Why do people join the Watch Tower Society, or Jehovah’s Witnesses?
Most of those who become witnesses do so after a personal crisis.
Here is my story.
In 1984 I was a student in my last year of high school, thinking about going to university. I had always loved electronics and computers, but I struggled at school – mainly because I was preoccupied with other issues that seemed more important to me. Teachers routinely labeled me as studious, hardworking and industrious. In reality, I did the least amount of work necessary to get a passing grade, but by the last year of high school I just could not be bothered with it anymore.
The trouble was, I struggled with my identity. It may be a cliche – but I really do remember spending many hours agonizing over who I was. This spiraled into depression; I could see no future for myself – I thought my life was meaningless.
One afternoon, two men knocked on my door. David was in his fifties, a quietly spoken, inoffensive man. Brian was in his early thirties, tall and fair, with a loud laugh and an air of confidence and authority.
David starting talking about how bad the world had become, and how difficult it was for young people today – so many pressures to face, often on their own. He offered me some magazines to read, for a small sum, and promised to return to see what I thought of them. This was my introduction to the Watch Tower, and Jehovah’s Witnesses.
David and Brian did return, each time with new magazines. We sometimes spent an hour or more talking on the doorstep. I had many questions on my mind; would the world end in a nuclear holocaust? If God really is there, why does he just sit idly by and let people suffer? Were we created, did we evolve or something in between?
Finally someone was prepared to talk about these things and offer an answer. More importantly to me at that stage - I found someone who was interested in me and what I thought. Though they had the somewhat annoying habit of answering my questions by pointing out answers in a magazine or book I would have to buy.
One day David, in answer to one of my questions, produced a big red book from his bag, and began reading it to me. Of course I purchased that book too. The book was called ‘You can live forever in paradise on earth’.
A Bible study was started, an hour a week seemed such a little thing. I told no one what I was up to.
One of the first chapters of this book dealt with an ‘invisible enemy of God’, Satan the devil. It struck me as a little odd that with so many big issues to cover, this would be among the first.
David and Brian went to some lengths to explain to me that I should expect a hostile reaction to studying the Bible.
"Satan will use your relatives and friends to try to get you to stop studying' said David, 'but you must not – your everlasting life depends on your gaining an accurate knowledge of the truth'.
"You are in a spiritual war with an unseen enemy – who will do anything to prevent you from learning about Jehovah God and His purposes for the earth' Brian added.
It felt good to be in the middle of such an important issue – and to have the two sides fighting over me. Soon I was attending meetings. My family thought I had flipped, and tried to talk me out of it. But I wasn’t about to let Satan win, was I?
A little over ten months later I decided to go to university after all. But first there was the District Convention to go. The District Convention was a large gathering of Witnesses from all over the region.
A re-occurring theme of this convention was the dangers of associating with those who are not dedicated, baptized witnesses. A favourite Bible verse was "Bad associations spoil useful habits'. The "drama", an odd affair with lip-synching amateur actors, focussed on young people and the choices they have to make. The only worthwhile career was within Gods organization we were told. Universities are not a place for Christians – they are tools used by the devil; instrumental in turning people against Jehovah with their God dishonouring teachings, such as evolution, and their encouragement of independent thinking.
Nevertheless, I went, mainly because it gave me the freedom to become more involved in another congregation – away from the "persecution" coming from my friends and family. I would get baptized and pioneer. My personal crisis was over, I knew who I was; one of Jehovah’s Witnesses!
I fell into step with Jehovah’s organization, meetings three times a week, personal study of the societies publications, prayer and field service.
But I had come into Jehovah’s organization "from the world" and this brought with it a measure of distrust, especially since I had exhibited an independent streak by going to university. It took a couple of years work before I was given my first "privileges", and only after I had left university, without completing my degree.
After some years I married, and was appointed as a ministerial servant. I served in various roles within the congregation, which gave me the opportunity to learn about Jehovah’s organization in some detail. I certainly was "busy in the Lord". Holding down two part time jobs, spending fifteen to twenty hours per week in the house to house work, preparing for meetings, supervising the literature room, and the congregations financial accounts.
After a few more years I was considered a mature brother, one elder even calling me a pillar of the congregation, I was always busy - and I was always tired. But because I seemed to have a natural ability for administration, or so it seemed to the cleaners and gardeners who ran the congregation (the elders), I kept on getting assigned more and more of these privileges.
Turning down an assignment was not acceptable, it was a privilege to work in Gods organization after all. Only spiritually weak or unappreciative persons turned down assignments; and it was a sign of their lack of faith in Jehovah God.
The societies view is that we can always do more in the organization if we are truly appreciative and put our trust in Jehovah, as Jehovah’s holy spirit provides "power beyond what is normal" . No amount of service in the organization is ever enough, you can always do more. Nothing is ever "just right" - it can, and should, be done better next time.
The society spells it out for us this way: everlasting life is dependant on our having a good name with Jehovah by working hard for his interests on earth – in other words working hard in his organization. Occasionally the Watch Tower would remind us that we could never earn our salvation as it is a product of Jehovah’s undeserved kindness ("Grace") but not as often as they reminded us of our need to do more in His organization.
I felt that while I was appreciative of Jehovah, the organization was not appreciative of the time, resources and energy I was expending in its behalf. In short, the organization is greedy. It was not content with some, or even most of my time and energy, it wanted it all. When I was burnt out -unable to fulfill its demands, it quickly discarded me and was not able to help me other than with platitudes.
I really wanted to talk to someone about how I was feeling, but I knew I couldn’t.
There are no "true friends" in the organization. The Watch Tower society promises that even if you give up your "worldly" friends for the "Truth", you will find more and better friends among Gods people, "true friends" as the society calls them. This was one of the first half-truths I discovered.
Most men in the congregation have few, if any, close personal friends. The organization is so hierarchic and competitive that it is dangerous to tell anyone else what you really feel – the basis of any true friendship.
We have a sacred obligation to report to the organisation any comments our "brothers and sisters" make that are critical of the society or any actions of theirs that are contrary to the "present truth" as published by the society.
The Society has a zero tolerance of any talk that is even remotely disparaging of itself. The circumstances are irrelevant, disagreeing or being critical the organization is the same as criticizing Jehovah God himself. The Society often reminded us of the consequences of Israelites being critical of their leadership - death.
How can you have an open and honest friendship with anyone when you know that anything you say will be used against you?
No wonder there are so many lonely people in the organization.
I resigned as a ministerial servant, I prefer to jump than be pushed, and became one of the "spiritually weak" ones. I was annoyed that this label was applied to me, why was the amount of work I did in the organization the measure of my spiritual strength, rather than my faith?
Around this time the shootout at Waco Texas made world headlines. The more I read about it, the more similarities I saw between this cult and "the Truth".
They too, like most cults, believed that only they were "true" Christians. They believed, as I did, that they would be persecuted for their unique beliefs. The fact that the world hated them proved they were right, after all Satan is the ruler of the world and true Christians are no part of it. They believed an accurate knowledge of the Bible could only be attained through their leader, they looked to him as their sole source of information on what was happening in the world.
It took a little while, but I eventually realized I was in the same position. The Watch Tower Society had become my sole channel of information on the world, and for understanding the Bible.
I wondered if this was healthy, it certainly wasn’t for those who followed David Koresh in Waco Texas. So I started to take the time to read other magazines, from Readers Digest to New Scientist. That was when I started to realize how one sided the information in the Watch Tower and Awake magazines really is. If there is anything remotely bad about anything at all, the Watch Tower will find it and tell you. Educational institutes, relief agencies and medical researchers. These and many others have had their failures exposed and magnified by the Watch Tower, with little or no mention of their significant contribution to our lives.
I grew weary of the societies elitist nonsense, the only subjects portrayed in a favourable light in their magazines and books are their own doctrines and devoting your life to the organisation.
I changed jobs, and moved to the other side of the city where I was not as well known to the local congregation, and gradually pulled away.
Having my mind back took some getting used to. Life is easy when all your decisions are made for you and everyone around you says and does the same things as you. I can see why I was so attracted to the lifestyle when I was depressed and confused.
Nevertheless, I feel like I have been robbed of fifteen years of my life, and I swear, I will never go back.
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