Ex-Jehovah's Witness Visits JW World Headquarters
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
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The Jehovah's Witnesses are a cult, and like any cult, they have a compound. The Jehovah's Witness world headquarters at Warwick, New York, is very particular about the way it's portrayed in media, wishing to control as much circulating information about it as possible. Owen of the channel Telltale is an ex-Jehovah's Witness who was disfellowshipped (shunned) at 18 and cut off from his family. He's now a proud apostate and activist against the Watchtower Society. He and I visited the headquarters posing as JWs in hopes of simply learning what it was like, but our story took a turn as soon as we arrived.
Eventually, we were stopped by security, and made clear that they didn't want us there.
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Shot and edited by Jeremy Levy.
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He and his team produce all kinds of videos, but take a special interest in philosophy, religion, and atheist activism.
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This video contains 100% therapeutic grade skepticism.*
*This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA
![BAK Jay - Find Out (For Your Love) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/10FJO_XBCvY/mqdefault.jpg)
Not spoiling the ending by asking, but did/do you expect them to catch us?
Subscribe to Telltale if you haven't already: ruclips.net/channel/UCgIi12EA6BQ8HKL8QUccsOQ
Yes, but shit. I didnt think they were going to repeatedly go through your personal items.
Holy shit this channel needs a much wider fan base, that was extremely well put-together. Hope you're feeling better, by the way
Yes absolutely
It's been a while since I was on the edge of my seat watching a video. Well done 👍👍
You did spoil it, since Loyd Evans wasn't caught at Warwick...
Thanks for having me on your channel and everything. It was absolutely fantastic
I have to ask... how the hell do you think they figured out who you were?
They smelled you from a mile away xD
I recognized your voice before realizing that person was you.
I've never been a JW, but would it have been possible to spin the filming as a study tool for later on?
😃😃😃
You guys would be the worst spies ever lol.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
You guys are awesome, but Enzo Scopes makes a swell point! 😂
They are so obvious in too many ways to even mention.
Point being, they weren't trying to be spies, but rather just inconspicuous. As they said at the end of the video, there would be zero story here had the JWs not tried to control them so hard.
Completely agree lmaooo
Glassy eyes and permanent smiles? I think Denny’s is a cult...
Right? Apparently all of humanity is part of one massive cult. I thought it was just being polite and keeping your business to yourself.
@@commandercorner5575 it was a pot joke. 🙄
@@jaymeanderson5121 No, it wasn't. It was a customer service joke.
@@commandercorner5575 reeeeeally.
@@jaymeanderson5121 Yes. Just because you're a pothead doesn't mean everyone else is.
I also grew up as a witness and have visited our Bethel multiple times. I can only repeat what other comments have already said: the camera with the huge mic is very suspicious, so are your answers, which sound very tense and rehearsed. The people you "study with" should also be wearing suits.
I mean, I grew up a JW, and I have not been to a meeting in 8 years. They stuck out like sore thumbs. No dig at them though, the members gave a very bad impression of themselves. To be honest though, the English groups are the worst, I had way more fun and go to be more ME in the Spanish group. Not going back though.
Once upon a time, I had an aunt who had a custom-made brass plack reading "Jehovah's Witness go away" on her front door. She was my hero.
lol that reminds me~ I remember preaching [shudder] and there was a gold looking plaque on the wall by the door that read "No JWs please"
Anyone that does not want a Jehovah's Witness at their door can ask to be put on their Do Not Call list. They will write it down and sometimes mistakes are made but most of the time they will not call at your door.
@@grannypucket5463 It's WAY more fun to tell 'em to fuck off with expensive brass placks. Classy too.
Upright Ape 😂 that’s funny!
I had one of those bit mine had a jehova witness crossed over and said "I can't enter". Like for the dogs
You should have said: 'It's okay, we already have what we need.' That would have freaked them out.
YES😂
Haha, would've been funny but probably running a higher risk of the security not letting them go, calling the cops, and possibly having to give out the camera.
@Chiafade now secrity can detain people if they believe the law has been broken, it is very easy for them to leave the barrier down and say, " do you mind waiting a short while, while we look into something, something was broken and we are not letting anyone out until we have seen the seurity footage"
Or something along the lines of...: "We are # 400 001, 400 002, 400 003 and 400 004"
@Chiafade now when they do it all you can do is stand there and say "I know my rights"...better to just exit
Next Caleb and Sophia cartoon: How to spot and intimidate infidels.
Apostates. They don't use the term infidels. They use WORLDLY for those who were never JW's and APOSTATE for those who have left the religion.
@@goodgirlkay How mad would they be if I pointed out the use of that word in Dragon Age?
Caleb and Sophia learn how to throw bibles at the infidels
@@depressoespresso6041 Hardcore Edition.
They might be a bit mad. Just a bit.
That was not a "little" microphone... You guys def looked like a documentary crew
That and the fact that they had designated cameraman.
yeah, I really think that this crew helped the JWs you make the story lol, with that giant mic and camera. Especially given that out of necessity you needed to mostly just point the camera at the ground anyway, if you wanted to actually infiltrate and be left alone, it seems an odd choice to bring a thousand dollar Canon that in 2021 no 'average' person, let alone Witness, would own. An iPhone would have taken equal quality footage in this scenario and been fully stealth, lol.
Professor Dave and Telltale do the Best
Cult-Coverage on YT.
They’re well worth checking out.
But if we expand this to the blood-related Issue of Anti-Science
and Science-Denial, not only Professor Dave coverin Frauds and Quacks but many Others come to mind that i wanna warmly invite you to watch: Sci Man Dan, Prophet of Zod, Hbomberguy, UpisnotJump.
@@dgpsf I know plenty of witnesses that have gotten into photography. The list of appropriate hobbies as a witness gets smaller the more "spiritually strong" you are or must appear to be. A close family member of mine has like a $2k Canon.
And the actual point is that watchtower will encourage so much the importance of making a trip to bethel and will use the fact that they invite everyone to hq and their kingdom halls to show that they can't be a cult. But it was, thankfully, shown here that this is simply not the case. They will, as telltale brought out, engage in theocratic warfare in order to "keep Jehovah's house clean." But then, as Drew brought out, what would they even have done? I've been to Warwick, Patterson, and wallkill when I was pimi. There's no order 66 button in there. They were just scared of a story being told that they couldn't control completely. "Anyone is invited as long as they agree with us" is pretty much the actual case here.
Yeah most people do not have those cameras lol. I think that since both these guys are RUclipsrs that may not be a fancy camera in their profession. But to us normies that’s a crazy looking camera yaknow.
you're all gonna be on a list somewhere when they see this video haha
They were already on the list before they even made it out of the first location.
@@caspearious-ghost yeah haha
Telltale was already on their list. That's part of the reason they didn't use real names, aside from not giving personal identification.
Well who doesn't love lists?
@@imjustwolf Except, that now they are probably on a special list of people that need to be actively scanned for.
What I'm surprised about, is how far they got into the facilities. If I was a paranoid cult with updated technology, I would have facial recognition software in all my facilities. I would have voice recognition on all of my cult's phone systems. I would listening devices all over the facilities (including the garage where it could pick up conversations like they were having for the video).
This is the best crossover i didnt know i needed
Move over Infinity Wars there's a new sheriff in town.
As an Ex Mormon the creepy, fake friendliness is sooooo accurate. They snitch on eachother and judge you secretly too tho.
As an exJW myself, everything you said and experienced happens in the JWs also. Scary the similarities.
S Ro They are really similar
TheExplorer Mormons are weird too
Ex as well and you are correct.
I'm an ex-mormon too. I can definitely relate to that fake friendliness.
Of course they knew you were undercover, your eyes aren't glassy.
And the undead smiles.
Shouldve worn contacts
@@ketchup_lube or some weed. That's 100% sure to give them glassy eyes and permanent smiles 😂
It's like riding a bike. You can imagine how easy it is to put that personality back on. Especially if you were raised in it.
Not all the way through the video yet, just got to the part where they show the camera they used. In my opinion, they have a serious lack of understanding of what constitutes a "tourist camera". If I were in a cult and I needed to keep an eye out for suspicious activity in my headquarters, that camera would catch my interest like a surprise solar eclipse.
Casey Almas I thought the same thing!
Facts
Surprise solar eclipse. 🤣
Lol when they said it was a basic canon that's not what I pictured at all haha...might as well have had a boom mic.
Exactly! That camera is suspicious as heck!
Slightly stressful, but amazing time working on this with Drew and Owen. Wish I could've done more in terms of production to achieve a better look, but it was just me. Hope everyone enjoys!
I think it turned out great! Excellent work! :)
Jeremy Levy nice work dude, dunno why this comment isn’t hearted or pinned
@@JCW7100 Thank you!
@@thetruedarksoul168 Thanks man. And that's because Drew deeply hates me as a person and wants me to suffer. :)
Another tip for blending in with JW's, keep some Watchtower magazines in your car in plain sight and it couldn't hurt to have a song book thrown in there too. LOL!
@@alexr2172 So true!
JW: there is an imposter among us
sus
*amogus*
Love your pfp
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Gaurenteed they saw Owen's gauge holes. Jws spot earring holes from a mile away.
That was my very first thought: Wouldn't his earring holes raise their suspicions?
Ex JW here, yeah. The camera was prob not the give away. It was the ear holes
@@danextrinsic0174 yup. I had matching moles on both my ear lobes and everywhere I went JW's asked me if I wore earrings 😂 and I even noticed when I was waking up that I had an eye for covered tattoos and earring holes
He could have been “worldly” before. Some witnesses have tattoos before they were indoctrinated
Phillip Burget Holy Spaghetti Monster! I’ve never thought about earrings in connection to JW. Probably because I stay as far away from them as I can. That’s crazy!
I am kinda surprised they didn't catch you sooner, Telltale. You have a very distinctive voice! I'm pretty sure I would recognize you blindfolded!
let's say his presence was a telltale sign
First time I saw his face
It was on someone else's channel and the video didnt say it was him
Still knew it was him
They didnt catch him at all. They thought he was someone else
*Natural 20 on that deception check.*
Should have just used smartphones. Like normal people. When security asked you why you were using the camera, you couldn’t even give a casual response. I’m not a Witness and have never subscribed to a major religion, but I’d be suspicious of you too.
censor everything They went “touristy camera” and I almost passed out when they pulled out that bulky beast😅. And with that huge microphone, might as well wear ‘PRESS’ badges!
Something like a Sony a5000 might be a better choice for this type of application.
censor everything yeah that’s cause these guys are dumb lol
@@paco4756 Or their phone
@@paco4756 given that it needed to be pointed at the ground most of the time anyhow, an iPhone 4 would have been equally good too and looked 1000x less sus!
Detective : “ How will I know it’s him.” ?
Witness : “ He has glassy eyes and a permanent smile.”
Security: Pictures for what purpose?
Telltale: *_"Yes"_*
AppleRain 😂 maybe if they try to pull something like this again they'll have better answers prepared for those kind of questions
This is how you know the brothers would never survive something like Armageddon. 4 people with cameras send them into a mouth foaming frenzy. They have no faith! This is what it's like walking into a Scientology building.
They really do have no faith in their own faith. It's like they know that anyone on the outside looking in will think they are crazy and letting people expose them will be negative to them. If you are right and not a cult you don't have to be afraid of letting people see.
They base their FAITH on Physical Constructs (IE that building). To them, they KNOW; that the Watchtower represents God. If you really get into how they think, their FAITH is actually NON-existent.. Why have FAITH, if you KNOW for sure..........?
@@sovern009 But at the same time. If you know for sure, why be afraid of what others might see in the public part of your tour?
@@redholm This is where they use their "IMPERFECT" explanation, to cover up The Watchtowers lack of accountability. To them, they mistaken CORRUPTION, for IMPERFECTION. Point?
They know they've screwed over a LOT of decent people, and they have every reason to be paranoid. This is one cult that has NO good intentions toward anyone except their inner circle of power..
@@sovern009 Yea. And chances are like Scientology the top knows damn well it's all a sham and are just covering their asses. They might not be punished in the afterlife (I don't believe in it) but they sure as hell can be flogged in this one.
I think your big mistake is going out of character in the elevator car, as if you had privacy there.
I thought the same... probably mics everywhere... even in the bathrooms...
And calling in advance... when the guard gave them the names they have phoned in as part of their first effort, that suggested to me that security and staff may have been prepped “we think these guys are coming. See attached names and photos.”
Their BIG mistake was being morons...lol
He cannot hide his character where ever he is. It oozes from his appearance posture and speech. And holes in ear lobes is a trigger.
If you are lying, you are going to stand out in a crowd of people who are trained to see differences between truth and lie.
“I’m filming for my mom who couldn’t make the trip”
As an ex JW myself, I knew right off the bat they would be suspicious of you guys. You all should have worn suits and been clean shaven, even if you're just taking a tour they have a dress code. I knew your equipment would make them nervous too so next time use a body cam. This was very interesting, thanks for posting this.
Groovykittycat lady no, the main thing they’re showing is just how paranoid the staff were. If they kept completely hidden this wouldn’t have been nearly as revealing of the cult mentality
Yeah, If they want to do that type of journalism on JW's like that, they must good 007..
Most JW's understand NOT to bring their expensive video equipment if they are not vetted by Watchtower BIG BROTHER first.
This feels like the premise of a thriller movie. Excellent video. Loved the pacing throughout.
you went straight into a hive!
of course the wasp would have caught you!
Wasps build nests, not hives
Nope. This is beyond anything like that. If you actuslly manage to get into the hive, bees assume you're allowed to be there. It's the getting past security that sets them off.
I was one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I can confirm that they are a cult. Whenever I questioned inconsistencies in the biblical account, I was chastised as being an unwitting tool of the devil who preyed upon my naivety. This despite the fact that they taught that they were formed by people who wanted to revisit the Bible because they felt that much of Christian teachings and ceremony were due to worldly tradition, inaccurate interpretation, and idolatry and not scriptural content. They sought to restore the church by reinterpreting the Bible based on a fresh cross-referencing the entire scriptural body through fresh eyes. A noble venture for their forebears, but under no circumstances can anyone question their current interpretation, because it is the infallible interpretation of God's word by the righteous folk of the governing body, despite these infallible ones revising their doctrine every few years. Glad I was smart enough to see the use of love-bombing and shunning, as the cult tools they were and to break out of the hive-mind they tried to inculcate since birth.
@@ellakahl4309 Ella, I empathise with you, so will try to be fair in my interactions.
But, I'll not allow my sympathy of your situation allow you to make a claim against my truthfulness without specifics, so unless you are deliberately disingenuous, please provide specific refutations to each thing I said that was wrong and/or a lie, because I was very specific in my arguments, so I expect the same courtesy. A vague blanket statement about the validity of the entirety of my comment merely shows a reluctance to back up what you are saying with factual reasoning.
@@ellakahl4309 The elders did not like me suggesting the JW rule of banning birthdays was unscriptural, due to not being based on any implicit scriptural mandate.
They said that only 2 birthdays were noted in the bible and at each, bad things happened. I countered that the only mentionings of dogs in the bible was paired with a negative context, but it didn't mean dogs need banning.
They said that birthdays are a form of worship. I said it was unreasonable to equate an act of spiritual worship with, giving gifts to someone you love out of proudness for them. Just as Jehovah was not worshiping Solomon when he gifted him riches and wisdom.
After my passionate but respectfully argued case, I was told I was wrong and to drop it, as I was effectively criticising the governing body and Jehovah. They said my thoughts were dangerous, and due to
Satan's manipulations. I was told that if I didn't accept the rule, I risked formal reprimand.
No matter your genuine heart, Elders presume all independent thinking is the devil's work. This is not exaggeration it is fact. Here's the proof from the Watchtower online library:
"From the very outset of his rebellion Satan called into question God’s way of doing things. He promoted independent thinking".
Later on in the Watchtower article it says:
"How is such independent thinking manifested? A common way is by questioning the counsel that is provided by God’s visible organization".
Check it out yourself:
wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1983046
@@ellakahl4309 Here's more facts concerning of what I said.
I mentioned bible inconsistencies right? Well allow me to note just a few:
There are genealogical contradictions for Jesus' familial lineage. Matthew says Jesus earthly father Joseph had a father called Jacob, while Luke claims he was Heli. Matthew lists 26 generations between Jesus and King David, whereas Luke records 41. Matthew runs Jesus’ line of descent through David’s son Solomon, while Luke has it going through David’s son Nathan.
This is a mere scratching of the surface of the rife amount of biblical inconsistencies.
How's that for proof?
@F.B.I BABY IM YOURS The operand word is WAS, not is.
@F.B.I BABY IM YOURS umm, who were you replying to?
Have Jehovah's witnesses actually ever witnessed Jehovah? I THINK NOT
That is why I refer to them as Jehovah’s Perjurers.
I HAVE seen Jehovah, and I'm an atheist. Put that Coffeemate in your coffee!
Jehovahs False witnesses
Or TO Him...nope; not even OF Him.
if they did, he also used a false name ;)
Man this was a risky thing to do. It's great to go and get first hand experience with cults. But hard.
Cyborg Lion it def was hard
@@OwenMorganTelltale should I go to a Bible study with the World Mission Society Church of God and record it?
"Risky"? Lol wut? JW aren't out there murdering people.
Exciting probably, but "risky"?
@@BjoernarEricSven idk not in like a they are in danger way but in a way of they might get arrested or sued.
They should have used a smartphone. It would have been less suspicious and even if the quality was bad we still would have seen.
I was thinking the exact same thing. Lots of other people were taking pics and videos with their phone. And what's the point of having a good camera if you are just filming the ground?
I guess if they were too much under cover they would not have drawn attention to themselves and then this vid wouldn’t have been anywhere near as interesting, and therefore no where near the same amount of views. Journalism 101!!!!
@@mattnbin yeah but i would have rather just seen how they would have been treated. If you act super suspicious, why then act surprised that people were suspicious of you?
Heather Rios agreed.
It wasn't just the camera that was suspicious, they knew who they were from very early on lol
You should have ditched the microphone, it made the camera look really suspicious.
its so weird seeing owen acting as a jw....
I wonder if it triggered some PTSD. Would not be surprised if it did.
who is owen
@@Sportliveonline
Owen is the wonderful Telltale!
@@Sportliveonline telltale....
Yeah next time don't put the big mic on the camera. You should have acted more offended and been like we are just trying to be good brothers and just wanted good video to show are family back at home. 😢
Yeah. They were way too casual about not getting into the second spot.
I was pretty surprised they didn't stick with cellphones like real tourists
Yea like jfc use hidden cameras and cell phones!
What I was thinking. The best phones nowadays have sufficiently good mics and more than sufficiently good cameras
Dude THAT'S THE FUCKING POINT! They said it so themselves the JW's Paranoia is what made the story!
Maybe your earing holes gave it away? JW men can't have earings
He could have been a convert from a previous life in which he did wear earrings.
Right. No earings. Just booze, statutory rape, domestic violence and adultry. And let's not forget classiest racism.
And the nasa shirt (never a straight answer)
Lynn DeBeal
Racism?
You're kidding, right?
@doctorwho0077 coming from an ex Jehovah witness and a still practicing father, we were prohibited from having earrings bc it was deemed worldly and as many of the elders in the congregation would say that it was a 'homosexual' thing. Just like any other religion, they cherry pick what their man written Bible says and use it to further there own agenda. They are no different from any other religion.
As a former witness I can tell you right now the Witnesses are super, super insidious. They knock on your door, act all nice, but when confronted with real questions, real issues, they'll either dodge the question, deflect or change the subject, or worse... ask if they can came back tomorrow. In Star Trek V Kirk asked "What does God need with a starship?", I ask you... "Why does God need humans to preach the good news of the kingdom?"
Or start name-calling
Because that’s what Mathew 24:14 says?
Adventure Duo OK forgive me if I don’t phrase this in the most eloquent manner, but God doesn’t need anybody to preach for him because hello! He’s God! Or at the very least he can leave us some evidence of his existence that is completely unambiguous that could only be interpreted in one way and one way only! That means your religion is not allowed to change its beliefs multiple times!!!
Guardian D-mon i was raised JW and going back to it.. I’ve been to every religion known to man.. and to ME JW are the most correct.. i appreciate you commenting in a respectful manner.. BUT if we go over every religion.. every belief.. we can say there’s some more “correct” than others.. “according to the Bible” I’m definitely not the most religious guy ever.. as a veteran, ex gangster and etc etc.. I’ve been around the block a few times.. but i do agree with the portion of “we don’t need to preach FOR him” we do it cuz we love His love and He shouldn’t need to show anything to “prof” anything.. i do science.. and let me tell you.. everything it’s a “i think” or a “i believe” cuz at the end of the day, how can we proof the Big Bang? Besides the fact that scientist BELIVE that that happened? See what I’m saying? Maybe I’m wording it wrong.. lmk
Adventure Duo there’s one question that completely turned me away from the witnesses and religion for all time(in addition to many other issues I admit)...If every house has a creator/builder, then what created God?
My mother became a Jehovah's Witness when I was 4 years old and over time it completely destroyed our relationship. Obviously I never received birthdays or Christmas as I grew up which isn't the end of the world (or should I say Armageddon) but how distance my mother had become was almost as bad. As I got older and started questioning their reasoning and understanding of the world that's when the problems started. At 15 I'd had enough of complete nonsense and wanted to stop going to the kingdom hall and studying their Bible against my mother's wishes. The relationship my mother had with the Jehovah Witness community and the "truth" was a very happy and friendly one so long has she now completely turned her back on me, Within a month or two of me leaving the church they had convinced her that I was acting on behalf of Satan trying to make her become worldly as I was, no amount of reasoning and saying how much I love you could bring her around, That was it in her eyes our relationship had ended if I didn't practice the religion, Fear of losing her real family was to much. Years went by and we didn't speak until I found out she was ill with severe anaemia. I called her and we spoke on the phone, I tried my best to convince her to have a blood transfusion so they could start treatment and prolong her life, it was quite an unbelievable conversation as it turned out to be my fault that she had to fulfill one of the requirements of her religion. She died as a result of not excepting a blood transfusion. In her mind the real life after Armageddon was about to start so this life wasn't important. I admit I wasn't a perfect teenager but as a father of two now I can clearly see how that cult of a religion can destroy families and shorten people's actual life spans. In loving memory of Carol Florence my mum
Jorden Florence this is the saddest thing I’ve ever read. I’m a religious person. I won’t say what religion but I can say this. Even if your family member is not following my religion I am still supposed to love and respect them. Because religion should never force family members apart. A religion that does that hasn’t come from God.
Chocolover thanks for your kind comment and I'm glad to hear you're not a Jehovah's witnesses as disfellowship and shunning is a fundamental part of that religion, also I believe no religion is from god as its all just a human construct
Wow brother, i can even imagine what you went thru, my mom just bacame hebrew roots movement and she's slowly slowly starting to apart herself. What is your recomendation that you can give me ?
@@Chocolover5652 Religion is a lie that's why I became athiest
I was adopted by my grandma cus i was taken away from my abusive and drug addict alcholic parents and being adopted by my grandma, but going to the kingdom hall it was confusing cause of what i learned at a christian church with my parents, i was 6 so i didnt understand and i was never realy intrested in being a jehovas witness, and i felt to as if my connection got worse with my grandma but the community and the jehovas wittness were really nice sure there are some people who were rude at times but its commen were humans, i recently got intrested in being a jehovas witnes and became one, i did feel sad abt missing burthdays and Christmas but i later got used to it and wasnt sad abt it.
Spooky stuff. Makes me wonder just how far outside what's legal they'd be wiling to go if they had been just a *bit* more certain about who you really were.
Probably nothing, but they're afraid bc a lot of their elders are pedos so they're constantly on edge
Nothing, im an Ex and all they will do is kick you out.
@@danextrinsic0174 If they wanted to kick them out, they wouldn't have been harassing them at the exit gate.
Joshua Pearce trust me, they just wanted to be sure they had a reasonable excuse to kick you out. See, they care about their "image".
@@danextrinsic0174 That's exactly what was happening.
You think they wouldn't have placed hidden cameras and microphones in the elevators? I would if I was a paranoid institution. The elevators would be the best place to place eavesdropping equipment to catch private group conversations and infiltrators.
I'd also be surprised if they didn't have mics and cameras in the elevators, and maybe even the bathrooms. You never know.
@@SuperHuscarl I'm certain it's probably a more standard operation than people realize. Mormon groups, Scientologists, Google, Microsoft, Verizon, etc. all have their covert employee and visitor surveillance systems. Need a *Buzz Light Year* Meme: "Cult Groups... Cult Groups Everywhere" It might explain the reason congress allowed the Pakistani linked "Awan Spy Ring" to simply walk away after spying on dozens of congressmen and women.
If I were the Watchtower, I would be paranoid too, after strewing as many decent people like they did.
I was thinking the same thing. In a situation where you are infiltrating and you know you are being watched, you cannot assume there is a safe place to have a private discussion once you leave your car. Even then, I would be wary of discussions as they had some pretty advanced tech in that new building. Their members can't afford the camera they were carrying, but the organization clearly invests in high tech.
@@artemismoonbow2475 Agreed
I am not a JW, so maybe I just don't understand the purpose of going to the headquarters? Headquarters of any organization are going to have tight security, no surprise there. Your camera stuck out like a sore thumb, not sure why you are surprised by that. I didn't see the purpose in this video.
Barbie Longfellow-Ott the purpose is to show the world that JWs / Watchtower society are a fraud.
@@nanathedestroyer3049 then don't send Freddie Mercury to do the reporting
Barbie, exactly. They were looking out for any psychos who might want to blow up the place. Any organization, religious or secular, will beware of weirdos. I am not a Witness either, but I get that.
If you operate to spread the word of God, you by no means act like a secret society.
Exactly what purpose is there for the video?
Probably would’ve been better if you’d just filmed on your phone.
Yes, would have been easier but they wanted to showcase the paranoia for this video.
I think the haircuts didn’t help unfortunately and probably the evidence of multiple ear piercings. They can sniff you out!
@@adrianneavenicci what's wrong with the haircuts?
@@adrianneavenicci he took the piercings out.
Beverly Chemai it’s just that JWs have a radar for someone who isn’t a JW. Telltale’s piercing holes and the lady’s hair style I think the Bethelites would pick up on it. Hard to explain but that old part of my brain saw it as a clue.
That was really interesting to watch. It was also highly discomforting.
hatching draggon tell me about it
Probably just the skeptical attitude, whispering and background music. You could make an elementary school a cult with that editing recipe.
Telltale Atheist. Wanted dead or alive.
~ The Watchtower Society
Since they have to be non-violent, I imagine the group being led to a far windowless room, locked in, and left for dead.
@@StaticCling99 technically, locking them in a room underground and just walking away forever is not violence :P
@@tylergriffin3667 If they don't use violence to get them there.
Telltale changes his channel intro song to Wanted.
"this is gonna be interesting..."
"here we go, good luck guys!"
"i think they might be on to us a little bit but they haven't kicked us out"
*has a big ass mic on the camera*
*plug holes in ears*
dud. are you even trying to be sneaky?
Tbh I feel like Owen could've benefitted from putting a tiny bit of makeup on his ear lobes, as the holes were red from taking out the piercings. It would've been less obvious if they weren't looking mildly irritated. Or if he ever tries this again he can take them out a couple of days in advance so the redness goes away, I'm guessing he just took them out right before they left here.
Who the hell thought naming your cult body the "Watchtower society"
was a good idea?
Do you know what places have watchtowers?
Prisons
Gallium Games Best point ever!
This deserves more likes !
The irony
Damn. :/
I think it started as a magazine I think
Geez, the JWs were even more creepy than I had thought they would be.
Simon Duran. They are 150 percent Cult.
Come on, they claim Jesus is coming real soon to wreck shop, yet they are
building super high tech compounds and making tons through real estate investments.
Yes they are very creepy
I absolutely love these collabs. Great video, keep it up guys!
"another name i have never heard in my LIFE"
pelase give me the ability to feign ignorance like that
Owen looks so tense at certain parts of the interview. I wonder if he was a little traumatized
Probably more than a little
Sexual abuse is common in jW kids family member uncles and dads etc touching their own kids then sweeping it under rug
@@NekoDalian what's really scary, all they had to do was leave
@@freshbeanne the way the act is scary. They did not just be honest and say, please we don't allow camera inside. They only try to look into their camera, bags etc.. That's twisted.
@@LoXena And neither were these 3 honest. I'm sure not happy about the JW organization, but this whole scenario did not land with me. They don't want to ban photography from sincere people, I get that. Anyway.
This episode of Black Mirror sucks
Ha this is funny
Too goddam realistic
Oh Boy! I had flashbacks to the BBC expo of Scientology some years back. Totally cult behaviour, and yet they insist they are open and transparent. Lol
Open, no. Transparent, most definitely
I have a girlfriend that is a JW and I am an agnostic person, I tried to make things work out, but in the end, it's just so hard, because when a JW person is so into their beliefs, you pretty much either give in or just give up.
You gotta break up with her. If anything, you're setting her up to be shunned by her congregation and family.
by their doctrine she would not even be alowed to be in a relationship with you
This almost feels like you're getting ready to commit an elaborate heist in the first parts!
Almost. I guess danger was simmilar level.
If Id be religious i would say you are doing gods work... oh wait xD
To be fair, I feel like that phrase is more applicable to atheists since gods don’t exist and therefore someone has to do the work gods are supposed to do.
@@g33xzi11a Well most atheists are agnostic atheists who pretty much just believe that it's impossible to know whether or not there is a god.
@@NekoDalian Definitely, god probably doesn't care about whether or not you believe they exist, but doing something terrible in the name of god, now that's something entirely different.
Aidan Dixon atheists live as if there is no god as they don’t believe in a god. Living as if there is not a god even if there is a god and living as if there is not a god and there not being a god are functionally identical without having the whole afterlife torture thing. That is what I meant. Atheists live as if there is no god so any job assigned to gods for whom there is no evidence must instead be performed by humans.
@@g33xzi11a What do you mean by "Living as if there is no god" You really went from making sense to making no sense.
And
"Living as if there is not a god even if there is a god and living as if there is not a god and there not being a god are functionally identical"
Is just a mess of a paragraph, I have a general guess of what you're trying to say but I'm not sure. Is English your first language?
They were probably calling your “congregation” trying to verify your identity 😂😂😂
Ex JW and ex Mormon here. Y'all got balls to go there. I'd be petrified to go there. Fear of being sucked back in against my will
Wow Mormon and JW you got a full plate. 😂
This is the most nerve wrecking stealth mission I have ever watched.
Even though i found this interesting, you kinda blew it with the microphone on the camera. I've never in my life seen someone with microphone on the camera thats "just a tourist". Just seeing a camera like that in public would make me wonder what they were up to. If someone wandered into my organisation's events with a camera like that i would most definitely try to find the reason for it, and their intentions.
Yea but like thats still mot something a “normal person” would be lobbing around lol
I know for a fact that they keep records of the people they visit. I poked my head out while two JWs were at my neighbor's door and told them not to bother knocking on my door.
"Oh, don't worry. You're on our "Do not call list."
But two weeks later two men with a six-year-old boy came a-knocking. In fact, the last two visits involved a child. I realized that they are using children as human shields for the tough cases. So I asked the child how old he was and started singing "Happy Birthday". Those S-E grins turned to gnashing teeth.
"He gets plenty of presents," said the younger man.
The older man snarled, "Jesus never celebrated his birthday!"
"How would you know? You weren't there. Maybe he did!"
They hustled the child away from this horrible influence. Haven't been visited in a decade!
Lol, at least you aren’t being bothered!
When I was a JW, the congregation would make lists of houses in a certain area that you should and shouldn't visit. They had the directions to the houses, the names of the people that lived there, and if that person was nice or aggressive. And since I was a kid back then. I can confirm that they did sometimes use the younger kids to make the person they were preaching to feel guilty, and to make the harder cases easier.
@@ramennoodle1981 This is fucked. I legit don't need random people keeping tabs on me and putting records of my name and such.
Why is this not top comment?!!!
@@ramennoodle1981 its called spirit gum, or plaster.
I went to Army basic training back in 2016 and one of the dudes in my platoon was a Mormon. It was honestly fascinating to learn about his lifestyle and how his life back home was. He swore that no matter how mad he got he would never curse, and we made him a bet that eventually he would curse, and sure enough the last couple weeks of training he was dropping F bombs left and right lol. Super cool guy.
They're paranoid because you guys are giving fake names and filming. I'm sure they can sense who's fake and who isn't.
What a creepy hivemind mentality to have, like holy shit.
@@aMondayMorning not at all. Its like telling people youre a fan of a certain artist but dont know squat about it
@@coldonylum but he knew what he was talking about, he used to be a JW. all they did was try to tour the place and take some photos, if it's supposed to be open to the public why would there be people trying to stop them at every turn.
@@alionguy emphasis on 'used to'. These idiots stuck out like sore thumbs, look at their clothing compared to others, their goddamn massive camera. There are v little nuances in their dress, speach and behaviour that JWs can pick up on really well, if someone is or "was" a witness
Congratulations on having the courage to go undercover. However, to be more effective, you need to remain in character _while_ undercover 100% of the time. Just one specific example: at 10:15 you're standing in the elevator saying, _"I think they might be onto us a little bit... "_ Pro-tip for ya: if they weren't onto you before, they certainly were onto you from that point forward as security undoubtedly overheard your conversation with the microphones present in the elevator. Think you're not being recorded? Think again. NEVER. BREAK. CHARACTER.
Divest yourself of the need to validate what you're doing _while_ you're doing it; the, _"Hehe, we're so clever, we're getting one over on them!"_ moments. Save the metaphorical high-fives and back slaps for _after_ you've left the target. Body language and facial expression convey much. An uplifted eyebrow, a tiny smirk as the corner of your mouth as you turn away from one of their inquisitors, a darting of the eyes; all add up to paint a picture of someone who is acting rather than genuine.
If your emotional mindset is one of, _"I'm successfully undercover recording this cult."_ your body language is going to betray that emotion. Those trained to identify such tells will pick you out of a crowd with as much ease as if you had walked in there wearing a Halloween costume while reciting Satanic verses. To fool them, you must fool yourself. You must convince your mind you aren't undercover; you're legitimately a Jehovah's Witness making pilgrimage to world headquarters.
Also, don't be so quick to underestimate an opponent. They weren't irrationally paranoid about your camera; they were absolutely justified in their suspicions because you were indeed recording them. Your camera and the way it was set up were huge red flags (a wind shield? Seriously?). You weren't fooling anyone. They just lacked sufficient evidence to explicitly call you out on it; but ample evidence to have their suspicions justified.
You get a 10 for courage, hutzpah, cahones. You get a 2 for amateurish execution that got you barely any worthwhile video than what anyone could see on the JW website. I'll give you a +1, though, for managing to get past the first layer of gate keepers with the redirect over the phone that got you the reservation number. But practice, practice, practice if you want to get deeper into revealing this cult from the inside. Unfortunately, you'll probably have to get a new crew as it's guaranteed they now have all of your faces and IDs in a database and you'll probably never get past the first gate ever again; not without some expertly applied disguises, at least.
..I'm scared to ask what you do for a living? Lol but seriously great comment, I needed to screenshot it just in case i'll go undercover someday
Who are you, and why are you so wise in the ways of stealth?
Basically the techniques and rules you advise are those for "method acting" and I totally agree with them all
Also, minor point but without makeup piercing holes will be seen and noted, often even with professional make up they can be seen, specially if someone's looking for them? I'm assuming JWs have the same rules as LDS do about piercings.
@@ilarious5729 he not contact you, now if you read galations cha, 2 v 4 some one will tell you about,,, these guys, ,,, you see everything is al pre0rdained,, or predestinated, God no,s everythins, befor it happens, studie, rev, cha,20, plese do,
Hey there XJW here.. that was too much camera, my xfam would be right up on ya!! 😅Great Video! It was so refreshing to see this. I was raised within and found my way out. Alone.. but free
Imagine the balls on this guy. To be disfellowshipped and sneak into the center of the cult you left.
Godspeed my friend. Good luck out there
Did you rent stark tower for this vid or what
😂
THIS is the content I didn't know I wanted!!! great stuff guys! keep up the great work
That camera was pretty suspicious though. Like what amateur is carry around a wind cover?
Why are they so paranoid of people recording? It seems that they have something to hide.
Good thing you all didn’t wear tight pants, otherwise they’d known that you’re pushing the “gay agenda” 😂🤦♂️
You should have brought a couple cases of wine along as a good will gift.
Shame on you
👎
It's amazing how deductive and skeptical they acted once they decided to investigate who you were. Why can't they turn that same suspicious eye towards their system of belief?
That is a good point. I suppose it's cognitive dissonance.
Coworker of mines is in this cult.
JWs are taught not to even question the belief. Its taught you question the teachings or government body, you are questioning God. And that is a sin. 😞 Its a thought that never even pops up.........Untill forced
First video of yours I've seen. Came because Telltale was on it. Fantastic exposé. I was a JW until I was 39 (born in). Been out 3 years. It gets creepier every year.
They know that everything they are doing now is being closely scrutinized and critiqued. They have truly become cult-like and are moving in the same direction as the Mormons and Scientologists. The sad thing is that even those who are good and active JWs are beginning to feel like they are constantly being monitored for any possible infractions. I think it would be very scary to be a JW in this time period. When I was a young JW kid in the 1950s and '60s, being a JW was awkward at times when dealing with non-believers and members of other religions, but we were afraid of other JWs - not even the elders. Yes, Circuit Overseers could be a little intimidating when they visited every six months, but no one was afraid of them. And those who were being punished for some reason were not relegated to the back of the hall or in some kind of library. Times have really changed and the JWs are now truly a cult in every sense of the word.
ngl when they mentioned owens actual name i did an audible “OOOOOH”
I left the Witnesses almost 2 years ago after being raised as one and seeing the way Witnesses behave on camera is such a surreal feeling. I’m at the point where the overly warm and smiley demeanor and cult speak is both familiar and shocking. Thank you so much for choosing to put a spotlight on the Jehovah’s Witness cult. We really need more people like you.
Not trying to be rude but then really kind of blind like what's your spirituality like im just curious hey I'm 12 years old
@Tony DC no I'm talking to you but are you a Jehovah witness
@Tony DC I'm mean my thinking is that she lost I Ain't tryna judge but like my thinking is everyone losing control, the system of things is lost, I don't know my mind is wierd 🤯 i really don't know what I think about this, how about you 🤔
@Tony DC alright I'll read and take in👍
Tony DC
The gospel of John was the last one written and the furthest away from the time of Jesus. Most evidence shows that it was written by the church as advertising and propaganda for Christianity. It is the one that has Jesus constantly talking about his greatness and amazing power and deeds. There is no reason to believe any of it is true.
Telltale is adorable
isn't he tho!
A legitimate organization wouldn't be that guarded about visitors. You'd never see that sort of scrutiny in a museum for example. When you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. a JW congregation on the other hand... you do the maths.
They knew you weren’t one of them because you probably weren’t talking about the latest watchtower magazine or your favourite bible scripture or something like that. I used to be a bible student with jehovah’s witnesses when I was a teen and that’s all they talk about. If you don’t talk mostly like that, they consider you to be worldly minded or they know you’re not one of them
Not everybody in there does that.
I mean... they were 100% right about their suspicions though. 🤔
Right. I think it would be fare to do this with other religions, do a side by side analysis, then come to a conclusion. Otherwise, their using the same one sided logic as the Jehovah's Witnesses.
If they really believed they are "God's organization" with "the truth" they would love free media attention to reach more potential members. There would be no paranoia or secrets or worry about someone taking pictures.
@@billborden310 good point.
@@billborden310
The JW doesn't want to use the system's that Satan uses to corrupt our organization. It can be easily twisted as seen in this video.
@@seraphywang4638 The system "Satan" is using is more kind, loving, and protective of human rights than Jehovah's organization. JWORG is the "twister" of truth. Governments in free societies are your friend. Jehovah's government is oppressive. Love is the path to peace and eternal life. JWORG is the path to death now and forever.
Are we seriously pretending people walk around being all friendly with a Canon camera with A WINDSHIELD ON IT. Were you guys even TRYING to be inconspicuous?
Absolutely agreed.
Agreed. That could have been done much better. The huge windshield is not exactly discrete.
I guess they had to get good footage lol.
Thankfully they succeeded in their sanity rolls, else it would've ended REALLY badly.
Edit: Seriously though, I really want to see a Call of Cthulu game set in a Jehowas Witnesses place or some other modern cult thing.
Played one apocalypse cult setting, played them all.
I think I was one of those people singing 🤦🏼♀️ I was part of a children’s singing group for the delegates that year. so crazy you guys were right there….
Damn....I really feel bad for you/genuinely
Could someone please subtitle the part in the car? I have trouble understanding what is being said. Thank you in advance and have a good day!
I had captions on, it helps :)
@Lloyd Zed wooow scary stuff! Someone must've remembered them or something so scary
As an ex-mormon, I'm curious if the glossy-eyed thing is often perceived about mormons. I know for sure there are some mormons where that is the case, but even when I was a missionary the JW's always made me uncomfortable
I meet loads because I work in a public library so the missionaries pop in to contact home or use the ancestry facilities.
Mormons don't usually have the glassy eyed look, just an ernest sincerity. Far less creepy, just a little odd.
Yes. Mormons and their plastic smiles are very noticeable and unsettling.
Bruh you guys are perceiving happiness as a cult😂 Not fighting for the religion just saying.
@@coltonkerbs7466 It's not healthy to surpress emotions ...
True, there are some similarities, but at least the Mormons give considerably MORE "Financial Support" to its followers.. The JW's just shake you down for all your money, and PRAY for you, if you're in trouble.. The JW's is a Shake-Down Cult.
Example? Brigham Young..
The Watchtower would NEVER invest in an accredited institution for its members like that..
That's money NOT in the pockets of the Watchtower Leadership.
They knew you weren't really witnesses right away. Saying you're a JW and you can clearly see the pierce holes on your earlobe, thats what gave it away.
Not necessarily, he could've have his ears pierced before becoming a witness
Over time skin would've grown back if you don't wear earrings to keep the holes fresh. If he was claiming to have been a JW for an extended period of time that would not have checked out.
Tiny Guy the piercings would get tighter maybe but the holes are scars and don’t ever completely close.
obviously the JWs aren’t experts on ear stretching and piercing so they’re not going to think too far into somebody’s piercing they suspect is lying.
jdls762 can they smell the booze that is all over the breath of my sister and brother in law who are apparently “witnesses”
Or maybe he could of just converted. If you have piercings for a long time it could take years to close or partially close. The holes in the ears are not clue to saying their not a JW. AS an ex JW I went to the meetings with elders who had tattoos from a previous life before they converted.
13:33 Looks like a camera app is open don't think it gave him enough time to look through phone
Most people are impressed by a DSLR, add a mic to it and you are just asking for attention.
Ian Eisenberg Ok so my question is this if JW are not correct . Then what is going to be the purpose of life ? And what is going to happen when we die . Also then that means what is going to be our reason of why we are here and if god exists ? Or not
@@starlight9447 Why does there have to be a reason? When you die, you are dead. Just like before you were born. None of that has anything to do with the question of god's existence (hint: it doesn't. exist). Here is a question for you. If the JW and other religious people are wrong and there is no god, then how terrible that they have wasted all that time and concern over something that there is no real evidence for.
Make the most of the time you have on earth rather than worrying about some gifted purpose. Grab life and make your own damn purpose, just be as kind to everyone else along the way as you can.
Ian Eisenberg I see your point but the reason is that if there is no god and no purpose truly . Then how did we even come up on this beautiful earth and a lot of questions arise when you say there is no god . Personally I am still researching about this and learning . There is a lot of things that show god exists and then the opposite. Do you understand what I am trying to say lol . I am just trying to talk about this in a calm way and to understand your views . It’s a interesting topic
@@starlight9447 I'm glad you are approaching it reasonably. But I think if you truly research and let go of your preconceptions you will see that the "evidence" for a god does not meet any kind of reasonable testable validity.
Give me your top TWO reasons or pieces of evidence for god. Personally I am far more impressed and astounded that the universe is as beautiful as it is without the need for a god or creator.
I did the whole searching thing when I was 14 or 15. I read all the holy books from different versions of the new testament to the bible and the torah to the BahagdavatGita and Khoran. They are all inherently the same and have no real answers that ring true. In the end, just find your own way and live by Wheaton's Law... "Don't Be A Dick!"
how the house build if there is no builders, how the cars run if there is no engineers, how the earth exist if there is no creator, how the universe created if there is no big bang (assuming the big bang is proved because that is everyone wanted) then who designed the atoms, gasses, molecules, protons, electrons, etc. and make a chemical reaction to make a blast in space?
8:00 just film on an iphone... you'll blend in perfectly with the flock
Fascinating to see what these places are like on the inside.
Also Telltale scrubs up surprisingly well lol :D
What do you think about 60-70% of kids raised in JW leave the religion??
Blessed Mom Life NOPE 👎
@@ellakahl4309 Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it isn't true.
@Ella - I thought it would be easy to verify/deny, but I can’t find any numbers on kids who grow up and leave. Numbers overall, numbers leaving/joining overall, but not the OP’s statement
@@herbsandmagick4532 just look at pew research. RUclips deletes comments with links so I can't post it
@@ellakahl4309 nope look at pew research
I was just focused on Telltale's good looks
SAME
Oh, so not just me who noticed?
@@nikkio.9990 Can we talk about that wink he gave at 2:25.... *wipes sweat*
Same here... 😅😅😅
[looking respectfully] 👀👀👀
You guys should give the experience a second shot by sending in a different crew of ex-JWs, with different equipment, and with an entirely different backstory. This was a great learning experience to build on. Kudos to all of you!
Disfellowship sounds like the “best thing” that could ever happen to a Jehovah’s Witness. A group of lunatic, cult members doesn’t want you to attend their church. What a blessing!
oh no you can still attend but you cant speak to anyone. you are encouraged to attend meetings and work to become reinstated
Amen lmao
@@laurenmaher127 LOL.
Not when the entire family shuts you out along with it
Can be very depressing
My brother was prohibited from speaking at my dad's funeral because he's disfellowshipped. I managed to talk my way out though. So no longer a JW but not excommunicated.
You guys have balls
I just avoid them..!
Should start telling them I’m an apostate
I actually think you guys could’ve gotten away with it had you all been dressed like them. Would’ve attracted less attention
The fact they have to "dress like them" makes it a cult. What non-cult religion has such a behavior?
@@naturallyspiritual7256 BITE Model.
Next episode: inside the church of Scientology
Charity Rivers fuck that. Haha
That's legitimately fucking scary, I would personally fear for GMS's safety.
@@OwenMorganTelltale I had a classmate go to a Scientology service for a report. They wanted personal information including date of birth and social security number and she left right away all creeped out. The professor told her not to go back lol.
@@outdoorsguy. Smart of her to get outta there. Those people are freaks. I just hope they didn't follow her to her car or something.
@@OwenMorganTelltale. I'm just glad you guys made it out of there safely. Hope you guys do more good work for the future.
I went to Bethel in the UK with my cousin after I officially left. She knew I was checking out but was desperately trying to pull me back in. It wasn’t until the end of our tour, the guide asked more direct questions about my thoughts on the circuit assembly and the name of my congregation. Having forgotten, I scrambled for bs answers. Dude knew I was grasping at straws and kind of laughed it off. I was sweating bullets the entire time.
What a bunch of creeps! All this does is make you wonder more what it is they have to hide.
You guys should REALLY work on your stealth game. The new Sony RX100 VII is tiny, has a mic port, 8x zoom, and a 1 inch sensor with kickass autofocus. Or hell, use a phone. Nowadays they are amazing image quality. Use a lav mic with a separate recorder and sync the audio later. It's really easy in most editing systems most days.
Haha Legit you guys come across super suspicious in all these infiltration videos. It's almost palpable that you're trying to make a documentary of sorts.
You should have your "students" in a jdub uniform to show they were "progressing in the truth".
Ah,,, a fun pre-Covid memory, where you could still go places
As a Texan we didnt shut anything down. We just carried on as normal. So hearing people say this is jarring lol.