Ahhhhhh,how often any JW debate will have Watchtower defenders obfuscate and turn into the touch of *we were persecuted* by Hitler and the Nazi's.

The Watchtower has quite a propaganda mill churning away on what pacifist, sterling integrity keepers they were in WWII, and how they were targeted for extermination by the Nazis.
What really went on is they were raising hell with ALL the governments, calling the British and American allied forces fascist.
In Nazi Germany the Watchtower president Joseph Rutherford was a rabid anti-Semite and at first rejoiced at Hitler's table, but was double-crossed by the Fuhrer and then flaunted his own German JW followers as pawns

The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses

"Public talks" where the public rarely attends.

"The Lord's Evening Meal" where virtually no one eats.

"The Theocratic Ministry School" that bears little relation to actual ministry.

"Bible Studies" where the Bible is rarely read and Jesus is barely mentioned.

An "Awake!" magazine that has no urgent message.

To kjs1963:

Fascinating--so after touting your superior secular education, which has presumably sensitized you to deeper things, you compare this religion with a prominent figure of the fascist state that was intent upon their extinction? This, of course, if you accept the historical record of Nazi oppression of Jehovah's Witnesses without deeming it propagandist retro-scripting. It's a good thing you've found your tolerant, post-therapy voice and are "no longer living (your) life as a response to previous anger", or the imagination shudders as to what parallels you'd conjure up.

I was raised a JW, but am one no longer. I am shunned by my family. I was a 4.0 student in high school and was denied the privilege of going to college by my father. As a JW father, he gave me the "freedom" of full-time JW work as a "career." He gave me the "option" of reading only JW literature. I was given the "option" of marrying another JW. I was given the "freedom" to drive a four-door car. I was given the "freedom" to learn how to type so that I could be a part-time secretary and preach full-time. I was given the "freedom" to leave the JW organization as well as all of my JW family and associates who I had been given the "freedom" of knowing.

Mr. Engardio, while I respect the precedent set by the JW organization with respect to the law for the individual freedoms of Americans, please do not confuse what goes on in the inner sanctum of the organization. Choosing not to participate in a participatory system of government is their freedom because of our wonderful republic. Other systems of government have not been so tolerant of them.

Because they didn't vote against same-sex marriage is a narrow, self-serving filter through which to view favorably the organization. It is not merely your homosexuality that prevents you from being accepted into the organization. It is also that you are a 2011 MPA candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. You are completely unfocused on God's Kingdom and would be counseled against your involvement there. If found unrepentent and unwilling to sever your ties, you too would be disciplined by the elders.

On a high note, I left the organization, got my college degree, became a voracious reader of all types of literature that was formerly forbidden to me, owned a two-door car, sought out therapy and am no longer living my life as a response to previous anger.

In all honesty, however, it is unfair to ignore or minimize the pain that many people suffer at the hands of this cult. Most people can never overcome it. It's like telling Jews that Hitler was really, really nice to Eva Braun. Crickets.

Good article.

Here's a better one though. This one is the instruction manual that tells elders how to handle problem members, like somebody that realizes they're gay. And since the JWs like freedom so much, I'm sure they'll appreciate everyone being able to freely read the manual on how gay members and other less-than-perfect members should be dealt with:

http://www.msucity.ru/upload/file/3764

To home.tiscali,
Still waiting for some facts ,til then all I'm reading is blah,blah blah. Petty very,very petty.

The truth is, we only shun ones who shun us. And it has to be very in our face.

You don't want to be shunned? Knock it off!!!

AmyFlorence Writes: "I have family members who are disfellowshipped and they do not expect too much from anyone. They just want to live their lives as they would please and I respect that. They also seem to respect me."

**** You have no clue. How can you just "live your life" when everybody that ever mattered to you is no longer in your life because of JW shunning policies?

I simply decided to leave on my own and was not disfellowshipped at all. But yet I am shunned by all JWs I ever knew during my 15 years as one. That is a control mechanism and it works for the most part because JW's view all that leave as godless apostates and actually must shun them (unless family members that you still live with) or be shunned and excommunicated themselves.

And that would include your very own, immediate family!!!

The JW religion destroys families today and have been doing that for over 100 years now.

They are a rightfully viewed as a cult by most people today.

There are some good and sincere Jehovah's Witnesses out there. But most are simply not aware of the Watchtower Society's past track record of numerous mistakes, false predictions, medical disasters and so much more; and all served as, "food from God Himself".

Here, take a look for yourself:

http://home.tiscali.nl/t661020/wtcitaten/part2.htm

Everything is from their own literature, with names and dates to see for yourself.

Obviously God is not behind any of that.

Yet, JW's think their religion and members alone are true Christians and that all non Jehovah's Witnesses will be killed by God leaving only Jehovah's Witnesses left over the earth to live forever. Amazing but true.

Yet, when challenged with proof that God never chose the Watchtower Society for anything at all, due to an entire history of embarrassing failures and mistakes, they simply strike it all up to "New light".

Amazing but true again.

Even now, today, people are dying because the JW religion forbids members from receiving life-saving blood transfusions even in life and death medical emergencies.

Including little children.

If they are happy living in a bubble then that's fine with me, I guess. Life is better than that, IMHO.

God is greater than the little box that these people try putting him into and claiming Him all for themselves.

But I guess it makes them feel special...

Vinny

Scientologists declare their outcasts "suppressive persons."
Another Scientology policy - called "disconnection" - forbids Scientologists from interacting with a suppressive person. No calls, no letters, no contact.

An SP is a pariah. Anyone who communicates with an SP risks being branded an SP himself.
Jehovah's Witnesses disfellowshiped person (DF) is exactly the same as Scientology suppressed person (SP)
Jehovah's Witnesses are EXACTLY the same.

SHUNNING
http://www.xjw.com/shunning.html

Excellent insight on some important issues. I feel enlightened by Mr. Engardio's research and feel him a little more qualified to comment than perhaps some who seem enslaved to their own negativity. I don't mean to be cruel but surely such individuals need to move on - learn a new skill, exercise, get a little more sleep, see a medical professional if necessary.
Having known so called shunned ones over the decades it seems today there is a very small minority of them who are truly disgruntled. Most just want to be left alone for the time being. I have family members who are disfellowshipped and they do not expect too much from anyone. They just want to live their lives as they would please and I respect that. They also seem to respect me.
Anyway I thought Mr. Engardio's article established a significant point about Jehovah's Witnesses. To quote: "They don't support ballot initiatives that amend the constitution to force everyone to live their way. State laws are not needed to legitimize their moral views. Jehovah's Witnesses don't see the state as an enforcer of a moral code. That's the Bible's job, they say. If you want to be in God's Kingdom, simply live the code yourself -- it's not their mission to enact laws to stop gays from marrying."
Mr Engardio has written masterfullly on this subject.

The Watchtower is not a religion, it is a mind-control cult. They micromanage every possible aspect of member's lives - from what they say, think, dress, and even what they can and cannot do in the privacy of their bedrooms.
http://www.freeminds.org

Am I reading the comments here right? People are told to go to Watchtower sources for information on what the JW's believe and then when they use those sources to prove their original points they're accused of copyright infringement?

All SCOTTJW1 can say is that those here that are no longer JW's are all just plain rotten apostates.

But notice, he cannot refute any of what has been written itself!!!

The many JW false end of the world predictions, flip flops on vaccinations, organ transplants, alternative service along with all of the other embarrassing Watchtower mistakes he completely avoids.

He then says any humble and teachable person reading these comments would be drawn to God and God's people.

You see folks, this is why I always love it when JW's occasionally show up on places like this. You can never make this stuff up.

They use a broad brush to label all EX witnesses as bad people while avoiding all of the facts themselves. AND THEN THEY GET OUT OF DODGE!!!

I was a JW for 15 years. I was an elder. I lived the JW life to the full. Wife was JW, kids were JW and I had no complaints being one.

But then, I learned some very difficult things about the JW religion that I had never heard about before. I at first did what scottyboy just did and wrote it all off to apostates and lies.

But then, I decided to see if any of these things were true.

And OMG they were all true!!!

Here is a letter I wrote to my JW congregation as well as the Governing Body on why I could no longer teach (and insist) certain JW teachings such as blood on other innocent people.

http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com/topic/922/t/Letter-of-disassociation.html

My wife left, two of three kids left and today every other JW shuns us all including our very own family.

The JW religion is not peaceable at all. They literally destroy families every day, and not based upon following Jesus, but based on whether or not you follow every JW teaching.

The think they alone are going to get everlasting life and everybody not JW is doomed to destruction.

Just read Scott's comment again.

Forums like this and the internet in general are allowing people to see the REAL JW Picture and not just the one they tell you about.

And that is a good thing to see!

Vinny

Jehovah's Witnesses troll and bully Steve Klemetti with about a dozen or more different user names and you stalk and harass Watchtower educators and have been posting illegally copyrighted Watchtower articles.
They have been letting you get away with it for years or did you finally get disfellowshipped?

You are a wonderful writer and I appreciate the words you have written.

Its amazing how the apostates and haters travel together to promote their propaganda! I won't waste my time even acknowledging their statements. They are mearly speaking for their father! The fact is, its wonderful to see that Bible prohecy continues to be fullfilled. Sometimes the governments attack us, sometimes they come to our aide. This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth. My only hope for those reading the article and/or following this blog, is that they will see through the hate, ignore it and maybe even be sparked to find out why Jehovah's people are so hated, being that they are the most peaceable people on the planet. Brothers and sisters...we know we should not engage in conversation with apostates. Instead, use these open forums to tell others about the kingdom and our Creator. If any humble, teachable person reads these articles blogs, Jehovah will surely draw them to his people and help them learn the Truth...

Poor Ray1ZT writes: "People should remember that when they want to bad mouth anybody or group, they should be able to quote some reliable and reserchable statistics."

**** If you can READ you will see I posted very specific quotes; THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES OWN LITERATURE!!!

If that's not good enough then too bad for you.

Here, just for you again:

The WT Society and Jehovah's Witnesses are a MAN-originating, men-run, high controlling religious cult-like institution, rather than what they tell people they are (God's appointed Channel/Organization/People nonsense).

The facts prove without a doubt that God was never behind any of this:

http://home.tiscali.nl/t661020/wtcitaten/part2.htm

ALL FROM THEIR OWN LITERATURE WITH DATES AND PAGES TO SEE FOR YOURSELVES!!!

We got False End of the World Predictions all over the place, medical disasterous policies - FORCED on JW's at risk of extreme shunning.

We got flip flops, blinking lights, wacky science, historical failures, arrogance, judging other religions and people of those religions and LOADS of WT Society embarrassments and humiliations throughout their entire 100+ year history!

God had nothing to do with all that nonsense that was called, "Food from God" by all JW's even down to this day.

It was WRONG when it first came off the presses!

So why are some today opposed to Jehovah's Witness and their policies?

DEAD PEOPLE is why.

RUINED LIVES is why.

FALSE PROPHECIES is why.

An arrogant, controlling Religious Institution is why.

They are WRONG ON BLOOD TODAY (for 68 years now).

They are WRONG ON SHUNNING those that simply walk away from the JW religion today. (nowhere in bible)

They are WRONG 607 BCE and 1914.

They were WRONG ABOUT FORBIDDING Vaccinations, Organ Transplants, Alternative Service and much more.

They were wrong on ALL OF THEIR End of World Predictions in writing. Wrong on marital infidelity rules, rape rules, beards, 1935, Beth Sarim and too many things to bother listing here.

Did ((( GOD ))) make all of these terrible decisions to force on all the JW's as "food at the proper time", and then change his mind later on?

Or was is just a bunch of MEN, that make up the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses (sitting up in some Brooklyn office somewhere) making these poor decisions, FORCING them on all JW's and then afterwards conveniently change their mind?

Does God serve Bad Food like this?

Perhaps He is not a very good cook?

Shunning people for disagreements is NOT scriptural!

Shunning people for walking away from the JW faith is NOT scriptural!

This is a CONTROL mechanism. And it often works. It is a gross misapplication of scripture to keep the average JW towing the line.

THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN UNITY AND FORCED UNIFORMITY.

**** There, memory refreshed?

The JW's own literature is their greatest enemy today.

Dear KIDNEYHELP4GLEN,

The JW religion DOES stick their nose in the bedrooms of member JWs.

You are not allowed to have oral sex.

Even though the bible does not say anything forbidding it, they forbid it.

Those who do it, mention it to others, and who do not follow their rules, get expelled.

And that is a FACT.

So next time THINK before putting your foot into mouth.

Silly man.

For over one hundred years the Watchtower Organization has been “pulling the wool” over the eyes of its’ members. The Jehovah’s Witnesses believe they are in a “spiritual paradise” where everything is honest, true and in the open. Schemes, scandals, scams and cover-ups define the very organization they belong to. Many Jehovah’s Witnesses are now seeing what the Watchtower Organization is hiding behind.

http://www.jwfiles.com

[BEST Hard Hitting post]

Joel P. Engardio
Writer, documentary filmmaker IS a former Jehovah's Witness member who was involved enough to have gone door to door.NOW he is an outspoken Gay activist.
He is NOT disfellowshipped (excommunicated,shunned,kicked out,treated as dead)or less severe even considered an 'unapproved associate'(like the thousands of gay and lesbian JW kids who have been disfellowshipped.

The fundy Watchtower society USES him to promote direct & star in their PBS knocking promotional flick and also uses him as a major spokesman for 4 other outlets on the web

Hypocrisy big time baby
This cult will sleaze do say anything to promote itself use and exploit Gays,Lesbian,Straight,Women, Children,Elderly....

People should remember that when they want to bad mouth anybody or group, they should be able to quote some reliable and reserchable statistics. If not everything they have to say is just a lot of blah, blah,blah,blah and they end up sounding really petty.

One more thing,

Most of you have missed the point of this article.

Instead you have focused on the Jehovah's Witnesses verses what this young man has said.

Re-read the article and listen to what he said.

Glen

Vinny,

You are a hypocrite and a liar. Why would you say something that wasn't true. You are a former Witness and are a very bitter person for what ever reason.

To say that anybody tries to tell you what you can do in they're own bedroom is a lie if I've ever heard one.

I don't know what kind of Witnesses you've been were hanging out with but, that was never something I ever was told.

Tell the truth and stop your lies. I don't have enough space to list the lies your telling.

Glen

The jehovah witness Watchtower cult message, spammed in 180 languages, is the same: God is soon going to execute every living person on the planet, except Jehovahs Witnesses. They also actively encourage people to reject life-saving medical treatment involving some common blood products such as plasma and red cells.

The point here is not if the JW god believes homosexuality is bad or good. The point is that Joel celebrates the JW's "hard work" in fighting for freedom of religion when in reality they only defent the right for themselves to worship, but if someone leaves their faith to worship elsewhere and in a different way, or not at all, they force that person to lose their family and force that family to lose that person. This is not freedom to worship.

If Joel were not gay, but chose not to worship the JW way...and chose instead to celebrate christmas or vote in elections the issue would not be homosexuality. But if he were baptized as a 9 year old like so many JW youths were, his mother would be forced to shun him too. That is not freedom of religion

I WAS a JW, and an elder as well, until recently in 2006 when I walked away. I am very familiar with how they are actually WORSE than most other faiths today. I am shunned for walking away. People today and for the last 80 years have died, without reason, due to the WT medical policies forced on all JW's.

Each week is filled with a list of JW obligations that basically OWN YOU. You are told what you can read, what movies are acceptable, what association is acceptable, what facial hair is okay. What you can celebrate and cannot. What words you are allowed to use.

What is allowed in your own bedroom with your wife. And too many other things to list here again. Before knowing all the facts and believing they were God's True Channel, one can go a very long way to justify all of these things. Take away that one true faith belief and so falls the rest.

I have been there and done all that.

JW's are told they cannot take blood transfusions in situations where they might need one (such as through accidents or complications with surgery, pregnancy or child birth).

So, naturally, more JW's will die.

Just like this mother died unnecessarily!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/shropshire/7078455.stm

And now her husband has no wife and her two new twins have no mother.

And all for what?

Or this teenager that also DIED: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/8690785.stm

This is very simple. JW's NEEDLESSLY die for this sorry blood policy today.

From the same organization that has an entire 100 + year history of similar bad and embarrasing policies.

This is why I suggest to anybody thinking of becoming a JW ... to READ READ AND READ UP ON THIS RELIGION FIRST!

The proof will clearly stand out that the JW faith is not what they try to tell people they are!

Vinny

The WT Society and Jehovah's Witnesses are a MAN-originating, men-run, high controlling religious cult-like institution, rather than what they tell people they are (God's appointed Channel/Organization/People nonsense).

The facts prove without a doubt that God was never behind any of this:

http://home.tiscali.nl/t661020/wtcitaten/part2.htm

ALL FROM THEIR OWN LITERATURE WITH DATES AND PAGES TO SEE FOR YOURSELVES!!!

We got False End of the World Predictions all over the place, medical disasterous policies - FORCED on JW's at risk of extreme shunning.

We got flip flops, blinking lights, wacky science, historical failures, arrogance, judging other religions and people of those religions and LOADS of WT Society embarrassments and humiliations throughout their entire 100+ year history!

God had nothing to do with all that nonsense that was called, "Food from God" by all JW's even down to this day.

It was WRONG when it first came off the presses!

So why are some today opposed to Jehovah's Witness and their policies?

DEAD PEOPLE is why.

RUINED LIVES is why.

FALSE PROPHECIES is why.

An arrogant, controlling Religious Institution is why.

They are WRONG ON BLOOD TODAY (for 68 years now).

They are WRONG ON SHUNNING those that simply walk away from the JW religion today. (nowhere in bible)

They are WRONG 607 BCE and 1914.

They were WRONG ABOUT FORBIDDING Vaccinations, Organ Transplants, Alternative Service and much more.

They were wrong on ALL OF THEIR End of World Predictions in writing. Wrong on marital infidelity rules, rape rules, beards, 1935, Beth Sarim and too many things to bother listing here.

Did ((( GOD ))) make all of these terrible decisions to force on all the JW's as "food at the proper time", and then change his mind later on?

Or was is just a bunch of MEN, that make up the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses (sitting up in some Brooklyn office somewhere) making these poor decisions, FORCING them on all JW's and then afterwards conveniently change their mind?

Does God serve Bad Food like this?

Perhaps He is not a very good cook?

Shunning people for disagreements is NOT scriptural!

Shunning people for walking away from the JW faith is NOT scriptural!

This is a CONTROL mechanism. And it often works. It is a gross misapplication of scripture to keep the average JW towing the line.

THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN UNITY AND FORCED UNIFORMITY.

The comments on the article are pretty interesting. Interesting in that the writer is being attacked for defending the Witnesses.

The wikipedia article on Jehovah's Witnesses is fairly accurate (had to be "semi-protected"), but if you want the most accurate information on Jehovah's Witnesses why not go to : www.jw-media.org, www.watchtower.org..the official websites.. and why not download this audio article from the www.jw.org website entitled: "Young People Ask . . . How Can I Explain the Bible’s View of Homosexuality?" ( http://download.jw.org/files/media_magazines/g_E_201012_09.mp3 )

I personally feel that there's not only your normal JW critics posting but there's now, very disturbingly, JW imposters posting comments as if they represented the religion's views. Take this as a caution to anyone genuinely investigating Witness' beliefs and practices.

Everywhere Jehovah's Witnesses news articles,topics,debates come up.

Defenders will invariably manage to embed the HATE word.

JW are obnoxious not really hated you are not taken serious enough to be 'hated'.

Most of us are happy to just ignore your scams same as Scientology who BTW use the 'bigot' word.

Jesus was hated you are not anything like Jesus.

Homosexuality, adultery, fornication, stealing and where does it stop bestiality...if we as Jehovah's Witnesses accept one we have to accept it all then we negate the entire bible. There is never anyone who can tell you a scripture that states God made a mistake he changed his mind do what ever you want it's OK I'll just apologize to all those children of mine before you that I destroyed for the same thing. No, that would dishonor his justice principle. As for the claim that "we we're born that way" maybe you we're born Testosterone or Hormone challenged, why is it OK for you to fold to a weakness as opposed to someone who has a weakness for adultery or other things, do we all just do what we want to regardless of the consequences? God has set up boundaries for a reason he created us he knows what is best for us in the long run. You can fight against it all you want but it doesn't change the fact. That's why is Jesus taught "that's what you once were" meaning his followers had to stop what sins they were doing and turn around, even if it meant we were different and people would hate us. We expect it.

Jehovah's Witnesses are a cult.

"Jehovah's Witnesses proselytize door-to-door advocating a religious point of view, just as Mormons do."

And are as equally annoying and narrow minded.

Anyone who has suffered loss due to exercising their right to apostatize, change, recant their religion, should file a compliant.

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights, considers the recanting of a person's religion a human right legally protected by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: "The Committee observes that the freedom to 'have or to adopt' a religion or belief necessarily entails the freedom to choose a religion or belief, including the right to replace one's current religion or belief with another or to adopt atheistic views

Article 18.2 bars coercion that would impair the right to have or adopt a religion or belief, including the use of threat of physical force or penal sanctions to compel believers or non-believers to adhere to their religious beliefs and congregations, to recant their religion or belief or to convert."

Most people who "join" Jehovah's Witnesses are born into the creed as indoctrinated youth and about 70 percent do end up leaving under very ugly circumstances shunned as traitors.

Any Watchtower troll who says that JW will 'just let you walk away' are willful liars.The thing is any active or EXJW who reads that propaganda knows it's a lie and most of the general population know about JW severe shunning so go ahead and deny lie all you want,we know better.

The sad reality is that the vast majority of those who condemn Jehovah's Witnesses as being "primative", murderers and everything else, in truth know very little about Jehovah's Witnesses as to why they believe and live as they do. They have either not read the Bible, have read very little of it or can't understand it and so when someone as a group actually begin to apply in their lives what the Bible say's the first thing people in their ignorance or in their hate want to do is critize and condemn. That is largely why Jesus said of his disciples, if they, that is the people of this world hated me, they will hate you as well. Essentially what you people are saying is, 'how dare they be different from us' 'how dare the Witnesses follow those "outdated" Bible standards. Sorry people, we answer to God and not any single man or nation.

There is a big difference between choosing to join a religion and uphold its beliefs and conduct or in choosing to live your live how you want. It is like choosing to go to university or college. If a school makes it clear that they do not accept practicing gays and one clearly is informed of that, and chooses to go there anyway, then the blame is not on the school but on the person. Schools expel students that do not agree with it rules. Should not religion be able to do the same?- especially if one goes against the religion's clearly stated rules.

99% of the world has rejected the teachings of the Watchtower Jehovah's Witnesses as a 'joke' but the darker truth is they are a destructive and oppressive organization.
Just google: Jehovah's Witnesses Murders

JW cause death
Actually at least 200,000 JW men women and children have been sacrificed (died) to the Watchtower policy over the blood transfusion ban. Thousands and thousands more have died 'premature' death for neglecting their long term health care believing in the Watchtower apocalyptic promise of an imminent 'new system' paradise gonna fix it all up.

WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES REFERENCES?

Simple- Joel P. Engardio

Writer, documentary filmmaker IS a former Jehovah's Witness member who was involved enough to have gone door to door.NOW he is an outspoken Gay activist.

He is NOT disfellowshipped (excommunicated,shunned,kicked out,treated as dead)or less severe even considered an 'unapproved associate'(like the thousands of gay and lesbian JW kids who have been disfellowshipped.

The fundy Watchtower society USES him to promote direct & star in their PBS knocking promotional flick and also uses him as a major spokesman for 4 other outlets on the web

Hypocrisy big time baby
This cult will sleaze do say anything to promote itself use and exploit Gays,Lesbian,Straight,Women, Children,Elderly....

WOLVES in SHEEP'S CLOTHING

Rules are recipes. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Examine a trees 'own' leaves. Examine the pages of our publications. Regards to all. Margaret

Gayle777, I couldn't have said it better. While Joel goes around talking about how great the JW's are in fighting for freedom and keeping out of the culture war over gay marriage, my family shuns me because I choose to follow my conscience and not worship in their way. Jehovah's Witnesses don't fight for freedom to worship, they fight for THEIR freedom to worship, and if someone who was raised to know no other way to worship decides to exercise their freedom to worship differently leaves the JW faith, the JW's shun them and force their family to shun them.

I am a gay woman Joel. But by the grace of god go you. Had you been baptized at the age of 9 or 10, as so many of us were, your mother would be shunning you too, in accordance with her religious faith. Would you support of the JW faith be a little different then Joel? Every time you write about the JW's you undermine and negate the position of thousands of your fellow gay human beings, including many many struggling teens and young adults.

Your message indicates that they should celebrate the faith that shuns them. Is that the message you want the youth leaving the JW's to live their lives fully to take away from what you write? Because if it is, you are part of the problem, NOT part of the solution. You see, it gets better Joel, but not because of the shunning done by JW's but inspite of it. And not because of you, but inspite of you.

Ok, they're good for something.

Frankly, I consider their beliefs the most primitive of any large denomination; I'm just thankful they haven't convinced more people of impending Armageddon.

Mr Engardio, I respect your articles written with skill and your expertise of film as well. I understand your respect for people like JWs that have pushed for their rights according to law. Thankfully, you were never baptized a JW, and you have gained college, freedom of your own mind and life choices and rights. Thankfully, therefore, your JW mom can still talk to you. Yet, this JW organization has taken away the fundamental need of freedom of thought, rights and the real kind of love from "thousands" of their youth & members who were 'baptized,' sometimes too young,and later chose to go on, as you, with their own opinions, rights and life choices. However, they are disfellowshpped, totally shunned. Thousands of JW moms cannot speak with their grown children at all. The organization's prejudice against these former members parallels the disdain of other unpopular groups. Their JW parents and JW friends can not even talk with them as commanded by their Governing Body in Brooklyn, NY. Do you see, the flip or contradiction, they win their freedom in law, however, yet take away from their own youth's freedoms and more harshly deny them their fundamental real love?