Spiritual "virgins"?

What does it mean to be a virgin? Traditionally, being a virgin means being someone who has never had any sexual intercourse. In the book of Revelation it talks about a group of 144.000 which Jehovah’s witnesses believe are the only humans who are “anointed” and go to heaven when they die. The Governing Body of the Watchtower, the leaders of Jehovah’s witnesses, are said to be part of this group. However Revelation teaches that these 144.000 are “virgins”. The Watchtower interprets this as that the 144.000 of Revelation are “spiritual virgins” meaning they have never partaken in false worship.

144,000 ‘not defiled with women.’ In Revelation 14:1-4, the 144,000 described as standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion are said to have been “bought from the earth. These are the ones that did not defile themselves with women; in fact, they are virgins.” … The “women” therefore must be symbolic women, doubtless religious organizations such as Babylon the Great and her ‘daughters,’ false religious organizations, the joining of and participation in which would prevent one from being spotless.

Just as having sexual intercourse even once means a person is no ponger a virgin, so having any participation in any false religious organizations even once would logically mean  a person is no longer a “spiritual virgin”. So let’s have a look at the track record of some alleged members of the 144.000:

Samuel Herd

The life story of governing body member Samuel Herd “A Poor Start—A Rich Ending” has this to say about his early life:

My mother was very religious. She took us to the Baptist church every Sunday. When I was 12, I first heard about the Trinity. Curious, I asked my mom: “How can Jesus be both the Son and the Father at the same time?” I remember her answer: “Son, it’s a mystery. We’re not meant to understand it.” It certainly was a mystery to me. Still, when I was about 14, I got baptized in a local creek—dipped three times for the Trinity!

Being a baptized member of the Baptist church, part of “Babylon the Great”, Samuel Herd has by his own admission participated in a false religion, and can therefore not be a spiritual virgin. Hence he can also not be one of the 144.000.

Anthony Morris “the third”

The life story of Anthony Morris “Remembering My First Love Has Helped Me to Endure” includes this excerpt:

To satisfy my spiritual hunger, I began attending services at different churches. I had always had a love for God but was not impressed with what I experienced in the churches. Finally, I ended up going to a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Delray Beach, Florida. It was on a Sunday in February 1971.

Anthony Morris has attended many different churches, and have therefore not kept himself spotless from false religion. He is not a spiritual virgin either and can not be one of the 144.000.

Gerrit Lösch

In the life story of Gerrit Lösch, entitled “Losing a Father​—Finding a Father“, we can read:

When I was seven years old, I became a member of the Boy Scouts youth movement.  … In our troop of over a hundred boys, about half were Catholics, half were Protestants, and one was a Buddhist.

Scouting has always been strongly religious, and among Gerrit’s troop, “about half were Catholics, half were Protestants, and one was a Buddhist.” Which denomination did Gerrit belong to? Later when a workmate who was a Jehovah’s Witness preached to him, he had this response:

I argued in favor of the Trinity and wanted to prove him wrong. I liked my workmate and intended to persuade him to return to the Catholic Church.

Gerrit defended the trinity doctrine and wanted his friend to “return to the Catholic Church.” This means that Gerrit Lösch was a staunch Catholic. He is therefore not a spiritual virgin, nor can he thus be one of the 144.000.

Horst Henschel

Late member of the governing body, Henschel grew up in Germany. This is what his life story reveals:

Before I was baptized, I withdrew from the Hitler Youth movement. …But there were times when, either because of physical punishment or out of fear, I would say “Heil Hitler!”

Although the Nazi party was more of a political organization, it did have many influences from occultism and false religions. If so, as a junior member of the Nazi party, Henschel was not a spiritual virgin or part of the 144.000 either.

Albert D. Schroeder

Late governing body member Albert Schroeder’s life story “My Life in Jehovah’s Spirit-Directed Organization” has this to say:

Although my parents required me to attend the Lutheran Sunday school, Grandmother was permitted to speak to me regarding her thrilling Bible beliefs.

Schroeder took part in Lutheran Sunday school and can therefore not be considered a spiritual virgin, and is therefore not one of the 144.000.

John Booth

The eulogy of late Governing Body member John Booth entitled “He Humbly Served Jehovah” has this to say:

As a young man back in 1921, John Booth was searching for purpose in life. He taught Sunday school at the Dutch Reformed Church, but he resisted the idea of training to become a minister because he felt that clergymen led selfish lives.

As a Sunday school teacher, John Booth partook in a false religion. He was therefore no spiritual virgin nor can he be a part of the 144.000.

These are but a few examples of people who claim to be of the 144.000 but who are not spiritual virgins. The conclusion is that either the Watchtower teaching is wrong, or these people are lying to you.

Or both.