The Last Days (July 24-30, 2023)
Issue No. 15
Welcome to the fifteenth edition of The Last Days newsletter.
The Last Days delivers a collection of curated JW-related news articles from around the world, and other entertaining information, straight into your inbox every weekend. You choose what you want to read, believe, download, listen to, watch, or subscribe to.
You can find the last edition of TLD covering July 17-23, 2023, here if you missed it. If you prefer to read The Last Days on our webpage click here.
This edition of The Last Days, covering the week of July 23-30, 2023, contains our leading Feature of the Week: Jehovah’s Witnesses leaders target and religiously persecute a family who reported child sexual abuse; JW News from the United States and Norway; a JW Quote of the Week; and an evidence-based video from YouTuber Watchtower History discussing Nazi conspiracies and Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Enjoy the Last Days! . . .
“The events unfolding around us, are making clearer than ever, that we’re living in the final part of the Last Days, undoubtedly the final part of the final part of the Last Days, shortly before the Last Day of the Last Days.” - Stephen Lett, member of the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Please support The Last Days for as little as the cost of a coffee.
Jehovah’s Witnesses leaders target and religiously persecute a family who reported child sexual abuse
Have the leaders of Jehovah’s Witnesses gone too far in their religious persecution of the Haugh family from Pennsylvania, USA?
Through our affiliation with Say Sorry, The Last Days newsletter is aware of a worldwide increase of religiously motivated persecution, violence, hate speech, and illegal activities committed by or authorised by various leaders of the Jehovah’s Witnesses against survivors of child sexual abuse and whistleblowers.
Consider the following example from the United States as published this week by Fox43.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses organization is facing scrutiny in Pennsylvania over its handling of alleged widespread child sexual abuse by members. An email sent to some members is offering a glimpse into how the organization is responding to that scrutiny—and the whistleblowers who helped bring concerns to light.
Martin and Jennifer Haugh first spoke with FOX43 in May 2023 to discuss their frustrations trying to get justice within Jehovah’s Witnesses for their daughter’s molestation in 2005.
Martin Haugh, a former Jehovah’s Witness elder, was so devoted to the faith that even after he walked in on another member sexually molesting his 4-year-old daughter, he didn’t go to the police for another 11 years.
Now that the Haughs have gone public with their story, Jehovah’s Witnesses have labeled them apostates and warned other members not to engage with them.
An email sent out in early July instructed members providing security for a Jehovah’s Witnesses convention in Reading to keep photos of the couple on their phones. - Fox43
The Pennsylvania Grand Jury investigation into child sexual abuse within the Jehovah’s Witnesses institution
Prior to the commencement of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury investigation into child sexual abuse within the Jehovah’s Witnesses institution, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office was warned in writing of the very real likelihood of the Jehovah’s Witnesses institution targeting child sexual abuse victims and whistleblowers.
The following is an extract of the information provided to the Attorney General’s Office in 2018.
WHISTLEBLOWERS: HOW WATCHTOWER NEW YORK MANAGES THE PROBLEM?
How can Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., deal with situations when a Jehovah’s Witness, or a former Jehovah’s Witness, disagrees with their covering up of ‘known child molesters’ within the community and congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses?
Watchtower New York first and foremost protect their own corporate image and then the failing child abuse [protection] policies of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Those who object to the covering up of ‘known child molesters,’ or who attempt to expose any child molesters who were appointed as agents of Watchtower New York, may find themselves either excommunicated from the religion or may literally find their constitutional freedom of religion corporately revoked.
In such cases a corporate letter* may be sent by Watchtower New York which states:
“We are authorized to inform you on our own behalf and on behalf of Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses (CCJW) that your implied invitation to visit any Bethel facility, Regional Convention, Kingdom Hall, or Assembly Hall, whether leased, licensed, owned, or operated by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., CCJW, or any congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, is hereby revoked. Should you chose to enter any of the aforementioned properties, we will immediately contact the police with the intent of pressing criminal trespassing charges against you.”
By contrast a ‘known child molester’ is not reported to the police and neither is their implied invitation revoked. They are protected by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.
*The following corporate letter from Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. and the unidentified ‘Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ was provided to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office in 2018 as an example of one way in which the Jehovah’s Witnesses institution targets whistleblowers, namely with the threat of ‘pressing criminal charges’.
Watch the Fox43 interview with Martin Haugh
Please support The Last Days newsletter for the cost of a coffee.
United States - published on July 25, 2023
Norway - published on July 27, 2023
What does it mean to loyally submit to theocratic order within the Jehovah’s Witnesses?
In answer to the above question consider the following statement published in The Watchtower magazine under the article heading “Loyally Submitting to Theocratic Order”:
At times, some bring to the attention of the “slave” class various doctrinal or organizational matters that they feel ought to be revised. Certainly, suggestions for improvement are proper, as are inquiries for clarification. An example of this was when Paul, Barnabas and others were sent “to go up to the apostles and older men in Jerusalem” regarding circumcision. When those elders at Jerusalem decided the matter, under the direction of holy spirit, they then sent brothers to various cities to “deliver to those there for observance the decrees that had been decided upon by the apostles and older men who were in Jerusalem.” Loyal submission to those decrees brought Jehovah’s blessing. Thus, “the congregations continued to be made firm in the faith and to increase in number from day to day.”—Acts 15:1–16:5. - The Watchtower magazine, June 1, 1982, page 20.
As can be seen from the above teaching of Jehovah’s Witnesses it is proper, and more importantly a requirement for Jehovah’s Witnesses, to make suggestions to both the “faithful and discreet slave” and the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
What then if the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to listen to your ‘suggestions for improvement’ or ‘inquiries for clarification’?
On this matter the same Watchtower article states:
The proper spirit after offering suggestions is to be content to leave the matter to the prayerful consideration of the mature brothers directing the work in Jehovah’s organization. But if those making the suggestions are not content with that and continue to dispute the subject in the congregations with a view to getting others to support them, what then? That would create divisions, and could subvert the faith of some. So Paul counsels: “Keep your eye on those who cause divisions and occasions for stumbling contrary to the teaching that you have learned, and avoid them.” Paul also counseled Titus to “reprove those who contradict,” adding: “It is necessary to shut the mouths of these, as these very men keep on subverting entire households by teaching things they ought not . . . For this very cause keep on reproving them with severity.”—Romans 16:17, 18; Titus 1:9-13. - The Watchtower magazine, June 1, 1982, page 20.
In our next issue
In our next issue we will discuss the story of a group of children and parents who followed the above advice and wrote directly to the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Please support The Last Days newsletter for the cost of a coffee.
In this YouTube video Watchtower History further develops the series Rutherford’s Roadmap to Enduring Persecution in Part 7: Nazi Conspiracies and Jehovah’s Witnesses.
As early as the 1920s and through to the end of the World War, the Nazis bizarre accusations against the Watchtower members resulted in their persecution and imprisonment in concentration camps. What were the accusations? Where did they come from? And why?
How did Rutherford come up with these ideas and how did those doctrines shape the development of the Jehovah's Witnesses' beliefs and practices? Who were the people who influenced Joseph Franklin Rutherford's ideas? What were the influences on this thinking and doctrine? Why were the influences on Joseph Franklin Rutherford's thinking and doctrine significant for the development of the Jehovah's Witnesses? Where did it all come from?
In this discussion series, Rutherford's Roadmap to Enduring Persecution, we are unveiling our extensive findings on Rutherford. After years of diligent investigation into where the Watchtower ideas originated from, we have compiled a vast collection of documentation and compelling evidence to be able to state emphatically, without question, as to the origin of many of Rutherford's doctrines. To ensure complete transparency, we will showcase all of these materials on screen, leaving no doubt about their origin and credibility. - Watchtower Histories
From 1916 until his death in 1942, Joseph F. Rutherford was the sole and single leader of the International Bible Students Association, the Watch Tower Society, and the Bible Students who in 1931 changed their name to Jehovah’s Witnesses.
‘Judge Rutherford’, a title he bestowed upon himself, was the ‘sole channel’ of ‘spiritual food’ and ‘revealed truths’ for the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In this capacity Rutherford also became the sole member of the “faithful and discreet slave” and the only member of the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Rutherford’s teachings, almost in their entirety, are no longer believed by the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They are considered apostate teachings.
The current governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses trace their appointment by religious succession directly back to Rutherford.
On Wednesday, February 22, 2023, it was announced at the World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses that
“Brother Anthony Morris III is no longer serving as a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses.”
Still no news on the reasons for the removal of Anthony Morris III from the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but he has been found.
Found!
