The recent decision by the Johannesburg High Court in South Africa to grant the 15 year old daughter of Jehovah’s Witness parents a life saving blood transfusion after they objected has sparked a major debate. The issue has been featured on SABC news and also discussed on SAFM Radio’s After Eight Debate.
No doubt this is nothing new as the blood issue constantly puts the Jehovah’s Witnesses in the spotlight because of their refusal to accept this life-saving medical procedure. This has been the third time in an 18 month period that the courts have stepped in here in South Africa to save children’s lives. It certainly seems that the arguments put forward by the Jehovah’s Witnesses to defend their dogma, do not hold much weight anymore.
It is with this story in mind that a group of former JWs here in South Africa we have decided that this issue should be the focus of a television expose over here. We have singled out a current affairs program called 3rd Degree which deals with stories like this. We feel that it is time that the blood issue, together with the paedophile cover-ups, should be brought to the fore.
In that regard we have decided to bombard the producers of the show with an e-mail campaign which we hope will get them to do an expose. That is why we would like you to send a little e-mail to the producers as well just to give the campaign a bit more clout. I know of paedophiles over here that are in good standing and continue to go door to door with free access to kids in the congregations.
The e-mail should be sent to info@etv.co.za. Your contribution to this campaign will be highly appreciated.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Court saves Jehovah's Witness girl's life.(South Africa)
It seems as if the courts in South Africa are taking a hard line stance on children of Jehovah’s Witnesses and blood transfusions.
Court saves Jehovah's Witness girl's life
20 February 2009, 06:13
By Kanina Foss
A 12-year-old Jehovah's Witness girl has received a life-saving blood transfusion that she did not want after a Johannesburg High Court order gave doctors the go-ahead.
The girl, who suffers from leukaemia, was admitted to Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital on Tuesday. Despite being told that a blood transfusion was needed to save her life, the girl and her parents refused to consent to the procedure.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that it's against God's will to take other people's blood, or one's own blood that has been stored, into one's body.
The official website of Watchtower, a Jehovah's Witness organisation to which The Star was referred by the Jehovah's Witnesses of South Africa, says: "True Christians will not accept a blood transfusion. They want to live, but they will not try to save their life by breaking God's laws."The Gauteng Department of Health said doctors consulted the girl's parents and church elders to explain the need for the transfusion. When their explanations were rejected, they brought an urgent application before the High Court on Wednesday.
The court order was issued on the same day, and the girl was given a transfusion immediately.According to Department of Health spokesperson Phumelele Kaunda, the parents respected the court's decision.The girl is doing well.SA Human Rights Commission chairperson Jody Kollapen said that in such cases, the right to life took precedence over the right to religion.He said adults were regarded as fit to make informed decisions about their own bodies, but in the case of a child, state intervention was sometimes necessary.
Jehovah's Witnesses argue that there are often alternatives to a blood transfusion, and they want to be allowed to consider other options.They base their beliefs on biblical text such as Acts 21, verse 25: "As for the believers from among the nations, we have sent out, rendering our decision that they should keep themselves from what is sacrificed to idols as well as from blood and what is strangled and from fornication."In November, the Pietermaritzburg High Court granted an urgent order authorising a blood transfusion for a four-day-old baby boy who was born 15 weeks premature. His Jehovah's Witness parents had refused to give their consent, despite a prognosis from the doctor involved.
This article was originally published on page 2 of The Star on February 20, 2009
http://www.thestar.co.za/?fSectionId=&fArticleId=vn20090220054001117C891248
Court saves Jehovah's Witness girl's life
20 February 2009, 06:13
By Kanina Foss
A 12-year-old Jehovah's Witness girl has received a life-saving blood transfusion that she did not want after a Johannesburg High Court order gave doctors the go-ahead.
The girl, who suffers from leukaemia, was admitted to Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital on Tuesday. Despite being told that a blood transfusion was needed to save her life, the girl and her parents refused to consent to the procedure.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that it's against God's will to take other people's blood, or one's own blood that has been stored, into one's body.
The official website of Watchtower, a Jehovah's Witness organisation to which The Star was referred by the Jehovah's Witnesses of South Africa, says: "True Christians will not accept a blood transfusion. They want to live, but they will not try to save their life by breaking God's laws."The Gauteng Department of Health said doctors consulted the girl's parents and church elders to explain the need for the transfusion. When their explanations were rejected, they brought an urgent application before the High Court on Wednesday.
The court order was issued on the same day, and the girl was given a transfusion immediately.According to Department of Health spokesperson Phumelele Kaunda, the parents respected the court's decision.The girl is doing well.SA Human Rights Commission chairperson Jody Kollapen said that in such cases, the right to life took precedence over the right to religion.He said adults were regarded as fit to make informed decisions about their own bodies, but in the case of a child, state intervention was sometimes necessary.
Jehovah's Witnesses argue that there are often alternatives to a blood transfusion, and they want to be allowed to consider other options.They base their beliefs on biblical text such as Acts 21, verse 25: "As for the believers from among the nations, we have sent out, rendering our decision that they should keep themselves from what is sacrificed to idols as well as from blood and what is strangled and from fornication."In November, the Pietermaritzburg High Court granted an urgent order authorising a blood transfusion for a four-day-old baby boy who was born 15 weeks premature. His Jehovah's Witness parents had refused to give their consent, despite a prognosis from the doctor involved.
This article was originally published on page 2 of The Star on February 20, 2009
http://www.thestar.co.za/?fSectionId=&fArticleId=vn20090220054001117C891248
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Jehovah's Witnesses, blood and South Africa
The refusal by Jehovah’s Witnesses to accept life-saving blood transfusions is one issue that constantly throws the organisation into the spotlight. Blood transfusions have been banned by the Jehovah’s Witnesses, whether it be whole or fractional, since 1945. The technicalities surrounding this issue even confuse many die-hard Witnesses as this doctrine is in a constant state of flux. Many are not sure what is acceptable practice and what not.
This is how the doctrine has changed over the years.
1940 Blood transfusions are acceptable
1945 Blood transfusion are not acceptable
1956 Blood serums should be treated as blood and are banned
1958 Blood serums and fractions acceptable
1959 Storage of own blood unacceptable
1961 Blood fractions are not acceptable
1964 Blood fractions are acceptable
1974 Blood serums are personal choice
1975 Hemophilia treatments (Factor VII & IX) are not acceptable
1978 Hemophilia treatments (Factor VII & IX) are acceptable
1982 Albumin is acceptable
1983 Hemodilution is acceptable
1990 Hemodilution is not acceptable (From the Blood brochure)
1995 Hemodilution is acceptable
Let’s not concentrate on the technicalities surrounding many of the blood fractions that are banned and those that are not. Let’s just concentrate on the logic. How many faithful JWs lost their lives during the period when blood fractions and whole blood were banned? Now it is a matter of personal conscience and certain blood fractions are permitted. However, logic goes out the window when talking to Jehovah’s Witnesses.
What kind of God allows parents to deny their dying child a lifesaving blood transfusion? The Jehovah’s Witness God does.
Last year (2008) two cases made headlines here in South Africa. In both these cases the parents refused blood transfusions for their babies. The courts eventually stepped in and ordered the transfusions to be administered. Both babies’ lives were saved.
And when that child brings them so much joy do the parents resent the child or do they secretly say in their hearts; “I’m glad the blood transfusion saved his/her life!”
This is how the doctrine has changed over the years.
1940 Blood transfusions are acceptable
1945 Blood transfusion are not acceptable
1956 Blood serums should be treated as blood and are banned
1958 Blood serums and fractions acceptable
1959 Storage of own blood unacceptable
1961 Blood fractions are not acceptable
1964 Blood fractions are acceptable
1974 Blood serums are personal choice
1975 Hemophilia treatments (Factor VII & IX) are not acceptable
1978 Hemophilia treatments (Factor VII & IX) are acceptable
1982 Albumin is acceptable
1983 Hemodilution is acceptable
1990 Hemodilution is not acceptable (From the Blood brochure)
1995 Hemodilution is acceptable
Let’s not concentrate on the technicalities surrounding many of the blood fractions that are banned and those that are not. Let’s just concentrate on the logic. How many faithful JWs lost their lives during the period when blood fractions and whole blood were banned? Now it is a matter of personal conscience and certain blood fractions are permitted. However, logic goes out the window when talking to Jehovah’s Witnesses.
What kind of God allows parents to deny their dying child a lifesaving blood transfusion? The Jehovah’s Witness God does.
Last year (2008) two cases made headlines here in South Africa. In both these cases the parents refused blood transfusions for their babies. The courts eventually stepped in and ordered the transfusions to be administered. Both babies’ lives were saved.
And when that child brings them so much joy do the parents resent the child or do they secretly say in their hearts; “I’m glad the blood transfusion saved his/her life!”
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Preface to my book Cults:How they Work
We live in a society where people are free to follow and adhere to the religious belief of their choice. I have no quarrel with this. It is possible to disagree with a person’s beliefs and yet love the person holding those beliefs. What I oppose are some of the teachings and overbearing influence of some of these groups, not the people in the groups or their right to believe whatever they want.
I also acknowledge that many of the founders of some of these groups do not deceive their followers intentionally. Some of them may have begun a sincere search for truth, but ended up with a warped sense of reality and truth. Likewise, the followers of many of these cults also set out on their journeys to search for truth, but fell captive to unscrupulous deceivers out to fleece and control them. Case in point is the statement allegedly made by the founder of the Church of Scientology, Lafayette Ron Hubbard, who spoke before a science fiction writer’s convention and said, “Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wanted to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion.”
Furthermore, labelling a certain group a cult can be controversial and some people may disagree with me in labelling some groups as such. This in part is due to the fact that some of these groups have received mainstream religious status because of the immense number of followers they command. Others prefer to label these as high control groups or new religious movements. However, I do not differentiate between these terms in this book because the mode of operation of these groups, regardless of what you may call them, is similar. Therefore, I label them all cults.
As a former cult member, I have witnessed first hand the inner workings of these groups and how similar their methods of recruitment and control are. My first book, Losing The Faith: Truth under Scrutiny is the account of my journey through one of the largest cults in the world today, namely, the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Since the publication of that very same book the consequences that I, as well as my immediate family, have experienced only reiterates how destructive cults can be. Loss of friends and family are just two of the results that members who eventually leave a cult must face and endure. Many come to the realization that love and friendships in cults are conditional. In addition, some cults are just plain deadly.
My desire is for this work to serve as a reference and a guide; one that will assist people to recognise the dangers and pitfalls of becoming involved with cults. An appendix is provided at the end of this book from which readers can explore the writings and research of former cult members. This book is not intended to promote or endorse a particular religion or belief structure.
I also acknowledge that many of the founders of some of these groups do not deceive their followers intentionally. Some of them may have begun a sincere search for truth, but ended up with a warped sense of reality and truth. Likewise, the followers of many of these cults also set out on their journeys to search for truth, but fell captive to unscrupulous deceivers out to fleece and control them. Case in point is the statement allegedly made by the founder of the Church of Scientology, Lafayette Ron Hubbard, who spoke before a science fiction writer’s convention and said, “Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wanted to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion.”
Furthermore, labelling a certain group a cult can be controversial and some people may disagree with me in labelling some groups as such. This in part is due to the fact that some of these groups have received mainstream religious status because of the immense number of followers they command. Others prefer to label these as high control groups or new religious movements. However, I do not differentiate between these terms in this book because the mode of operation of these groups, regardless of what you may call them, is similar. Therefore, I label them all cults.
As a former cult member, I have witnessed first hand the inner workings of these groups and how similar their methods of recruitment and control are. My first book, Losing The Faith: Truth under Scrutiny is the account of my journey through one of the largest cults in the world today, namely, the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Since the publication of that very same book the consequences that I, as well as my immediate family, have experienced only reiterates how destructive cults can be. Loss of friends and family are just two of the results that members who eventually leave a cult must face and endure. Many come to the realization that love and friendships in cults are conditional. In addition, some cults are just plain deadly.
My desire is for this work to serve as a reference and a guide; one that will assist people to recognise the dangers and pitfalls of becoming involved with cults. An appendix is provided at the end of this book from which readers can explore the writings and research of former cult members. This book is not intended to promote or endorse a particular religion or belief structure.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
NEW BOOK RELEASE. CULTS: How They Work
PRESS RELEASE 
Robin Jackson
CULTS
How They Work
By
Robin JacksonIn this perceptive examination into the inner workings of cults,
Robin Jackson exposes the identifying marks and intriguing techniques cults use to win over members. Jackson uncovers the characters and beliefs of some of these groups that can very often inflict grievous harm on society.
In a world that is becoming increasingly secular and disillusioned with mainstream religions, cults seem to be flourishing. If mainstream religions fail to satisfy people’s needs for a spiritual aspect to their lives, the cults are there to lap them up. They promise a guaranteed way to salvation or a community of likeminded individuals. According to them everybody else misses the mark. At least, that is what they claim.
Cults: How They Work presents a hard hitting, yet witty look into the sometimes secretive inner workings of the cults. But be warned. This book contains information cults do not want you to acquire.
So, you think you are immune to cult recruitment? Think again!
Cults: How They Work (ISBN 978-0-620-42357-1, size A5, soft cover) is available internationally at www.lulu.com/robinjackson. South African buyers may purchase from http://www.readersforumbooks.co.za/
Cults: How They Work is published by Jacko Consulting cc, P.O.Box 16079, Bluff, 4036
The author may be contacted on 0839918568 or via e-mail at: robin.jackson@mtnloaded.co.za
###
In a world that is becoming increasingly secular and disillusioned with mainstream religions, cults seem to be flourishing. If mainstream religions fail to satisfy people’s needs for a spiritual aspect to their lives, the cults are there to lap them up. They promise a guaranteed way to salvation or a community of likeminded individuals. According to them everybody else misses the mark. At least, that is what they claim.
Cults: How They Work presents a hard hitting, yet witty look into the sometimes secretive inner workings of the cults. But be warned. This book contains information cults do not want you to acquire.
So, you think you are immune to cult recruitment? Think again!
Cults: How They Work (ISBN 978-0-620-42357-1, size A5, soft cover) is available internationally at www.lulu.com/robinjackson. South African buyers may purchase from http://www.readersforumbooks.co.za/
Cults: How They Work is published by Jacko Consulting cc, P.O.Box 16079, Bluff, 4036
The author may be contacted on 0839918568 or via e-mail at: robin.jackson@mtnloaded.co.za
###
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Catholic Apology, Watchtower's Cover-ups
It is commendable to see that the Catholic Church has over the past few years apologised for the abuse of children by their clergy. However, as stated in your article some victims and their relatives feel this is not enough and more should be done in the way of compensation and support for the victims. Certainly the pain, suffering, and emotional scars of some of these victims will never heal. What the Catholic Church has done, even if it is just a public apology, is in stark contrast to how Jehovah’s Witnesses handle child abuse cases. In 2002, US Catholic bishops publicly promised that the church would never ask for gag orders when compensating abuse survivors. Five years down the line, Jehovah’s Witnesses do just the opposite. Sixteen victims of the more than forty civil sex abuse lawsuits against Jehovah’s Witnesses were paid the largest settlement in the sect’s history. However, this victory was bittersweet. The sixteen victims were forced to sign gag orders that prevent them from speaking out about their abuse. On one hand it is good to see that the victims got financial compensation. On the other hand, it is sad and worrying because they have essentially been forced to give up their right to protect others by speaking out about their abuse to the public.
Jehovah's Witnesses keep putting innocent kids and unsuspecting families at risk of horrible crimes because they value their secrecy and reputation more than they value children’s safety. The Watchtower has attacked and ousted members of conscience who have spoken out to protect kids. They have protected child molesters by maintaining a secret database of more that 25,000 molesters that they do not share with law enforcement and the authorities. When a few victims find the courage and strength to speak up, get help, warn others, and seek justice in court, church officials silence them with hurtful gag orders.
Those of the general public may be interested to know that the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses also admittedly allows even known child molesters to participate in the door to door ministry, provided they are accompanied by another minister. Presumably, the unsuspecting householders are supposed to feel secure in the fact that possibly only one of the Jehovah's Witnesses knocking upon their door is a paedophile.
Jehovah’s Witnesses have a long-standing and ridiculous policy of not reporting molesters to police, requiring two eye witnesses before an abused child is believed and insisting that untrained individuals do internal investigations. This keeps kids vulnerable and predators free.
The Watchtower (Jehovah’s Witnesses) is constantly engaged in a world-wide campaign declaring the end of false religion. It criticizes the churches for, among other things, tolerating clergymen that sexually abuse children. Furthermore, when the hypocrisy of their own leaders comes to the fore, they hurriedly try to deny it and cover it up. Admittedly, most of the abusers among Jehovah's Witnesses are not elders, (clergy) but given the failure of the Watchtower Society's policies to adequately protect the children of the congregations from paedophiles, it is gross hypocrisy for the Watchtower Society to point their finger at the churches.
This is an international problem that needs to be addressed by one of the wealthiest religious groups in the world. Jehovah’s Witnesses are known in almost every town in South Africa. The rank and file are however oblivious to the crisis this organization finds itself in partly because Witnesses are forbidden to read anything critical of the Watchtower organization.
Watchtower! It’s time to come clean.
Jehovah's Witnesses keep putting innocent kids and unsuspecting families at risk of horrible crimes because they value their secrecy and reputation more than they value children’s safety. The Watchtower has attacked and ousted members of conscience who have spoken out to protect kids. They have protected child molesters by maintaining a secret database of more that 25,000 molesters that they do not share with law enforcement and the authorities. When a few victims find the courage and strength to speak up, get help, warn others, and seek justice in court, church officials silence them with hurtful gag orders.
Those of the general public may be interested to know that the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses also admittedly allows even known child molesters to participate in the door to door ministry, provided they are accompanied by another minister. Presumably, the unsuspecting householders are supposed to feel secure in the fact that possibly only one of the Jehovah's Witnesses knocking upon their door is a paedophile.
Jehovah’s Witnesses have a long-standing and ridiculous policy of not reporting molesters to police, requiring two eye witnesses before an abused child is believed and insisting that untrained individuals do internal investigations. This keeps kids vulnerable and predators free.
The Watchtower (Jehovah’s Witnesses) is constantly engaged in a world-wide campaign declaring the end of false religion. It criticizes the churches for, among other things, tolerating clergymen that sexually abuse children. Furthermore, when the hypocrisy of their own leaders comes to the fore, they hurriedly try to deny it and cover it up. Admittedly, most of the abusers among Jehovah's Witnesses are not elders, (clergy) but given the failure of the Watchtower Society's policies to adequately protect the children of the congregations from paedophiles, it is gross hypocrisy for the Watchtower Society to point their finger at the churches.
This is an international problem that needs to be addressed by one of the wealthiest religious groups in the world. Jehovah’s Witnesses are known in almost every town in South Africa. The rank and file are however oblivious to the crisis this organization finds itself in partly because Witnesses are forbidden to read anything critical of the Watchtower organization.
Watchtower! It’s time to come clean.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Wearing a Mask No More.
A year and a half ago I made my intentions of publishing a book documenting my experiences and exposing the Watchtower for what they truly are to my brother-in-law. It did not go down to well with him. In a conversation we had he tried to persuade me otherwise.
His reasoning was that I would be alienating family and friends I had in the organization and causing undue hardship on my wife and children. With regard to friends - what friends? If their friendship was on condition I belong to the Watchtower Society, then they were not my friends to start off with. Was I to live my life as one big lie? Was I to live it under the Watchtower yoke just so that my friends and family could treat me as always, all the while me knowing the facts about the organization? Was I to allow them in my house and listen to them speaking about all things Watchtower related and pretend to be in full agreement? Was I to carry on being a slave to men so I could continue association with them?
Do you for one minute think that I would deliberately choose to alienate myself and my family from friends and relatives we have known for decades? Only a fool would choose to do that!
I could not remain a coward any longer and I chose to speak out. I refused to wear a mask like so many who are still in the organization do.
His reasoning was that I would be alienating family and friends I had in the organization and causing undue hardship on my wife and children. With regard to friends - what friends? If their friendship was on condition I belong to the Watchtower Society, then they were not my friends to start off with. Was I to live my life as one big lie? Was I to live it under the Watchtower yoke just so that my friends and family could treat me as always, all the while me knowing the facts about the organization? Was I to allow them in my house and listen to them speaking about all things Watchtower related and pretend to be in full agreement? Was I to carry on being a slave to men so I could continue association with them?
Do you for one minute think that I would deliberately choose to alienate myself and my family from friends and relatives we have known for decades? Only a fool would choose to do that!
I could not remain a coward any longer and I chose to speak out. I refused to wear a mask like so many who are still in the organization do.
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