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Criticism
Jehovah's Witnesses have attracted criticism over issues surrounding their Bible translation, doctrines, their handling of sexual abuse cases, and what is claimed to be coercion of members. Many of the claims are denied by Jehovah's Witnesses and some have also been disputed by courts and religious scholars.

==> Critics: Ex JW: R. Franz, Penton, Botting, Barbara Grizzuti Harrison, Schnell, Carl O. Jonsson, Gruss

==> Rebuttal: WT publications

==> Neutral: Beverley (religion's specialist), Rogerson, Beckford, Holden (sociologists), Chryssides (philosopher of religion), Muramoto (doctor?)

Suppression of free speech and thought
The doctrine is established by the Governing Body, and the Witnesses are not taking part of its definition. The Watch Tower Society requires loyalty and obedience, doesn't tolerate dissidence about doctrines and practices, and expels and shun members who openly disagree with the religion's teachings. The publications strongly discourage followers from questioning its doctrines and counsel, reasoning that the Society is to be trusted as "God's organization". It also warns members to "avoid independent thinking", claiming such thinking "was introduced by Satan the Devil" and would "cause division". Those who openly disagree with official teachings are condemned as "apostates" and "mentally diseased".

Because of this, former members Heather and Gary Botting compare the cultural paradigms of the religion to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-four,, while Alan Rogerson describes the religion's leadership as totalitarian. Other critics charge that by disparaging individual decision-making, the Watch Tower Society cultivates a system of unquestioning obedience in which Witnesses abrogate all responsibility and rights over their personal lives. Critics also accuse the Watch Tower Society of exercising "intellectual dominance" over Witnesses, controlling information and creating "mental isolation", which former Governing Body member Raymond Franz argued were all elements of mind control.

On the opposite, Watch Tower Society publications state that consensus of faith aids unity, and deny that unity restricts individuality or imagination.

Sociologist Rodney Stark states that while Jehovah's Witness leaders are "not always very democratic" and members are expected to conform to "rather strict standards," enforcement tends to be informal, sustained by close bonds of friendship and that Jehovah's Witnesses see themselves as "part of the power structure rather than subject to it." Sociologist Andrew Holden is unwilling to accept the brainwashing thesis, and thinks that most members who join millenarian movements such as Jehovah's Witnesses have made an informed choice. However, he also states that defectors "are seldom allowed a dignified exit", and describes the administration as autocratic.

FACTS The doctrine is established by the Governing Body, and the Witnesses are not taking part its definition. The Watch Tower Society, however, requires loyalty and obedience, doesn't tolerate dissidence about doctrines and practices, and expels and shun members who openly disagree with the religion's teachings. The publications strongly discourage followers from questioning its doctrines and counsel, reasoning that the Society is to be trusted as "God's organization". It also warns members to "avoid independent thinking", claiming such thinking "was introduced by Satan the Devil" and would "cause division". Those who openly disagree with official teachings are condemned as "apostates" and "mentally diseased".

CRITICS Because of this, Beverley, Beckford, Botting and Rogerson charge that by disparaging individual decision-making, the Watch Tower Society cultivates a system of unquestioning obedience in which Witnesses abrogate all responsibility and rights over their personal lives. Beverley, Muramoto, Holden and Rogerson have accused the Watch Tower Society of exercising "intellectual dominance" over Witnesses, controlling information and creating "mental isolation", which former Governing Body member Raymond Franz argued were all elements of mind control.

ANSWER Watch Tower Society publications state that consensus of faith aids unity. They deny that unity restricts individuality or imagination.

ANALYSIS Sociologist Rodney Stark states that while Jehovah's Witness leaders are "not always very democratic" and members are expected to conform to "rather strict standards," enforcement tends to be informal, sustained by close bonds of friendship and that Jehovah's Witnesses see themselves as "part of the power structure rather than subject to it." Sociologist Andrew Holden is unwilling to accept the brainwashing thesis, and thinks that most members who join millenarian movements such as Jehovah's Witnesses have made an informed choice. However, is also states that defectors "are seldom allowed a dignified exit", and goes on describing the religion's leadership as autocratic.

New World Translation
Some Bible scholars including Bruce M. Metzger, former Professor and Bible editor at Princeton Theological Seminary, have claimed that the translation of certain texts in its New World Translation of the Bible is biased in favor of Witness practices and doctrines. English Bible editor Dr. Harold H. Rowley criticized the pre-release edition of the first volume (Genesis to Ruth) published in 1953 as "a shining example of how the Bible should not be translated." On the other hand, in his study on nine of "the Bibles most widely in use in the English-speaking world" Bible scholar Jason BeDuhn, Professor of Religious Studies from Northern Arizona University, claimed that the New World Translation was not bias free, but that he considered it to be "the most accurate of the translations compared," and "a remarkably good translation."

Metzger stated, "on the whole, one gains a tolerably good impression of the scholarly equipment of the translators", but goes on to criticize their insertion of the name Jehovah in the New Testament since it does not appear in the extant Greek manuscripts. Watch Tower Society publications have said the name was "restored" on a sound basis, particularly when New Testament writers used the Greek Kyrios (Lord) when quoting Old Testament scriptures that contained the Tetragrammaton.

Failed predictions
Watch Tower Society publications have claimed that God has used Jehovah's Witnesses (and formerly, the International Bible Students) to declare his will and has provided advance knowledge about Armageddon and the establishment of God's kingdom. Some publications also claimed that God has used Jehovah's Witnesses and the International Bible Students as a modern-day prophet. Jehovah's Witnesses' publications have made various predictions about world events they believe were prophesied in the Bible. Failed predictions have led to the alteration or abandonment of some doctrines. Some failed predictions that the Watch Tower Society had claimed were presented as "beyond doubt" or "approved by God".

The Watch Tower Society rejects accusations that it is a false prophet, stating that its teachings are not inspired or infallible,  and that it has not claimed its predictions were "the words of Jehovah." George D. Chryssides has suggested that with the exception of statements about 1914, 1925 and 1975, the changing views and dates of the Jehovah's Witnesses are largely attributable to changed understandings of biblical chronology than to failed predictions. Chryssides further states, "it is therefore simplistic and naïve to view the Witnesses as a group that continues to set a single end-date that fails and then devise a new one, as many counter-cultists do."

Handling of sexual abuse cases
Critics have accused Jehovah's Witnesses of employing organizational policies that make the reporting of sexual abuse difficult for members. Some victims of sexual abuse have asserted that they were ordered by certain local elders to maintain silence so as to avoid embarrassment to both the accused and the organization. Jehovah's Witnesses maintain that they have no policy of silence, and that elders are directed to report abuse to authorities when there is evidence of abuse, and when required to by law. In 1997, Jehovah's Witnesses' Office of Public Information published their policy for elders to report allegations of child abuse to the authorities where required by law to do so, even if there was only one witness. Any person known to have sexually abused a child is prohibited from holding any responsibility inside the organization. Unless considered by the congregation elders to demonstrate repentance, such a person is typically disfellowshipped.

In June 2012, the Supreme Court of Alameda, California, ordered the Watch Tower Society to pay $21 million in punitive damages, in addition to compensatory damages, after finding that the Society's policies contributed to the sexual abuse of a nine-year-old girl. On appeal, the punitive damages were reduced to $8.61 million in September 2012. The Watch Tower Society appealed the subsequent ruling, and the case is ongoing.

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