In Hamburg on the evening of March 9, seven people were killed in a Jehovah’s Witnesses meeting, the perpetrator directed himself. Eight people were injured, four of them seriously.
Our deepest sympathy goes to all those affected by this terrible act of bloodshed.
We remember the deceased people, one of whom was not even born yet.
Our thoughts are with the parents, children, siblings and grandparents of the deceased and with all the people they were close to. May they be carried by care, support and comfort in these darkest hours of their lives, and thus learn that they are not alone in their pain and despair.
We think especially of all those who have lost loved ones a second time and are excluded from the care of the former community. We want them to know that they are not alone today, that they are supported by compassion and love in their pain and despair.
Our thoughts are with the injured. May they receive all the medical help they need. May they recover, not only physically, but also mentally.
We think of all those who have been thrown out of their lives by these terrible events. Who do not know how to go on living. May they regain confidence and find their way back to life.
And our thoughts are with all those who are reminded by these events of how they lost their loved ones. Who sympathize with those affected and grieve with them. And wish someone had seen their suffering at the time. May we be there for them, may they heal.
Our thoughts and sympathy are with all the people affected by these terrible events. May they all experience cohesion and healing.
Not knowing the motives of the assassin, we would like to be a contact for information on Jehovah’s Witnesses (in general and in Germany), their dropouts, as well as providing individual reports from dropouts.
Contact: presseinfo(at)jz.help Please feel free to contact us. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
20/07/2021 – 19:32 Jehovah’s Witnesses have always declared themselves to be the “happiest people on earth”, but certain events are contradicting this statement, giving the image of a religion subject to increasingly loud and revolutionary protest movements. In recent years, in fact, thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses have been publicly denouncing the climate of hypocrisy that reigns within the community. They are believers and former believers who surf the net, hiding behind a nickname so as not to be recognised, because they fear retaliation from a religious group that does not tolerate criticism and objections from within.
The progression of the number of new followers has begun to stagnate or decrease in many Western countries, where the diffusion of the Internet has allowed most people to access information that was once segregated in the archives of the organisation. Doubt began to spread among congregations, mistrust increased, and reports circulated quickly. Like the one according to which Jehovah’s Witnesses for ten years, from 1991 to 2001, were part of the UNO, a world political institution that they themselves have always branded as a “satanic institution”. This discovery has prompted many believers to accuse the organisation of hypocrisy and inconsistency with respect to what has been taught for years in congregations all over the world.
Rebellion and disobedience are on the rise among those who accuse the movement of being authoritarian and libertarian. The rule prohibiting any contact with a disassociated person is continually challenged. Fewer and fewer Jehovah’s Witnesses agree to follow the diktats of the governing body, the highest authority in the organisation. The outflow of young people from the community is impressive. According to data, almost seventy per cent of children born into Jehovah’s Witness families leave the cult when they become adults. This is a percentage not found in any other religion in the world. Many outcasts have denounced what they describe as an occult system that manipulates consciences and publishes subliminal images of a Masonic nature in its publications to encourage plagiarism among readers.
The most critical of Jehovah’s Witnesses are those who have left the organisation and describe a claustrophobic reality. It is a closed world where individual freedom is nullified and members are isolated from the outside world by the threat of divine punishment against anyone who dissents from the organisation’s directives. However, many former Jehovah’s Witnesses have still found the courage to break down the wall of silence and fear and have decided to recount their experiences in order to inform public opinion about what is happening among Jehovah’s Witnesses. The aim, according to them, is to unmask the contradictions of the movement and bring to light the skeletons that the organisation has hidden in its wardrobes. The most clamorous of these is paedophilia, perpetrated by Jehovah’s Witnesses all over the world and covered up by the movement’s leadership. A phenomenon that has already cost the religious group tens of millions of dollars in compensation in civil lawsuits.
Hundreds of thousands of people leave the community every year because they are tired of being subjected to the dictatorship of a governing body that has proclaimed itself to be God’s only channel on earth. Not all of them do, of course, but those who remain often live a double life. On the one hand, they follow the rules of the organisation and, on the other, those of the world. Not only that. But, from what we read on the Internet, it seems that many Jehovah’s Witnesses no longer feel like Jehovah’s Witnesses and have started to frequent dissident sites. Physically they are still part of the organisation, but mentally they have already jumped ship. Thousands of them are double agents. In the congregations they behave in an exemplary manner, but in private they interact with dissidents and provide them with confidential information about what is happening in a banned community in several countries.
The discontent within the movement is growing day by day and is also affecting those who, for one reason or another, decide to remain in the organisation. The recent organisational changes have created turmoil among the community leaders. Many elders who worked in branches or served as ‘overseers’ or ‘special pioneers’ have been sent home to cut costs. Hundreds of congregations around the world were closed. Two thousand in America alone. Constant doctrinal changes, such as the end of the world being postponed until an increasingly uncertain and imprecise future, have created weariness and apathy in many Jehovah’s Witnesses who have ceased to be zealous preachers.
In short, dissent among Jehovah’s Witnesses is spreading like wildfire, and the movement seems to be in recession all over the world. The reason for this is said to be the invasive policies of the organisation’s leadership and religious doctrines taken too far. But also the inability of the leadership to plug the many cracks that have opened up and that are bringing to light the true nature of a movement that, like all religious movements, is showing itself to have an increasingly human and increasingly less divine nature.
On November 24, 2020, the Independent Commission for Processing Child Sexual Abuse spoke in a confidential setting with experts about sexual abuse of children and adolescents of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The board and members of the JZ Help e.V. association were interviewed.
The commission wants to find out what conditions have made sexual child abuse among Jehovah’s Witnesses possible in the past and what structures prevent education and coming to terms with the situation. The stories of victims and contemporary witnesses are of great importance for this. They, as well as persons from other areas, have the opportunity to report to the commission in a confidential hearing or as a written report.
When we founded the association JW Opfer Hilfe e.V. a little over 2 years ago, we mainly addressed Jehovah’s Witnesses and those affected by this community. At that time we had decided to use the letters JW in our branding as well, because insiders recognize the letters JW and JW.ORG very well as identification of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
However, we received many questions from people outside the Jehovah’s Witness community about what JW means and we had to explain that the letters stand for the English name of “Jehovah’s Witnesses”.
Last year, our trademark jw.help was attacked by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania and opposition was filed against the trademark and the use of the letters JW in the association’s name. In our opinion, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania’s request is legally unfounded, but we still want to avoid an expensive lawsuit. We do not want to invest our time, energy and resources in defending a trademark, but rather to help those affected.
Therefore we have decided to act as “JZ Help” in the future. We will change our social channels in the next days and weeks. The brand JZ is registered in the German trademark register without opposition.
Unfortunately, it is possible that your saved links will be lost. Please remember to update them afterwards.
People with Jehovah’s Witnesses past have been socialized towards disaster, towards Armageddon. When a real crisis occurs, most of these people experience even greater fears than others. Here you will find facts against fears! And a few thoughts on how the current situation can affect (former) Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Helpful facts
The corona crisis poses an enormous challenge: for the older ones among us and those with health problems, an illness can be very dangerous, we all have to reorganize ourselves and many of us fear for their economic existence – we are experiencing an absolute exceptional situation. However, many (former) Jehovah’s Witnesses are likely to experience it as even more critical.
Are you scared?
… that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and the associated plague, the COVID-19-pandemic, is confirmation that we are living in the last few days (Luke 21:11; 2 Timothy 3: 1-5)?
… that food shortages are a sign of the last few days (Matthew 24: 7; Luke 21:11; Revelation 6: 5, 6)?
… that COVID-19 is confirmation that the apocalyptic horseman of the pale horse is on the way (Revelation 6: 8)
Here, some facts!
Four things that make clear that we have neither lived in the past few days nor in a deteriorating world:
1. Famine
2. Poverty
3. Natural disaster
4. General (deterioration of) living conditions
1. Famine:
There is neither increasing food shortages nor increasing famines over the years.
Famines come and go. There has been no evidence of an increase since the 1860s – and certainly not since 1914. On the contrary, especially in relation to the development of the world population, there is a clear decrease in famines.
Famines come and go. There has been no evidence of an increase in annual mortality since the 1860s, and certainly not since 1914. On the contrary, there is a clear decrease in the death rate!
Instead, what do Jehovah’s Witnesses say?
… THE RIDER OF THE BLACK HORSE
[…] This horserider stands for hunger. […]
Since 1914, have we seen evidence that this rider of the black horse has been on the move? Yes! About 70 million people died in famines during the 20th century. One authority estimated that “805 million people—about one in nine of the world’s population—were chronically undernourished in 2012-14.” Another report states: “Hunger kills more people every year than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.” In spite of many earnest efforts to feed the hungry, the rider of the black horse continues to ride.
According to people’s perception (especially in “rich”, “western” countries), the proportion of people in extreme poverty has increased in the past 20 years. However: this is FALSE.
The opposite reality to the majority perception is shown in the next figure.
Earthquakes are unique events. There is no trend showing increase or decrease.
What Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Say?
The Bible’s answer
The Bible describes events and conditions that would mark “the conclusion of the [current] system of things,” or “the end of the world.” (Matthew 24:3; King James Version) The Bible calls this time period “the last days” and the “time of the end,” or “end times.” (2 Timothy 3:1; Daniel 8:19) The following are some outstanding features of last-days, or end-times, prophecies:
[…]
Great earthquakes.—Luke 21:11.
Pestilences, or epidemics of “terrible diseases.”—Luke 21:11, Contemporary English Version.
Natural disasters record many deaths. There has been no trend towards deterioration in recent decades. On the contrary! Improvements in living conditions (see 4. General living conditions), hygiene, more stable houses and, and, and … contribute to this.
As bad as deaths from natural disasters are. The number compared to general mortality fluctuates just between 0 and 0.4%!
4. General deterioration in living conditions
Nothing indicates that the world is deteriorating, but EVERYTHING indicates towards an improvement (statistical fluctuations and individual fates do not mean the opposite)
Isn’t the global increase in general life expectancy quite positive?
People with Jehovah’s Witnesses-past are more vulnerable
Jehovah’s Witnesses are socialized towards the end of the world. Their purpose in life is to survive Armageddon, the great final battle in which Jehovah annihilates the unbelievers but also the insufficient believers.
Socialization goal: world end
According to the doctrine, Armageddon is imminent, it is so close that higher education is no longer worthwhile for young people and that believers should instead “save” as many people as possible. Jehovah’s Witnesses spend 17.5 hours a week on religious practice – alongside work and family. In other words: Jehovah’s Witnesses live in a permanent state of emergency, the crisis situation is their default mode, so to speak. That is not by accident.
The main message from Watchtower media is: Be obedient so you can survive. In other words, if you don’t obey, you die terribly. Or you lose all the people you love. And that’s not an empty threat. Every Jehovah’s Witness experienced people disappear: a sibling, an uncle, or even a parent with whom all contact was cut off. Jehovah’s Witnesses are literally conditioned to fear. Fear is the basis of belief in annihilation and the consequence of it.
In the congregation, studying the Bible at home or at summer congresses – it has always been about the coming end of the world, for more than 140 years. Every real crisis is used to make it clear that we have been living in the past few days, even in the last of the last few days, Lett said in the latest broadcast. Real crises seem to legitimize decades of intellectual curfew. And there were many crises and terrible wars – but no end of the world. Neither in 1914, nor in 1925, nor in 1975, nor by the millennium, nor after the death of those born in 1914.
Stephen Lett, a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, said in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, “We are undoubtedly living in the final days of the final days, just before the last day of the last days.”
Since Corona crisis, the organization’s website has had a frightening picture of the four apocalyptic riders, and it is said that the prophecy about the rider of the pale horse, who “represents epidemics and causes of death”, has been fulfilled. This is wrong, as stated above.
Images of illness and contagion in everyday use
However, it seems correct that the Corona crisis is a particularly “good” crisis for the Watchtower organization. Not only because of the many scandals surrounding child abuse and the current investigations into them step into the background. But also, because extreme cults often have two sect characteristics:
1. The extreme limitation of time to the end of the world. This is a particularly good way to put pressure on and frighten people.
2. Images of illness and contagion. The Watchtower organization cannot just use the current pandemic as a “sign” for the last few days. Rather, it personifies the contaminated sin or contagious evil that Jehovah’s Witnesses are warned about every day.
The image of a large-scale contagious disease activates incomparably more negative images, ideas, associations and feelings in (former) Jehovah’s Witnesses than in other people. There are dozens of language images used by the Watchtower organization around contagion and illness.
It is difficult to think about “worldly people” without shivering slightly, while the term “apostates” gives you cold shivers.
Extreme sectarian groups work with (language) images that people find difficult to escape from and use these to exploit the original emotional experiences: All people are afraid of illness, nobody likes rotten food. So there are innumerable images in the Watchtower literature like that of the rotten apple that infects the other apples and of course stands for sinful behavior that is said to be contagious. Apostasy is talked about as being a highly contagious disease that leads to death. Apostates are not only treated with contempt, but are often described as terminally ill who will die.
Bad Associations Spoil Useful Habits
You cannot voluntarily associate with bad persons without being influenced to your harm. You cannot prove Bible principles untrue. Just as a rotten apple in a barrel in time causes the good apples close to it also to become rotten, so bad people influence for evil those who choose to associate with them. You cannot prove God a liar; his Word is truth.—John 17:17.
Apostates / Disfellowshipped ones, being mentally ill
Suppose that a doctor told you to avoid contact with someone who is infected with a contagious, deadly disease. 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. (1 Tim. 6:3,4) Jehovah, the Great Physician, tells us to avoid contact with them. We know what he means, but are we determined to heed his warning in all respects?
Based on these images, one has to conclude that Jehovah’s Witnesses have a permanent plague alarm: Sin is contagious and can infect many. Total isolation is required for those being infected with sin, which even includes a ban on greeting. There is no help or compassion for those who are separated in this way, in any case: strict avoidance. There is no solidarity with these infected or even terminally ill, because they deserve to die.
These pictures and these experiences do not make it easier during a real crisis to have confidence that everything will go well, that solidarity will support those who need it. Rather, it is perfectly understandable that many (former) Jehovah’s Witnesses experience great stress and anxiety in the current situation. Even if you cannot simply delete your own neural network, you can still change it if you think about it or talk about it. You do that in psychotherapy, a self-help group or in an exchange with other people affected. And, of course, facts are also helpful.
In a nutshell (Video in German)
Finally, an excerpt from the famous speech by Konrad Franke, in which he predicts the end of the world in 1975, followed by a sequence on the subject of lies from one of the notorious WT children’s films. Then an episode from a speech by Thomas Fiala and finally, as a conclusion, an episode by the cabaret artist Volker Pispers
Swiss – Zurich district court acquits cult specialist and board member of our assosiasion JW Victims Help e.V. Dr. Regina Spiess.
On Tuesday July 9th, 2019, the district court of Zurich acquitted a former employee of the cult advisory board Infosekta of allegations of multiple counts of defamation. It appears they were made by the Jehovah’s Witnesses over critical statements in the media.
In fact, the defendant had made several defamatory remarks, said the only judge during her oral verdict. But she did not agree that the statements were automatically punishable. For her statements, she had told the truth or provided proof in good faith.
The cult advisory board has a public mission and receives public money. It is widely recognized as such. Its task is to inform society about Jehovah’s Witnesses and various other groups. This was done by the accused. It was not her primary goal to make Jehovah’s Witnesses look evil.
please click right above at the video for English subtitles
Victims and human rights activists worldwide draw attention to human rights violations among Jehovah’s Witnesses on the occasion of the International Watchtower Victims Memorial Day – including JW Victim Help e.V. and the Golden Aluhut, among others with a stand at Alexanderplatz in Berlin on July 26th, 2019.
Below you can find an authorized translation of the original German broadcast:
Germany – SWR TV, Stuttgart, 3.7.2019 – Members of the victim protection organization JZ Help e.V. have filed charges against leading members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses at the police headquarters in Stuttgart. The victim organization accuses the religious group of fraud in connection with the recognition procedure for a Public Body.
The corresponding complaint is available to SWR. The victim protection organization “JW Opfer Hilfe e.V.” (Jehovah’s Witnesses Victim Help) accuses the leading members of the religious group, which is considered Christian fundamentalist, of fraud for allegedly deceiving governmental authorities in court.
The legal proceedings stood in connection with recognition of Jehovah’s Witnesses as a corporate body under public law, a status privileged by the state. In Baden-Württemberg, the recognition was granted in 2015, preceded also by court hearings like the one in Berlin, among other places.
“Jehovah’s witnesses put pressure on members”
Bernd Bochow and Udo Obermayer, who both left the religious group, substantiate the claim with the fact that Jehovah’s Witnesses put pressure on members if they continue to associate with dropouts, which was in clear breach of the protection of marriage and family demanded by the Basic Law. In court, the leaders of Jehovah’s Witnesses, however, had depicted this quite differently.
Moreover, the representatives of “JW Opfer Hilfe” accuse the religious group of exerting pressure on members if they accept blood transfusions in cases of life-threatening conditions. In addition, sexual abuse within Jehovah’s Witnesses often would go uninvestigated. In practice, contrary to all official affirmations given by the leaders of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the rule that would yet still apply among Jehovah’s Witnesses was the one that an abuse would only be investigated and punished if the victim could bring forward a second eyewitness to the offence.
“A word by those who left: We need to look behind the scenes”
Considering all, such an organization as Jehovah’s Witnesses in Germany should not on top be granted privileges by the state, the representatives of “JW Opfer Hilfe” told SWR. Bernd Bochow, a former Jehovah’s Witness, put it this way: „If you happen to look behind the scenes and realize what happened during the recognition process in Berlin, that cheating and fraud was involved, I wonder whether the constitutional state would not want to take a closer look too, after all these years.”
“Jehovah’s Witnesses reject criticism”
The German branch of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Selters, Hessen, rejected the criticism in written form towards the SWR; concerning the topics in question, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Germany would have won all legal proceedings so far, and members of Jehovah’s Witnesses were free in their decision with whom they wanted to be in contact, whether they would like to report to the police or which medical treatment they would choose. All of this, though, under the requirement that in their decisions they – to quote the exact wording – “apply Bible standards.”
In an Europe-wide campaign, the association JW Victims Help e.V. draws attention to clear indications that Jehovah’s Witnesses are forbidden by their leaders to vote. However even the attempt would be a serious violation of law and could endanger the corporation under public law (KdöR). Therefore JW Victims Help e.V. encourages all Jehovah’s Witnesses to participate in the elections and to share their experiences with our association.
Invitation to all Jehovah’s Witnesses – please vote
“We’d like to ask all Jehovah’s Witnesses: Exercise your fundamental right and participate in elections!
Don’t wait for Armageddon – God’s war of annihilation of all non-Jehovah’s Witnesses – and for paradise on earth.
Shape your future now. Influence the course set in Europe for the coming years and decades!
If you want to remain anonymous – take part in postal voting.
If you are already about to leave anyway, go to the polling booth and talk about this. But only do this if you are aware that you can bear the consequences of shunning and contact ban – also in the family.
If you already have any experience with the consequences of voting, please let us know.” (email@jw.help)
