It continues to amaze me that Jehovah’s Witnesses make such a special effort to invite their neighbors to their annual observance of Christ’s death called the Memorial. What impression does this make on a new visitor at the Kingdom Hall? Here is one man’s comments from the evening of his first Memorial. He posted this in a Facebook discussion group for former Jehovah’s Witnesses and the responses that follow give greater insight to this annual event which many of us now refer to as a “Black Mass.” One contributor to the discussion also shared her recording of the Memorial event which she attended this year.
Sean:
I went to my first WTBTS “Memorial” Service on Friday.
Apparently, this is their most important service of the year.
I found it to be quite depressing.It was only an hour long lecture about denying the full deity of Christ,
why they only observe Jesus’s death and not his Resurrection (Both are very important),
why he was “for certain” crucified on a wooden pole and not a cross……and the main event,
reflect on who the 144,000 are who should partake of their annual communion,
and why you shouldn’t.
They spend most of the time convincing you that you aren’t,
but you can still live eternally on Earth
(sounds like the equivalent of “Purgatory.” Bliss, but not the full glory of The Lord.)So, you see the unleavened bread and wine passed down the isles,
and no one takes it….NOT ONE!
So, a reflection of Christ’s atonement while rejecting it?
And this is the highlight of their year? How sad!
Tammy: That is the SADDEST thing.
Sean: And the the way their “bible” is “translated” is atrocious! No respectable translation reads like many of the verses they not only twist, but outright change…
Archie: the biggest change I’ve seen is John 3:16. But Romans 6:23 is extremely different too. Honestly I don’t know how any good bible reading Christian can fall for all this. Looking at only these two verses, it’s obvious in it of itself their blatant desire to remove the significance of Christ’s death and what it means. I still cannot wrap my head around why?!
Sean: Colossians 1:15-20 and Philippians 2:5-11 (and Hebrews 1:8) take the cake. All “other” things are added when Paul is communicating that The Father created all through Christ. Philippians 2:5-11 speaks of both Christ’s equality with The Father in His Divine Nature, but his purpose for condescension in human nature….and the NWT spins it to say Jesus never even considered his own equality with The Father because he isn’t. It’s literally a heresy comic. How someone can read the clear differences and not leave that organization is beyond me. You have to be deeply brainwashed to stay committed to such an obvious con.
Archie: See and I’ve tried to point this out to Grandma. She’s so into it having spent from roughly 1969 according to my Dad until now in it. I think it’s more fear losing her friends and some of her family. All of which is a fear many of you have shared may times over. It’s legit. I watch my Dad in sadness as he was disfellowshipped in the late 80s. My grandparents haven’t wanted much to do with him since, my aunt and uncle as well. Only my un-baptized cousins talk to him on occasion. This religion has damaged the family relationships I could have had with that side. I used to be angry. But now, mostly sad. The most I can do is pray. God can accomplish miracles, but it’s on his timing.
Emily: If it’s all the theology you’ve ever known it’s very easy to be duped. Also they strongly advise you to not do independent research and all outside sources including other Bibles are just biased. It’s easy to control people this way.
Millie: They prey on people who aren’t Christians that haven’t read other bibles. Also, many are born into it and aren’t allowed to look at other bibles without getting into trouble. All this makes it easier to brainwash and control them.
Tammy: I KNOW !
Julie: It’s crazy that this is the occasion they invite their friends and family to. It’s depressing as you said. Who’d be impressed and want to come back? Ugh… oh that’s right… me back in 1996. What was I thinking???!!!
Glad my eyes are open now!
Sean: Glad your eyes were opened and came into the Light. God bless you.
Michael: Since 1935, per Rutherford’s decree.
Julie: JWs are offended that churches offer Easter egg hunts. What’s worse? A gathering where you reject Christ but have no “pagan rituals” or a service that honors the sacrifice and celebrates the resurrection but also tosses in an egg hunt for the kids?
Sean: Eggs are an illustration of new life. We have a new life in Christ as a New Creation. (Galatians 6:15-16) How can you understand that when you are spiritually blind?
Archie: I’ve always been curious. I must say reading your account it’s obvious I’m not missing anything. They’ll just keep painting themselves in a corner against true translation of the Bible. Grandma mentions her desire to have me come, most every year. I always respectfully decline. Go figure I wouldn’t figure anything out about why they believe what they do.
Brittany: It is very sad and depressing. And makes me angry and grieve for all the disgusting lies and dishonor it brings..also keeping ones from the very life they hope and dream for. I am still angry about it. Even two days later… I will always probably be angry about it. Especially as long as some of my family are in it.
Julie: Yep, every year that anger creeps up on me too. Righteous indignation. It’s good though, it makes me speak up where sometimes I’m too tolerant and have too much of a “live and let live” attitude. It’s not ok. It’s so blasphemous and deceptive. It was so difficult to accept God’s free gift of grace because of the layers of deception. He broke through each of them but it was a battle! And why? Because I had come into agreement with so many lies as a JW. But I didn’t KNOW they were lies, I honestly thought I was honoring God every year at that Memorial. That is what is sad about current JWs. Yes we know they are aligning themselves with lies but they don’t know it! So I praise God for the anger, the fire inside that drives me to expose it!!!!
Sean: You have to imagine what an annual Resurrection reflection would be like for them. They don’t believe in the Resurrection as described in Scripture. Jesus was non-existent when He was absent from His Body, and His Body was disintegrated….He went back to being Michael the Archangel who could only manifest temporarily.
Archie: out of curiousness, Dads mentioned the JWs believe that Jesus was really Micheal. What scripture do they claim backs this???
Emily: there isn’t a scripture specifically however they will use 1 Thess 4:16 the Lord will descend with an Archangels voice…… it’s crazy I know because if you said the Lord had the voice of a lion, it doesn’t make the Lord a lion does it. 🙂 but WT are good at cherry picking verses to suit their theology. I may be wrong here but I think Seventh day Adventist believe the same.
Jane: I would highly recommend this book for helping with all discussions with JWs. The book goes through the Jesus is Michael stuff and everything and it gives you a more novel approach to leading them to the TRUTH without them shutting down, zoning out etc… Getting Through to Jehovah’s Witnesses: Approaching Bible Discussions in Unexpected Ways
Millie: I was raised JW and had never heard anything about Jesus being Michael. I have been out for over 30 years; when did they start teaching that?
Tess: what lies!!!! Well hell it is for those rejecting when the Holy Spirit minister to them the truth and they rather believe a lie
Sean: There’s no Salvation in a disintegrated body… Christ kept His Wounds to express this…By them, we are healed. (Isaiah 53; 1 Peter 2)
Debbie: Oh my gosh, not observing the resurrection is to minimize that he defeated death and is our only hope by putting faith in that sacrifice resurrection made on our behalf. We have a covenant that if we believe and trust in him and draw close to him we will be saved.
Debbie: I wish I could share this entire thread.
Julie: sometimes I take threads like this and turn them into articles.
You just gave me a good idea for next months article at 4witness.org!
Debbie: Julie, that is smart. I agree, there are always gems of insight in the comments whether it be hear or YouTube posts, etc. I learn so much from comments.
Lou: Yes, full rejection of Christ’s atonement 😭 and resurrection 😭😭. Why even bother having it anyway if they won’t show they accept it by partaking? Crazy stuff!
Steve: The black mass
Don: This is so sad. I still can’t believe that I didn’t see back then how very Satanic this “observance” is. The Watchtower Society needs to be opposed spiritually (supernaturally) so that we can bring down the Satanic oppression that puts up strongholds in people’s minds that the New Covenant relationship that the “emblems” represent should be rejected. The New Covenant is the relationship that God pursues with all human beings. Without it we have no eternal life in us (John 6:53-58).
Sean: And they translate when Christ gives the bread and wine, “This IS My Body” and “This IS My Blood,” as “This MEANS my body,” and this “MEANS” my blood. Check it out in the New World Heresy. We can have an in house debate on Scripture as worded, but they super impose garbage readings to deliberately mislead people. In Colossians 1:15-20 where Paul says that all things, The Father created through Christ, they add all OTHER things, because they teach Christ is a created being. What a scumbag thing to do!
Don: Maybe someone should tell them. 🙂
Tess: Lost souls!!,,on the day of Judgement it’s gonna be too late to acknowledge Lord Jesus if I was there at that service I would take the bread and wine and drink it and rebuke them then they can kick me out!!!
Dawn: I have a recording of the whole talk and I’ve just been listening to it. Its HORRENDOUS. REALLY BAD. I’m going to be uploading it with my comments and I can honestly say it’s probably the worst thing I’ve heard in terms of evil rejection of Jesus Christ.
The way they asked the audience repeatedly to VISUALISE Jesus awful suffering in graphic detail up to his death….then just told the audience to show gratitude by attending JW meetings…..***not ONE MENTION of the RESURRECTION **** not one mention that Jesus is alive. Sickening. Really.
Laura: this whole Remembrance celebration is nothing short of satanic.
Sean: They also emphasized that we “share our experiences” to get people coming to “The Truth.” There’s always an insecurity among these “restorationist” cults. They have to constantly remind themselves they are in “the Truth,” rather than Faithfully express a consistent message which reveals itself as Truth.
All I saw was depravity, fake smiles, and heartbreak. An hour of lecturing about who Jesus wasn’t more than who He is, and a message of Hope taken from you, because you aren’t elite enough to receive it.
Whatever happened to the Least becoming the Greatest, finishing the race, and enduring to the end? These people have been programmed into a caste system, and pass up what they are told they are not really part of, but should appreciate being serfs, rather than The Body of Christ.
Michelle: Sean, you’ve summed it up extremely well. The most shocking thing I heard at church was the idea of actual salvation and what it was. I was raised as a JW and I knew their doctrine inside and out. But I can’t tell you what a true Christian believes, though I’m learning.
Sean: Michelle, Well, for starters, how a word in scripture ACTUALLY translates is a more serious discussion than the deliberate altering of Scripture JW do….and why do they not share who the “translators” are? It’s not out of reverence to allow Scripture to stand alone….it’s because they don’t want accountability for criticism…
Amanda: Easter and grace are literally my favorite post JW stories… boo
I love Easter
I love Jesus
I love grace
I love forgiveness
I will never be perfect
Rules do not win me God’s favor, belief already did
Amanda: I ache for people that are coming out of being witness and struggle with this – he already LOVES YOU!!
Julie: Amen!
Amanda: and now I am crying.. ❤
Dawn: https://youtu.be/xbUjmBQ36-g
Deb: Dawn, thank you for posting this.
Julie: Dawn, thanks for doing that. Those babies in the Hall were loud! I would’ve got escorted to the bathroom with my kids when they made too much noise. And yes, I heard some weird sounding deep throated “satanic” voices as the elements were passed. Strange. I found it astonishing that the elder giving the talk actually said Jesus took the sins of the whole world upon his own body. Well if that’s the case, who needs the organization? My sins are forgiven! How can anyone sit there and pass the bread and wine and not partake??? And yet, under the influence of the lie, I did the same. Like a healed leper I just want to go directly to Jesus and say THANK YOU!!! My Lord, my God, my Savior, my King!!!!!
Archie: wow Dawn! Demonic indeed. Thanks for sharing. I can’t imagine how uncomfortable that made you. Also it was really cool how you stopped the video in parts, to tear it apart and put scripture GOOD true scripture in, to debunk all he was saying. I too found it very demeaning and disingenuous to say the least. Why people blindly follow has been described in the New Testament many times. Beware false prophets! Sadly, those who don’t know their bibles get reeled in because it is close enough to sound good, yet oh so deceiving and cheating at the same time. Good for many just surfing YouTube looking for answers, you may well be the one to point at Jesus and his grace and love being sufficient rather than works alone. Kudos. Plus you have a sweet voice that’s pleasing to ones ear, almost as if pleading with people to see what you’re trying to say. I will be lifting you and this video up in prayer, that it may touch people.
Final comments from Sean who started this discussion:
Sean: This was the same message I heard last Friday night, nearly to the same words.
Isn’t is better to reflect on Christ’s Passion as the Evening comes and His Resurrection as the morning comes. Both cannot be taken away from each other. They have no Resurrection Message, because they don’t believe in the literal Resurrection. Jesus ceased existence after His Death, according to them, and The Father re-created Him. His body disintegrated, and he went back to being Michael the Archangel….he can manifest in different forms, but has no consistent Body.
And they are adamant about Jesus dying on a torture stake…not because they think it is historical (it isn’t) as much as they simply hate Christian symbols. And they pass up on The Lord’s Supper.
How controlling and embarrassing!
Keep yourself in God’s love,
Julie
More Information on The Memorial at These Links:
What Is The Jehovah’s Witness Memorial?
The Memorial
Keith Walker’s Visit to the Memorial
Should You Go to the Memorial This Year?
Truth Invasion In the Kingdom Hall
Boldness On Memorial Night
Worldwide Prayer for Jehovah’s Witnesses
