The Initiative
Next: The Final Solution
This is an initiative to stop the harms of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (the Watch Tower Society), which is the parent corporation of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada, which corporations commonly operate as: “Jehovah’s Witnesses.”
The two main harms in question are:
- – mandated ostracizing (shunning) of members that leave the religion or otherwise change their beliefs
- – seriously inadequate child safeguarding procedures, especially with regard to child sexual abuse (CSA)
These practices cause significant harm, and are also contrary to Canadian public policy. This should then, at a minimum, lead to the revocation of the charitable status in Canada of these corporations, and their affiliate charities.
At a New York assembly in September 2019, two Jehovah’s Witness boys are interviewed. One is a 12-year-old boy who is a Regular Pioneer that spends 70 hours per month canvassing for the religion. The other boy is a 10-year-old who looks forward to the Watch Tower’s ‘final solution,’ when Jehovah will “wipe out” his classmates that use bad words.
Ancillary background information will be included, as well as information about additional harms caused by the Watch Tower’s policies.
The information presented here is composed of three portions:
- The teachings and practices of the religion,
- The resultant harms as shown by expert and testimonial evidence,
- The law
The presentation makes numerous references to literature published by the religion. It is vital for the reader to understand that Jehovah’s Witnesses believe themselves to be the only true religion. All non-Jehovah’s Witnesses are doomed to a gruesome execution by God – hence, it is imperative to convert NOW. The Watch Tower Society is God’s one true channel, God’s “spokesman,” and “beyond a shadow of doubt, the one divinely authorized channel.” [1] (See – God’s One Channel, and The Watch Tower Society )
The controlling mind of the religion is the Governing Body, which oversees every aspect of the religion. The religion reaches down into the very fabric of the lives of its members, including children. Once a policy (or a belief) has been published by the Governing Body, it becomes mandatory for the members to obey that policy. This applies to policies that have been published decades in the past, even if the policy might be obscure by the passage of time. Contravention of any policy will lead to a variety of sanctions, up to expulsion and the mandatory shunning. (See Obedience, Submission, and Loyalty)
(An example of a policy being implemented and remaining in effect until further notice is a policy that was published in “The Watchtower” magazine of April 15, 1953. In 1953, it became policy that congregation members could not sit with a disfellowshipped person at the Kingdom Hall, even if they were family. [2] This was not officially changed until 60 years later, when the policy was “updated” in The Watchtower magazine issue of August 15, 2013. [3] )
The primary publication of policies and beliefs is The Watchtower magazine, although all publications of the Watch Tower Society are to also be viewed as divinely authoritative. (See The Watchtower and Other Publications)
Consequently, its publications often self-authenticate by quoting itself from older issues.[4]
As a result, a Jehovah’s Witness should base his entire life around the writings in the Watchtower – “The Watchtower is the principal instrument used by the “slave” class for dispensing spiritual food. Are you benefiting from it fully? Do you read each issue, and does your study program include looking up scriptures that are cited but not quoted? Do you also make it a habit to meditate on what you have studied, building up appreciation for it, considering how it should affect your attitude, your desires, your daily activities, your goals in life?” – The Watchtower magazine, March 15, 1989, page 22
The legal questions posited to the Canadian government are:
– Does the Canadian government have the right of oversight of charities operating in Canada?
– Are charities operating in Canada exempt from government oversight simply due to the fact that they might be religious in nature?
– Does the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (Jehovah’s Witnesses) have policies that harm, and that are contrary to Canadian public policy?
– Is the Canadian government obligated to ensure that certain harms are not allowed to take place, including harms by “private actors,” and to ensure that certain rights are protected?
– Does the Canadian government have international obligations to ensure that certain harms are not allowed to take place, including harms by “private actors,” and to ensure that certain rights are protected?
– Is the arrestation of the harms caused by the policies of Watch Tower / Jehovah’s Witnesses of a pressing and substantial nature?
– Was the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms intended for unlimited freedom for religious corporations, even at the harm of individual Canadians, and at the expense of the rights of individual Canadians?
– Do the harms caused by the policies of Watch Tower / Jehovah’s Witnesses negatively impact and harm Canadian society?
Next: The Final Solution
The Watchtower magazine, May 15, 1955, page 314, – “What of Jehovah’s Christian channel of communication today? Which of the hundreds of sects and denominations of those who claim to be Christian is Jehovah’s spokesman today in the earth as his divinely appointed and organized channel of communication? The Bible indicates many specifications, all of which have to exist together to mark, beyond a shadow of doubt, the one divinely authorized channel. Following is a list of requirements to be met by such a true congregation of Christ to fit her as God’s channel today.” ↑
The Watchtower magazine, April 1, 1953, page 223 – “It is all right for the faithful members of the family to ride with the disfellowshiped one in a car bound for the Kingdom Hall, but upon arrival the faithful ones should not sit with or associate with the disfellowshiped one at the hall, but rejoin him only when departing for home.” ↑
The Watchtower magazine, August 15, 2013, page 8 – “Whether a disfellowshipped person sits next to a relative or next to any other member of the congregation should not be a cause for concern as long as he behaves properly. Restricting where a person sits could give rise to various problems, depending on the circumstances. If all present, including faithful relatives, are endeavoring to respect Bible principles relating to disfellowshipping, and it is not becoming a cause for stumbling to the brothers, there is no need to make an issue of the seating arrangements of those attending Christian meetings.
This updates what was published in The Watchtower of April 1, 1953, page 223.” ↑
Examples – The Watchtower magazine, May 1, 1999, page 16 – “Demonstrating the confidence of Jehovah’s servants that this prophecy would be fulfilled, The Watchtower of January 1, 1921, focused on it in connection with developments in the Middle East. Subsequently, in its December 15, 1929, issue, on page 374, The – Watchtower definitively said…compare The Watchtower, April 1, 1939, page 110”
The Watchtower magazine, October 15, 2015, page 19 – “These words were spoken to a group of students in the United States over 60 years ago. “Distractions,” said The Watchtower of September 15, 1958”
The Watchtower magazine, October 15, 2015, page 19 – “The November 1, 1922, issue of The Watchtower said about the word “organization”…Fittingly, then, the May 15, 1925, issue of The Watchtower said:”
The Watchtower magazine, April 15, 1997, page 25 – “The article “Christian Weddings Should Reflect Reasonableness” (The Watchtower of January 15, 1969) made these interesting comments on apparel:
…While a disfellowshipped person could be allowed to attend the talk at the Kingdom Hall, The Watchtower of April 15, 1984, said: “It would be unfitting to have in the wedding party people who are disfellowshipped or whose scandalous life-style grossly conflicts with Bible principles.” “
The Watchtower magazine, May 15, 1997, page 19 – “ Commenting on this verse, the December 15, 1948, Watchtower pointed out that the congregation of anointed Christians had certainly reached old age.
…” Similarly discussing whether some of the anointed would be on hand to welcome back the resurrected ones, the September 1, 1989, Watchtower said: “This would not be necessary.” “ ↑