It was clear to us due to several week's intense prayer and Bible study that Jehovah's Witnesses are following a false prophet and that Jesus' undeniable direction was not to follow such a one (Luke 21:8). We had removed the filter through which we had been reading the Bible, prayed for the Spirit of truth and the Spirit had testified about Jesus (John 15:26). It was simply amazing how clear and understandable the true gospel was when we just let our Heavenly Father speak to us through His word, aided by His Spirit.

We were now faced with the above mentioned choices. According the Human Rights Charter of the United Nations, we were free to be able to change our religion without consequence. However, while we knew that's the way 'The Beast' viewed things, our hearts were heavy with the knowledge that the Watch Tower Society handles things a little differently.

The reality for a Jehovah's Witness who wishes to change their religion is that, quite simply, they are not free to do so. Now, many Jehovah's Witnesses gamely argue that in fact you are free to change your religion. However, the operative word is 'free'; if something comes with a cost, it is not free.

What cost is levied against a person who no longer wishes to be known as a Jehovah's Witness?

While there are no Biblical directives or doctrines that can be put into force against a person who no longer walks with the teachings of the Governing Body, 'scriptural' sanctions are imposed. If the person has friends or family who are of the Jehovah's Witness faith, which it's highly likely they will, such ones will no longer have any fellowship with them. Thus, they are cut off from their relatives and friends; these relationships are lost to them.

So in the case of leaving the Watchtower Society the cost of change is not free, rather it is actually very high. The impact emotionally and psychologically is enormous. If there are children involved, as there were in our case, the impact on them is grave and may take months or years to be properly repaired.

It is our experience that Jehovah's Witnesses respond to these inconvenient truths with the statement "you brought it on yourself, you chose to leave". This is, of course, accurate - the person leaving the Witness religion does choose to leave. However, that is a basic human right.

What Jehovah's Witnesses consistently fail to acknowledge is that making this choice shouldn't come at the cost of family or friendships. Should anyone ever be made to choose between their family and their beliefs? This is objectionable in most areas of society and is certainly a breach of our basic human rights.

The Watch Tower Society has fought long and hard, spending considerable sums of money in courts around the world to establish the rights of Jehovah's Witnesses to preach from door-to-door, etc. They have written biting articles of outcry against the treatment of Mennonites who shun and excommunicate members of their community who have become Jehovah's Witnesses.

Yet, there is a twisted hypocrisy that sanctions the very same treatment of those in the Jehovah's Witness community who wish to change their religion. Families are destroyed. Life-long friendships are discarded. And all because a person, through honest and pure Bible study, has decided that they cannot follow the Governing Body any longer. The person wishing to change religions has to choose between their beliefs and their family.

In July of 2009 Jehovah's Witnesses around the world will be going from door-to-door, offering householders the latest copy of the Awake! magazine. In this issue of the magazine there is an article entitled "The Bible's Viewpoint - Is It Wrong to Change Your Religion?". Here are some selected highlights from that article;

"In my homeland...changing your religion cuts you off from the community."


"You may feel that your religion is inextricably linked to family history and culture and should not be changed."


"The Bible assures us that God wants us to "really find him". Since our Creator wants us to search for truth, it cannot be wrong to act on the evidence we find - even if that means changing our religion."


"God allows each person the freedom to choose how he or she will respond. No one should be forced to worship in a way that he finds unacceptable or be made to choose between his beliefs and his family."

Either this Awake! article reflects new light from the Governing Body meaning no Jehovah's Witness need choose between beliefs and family. Or the Governing Body is sanctioning a gross double standard between those being encouraged to join the Witness religion and those seeking to leave it. Whilst OK for anyone else to change their religion without losing their family (or more likely that the family doesn't have the right to create a dilemma) it's not OK if a Jehovah's Witness decides to change their religion. They will have to choose between their family and their beliefs.

Is this a PR stunt on behalf of the Watch Tower Society, who have most certainly been criticised - on this website and other sources - for their extreme shunning policies? Or is someone on the Writing Committee sympathetic to the plight of honest hearted lovers of truth who have exercised their God-given freedom and changed their religion, at enormous personal cost?

If you are a Jehovah's Witness reading this, please ask yourself how comfortable you'll feel offering the July 2009 Awake! magazine knowing as you do that Jehovah's Witnesses aren't free to "act on the evidence" they find in the Bible and change their religion. If you are a Jehovah's Witness who has cut off family members who have changed their religion, examine your heart and ask whether the Bible endorses your Watch Tower sponsored shunning. And read over the article carefully. The Governing Body is saying that no one should be forced to choose between his beliefs and his family. That means you no longer need to choose either.

Does 'no one' include you or are the Governing Body 'double-tongued' on this matter? Hypocrisy or new light - your choice.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/174959/1/No-One-Should-Be-Made-to-Choosee280a6-LIES-from-July-09-Awake

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written by Paul Morrison , May 09, 2009

Great post Mark - hopefully a few JW's will read this and think twice about the double standards being used here.

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written by Rifter , May 11, 2009

Thanks for posting. I made a video touching on this Awake article:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPlhXI812yc&fmt=22

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written by Yahkins , May 27, 2009

Thank God that none of His are taken from His hand. I also was in a cult, even so God used it to increase my understanding; God's grace increased all the more. You have chosen to love Jesus Christ more than any organization, loved one or friend....great is your reward in paradise! Persecutions, loss and humiliation is the cost of true discipleship and everyone of us must learn to carry his cross daily with Christ's help. We can know His great peace (all who choose to drink), even though others around us may raise the sword because of our allegiance to our Lord and savior. We're compelled to follow our true Shepherd in the end, no cult of men can hold us back, the Lord will see us through to completion. I have a very dear friend who is a Jehovahs Witness, he has seen my progression from Armstrongism to Evangelical for many years, we have discussed all the issues many times over. We love and care for eachother very much even though we still don't see eye to eye. I try to talk only on what we have in common and I pray and know our Father will see him through. A cult can never snuff out the life of Christ in a true believer, i believe there are Christians in these cults as I was one of them. However, cults do hold back and slow our maturity, keeping us steeped in self righteousness, but Jesus Christ knows how to mold us into His image. So thru my journey with W.C.G. and learning apologetics talking with my JW friend, the Lord has not only increased my trusting love for Him but also granted me the tools to witness more effectively. Now 25 years later, I know the Word by His Spirit enlightening me, no longer blown about by every wind of doctrine. Now I know the Lord personally so much better, He is ever faithful and true, His love unconditional to all those who've entered His covenant thru faith, even those who didn't know they entered into Him so long ago! May the only true God bless you all with His joy and peace!

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written by Mark Hunter , June 04, 2009

Yahkins, thanks for sharing this. It's great to hear from someone who broke free from Armstrongism. What happened to the WCG is inspirational.

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written by Jesus Morales , September 28, 2009

Thank you!, well said. No what do you think that happens in a case like me who was DFd first for other reasons, so my family stopped talking to me, then i was planning to come back so they starting talking a little more to me, since I was going to the meetings and then I after much research decided not to go back after all...I am in Limbo

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written by MareNight , December 10, 2009

Randy, you sholud give your "flock" something new, not old, recycled rubbish... Are you in crisis? Is there freemind-inflation in your head? You are so, so, so pathetic.........................................................................

Sincerely,

Your nightmare

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written by Mark Hunter , December 10, 2009

Hi "your nightmare",

I just wanted to point out that Randy didn't write this article based on the July 2009 Awake!. I did.

Also, my comments are based on the July 2009 Awake!. Does an article on religious freedom from 5 months ago constitute "old, recycled rubbish"?

Finally, what exactly about this article of mine makes Randy pathetic? I'm genuinely curious. At first glance it appears your comment is very typically closed minded hatred of the sort usually only seen on display from Jehovah's Witnesses towards those who have exercised their free will and no longer choose to do obeisance to the teachings of the Governing Body.

Hopefully you elucidate.

Cheers
Mark Hunter

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