Anyone who was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness can empathize with the scenario of two children struggling to hold their attention at a kingdom hall meeting. And this is exactly the predicament in which Watchtower’s model cartoon children, Caleb and Sophia, find themselves in the latest “Become Jehovah’s Friend” episode – released earlier this month.
So what does the Governing Body want to say to any children who find themselves bored or distracted at a meeting they have been dragged to by their indoctrinated parents? It’s simple, really: “Pay attention, or die.” That grim message comes across loud and clear in the latest installment of Watchtower’s child propaganda series.
In the newly-released “Lesson 15,” entitled “Pay Attention at the Meetings,” young Caleb and Sophia find themselves reprimanded for playing with a toy car (Caleb) and falling asleep (Sophia) by their parents.
In a subsequent discussion around the dinner table, the children’s parents discuss the serious ramifications of failing to pay attention during a meeting. “Imagine if Noah didn’t pay attention when Jehovah explained how to build the ark?” muses Caleb’s father.
A cartoon segment then shows Noah and his family idling around during God’s instructions for building a vessel that the laws of physics say could never have been seaworthy to avoid a global deluge that archeology, geology and biology testify never happened. (If you find anything I’ve said in this paragraph offensive, please watch this video.)
The result? Noah and his family are shown scurrying into the finished ark when the flood is imminent, only for it to comically collapse under the weight of the first drop of water. The whole family is then shown disappearing under the flood waters with startled looks on their faces.
“That’s not what happened, dad!” protests Caleb. “You are right,” says his dad. “He paid attention, and it saved his life. Paying attention at the meetings can help save YOUR life!”
After this not-so-veiled threat, Caleb and Sophia are shown at the next meeting paying rapt attention, apparently buoyed by the knowledge that failure to do so will result in them being slaughtered.
I personally found this video even more hideous than the notorious Sparlock episode – one of the first “lessons” in this ghastly series. Why?
At least in the Sparlock episode the threats made against Caleb by his mother for playing with a wizard toy were slightly more opaque. If he didn’t throw his toy away, Caleb would make Jehovah “sad” and grow old and shriveled like Adam and Eve. But in this latest video, the threats made against Caleb and his sister to coerce them into conformity are all too dire and explicit.
How any parent can watch this video and find threats of death at the hands of the Almighty an appropriate, healthy tool for shaping the attitudes and behavior of their children is beyond me.
I am reminded of the words of Richard Dawkins: “There is no such thing as a Christian child: only a child of Christian parents.” Children are not born religious – they need to have it pummeled into them by parents who were very likely themselves instilled with a specific religion dependent on their own parents or culture.
In the case of Witness children, the modus operandi for indoctrination is not merely gentle persuasion and cheerful recommendations but outright threats and blackmail – all endorsed and prescribed by the Governing Body themselves.
The one useful element of this video is that it openly exposes to any non-JW onlooker what the Witness religion is really all about: “Follow us or die.”
I have only recently made a video on this very subject, as it is my hope that more people will be mindful of the true, grisly nature of the Witness message when they are set upon with enchanting images of paradise, pandas and fruit baskets.
Grab a shovel and start exploring this imaginary utopia recommended to you in Watchtower literature, and you will soon discover that these rolling hillsides, bounteous pastures and idyllic homes have been built on the bodies of billions of people who have been massacred for the crime of not wanting to be Jehovah’s Witnesses. Sparing the next generation from having their lives molded by such a grotesque vision of the future is not merely advisable – it is an obligation.
Further reading…
- NYDailyNews article
- Freethinker article
- Friendly Atheist article
- Rawstory article
- JWvictims article
- Watchtower’s new “Toy Story” – What parents need to know
- Why it is morally wrong for Watchtower to push baptism on children
- JWsurvey articles on child indoctrination
Related videos…
Cuthbert,
I am still patiently waiting for your response to my dilemma.
Peace be with you, Excelsior!
We already know that Caleb’s mom is a manipulative skunt of the worst sort, and can see that his dad is a dull witted schmuck. What amazes me is how unselfconscious these people are who produce these videos, as if they have no idea of how outrageous they would appear to someone of good conscience.
So the wages of not paying attention are death?
Bit harsh isn’t it? Come to that why does an all powerful almighty God, ruler of the universe, divine creator etc etc give two hoots if a child is paying attention or not?
We all used to let our children fall asleep in meetings and were glad that we did so that we got some peace. How can you force a child to stay awake especially at the evening meeting. I remember a brother on the platform saying that even if our children fell asleep the information was still going in. I and many other adults at assemblies used to fall asleep. (They seemed to have that effect, sending people to sleep.) So how can you keep children awake? By pinching them? That mother is harsh.
When I watched this, I just felt so bad for Sophia in particular. I mean, the kid is eight years old, and it’s close to nine on a school night, and they’re shocked that she fell asleep at the meeting?
What’s the next video going to be? Telling her about the glory of suffering for Jehovah while she counts blisters from walking two miles in dress shoes?
They would probably pull something like that.
I feel so hurt for the few children who have parents that will take it even further now that there is JW broadcast, and only allow their children to watch anything beside JW broadcast material even for leisure. I heard 2 people hint before there may be no more Sesame Street for their kids now that they have these, it’s very saddening!
Seriously? You all need to find something better to do. Leave these people alone. You sound like a bunch of disgruntled, sad people. Get over it.
Wow! After watching this a couple of times I wondered if the kids are being toilet-trained at gun point. Of what good use is it to be obedient out of fear? Shouldn’t love be the primary motivation? I don’t get it.
Yes, those are the looks of car ride anxiety attack because they know they’re on their way to a monumental *** whooping or indoctrination guilt trip speech after the meeting.
I’m surprised they showed poor Caleb being allowed to draw during that meeting, as there was always constant cruelty advising parent’s to not allow their kids to draw. Some parents that were more compassionate were looked down upon as not setting an example if their children drew pictures, chatted or played with toys or books, guess the head didn’t have his household in order. And if you were parent who even gave your kids christian themed coloring pages you were looked at as darn near apostate since it wasn’t the My Book of Bible B.S.
This “keep your kids woke” at the hall is nothing new, they are just amping it up now by targeting kids with threats outright. It used to be the story droned in children many years back about the young boy in the bible who fell out of the window by falling asleep during “Paul’s” talk but was supposedly “revived” by Paul in the story, but now the sinister message flat is out pain of unmourned death for falling asleep! I remember attendants being told at 2 diff circuit assemblies in the late 80’s to wake people up they noticed had fallen asleep. What’s next, cartoon of Sophia and Caleb being professionally treated at their teacher’s request after being groomed of course by the parent’s on just what they are allowed to divulge to the doctors, for insomnia and other social/mental disorders because they became afraid to ever fall asleep at all because of fiery Armageddon literature art inspired nightmares and threat of parental abandonment. As well as Sophia’s depression from not being allowed to have friends at school as we witnessed in the Pray Anytime video filled with all kinds of other evidence of how threatening this cult really is.
I feel so sorry for Jehovah’s Witnesses. They get an awfully bad rap about what they are trying to say. The movie isn’t saying that Caleb will die for not paying attention, what it’s saying is that by listening he will learn about everlasting life. You have twisted the context. I am not an official JW but have been attending meetings and studying with a couple for over a year. I have never met such loving, caring, faithful people. Children in the meetings where we attend fall asleep and everyone thinks it is cute. Another little girl doodles but she answers questions. That’s her way of focusing, I think. If you’ve never been to a meeting or associated with any Witnesses you do not have correct information.
Yup, looks like “car ride anxiety attack” on their faces, ‘cuz they know they are on their way to a monumental butt whooping or fear filled guilt trip speech. I’m surprised they showed poor Caleb being allowed to draw during that meeting, as there was always constant cruelty advising parents to not allow kids to draw during meetings. Some parents were looked down upon as not setting an example if their children drew pictures, chatted or played with toys or books. Even parents that gave their kids “christian themed” coloring pages or books you were looked at as darn near apostate since it wasn’t the My Book of Bible B.S.
Back in the day, they droned in children the story about the young boy who fell out of the window because he fell asleep during “Paul’s” talk but was at least “revived” at the end of the story, now the message is pain of unmourned death for falling asleep! I remember attendants being told at a 2 diff circuit assemblies in the late 80’s to wake anyone up they noticed had fallen asleep. What’s next, a cartoon of Sophia and Caleb being treated for insomnia and other social disorders at the teacher’s request of course but only after they’ve been groomed by the parent’s on what to say, because they’ve grown afraid to sleep at all because of fiery Armageddon literature art inspired nightmares or after watching this video. Might as well treat Sophia for the friends issues while they are at it as a result of her thinking she has to alienate herself from other schoolchildren on the bus in that Pray Anytime video.
“since it wasn’t the My Book of Bible B.S.”
I’m sure the B.S. stands for Bible Study, MyBirthRight, but I can’t understand why you’ve put another ‘Bible’ in front of the abbreviation. (haha!)
“I remember attendants being told at a 2 diff circuit assemblies in the late 80’s to wake anyone up they noticed had fallen asleep.”
What a bloody cheek! What they should have done is counseled all the brothers giving the talks at these aforementioned ‘nod offs’ and told them to smarten up and make them more interesting!
Tonight my husband was going on and on about how to discipline a child. He was saying how important it is to explain why your child should be doing this or that etc and how people don’t do that with their kids so this is what I said to him: “I know how to make a child behave” and he stopped talking and said “what?” and I said “I’d tell them that if they don’t behave that Jehovah is going to kill them”. He looked stunned and finally he said “I don’t agree with that at all” so I said, “yes, that is what I’d do. Tell them that if they don’t behave that Jehovah is going to kill them.” Again he looked at me like I had gone crazy and said again, “well, I don’t agree with that at all.” So then I said, “well that’s what the latest cartoon from the Watchtower says.” I offered to show him the cartoon but he didn’t want to see it.
Nice one, anonymous!
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/Nice+one! (just in case you didn’t guess the meaning from the context)
I just checked my previous link and it seems faulty.
Here’s what it says:
Nice one!
(British & Australian informal)
something that you say when you have just heard that someone has done something which you think is good ‘Graham’s brought some champagne along to mark the occasion.’ ‘Oh, nice one, Graham!’
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/Nice+one!
Thanks Charles.
@Charles Cosante
That was comically meant to stand for b.s.(bullcrap) as in “my book of bible bull****”, instead of “My Book of Bible Stories”, that was printed by WatchTower geared towards children. I was referring to the fear tactics/rules they insisted upon that children of Witnesses not be allowed books even remotely religious in nature that weren’t published by this organization only. I refrained from writing bull-s out of respect for the rules of the forum and in order not to offend anyone who might find it offensive, which is not my intent : )
“That was comically meant to stand for b.s.(bullcrap) as in “my book of bible bull****””
I was being facetious, MyBirthRight – I knew that’s what you meant (you must have missed my ‘ha ha’ at the end).
yeah I had missed that part : )
@Charles Costante
And yes, what cheek Charles, of them to task the attendants to wake people up on those occasions, so as not to risk them missing one single drop of indoctrination for sure! Oh, I wish I could say it ended there Charles, but for a brief time after those two assemblies, which is where I am sure they got this next idea from, the attendants at our congregation were even handed yard sticks to enable them to tap ones furthest across the seats, and were asked to tell members to wake up people near them during the meetings. It didn’t last long thankfully, as it started disagreements and a stop was put to it once the overseer arrived.
ah yes, circuit overseer visits, the time when the congregation put on/out it’s best like they were the parabled wise virgins preparing for their bridegrooms or something when a circuit or district overseer or bethelite came to town. Offering such individuals a figurative alabaster cases brimming in the form of best meals, best show, money and gifts and a mile long list of tattle tales.
I digress, but it’s not surprising that such kinda “wakey wakey or in Armageddon’s bird buffet blazes you’ll bakey” foolishness goes on given the organization’s old time usher period, what I call the Cane Brigade, when old time ushers are said to have walked around “ready to defend” with those white canes, lol
@anonymous awesome : )
“”……… but for a brief time after those two assemblies, which is where I am sure they got this next idea from, the attendants at our congregation were even handed yard sticks to enable them to tap ones furthest across the seats,………………”
It’s a wonder someone didn’t tell them to shove their yardsticks up their @r$#!, MyBirthRight (er, I mean: where the monkey shoved his nuts!).
@Charles LOL! I think that’s the type of disagreements it started, esp when it was visitor in the hood that it happened to hahaha
This is disturbing as pediatricians say no TV or vids for children younger than 2 and they didn’t mean months old. My ex would make my 10 yo son stand in the corner for 5 hours if he didn’t sing at meetings. They are a cruel and twisted bunch.
Kurt Metzger, who was raised as Jehovah’s Witness and who is an American comedian appeared on the “Nightly Show/Larry Wilmore” show on March 30, 2015 and they were talking about mega churches. Kurt Metzger said how he hated knocking on people’s doors and Larry Wilmore asked him if he’d rather spend the rest of his life being a Jehovah’s Witness or would he rather die in a hot air balloon crash and he said he’d rather die in a hot air balloon crash all the way. He said at least it would be a “cool” ride all the way down.
Sad bunch of mislead, misinformed people here. Do you guys all make this stuff up as you go along? Yard sticks? Canes? Standing in a corner for not singing…..bunch of lies. Believe what you want to believe.
Whaaaat??? That is so funny what you said. I almost laughed out loud. My husband who was an elder for ten years and then took ten years off from being an elder and now is a staunch JW again sat next to me yesterday at his computer and said this:
“You know it’s funny. For the ten years I didn’t go to meetings, I was so much happier than when I was going to meetings but then I started feeling guilty about it.” So, I asked him “You felt guilty about being happy???” He went on to say that he felt guilty so he decided to go back to meetings again. So, I really don’t get it. Can you explain it to me????? He couldn’t explain why he was supposed to feel guilty about being happy for the first time in his life WHEN HE WASN’T GOING TO MEETINGS!!! I think what he was trying to tell me is that I am not supposed to feel happy since I feel so much happier now that I am not going to meetings anymore so there must be something wrong with my thinking.
When you said “Sad bunch of mislead, misinformed people here. Do you guys all make this stuff up as you go along?” I can’t help but think you are actually talking about the Watchtower and those who are JW’s. Is that who you are talking about? If not, can you be more clear in your sentence structure and who you are talking about? If you are talking about ex JW’s, I think we are finally being informed, not misinformed. Come back and explain please…..
While I absolutely agree with the damaging effects of being indoctrinated by the JW’s as I was raised this way, what I hope people reading your article realize is that your tone suggests that you are heavily indoctrinated yourself. You are clearly either Atheist which those people are a cult themselves and Richard Dawkins is their biggest preacher. Beware anyone who is “absolutely” sure of everything. That goes for religious or non-religious. What is taught in the science books today can easily change tomorrow as it has. And I like how u use the same technique the JW’s use when conditioning the mind of their readers, leading with a statement that u imply is not disputed, and basing your next statements off that skewed arguement. What makes u or Dawkins any better than cult followers? None of us “know” how we came to be, none of us really “know” what happens when we die, stop pretending u do, again exactly like the JW’s. How about just say you are open to other possibilities since no one knows all the mysteries of life and as long as your beliefs dont hurt anyone, everyone can live their own lives. Stop pushing your beliefs on others, youre being a hypocrite.
Rhino 1978
Which skewed argument are you referring to? The only skewed arguments are the ones made by the JW Organization, which is the point of the article. While you are free to interpret the “tone” of the article any way you wish, the fact of the matter is that we can’t discuss JW indoctrination without mentioning the religious beliefs which are pure nonsense, but which are used to influence and control children. The Dawkins comment is accurate whether you like it or not. We are all born atheist, and should not be subjected to undue influence from any organization, religious or otherwise. No one is disputing your right to believe what you wish, but don’t try to compare atheism with religion – it’s an absurd argument.
We take a religiously neutral stance on this site, but there are some issues related to the JW organization which require us to expose the insane religious beliefs which have led Witnesses down a path of extreme ignorance. If it were not for well established science of the past 100 years, Witnesses would still be young earth creationists. Instead, they are old-earth creationists who amazingly still believe Adam was created 6000 years ago. They are biblical literalists who wholeheartedly believe in a global flood which occurred in the year 2370 BCE, and which is used as a tool to threaten children, as expressed in this article.
These are just two simple examples which in no way “push” our beliefs on any of our readers; Rather, they expose what we know NOT to be true and allow the reader to reach his or her own conclusions regarding the genesis of mankind. It seems you are reading way too much into the purpose of the article, likely because you are upset that we have challenged some core beliefs which you apparently still cling to. Next time, stick to the point of the article and direct your claims of hypocrisy where it is truly merited.
JR
Research the difference between a gnostic atheist and an agnostic atheist. I am the latter, not the former. (In fact, despite meeting many atheists I have yet to meet the former.)
There going to be showing this video at the meetings next week. After that they invite young ones on the stage for an interview.