One person's religion is another one's cult. And the people who feel this way feel very strongly about it.
I wrote an article for The Blade about the controversy surrounding Jehovah's Witnesses, who are coming to Toledo for the third year in a row to hold a series of three-day conventions all summer long.
In the past two years, I've written simple, straightforward stories about the Witnesses and the conventions. Each year, I was deluged with emails and phone calls from people who have problems with the religion. They believe it is a mind-controlling cult. Most of the folks complaining about JW's are either ex-members or have family and loved ones who belong.
It's a difficult situation for a religion editor. I respect all religions but I also do not want to present a one-sided story that overlooks glaring controversy.
So I did my research, spoke to three ex-Jehovah's Witnesses who described in great detail some of things they feel are harmful -- among them, that people who leave the religion are often shunned by their families. One woman told me her mother and siblings have not talked to her in 27 years, since she quit at age 18.
Another thing that came up is that JW's do not associate with non-members except when necessary, such as work or business relationships. Therefore the children who grow up in JW families are not allowed to have friends that are not members. This is in addition to not being able to celebrate their birthdays or holidays because that is deemed to be idol worship.
A third concern involves JW's handling of allegations of child molestation. For the religious leaders to conclude that a member is guilty, there must be two credible witnesses. Few child abuse cases have a witness besides the victim, and it is so traumatic that it is easier for a young child to keep it bottled up than to report the abuse to other adults.
One expert in this area told me about a JW elder in Nevada who was accused by 17 different girls of molesting them. The other elders decided that the 17 girls were not credible. The perpetrator was, however, reported to civil authorities who arrested the guy and he was ultimately convicted and sent to prison. However, he remained a Witness in good standing because the religious leaders did not find him guilty. Six months after he was released from prison, the convicted child molester was kicked out of the Jehovah's Witnesses for smoking! I am telling you the truth here, as unbelievable as it may sound.
Well, my article about the allegations involving the Jehovah's Witnesses was not published because it was deemed too harsh. I do acknowledge that I would have liked to have done more research, and am hoping it does run after I expand on it and add more information.
In the meantime, for those who are interested in finding out more about the controversies surrounding this religion, here are a few websites to review:
1. Out of the Cocoon.
2. Silent Lambs
3. Cult Watch
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I took an all-too-brief trip to Virginia Beach to visit relatives and attend the high school graduation of a nephew. We had a wonderful time and that area of the country is one of my favorites.
Interestingly, my nephew who graduated spent Saturday night at his parents' home with us playing games and passed up a graduation party at a friend's house. That is a miracle in itself if you know any other 18-year-old boys. But here's the neat part: That house party turned into a nightmare as police arrested dozens of kids for underage drinking, and probably the parents, too. So our visit helped my nephew stay out of trouble... Maybe it's just a coincidence, but I am so glad we went.
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Last week I went to the regional United Methodist Conference at Lakeside, a quaint resort on Lake Erie, and covered a speech by the Rev. Adam Hamilton, pastor of Church of the Resurrection (click here) in suburban Kansas City, Mo. -- the fastest growing church in the United Methodist denomination.
Rev. Hamilton is an amazing pastor and it's no wonder his church has grown so swiftly. For one thing, when I walked up to him he greeted me by name -- my ID card was around my neck, but few people take notice of such things.
Second, he agreed to do an interview on the spur of the moment.
Third, when he addressed the 3,000 delegates he talked about his own background, which I didn't get to include in my Blade article.
The 45-year-old minister said his parents were 16 and 17 years old when he was born. They didn't go to church. When he was a teen, a person knocked on the front door and invited him to church. The visitor had no voice and pressed a microphone against his throat in order to communicate. Hamilton said he was so impressed that this person with a deformity cared enough about him that he came to the door to invite him to church, inspired him to go. It turned out to be a Pentecostal church and got him started on path to becoming a minister.
He attended Oral Roberts University but ultimately joined the United Methodist Church because it offered more of a balance between the heart and the intellect.
Hamilton also said he got married at 17 because he and his future wife were saving themselves for marriage but the Pentecostal preacher kept saying the end of the world was near and they didn't want to miss out on a certain experience before Armageddon...
He also told me in the interview that he has a daughter at Kansas State who attends an Episcopal church because she is drawn to something with a heritage and roots and liturgy, rather than something that's just 15 years old and all based on feelings.
These are kind of asides to the real story, with the link above, which I hope you have time to read. Hamilton's ideas for church growth are phenomenal. Not that he's inventing anything new, but he's using very realistic, practical, and interesting ideas to bring people to church.
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Sorry I've been kind of lax lately with entering new blogs... Things have been crazier than usual around the house and at The Blade. I'll try to keep more current with my postings. thanks for your patience!

Toledo, Ohio, June 19, 2007/