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What religion was Michael Jackson
Claiming the King’s Soul by Andrew Walsh Michael Jacksons untimely and unexpected death on June 25 th restored the King of Pop to the main stage of American popular culture, where he had played a starring role for much of the 1970s and 1980s. The news of Jacksons deathapparently by a drug overdosecaused a multi-media frenzy that lasted almost all summer but reaching its peak at Jacksons July 7 funeral in Los Angeles, which, the New York Daily News reported, was the second most-watched funeral ever, after Princess Dis.
- Michael Jackson is still dead, the Philadelphia Inquirer s grumpy columnist Karen Heller opined on the morning of the funeral.
- The Michael Jackson Industrial Death Complex, however, thrives in its infancy.
- Dead Michael is fuel for tabloids, chat shows, and cable news because, clearly, the economy, two wars, and nuclear-arms talks are not newsy enough.
The Jackson saga presented too much grist for the mill: a talented child superstar who evolved into a child-man; a global entertainment phenomenon-cum-recluse; a generous benefactor and spectacular spendthrift; a middle-aged Peter Pan or possibly pedophile whose career reached its nadir when he was acquitted in a 2005 criminal trial on charges of sexually abusing children whose friendship he had cultivated.
- While there was plenty of attention to the creepy side of Jacksons life in the media, his death was treated, as blogger Robert Schlesinger noted in a June 26 comment on USNEWS.com, as an all-consuming, world stopping EVENT.
- In line with that perception, NBC and ABC suspended regular programming the evening after his death was announced to broadcast special memorial programs.
The hoopla continued until early September, when Jackson was interred at the most appropriate place imaginableLos Angeles celebrity-studded Forest Lawn cemetery. Throughout, the central conundrum was how to comprehend what Lisa Robinson, in the September issue of Vanity Fair, called Jacksons unparalleled fame and dark troubles.
- One way to go, ABC News Charles Gibson remarked in his broadcast coverage, was to forget about the complexities of Jacksons life: People have gone back to the music,’ he told Martin Bashir, whose 2003 documentary on Jackson led to the 2005 criminal trial.
- It’s as if the last 10 or 15 years didnt happen.
And while most people did indeed seem willing to focus on the music, that didnt resolve the question of why they were willing to overlook so much. A better interpretive route, and one explored more often by foreign (and particularly English) journalists, was to look at the powerful religious forces at play in and around Jackson and, in particular, at the salience of African-American religion in contemporary American and global culture.
Jackson, who had emerged as a stellar example of the spiritual but not religious American, manifested a kind of suffering and brokenness in his life and work that appealed powerfully to many people. His version of R. Kellys You Not Alone, for example, had become a standard at funerals all over the world.
Since breaking from the Jehovahs Witnesses in young adulthood, Jackson was associated at least briefly with a slew of religious movements, even as he consorted with Hugh Hefner at the Playboy Mansion. Michael Paulson of the Boston Globe captured this protean religious identity in a brief piece published on July 5: The King of Pop was a Jehovahs Witness.
A Muslim. He accepted Jesus before he died. The Vatican loved him. Theres even a Jewish angle of sorts. Not to mention the unending discussion of what it meant to call him an icon, or an idol. Paulson went on to note that in recent years there had been widespread discussions about both Jacksons conversion to Islam and to evangelical Christianity.
Both rumors flared up at Jacksons death, notably when his brother Jermaine, a Muslim, declared at a press conference that he wished for his brother, May Allah be with you always. To be sure, the New York Daily News had begun knocking down reports of Jacksons conversion to Islam as far back as 2003.
But the Chicago Sun-Times kept the story alive, following up a speech by Minister Louis Farrakhan on July 26 that described Jackson as a Messianic voice and an archangel of sound, song, and dance by quoting a Jackson aide who insisted that Michael again was thinking closely about becoming a Muslim. Christian friends thought otherwise.
Christianity Today s online service reported in late June a web frenzy over reports among a circle of Christian music artists of Jacksons born-again experience just before his death. One June 28 Bully!Pulpit.com picked up comments made by Erica Campbell of the Gospel duo Mary-Mary on her Facebook page.
- Under the headline Good NewsRIP Michael Jackson, Campbell wrote.
- Last night we received some good news from Terri McFaddin-Solomon who is good friends with Sandra Crouch.
- Three weeks ago Sandra and Andrae spend some time with their close friend, Michael Jackson.
- Michael asked Andrae to play, It Wont Be Long and Well Be Leaving Here.
Michael then prayed with Sandra and Andre and accepted Christ into his heart. Now hes singing in the heavenly choir! Our hearts rejoice! Christianity Today then rolled back the rumor, noting on June 29 that initial rumors that the King of Pop had accepted Christ may have been false.
The Crouches had issued a statement saying they had prayed with Jackson and discussed the anointing of the spirit but added that there was NO actual sinners prayer. Muslims and Christians werent the only ones to stake their claims. Earlier in the decade, followers of popular Kabbalah had suggested that Jackson was deeply involved in that movement, as had Scientologists during Jacksons brief marriage to Lisa Marie Presley.
Everyone wants Jacksons soul in their own bit of paradise, concluded the ascerbic Tim Adams of the London Observer, in long analytical piece published October 4 that provided the best account of Jacksons complicated spiritual journey. At the turbulent center of that journey, Adams theorized, was the volatile tension between Jacksons mother, Katherine, who remains a fervent Jehovahs Witness, and his father, Joe, a driven, ambitious, and irreligious man.
Atherine tried to bring all of her boys up as Jehovahs Witnesses, in part to balance the influence of their wayward father and their life on the road, Adams wrote. Of them all, Michael, who said on various occasions that he wanted nothing more than approval in his mothers eyesstayed true to the faith the longest.
Jackson continued to attend Witness services and to make weekly mission trips around Los Angeles with his mother as late as 1988, a commitment he recalled fondly in a Beliefnet.com column in 2000. In 1988, wrote Adams, Jackson finally decided that the religion was not compatible with his life and he formally left the church, which for Jehovahs Witnesses is the unforgivable sin.
Thereafter it seemed he had a God-shaped hole in his life. Jacksons soul was up for grabs to any religion that could whisper persuasively in his ear. The religion that Jackson really believed in most, though, was the fairytale he told himself about his lost childhood, Adams wrote. Others accepted this too, but usually without the sneer.
Permeating the discourse about Jackson after his death were comparisons made to Christ and his suffering, particularly by African-Americans. Most of these stressed the unfair accusations against Jackson and his sufferings at the hands of a stern father.
- This motif reached truly grandiose proportions in the hands of Cornell West, the Princeton philosopher and religious thinker, who told PBS Tavis Smiley on July 7 that Jacksons difficult later life was almost like a crucifixion, in terms of the cross you have to bear.
- We reap the fruits of the resurrection, in terms of the power that emanates from sacrifice.
He sacrificed his childhood because he loved us so. He didnt just entertain us, he sustained us. The crescendo of diffuse religious competition culminated in the dispute among the surviving Jackson brothers, men of various religions and no religion, as they planned the funeral.
- As reported by Joe Kemp and Samuel Goldsmith in the New York Daily News July 6, the brothers couldnt agree on which religion should guide the King of Pops memorial service, so theyre going without one.
- Instead, they opted for a non-denominational event.
- At first, the funeral seemed likely to turn into a giant spectaclewith a fan lottery for tickets and Los Angeles officials beseeching those without them not to flood the streets of the city.
Most commentators were expecting a vulgar Hollywood blowout. Glitz there was. Jackson was borne into the Staples Center in a gold casket. There were 20,000 in attendance. The brothers wore matching yellow ties and a single silver glove in homage to their brother.
- There were eulogistic comments from Brooke Shields, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, and Berry Gordy, who called Jackson simply the greatest entertainer that ever lived.
- Yet, to almost everyones surprise, the three-hour-long funeral turned out to be a dignified affair,
- A spiritual farewell for Michael, the Newark Star Ledger summarized in a typical headline.
Jacksons sincere sendoff left little room for weirdness, echoed the Chicago Sun-Times, Non-denominational meant, it turned out, mainstream African-American Protestant. While symbols from many world religions were on display in the Staples Center, the tone and most of the content of the service came straight from the black church playbook.
- Jacksons coffin was brought into the hall while a gospel choir sang, We Are Going to See the KingJesus, not Jackson.
- Later, Andrae Crouchs choir sang Crouchs own Soon and Very Soon We Will See the King.
- Gladys Knight sang the Lords Prayer, Lionel Richie sang Jesus is Love, while pointing a finger skyward.
Singer Judith Hill sang Jacksons Heal the World, and prompted her mother to tell Christianity Today that it seems like God put her there for a purposeto bring hope. Were praying that the Lord will use her music and she will be an ambassador for Christ through her music.
Even Mariah Carey closed her rendition of the Jackson Fives Ill Be There, by calling out, Thank You, Jesus. The Rev. Lucious W. Smith, the pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Pasadena, presided with an inclusive touch: First and foremost, this man was our brother, our son, our father and our friend.
In his very beautiful and very human heart, Michael Jackson wanted nothing more than to give love to the world. May this moment of remembrancebring comfort and healing to those who loved our friend. There were many times that the memorial went back to church, reminding fans in attendance that this was a service, not simply a concert, Los Angeles Times music critic Ann Power reported July 8.
- The gospel elements also reinforced the connection between Jacksons career and the civil rights movement made in speeches by several political leaders, including two of Martin Luther King Jr.s children, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee, and the Rev.
- Al Sharpton.
- He outsang the cynics, he outdanced his doubters, he outperformed the pessimists, said Sharpton of Jackson, making a strong contribution to the fascinating process of Jacksons posthumous rehabilitation as an African American hero.
Dont focus on the scars, focus on the journey. Every time he got knocked down, he got back up, Sharpton concluded. And so, in the contest over Michael Jackson, it seems pretty clear that the winner was the black church tradition. Thats not altogether surprising, given the backgrounds of those who shaped and conducted the service.
Who is the famous Jehovah Witness model?
Model Coco Rocha’s ‘Insane’ List Of Things She Won’t Do Because She’s A Jehovah’s Witness Model Coco Rocha says “My faith is everything.” Getty Model Coco Rocha has 1.8 million contacts on Plus,, and, but very few know of the high profile model’s devout religious beliefs. “My faith is everything,” Rocha, 24, declares in the new issue of about being a lifelong Jehovah’s Witness.
One person who will hold the model’s hand is her husband w ho manages her career – and is also a Jehovah’s Witness. Together, the two go door to door with their congregation on a weekly basis to educate people about their faith. “Some people think we’re a pushy religion, but if you’re not interested, just say so,” says Rocha
Rocha has been a Jehovah’s Witness her entire life, but she wasn’t baptized until 2009 at the age of 21. (The religion requires that followers be old enough to make their own decisions before fully committing.) Once committed, Rocha changed her modeling contract to include many new clauses listing things she was no longer comfortable with, such as nudity, lingerie and sheer clothing, among other things.
My list compared with any other model’s is insane,” Rocha explains. “No religious artifacts, no government artifacts. If I’m shooting with a male model, what is he exactly doing with me? What is he wearing? If I’m working with other models, what are they wearing? Are they playing something that I don’t want?” “In the beginning, the clients would say, ‘This is too much,’ but over time, the ones I liked kept working with me.
They’d say, ‘It’s not too much. Coco can still be Coco. She still gives 100 percent when she’s on a photo shoot.’ It’s just my boobs aren’t out. And I don’t have a cigarette in my hand, and I’m not making out with a guy. And it’s all fine if you want to do that.
What can’t jw do?
This article is about the activities and practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses. For Jehovah’s Witnesses’ core beliefs, see Jehovah’s Witnesses beliefs, Jehovah’s Witnesses ‘s practices are based on the biblical interpretations of Charles Taze Russell (1852–1916), founder ( c.1881) of the Bible Student movement, and of successive presidents of the Watch Tower Society, Joseph Franklin Rutherford (from 1917 to 1942) and Nathan Homer Knorr (from 1942 to 1977).
Since 1976, practices have also been based on decisions made at closed meetings of the group’s Governing Body, The group disseminates instructions regarding activities and acceptable behavior through The Watchtower magazine and through other official publications, and at conventions and congregation meetings.
Jehovah’s Witnesses endeavor to remain “separate from the world”, which they regard as a place of moral contamination and under the control of Satan, Witnesses refuse to participate in any political and military activity and are told to limit social contact with non-Witnesses.
- The denomination requires adherence to a strict moral code, which forbids premarital sex, homosexuality, gender transitioning, adultery, smoking, drunkenness and drug abuse, and blood transfusions.
- A system of judicial committees maintains discipline within congregations, exercising the power to expel members who breach the denomination’s rules and to demand their shunning by other Witnesses.
The threat of shunning also serves to deter members from dissident behavior. Members are expected to participate regularly in evangelizing work and to attend congregation meetings and conventions that present material based on Watch Tower Society publications.
Who is Jesus in Jehovah’s Witness?
Religious beliefs and practices – Jehovah’s Witnesses identify as Christians, but their beliefs are different from other Christians in some ways. For instance, they teach that Jesus is the son of God but is not part of a Trinity. By traditional measures of religious commitment, Jehovah’s Witnesses are one of the most highly religious major U.S.
- Religious groups.
- Nine-in-ten Jehovah’s Witnesses (90%) say religion is very important in their lives, while similar shares say they believe in God with absolute certainty (90%) and that the Bible is the word of God (94%).
- Our survey found at least two other interesting ways in which Jehovah’s Witnesses stand out in their beliefs.
For one, while half of Jehovah’s Witnesses say they believe in heaven, very few (7%) say they believe in hell, the traditional image of which is challenged by the denomination’s teaching, The share of all U.S. Christians who believe in hell is 10 times larger (70%).
And most Jehovah’s Witnesses (83%) say their religion is the one true faith leading to eternal life; only about three-in-ten U.S. Christians (29%) believe this about their own religious faith. Compared with U.S. Christians overall, Jehovah’s Witnesses are especially likely to say they attend religious services at least once a week (85%, compared with 47% of all U.S.
Christians), pray daily (90% of Jehovah’s Witnesses vs.68% of all U.S. Christians) and – perhaps not surprisingly – share their faith with others at least once a week (76% vs.26%). They also are more likely than U.S. Christians overall to participate in prayer or scripture study groups and to read scripture at least weekly, among other religious behaviors,
How many NBA stars are Jehovah Witness
Who is ex-NBA player Jehovah’s Witness cousin Keith? – Many basketball fans have made fun of Danny Granger and Keith. In actuality, no one knows whether the cousin link exists at all. It’s vital to understand that it was a joke prepared by a stand-up comedian.
According to her; I recently heard from a man I used to hook up with in the NBA, and I expected him to call to tell me about the glory days, the holy days, but instead, he called to tell me that he’s now a Jehovah’s Witness and that I should repent, and then he said, Britney, this is life-changing stuff.
And I asked, “Was that the threesome we had with your cousin Keith?” My husband Chris Rutkowski said, “Babe, have you ever Googled how many ex-NBA players are Jehovah’s Witnesses?” after I wrote that joke. He says, “There are two.” How many ex-NBA players are Jehovah’s Witnesses? There are three ex-NBA players, Danny Granger, Darren Collison, and Dewayne Dedmon, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are a sect that was founded in the 1870s. It has many congregations, and many of them are world-renowned athletes. Yen.com.gh published a list of the wealthiest, The richest NBA players have worked their way up through the ranks, bleeding it out on the court throughout playoffs. They have maintained a level of rivalry between very brilliant players and famous basketball teams.
The National Basketball Association has grown to be one of the highest-paying sports in the, It is creating millionaires (in dollars) out of young people who would otherwise be stuck in the bottom class of the American economy. Source: YEN.com.gh : How many ex-NBA players are Jehovah’s witnesses: A comprehensive list
Can Jehovah’s have friends?
6. They limit contact with non-Jehovah’s Witnesses – Followers are discouraged from having close relationships with those who are not part of the faith. People who are “worldly” are seen as bad influences or ” bad associations,” JWs are advised not to join groups or teams outside the faith and are also discouraged from higher education,
Why do Jehovah Witnesses believe 144,000?
Jehovah’s Witnesses – Main article: believe that exactly 144,000 faithful Christians from of 33 AD until the present day will be resurrected to heaven as immortal spirit beings to spend eternity with God and Christ. They believe that these people are “anointed” by God to become part of the spiritual “Israel of God”.
They believe the 144,000 (which they consider to be synonymous with the “little flock” of ) will serve with Christ as king-priests for a, while all other people accepted by God (the “other sheep” of, composed of “the great crowd” of and the resurrected “righteous and the unrighteous” ones of ), will be given an opportunity to live forever in a restored on earth.
Individual Witnesses indicate their claim of being “anointed” by partaking of the bread and wine at the annual, More than 21,000 Witnesses worldwide—an increase of over 12,000 since 1995 —claim to be of the anointed “remnant” of the 144,000. The members of the who exercise teaching authority over Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide claim to be among the anointed 144,000, and also consider themselves as a group to be the of and,
Are Jehovah Witnesses increasing or decreasing
Jehovah’s Witnesses experience growth in 2021 despite pandemic limitations.
What happens when a Jehovah Witness dies
Beliefs & Teachings about Death – Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that when a person dies, their existence completely stops. This is because the Bible makes it clear that human beings do not have an immortal soul that survives when the body dies. “The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all,
For there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in (the grave), the place to which you are going.” Ecclesiastes 9: 5, 10 Witnesses believe that Hell (as traditionally portrayed) does not exist. There is no place where sinners are tormented after death – since their existence is over, nothing can be done to them or for them.
Witnesses also argue that it would be completely against God’s nature to torture humans for eternity. However, death is not the end of everything: each person can be remembered by God and eventually be resurrected.
Was Prince of Jehovah Witness
Prince, one year on: what have we learned about the singer since his death? Prince’s, a year ago today, was not artfully stage-managed like David Bowie’s. There was no elegant album release to act as goodbye at the end of a glorious career. Twelve months on, the, the and the likelihood of us hearing the full contents of remain unclear.
- We have, however, learned quite a lot about the purple one’s cycling habits, his smartphone aversion and his unlikely property empire.
- Things like Prince had a drug problem, though not in the way you might think,
- Prince became a Jehovah’s Witness in 2001, and was remarkably clean-living.
- You were not permitted to drink or smoke at his Paisley Park shows, and musicians had to pay into a “cuss bucket” if they used foul language.
However, Prince did suffer from hip problems, some say as a result of his stage routine. Sheila E recalled how, on the 1984-85 Purple Rain tour, Prince “was in pain all the time”, but kept jumping off stage risers while wearing stack heels. A 2008 New Yorker profile described Prince as “limping slightly”, and in 2009 he was rumoured to have turned down a double hip replacement, as Jehovah’s Witnesses may not receive blood transfusions.
It’s unclear whether he eventually went through with the operation, though he to control his pain. His ex-wife, Mayte Garcia, also suggests the death of his infant son, Boy Gregory, drove him towards pills. Days before his death, Prince’s staff had contacted Dr Howard Kornfeld, a Californian specialist in pain-medication addiction.
Kornfeld was unable to see personally, but sent his son, Andrew, in his place. Andrew was among Prince’s retinue when they discovered his body in a lift at Paisley Park, and it’s his voice audible on the 911 call recording. Prince’s possessions at the time of his death included $25m in real estate, 67 gold bars and three motorbikes. Photograph: Explore Minnesota Nobody is really sure how he got the drugs that killed him. Doctors ruled that Prince died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, a synthetic painkiller about 50 times stronger than heroin.
- Over the past year many of his friends and colleagues admitted the singer had a prescription drug problem.
- However, investigators were unable to track down any prescriptions made out for Prince.
- His bodyguard Kirk Johnson appears to have been prescribed another opioid, oxycodone, on Prince’s behalf.
- Investigators also found numerous painkilling pills, including some that tested positive for fentanyl, at the singer’s home, though they have yet to conclude how he came by the drugs that led to his death.
Local police say fentanyl was rarely found on the black market in Minneapolis, though illegally produced fentanyl, manufactured in Asia and packaged to look like prescription opioids, has been seized in the US. Prince didn’t have a smartphone, and may have been a victim of phone hacking.
As part of the investigations into his death, police sought to search Prince’s mobile phone records. However, according to a warrant application issued to Google, Prince had stopped carrying a phone since he believed his phone had been hacked. Instead, he preferred to communicate via email and landlines.
He had a pretty cool pseudonym, Police looking into the star’s death came across a briefcase belonging to a “Peter Bravestrong”, which they now believe was Prince’s assumed name when travelling. They also requested access to three associated emails: [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected].
Nobody has found Prince’s will and nobody really knows how much his estate is worth, A local judge has ruled that Prince died intestate, which means the star’s younger sister, Tyka Nelson, may inherit much of his wealth, alongside his five half-siblings. According to probate court records, Prince owned around $25m (£19.5m) in real estate, including, among other items, the detached suburban house featured in the Purple Rain video; as well as 67 10-ounce gold bars worth a little under $840,000, 10 cars, three motorbikes, $110,000 in four bank accounts and a tour bus.
However, administrators are finding it harder to place a figure on his intangible assets, such as copyrights to unreleased music, or name and likeness rights. Current estimates run between $200-300m. Prince’s ashes reside in a crystal-encrusted urn in the shape of his Paisley Park residence. Photograph: Explore Minnesota Despite the judge’s ruling, Garcia believes the star did draw up a will, but may have destroyed it. Meanwhile, plenty of less credible claimants have come forward, including one woman the CIA covered up her marriage to the singer.
Prince’s ashes are stored in an urn made by the same company that made Lemmy’s, The star was cremated following a low-key ceremony costing just $1,645, but his final resting place is a little more snazzy. His family commissioned the celebrity urn manufacturers Foreverence to create an urn in the shape of Paisley Park.
This 3D-printed, 14in x 14in crystal-encrusted box currently forms part of the Paisley Park tour; Prince’s ashes are sealed in the model’s front column. Though the urn is among Foreverence’s more notable creations, it is not the first time the firm has worked for the stars.
- It also supplied bespoke urns for Motörhead’s Lemmy, Stone Temple Pilots’ Scott Weiland and Devo’s Bob Casale.
- There is more music coming Warner Bros renewed its contact with Prince in 2014, and plans to release a remastered version of Purple Rain, as well as two discs of new music and two complete concert films, on 9 June.
Some of these recordings will be new versions of old tunes but others, including the Purple Rain outtake, Electric Intercourse, and Father’s Song, which Prince wrote with his dad John Nelson, are unheard. though maybe not just yet. Lawyers acting on behalf of the artist have prevented George Ian Boxill, a sound engineer who once worked with Prince, from releasing a six-song EP featuring material recorded between 2006 and 2008.
The collection, entitled Deliverance, has been pulled from iTunes and streaming services. Even without this new material, Prince was the bestselling artist of 2016. According to Billboard, Prince sold 7.7m units last year, outstripping his closest rival, Adele, by more than 5m. His biggest sellers were The Very Best of Prince, Purple Rain and 1999.
Prince led a happier, more normal life than you might expect, Though he may have shunned publicity and cultivated an air of mystery, his final days appear to have been sunnier than we might imagine. The previous Saturday he had dropped into Electric Fetus, his local CD shop – it was Record Store Day – to buy albums by Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell and Santana, as well as discs by the 80s synth pop band Missing Persons, the gospel singers the Swan Silvertones, and the soul group the Chambers Brothers.
Fans also managed to shoot mobile phone footage of him cycling around the car park of his local mall that weekend. Meanwhile, the 32-year-old vocalist Judith Hill, perhaps Prince’s, recalled how the singer loved animated movies such as Zootopia, often beat her at table tennis and could cook a mean omelette.
Surely this is how we should remember him: as a half-decent chef and amateur cyclist, as well as perhaps the greatest pop star of the 20th century. This article was amended on 22 April 2017 to correct the spelling of Bob Casale’s last name. : Prince, one year on: what have we learned about the singer since his death?
What happens if you leave the JW Church?
Abstract – Shunning and ostracism have severe impacts on individuals’ psychological and social well-being. Members of Jehovah’s Witnesses are subject to shunning when they do not comply with the stated doctrine or belief system. To investigate the effects of shunning, interviews with 10 former Jehovah’s Witnesses, ranging in age from 20 to 44 years old, were conducted; six male, six White, one Native American, one Black, and two Latinx.
Transcripts were analyzed with interpretative phenomenological analysis for narrative themes pertaining to their life after exclusion from their former faith using the context of Jehovah’s Witnesses culture. Results suggest shunning has a long-term, detrimental effect on mental health, job possibilities, and life satisfaction.
Problems are amplified in female former members due to heavy themes of sexism and patriarchal narratives pervasive in Jehovah’s Witnesses culture. Feelings of loneliness, loss of control, and worthlessness are also common after leaving. The culture of informing on other members inside the Jehovah’s Witnesses also leads to a continued sense of distrust and suspicion long after leaving.
Eywords: Shunning, Ostracism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Fundamentalism, Disfellowshipping, Familicide, Suicide Lauren Stuart was a model, a mother, and a wife. After leaving Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW) to enroll her sons in college, she was shunned by family and friends alike. In 2018, she shot and killed her husband, three children, and herself in Keego Harbor, Michigan (Boroff, 2018 ).
She left notes and messages detailing the pain shunning had caused her and the belief systems that had influenced her actions (Wright, 2019 ). This is not the only case of former JW members committing familicide. The Miller family from South Carolina, the Longo family from Michigan, and the Bryant family from Oregon were all JW members who were subjected to this tragedy (Frazier, 2003 ; Golgowski, 2019 ).
JW is a Christian sect that began in the United States in the late 1800s. The current version of the religion holds that a worldwide Armageddon will occur in the very near future and that any nonbelievers alive at that time will be killed in an act of godly retribution. Members who choose to leave the religion due to moral or doctrinal objections are shunned by the community.
Members who sin in the eyes of their congregation are shunned as well (Pietkiewicz, 2014 ). These beliefs have been cited as one underlying reason for the Keego Harbor familicide as well as additional cases of suicide among former members (JW Survey, 2014 ).
- Based on these cases, JW beliefs may be internalized and have the potential to have a strong influence on the mental health of former members, even long after they leave the congregation.
- Existing research examines the quotidian life of members or focuses on the contrast between life ‘inside’ this very insular organization and life after ‘adjustment’ to the outer world.
Current research also examines the nature and type of pathological behavior by former members as well as the reasons many remain in this ‘high control’ organization despite the toll on their mental health. However, there are gaps in the research, especially regarding the exit point of former members.
Who was the first Jehovah Witness
Jehovah’s Witnesses started in 1870 when Charles Taze Russell led Bible studies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Jehovah’s Witnesses movement came out of the Bible Student movement, also founded by Russell. When he started to dispute some traditional Christian views, the Jehovah’s Witnesses were born.
Is JW the fastest growing religion?
Jehovah’s Witnesses are fastest growing denomination, survey says By 2:21 PM on Feb 21, 2008 CST That’s according to the 2008 Yearbook of Canadian and American Churches, produced by the National Council of Churches, which has tracked such things for years.
- Among the largest denominations, the Episcopal Church, which has been torn by disputes over homosexuality and biblical interpretation, reported the largest drop, at 4.15 percent.The yearbook lists the 10 largest denominations in the United States.
- No surprises there: Catholics, followed by Southern Baptists, followed by United Methodists, followed by Mormons.Here’s a Religion News Service story about the latest numbers:more Jehovah’s Witnesses fastest-growing of U.S.
faiths By BRITTANI HAMMc.2008 Religion News Service Jehovah’s Witnesses are the fastest-growing church body in the U.S. and Canada, now with more than 1 million members, according to new figures that track church membership in the U.S. and Canada. Although Jehovah’s Witnesses ranked 24th on the list of 25 largest churches, they reported the largest growth rate – 2.25 percent – of all churches.
- The badly divided Episcopal Church, meanwhile, reported the largest drop, at 4.15 percent.
- The 2008 Yearbook of Canadian and American Churches, produced by the New York-based National Council of Churches, recorded growth trends in 224 national church bodies, with a combined membership of 147 million Americans.
The 2008 Yearbook is based on self-reported membership figures for 2006, the most recent year available. The Roman Catholic Church, with 67.5 million members, remains the largest U.S. church body, with a 2006 increase of 0.87 percent. The second largest church, the Southern Baptist Convention (16.3 million) has more than twice the number of members as the United Methodist Church, the third largest, which documented 7.9 million U.S.
- Members. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at 5.7 million U.S.
- Members (1.56 percent increase) and the Church of God in Christ, with a steady 5.5 million, round out the top five.
- Only the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Catholic Church, Southern Baptists, Mormons, the Assemblies of God (2.8 million) and the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (1.4 million) reported increases; all others either posted declines or flat membership from 2005.
Historically African-American churches make up six of the 15 largest churches, with a three-way tie for the No.11 spot among the National Missionary Baptist Convention of America, Progressive National Baptist Convention Inc., and African Methodist Episcopal Church – each having 2.5 million members.
- Several historically black churches, such as the 5 million-member National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., have reported the same figures for several years running. The Rev. Eileen W.
- Lindner, who produces the annual Yearbook, explained that many black denominations “estimate” the number of people in the pews.
“They aggregate the whole of their members because many of their congregations are dually affiliated” with multiple denominations, Lindner said. “The accuracy doesn’t come from the count, but from the year-to-year census or estimations.” The 2008 Yearbook also tracks the time and resources spent by churches on responding to health care needs, and financial figures that show an increase in per-capita financial giving by 65 churches that reported figures.
The report showed an average increase of $28.47 given per member over the past year. The Yearbook also reported a decline in Canadian and African-American seminary enrollment. African-American enrollment in seminaries has declined 6.75 percent, but there has been an increase in part-time enrollment in both the U.S.
and Canada. According to the Yearbook, the 10 largest church bodies in the United States are: – The Catholic Church (67.5 million) – The Southern Baptist Convention (16.3 million) – The United Methodist Church (7.9 million) – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (5.7 million) – The Church of God in Christ (5.5 million) – National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
Do JW believe in life after death?
Jehovah’s Witness Beliefs About Death – Unlike many other religions, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that death is not just the death of the physical body but also the death of the soul. “When a person dies, he ceases to exist. Death is the opposite of life.
- The dead do not see or hear or think.
- Not even one part of us survives the death of the body.
- We do not possess an immortal soul or spirit.” However, they do believe that resurrection is possible.
- Witnesses believe that 144,000 of Jesus’ most faithful followers will be resurrected to rule with Him after the Earth is destroyed.
Witnesses believe that most of these spots are already taken, with only about 8,500 remaining. This number declines as deaths occur, so is growing ever smaller.
What religion is against Jehovah Witness
Witnesses hold a number of traditional Christian views but also many that are unique to them. They affirm that God—Jehovah—is the most high. Jesus Christ is God’s agent, through whom sinful humans can be reconciled to God. The Holy Spirit is the name of God’s active force in the world.
Witnesses believe that they are living in the last days, and they look forward to the imminent establishment of God’s kingdom on earth, which will be headed by Christ and jointly administered by 144,000 human corulers (Revelation 7:4). Those who acknowledge Jehovah in this life will become members of the millennial kingdom; those who reject him will not go to hell but will face total extinction.
New members are baptized by immersion and are expected to live by a strict code of personal conduct. Marriage is considered a holy covenant, and divorce is disapproved of except in cases of adultery, Witnesses participate in the annual commemoration of Christ’s death, celebrated on 14 Nisan of the Jewish calendar (March or April of the Gregorian calendar); Witnesses pass around bread and wine, symbols of the body and blood of Christ.
- Only those thought to be among the 144,000 corulers eat and drink the bread and wine.
- The Witnesses’ teachings stress strict separation from secular government.
- Although they are generally law-abiding, believing that governments are established by God to maintain peace and order, they refuse on biblical grounds to observe certain laws.
They do not salute the flag of any nation, believing it an act of false worship; they refuse to perform military service; and they do not participate in public elections. These practices have brought them under the scrutiny of government authorities. The U.S.
- Government sent Rutherford and other Watchtower leaders to prison for sedition during World War I,
- In Germany prior to World War II, the Nazis sent Witnesses to concentration camps, and Witnesses were also persecuted in Britain, Canada, and the United States,
- After the war the Witnesses brought several suits in American courts dealing with their beliefs and practices, resulting in 59 Supreme Court rulings that were regarded as major judgments on the free exercise of religion.
They continue to face persecution in several countries, however, particularly for their refusal to serve in the military, and they are often publicly derided for their door-to-door evangelism, The Witnesses’ distrust of contemporary institutions extends to other religious denominations, from which they remain separate.
They disavow terms such as minister and church, The leaders of some mainstream Christian churches have denounced the Witnesses for doctrinal deviation (especially their non-Trinitarian teachings) and have condemned them as a “cult.” Witnesses also oppose certain medical practices that they believe violate Scripture.
In particular, they oppose blood transfusions, because of the scriptural admonition against the consumption of blood (Leviticus 3:17). This belief, which is contrary to standard medical practice, remains an additional point of controversy with authorities, especially in cases concerning children.
In the early years of the movement, members met in rented halls, but under Rutherford the Witnesses began to purchase facilities that they designated Kingdom Halls. Members of local congregations, known as “publishers,” meet at Kingdom Halls and engage in doorstep preaching. “Pioneers” hold part-time secular jobs and devote a greater amount of time to religious service.
“Special pioneers” are full-time salaried employees of the society. Each congregation has an assigned territory and each Witness a particular neighbourhood to canvass. Great pains are taken to keep records of the number of visits, return calls, Bible classes, and books and magazines distributed.
The Watch Tower Society publishes millions of books, tracts, recordings, and periodicals in more than 700 languages. Its chief publications are a semimonthly magazine, the Watchtower, and its companion magazine, Awake!, Work is carried out throughout the world by more than eight million Witnesses.J.
Gordon Melton The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
What NBA players are Jehovah’s Witnesses?
Comedian Brittany Schmitt recently made waves with a set about her ex, a former NBA player who joined the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Who was she talking about? Comedian Brittany Schmitt released her first full-length comedy special on YouTube in July, but her material had gotten increasing attention lately for a bit about a former NBA player she dated.
Schmitt told the story of how the former NBA player had reached out to her after they broke up to tell her he is now a Jehovah’s Witness and she should repent. The bit also includes several very NSWF anecdotes about their relationship ( you can watch the full clip here ). While she never names the player, the bit wraps up with a mention of her husband encouraging her to Google how many ex-NBA players are Jehovah’s Witnesses.
According to Schmitt, there are just two, which kind of defeats the purpose of her trying to maintain his anonymity by not naming him in the set. According to Google, there are actually three current and ex-NBA players who are Jehovah’s Witnesses — Dewayne Dedmon (currently of the Miami Heat) and former Indiana Pacers’ teammates, Danny Granger and Darren Collison,
The one other identifying details in her set (a light skin tone) seems to imply that Schmitt is talking about Granger. However, she also mentions a cousin named Keith and a basic Google search was didn’t turn up a cousin named Keith for either Granger or Collison. And whether any of this is actually true or just a somewhat wild standup bit, who knows? Subscribe to our NBA daily email newsletter.
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Are Jehovah’s Witnesses losing followers?
Demographics – Jehovah’s Witnesses are among the most racially and ethnically diverse religious groups in America. No more than four-in-ten members of the group belong to any one racial and ethnic background: 36% are white, 32% are Hispanic, 27% are black and 6% are another race or mixed race.
- Most Jehovah’s Witnesses – roughly two-thirds (65%) – are women, while only 35% are men.
- Christians worldwide are more likely to be women than men, but this gender gap is particularly large in the context of U.S.
- Christian groups,
- For instance, 54% of U.S.
- Catholics are women.
- Compared with other U.S.
- Religious groups, Jehovah’s Witnesses tend to be less educated,
A solid majority of adult Jehovah’s Witnesses (63%) have no more than a high school diploma, compared with, for example, 43% of evangelical Protestants and 37% of mainline Protestants. Jehovah’s Witnesses have a low retention rate relative to other U.S.
How many ex-NBA stars are Jehovah’s Witnesses?
Who is ex-NBA player Jehovah’s Witness cousin Keith? – Many basketball fans have made fun of Danny Granger and Keith. In actuality, no one knows whether the cousin link exists at all. It’s vital to understand that it was a joke prepared by a stand-up comedian.
According to her; I recently heard from a man I used to hook up with in the NBA, and I expected him to call to tell me about the glory days, the holy days, but instead, he called to tell me that he’s now a Jehovah’s Witness and that I should repent, and then he said, Britney, this is life-changing stuff.
And I asked, “Was that the threesome we had with your cousin Keith?” My husband Chris Rutkowski said, “Babe, have you ever Googled how many ex-NBA players are Jehovah’s Witnesses?” after I wrote that joke. He says, “There are two.” How many ex-NBA players are Jehovah’s Witnesses? There are three ex-NBA players, Danny Granger, Darren Collison, and Dewayne Dedmon, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses.
- Jehovah’s Witnesses are a sect that was founded in the 1870s.
- It has many congregations, and many of them are world-renowned athletes.
- Yen.com.gh published a list of the wealthiest,
- The richest NBA players have worked their way up through the ranks, bleeding it out on the court throughout playoffs.
- They have maintained a level of rivalry between very brilliant players and famous basketball teams.
The National Basketball Association has grown to be one of the highest-paying sports in the, It is creating millionaires (in dollars) out of young people who would otherwise be stuck in the bottom class of the American economy. Source: YEN.com.gh : How many ex-NBA players are Jehovah’s witnesses: A comprehensive list