Excess quotation marks aside, this is their all-purpose scripture to discourage virtually anything that would take time away from the interests of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.

Over my fifteen years’ association with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, I heard this scripture used to discourage any kind of sports and leisure activities for teens in high school. If they had a spare moment they should be "vacation pioneering" (going full time door-to-door spreading the Watchtower message). Even minor association like joining the stamp club or the school band was discouraged using this same scripture. Any kind of bond or friendship with a non-Jehovah’s Witness, male or female, was also forbidden to a good, obedient Jehovah’s Witness youth. They were to be focused on the Society alone. "Quit touching the unclean thing!" they were told over and over again. Only the Society was clean in this world, if the Society were to be believed!

Many former Jehovah’s Witnesses who spent their youth in the Society report the damage to them personally from these harsh rules. Many still carry the guilt generated by their failure to conform, and their isolation from their peers. Many youth rebelled big time from these rules and entered into bad contacts that affected the rest of their lives, from "touching the unclean thing." We are in contact with many isolated, lonely adults who still do not know how to relate to the real world due to the damage caused by the Watchtower Society. Only a real relationship with Jesus Christ as their Savior, and true Christian growth from correct Bible study, and solid Christian fellowship fills the void left by this controlling organization.

Adults are likewise controlled using this Scripture. Like their Jehovah’s Witness teenagers, they are also isolated from general society once they become a Jehovah’s Witness. The first thing to go is family gatherings. After all, the Jehovah’s Witnesses are their "new family" now! Christmas and Easter gatherings with family are strictly forbidden, being labeled as "pagan" by the Watchtower Society. Family birthdays are also forbidden, since only two instances of birthdays are mentioned in the Bible, and both were pagan. New Year’s Eve celebrations used to be tolerated, but the Awake magazine of January 8th, 2002 has made it plain that their tolerance is ended: "...New Year’s celebrations are rooted in pagan customs. False worship is unclean and detestable in the eyes of Jehovah God, and Christians reject practices that have such origins.… Paul added: ‘Quit touching the unclean thing’…." (page 21)

So, the Watchtower Society is extremely strict in its (mis)application of this Scripture. Members must give up many things to comply with the narrow interpretation of the Society, or face the consequences of being disfellowshipped and denied eternal life. If disfellowshipped, they are shunned by all others as if they are dead.

Now we come to the point of this article. How come this scripture is not applied when the Watchtower Headquarters is involved? How come they are allowed to "touch the unclean thing"—not only "touch" it, but jump in with both feet and participate in "uncleanness"? What am I talking about?

First, there was their years of involvement and support of the United Nations, with membership in a United Nation’s agency which required their endorsement of the aims of that group. (For details see previous article on "Strange Bedfellows.") They resigned only when their deception was made public on the Internet. The Watchtower Society considers the United Nations as an "abomination to God." Jehovah’s Witnesses are taught to regard the United Nations with hatred and loathing. Now I ask you, was Headquarters not "touching the unclean thing"? The United Nations is viewed by them as a tool of Satan! Was Headquarters’ involvement and secret support for decades not "uncleanness" at it’s worst, by their own definition?

How come an individual Jehovah’s Witness can be disfellowshipped for attending a loved one’s funeral for an hour in a church building, yet Headquarters can interact with "Satan’s organization" secretly for decades with no discipline or reprimand? How come the ones in control of the organization don’t get disfellowshipped and lose their eternal life for such blatant "touching the unclean thing"? Every Jehovah’s Witness needs to check this out! Fair is fair!

Secondly, how come the Watchtower Headquarters has for decades protected pedophiles operating within the congregations, protecting the "unclean," and punishing, by denial, the innocent victims? How come they have not obeyed the laws of the various countries by reporting such vile offenders to the local police? Why the prolonging of the abuse of innocent victims by sending them back to the offenders to be violated further? Why the silence and cover-ups for decades now?

Thankfully, their dirty deeds have been exposed in North America by the NBC Dateline program. Likewise, in the United Kingdom, the BBC’s Panorama Program has exposed the same lowdown tactics of the Society overseas. The Society, as expected, is in denial and cover-up mode.

Jehovah’s Witnesses at Bethel Headquarters, wanting this hidden, deplorable situation dealt with, have leaked the information that they have some 23,700 cases on file at Brooklyn Headquarters of pedophile offenders within their various congregations! Is this not a shocking revelation and a "touching of the unclean thing" which has gone on for decades? How "unclean" is this, when compared to the minor offenses of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in general? Every Jehovah’s Witnesses needs to ask, " How must Jehovah God feel about this"?

Do you not think Watchtower Headquarters owes a public apology to their loyal followers for these two horrendous instances of "touching the unclean thing"? Alas, no apologies have been forthcoming to date, and no repentance either. It is becoming increasingly obvious to many that the Watchtower Society is not, after all, God’s organization on earth.

Furthermore, many Jehovah’s Witnesses who have investigated this have come to the conclusion that "touching the unclean thing" is membership in the Watchtower Organization! Many have switched their loyalties from this unclean, secretive, deceptive organization to trusting in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation and direction in life. We can only pray that many more will choose truth over error and "quit touching the unclean thing." Please contact us if we can help you.