of Dr. Bergman's book.
Also recommended: 'Jehovah's Witnesses and the Problem of Mental Illness'. I also enjoyed 'Blood Transfusions: A History and Evaluation of the Religious, Biblical, and Medical Objections'. Both are books by Jerry Bergman.Carl Olof Jonsson, February 28, 2001,
INDISPENSIBLE REFERENCE SOURCE ON JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
With his work, Jehovahs Witnesses. A Comprehensive and Selectively Annotated Bibliography (Westport, Connecticut, and London: Greenwood Press, 1999), Dr. Jerry Bergman has made available to researchers on Jehovahs Witnesses the most comprehensive bibliography ever compiled on the movement and its many offshoots. The work is 'selectively annotated,' meaning that many of the entries are accompanied by brief but helpful comments on the content. Some other interesting and enlightening features of this work are (1) the lengthy overview of the origin and history of the Watchtower movement given in the Introduction, and (2) the background and historical comments introducing the bibliographies of the many offshoots. Further, valuable information is also given on (3) a number of individuals who strongly influenced the founder of the Watchtower movement, Charles Taze Russell. These include George Storrs, Nelson H. Barbour, John H. Paton, and Maria Russell. The main focus is on publications written in English, the 'mother language' of the movement, but quite a number of publications written in other languages are also listed. For a few of these languages the entries had not been proof-read. These include the Scandinavian languages, for which I noticed quite a number of spelling errors. These should be corrected in the next edition. Were it not for these 'blemishes' (which still are minor ones compared to the book as a whole), I would not have hesitated to give this work five stars. On the whole, Bergmans work is a goldmine and an indispensible reference source for researchers and writers on the background, origin, history, and teachings of the Watchtower movement.A reviewer, a College Professor, February 26, 2001,
A Must for All Watchtower Researchers
This reference work is a required source for anyone interested in researching the Jehovah's Witnesses and/or the Watchtower Society. It includes a listing of just about every book, booklet, article and book chapter ever written about the movement in English - probably almost 10,000 references. It also includes much of the important material in other languages. The work also includes all masters and doctors dissertations (over a hundred) completed in the last 100 years. The author has spent almost 40 years collecting material about the Watchtower for this bibliography. When he was at Bethel he also reviewed their libraries to insure that most of their holdings were also included in his work. In his discussion of the many Watchtower offshoots he includes material found nowhere else in print. Also included is an excellent 29 page introduction to the movement. Many of the references are annotated so the researcher can determine if a work may be useful for his or her research. This work will save researchers and writers a great deal of time and money. -
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all i can say is i am amazed!!!
don't my critics have any concern about the facts???
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This is an example of irresponsible scholarship called selective quoting. The rest of the posts are as follows,
A must have research tool, June 2, 2001
Reviewer: Ken Raines (see more about me)from Everett, WA.
Dr. Bergman's Bibliography it is a massive bibliographic listing of written material by and about Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs) and the Watchtower Society from the 1800s through 1999. It is "comprehensive" in that it contains, according to the publisher, "nearly 10,000 references on the Watchtower movement and the dozen or so major schisms" of the Society. The book represents several decades worth of work by Dr. Bergman in compiling a comprehensive reference listing everything written on or by the Watchtower and their offshoots. In addition to listing every known publication produced by the Watchtower Society since its founding in the 1800s, it lists everything Bergman and his sources have found from a tabloid article in the National Enquirer to scholarly books and Ph.D theses on JWs. The "schisms" or offshoots of the Watchtower are the subject of the last two chapters. For those researching the origins of the Watchtower and C. T. Russell's beliefs, there is a valuable chapter listing the individuals and material that influenced Russell in the Millerite/Adventist movements.As is typical of bibliographic listings of material, the book's references list the author, title, publisher, publication date and number of pages (where known) of each reference. Amazon's Table of Contents link on this page will give you a detailed overview of just how comprehensive this Bibliography is and the material it covers.
The book's references are "selectively annotated," which means many, but not all of the 10,000 references contain a one or two-sentence explanatory note by Bergman on the content or focus of the reference (article, book or manuscript). From the annotations the reader will know what the reference is about and thus if it is something that is needed as part of his/her research. In addition, each chapter and some of the subheadings contain an introductory explanatory text by Bergman on the chapter's material, what it covers, and discusses the most important and prominent individuals involved. These also often include advice on what may be the best, most important, or perhaps the most helpful material in the section for the researcher. Also helpful is Bergman's noting at various places where some of the rare material may be obtained in photocopy or where one can find reprints.
Being a bibliography, this book is not meant to be read from cover to cover (although I did just that for this review). It is a reference source for further reading and research, a means of finding material on JWs, both pro and con, without spending several decades tracking them down in libraries across several continents as Bergman has done.
Dr. Bergman's Bibliography is an indispensable reference for the researcher and writer on the Jehovah's Witnesses and their history. If you need a book on Jehovah's Witnesses as a source for research, this is the one to have. With nearly 10,000 references on the Watchtower and its history from the 1800s to 1999, you're bound to find much material that will assist your research.
The first review of this book claimed that Bergman's annotations "suffer from subjective usage, unfounded or incomplete evaluations, and tabloid irrelevance" and that Bergman claimed the Watchtower was "corrupt" and "inhuman," while some of its teachings were "erroneous" or "wrong" in the annotations. He even said, "An inclination to outright sensationalism can be detected in annotations" and that Bergman could only be trying to stigmatize a "religious minority" by "emphasizing" certain negative material on JWs. In my opinion, this apparently reflects more of the biases and preoccupations of the reviewer than in any defects in Bergman's annotations. It certainly is not a fair or accurate description. Bergman was simply stating what the references were about, not giving his personal "sentiments."
Bergman annotated much Watchtower material which he certainly doesn't believe in the same manner as the examples from anti-Witness works, thus the book is in general consistent, not biased against the Society in its annotations. For example, in annotating the second Watchtower president, J. F. Rutherford's various booklets, he annotated these as follows(pp. 41-43):
"Shows the only remedy for the evil world and clergy is the Watchtower kingdom."
"Discusses the work of the Watchtower which will cause all good persons to leave Christendom."
"on why the Watchtower is the only hope for mankind."
"an expose of Christendom and its false teachings."
Why would Bergman, that "notorious adversary of the WBTS," as he was called, say the Watchtower was the only hope for mankind and the clergy are evil? Was he trying to "stigmatize" a religious majority? No, anymore than he claimed the Society was "inhuman" etc. in his annotations. So for example the book Blood Crimes is not a negative review of the Society's blood transfusion doctrine, but is, as Bergman's annotation explains, "about the skinhead murder by three boys, all of which were raised Witnesses. Shows the critical importance of the J.W. faith and teachings in the crime."
It should be clear that the annotations simply state what the reference is about and its perspective at times in fairly neutral (unbiased) terms. Whether Bergman agrees or not with the author of the reference that the WT. is "the only hope for mankind" or is "corrupt" is irrelevant.
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A Goldmine!, March 27, 2001
Reviewer: Diane Wilson from Morgan Hill, CA United States
Who are these annoyingly persistent people known as Jehovah's Witnesses, who knock on our doors bright and early Saturday mornings, disturbing our rare opportunity to get a few extra winks? The person who desires a deeper understanding of this sect will get a jump-start on their search for information with this book. It is an extensive listing of the works written by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (the administrative head of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion), and also a listing of almost every work written by others about the Watchtower Society. His annotations--brief comments about the contents of the listing--are most helpful in narrowing down the publications one is looking for.Dr. Bergman's book is a goldmine--a directive to a wealth of knowledge. It is like a map that directs one how to find the hidden buried treasure. Dr. Bergman has searched through hundreds of libraries for material about the Watchtower Society; he has invested an immense amount of time and effort in bringing his unique book to fruition, thus saving the writer, researcher, and persons interested in learning more about this religious movement an enormous amount of time and work.
Some may at first compare this Bibliography to a huge card catalog in a library whose shelves are bare, as many of the publications listed are very old and seemingly unavailable. As it took the author 30 years to compile this listing, one cannot expect to find all of the publications under one roof. The author assures, however, that most are obtainable through libraries in the United States, which can be accessed through one's local library on an inter-library loan basis; others can be obtained through the Library of Congress. Much of the older Watchtower Society publications can be purchased on CD-ROMs available from various Christian ministries.
In addition to the listings, Dr. Bergman has included a valuable section on the history of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as a very interesting chapter on religions that have their roots entwined with them, "American Offshoots of the Watchtower Society".
As a Watchtower researcher myself and author of the upcoming book, AWAKENING OF A JEHOVAH'S WITNESS: Escape From the Watchtower Society, (Prometheus: January 2002), I can attest to the value of Dr. Bergman's book.
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An Excellent Reference Tool, March 23, 2001
Reviewer: William J. Chamberlin (see more about me)from Clarkston, MI USA
This bibliography is the perfect reference tool for collectors, book dealers and researchers. Being a collector and researcher, I really put the bibliography to the test and have come to the conclusion that it should set the standard for many years to come in the field of Watchtower literature.The first thing you notice is the excellent way it is set up with official Watchtower literature first followed by material associated with the Russell movement. Next are chapters titled: Books, Manuscripts, Tracts and Newsletters; Magazine and Journal Articles (written by both individual Jehovah's Witnesses (J.W.)and non-J.W.'s; both pro-J.W. material and anti-J.W. material). Finally, a list of literature by many Watchtower offshoots.
I found everything in my collection listed. Unfortunately, the publisher limited the author to a given number of pages forcing the author to eliminate some important W.T. material, i.e. official Post Cards starting as far back as 1910 (that I am aware of), audio records (hundreds of them were used in the door-to-door ministry during the 1930's), specially made portable record players of different designs (several of which I had in my collection for a number of years), etc.
The bibliography is most helpful in that most entries have annotations indicating what subject matter is covered by a particular publication. It also has a very useful Name Index which makes it easier to find all of an author's writing for they may be located under different chapters.
The one major disappointment I found, or maybe I should say "did not find", was a listing for my 899 page Bible Bibliography by the same publisher as Bergman's book, back in 1991 and is still in print and available from the publisher. I had a listing for every Watchtower Bible translation and their publication history and should have been included in this bibliography. However, to be fair, Mr. Bergman did list several articles I wrote for the International Society of Bible Collectors' quarterly.
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Kudos to Dr. Bergman, January 10, 2001
Reviewer: Donald L. Nelson (see more about me)from Sonora, CA USA
To paraphrase with parenthesis the author of Ecclesiastes: 'to the making of books (by and about Jehovah's Witnesses) there is no end". A bewildering array of literature exists, for and against this extremely active religious organization. And now, thanks to Dr. Bergman, it has been almost exhaustively catalogued. His bibliography includes publications as diverse as "The Truth That Leads to Everlasting Life" (possibly the third most published book in the world) and "Judge Rutherford Uncovers the Fifth Column", which hardly anyone has ever heard of. Both have rolled off the impressive presses at the Watchtower's Brooklyn plant and bear the imprimateur of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. This thorough bibliography would be of immense help for any serious student of the Watchtower that desires to grasp the extraordinary diversity of doctrinal and chronological modifications that have taken place in that organization over the years since its inception. There is even a listing of splinter groups that have formed during periods of upheaval and internecine controversy, along with their esoteric doctrines. The breadth of Dr.Bergman's book is remarkable and easily surpasses anything heretofore published. As a former student at University of California, Berkeley, who dropped out in 1952 to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses (ultimately graduating from the Watchtower Bible School, Gilead, and later becoming a circuit overseer in both Pennsylvania and Brazil), I can vouch for its overall accuracy and fairness of presentation. My own library of Watchtower-related material is quite extensive and from the vantage point of a serious student of Watchtower history, I can enthusiastically endorse and heartily recommend this splendid bibliography.
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all i can say is i am amazed!!!
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I have ordered a copy of this book to insure that he indeed said this. If so, a libel lawsuit will be filed in court.
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all i can say is i am amazed!!!
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: . He has never contacted me and this is a major indication that he is not interested in the facts. Any writing he has done about me is therefore suspect.
Of course, this alone is enough of a logical fallacy to continue to haunt you. It's called a "false dilemma."
No, all researchers when writing about someone else always contact that person if at all possible. It is the only ethical thing to do . What if I wrote a nasty article about you and never contacted you about it??
"He didn't call me or write me. Therefore, he MUST be a liar."
I did not say this and this is an example of irresponsible writing
Of course, your conclusion didn't take into consideration that he:
1) Was dead
2) Was in the hospital and too sick to return your message
or
Not true because he has e-mailed me about other things
3) He thinks not you are worthy of response, et. al..
I resent this kind of response. This is one of the reasons why I left the Watchtower. People should be civil at least.
In ANY case, his lack of response doesn't make him suspect at all. His arguments stand or fall on their own. Do yours?
I will respond but it will take time to dig into the charges.
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by Jerry Bergman ini have now read the section that deals with me.
all i can say is i am amazed!!!
don't my critics have any concern about the facts???
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I have now read the section that deals with me. All I can say is I am amazed!!! Don't my critics have any concern about the facts??? For example, I have tried to respond to Dr. Besier, so wrote him asking if I could send him a response but he did not even have the decency to answer me. Nothing!! I wrote to him several times about his wrong information. No response. It is clear to me that he has no interest in the facts but only in slandering those he disagrees with. I am going to contact my attorney soon and discuss slander charges against him. He has never contacted me and this is a major indication that he is not interested in the facts. Any writing he has done about me is therefore suspect.I also can respond to the other concerns but classes at the college start tomorrow, so it will take a week or so to respond. Also several other studies have been done on the mental health question and found the same thing as did the studies that I reviewed. Jerry Bergman