GREAT NUMBERS OF PEOPLE DIED FROM THE COVID-19 VACCINE — THE GOVERNING BODY HAS SOME RESPONSIBILITY (II)

The Governing body changed   basis for deciding whether to take mRNA-injections or not from being a strictly medical issue to becoming a religious issue — “the individual’s trained Christian conscience” (= following what the Governing Body has decided) is the basis.

During the Governing Body Update on JW Broadcasting for September 2021, David Splane called Jehovah God as a witness that the COVID-19 vaccine was safe and would not harm his servants. Today, we know that this is not true, but that the vaccine has caused illness and death to large numbers of people, including many  Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Splane’s words were a powerful call for Jehovah’s Witnesses to get vaccinated. These words hold the Governing Body members to some extent accountable for the illnesses and death that the vaccine has caused to many Jehovah’s Witnesses. 

Whether or not a person should get the COVID-19 vaccine is a strictly medical question: Is the vaccine safe? And Do the benefits outweigh the negative effects? Each person should examine the medical evidence and make his own decision. However, the Governing Body members had changed the basis for vaccination by consistently stating that this was a religious issue, not a medical one.

They did this by repeatedly stating that the individual’s trained Christian conscience was the basis for the decision to vaccinate or not, rather than a medical assessment. The expression “the individual’s trained Christian conscience” is the same as “following the decisions made by the Governing Body regarding the vaccine.” And the Governing Body members’ decision is that all Jehovah’s Witnesses must get the vaccine.

The members of the Governing Body have no Scriptural right to influence an individual’s decision to get or not get the vaccine. In the following, I will show in detail how the members of the Governing Body have violated this biblical principle, and their course of action has created many problems in congregations worldwide. This will also be discussed in the article.

THE THINKING OF THE MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNING BODY

In several letters from the Watchtower Society, the words “the thinking of the Governing Body” occur. These words show that the members of the Governing Body had certain views regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and had made some decisions. In what follows, I will show how these views and decisions were expressed in overt and covert ways, and how this led to problems in many congregations.

The problem for the members of the Governing Body was how to ensure that all Witnesses followed their decision without giving the impression that the Governing Body had made the decision for them.

The view and decision of the members of the Governing Body can be seen in four letters from June 10, 2021, August 6, 2021, September 2021, and December 19, 2022, respectively.

LETTER JUNE 10, 2021, TO THE BODIES OF ELDERS

Medical studies have shown that those who are fully vaccinated have added protection against the virus. A person becomes “fully vaccinated” two weeks after receiving all required doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Medical studies have also shown that those who choose not to be vaccinated should remain more cautious, since they are far more susceptible to the virus. All those who continue to show good judgment and act in a way that demonstrates respect for life are to be warmly commended.

LETTER AUGUST 6, 2021, TO ALL SPECIAL FULL-TIME SERVANTS AT BETHEL AND IN THE FIELD

At present time, 178,957 Bethel family members worldwide have been vaccinated. Yet, we have not received a report of even one Bethel family member having a severe adverse reaction or becoming seriously ill as a result of getting vaccinated. In contrast, we have noted that in the United States branch territory, ninety-nine percent of the publishers who have been hospitalized for COVID-19 or who have died from COVID-19 were not vaccinated. With this in mind and after much prayerful consideration, we have decided that it is our preference that all those in special full-time service at Bethel and in the filed be vaccinated if at all possible.

In view of the above, we have asked the Health Care Department (HCD) to contact you to learn your current vaccination status. If for som medical reason you are unable to be vaccinated, please inform the HCD accordingly.

LETTER SEPTEMBER 27, 2021, ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ELDERS

The recent Governing Body updates have helped Jehovah’s people understand the thinking of the faithful slave on this matter.  Branch offices have reported that some elders have voiced strong personal opinions against COVID-19 vaccination…

Thus, elders should be careful not to voice personal opinions that contradict direction from the superior authorities. If an elder has been doing so, now is the time to stop. (Matt. 22:21; Rom. 13:4-7) Otherwise, he could become guilty of causing divisions in the congregation.

LETTER DECEMBER 19, 2022, FOR ELDERS

Vaccination Requirement for Those Attending Theocratic Schools: Only individuals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be eligible to attend theocratic schools in person. Such schools include the Pioneer Service School, the Kingdom Ministry School, the School for Congregation Elders, and the School for Kingdom Evangelizers. Additionally, health officials indicate that staying up-to-date with the COVID-19 vaccine booster shots provides added protection. (This requirement was annulled in March 2024)

The letter to special full-time servants is an order from the Governing Body to be vaccinated. The HCD would check if they had followed this order, and if they were not vaccinated, they would not be allowed to continue as special full-time servants.[2] The letter of December 19, 2022 extends this order to those who will attend theocratic schools, including brothers and sisters.

The letter from September 27, 2021, is a gag order for the elders not to speak a word against COVID-19 vaccination. As I will show later, violating this gag order leads to disfellowshipping. The members of the Governing Body uses a straw man, namely “the superior authorities.” And this straw man stands for the members of the Governing Body, as the letters from August 6, 2021, and December 19, 2022, shows.

[1]. The so-called “mRNA vaccines” are not vaccines in the traditional sense of the word. But they are genetic modifiers. But I use the word “vaccine” since this is the term that is used by most people.

[2]. There was one exception, though. If someone had a special medical condition where vaccination was impossible, they could continue as special full-time servants. However, this was a situation so rare that it almost never would happen.

HOW THE MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNING BODY HAVE INFLUENCED JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES REGARDING THE COVID-19 VACCINE

There are three ways the members of the Governing Body have influenced the Witnesses:

• By publishing their views in the Watchtower and other literature overtly or covertly.
• By informing the elders of their views and letting them spread the views to the Witnesses.
• By using examples and role models.

The loyalty of individual Witnesses to the Governing Body is so great that they view them in the same class as the prophets in the Bible, and they follow the slightest hint that comes from the Governing Body.

From the outset of the pandemic, the Governing Body emphasized that each Witness had the right to make their own decisions regarding the vaccine. A letter from September 7, 2020, before the vaccine was available, says:

While assisting publishers, elders must be cautious not to establish or to enforce rules.

A letter from June 30, 2022, says:

 Whether someone chooses to be vaccinated is a personal decision. (Gal. 6:5) Thus, it would be loving to respect the personal decision that each individual makes based on his Bible-trained conscience, instead of pressuring someone to make the same choice that we made.

The real problem for the members of the Governing Body was how to get all Witnesses to follow their decision to be vaccinated without giving the Witnesses the impression that they were being forced to do so. As I have shown, special full-time servants and brothers and sisters who would attend the theocratic schools were forced to be vaccinated. But in connection with the Witnesses in general, more sophisticated methods were used.

THE INFLUENCE THROUGH WRITTEN LETTERS

Many letters were sent to the elders and to the congregations during the pandemic. In Europe, some of these letters were later combined into a single, longer letter. I will now analyze some sayings in different letters.

THE LETTER OF MARCH 16, 2020

The letter to all congregations discussed how meetings could be conducted, particularly via video conference. At the end of the letter, we read:

These alternative ways of conducting meetings may need to be adjusted based on local circumstances. Elders should keep in mind that local publishers will have to make decisions regarding meeting attendance based on their personal circumstances.—Gal. 6:5.

This letter contains good advice. The Governing Body identified several possibilities, and the elders would determine the best course of action, taking into account the local circumstances.

THE LETTER OF SEPTEMBER 7, 2020

On September 7, 2020, a new eight-page letter from the Governing Body was sent to all congregations. The heading of the letter was: “Instructions for Bodies of Elders in Connection with the COVID-19 Pandemic.”  It contained instructions for different sides of the organization’s activity, and regarding the pandemic, it asked the elders to count:

(1) The number of all confirmed cases of publishers who have been infected with the coronavirus.

(2) The number of publishers who have died in connection with the coronavirus.

The instructions given by the letter are fine, and point 6 gives very good advice:

 While assisting publishers, elders must be cautious not to establish or to enforce rules.

THE LETTER OF FEBRUARY 28, 2021

The question arose whether the vaccines contained blood, and this short letter informed the elders that the four basic vaccines did not contain blood. This should be announced to the congregations at two consecutive meetings.

THE LETTER OF SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

I have already quoted from this letter. Here is a quotation of the wholeletter and an analysis of its contents:.

FOR ELDERS

 COVID-19 Vaccinations and Respect for Superior Authorities: Out of concern and love, we are sharing the following important information. (1 Cor. 12:25) As a result of the ongoing pandemic, secular authorities in an increasing number of lands are mandating or strongly encouraging that their citizens be vaccinated for COVID-19. The recent Governing Body updates have helped Jehovah’s people understand the thinking of the faithful slave on this matter.

Branch offices have reported that some elders have voiced strong personal opinions against COVID-19 vaccination. Why is this of concern? Romans 13:1 says that “the existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God.” Also, the study note on Romans 13:5 says: “A Christian submits to human governments when a command does not contradict God’s laws.” Romans 13:2 states: “Whoever opposes the [secular] authority has taken a stand against the arrangement of God.” Thus, elders should be careful not to voice personal opinions that contradict direction from the superior authorities. If an elder has been doing so, now is the time to stop. (Matt. 22:21; Rom. 13:4-7) Otherwise, he could become guilty of causing divisions in the congregation.

At Romans 16:17, elders are admonished: “Keep your eye on those who create divisions and causes for stumbling contrary to the teaching that you have learned, and avoid them.” Thus, elders have a Scriptural responsibility to counsel any, including fellow elders, who cause divisions in the congregation. (Gal. 6:1) Circuit overseers will closely monitor the situation. We commend you brothers for “holding firmly” to God’s Word, promoting unity in the congregation, and taking the lead in showing “honor” to the secular authorities. (Titus 1:9; 1 Pet. 2:13-17) We thank you for your cooperation in this matter, and we take this opportunity to send our warm Christian love.

FOR COORDINATORS OF THE BODIES OF ELDERS

Announcement for Elders: Please arrange for the body of elders to meet this week to discuss the announcement for elders along with the cited scriptures.

The letter speaks about “the thinking of the faithful slave in this matter.” As we have seen, this thinking was that all Witnesses should take the vaccine. One side of this thinking is expressed in the heading, which shows respect for superior authorities when they mandate or strongly encourage everyone to take the vaccine. Here, we see an action typical of the members of the Governing Body.

They make a decision, and then they shrug off the responsibility, maneuvering the situation in a way that forces others to take responsibility for this decision. One example of this is that the Governing Body has decided that disfellowshipped and resigned persons must be shunned and completely isolated. However, in the 2025 case before the Court of Appeal in Norway between Jehovah’s Witnesses and the state, the leaders falsely claimed that it is up to each Witness to decide how much or how little contact they will have with disfellowshipped and resigned individuals. In this way, the responsibility for the treatment of disfellowshipped and resigned persons was taken away from the members of the Governing Body and put on the shoulders of each Witness

Different signals from the Governing Body between December 2020 and September 2021 indicated that they strongly urged all Witnesses to take the vaccine. However, they shrugged off the responsibility for this decision by saying that the Witnesses must follow the decisions made by the authorities in the land. Thus, the responsibility was taken away from the members of the Governing Body and put on the shoulders of the authorities in the land

This is an untenable argument, as I illustrate this way:  Suppose that the health authorities say: The capacity at our hospitals is overstretched. Operations that do not use blood transfusions require more work and longer hospital stays. Therefore, those who refuse blood will not have operations. This is a requirement tantamount to a law. Must Jehovah’s Witnesses now accept blood because the superior authorities have decided so? Of course not.

In contrast, there was no binding decision from the authorities requiring every inhabitant to take the vaccine, only a strong recommendation.[1] The issue of taking the vaccine was a personal medical decision that each individual had to make. The argument that the Bible says that we must obey the superior authorities, and therefore, all Witnesses must take the vaccine, is a false and unbiblical argument.

Does an elder have the right to voice his opinion against the view of the members of the Governing Body? Consider the following example. The Astra-Seneca virus vector vaccine was distributed in Norway. Information in the press referred to 31 examples of blood clots associated with the vaccine in Germany.[2] There were 361 examples of blood clots and 296 were from mRNA vaccine and four died in Norway.[3]

Due to this, the Astra-Seneca vaccine was banned in Norway. However, that was not the case with the mRNA vaccines, which caused 296 blood clots. This vaccine is still in use. If I, as an elder, knew about the dangers of the COVID-19 vaccines, should I inform others about these dangers in spite of the fact that the Governing Body and the authorities strongly advised everyone to be vaccinated?

The answer is obvious. But the members of the Governing Body did not agree with this answer. During the seven months between the release of the vaccine in December 2020 and the letter of September 27, 2021 that I am discussing, many elders and other Witnesses who knew that the vaccine could cause harm, or who had a suspicion about this, did not take the vaccine and told others about the situation. But the members of the Governing Body did not accept this. We read:

 Branch offices have reported that some elders have voiced strong personal opinions against COVID-19 vaccination… Thus, elders should be careful not to voice personal opinions that contradict direction from the superior authorities. If an elder has been doing so, now is the time to stop. (Matt. 22:21; Rom. 13:4-7) Otherwise, he could become guilty of causing divisions in the congregation.

The adverbial “thus” refers to Paul’s words that we must obey the superior authorities, and behind this, that we must obey the Governing Body. Because of this, an elder cannot speak with anyone about his knowledge of serious adverse side effects of the vaccine, according to the Governing Body.

There is also a threat associated with highlighting the adverse effects of the vaccine. The last sentence in the quotation above shows that if one speaks against the vaccine, that could be the same as “causing divisions in the congregation.” Chapter 12 in the book “Shepherd the Flock of God” discusses different disfellowshipping offenses, and point 39 (4) says:

CAUSING DIVISIONS, PROMOTING SECTS: (Rom 16:17, 18; Titus 3:10:11) This would be deliberate action disrupting the unity of the congregation or undermining the confidence of the brothers in Jehovah’s arrangement.

The words of this letter represent an order from the Governing Body. If an elder violates this order, he will be disfellowshipped because he has caused division in the congregation (pointed out the dangers of the COVID-19 vaccine against the view of the members of the Governing Body). We also note the following clause “Circuit overseers will closely monitor the situation. The circuit overseer visits the congregations three times each year. If he finds that an elder has not stopped voicing his concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine, this elder will either lose his position as an elder or be disfellowshipped. In reality, this letter is a gag order: Stop speaking against the vaccine or risk being disfellowshipped!

THE LETTER OF JUNE 30, 2022

This letter points out that each one has the right to make a personal decision regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. We read:

 Whether someone chooses to be vaccinated is a personal decision. (Gal. 6:5) Thus, it would be loving to respect the personal decision that each individual makes based on his Bible-trained conscience, instead of pressuring someone to make the same choice that we made. (Italics in the original.)

The idea behind this quotation is that each one must make a personal decision regarding the vaccine, as long as this decision accords with “the thinking of the faithful slave.” But there should be a medical basis behind the choice of taking the vaccine or not. The question each one could ask is:  Do I believe that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the possible side effects? However, the quotation says that this decision should be based on “his Bible-trained conscience.” This is an expression meaning, “following the decisions of the Governing Body.” So, the clause “instead of pressuring someone to make the same choice that we made,” indicates not to speak against the vaccine. We see this from what follows in the letter.

The members of the Governing Body vouch for the vaccine, as seen in the quotation below. This are questionable words because, at this time, several studies pointing out serious adverse side effects had appeared, and the Governing Body had been warned about the dangers of the vaccine, as I will show below:

Medical studies have shown that those who are fully vaccinated have added protection against the virus. A person becomes “fully vaccinated” two weeks after receiving all required doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Medical studies have also shown that those who choose not to be vaccinated should remain more cautious, since they are far more susceptible to the virus. All those who continue to show good judgment and act in a way that demonstrates respect for life are to be warmly commended.

The next words follow the letter of September 27, 2021, having strong words against those who speak against the vaccine.

The same invalid argument that taking the vaccine means that we are obedient to the superior authorities is used. In the quoted words, there is an additional argument that seems to be strong: The authorities say that everyone must take the vaccine. Obedience to the authorities means that we follow their demands if these do not contradict God’s laws. Taking the vaccine does not contradict God’s laws, and Jehovah’s Witnesses must therefore take the vaccine, is the conclusion of these words.

This is the same as we saw in the first quotation. It was not a medical consideration that Witnesses should use when deciding whether to take the vaccine or not. But they should use their Christian conscience (=following the thinking of the members of the Governing Body):

 COVID-19 Vaccinations and Respect for Superior Authorities: As a result of the ongoing pandemic, secular authorities in an increasing number of lands are mandating or strongly encouraging that their citizens be vaccinated for COVID-19. The recent Governing Body updates have helped Jehovah’s people understand the thinking of the faithful slave on this matter. Romans 13:1 says that “the existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God.” Also, the study note on Romans 13:5 says: “A Christian submits to human governments when a command does not contradict God’s laws.” Romans 13:2 states: “Whoever opposes the [secular] authority has taken a stand against the arrangement of God. Thus, elders should be careful not to voice personal opinions that contradict direction from the superior authorities.

One positive side of this letter is the following quotation:

An individual does not have to be vaccinated in order to attend in-person meetings unless it is a governmental requirement.

The problem is that, due to the Governing Body’s strong recommendation to take the vaccine, many congregations experienced issues between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, as I will elaborate on later.

[1]. In Austria, a law was introduced in February 3, 2022, that it was mandatory for everyone above 18 years to take the vaccine. From a biblical point of view, Jehovah’s Witnesses was not more obliged to follow this law than they would follow a law which made it mandatory for all to accept blood.

[2]. https://www.nrk.no/norge/der-spiegel_-31-tilfeller-av-blodpropp-etter-astrazeneca-vaksine-_-9-dodsfall-1.15439358

[3]. https://www.nrk.no/norge/xl/helsearbeiderne-som-ble-dodssyke-1.15655677

THE INFLUENCE OF THE GOVERNING BODY THROUGH JW BROADCASTING

Television programs influence the decisions of human beings to a much greater extent than the written word.[1]

UPDATE 6-2021 SAMUEL FREDERICK HERD

In other parts of the world, vaccinations have slowed the spread of the virus. We’re doing what we can to help Bethelites and other special full-time servants get vaccinated if they want to be.”

“We’re happy to report that about 50% of the worldwide Bethel family have been vaccinated so far. Here in the United States, more than 98% of our Bethel family have chosen to get vaccinated.”

Herd’s words represent a situation that is similar to a role play. The full-time servants are examples. You should follow them and be vaccinated. However, he is not telling the truth when he says that they “have chosen to be vaccinated.” The letter of August 6, 2021, to “All special full-time servants at Bethel and in the field” shows that vaccination was a requirement from the Governing Body if a person wanted to continue to be a special full-time servant.

UPDATE 7-2021 GERRIT LÖSCH

In our last governing body update, brother Herd mentioned that about 50% of the worldwide Bethel family have been vaccinated so far. Initially, it seemed impossible to obtain vaccines in some countries of the world, but it’s been amazing to see that now more than 80% of our worldwide Bethel family, that is more than 19,000 Bethelites, are vaccinated, and we are doing what we can to assist the branch officers that have not been able to obtain vaccines. As you know, by keeping the Bethel family safe, we protect the flow of spiritual food and support spiritual activities worldwide…

As soon as you discern that Jehovah’s spirit is directing the Governing Body to go in a certain way, you are quick to follow. And as a result, we enjoy precious unity…

But one thing is certain. If we follow direction coming from Jehovah’s Channel, we will be blessed and, more important, we’ll remain united.

Lösch’s words also represent a situation that is similar to a role play by referring to 19,000 Bethelites. When he uses the words “keeping the Bethel family safe,” he refers to vaccination. So, in reality, he says that the vaccines “are safe.” This is a strong call to the viewers to be vaccinated.

UPDATE 8-2021 MARK STEPHEN LETT

“To begin though, I have some important facts about COVID-19 vaccines to share with you. Because we love you all very much, and because this is a life and death matter, we have decided to share what we know about this with you.

Since June 1st, in the United States, 1,407 publishers have been hospitalized because of COVID-19 or its symptoms. Of these, less than 1% were fully vaccinated. Sadly, in that same time period in the United States, 486 of our brothers died from COVID-19. Of these, less than 1% were fully vaccinated. And our understanding is that the vaccinated individuals who died had serious underlying health problems. These statistics are very sobering.

We can also tell you that of more than 22,000 Bethelites and 44,000 special full-time servants in the field who have been vaccinated, we have received only 4 reports of severe adverse reactions that may be linked to the vaccination. But thankfully, it’s been reported that all of these are stable and their condition is under control.

We share this information with you so you can carefully consider it when making your personal decision regarding vaccination. We feel it would not be loving to withhold these facts from you. As Proverbs 3:27 says, do not withhold good from those to whom you should give it. We know it can be difficult to make a wise decision when there are various opinions and conflicting reports that the world provides.

Perhaps making it hard to know what to believe, But the aforementioned statistics have been collected by our brothers, so we can trust these figures. We hope they will be useful to you. We appreciate that this is not a scientific study, but we can tell you what our brothers have observed. And because we have this information, we want you to know what we know.

This is the strongest admonition, so far given, to follow the thinking of the faithful salve and be vaccinated, and Lett is using a manipulating tactic. This TV program took place in the same month that all the special full-time servants, Bethelites, and those in the field, received the order to be vaccinated. It is important to note that the members at this time were aware of reports of the adverse effects of the COVID-19 vaccine. These are the world’s reports,according to them, but the members of the Governing Body believe reports from our brothers.

What are these reports? That 66,000 special full-time servants have taken the vaccine with only four adverse reactions. The problem with Lett’s reasoning is that almost all these special full-time servants were young and healthy, which may explain the low rate of severe effects.

The other report is that 1,407 Witnesses were hospitalized, with only 1% vaccinated ones, and 486 brothers died with only 1% fully vaccinated. On June 1, 41% of the population in the USA was fully vaccinated, and this increased to 53% per 31 August. Therefore, a comparison between the effects of vaccination and non-vaccination in August 2021 is meaningless.

Moreover, we also note the words that “our understanding is that the vaccinated individuals who died had serious underlying health problems.” In both the letter of September 7, 2020, and of June 30, 2022, from Jehovas Zeugen Zweigbüro Zentraleuropa in Selters, Germany, the elders were asked to report:

 (1) The number of all confirmed cases of publishers who have been infected with the coronavirus.

(2) The number of publishers who have died in connection with the coronavirus.

So, how could the members of the Governing Body know that 99% of those who died were not vaccinated and know about their “underlying health problems”?  The words “our understanding is” indicate that the numbers given were not based on a kept statistics. And the purpose of Lett’s words is clear: Vaccines are safe. If vaccinated persons die, the reason is not the vaccine but underlying health problems. Today we know that this is very far from the truth.

However, this baseless statistics made by the brothers are worth believing, according to Lett. And the right conclusion to draw is to be vaccinated.

Lett gave also another reason why all Witnesses should be vaccinated:

Of course, we also need to consider the direction provided by the superior authorities. In some lands, governments are enacting laws that all their citizens must be vaccinated. In other lands, it is strongly encouraged. How do we react to such direction? The remaining God’s love book made a fine point when it said this, today, Jehovah allows governments to have some authority, and we should respect them.

They organize countries and communities so that they function smoothly and provide people with necessary services. Christians obey the instruction found at Romans 13:1-7. We respect the superior authorities and obey the laws of the country or community where we live. These laws may affect our family, business, or possessions. Also, the study note on Romans 13:5 says this, a Christian submits to human governments when a command does not contradict God’s laws. So this is another serious factor that we each should carefully and prayerfully consider in making our decision.

The most fallacious argument in Lett’s reasoning is that if the laws of the authorities do not contradict the laws of God, Christians must obey them. And being vaccinated does not contradict God’s law. However, I have already discussed this argument. But strong admonitions from the authorities to be vaccinated are not laws, so Christians need to obey them.

Lett’s main points are that the positive statistics in favor of vaccination made by the brothers, nullify the world’s reports of serious adverse effects. Both because of this and because we must obey the superior authorities, we must be vaccinated.

UPDATE 9-2021 DAVID H. SPLANE

 Neither a branch office nor the local congregation elders are authorized to make health-care decisions for a Witness, even if he asks what to do. (Gal. 6:5) They can, of course, call attention to what Jehovah has said that may have a bearing on the decision.

This is an important and correct point. But the discussion of the other members of the Governing Body, which I have quoted above, and the discussion of Splane himself, show that these are words in the mouth with little independent meaning. The purpose of all the updates is to persuade, or even pressure, all Witnesses to take the vaccine.

The correct approach would be to let each Witness consider the medical pros and cons of taking the vaccine, and then let each one decide without any influence from the members of the Governing Body or others.

He loved his people. He wanted them to be safe. Jehovah hasn’t changed. He still cares about the health and safety of his people. Though in the Psalm we just read, he promised to give us insight, instruction, and advice. How does he do that today? He does it by means of his organization. In some countries, there has been considerable confusion and disagreement over how to address the pandemic.

Some chafe at the idea of wearing masks, and they refuse to practice physical distancing even when these precautions are required. I’m reminded of Paul’s words at, 1st Corinthians 14:33. Remember that one? God is not a god of disorder, but of peace, the Bible says. The disorder we see in the world is proof positive that Jehovah is not with them. But from Jehovah’s organization, we’ve had clear direction from the very beginning, and we thank Jehovah for it.

For example, think of the information we’ve received through recent Governing Body updates. This is evidence of Jehovah’s loving direction, his goodness. In last month’s update, brother Lett made a very important point. He reminded us that the information we’re receiving regarding the pandemic is prepared by faithful brothers. We can trust them. They aren’t motivated by some personal view or political agenda….

I have some important facts about COVID 19 vaccines to share with you. Because we love you all very much, and because this is a life and death matter, we have decided to share what we know about this with you.

[He mentions a lot of data encouraging vaccination and continues]

The above four paragraphs not only militate against the first paragraph, which says that the organization could not make medical decisions for the Witnesses. But it repeats the completely untenable claim of Lett that the statistics, which ignore all the principles and rules for making statistics, that we must believe in these statistics because they have been made by the brothers.

They [the brothers] love us. They want the best for us. I hear someone ask, what do they know? Wrong question. I think the right question is, what does Jehovah know? It comes down to this, friends. Do I really believe that Jehovah is directing this organization today? Do I believe that Jehovah will give insight to his faithful people so they can remain in the land of the living, as the psalmist said?

To repeat the question we often raise in field service, does God really care? Would Jehovah allow the Governing Body, the helpers, missionaries, a huge percentage of the worldwide Bethel family, and other full time servants to engage in practices or receive a COVID 19 vaccine that would be harmful? Surely, Jehovah wants the brothers at world headquarters to continue providing spiritual food. He wants to make sure that the work continues at our branch offices and in the field. To do that, we have to be in the land of the living.

HERE, SPLANE TAKES JEHOVAH GOD AS A WITNESS THAT THE COVID-19 VACCINE IS SAFE AND WILL NOT HARM HIS SERVANTS. THIS IS A STRONG CALL FOR EVERYONE TO TAKE THE VACCINE. THESE WORDS GIVE THE GOVERNING BODY CLEAR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ILLNESS AND DEATH THAT THE VACCINE HAS CAUSED TO SOME JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES.

These paragraphs completely miss what the Bible says about Jehovah’s direction toward his people. In the time of the end, Jehovah does not intervene physically in favor of his people, something that Splane’s argument assumes. But his people are subject to all the problems imperfect humans experience. The history of the Bible Students and Jehovah’s Witnesses for the last 150 years shows this. The argument in red letters may have been the most silly argument in favor of vaccination until this date.

UPDATE 10-2021 ANTHONY MORRIS III

“In this update, we’re going to talk about how we can make good use of our time during the pandemic. But first, we’d like to share a few updates. We’re sad to report that as of December 10th, we have lost 25,658 brothers and sisters to COVID-19. Our prayers are certainly with all who have lost loved ones.

Recently, the new Omicron variant has received a lot of news coverage. At this point, there are still many unknowns. Brothers and sisters, we don’t need to panic. Keep following the same basic precautions that have worked well. Wearing masks, physical distancing, frequently washing our hands, and getting vaccinated, if possible.

In the 2021 Governing Body Update number 7, Brother Lösch mentioned that over 80% of the worldwide Bethel family was vaccinated. We are glad to inform you that now over 99% of our worldwide Bethel family is vaccinated, and so are over 95% of our special full- time servants in the field.

Many of our brothers and sisters have had good results from being vaccinated. For example, in some parts of Bulgaria, the local clergy say that vaccines are poison from the devil, so there’s much pressure in the community not to get vaccinated. Despite this, one sister and her husband watched the Governing Body updates and made their personal decision to get vaccinated.

Later, the sister’s employer called her and said that in order to comply with government regulations, she couldn’t return to work if she had not been vaccinated. How surprised the manager was to learn that the sister was already vaccinated. In fact, she was the only employee who was vaccinated. Everyone else had to be laid off. The manager asked our sister if she had any vaccinated friends who could replace the employees who had been fired. The manager then called other witnesses that she knew to see if they had any vaccinated friends who needed employment. That evening, all the positions were nearly filled. The head of staff asked our sisters, how do you know so many vaccinated women?A fine witness was given. In the end, 14 sisters and 1 Bible student were employed because they followed the good guidance and Bible principles that have been shared in our various Governing Body updates.”

Morris III tells the viewers what “the thinking of the faithful slave” is: to wear masks, practice physical distancing, and be vaccinated. As a support for this, he tells that “many of our brothers and sisters have had good results from being vaccinated.” And he tells about some Witnesses in Bulgaria who got a job because they were vaccinated.

The reason for the decision of one family to be vaccinated was “watching the Governing Body updates.” This is an admission that one purpose of the updates is to persuade the Witnesses to be vaccinated.

UPDATE 1-2022 KENNETH COOK

Brothers and sisters, welcome to this update. The omicron variant of the COVID 19 virus has quickly spread throughout the world. The number of cases has exploded. We’re saddened to report that as of Friday, January 21st, 26,813 of our brothers have now died from COVID 19.

But there have been some encouraging developments. For those who are vaccinated, cases of Omicron are generally milder and have not led to hospitalization or death. For example, you may have heard reports that there has been a major outbreak of Omicron in Puerto Rico. You may also know that Puerto Rico has a very high rate of vaccination.  Although 551 cases were reported among our brothers during the recent outbreak, only 3 of our brothers have died, and it is our understanding that all of them had serious underlying health issues.

Even one death is too many, yet we’re relieved that so few died. Our hearts go out to all who have lost loved ones. Please continue to be careful. The pandemic is not over, and we need to continue to take practical steps to protect our lives and our health…

How sad it has been to see simple public health measures like wearing masks, hand washing, physical distancing and vaccinations become controversial, even political. Some of our brothers and sisters have been influenced by the political views of those in their community. Some have turned to the Internet and have been deeply influenced by official appearing websites filled with highly political propaganda. Brothers and sisters, be careful. Just because something appears on an official looking web page on the Internet does not make it true. We must guard against the spirit of the world and remain neutral. How appropriate are Jesus’ words, pay attention to yourselves, that your hearts never become weighed down? Let’s keep focused on God’s kingdom as the only solution to this world’s problems.

(Following was an interview with a brother who hesitated to be vaccinated because he got negative information from the Internet. Then he stopped looking at the Internet, and instead he watched the JW Broadcasting updates. Because of this, he chose to be vaccinated.)

After the interview, Cook made the following comments in part:

We are proud of these families for keeping awake to spiritual dangers. Did you notice how they counteracted social isolation?…

And how did they handle tests of neutrality? They prayed to Jehovah and trusted the information provided by the faithful and discreet slave in making their own personal decisions.

Cook gives several statements that manipulate his viewers. He assumes that his listeners have heard about a major outbreak of COVID-19 in Puerto Rico with many deaths in spite of the fact that “Puerto Rico has a very high rate of vaccination.” Does this question that the vaccine is safe? He says: “Although 551 cases were reported among our brothers during the recent outbreak, only 3 of our brothers have died, and it is our understanding that all of them had serious underlying health issues.

The expression “all of them” can either refer to the 551 Witnesses who became sick and to the three who died, or only to the three who died. In any case, the words of Cook told the viewers that when vaccinated persons — we must assume that most of the Witnesses were vaccinated — became sick or died, the reason is “serious underlying health issues.” So, the vaccine cannot be blamed.

Cook has now given medical advice to the Witnesses, and then he continues with giving advice about political neutrality in a very manipulating way. He says that “simple public health measures like wearing masks, hand washing, physical distancing and vaccinations become controversial, even political.” What he refers to are statements on the Internet contradicting the advice of taking the mentioned measures. His point is that not wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and vaccinating oneself are political issues. Jehovah’s Witnesses are neutral to political issues, and therefore, the Witnesses must practice these measures, including being vaccinated.

[1]. For the transcriptions of the different updates I am indebted to the author LUCAS1710 of the book, Sins committed during the Covid-19 pandemic Open letter to the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

PROBLEMS IN THE CONGREGATIONS CAUSED BY THE GOVERNING BODY

The issue of vaccination is a purely medical issue. The Governing Body stated that each Witness had the right to make a personal decision whether to take the COVID-19 vaccine or not. Because of this, the only advice the Governing Body should have been given was: Carefully study all the medical information you can get about the vaccine and make your decision aswhether to take the vaccine or not. Following up on this correct advice should have been to teach the members of the congregations that, because taking that vaccine is a personal question, we must accept both vaccinated and unvaccinated members in the congregation.

The members of the Governing Body did not follow this correct approach, and this caused many problems in the congregations

I have now discussed six updates, where six members of the Governing Body, have made comments regarding vaccination.  The purpose of the updates from all six members of the Governing Body was to persuade all Witnesses to take the vaccine.

1) They used medical arguments that were biased and unscientific.

2) They claimed that the decision to get vaccinated or not was a religious issue based on “the individual’s trained Christian conscience” and not a medical issue.

3) They claimed that information about the dangers of the vaccine was politically motivated. Witnesses are neutral on politics and, therefore, should be vaccinated.

4) They cited Jehovah God as their witness that the vaccine was safe and lifesaving.

5) They attempted to demonstrate that the Bible supports vaccination. They argued that we must obey the higher authorities. These authorities strongly recommend that everyone get vaccinated. Therefore, Witnesses must get vaccinated.

THE MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNING BODY WERE WARNED

This section is based on an interview with two Canadian Jehovah’s Witnesses who have significant expertise in medical therapeutics.

Part I of this study demonstrated that the mRNA vaccine[1] has caused sickness and death among a large number of people. This means that the members of the Governing Body erred when they vouched for the vaccine, declaring it safe and strongly recommending that all Witnesses become vaccinated.

It is true that the members of the Governing Body followed the medical authorities’ viewpoints during the pandemic. But will this acquit them of any responsibility that the death rate among Jehovah’s Witnesses was between three and four times higher than the rate in the population, and for sicknesses that many Witnesses experienced and will experience in the future because of the vaccine?

There are two reasons that make the members of the Governing Body have some responsibility for the bad effects of the vaccine:

• The members of the Governing Body had no biblical right to try to persuade the Witnesses to take the vaccine.
• They were warned by competent Jehovah’s Witnesses against the dangers of the vaccine.

In Canada, there was a married couple who had been Witnesses for more than 45 years and who were also scientists. She had a background in virology and genetics as well as immunology and had especially worked with the human genome. He had spent his entire career working for and with pharmaceutical companies and has been involved in the introduction of several new products to the marketplace. As such, he had a lot of experience working with regulatory groups such as the Health Protection Branch in Canada and the FDA in the U.S. He is an expert in evaluating clinical studies from the standpoint of methodology and significance. At one time, they formed a company whose purpose was to train general practitioners and specialists in the proper use of pharmaceutical products. Together they had read countless peer reviewed clinical studies relating to the virus and mRNA technology. They are certainly qualified to render an opinion regarding the safety and efficacy of these shots!

When the mRNA was tested with the purpose of being used as a vaccine, they immediately realized that this situation would turn out to be catastrophic. Because this was their field of expertise, they understood that mRNA is not a vaccine but a genetic modifier.

In June 2021, a letter was read to the congregations saying the following:

Medical studies have shown that those who are fully vaccinated have added protection against the virus. A person becomes “fully vaccinated” two weeks after receiving all required doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Medical studies have also shown that those who choose not to be vaccinated should remain more cautious, since they are far more susceptible to the virus.

The scientists knew that genetic modifiers such as mRNA can cause great harm to the body. In hindsight, we can see that the catastrophe that they anticipated has materialized, as part I of this study has shown. The two scientists knew that the mRNA technology was well known to be toxic, and animal studies had previously been discontinued. They also knew that given the ability of a virus to mutate, it was impossible to justify the claims of the efficacy of the shots as stated.

The words in the quotation are the same as saying that the vaccine is safe and effective. But these two scientists had peer-reviewed studies saying the very opposite. Therefore, they wanted to know which studies the Governing Body referred to. They contacted the Canadian Branch office asking for references to the mentioned studies. But the branch office could not produce these references. The couple contacted the circuit overseer, who had a personal contact at the headquarters in the USA, asking the same question. A few weeks later, the circuit overseer called to say that neither the studies nor the references were available.

This is a strange situation indeed.

The circuit overseer personally knew the couple, and he was aware that they questioned the safety of the vaccine. This he would naturally tell his friend at the headquarters, who again would tell his superiors whom he asked for those articles and references. I have worked at the branch office in Norway, and I know that if anyone asks for original sources referred to in the Watchtower literature, the rule is that they will get copies of these original sources. When this did not happen, the only conclusion to draw is that the members of the Governing Body did not have any articles.

This also means that in the middle of 2021, half a year after the vaccine became available, the Governing Body was informed that a brother and sister whose field of expertise included vaccines seriously questioned the safety of the vaccine.

When we see this situation on the background of the words of Mark Stephen Lett in Update 8-2021 “But the aforementioned statistics have been collected by our brothers, so we can trust these figures,” and the words of David Splane in Update 9-2021: “He reminded us that the information we’re receiving regarding the pandemic is prepared by faithful brothers,” the situation becomes much stranger— sine here were two experts who questioned the safety of the mRNA shots who were Witnesses.

What statistics did the brothers collect that we must trust in order to take the vaccine? They had counted that 486 brothers and sisters in the USA at a certain time had died from COVID-19, and of these, only 1% were fully vaccinated. In contrast with this was the Canadian couple, who had been Witnesses most of their lives and who had significant expertise in medical therapeutics. However, their information was ignored and rejected because it contradicted the viewpoint of the vaccines held by the members of the Governing Body.

Late in 2021, the brother called the Medical Department at the U.S. headquarters by telephone, and expressed his concerns. He asked if they would consider clinical studies if they were sent, and they said they would look at them. On December 20, 2021, copies of the studies and covering letters were sent to the headquarters. These were also sent to the coordinator of their congregation and to the circuit overseer.  No response was ever received from the headquarters.

Regarding the situation in the year 2022, the two scientists said:

Since the beginning we had been cautioned to be very careful about what we said in the congregation because we ran the risk of disturbing the peace and causing a division and in spite of our fears and frustrations we did our best to comply  — even in the face of seeing family members suffer severe side effects and death due to the shots and reading study after study proving our points. However, eventually, we felt that we had to take action.

In October 2022, a Catholic Bishop wrote an article pointing to several problems with the mRNA shots, cautioning members of the Catholic congregations regarding the vaccine. Because this article contained several important data that could be used to caution Jehovah’s Witnesses as well, on October 22nd, they sent a letter to the headquarters with a copy of this article. By early December, they had not heard anything from the headquarters, so the brother made a phone call to the Canadian branch office.

The result of this phone call was a letter from the headquarters in the USA dated December 30, 2022. I have seen this letter, and I can confirm that the writer totally ignores all the valid, proven medical points made, and the tone is both condescending and insulting.  After they received this letter, they said:

At that point we decided to take no further action since we knew that nothing would be achieved.

The couple was concerned about the safety of their brothers and sisters, and that was the reason why they shared their medical expertise with the headquarters. But because of the situation I have described, we can fully understand why they realized that any further attempts to share medical information with the Governing Body would be useless. The members of the Governing Body had made up their minds on an uncertain medical ground.  And no medical data could cause them to change their decision.

PROBLEMS IN THE CONGREGATIONS CAUSED BY THE GOVERNING BODY’S VACCINE ACTIONS

Most scientific studies in 2021 had positive conclusions regarding the mRNA. But there were some critical voices. This caused differences of opinion in the congregations whether vaccines were safe or not.

This is confirmed by the letter sent to the elders on September 27, 2021. We read:

Branch offices have reported that some elders have voiced strong personal opinions against COVID-19 vaccination.

This letter indicates that the members of the Governing Body were aware that individuals in the congregations had expressed opposition to the positive view of the vaccine held by the members of the Governing Body themselves. This could not only include the Canadian branch office and the two mentioned scientists, for the letter says that “branch offices” had reported about opposition to the view of the Governing Body. We note the words “voiced strong personal opinions against COVID-19 vaccination.” But the expressions of the two Canadian scientists were not personal opinions but scientific data. This letter of September 27, 2021 confirms that the members of the Governing Body were aware of the warnings against the vaccine made by the two Canadian scientists, but that they ignored this warning.

I have argued that, because vaccination is a strictly medical issue, the members of the Governing Body should have advised all Witnesses to seek scientific data on the vaccine’s safety and then make their own decision without pressure from others. Instead, they formed their own personal opinion that the vaccines were safe, and they tried to convey this view to the minds of all Witnesses through all possible means. This had to create problems.

Because I was disfellowshipped when the pandemic started, I do not have firsthand knowledge of problems in Norwegian congregations caused by the Governing Body’s stand. But I know that several congregation members lost their confidence in the Governing Body and left their congregations.  In Poland, a great number of brothers and sisters did not want to take the vaccine. But the updates where members of the Governing Body argued in favor of taking the vaccine, caused most Polish brothers and sisters to take the vaccine. However, because the Governing Body so strongly argued in favor of the vaccine, brothers and sisters who were not vaccinated were ostracized in Poland and many other countries.

One unvaccinated brother said that he and his wife were “soft-shunned” by the vaccinated congregation members.

This resulted in divisions in the congregations. I know about three brothers in Poland who were disfellowshipped because they pointed out that the vaccine could give serious adverse side effects and spoke against the view of the Governing Body.

An elder from a country in Central Europe told me about a letter that was read in the congregation, that was interpreted by the congregation members in the way that if anyone spoke a word against vaccination, a judicial committee would be formed and the person could be disfellowshipped.[2] This caused fear in the congregation.

Also, loyal Witnesses who were strong in their faith were negatively influenced by the decisions of the Governing Body. The decision, which allowed only vaccinated brothers and sisters to attend theocratic schools from December 19, 2022, to March 20, 2024, would negatively impact the confidence in the Governing Body among some Witnesses.

The Governing Body had stressed that taking the vaccine or not was a personal decision that no one else should influence or criticize. But if this decision  not to be vaccinated was personal and had to be respected by others, why was an unvaccinated pioneer not allowed to attend the pioneer school? And why was an unvaccinated elder not allowed to attend the school for elders?

The elders are extremely loyal to the members of the Governing Body and follow the slightest hint from them. Some elders caused divisions by interpreting the direction of the Governing Body in a more extreme way. At the circuit assemblies, there was a meeting for pioneers. In one central European country, a circuit overseer interpreted the meeting for pioneers as a theocratic school, and he did not allow unvaccinated pioneers to attend the pioneer meeting. The branch office later contradicted his view and allowed unvaccinated pioneers to attend this meeting.

This was just a few glimpses of situations that caused distrust and disunity in the congregations during the pandemic.

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNING BODY

If a doctor prescribes a particular treatment to a patient, and the treatment causes severe harm, the doctor has a responsibility. If he is sued, the questions in court are: What did he know regarding the treatment when he described it? and, What could he have known regarding the treatment?

The members of the Governing Body have prescribed a medical treatment to all Jehovah’s Witnesses: The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, and all should take the vaccine. Today, it is clear that the mRNA shots have caused sicknesses and deaths of a great number of people, and others will experience serious adverse effects in the future.

At the beginning of the pandemic, they did not know the dangers of the vaccine. But they were early warned about these dangers by competent Witnesses, and they should have changed their approach to the Witnesses because these dangers.

This means that the members of the Governing Body has some responsibility for the following:

• That the death rate among Jehovah’s Witnesses is between three and four times higher than the rate among the population in the world.
• That many Witnesses who took the vaccine experienced serious adverse effects and received temporary or lasting illnesses.
• That many vaccinated persons will experience serious late adverse effects from the vaccine.
• That children of Witness mothers, who were vaccinated during their pregnancy, may experience disabilities and other serious adverse effects in the future.

[1]   I use the word “vaccine” with reference to the mRNA shots because this is the word most people use. But mRNA is a genetic modifier and not a vaccine in the traditional sense of the word.

[2]. This could not refer to the letter of September 27, 2021, which directly shows that speaking against the Governing Body’s view of vaccine is a disfellowshipping offence. This letter was only for elders and not for the congregation.

CONCLUSION

Whether to take the mRNA-vaccine or not should be based on informed consent. This means that each Witness should consider the existing medical information, and on this basis, make their decision.

The members of the Governing Body have written that taking the vaccine or not is a personal question, and no one should influence others in connection with this issue. In spite of this, the members of the Governing Body themselves have strongly urged all Witnesses to be vaccinated.

In order to achieve this, they had said several times that taking the vaccine or not is a religious question, based on “the individual’s trained Christian conscience,” and not a strictly medical issue based on medical information. On this basis, they have used two basic arguments:

• Witnesses must take the vaccine because the superior authorities have strongly urged everyone to be vaccinated. We must obey the superior authorities.
• They have called on Jehovah God as a witness that the vaccine is safe and lifesaving. Therefore, all Witnesses must be vaccinated.

By their handling of the pandemic and the mRNA vaccines, the members of the Governing Body have misled Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide and have caused problems in many congregations.

As article I in this study shows, the mRNA vaccine has caused the death of great numbers of people in the world and has caused disabilities and sicknesses for countless other people.

Because the members of the Governing Body so strongly have urged all Witnesses to be vaccinated, they have some responsibility for the deaths and sicknesses that so many Witnesses have experienced because of the vaccine and for the problems in so many congregations worldwide.