• Association with non-JW family and friends (Watchtower 2/15/60 p. 112)

• Voting and defending your country (United in Worship of the Only True God 1983 p. 166)

• Frequenting "discos and dance halls" (Watchtower 1/15/83 p. 22)

• Self-defense courses (Pay attention to Yourselves and All the flock 1981 p. 150)

• Playing chess (Awake! 3/22/73 p. 12-14)

• Attending weddings and funerals of "non-JW friends and family", allowed but STRONGLY discouraged! (Watchtower 12/15/74 p. 766-767 & 3/15/70 p. 191-192)

• The life of a JW child is even more controlled. In order to help enforce the Watchtower rules at school, the Watchtower published a booklet titled, "Schools and Jehovah's Witnesses."

Shunning

This cruel policy dictates that if someone leaves the Watchtower, JW's must "quit mixing in company" and "never receive him into your home or say a greeting to him." JW's are instructed to HATE former members and cannot show pity to them, even if they are family! JW's can't even pray for a disfellowshipped person. (Watch-tower 11/1/94 p. 21, 4/15/91 p. 30, 10/1/93 p.19 & 6/15/71 p. 383)\

Listed among serious moral offenses (murder, adultery, etc.) are trivial "sins" that JWís can be disfellowshipped, and consequently shunned, for committing: Celebrating holidays, Interfaith activities, Working for a religious organization, Owning religious pictures or images, Accepting blood transfusions, Gambling, Non-neutral activities, and Smoking tobacco. (Pay Attention to Yourselves and to All the Flock 1977 p. 57-59)

During WWII (believed by the Watchtower to be the final battle of Armageddon) JW's were "counseled" to refrain from having children. (Children 1941 p. 312) Many JW's continue to follow this advice today, believing that Armageddon is "just around the corner."

Psychiatrists

Treatment allowed but STRONGLY discouraged! (Watchtower 9/1/96 p. 30-31)

No Blood Transfusions

JW's will choose death rather than accept blood. The Watchtower equates receiving a transfusion to eating blood, which is forbidden. (Watchtower 1/15/97 p. 21)

The Watchtower has even encouraged children to pull out the injecting device and to destroy the blood bag. (Watchtower 6/15/91 p. 31)

The Watchtower crosses the line of absurdity when they restrict pets from receiving transfusions. (Watchtower 2/15/64 p. 127) If a cat eats mouse blood naturally, why can't it have a blood transfusion?

Interestingly, the Watchtower is inconsistent in its blood policy. In June of 1994 the country of Bulgaria refused to renew the Watchtower as a recognized religion, because of the blood issue, among many other concerns.

On July 3^rd 1997, the Watchtower agreed before the European Commission of Human Rights to allow members to, "...have free choice in the matter for themselves and their children, without any control or sanction on the part of the association."

Either this last statement is a lie, or the Watchtower has a life saving policy for Bulgarian JW's and a death sentence for JWís throughout the rest of the world. Possibly 7,000-16,800 JW's die each year from refusing transfusions. (David Reed, Blood on the Altar 1996 p. 25-26)

Vaccinations

Taught to be a direct violation of Godís law for over twenty-one years. (Golden Age 2/4/31 p. 293, Watchtower 12/15/52 p. 764)

Organ Transplants

Rejected as cannibalism for almost thirteen years. (Watchtower 11/15/67 p. 702, Watchtower 3/15/80 p. 31)

• JWs want you to leave your present religion (Awake 11/8/73 p. 27-28)
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• The Watchtower must be viewed as being more authoritative than the Bible (1983 Yearbook p. 21)
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• You can't understand the Bible without the Watchtower (Watchtower 12/1/81 p. 27)
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• Reading the Bible without the Watchtower will lead you to believe in what Christendom's clergy teaches. (Watchtower 8/15/81 p. 28-29)
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• Christianity (Protestant & Catholic) is the Devil's religion (Riches 1936 p. 285)
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• Those who don't worship like JW's are honoring Satan (Reasoning from the Scriptures 1989 p. 49-53)
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• Interfaith movements are forbidden (Awake 8/22/97 p. 27)
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• You must recognize God as your Father and the Watchtower as your Mother (Watchtower 5/1/57 p. 274)
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• If the Watchtower is wrong, you must submit anyway and wait for God to correct it (Watchtower 5/1/57 p. 284)
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• There is no room to disagree with Watchtower doctrine; you WILL accept it (Watchtower 2/1/52 p. 79-83)

Sex Within Marriage

In 1969 the Watchtower invaded the bedrooms of married JW's by telling them which sex acts are approved and which ones are not. This policy was changed in 1978 and left up to the JWís conscience.

The Watchtower changed this policy again in 1983 and made such acts worthy of disfellowshipping. (Watchtower 12/15/69 p. 765-766, 2/15/78 p. 30-32, 3/15/83 p. 30-31)

JW's are allowed to divorce their spouses for being in a sexual relationship with a member of the opposite sex.

But for almost eighteen years JW's were not allowed to divorce their spouses if they were having sexual relations with a member of the same sex or with an animal! (Watchtower 10/1/56 p. 591, 3/1/74 p. 160)

If a "bad association" leads to rape, then the female JW is partly responsible, (Kingdom Ministry 4/99 p. 5, Watchtower 6/15/85 p. 31)

Vasectomies disqualify JW males from positions of leadership. (Watchtower 6/15/99 p. 27-28)

As defined by the Watchtower, a lie is, "saying something false to a person who is entitled to know". JW's learn that, "it is proper to hide the truth from God's enemies." (Insight on Scriptures Vol. 1 1988 p. 244. Watchtower 6/1/60 p. 351-352)

JW's in professions that keep confidential records (legal, medical, etc.) are required to disclose confidential information to their elders if a fellow JW is disobeying the Watchtower, even though this is illegal! (Watchtower 9/1/87 p. 12-15)

JWís are not allowed to question their organization. The Watchtower teaches that it is dangerous to make up your own mind about what to believe. (Watchtower 1/15/83 p. 22, 27)