First published December 9, 2019
In the concrete jungle of New York City, there exists a set of buildings that used to be owned by a non-profit organization where the members lived and worked. I had planned for months to make this “once-in-a-lifetime trip” to visit what the members refer to as “Bethel – The House of God.” Jehovah’s Witnesses have a three-part museum: an exhibit about the bible, an exhibit based on all followers of the god Jehovah throughout recorded history, and a retelling of the modern organization. The central theme is “the good news of God” which can be summed up in one word: hope.
One peculiar facet to the Witnesses’ museum is that it is intended to be visited only by the members who already believe in the doctrine of the religion. While non-members are not excluded, they are not the intended audience. In fact, the organization goes so far as to send out a brochure of “allowed outfits” that a person visiting should wear. If you show up and are not dressed to this standard, you may be turned away. You won’t see any people or styles of dress that they would refer to as “worldly.” The men wear suits and ties, the women wear dresses. Hair is kept neat and tidy, makeup is modest.
I remember the first time I visited the museum. My excitement could hardly be contained. Visiting Bethel felt like a spiritual oasis in the middle of the concrete jungle. New York City has the sights, the “oohs” and “ahhs” of what enormous amounts of money can accomplish. This museum, however, was in a quiet part of Brooklyn Heights. While I was walking up to the main door, I was overcome by a sense of exhilaration and tranquility at the same time. My friends and family had hyped the experience of visiting Bethel my entire life. I remember stepping into the main lobby and being immediately greeted by an attendant. Usually bouncers are giant men that wear no emotion on their face, but his smile was friendly and his handshake warm. At first, I felt overwhelmed by the sheer crowd of people around me, but I was quickly set at ease by the smiling faces and hearing everyone call me “brother.” (There is a strong atmosphere of brotherly love that exists among all of the members of the religion. It was definitely not missing here.) On a given day, you might find people from dozens of countries and they all smile and sing together united behind the God that they worship. I remember feeling a warmth of emotion roll over me, proud to be part of this organization.
The man at the desk, Brother Authier, greeted me. He checked my reservation number and then handed me a small device and headphones. “It’s a self-guided tour!” he proudly exclaimed. I received a small buzzer, similar to the one you would receive while waiting for a table at the Olive Garden. “Walk around the lobby, chat with some people. Your tour will start when this begins to vibrate.” There is an almost unnerving aspect to the friendliness of the staff at the museum. Everyone, from the attendant at the door, to the man at the desk, to the women that endlessly patrol the lobby to clean have a demeanor that feels fake. The only thing I can equate it to is the experience of someone that worked at this museum that previously had worked at Disney World. He told me that Disney mandates their
employees to appear cheery all the time, lest their jobs be in danger. He said he felt the same working at this museum.
Walking around the lobby, there are various stations set up with information that pertains to the work that Jehovah’s Witnesses do. They are proud of the fact that they exist in many countries of the world, proclaiming the goods news of God. The central theme to their message is God’s Kingdom, that will very soon step into human affairs and bring about a global change. Wickedness will no longer exist. There will be no more pain, suffering, death, or any other negative thing you can think of. Instead, the world will be full of good, happy people that only want to please God and love their neighbors. This message was very attractive to me. In this time of uncertainty, where the politics of men rule our lives without our consent, it was an endearing promise based upon one of the oldest books that mankind has ever known.
My buzzer finally went off. I went back to Brother Authier and he excitedly told me that it was my turn to go through the exhibit. He then pointed me in one direction and off I went, down the stairs and into the first exhibit. The first thing I noticed was that the wall had what looked like writing on it. Upon closer inspection, I realized that it was the name “Jehovah” written in, what I was told, almost 300 languages. I rounded the corner and saw showcases of ancient books, tablets, and manuscripts that would later form the basis for the modern bible. The lighting is dimly set to convey a sense of reverence for these priceless artifacts. I walked around while someone spoke into my ear about each piece. “We acquired this copy of the Moabite stone… Here we can see a facsimile of the Emphatic Diaglott…” I wasn’t really listening to the information. I was more excited at the reverential awe that I felt, almost like I could just feel Jehovah’s presence at that moment. The purpose of the exhibit is to instill a reverential awe for the bible into the observer, a book that God kept safe despite the efforts of his enemies to see it destroyed. It shows a history of the oldest fragments of bible copies, all the way down to the translations that we have today.
At the end of the bible museum I stepped onto an elevator which took me to another floor. Here began the second of three parts. The first room opened wide, entitled “A People For Jehovah’s Name!” A representation of a road that Jesus himself would have walked invited me to discover all of the treasures inside. This exhibit takes a deeper look at the inception of Jehovah’s Witnesses, beginning in bible times, continuing into the Dark and Middle ages, and even exploring where “true Christianity” as they call it went into hiding. The first room showcases how the Christians in Jesus’ day would have lived. They were under constant pressure from the Romans, being persecuted yet spreading at an incredible rate. As you walk along, you see depictions of the various challenges Christians have faced painted on the walls. Christians would diligently preach their message, even if at times it meant being arrested and sent to fight vicious animals in an arena. Finally, at the end of the first century, the Christianity that Jesus established underwent a “Great Apostasy” after the death of the last Apostle John.
The next room opens on the “Great Apostasy.” This section shows how when Christianity became a major religion in the Roman Empire, they were not practicing like Jesus would have wanted. The Crusades and other atrocities committed in the name of Christ are outlined. The tone of the room is sadness, explaining how Christianity was hijacked by God’s enemies. This room is by far the smallest, obviously intended to be merely a liaison between first century Christians and Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Even though there were always a few faithful Christians, it wasn’t until the founding father, Charles T. Russel, came onto the world scene in the late 1800s that Jehovah would re-establish “true Christianity.” That is the theme of the following exhibit: the life and times of C.T. Russell. He was born sometime in the second half of the 19th century. The son of a wealthy business owner, Russel himself would go on to find financial success. However, he was always searching for “the truth,” especially after his disillusionment with most of the churches he attended. After hearing a talk by some Adventists, he gathered a group of friends to sit and “go back to the bible” as it were, and thus was born the group that would later be named “Jehovah’s Witnesses.”
One of C.T. Russells’ pivotal teachings was the idea that the end of the world was drawing near. You can see depictions of his writings in the room, where he listed his reasoning and evidence that he collected pointing to certain years as being pivotal. One year in particular stands out: 1914, which is demystified in the next room. Invisibly, Jesus was enthroned as King of God’s Kingdom. His first act? Cast Satan and his Demons out of Heaven. A portrait of a war breaking out in heaven depicts Jesus on a horse casting out the “serpant” and his fellow demons. This war is juxtaposed with another war, the outbreak of World War 1 as the visible sign on earth that something monumental had occurred. This is how we know that 1914 is an important year. After this “War in Heaven”, Jesus took on the task of gathering for himself a “People for Jehovah’s Name.”
I am struck by the amount of presumption needed to absorb the information. Now looking back critically at the museum, I remember walking along and nodding as if I had already agreed with what the museum depicts as established fact. However, upon further consideration, the museum does little to showcase hard evidence for their claims. They interweave recorded events such as World War 1 with the assertion that this is proof that Jesus became King that year. They mock the Catholic Church for its lack of adherence to what they keep calling “True Christianity,” yet there is nothing showcasing what “True Christianity” is supposed to be and how they prove that they are “true Christians.” I can understand now why they wouldn’t necessarily want outsiders visiting. As a member the exhibit merely reinforced what I already believed. As a critic, I lament the lack of hard evidence.
The exhibit transitions into the last section, a much more modern depiction of the things that Jehovah’s Witnesses are accomplishing worldwide. The procurators of the museum are very proud of their global preaching campaign, as is evidenced by the information in the room. There’s a walk-able timeline outlining every major development of Jehovah’s Witnesses since 1919: the development of their schools, writing more and more books and magazines to disperse bible information, and establishing themselves in over 200 lands. They boast that their doctrine does nothing more than strictly adhere to the principles of the bible. One of the last exhibits showcases some life stories of people that have improved their lives by becoming Jehovah’s Witnesses. “It is the best life ever!” the words on the second to last wall proclaims. From there, the final message unfolds: God will soon act to bring about the end of the world. They are tirelessly working to make sure that everyone knows of the impending destruction, and trying to save as many people as they can. The museum explicitly states that everything that the organization does, as showcased by this museum, is meant to save people’s eternal lives.
The final stop of this museum is a gorgeous mural, depicting what life would be like in paradise. It stretches at least 10 feet wide. You see people of all walks of life gathered around a
mountainside in the distance. The sky is clear without a sign of pollution. There are children playing, animals frolicking, and food aplenty. There is no sign of any suffering whatsoever. It’s enough to bring tears to your eyes. Then you look directly ahead of you and notice a little girl with her hand outstretched, inviting you to join her in play. Tears come to your eyes as you start humming one of the hymns: Just see yourself, just see me too, just see us all in a world that is new… I walk out of the exhibit, eyes still misty and heart full with pride due to having my small share in this work. My final stop is the front desk, one last time, to drop off my headphones and give a statement over what I thought. “It was amazing! I learned so much!”
Since the last time I visited this museum, it has moved from Brooklyn Heights to Sterling Forest in Tuxedo Park, NY. I have also left this religion since then and no longer blindly accept the claims that they make about what their organization is accomplishing. When I go over this museum in my mind’s eye, I am left with a twinge of sadness because of what it represents to me. I know the rhetoric by heart. I was so proud of what my organization was supposed to be, a people specifically selected by god chosen out of all the religions in the world to uniquely represent Jehovah, the only True God. I believed the story so firmly that I sacrificed seven years of my life working full time to further the cause. I have amazing contacts from all across the globe of people, good people that I met during my time in the religion. I came to know on a first-name basis some of the men that God had supposedly chosen to lead his earthly people. I know that every person at every level of the organization firmly believes that God will step in soon to fix their problems. I know the hope that they share.
On the surface, Jehovah’s Witnesses are good people that love god, neighbor, and just want world peace. Their museum showcases their beliefs in a way that makes you feel like that is truly what they are doing. However, below that is a tragic history of men who have gained power with the aim of using it to subjugate and control people. Their message has morphed nearly every decade since its inception, leaving only intact a few core teachings that keep the members hopeful for a future that never seems to arrive. The group presents one face to the public, while concealing practices such as excommunication, shunning, and martyrdom of former members to the public in order to draw more followers. Their museum at the world headquarters is bright, modern, attractive. It presents a message of hope. A message that they will continue to spread as long as this world lasts.
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