"I'm Glad The Men Are in Charge"

Many Muscovites have probably met a number of young men and women on the city's streets, young people with a sunny smile on their faces, who invite all passers-by to come to their place for a meeting, to learn the Truth, enter into a spiritual brotherhood, etc. As a rule, they're members of protestant sects. Some brush them aside and hurry past; some take the invitations and brochures, stuff them in their bags, and then read them on the bus home and forget about them. Sometimes. Others come to the meetings with a desire to find the spiritual support which is lacking in our times.
Accosting people on the street is not the only way to attract attention. For example, members of the Jehova's Witnesses sect go from door to door, and ask people "Do you want to study the Bible? We'll help you." But in spite of their active preaching, there is little known about the Jehova's Witnesses. Not so long ago, Jehovah's Witnesses were subject to investigation; now, like many other sects, they are very active. Recently, I got the chance to become more acquainted with this phenomenon.
Marina is an acquaintance from the choir I sing in. She has had a difficult personal life: her husband left her for someone else, leaving her with two little boys. I don't know the exact reasons for the breakup, but Marina's dissatisfaction with her husband's low salary probably played a major role. After a certain time, Marina left the choir, and her older child dropped his music lessons. Not long ago, I ran into Marina and learned that she had become a member of Jehovah's Witnesses. I have always been interested with people's spiritual quests, and we had a talk.
Marina, are you a religious person?
I believe in God.
Are you baptized?
Not yet. Spiritually, I don't have the right to be baptized. Although I was baptized as a child.
You used to go to church in the past?
I went on holidays. I believed terribly in the salvation of the soul. I believed that the soul exists separately from the person, and leaves the body after death.
Did you know all your prayers?
I did. For example, the Lord's Prayer. And I'd set out candles. I've always believed in God. I thought that we got to know God only in church. I thought that by lighting candles, God would forgive all my sins. But I didn't find God. I didn't stop going to church, but this wasn't reflected in my life or my problems; in fact, it made them worse.
Did you ever confess your sins?
No.
Did you ever talk with a priest?
Not in church. No one at church was even interested in my problems. They only gave me the standard formula for the forgiveness of sins. Read a prayer several times and light candles--which, as I now understand, contradicts the Bible fundamentally.
What kind of family are you from? Was it a religious family?
Papa--he's now sixty--was not religious; he was a working man with communist ideas. Mama, who's now fifty, is looking or God, but still cannot receive him. In my opinion, she's not looking very hard, but she's still looking. She has to continually be pointed in the right direction. Grandma was Orthodox, and sang in the church choir. She believed in God. But no one ever told me about God; they always avoided the subject.
And you started asking questions about God?
Of course. Once, in childhood, when the old lady who lived next door died, I experienced death close-up for the first time. It was very frightening for me. My parents told me to "cross myself three times, turn the other way and say 'Amen'". Looking back now, I understand that no one ever taught us to live correctly, or how to raise a family. They believed that love is based only on blood ties, and there was no spiritual support.
What denomination do you belong to now?
After talking it over with a priest, I became a Jehovah's Witness on September 3rd, 1995.
Why did you decide to join Jehovah's Witnesses, and not some other denomination?
We--the Jehovah's Witnesses--consider ourselves to be natural Christians; that is, we hold to the Christian canons that are written in the Bible, and which came into being during the first centuries of Christianity. The only holy book among us is the Bible (the Synod translation, and the New World Translation of Holy Scripture). Other sects don't observe the Gospel. Jehovah's Witnesses differs a great deal from the Orthodox church.
What do Jehovah's Witnesses believe in?
That the Scriptures are the inspired Word of God from beginning to end (both the Old and New Testaments). We observe the spirit of the law, and not the letter. Jehovah's Witnesses believe in Jesus as the Son of the Living God. The Orthodox believe in the Trinity, and consider it as one: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the Holy Ghost is the living power of God, given by Him to his first and only Son, Jesus Christ. God's name--translated from Hebrew--is Jehovah, and this is extremely important. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that they should know God's name and revere it. "The people shall bear the name of Jehovah" (Acts, chs.14-15). Prayers addressed to God should not be without His name. We are not idol worshippers; we don't use images of God, and we don't go into churches. Our church is a gathering of people, the hall of kingdoms where we assemble in order to talk about God and learn to live according to the laws of Christ.
When and how did you become acquainted with the Jehovah's Witnesses?
Some missionaries came to my girlfriend's place. I just happened to be visiting her. They asked me if I wanted to study the Bible. I said that I did, since it interested me a great deal. They suggeseted that I study the Bible, and they helped me get my life straightened out. I finally had a goal: to get baptized, and bring my life into agreement with the teachings of the Bible. Then, I would dedicate my life to God. This means I must proselytize, but not to the detriment of the family. Right now, I go from door to door as a herald and bear witness to the Kingdom of Jehovah.
I heard that when proselytizing, you always go in pairs. Why?
Yes, that's right. In pairs, for safety. After all, there are all kinds of different people.
And how do people feel about you?
Basically, they say that they've got enough worries. We meet Devil worshippers, too.
How can you tell?
They chase us away.
Do you work?
Part-time, yes.
Do you earn a lot?
Three hundred and fifty thousand rubles.
For three people?! What about alimony?
Well, you figure it out: 33% of fifty thousand (my husband's official salary).
Is that enough?!
Of course not. My parents sometimes help out with groceries (potatoes, basically), and sometimes my friends. I also make a little money on the side. I cut people's hair at their apartments. I finished a hairdresser's course last year.
How often do you proselytizing door to door?
Every day.
How do you manage to work and take care of your children if you witness every day?
With God's help. I manage to do everything. The duty of preaching is shared by every Jehovah's Witness, but it shouldn't be to the detriment of the family. You have to take stock of your strength yourself, and make whatever contribution you can. (NB--Marina's children used to take choir lessons, but not any more.)
Are you bringing up your children in your faith?
Yes. I'm raising them as Jehovah's Witnesses, so that in the future we will all be of one religion. I take them with me to our meetings, and teach them on my own.
What do the meetings give you?
By attending group meetings five times a week, I find spiritual strength and know what I must do next.
Exactly what do you do at the meetings?
We study the Bible. We read it, discuss various excerpts, and talk about how we understand them. If we get something wrong, they correct us.
Who leads the meetings?
The men, our elder brothers. They conduct the lessons.
What, just the men?
Yes, because they're spiritually higher than us women.
And this doesn't bother you?
No, I'm glad that the men are in charge.
And who determines your spiritual seniority?
We have a centre in Brooklyn; they designate the elders in the various branches. there's a strict theological order in our communities. All are subordinate to the elders, who must be men; their age in this instance is unimportant. For example, in our group the elder is approximately my age, but he is spiritually higher than I am. The women are subordinate to the elders and the senior brothers.
How many are there in your branch?
There should be around two hundred people in a group, for the convenience of study. If the group gets any larger, then it's divided up.
Is your branch growing rapidly?
Oh yes, quite fast. We have a lot of new members.
Have you had any unpleasant moments in your group?
No. I like everyone in our group. Our relations at the meetings are based on love. Everything is based on the Scriptures. Any unpleasant moments are strictly mine, when I can't cope with my own sinful deeds.
What about "sinful" matters of love? Can you, for example, marry someone who isn't a Jehovah's Witness?
We're not forbidden to marry someone worldly. But this interferes with your spiritual growth. It's better to marry another Jehovah's Witness, since you'll be protecting yourself from a lot of sorrows. For example, not long ago two of our members got married. And an elder married a lonely woman with a baby, who was also a member of the group.
Do you confess to anyone?
No. The Orthodox confess to their priests, but we don't confess. We confess only to God.
How open are you in your confessions to God?
It all depends on my conscience.
Let's talk about sin. What for you are cardinal sins?
Cardinal sins? Adultery, for those who are married; masturbation, for those who live alone; dirtiness; obscenity; idolatry; magic (miracles ended with the death of the last apostle); enmity; quarrelling; envy; anger; disharmony; contention; temptation; heresy; hatred; murder; drunkenness; outrage, and the like. People guilty of such sins won't inherit the Kingdom of God. You must cleanse yourself of all indecency.
Can you smoke?
No. It's very harmful to your health.
But you can drink?
You can, as it makes the heart light. But all in moderation.
What about abortion?
Absolutely not! It's premeditated murder.
I know that the Jehovah's Witnesses devote a lot of attention to the study of the coming end of the world. Tell me about this, please.
The signs of the coming end can be determined from the prophecies of Matthew. Every person will learn the truth. In 1914, Jesus came to rule in Heaven. This was marked by the beginning of the First World War. 144 thousand of those who atone for their sins will rule in heaven alongside Christ. On Earth right now, there are 8,613 anointed of God, who will rule with Christ (according to May, 1995 data). When the last dies and the heavenly government is formed, Armageddon will begin. We must say that no one political system will solve all our problems. When Jehovah destroys evil, all our political systems will be destroyed (but not the people). And everyone will understand that this is not humanity's war, but God's. We will sense this, since the wicked and unholy will be destroyed. What this will look like, we don't know. But we do know that it will be destroyed by fire.
You won't feel bad about the wicked ones who are destroyed?
I'm sorry for them, but more for God.

When I had finished my talk with Marina, I asked for permission to use it in print. A complication immediately arose: without the permission and approval of the elder brothers and the group, this would be impossible. When I asked reasonably, "If you go from door to door and witness so actively, why can't we print what you're talking about?", the answer was: "We witness from mouth to mouth, and don't want to appear in the press, since we don't want out lessons distorted. If we felt it necessary, we'd have gone on television and radio long ago".
It proved impossible to convince Marina otherwise, and I had to make a decision. I couldn't understand why Jehovah's Witnesses, who have the opportunity to preach freely and gain converts to their teachings, would deprive me of the right to say what I think of them. Why should I remain silent? To my surprise, the community gave me permission to print the interview, with the condition that they be able to see it first. With a clean conscience, I will allow myself to add several comments to our talk.
In the last few years, the activity of various religious sects has become widespread. These include the noisy White Brotherhood, Aum Shinri Kyo, and Jehovah's Witnesses. There is nothing surprising about the fact that women, who have virtually no property and are emotionally constricted, fall under their influence so easily. This is what happened in Marina's case. In a difficult moment, someone was there by her side to offer help, and she joined the sect. Now, she feels that she belongs to a big family, they're giving her the support she needs, and helping her find a solution to her problems in life. It is nice to realize that someone cares about you, worries about you, demonstrates their sympathy and occasionally helps you out materially.
It bothers me, however, that Marina's life now is tied up completely with, and controlled by, this community; and that her children, as a result of the fact that the group and its witnessing takes up all their mother's time, have ceased to have a complete and multi-faceted education.
I am wary of the total enslavement of the female personality, and their admission of their "second-class" status. Notice that the senior brothers are all men, and that their "spiritual superiority" is recognized without doubt, without regard for their age, education, intellect, or personal qualities. Any man in the community is spiritually superior to women! Why? Marina insisted that this follows the famous teaching of the Apostle Paul: "Man is the image and glory of God, and the wife is the glory of the husband. For the husband was not created out of the wife, but the wife out of the husband; and the husband was not created for the wife, but the wife for the husband" (1st Corinthians, 11). Consequently, woman should always subordinate herself to man, who has been given his power from God. Marina is unbelievably attracted to the idea that the women are governed and led forward by men. She is tired of bearing the responsibility for herself and her children alone. She enjoys being led, looked after and directed. It's nice when everyone is thinking about her. But for some, it's very convenient to be able to control, like a herd of sheep, obedient women who admit the supremacy of any man.
One other observation is cause for alarm. The women activists that you see at their meetings are primarily middle-aged. Young faces appear extremely rarely. But with the disciples of other sects, young girls are being seen more and more often.
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