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Police inquiry over Jehovah’s Witness magazine ‘mentally diseased’ article

An official magazine for Jehovah’s Witnesses that described those who leave the church as “mentally diseased” is at the centre of a police inquiry, it has emerged.

Read more from the UK Telegraph here:

Check out related articles on the “Ask Jacqueline” page of this website.

The official magazine for Jehovah’s Witnesses has described those who leave the church as “mentally diseased”, prompting an outcry from former members and insiders concerned about the shunning of those who question official doctrine.

An article published in July’s edition of The Watchtower warns followers to stay clear of “false teachers” who are condemned as being “mentally diseased” apostates who should be avoided at all costs. “Suppose that a doctor told you to avoid contact with someone who is infected with a contagious, deadly disease,” the article reads. “You would know what the doctor means, and you would strictly heed his warning. Well, apostates are ‘mentally diseased’, and they seek to infect others with their disloyal teachings.”

A copy of the magazine, distributed by Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world, was given to The Independent by a current member of the church who has become unhappy with official teaching but is afraid to leave for fear of losing his family.

48 comments to Police inquiry over Jehovah’s Witness magazine ‘mentally diseased’ article

  • Gasa

    Denise I completely agree with you shunning is unchristian. I am a practing witness many in the truth pray for this to be stopped unfortunately since mid 1950’s the Disfellowshiping policy was adopted by president Knorr leading to this problem. Oh how Satan must have rubbed his hands in glee. Many brothers who would qualify to serve don’t because they don’t want to be part of a judicial committee judging their brother/sister. A reversal needs to happen Judicial committees disbanded, Disfellowshiping process cancelled and a world wide anmenisty to all Disfellowshiped / dissassioated persons.
    Plus a public heartfelt apology by all members of governing body In main media. Elders instructed to pass all abuse reports directly to relevant government authorities.
    Elder committees would still be needed they should only be concerning shepherding.
    They could be called shepherding committees usually 2 Elders.

    Russia and its persecution of us is wrong and excessive but part of the problem the Russian authorities has is the disruption caused in families by the shunning program.
    The Governing Body needs to understand that the above policies need to be changed this may assist the Russian authorities to take a softer approach. I know another point the Russian authorities have is medical safety issue on Blood but I believe rather than a blank refusal the Jw negioaters could take a more respectful cooperative approach. It could ease the persecution and make life a lot easier for my 172000 brother under ban.
    The blood issue along with other Christian stands is a personal one and the danger is when organisational approach to make international rules is a mistake. This is connected with the ongoing increasing judgemental approach connected with the Disfellowshiping approach. I have see progressive change since the 1970s.
    God Bless

  • Anonymous

    I am the person the article refers to. I spoke to the Police in my home with ex elder from a local congregation Angus Robertson and his wife both came to give me moral support. I have now left Jehovah’s Witnesses completely and don’t believe them to even be Christians.

  • I left the Org 35 years ago. I do not recognize it!
    The reason I left was to them, that I was DF’d, but for me it WAS a choice. There is just no way I would ever raise children in a society that says if they make a mistake, I am not allowed to speak to my child. When a child makes a mistake, the parents should be there to support and encourage them. To show them love and steer them back in the right direction. Yet the way the society IS, they will not be allowed that encouragement and support from their parents. JW parents were shown and told during the 2016 conventions that they should not even accept phone calls from their children! They show no love and care for the grandchildren either! I have seen JW parents toss 14 and 15 year olds out on the streets. I was 17, but when I went to get medical coverage from the state, they told me that my parents were responsible for me and they were going to take my parents to court! But they figured that I would be 18 anyways by the time it got to court, they decided not to pursue it against my parents.
    JW parents would be in a tight spot these days if the government or state started prosecuting JW parents for neglect and alienation of affection, etc.!
    When a child makes a mistake of any kind that is the time they need their parents the MOST ! Yet Watchtower tells parents to not even talk to them.
    WT tells the world that normal family relations go on the same , they just don’t have a spiritual relationship anymore. That is FAR from true ! It does NOT happen that way on the inside of the society. They just tell the public that for the protection of the ORG.
    I still see today, the same thing that happened to me. The elders told me and my parents not to talk about it to people on the outside so as not to “tarnish the reputation of the society(Org).” My logic says that there is NO WAY that an organization of God would need lies to protect it!! That looks and sounds like a trap of the devil himself! You can not lie and still be part of the kingdom of God!! I left for good because of THAT hypocrisy!

    • Jacqueline (Bible Student)

      Denise thank you so much for sharing with everyone. It makes the thousands reading on this site know they are not crazy, these people really behave this way. I feel your frustration in your words. The systems and organizations like the governing body, papacy and organized religion have caused deaths and this is what God has said about them:
      Rev.18:5,20
      5 for her sins are piled up to heaven,
      and God has remembered her crimes.
      20 “Rejoice over her, you heavens!
      Rejoice, you people of God!
      Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
      For God has judged her
      with the judgment she imposed on you.”
      Being a part of Babylon the great she has mistreated so many women and children. I agree it is as if they are demons and hate the children because they couldn’t populate our world, so they use the governing body to persecute those trying to go to Christ.
      We had a 15 year old who mother and father put her out with a three week old baby and she went to a homeless shelter in the dead of winter. It rocked the city! Her husband was a servant and mom was a pioneer and to keep their positions she had to go.
      There are so many stories in the Naked City of the organization calling itself Jehovah’s witnesses.
      We hope you can come with us Wednesday night or on the Internet testimony meetings on Friday night and two on Saturday. We tell our experiences and discuss some great scriptures. It is not structured we go with the crowd, we have a moderator that watches for the hand raised sign and keeps the conversation going. We will switch on a dime to help if someone brings up a problem.We listen and acknowledge.
      It is a step toward finding our voice again and getting to Jesus and finally to Jehovah our God.
      This is the most popular subject on the site, you might want to scroll thru with your Bible out. Ask questions, we will see it.
      https://www.friendsofjehovahswitnesses.com/category/armageddon-2/ Take Care.

  • greg (Bible Student)

    I wanted to put this in my own “evidence collection” but I had a little difficulty determining the original document. So for others and for the sake of clarity, it can be found in the July 15, 2011 Watchtower (Study Edition), Page 16, paragraph 6.

    -greg

    • Jacqueline (Bible Student)

      Thanks Greg, so now you see why I looked into the mental aspect of witnesses. Sometimes before the internet you felt you were crazy in seeing what was going on in the organization.
      This article was presented to secular outlets and it had a lot of comments from outside sources condemning this article all over. Sometimes when a woman says she is being sexual harrassed or was raped she sounds as if she is mentally off until the truth comes out. So I guess xwitnesses are sort of like the victim, people think the things reported are to horrible to believe so she must be crazy. BTW the pedophile issues being claimed by victims is partly why this article was written. They tried to make me destroy files or not c-operate with courts if called upon to testify. A Circuit overseer and a District overseer threatened to dF me on the spot if I didn’t say I wouldn’t go to court if summoned.
      See you this evening. Marjo was on this morning also. Going shopping now with my granddaughter.

      • greg (Bible Student)

        Jacqueline,

        So are you saying that this article was more “personal” in regards to you specifically? Wow. Doesn’t surprise me.

        -greg

        • Jacqueline (Bible Student)

          I wrote the article because after it came out I was addressed as Mentally diseased by a witness. Since it was a person represented the organization I take to the pen to answer them. This article had big discussions when it came out on the web, not just by witnesses and x witnesses. One country, I believe it was Russia and another one that took them to task. But witnesses backed down after a while like they normally do.

  • Marjo

    When I was a witness, I was reading Watchtower. But now these days I have noticed that their writing style is more aggressive, rude and judgmental, when it comes to people whom are in other religions or whom have left JW’s. I found that Watchtower where they were calling “mentally diseased” article. It made me feel that I don’t want to read such abusive text anymore. Somehow I feel that Governing body is keeping themselves some sort of “god” and members of it are slave.

    • Jacqueline (Bible Student)

      Marjo, you and I are worlds apart yet we get the same feelings about the governing body. They are living in Warwick in absolute luxury. It seems they are out of touch with human feelings.
      Today Russia is: http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/8145/0/russia-court-authorises-seizure-of-outlawed-sect-children-.
      Witnesses were under ban in Russia until the wall fell. Students of the Bible know (or suspect) it is the King out of the North.
      It was simply a sleeping bear in hibernation, so why? why? would the governing body open 395 kingdom halls in Russia?? Why would they put a Bethel headquarters in Russia?? They say God talks only to them. Didn’t they get the memo to stay low not go up in the face of the Orthodox religion to try and outdo them in their country??
      The friends should flee from that system so as not to suffer for their sins. The Russian brothers can go to Christ and just the Bible. They can just drop the watchtower totally and let the Bible (which is not outlawed) be their guide. Holy spirit can teach them.
      I am hurt to hear this but Rev. 18:4 NIV says:
      “Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;”.
      They know fighting and sending out press releases to all nations only make Russia angry but they are in Warwick in their ivory guarded towers.
      Other religions are banned in Russia and just went back underground and in small groups in the houses. They aren’t fighting by appealing to World courts etc. The governing body has a hold on their minds and they can’t seem to understand Rev. 17&18 chapter.
      Marjo, I know I am just running off at the mouth but this suffering of Christians for the sake of an organization hurts.

  • Jacqueline

    Finland is investigating “Judicial Committees” held by Jehovah witnesses as violation of rights. Read the complete article here:

    http://jwdoctrine.com/finland-justice-minister-judicial-committees/

  • doug

    Yes, Jehovah gave us humans the right to chose between right and wrong , who can say it is wrong or who can say it is right.let those who have no sin cast the first stone.

  • Dupin

    If I may enter in here:

    The other day I went to a site which is linked here and argues that the Witnesses disfellowshipping practice is a throw-back to the 19th century, i.e. Russell. That is quite a misconception probably resulting from all the bragging the Witnesses do about him being their “founder,” which is only true in the sense that he did found the Watchtower and track society and the movement from which the Witnesses severed themselves back in 1931.

    True, the Pastor did make a statement or two about some folks who disagreed, but then so did the Apostle Paul, as quoted in the article under discussion. these were opinions in both cases. The reality in the Pastor’s case was that he founded a movement, not a religious organization in the sense of a sectarian body. congregations were autonomous, free to follow his words or not, as entire congregations were known not to have doen at times.

    While the Pastor did have a high opinon of his own words, who doesn’t, he didn’t require exverybodty to agree with him on every point or face ejection out of the movement. In his last book, “The NEw Creation,” Russell only laid down two essential truths for one to have to enjoy fellowship with him, “(1) Our redemption through the precious blood, and our justification by demonstrated faith therein. (2) Our sanctification, setting apart to the Lord, the Truth and their service–including the service of the brethren” (Volume 6 Pg. 240) That was it, period.

    As We can see, that leaves a lot of room for disagreement. His opinion was simple, if you didn’t agree with him on the important point then you were free to leave and seek your own way with no ill feelings. Bible Students were not forbidden from speaking with such ones In part because Russell consciously organized the movement in such a way as to deny himself that kind of power. He saw that kind of power as sectarianism, something he personally despised.

    Although a bible Student can be disfellowshipped, it is not often and generally over sexual sins, not opinion differences; and it is done by the entire ecclesia, not the elders. I haven’t been with the Bible Student movement all that long, but I do know brethren who’ve spent many years in the movement and have never even heard of a disfellowshipping for doctrinal issues. I’ve recently heard a few speeches at online conventions which make me wonder a little at the wisdom of that. However, I’m not about to argue for letting that particular camel get it’s nose under the edge of the tent in consideration of where that would inevitably lead.

  • Anonymous

    “All who cut loose from the Society and its work, instead of prospering themselves or upbuilding others in the faith and in the graces of the spirit, seemingly do the reverse—attempt injury to the Cause they once served, and, with more or less noise, gradually sink into oblivion, harming only themselves and others possessed of a similarly contentious spirit. . . . If some think that they can get as good or better provender at other tables, or that they can produce as good or better themselves—let these take their course. . . . But while we are willing that others should go anywhere and everywhere to find food and light to their satisfaction, strange to say, those who become our opponents take a very different course. Instead of saying in the manly fashion of the world, ‘I have found something which I prefer; goodbye!’ these manifest anger, malice, hatred, strife, ‘works of the flesh and of the devil’ such as we have never known worldly people to exhibit. They seem inoculated with madness, Satanic hydrophobia [rabies]. Some of them smite us and then claim that we did the smiting. They are ready to say and write contemptible falsities and to stoop to do meanness.” – Pastor Charles T. Russell

    • Jacqueline

      Anonymous, Fair play. I have heard this quote during my years, but never saw exactly what was said. “They seem inoculated with madness, Satanic hydrophobia. (Are italics yours or a part of the quote?) The words “they seem” was Br Russells’ interpretation. And I have to admit a fleshly reply to the men on his same level that he was speaking to. Society was a printing operation at the time. M grandfather had printed tracts dropped in a clearing by small mail plane. There was no organization that held him. If he ceased, as he did, delivering tracts he did not lose his family nor was there anything read about him on the platform in 1908-1915. Those that left Br. Russell’s point of view that he gleaned with help of Holy Spirit, in my estimation didn’t go off into oblivion.So this in my opinion didn’t prove to be a truthful statement. Br. Rutherford’s JW and other faiths still exist today. They have all had a hand in spreading Christ. Most religions have not accepted the Kingdom, Bride and paradise earth as taught in scripture but will benefit from the ransom like everyone else. “If some think they can get as good or better provender at other tables,……………”let these take their course.” My friend, that is what most witnesses and former are asking, that they be allowed to go in peace to something that they feel is better. Without advising family and friend to treat them as enemies. Those that have left should not try and disrupt their wives or husbands right to remain a witness. Some brothers are doing that and they are wrong. Their wives or husbands have the right to choose their religion.
      This site’s purpose is to dissemilate correct understanding of scripture that has been held before JW break-away. Many would like to hear and read so they can judge for themselves. We felt the “ask jacqueline tab” or something similar for venting the anger and hurt after leaving and fighting with the judicial committees, was neccessary and needed. To pretend there is not anger and hurt, normal human emotions, would be naive and foolish.
      Exactly what the situation was in the latter 19th early 20th century when this was written, I can’t comment on it. I can only comment on what the situation is now in the 21st century. All of us should be looking to Jesus as our head and no man or organization, they all sin and fall short of the glory of God. The Bible is the touchstone. And I agree many “worldly people” live together in peace and harmony with entirely different religions or one with no religion. He came to put a sword, not to kill, but to test and incite men to peer with vigor into the word of God. Passiveness in these times of testing of the bride is not the way either. I think you might miss the point of persons who want to leave. You probably have not been hurt very badly by the organization. In this quote he allows persons to leave. The present day watchtower society in print said go, but the individual family members and elders are conflicted on this. Thanks for printing that quote, readers are getting the full disclosure. Please participate again my friend. Jacqueline

      • Marjo

        I know it hurts. It hurts me too, that witnesses whom are still in, doesn’t seem to see what the governing body is. It’s because they are blinded with governing body’s doctrines. Governing body has made them believe, that they are only and true religion. If you look more deeper in governing body’s “soul” really is. If you look closer the history of Rutherford and times of Hitler.

        I think governing body knows that they are not Jehovah’s chosen one. That’s why they are holding so tight of their members. Saying that there is no life if you leave Jehovah Witnesses. That is just horrible way of thinking. Governing body is only keeping members as money collectors. As harsh as it to say.

        Another proof why governing body is what it is, is that because they won’t allow their members to read, hear or see what others say online or in tv. I have another thought also, but I don’t know do I dare to say it here.

        I also have so much things to say about this topic that I could write a book.

        • Jacqueline (Bible Student)

          This is why the brothers put the site up so you can say what you see and understand. That is how humans heal. It really produces an inward peace inside to read that others see ut too and you arent goung crazy. Thousands are on her every month hust reading, feelung a part of the brotherhood. I used to clibg to a similar site but it didn’t offer Bible topics also. In fact they were all atheist xjw! I didnt know it because they were nice people and helped me see i wasn’t imagining things. I never wrote any thing, i just read every comment made.Atheists kept me afloat! So i encourage people to talk it out. Then one day with the help of Christ you will EXHALE. Life takes on a different meaning then, with just you and God through Jesus. You can just talk to him like a good wise friend. All of my fears went away iver dying and seeing The Ransom not field service as my salvation. Talking is better than confrontation. I would never disrupt a religiuos service. Some however that do have been raped, child abuse and other horrible atrocities, so I UNDERSTAND peaceful protest outside a headquarters. It just might save anotger child if they know you are watching and will expose them. Hitler had to be brought down! Young witnesses have committed suicide. Thousands are and have died iver the no bloid no transplant doctrines.
          Now not justRussia but other governments, like Spain. Canada are all visibly letting these men know you can’t do this. I applaud those that peacefully demonstrate outside of their headquarters. If one child is spared it is worth it.
          So talk Marjo, perhaps someone reading needs to hear what YOU have to say.
          See you later on today.

        • TedR

          I certainly would like to hear what you have to say as well, Marjo. I agree, the wrongs perpetuated by the society must be exposed. It’s a shame that those who expose these things are accused of being mentally diseased and labeled as apostate.

    • TedR

      I think Bro Russell was speaking here about those who left the Bible Students who went on to denigrate and criticize the basic truths that had come to be accepted. Instead of leaving and moving on they criticized and in some cases slandered the Brethren or Brother Russell. The Society at that time was not an organization that dictated the beliefs of the Brethren as it is today. If the Society would just allow people to leave without repercussions there would be less bitterness from those leaving the religion. The Society creates its own problems by it politicizes of shunning even family members who disassociate. I can understand the hurt and bitterness these people feel. At the same time, when they demonstrate outside assemblies and Kingdom Halls or publish slanderous statements and half truths, they are confirming to the JW rank and file the Society’s statements concerning apostates thus causing problems for those who just wish to leave. It’s one thing to point out mistaken, unscriptural doctrine or legitimate problems, it’s another to publish lies, half truths, or twisted truth. To interfere with another’s right to peacefully assemble at there meeting place is wrong, no matter how well intentioned. Let’s just allow individualls to make their own decision based on facts not lies or innuendo, presenting these facts in an unslanted manner in full context, doing this in writing or video in a respectful manner.

  • Bill Carruth

    In my opinion anyone who remains a Jehovah’s Witness and subscribes to the nonsense promulgated by the Watchtower is definitely “mentally diseased”
    and should seek professional psychiatric help immediately. Compulsive religious fanaticism like the Witnesses is simply a cover to lessen guilt and shame no matter the degree and situation. The Witnesses I’ve met are so sickeningly sweet and phoney about life, Jehovah, the ‘Holy Bible’ and the Watchtower in general induced instant mental vomiting. But they are good a quoting scripture, scripture passages of authors unknown to this day.

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