I remember talking with my husband prior to getting to the Kingdom Hall that we should sit towards the back so that I could easily get up to walk the baby because I knew he would cry loudly during the meeting and I didn’t want to disturb others too much. Then when arriving being asked to get up from the last row and move to the front rows. After mentioning that I needed the back and why I was reminded by the usher that I needed to be obedient and do as he asked. So there I go and move to the front and then the baby started to cry loudly and he was disrupting the entire congregation and the speaker and me refusing to get up with him LOL. The speaker kept looking at me and I’d stare back at him and smiled and just bounced my Abby whom I knew would not shut up until I walked him. Then the usher (same one) having to come and ask me to get up with him. I then told him next time you should listen to when a mother says the reason she needs to sit where she sat. He was not happy with me. I was not a good JW.
Haha I love this story! We've had similar experiences. I mean, what moron asks a mother with a baby to move to the front. And the arrogance of not listening because you should be a good obedient little woman. Just talking about it makes me want to slap someone lol stupid usher!
IamEpicHill I know there were a few times I would show up at the Kingdom Hall and some overseer didn’t want people sitting in the back either he wanted everyone to sit up front too. I didn’t have children yet but grown adults being told where to sit it was ridiculous and I wasn’t a very good witness either.😀😋
Good on you! 👍… I have seen this as well and as a man I could work out this would not end well! But I guess it’s the “will you paint the hall with a 2” paint brush?” 😂… blind OBEDIENCE! hmmm we learn 😊
My 3 daughters were raised by a single parent (me) who took them to the Kingdom Hall all their lives. My children were ignored all those years even though they were considered fatherless and orphans who should of been cared for by the congregation. My children always reminded me that none of those JW’s ever cared about any of us.
It's funny how we were always taught to care for those who needed it most yet those were the people always pushed to the fringes because no one wanted to be around them. I can remember this clearly when I was growing up. And I remember seeing it with other families in the years before I left. I hope your daughter followed you out. They deserve better.
No one ever wanted to go out in service with me because I had 3 children. Most of the time they would send me out in service BY MYSELF! I would go to my car, cry my eyes out and then drive home knowing no one wanted to be around me or my kids.
I have another experience to share: My first time to go out preaching door to door in field service i was warned by a friend of mine that nobody was going to want to go out with me or my kids because they don’t like kids. So at my first field service meeting everyone made groups and at the very end they left me to work ALONE with my kids while the pioneer sister who was studying the Bible with me chose to ignore me and my kids and work alone with her pioneer partner! I was so upset that I ran into the bathroom and cried louder than I ever had! That should of been a wake up call for me to leave and never come back but I continued to let them treat me and my kids like that for another 27 years!!
I had a very similar experience with a CO’s wife at a very vulnerable time in my life. Her husband and the elders KNEW I was struggling, but precious Sister Sonderman couldn’t deal with ‘small children, and they’re surprising noises’. Bitch…PLEASE. I have diagnosed PTSD from this cult, and you couldn’t handle happy baby noises? Get out of circuit work.
It’s not just the kids they hate. I spent 27 years as a JW and never once did I have any true friends who liked me, came by to visit me, or called me, or invited me to get togethers, or wanted to talk to me. I spent 27 years making excuses for this but finally said “there is absolutely no love among this people!” All they do is judge you! You are never enough and can always be doing better for “the governing body “ whom you have never met and who have never done anything for you! I was extremely poor and was always treated like I was scum under their feet!
It's so true. Their display of "love" is surface level only. Underneath its all cold and harsh and uncaring and everyone for themselves. And as you say, no matter how good you do, it isn't enough. Sorry to hear you were treated in such a despicable way because you were poor. I can tell you that my family growing up were treated the same way by most.
I think because they don't often mix with worldly people all their negativity is concentrated among the flock. Compiling that, people that are easily led will manifest the personality and will of the ones dominating them quicker and more fully. Cults are like tornadoes. The cyclical abrasive reasoning destroys everyone sucked in by it. Once they've taken everything you have, separated you from everything else in the world they dump you back in the mess they have made. However, I think I'm being unfair to tornadoes.
That is awful. Sorry you went thru this. Christians should not Judge. It’s a Commandment. They never made me feel welcome or Wanted or special. Awful & Cruel you & others ( & myself) to be treated like nothing. Thank Goodness for Videos like this 💎🙏💜
I’m sorry. I have a similar situation. Been in my cong for almost 10 years and no real friends. Already having stepped away it’s been no contact from any of them. We also weren’t liked because we were financially less then them.
We were in a small congregation and were the only ones with a baby. It was soon made clear to us that he had to sit quietly. As he got older we regularly got "shepherding calls" which were basically the COBE telling us all our mistakes. At one he suggested our son sit on a chair at home for 15 minutes each day until he could do it without making a sound. Then we increase to half hour until finally he could sit still at home for 2 hours without making a sound. Can you imagine doing that to a three year old? Thank God we got out.
That’s so mean. Children are adorable. I love My sons so much. I think I might have said f### you. I was never really good as witness either. God Bless your little one whom you Love & discipline is not a way of Parenting. I use reasonings & I’m a single Mum. My kids are beautiful. How dare they suggest This form of Punishment. It makes so sad yet so Glad I woke up 🥀
I saw it many times in the congregation children that young cannot sit still for 2-3 hrs at a time it’s just unrealistic it was ridiculous that you would get calls about her son.🙄🙄🙄
That is literal torture designed to break their will. Like blanket training of children by Evangelicas, which is also torture of a child and breaks their will.
In 2005 we had our first grandchild, my daughter would come to our congregation so I could help her with the baby. At the time, A few last rows were assigned for families with children. And we would sit with my daughter and one day an elder came up and told my daughter that we (my husband and I) couldn’t sit there because the child wasn’t ours and she and the baby was the family - so we got up- no questions asked) my husband did get upset but followed the instruction. The baby was and Now very attached to me. So he used to get fuzzy and cried because we weren’t in the same row. So we decided es to take the meetings in the back room from that day on). And it got worst!! A few weeks later an non-child elder came to give us the Sunday talk and it was how to teach children since infancy to be spiritual. The talk was cruel!! Totally out of order, off normal baby behavior examples!!! One of them: “the KH is not a place to drink or eat snacks, or come with toys even if they are the size of the child’s hand, no crayons nor coloring books! Only a pencil and a notebook- like that they will learn to start taking notes! Omg!!!! Total nonsense!!!
Story from a JW kid. I remember always detesting the meetings- but after being molested as a kid I began having a trauma response to wearing anything feminine. I also had a trauma response to being in meetings- which was in part due to me acting out in a sexual manner (which looking back now as an adult was due to my none JW father grooming me- and a variety of other bad things going on in my life...) I was slut shamed and more while literally being a child and not understanding much of anything-- while also being shamed for acting too "manly" as I refused to wear skirts... too easy access and traumatic for child me after some events in my life... One day I decided I didn't want to go to meetings and I remember being dragged by my ankles to the meeting by my mom. Being traumatized via the JW church- I refused to go in... my Mother decided as punishment for not wanting to go into the church she'd lock me outside the car in the cold (it was fall/winter and an evening meeting). The brothers as the JW church watched from a distance as I sat by my mom's locked car- refusing to enter their church... I after about 30 minutes ended up crawling under my mom's car to get warmth from the engine... None of the brothers tried to talk to my mom about letting me sit in her car- instead they let me endure being cold outside because I was "disrespecting" god via refusing to enter the "warm and safe" church... I was 6 or 8 years old at oldest.... .... If a child would rather freeze for up to 2 or more hours... the child doesn't consider that place safe... and you should be concerned for their safety, not their disrespect to your god...
I remember being punished for asking if everyones childrens, children, children's, etc live forever? Rather than contemplate the question they labelled me as devil child. The elders and my parents put so much effort into "correcting" me. For a while as a child I thought everyone on earth was an idiot because of the ridiculous beliefs they held. It was scary, I remember thinking: "If I'm the smartest person, we are all doomed!" I was so glad when I realised there are more intelligent people than me who don't lie to themselves. People who didn't have a holy reason to lie to me condescendingly. Last time I saw any jdubs they looked so tired and depressed. Despite their evil deeds I can't help feeling pity for them. It's the ones benefiting from orchestrating this depravity who are to blame. Glad you saved your kids from a truly horrific ordeal. Much love from England.
You echo many of the thoughts and feelings I had when asking honest questions while I was on. Tired and depressed is a good description. Hopefully that's also the state of the cult overall. Much love from the other side of the stream.
It's interesting you are covering this topic. When I was a JW, I saw many couples who chose to not have children, because they were waiting for "the new system of things". Also, I can remember looking at parents with children in the Kingdom Hall, and thinking how dreadful it will be when one fine day I would have to go through that, having to try to keep a young child quiet for 2 whole hours!!! Then there is the blood issue. I always knew that I would never be able to let my child die. Finally, I knew I did not want to subject my child to the constant challenges JW children have to face. I'm so glad I took the decision to walk away and stay away before I had my son.
After being disfellowshipped in 1986 I went back in 1994 together with my then 7 year old son and 3 year old daughter. After one year I was pronounced as resumed. The pressure made me more and more depressed. Finally in 1995 I had to stay in a hospital for 3 month. During my absence they treated my children very badly, telling them they are guilty that I am sick because they were not good enough. It took me 2 more years (supported by a therapist) until I had the courage to leave the jw. For years there is no more contact between my children and me. They will never forgive me forcing them to join with me the jw.
It just goes to show what the cult is like. I'm sorry to hear they did that to you and your children. I hope you can once day reconcile with your children. Good luck!
I hatred, HATED, going out in service. It was just the worst. I despised talking to strangers about something I didn’t even believe in. Neither of us wanted to be awkwardly standing there so early on a Saturday morning.
I have some memories of JWs I came across. I'm from Australia and my first year of teaching was in 2004. Harry Potter was BIG and I remember reading the first book to my Year 3 class. I had a JW student who blocked his ears every time I read a chapter. He would also refuse to sing our National Anthem and stand at assembly. I was also ( I assumed) close friends with a girl during my time at university. The things I remember were that she was never allowed to come to my house- you could only ever visit her, she was forever babysitting other people's children, you couldn't wish her a happy birthday or mention the word 'present' but she happily accepted engagement gifts when she got engaged at 21. She once invited me to a JW convention in Sydney. When I said I'd go if she came to my Catholic mass I think the 'friendship' ended. Any thoughts on all my musings? Would love to get your perspective 😆
“These things I have spoken to YOU, that my joy may be in YOU and YOUR joy may be made full. John 15:11 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:14 English Standard Version Learning the true Jesus, even praying to the Christ allows his joy to be in us. It helps with therapy.
Please get all the support you an . It’s awesome. I’m the same. I never fully committed. Yet I was brainwashed for a decade. I’ve found some Therapists often don’t understand . It takes being involved with them to understand how important it is To Leave This Cult. They are so manipulative.
In the 40s and 50s you weren't even supposed to get married, but instead pioneer and wait to be "available after Armageddon". My mom's spoken many times about how she was frowned upon and truly embarrassed to go to conventions when she was visibly pregnant. And don't even start about the "font" of advice about parenting from elders, circuit overseers etc. with no kids of their own.
That is INSANE! But also no surprise...The parental advice from elders who hadn't a clue really got to me ha! Great point about marriage being frowned upon in the 50s and 60s. That explains why there were so many older single people in our congregation. I always thought that a bit strange.
I was raised in a relatively small congregation that no longer exists. The congregation was formed in 1986 and dissolved in 2019. The Kingdom Hall built specifically for the said congregation in 1994 has been converted into a school district administrative office, as it was located near an elementary school. My family treated me like crap.
Hi, thank you for being open with your story. I'm a single woman and began studying with witnesses three years ago. It was very enjoyable and I was loved bombed which felt awesome because I was going through very rough times. I still feel in debt to the kindness I was shown, regardless of what it was based on. Also I am sure there are sincere witnesses in this congregation. Part of me wants to come back to the community because I don't have strong community outside of jws. Having said this, a red flag was lifted when, on an article study the topic of having children was brought up and the article said something along the lines of "we do not have children if we don't have everything figured out first". I understand there are basic things adults need to be, like the ability to provide and sound in mind, and I agree with this, but there's not way to "have it all figured out"; that is the point of faith. In this study it was suggested by my bible teachers that I wouldn't go having children or anything like that..... also it seemed a taboo subject to even get to know single men in the congregation regardless of whether they showed interest or not. Now please correct me if I'm wrong but the Bible is about life, not sterility. Even from the beginning of the creation of man, it was told to them to "be fruitful and multiply". I am looking to make a family and I did not appreciate at all the suggestion that I should remain single and how much better I could serve God in this way. I think God will make that choice, not the org. ... does anybody else have similar experiences?
Gawd aren’t we so lucky we had these kids. Our kids saved our lives. As a parent, there are just so many things that go against the natural instincts of love and logic and humanity that are required as a JW. You didn’t even get around to the school-age bits of indoctrinating them to believe their classmates are doomed and they must preach at school. I’m so glad you guys woke up and got the heck out of there! Great job telling your story and trusting your insticts, and coming out TOGETHER! ❤️💙💗🧡💚
My bible study conductor said to me many times not to have children (he had 4) and pushed to us to be pioneers. We eventually had a child and when I was pregnant we visited them to tell them and when I told them they were soo disappointed. It was an awkward weekend because we stayed with them. Since then they stopped talking to us. Meanwhile they have two disfellowshipped sons and now the other two grown children are having babies. They are also separated or divorced?! Soo crazy.
@@TheExjwFamily that's beautiful guys. I had a JW ex-wife and she was hardcore on not having any children. Deep down though I did want kids, but when she went so far to remove half her uterus, my love for her left.
Thank you for the video, I so can relate to you. I was a single mother coming into the “Truth” and my daughter just couldn’t stay still for two hours so the brother sitting in the back would give me the big eyes, sisters wouldn’t go out in service with us or sit with us during the meetings. It was horrible as I was always stressed out! Bunch of crazy intolerant people I had to face every time I went to the meetings. Well now I’m so glad it’s over! Merry Christmas 🎄🎁 and Happy New Year 🎈 and be safe
I've never been in the Jehova's Witnesses but I have had them attempt a study with me back in the 80s As I've studied up on them their apparent hatred of children and the poor REALLY made me glad I hadn't . I have always wanted to wish an ex-JW a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year ALL The Best !!!
I remember a lovely "(brother)" who wasn't given additional "privileges" because he felt helping his wife with the children during the meetings was overly important to him. Ridiculous.
Hey guys, I love your videos! I just found your channel today. I watched your videos from 2 years ago. Such a similar situation. I’ve been awake for about 15 years, but my wife just woke up this year. We have 2 kids. Our daughter is almost 14 and our son is 7 . I agree , raising kids in the truth is BRUTAL! Our daughter hated it. She wasn’t allowed to make friends in school, had to always turn down invitations to birthday parties, even when one mom tried to modify the party so she could attend. Instead, she had to b friends with the other kids in the hall, which she never clicked with. Now that my wife is awake and going at warp speed, we are doing it all. Holidays, etc. it’s wonderful, but the best part is seeing my kids visibly happier. Our daughter can now hang out with her school friends and she loves it. It’s great to hear from others who are going through the same thing. I also wanted to say it took a lot of courage for you to formally disassociate. We haven’t been able to take that leap. We’re just pimo, and haven’t been to a meeting in well over a year. Thanks again for your videos. I’m glad you decided to start back up.
Thank you! So happy to hear your wife finally made it out and your kids are now enjoying normal lives. Brutal is such a suitable word. Thank goodness we all made it out. Dissociating isn't for everyone and it isn't even necessary, but we felt it was the right thing for us at the time. And we've never looked back :) Glad both our families are free! That's the main thing.
I went to the mothers room to nurse my daughter ONCE! I decided I'm not a cow to sit in a circle and feed. I nursed with a light receiving blanket over my shoulder case closed. I also refused to sit at the back of the hall and if we couldn't feel good going to the meeting we didn't go point blank.
The way they treat breast-feeding women is appalling. It was a nightmare in our congregation. The looks of disdain. The muttering of disgust under their breath. Vile people in a vile cult. It makes me sick to think that we were once one of them.
Hell, did you get dirty looks for feeding the baby! So many people are intolerant to mums breastfeeding in public. I didn’t care. Nobody was going to stop me feeding my baby anywhere I wanted to. I was discreet about it, because I didn’t want men looking there. One time my sister in law fed her baby at a cafe. The owner asked her to stop it. My sister in law got the sugar bowl and tipped it all over the table then tipped her coffee into it and stirred it around! So funny!
@@TheExjwFamily Please never forget that we were 'them' because of the brain coercion they applied to children and the reprisals if one even thought about objecting. We were never THEM because we had to get out come hell or high water.
@@TheExjwFamily Acts 5:30 The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus ACTS 3:13 Peter and John said: The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified his Son and Servant, Jesus EXODUS 6:3 “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.” King James Version (KJV)
Your kids are so lucky to have you. So many smart precocious kids who ask questions are only ever met with scorn and dismissal, which does nothing but crush their spirits and set them up for a lifetime of shame and self esteem issues. I'm so glad you respected your kids enough to take their thoughts and feelings seriously.
Very interesting experience you had. I left the Organization last year August 31, 2021. I served as an elder for eight years.I hated the control that the GB have on elders and expect them to keep the flock in line, and the result is what you related in this video. But I can assure you not all elders are that bad when it come to congregation control. good work. happy we are out and wide awake!
Back in 1976 my wife was pregnant with our first child. The comments she got when we let others know about our joy was and I am not kidding "woe to the pregnant women in the last days" instead of being happy for us it was just the opposite. When I was a child in the 1960's I was told many times by adults I shouldn't be there because God only wants adults. All these red flags and it took my wife and I until 2010 to leave. Good job. Take care. David Winner
That's a BIG lie. Jesus actually said in the bible that adults SHOULD become like children if they want to go to Heaven. It's unbelievable how they could twist it so much. God loves children.😢
I lost 8 babies though the first weeks of pregnancy I had one boy he is my whole world. I became a jehovah witness 14 years ago they found out my son was gay well you know what they said and I couldn't do it my son is great and I thought all children was a gift from God I love my son more than my self . Glad you got out and you look happy well done.
I personally know many that did not have children because of the society’s belief it is best to wait and have children in the new system! I feel very sorry for them. This is so cultish. They are too old now to have children. If they wake they are going to realise how stupid they have been. Children have made my life so rich with love. This is so much more than I got from the witnesses. They are so disapproving of ones that don’t wait for the new system!
So true, Sadie. We knew quite a few people who were the same. I feel bad for those that wake up when it is too late also. My hope is that the cult will go away one day and that won't happen to people, but we shall see.
Ray Franz said it was his biggest regret, that his Bethel "career" prevented his his wife having children. Because he prioritized the organization over her happiness and desire for children. I think his wife was deeply sad over it. Many people didn't even marry because it was discouraged and even banned for Bethelites until Knorr decided to break the rules. Even though Rutherford was not only married but had a mistress at Bethel!
@@annabizaro-doo-dah That is just so sad! How dare they control people’s lives like that. It’s actually going against what God told us to do and that was to have children. It’s not respecting our creator.
Wowsers! Can you imagine the karma (reap what he sowed) that elder will receive for telling you he thought less of you! Appalling and completely inappropriate! I am very sorry for the treatment you received.
We had an older sister in the West Fork Arkansas Kingdom Hall who everyone called “the mean witch with the switch” because if the children in the car group acted up while the parents were at the door she would beat them! This is a 💯 % true story!
It will be a relief to be away from "the watchers" in the JW congregation. Even if they still watch you you do not need to listen to them any more. Be glad to be free.
A child detracts from time spent promoting watchtower interests. That's the way the governing body view children. "Wait for the new system before having children". I would hear that a lot in the kingdom hall. In other words, spend every waking minute slaving for the organization, not wasting time nurturing children.
This is what I've always thought. It amazes me though, because surely it's easier to grow your numbers by encouraging your followers to have more kids in the long term...I guess they really believe the end of the world mallarky.
Great video My family and ‘the truth’ made it clear as I was growing up ….that it was not appropriate to have kids in this system I remember my mum saying to me (I was 10) look at Sister Proctor …pregnant again (they had 4) it really shows a lack of spirituality by having kids in these last days 5 years ago via Twitter someone tweeted me & asked me if I was a JW, they sent me a link to a podcast where they mentioned me …the other tweeter asked me if it was me they were referring too I listened to the podcast knowing I shouldn’t (as there apostates controlled by the bad guy) It was me they were talking about, they kept (for the 90min podcast talking about Ray Franz & his book, I’d never heard of him) I bought the book and by chapter 3 I knew it was all nonsense manmade stuff I drifted away after a failed marriage but but still believed 1000% …..looking out the window in the mornings to see if Armageddon had come ….I’m now 52 & remarried (I had always made it clear I don’t want children) I now have a 4yr old boy and wished I’d done it 20 years ago & filled the house I have discovered the meaning of love and life and care about nothing more than my Son…I’m so lucky to have him and paranoid making sure that none of the BS in my head is shared with my Son. My mum was telling me last night how some single sisters are looking forward to having kids in the new system ….lucky them
That is some story, Ian! Glad you made it out and discovered the wonder that is children. I was always on the fence about kids. But looking back, I see that I mainly didn't want them for many of the reasons you outlined above. As an elder it seemed irresponsible to have kids. How mad is it that we juggled "children are a gift from god" and "don't have children until after Armagedon"??? My kids are the best thing that ever happened to me :)
@@TheExjwFamily I remember, my mortgage adviser trying to sell me a pension back In 1992, I explained that I was a JW and had a different view of the future and that we didn’t need pensions …..he named a Brother in St Albans Cong whom I happened to know (not that well but by name only) who worked with him, he called him there & then…. The brother said that JW’s could have pensions, there was no issues at all. I was shocked !!! As I was such a firm believer 😂 Now firmly free from all this nonsense ….& so happy 👍
A great video thank you people: Husband became an Elder and wife is told by an Elder "We will be watching you now". (As if they were waiting for the family to make a mistake!) More control over the people!
I have 3 kids that I did a really good job indoctrinating.. unfortunately. My youngest is 8, and I'm getting divorced from their dad who is still in. So they spend 50% of their time at dad's as JW. Its a super tough spot.. for everyone! I really enjoyed hearing your story.
Man, that really is a tough one. Sending our thoughts and good vibes, for what it's worth. Hoping your kids adjust without too much difficulty. All the best on the journey. It might be crazy now, but it will get better.
I'm sorry to hear that you are having these problems. I think that kids are far more knowledgeable than we realise, so each one will eventually start questioning what they are learning there, and will start feeling that same cognitive dissonance that all ex jws have. If at that point they leave your ex will be lonely man, because he will have to disown them. I hope that one day he too will get out and away from the constant manipulation of the governing body. To be honest I think modern jw kids watching JWtv see through that festival of cringe especially Stephen Lett! Give it time, and good luck!
Growing up I only ever went to church on Christmas. Then in middle school my parents started going to church every Sunday, and that went on until I was in high school. I was lucky in that I already had a decently good idea of what I thought was morally wrong so when I was told homosexuality was a sin, I didn’t believe it. As someone who has known I wasn’t straight since I was like 4, I can’t imagine where I would be if I had gone to church as a small child. Religion can do a lot of good in the world but it also does a lot of negative to individual people.
So good to hear the things that pushed me many years ago away from that horrid soul killing society. Now you can live vicariously through your children as I did. Sad thing is that my daughter held on to the cult think but she is thriving in her own way. I am trying my best but this coronavirus program is so culty and triggers my sensibilities. Love to see you all laugh and live and love. Merry Christmas
100% with you guys, they don't know how much they really hate children. Our child was the reason we left. I wanted to be the exemplary jw father so I had to strengthen my faith, and ended up with the faith of leaving lol. Only took two years after for my wife to finally say we were not going back, the way our little one was treated, no one cared about his comfort as a baby. To them, it was bad if you went and he was crying, bad if we didn't go, bad if we stood up to stop the crying, bad if you walked around in the lobby to keep him from crying, bad if we went outside, bad if we went into the back room. That's when we really noticed how much children are hated. My wife said, if our child is not well received then that's not a place for us either. 4 years out and we are happier than ever, specially our son.
They have basically held me hostage since I was 16 in 1992 when I reported abuse and my pediatrician hospitalized me and called me a delusional bipolar schizophrenic and drugged me and then 20 years later they hacked me and posted abuse photos and trashed my mental stability reputation and gave my graduate thesis committee credit for my Fulbright dissertation research proposal without paying or crediting me and hospitalized me again after they handcuffed me in front of my family and neighbors and held me hostage in mental hospitals and tortured and almost killed me and put me in a conservatorship and everyone in my family made money off of it. I did a background check on my psychologist and she is associated with First Step Pediatrics like my pediatrician and wrote a letter discrediting my mental stability reputation and has ties to Saudi Aramco and the World Bank.
I remember fearing going to the summer assembly because I would get extremely nauseated and I didn't know why. It stopped when I was 8ish. Now I know why. I'm sure almost all of us had similar experiences, and I probably had more, but mentally in parents aren't going to tell us or notice!
I was 23 married, both working, self employed, 3 small children and I was a MS, and on numerous building projects, but it was never enough for the elders. They hated kids is true.
I'm new to your channel and very much enjoy listening to the stories that we can all relate to. I reached the point of MS and it was truly the "peek behind the curtain" that started my waking up process. I don't have much anger anymore but must say that my efforts to indoctrinate my children are a sore point and I truly regret having done so. So many stories and so little time!
Would love to hear those stories sometime, Willy. When I got the peak behind the curtain as an MS I shrugged it off. But when I was made an elder, my mind was blown!
Good questions. The one thing that blew my mind was the sheer hubris of a bunch of guys feeling okay with having such undue influence over other people's lives. I couldn't put my finger on what bothered me at the time, but I figured out this was what it was later. The biggest event that blew my mind was having to remove an experienced elder...because the other elders didn't like him. That was an insane debacle. Or that one time I had to sign over all the congregations finances to the organization. I guess a lot of things blew my mind. I could probably list them here all day :)
@@TheExjwFamily - ok. this is quite eye-opening. I feel so much less alone in my feeling that something was out of place with how things were done, how kids were viewed, etc. I didn't follow my gut feeling at the time; I only wish I had woken up early enough to have my own family.
I remember when I was a witness they were discouraging the younger generation from having children by manipulating them and saying we are living in the last days and do you really want to raise children in this system of things.
I found out that the jw meetings were not guided by anything Godly. When I became a mother I did what was best for my daughter and I, as you both have declared.
Thanks that you noticed, The meetings are guided for mental manipulation to to acept the stupits rules and regulations they have in place.... One the most repeting line is " You have to belive in the goberning body " they pronoun this sentence hundreds of time so the slave understant who is the master manipulator.....
The Watchtower cult is similar or like North Korea! Was in for at least 30 years after my older brother introduced it to me and I joined. Hoped to "survive the 1975 ...", but that didn't happen. Remember having small children at meeting too and had to go out with them when they were uneasy having to sit through these hours. Stopped going out to the preaching work as I couldn't get myselft to do it anymore even though there was pressure from the elders so mostly reported casual witnessing, but that ended to. So in the last years was only attending meetings and later to annual memorial service. After ending going to the meetings I had had enough of meetings for the rest of my life haven't hardly worn a tie since then and hate that and will not wear one anytime! So much can be said and now I'm not any longer beneath the fear of the Watchtower org.
True, my sister is a pioneer with her husband for more than 20 years. They didn’t want kid from the first time, and they don’t even care how my son, who will be her nephew is doing. Typical jw pioneer couples who think they’re showing the best love by reporting time but does not even think or spend time for kids they know.
It's always about counting hours. They rarely care about the people. Which is sad, but I've seen it over and over. Living for a future that will never come...which means not actually living at all. It's probably best that they don't show an interest in your son. Hope you are well!
Those meetings were soooo long! Even as an adult it was hard to stay awake, but for kids it was tortuous. I remember a couple who decided to defer having children until after Armaggedon. They would be in their sixties now, so I wonder if they think it was worth it - at the time they were banking on the 1914 + 70 (3 score years and 10) equation. Well that didn't happen! This deferring having a family was seen as a powerful witness (statement) of their faith, and they were somehow elevated in the congregation because of this sacrifice, because they now had the time to be pioneers, perfect examples. There was a big difference between those who were born into it, and those who joined later. They looked down on you like there was a smell under their nose. I was fond of many of them but the friendships were superficial because they came with a catch, that you stay involved. Going door to door was mortifying. At the time my mum got involved, and for many years after, the magazines were not free, so you were standing there pushing the person to look at the articles, which you knew didn't interest them, and then you had to ask them for the money for something they didn't want, and they came back with the money hoping you would now piss off and that would be the end of it. Oh how wrong they were! Notes were made, and just a fortnight later you would be back on their doorstep asking them what they thought of the articles, which they hadn't read because they had binned it straight away as soon as you had left them. If it came down to a choice between root canal treatment and going door to door, I would race to the dentists chair! No regrets leaving, I don't intend to go back.
That's one of the first books I learned to read I was three when I was learning those stories, and was already reading at that age I used to be scared of Balaam's donkey! They used a very ugly picture to depict the animal!
If I didn’t have children, I believe it would have taken me longer to wake up- I am generally more aware of threats to their safety and well being than I’ve ever been of my own.
When i got pregnant after 3 years of marriage, I was worried that my dad would be upset when i told him i was pregnant. I was surprised when he was very happy about it. P.S. I assert that no one likes going door to door. No one.
I remember my mom sitting all the way in the back my mom used to put us aside before entering the hall and telling us don't make any noise as soon a baby or toddler or kid made any noise they were taking into the bathroom and spanked I was more consentrated in the child crying then what they were talking in the meeting long meeting thou wooshhh Thursdays were eternal 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺
Thx for the open and honest discussion. As a child, I was traumatized thinking all my non JW loved ones (including my mom) would die at Armageddon. It was horrifying.
I saw an elder's wife, quite elderly, say that her husband would simply "not allow" their children to cry, and that crying babies are just a discipline issue. mind, my congregation was very pro child. mostly middle class families in a relatively affluent area, so 90% of the growth was just having kids.
Not surprising that extreme people have such extreme views. I still battle with some extreme views and reactions and I probably will for the rest of my life because of the indoctrination. We've been in a a few pro-child halls in the past, though they are few and far between over here. That growth is the bit I don't get. I mean, having kids must be a big point of growth for them overall, so why make it so difficult on families?
@@TheExjwFamily I cam only speculate. I imagine it is a combination of the leaders being childless, their doomsday beliefs holding that "this is no time to have babies", and the fact that children cannot be controlled innthe same way adults are
I actually saw a very young mother 'smack' a newborn who was crying. She was tapping baby harder and harder which of course made it scream all the louder. It was a demonstration that she could "discipline" her child! Some older women took her out the back and had a word with her, thank goodness. Talk about children having children!!!
@@annabizaro-doo-dah goodness. some people just don't get it. the baby doesn't care about propriety. it needs something, so it will cry. babies don't have the ability to "just wait an hour or two". there us a decent chance that it will die if the issue isn't addressed! they need constant care, because they are so fragile.
You're lucky you didn't have your kids in the 80s. You'd have been expected to beat your eldest for saying not to knock on doors. They'd have accused her of being controlled by Satan. Being raised in the religion I'm amazed you are so empathetic and gentle with your children. I think you didn't question the horrible deaths in JW kids books yourselves because you were trained not to, whether you knew it or not. I did question it because, although I was indoctrinated as a child, I didn't live in a witness house so I had the mental freedom to empathise with non witnesses. It's great that your kids did too, despite being born in. It's a credit to yourselves.
My two older cousins were beat badly by my witness obsessed uncle. They wanted nothing to do with it. Needless to say they both never became witnesses thankfully 😅
I have a lot of kids and I didn't understand why they would like us because they were very negative towards children 😔 I thought maybe I am to show them how to love and embrace them and I do think I did a little. I couldn't stand the way they treated children.
So glad I came across your video, I believe your perspectives on “family” will have a great impact for those that are struggling as families in the organization. Paddy (?), were you interviewed recently on another video? You’re face is familiar 🤔
We hope it resonated with folks struggling with that aspect. There wasn't a whole lot of that when we woke up :) I wasn't interviewed recently...I must have one of those faces haha
I did not have baby when I went in but I was basically a single mother with four children 7 to 16 years old I was treated so badly until today my children are scared they gave my children low self esteem and they are adults now 3 are out but one is still in its rough being a witness it's worst when you wake up >to a lonely place to be
I raised two step children in Watchtower ,but I will tell you that the no children thing was a popular factor for me ....and my wife .....I'm the oldest of seven and I never wanted to have kids ....Watchtower caught me on multiple levels .....fool me once !?!?!?
I am not a JW, my mum was and I attended some meetings. The Children were always well dressed. Happy, not allowed to roam the streets. In most cases with a mother AND a father! They did well at school. Were intelligent and well looked after! So I take exception to this insulting, unfair labelling of an 8 million strong group of people! You cant 'type cast' the many due to known isolated instances.
I know what you mean, bro. I was in the Waterville Congregation of their Kingdom Hall. I actually saw a mom with her kids and 1 of them is on a leash. I'm not kidding you, people! And many more of these kids were there, also. I know that kids will be kids and will do anything that ours will do. They can't help it!
Wow. Way to treat the lifeblood of your religion. Kids should be number one also for the congregation, as they are literally the future. Obviously not!
Such a cute couple 😍 i am not married yet, but when I do get married I hope to be a couple like this one, they seem so perfect for each other and a good fit and like really good friends as well. I have never been a JW, only a normal Christian, but I studied with JW and quickly sensed that its a cult that is actually taking people away from Christ. Great that this couple escaped. I wish you all the best.
I'm glad you sensed they were a cult very fast. And thank you for your kind comments. We have faults like everyone else, but we do our best :) Take care!
How blasphemous is it that they call themselves the truth when only Jesus is the truth, this is the definition of an antichrist right ? I love you both God bless
Jehovah’s Witness family values? My father does not speak to me. My mother does not speak to me. My older sister does not speak to me. My parents do not speak to my older sister. My older sister no longer speaks to my younger sister. My JW uncles & aunts, cousins & nephews do not speak to me or my younger sister but they will speak to my older sister. This is a pretty normal JW family. When you decide to leave the JW religion, they make your family shun you in an effort to get you back. They call it a “loving provision”. I call it a culty and destructive religion.
I appreciate the insight. I’m not a JW but I think it fair to not blanket all JW’s as hating children. I realize this is your true experience but your title suggests this all all. Nice video though.
I feel bad for my niece and nephew they are little adults and don't act like children at all and even when they are around my kids and start letting a little loose and acting like children my sister will tell them to stop and to not do this or that and if it doesn't work she will say your making jehovah sad and then they will get a depressed look and start playing very quietly when my kids are the loudest children in the county.
@ 6:50 Humans are born with a natural empathy for the plight and experience of other humans, and this is expressed by *Confuscius* in 600 BCE, and later at Leviticus 19:18: "...you shall love your neighbor as yourself" --- it's called: ' Reciprocal Morality ' Jesus himself wasn't original in repeating this common idea of a very basic human trait.
To days think out the box and most want good jobs .This doomsday cult is the reason my son never got higher education born after 1975 we were newly married.Were told from platform at assemblies and through litrature the end is coming.In the last few months so many changes and yet their folk follow them blindly. 🤣🤣🤣
What was not right about what the child saw and asked in the book of Bibel Stories? Why could the Mother or later the Father (Elder) the simple question not answer? SAD!
Your oldest sounds as if she's an empath. She has a rare ability to be tuned into the emotions of those around her. That could be a gift but it could become a burden because it must be exhausting to feel so many emotions to such a degree.
I'm sadly still forced in the jw because me and my oldest sister are the only ones in my family to understand that this cult is totally wrong. I can't even see my friends that aren't jw because they're apparently "bad influence" for me and because I'm forced to go in service all Saturday and to the meeting all Sunday and Thursday.
I have never been a JW because the Lord blessed me by growing up in a Christian family. When ever the JWs would come knocking at our door, I was ready to discuss the Bible in detail. Over the years as I learned more about this cult my skills at dialogue have improved. My last dialogue with a group of 5 JWs in a shopping center ended after an hour. They literally fled my presence when they could not answer me anymore. I was only getting “warmed up” by that point…. They panicked and ran away. At first I thought, Did I do something wrong? But today I realize that I did something very right. Those who preach and teach error should never get over on believers who truly love the Lord. I never saw those JWs again.
Well, married to a fine women raised by a devout JW mother. She is affected to this day by this cult and its followers. Her mother cares little about her daughters, both daughters are quite damaged by this. I feel they are bpd. What to do?
See,in a marriage where 2 people are together for years there can still be secrets, he had no idea about that incident & his wife decided he wasn't ready to hear such a thing because he wasn't ready due to not being woke, still do you think she should have shared that with the daddy of that little girl? I'm not making any judgement as to what she did, it's just the fact there can be secrets, so don't think it spouse isn't keeping secrets 😁
The elder members either did not have kids cause the end was near anyway (and it clearly was not and they missed out) or they had kids and lost them when disassociated so it is sad to see the little ones. You and your kids/future kids are competition to be the 144,000. Nothing like taking away the confidence of others to put yourself higher up to be the 144K. For the kids in the group they got to make sure other kids are dedicated enough so their parents will not leave cause if they leave then they have less people they are allowed to talk to. They are already very isolated. Never a JW. Just an observation.
I remember talking with my husband prior to getting to the Kingdom Hall that we should sit towards the back so that I could easily get up to walk the baby because I knew he would cry loudly during the meeting and I didn’t want to disturb others too much. Then when arriving being asked to get up from the last row and move to the front rows. After mentioning that I needed the back and why I was reminded by the usher that I needed to be obedient and do as he asked. So there I go and move to the front and then the baby started to cry loudly and he was disrupting the entire congregation and the speaker and me refusing to get up with him LOL. The speaker kept looking at me and I’d stare back at him and smiled and just bounced my Abby whom I knew would not shut up until I walked him. Then the usher (same one) having to come and ask me to get up with him. I then told him next time you should listen to when a mother says the reason she needs to sit where she sat. He was not happy with me. I was not a good JW.
Haha I love this story! We've had similar experiences. I mean, what moron asks a mother with a baby to move to the front. And the arrogance of not listening because you should be a good obedient little woman. Just talking about it makes me want to slap someone lol stupid usher!
IamEpicHill I know there were a few times I would show up at the Kingdom Hall and some overseer didn’t want people sitting in the back either he wanted everyone to sit up front too. I didn’t have children yet but grown adults being told where to sit it was ridiculous and I wasn’t a very good witness either.😀😋
Sounds similar to my experience in several congregations when my children were young.
You're supposed quiet protest is disturbing. How deep in out of control are you dude?
Good on you! 👍… I have seen this as well and as a man I could work out this would not end well! But I guess it’s the “will you paint the hall with a 2” paint brush?” 😂… blind OBEDIENCE! hmmm we learn 😊
My 3 daughters were raised by a single parent (me) who took them to the Kingdom Hall all their lives. My children were ignored all those years even though they were considered fatherless and orphans who should of been cared for by the congregation. My children always reminded me that none of those JW’s ever cared about any of us.
It's funny how we were always taught to care for those who needed it most yet those were the people always pushed to the fringes because no one wanted to be around them. I can remember this clearly when I was growing up. And I remember seeing it with other families in the years before I left. I hope your daughter followed you out. They deserve better.
@@TheExjwFamily thankfully none of my kids ever wanted to be apart of this loveless group of people
Thank goodness :)
It happens the same with me i was this children i was going alone there no one saw just a child attending meetings by her own
No one ever wanted to go out in service with me because I had 3 children. Most of the time they would send me out in service BY MYSELF! I would go to my car, cry my eyes out and then drive home knowing no one wanted to be around me or my kids.
That is terrible! But also no surprise given what so many are like. How cold-hearted!
I have another experience to share:
My first time to go out preaching door to door in field service i was warned by a friend of mine that nobody was going to want to go out with me or my kids because they don’t like kids. So at my first field service meeting everyone made groups and at the very end they left me to work ALONE with my kids while the pioneer sister who was studying the Bible with me chose to ignore me and my kids and work alone with her pioneer partner! I was so upset that I ran into the bathroom and cried louder than I ever had! That should of been a wake up call for me to leave and never come back but I continued to let them treat me and my kids like that for another 27 years!!
That's horrible :( It's amazing what we put up with...You got on in the end. That's the important thing. Hope you and your kids are well now.
I had a very similar experience with a CO’s wife at a very vulnerable time in my life. Her husband and the elders KNEW I was struggling, but precious Sister Sonderman couldn’t deal with ‘small children, and they’re surprising noises’. Bitch…PLEASE. I have diagnosed PTSD from this cult, and you couldn’t handle happy baby noises? Get out of circuit work.
@@chrissyparkins1615 That's because demonically oppressed/ possessed/influenced people hate happy children/baby noises.
It’s not just the kids they hate.
I spent 27 years as a JW and never once did I have any true friends who liked me, came by to visit me, or called me, or invited me to get togethers, or wanted to talk to me. I spent 27 years making excuses for this but finally said “there is absolutely no love among this people!” All they do is judge you! You are never enough and can always be doing better for “the governing body “ whom you have never met and who have never done anything for you! I was extremely poor and was always treated like I was scum under their feet!
It's so true. Their display of "love" is surface level only. Underneath its all cold and harsh and uncaring and everyone for themselves. And as you say, no matter how good you do, it isn't enough. Sorry to hear you were treated in such a despicable way because you were poor. I can tell you that my family growing up were treated the same way by most.
I think because they don't often mix with worldly people all their negativity is concentrated among the flock. Compiling that, people that are easily led will manifest the personality and will of the ones dominating them quicker and more fully. Cults are like tornadoes. The cyclical abrasive reasoning destroys everyone sucked in by it. Once they've taken everything you have, separated you from everything else in the world they dump you back in the mess they have made. However, I think I'm being unfair to tornadoes.
That is awful. Sorry you went thru this. Christians should not Judge. It’s a Commandment. They never made me feel welcome or Wanted or special. Awful & Cruel you & others ( & myself) to be treated like nothing. Thank Goodness for Videos like this 💎🙏💜
I’m sorry. I have a similar situation. Been in my cong for almost 10 years and no real friends. Already having stepped away it’s been no contact from any of them. We also weren’t liked because we were financially less then them.
We were in a small congregation and were the only ones with a baby. It was soon made clear to us that he had to sit quietly. As he got older we regularly got "shepherding calls" which were basically the COBE telling us all our mistakes. At one he suggested our son sit on a chair at home for 15 minutes each day until he could do it without making a sound. Then we increase to half hour until finally he could sit still at home for 2 hours without making a sound. Can you imagine doing that to a three year old? Thank God we got out.
They said the same thing to me!
That's insane! Thank God you got out indeed!
That’s so mean. Children are adorable. I love My sons so much. I think I might have said f### you.
I was never really good as witness either. God Bless your little one whom you Love & discipline is not a way of Parenting. I use reasonings & I’m a single Mum. My kids are beautiful. How dare they suggest This form of Punishment. It makes so sad yet so Glad I woke up 🥀
I saw it many times in the congregation children that young cannot sit still for 2-3 hrs at a time it’s just unrealistic it was ridiculous that you would get calls about her son.🙄🙄🙄
That is literal torture designed to break their will. Like blanket training of children by Evangelicas, which is also torture of a child and breaks their will.
In 2005 we had our first grandchild, my daughter would come to our congregation so I could help her with the baby. At the time, A few last rows were assigned for families with children. And we would sit with my daughter and one day an elder came up and told my daughter that we (my husband and I) couldn’t sit there because the child wasn’t ours and she and the baby was the family - so we got up- no questions asked) my husband did get upset but followed the instruction. The baby was and Now very attached to me. So he used to get fuzzy and cried because we weren’t in the same row. So we decided es to take the meetings in the back room from that day on). And it got worst!!
A few weeks later an non-child elder came to give us the Sunday talk and it was how to teach children since infancy to be spiritual. The talk was cruel!! Totally out of order, off normal baby behavior examples!!! One of them: “the KH is not a place to drink or eat snacks, or come with toys even if they are the size of the child’s hand, no crayons nor coloring books! Only a pencil and a notebook- like that they will learn to start taking notes!
Omg!!!! Total nonsense!!!
Story from a JW kid.
I remember always detesting the meetings- but after being molested as a kid I began having a trauma response to wearing anything feminine. I also had a trauma response to being in meetings- which was in part due to me acting out in a sexual manner (which looking back now as an adult was due to my none JW father grooming me- and a variety of other bad things going on in my life...) I was slut shamed and more while literally being a child and not understanding much of anything-- while also being shamed for acting too "manly" as I refused to wear skirts... too easy access and traumatic for child me after some events in my life...
One day I decided I didn't want to go to meetings and I remember being dragged by my ankles to the meeting by my mom. Being traumatized via the JW church- I refused to go in... my Mother decided as punishment for not wanting to go into the church she'd lock me outside the car in the cold (it was fall/winter and an evening meeting). The brothers as the JW church watched from a distance as I sat by my mom's locked car- refusing to enter their church... I after about 30 minutes ended up crawling under my mom's car to get warmth from the engine... None of the brothers tried to talk to my mom about letting me sit in her car- instead they let me endure being cold outside because I was "disrespecting" god via refusing to enter the "warm and safe" church... I was 6 or 8 years old at oldest....
....
If a child would rather freeze for up to 2 or more hours... the child doesn't consider that place safe... and you should be concerned for their safety, not their disrespect to your god...
I remember being punished for asking if everyones childrens, children, children's, etc live forever? Rather than contemplate the question they labelled me as devil child. The elders and my parents put so much effort into "correcting" me. For a while as a child I thought everyone on earth was an idiot because of the ridiculous beliefs they held. It was scary, I remember thinking: "If I'm the smartest person, we are all doomed!"
I was so glad when I realised there are more intelligent people than me who don't lie to themselves. People who didn't have a holy reason to lie to me condescendingly. Last time I saw any jdubs they looked so tired and depressed. Despite their evil deeds I can't help feeling pity for them. It's the ones benefiting from orchestrating this depravity who are to blame.
Glad you saved your kids from a truly horrific ordeal. Much love from England.
You echo many of the thoughts and feelings I had when asking honest questions while I was on. Tired and depressed is a good description. Hopefully that's also the state of the cult overall. Much love from the other side of the stream.
It's interesting you are covering this topic. When I was a JW, I saw many couples who chose to not have children, because they were waiting for "the new system of things". Also, I can remember looking at parents with children in the Kingdom Hall, and thinking how dreadful it will be when one fine day I would have to go through that, having to try to keep a young child quiet for 2 whole hours!!! Then there is the blood issue. I always knew that I would never be able to let my child die. Finally, I knew I did not want to subject my child to the constant challenges JW children have to face. I'm so glad I took the decision to walk away and stay away before I had my son.
So happy you walked away and your son is free from all that madness. Your thoughts resonate so much with what we experienced!
After being disfellowshipped in 1986 I went back in 1994 together with my then 7 year old son and 3 year old daughter. After one year I was pronounced as resumed. The pressure made me more and more depressed. Finally in 1995 I had to stay in a hospital for 3 month. During my absence they treated my children very badly, telling them they are guilty that I am sick because they were not good enough. It took me 2 more years (supported by a therapist) until I had the courage to leave the jw. For years there is no more contact between my children and me. They will never forgive me forcing them to join with me the jw.
It just goes to show what the cult is like. I'm sorry to hear they did that to you and your children. I hope you can once day reconcile with your children. Good luck!
My kids don’t want to forgive me either for their cult indoctrination so I know how you feel.
I hatred, HATED, going out in service. It was just the worst. I despised talking to strangers about something I didn’t even believe in. Neither of us wanted to be awkwardly standing there so early on a Saturday morning.
I have some memories of JWs I came across. I'm from Australia and my first year of teaching was in 2004. Harry Potter was BIG and I remember reading the first book to my Year 3 class. I had a JW student who blocked his ears every time I read a chapter. He would also refuse to sing our National Anthem and stand at assembly.
I was also ( I assumed) close friends with a girl during my time at university. The things I remember were that she was never allowed to come to my house- you could only ever visit her, she was forever babysitting other people's children, you couldn't wish her a happy birthday or mention the word 'present' but she happily accepted engagement gifts when she got engaged at 21. She once invited me to a JW convention in Sydney. When I said I'd go if she came to my Catholic mass I think the 'friendship' ended. Any thoughts on all my musings? Would love to get your perspective 😆
That is so sad 😞 I was lucky to leave before I had a child, but i never knew what others may have gone through. Thank you for sharing your story ❤
Thank you Raquel. Glad you left before having kids. And our kids are free from all that now so all good :) Enjoying freedom!
Thank you for the story! I am on therapy myself after loosing 25 years of my life
You're welcome, Caslanda, and thank you for watching. We're glad you're getting help after losing so much!
Be thankful you are out of the cult. Don’t look back. Look ahead. Many recovered from the evil cult. It won’t ruin you if you don’t let it.
Same. At least it's almost been 20 years since I left.
“These things I have spoken to YOU, that my joy may be in YOU and YOUR joy may be made full. John 15:11
If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:14 English Standard Version
Learning the true Jesus, even praying to the Christ allows his joy to be in us. It helps with therapy.
Please get all the support you an . It’s awesome. I’m the same. I never fully committed. Yet I was brainwashed for a decade. I’ve found some Therapists often don’t understand . It takes being involved with them to understand how important it is To Leave This Cult. They are so manipulative.
In the 40s and 50s you weren't even supposed to get married, but instead pioneer and wait to be "available after Armageddon". My mom's spoken many times about how she was frowned upon and truly embarrassed to go to conventions when she was visibly pregnant. And don't even start about the "font" of advice about parenting from elders, circuit overseers etc. with no kids of their own.
That is INSANE! But also no surprise...The parental advice from elders who hadn't a clue really got to me ha! Great point about marriage being frowned upon in the 50s and 60s. That explains why there were so many older single people in our congregation. I always thought that a bit strange.
I was raised in a relatively small congregation that no longer exists. The congregation was formed in 1986 and dissolved in 2019. The Kingdom Hall built specifically for the said congregation in 1994 has been converted into a school district administrative office, as it was located near an elementary school. My family treated me like crap.
Hi, thank you for being open with your story. I'm a single woman and began studying with witnesses three years ago. It was very enjoyable and I was loved bombed which felt awesome because I was going through very rough times. I still feel in debt to the kindness I was shown, regardless of what it was based on. Also I am sure there are sincere witnesses in this congregation. Part of me wants to come back to the community because I don't have strong community outside of jws.
Having said this, a red flag was lifted when, on an article study the topic of having children was brought up and the article said something along the lines of "we do not have children if we don't have everything figured out first". I understand there are basic things adults need to be, like the ability to provide and sound in mind, and I agree with this, but there's not way to "have it all figured out"; that is the point of faith. In this study it was suggested by my bible teachers that I wouldn't go having children or anything like that..... also it seemed a taboo subject to even get to know single men in the congregation regardless of whether they showed interest or not. Now please correct me if I'm wrong but the Bible is about life, not sterility. Even from the beginning of the creation of man, it was told to them to "be fruitful and multiply".
I am looking to make a family and I did not appreciate at all the suggestion that I should remain single and how much better I could serve God in this way. I think God will make that choice, not the org. ... does anybody else have similar experiences?
Smart that you got out, as I saw the cult ruin families. You saved your family from destruction.
We did...and we're very fortunate! Thank you
Gawd aren’t we so lucky we had these kids. Our kids saved our lives. As a parent, there are just so many things that go against the natural instincts of love and logic and humanity that are required as a JW. You didn’t even get around to the school-age bits of indoctrinating them to believe their classmates are doomed and they must preach at school. I’m so glad you guys woke up and got the heck out of there! Great job telling your story and trusting your insticts, and coming out TOGETHER! ❤️💙💗🧡💚
My bible study conductor said to me many times not to have children (he had 4) and pushed to us to be pioneers. We eventually had a child and when I was pregnant we visited them to tell them and when I told them they were soo disappointed. It was an awkward weekend because we stayed with them. Since then they stopped talking to us. Meanwhile they have two disfellowshipped sons and now the other two grown children are having babies. They are also separated or divorced?! Soo crazy.
I can’t believe I was part of this organization 🤦🏻♂️ I used to think this way and now I’m ashamed if I made any mothers feel bad 🥺. Great video guys
I think we were all there at one stage. I didn't even want kids because of the organization. But I'm glad we chose to have them in the end :)
@@TheExjwFamily that's beautiful guys. I had a JW ex-wife and she was hardcore on not having any children. Deep down though I did want kids, but when she went so far to remove half her uterus, my love for her left.
Thank you for the video, I so can relate to you. I was a single mother coming into the “Truth” and my daughter just couldn’t stay still for two hours so the brother sitting in the back would give me the big eyes, sisters wouldn’t go out in service with us or sit with us during the meetings. It was horrible as I was always stressed out! Bunch of crazy intolerant people I had to face every time I went to the meetings. Well now I’m so glad it’s over!
Merry Christmas 🎄🎁 and Happy New Year 🎈 and be safe
It's so true! So happy you and your daughter are out of that nonsense, Danielle. Thank you, and the same to you
Yes if their child dare look behind them to see who all is there the child got a big thump on the head. So much bull shat 😒
I've never been in the Jehova's Witnesses but I have had them attempt a study with me back in the 80s As I've studied up on them their apparent hatred of children and the poor REALLY made me glad I hadn't . I have always wanted to wish an ex-JW a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year ALL The Best !!!
Thanks Calvin. And the same to you! I'm glad you didn't end up a member of the cult :)
merry belated Christmas!
I remember a lovely "(brother)" who wasn't given additional "privileges" because he felt helping his wife with the children during the meetings was overly important to him. Ridiculous.
That's insane. But also not surprising.
Hey guys, I love your videos! I just found your channel today. I watched your videos from 2 years ago. Such a similar situation. I’ve been awake for about 15 years, but my wife just woke up this year. We have 2 kids. Our daughter is almost 14 and our son is 7 . I agree , raising kids in the truth is BRUTAL! Our daughter hated it. She wasn’t allowed to make friends in school, had to always turn down invitations to birthday parties, even when one mom tried to modify the party so she could attend. Instead, she had to b friends with the other kids in the hall, which she never clicked with. Now that my wife is awake and going at warp speed, we are doing it all. Holidays, etc. it’s wonderful, but the best part is seeing my kids visibly happier. Our daughter can now hang out with her school friends and she loves it. It’s great to hear from others who are going through the same thing. I also wanted to say it took a lot of courage for you to formally disassociate. We haven’t been able to take that leap. We’re just pimo, and haven’t been to a meeting in well over a year. Thanks again for your videos. I’m glad you decided to start back up.
Thank you! So happy to hear your wife finally made it out and your kids are now enjoying normal lives. Brutal is such a suitable word. Thank goodness we all made it out. Dissociating isn't for everyone and it isn't even necessary, but we felt it was the right thing for us at the time. And we've never looked back :) Glad both our families are free! That's the main thing.
Beautiful story, but you have to stop calling it “the truth”. That’s just their bs marketing.
@@schleprock000 yes, I know. I forgot the quotation marks 😀
I went to the mothers room to nurse my daughter ONCE! I decided I'm not a cow to sit in a circle and feed. I nursed with a light receiving blanket over my shoulder case closed. I also refused to sit at the back of the hall and if we couldn't feel good going to the meeting we didn't go point blank.
The way they treat breast-feeding women is appalling. It was a nightmare in our congregation. The looks of disdain. The muttering of disgust under their breath. Vile people in a vile cult. It makes me sick to think that we were once one of them.
Hell, did you get dirty looks for feeding the baby! So many people are intolerant to mums breastfeeding in public. I didn’t care. Nobody was going to stop me feeding my baby anywhere I wanted to. I was discreet about it, because I didn’t want men looking there. One time my sister in law fed her baby at a cafe. The owner asked her to stop it. My sister in law got the sugar bowl and tipped it all over the table then tipped her coffee into it and stirred it around! So funny!
@@TheExjwFamily Please never forget that we were 'them' because of the brain coercion they applied to children and the reprisals if one even thought about objecting. We were never THEM because we had to get out come hell or high water.
Totally relate to this- every child pushed us further out of the cult. (we have 4)
It's crazy that this is even a thing. The cult really isn't doing itself any favors when it comes to member retention. Glad you guys got out!
@@TheExjwFamily Acts 5:30 The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus ACTS 3:13 Peter and John said: The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified his Son and Servant, Jesus
EXODUS 6:3 “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.”
King James Version (KJV)
Your kids are so lucky to have you. So many smart precocious kids who ask questions are only ever met with scorn and dismissal, which does nothing but crush their spirits and set them up for a lifetime of shame and self esteem issues. I'm so glad you respected your kids enough to take their thoughts and feelings seriously.
Very interesting experience you had. I left the Organization last year August 31, 2021. I served as an elder for eight years.I hated the control that the GB have on elders and expect them to keep the flock in line, and the result is what you related in this video. But I can assure you not all elders are that bad when it come to congregation control. good work. happy we are out and wide awake!
Hey Frank, Happy that you are awake also! Appreciate the kind words :)
Back in 1976 my wife was pregnant with our first child. The comments she got when we let others know about our joy was and I am not kidding "woe to the pregnant women in the last days" instead of being happy for us it was just the opposite. When I was a child in the 1960's I was told many times by adults I shouldn't be there because God only wants adults. All these red flags and it took my wife and I until 2010 to leave. Good job. Take care. David Winner
That's a BIG lie. Jesus actually said in the bible that adults SHOULD become like children if they want to go to Heaven. It's unbelievable how they could twist it so much. God loves children.😢
I lost 8 babies though the first weeks of pregnancy I had one boy he is my whole world. I became a jehovah witness 14 years ago they found out my son was gay well you know what they said and I couldn't do it my son is great and I thought all children was a gift from God I love my son more than my self . Glad you got out and you look happy well done.
I personally know many that did not have children because of the society’s belief it is best to wait and have children in the new system! I feel very sorry for them. This is so cultish. They are too old now to have children. If they wake they are going to realise how stupid they have been. Children have made my life so rich with love. This is so much more than I got from the witnesses. They are so disapproving of ones that don’t wait for the new system!
So true, Sadie. We knew quite a few people who were the same. I feel bad for those that wake up when it is too late also. My hope is that the cult will go away one day and that won't happen to people, but we shall see.
Ray Franz said it was his biggest regret, that his Bethel "career" prevented his his wife having children. Because he prioritized the organization over her happiness and desire for children. I think his wife was deeply sad over it. Many people didn't even marry because it was discouraged and even banned for Bethelites until Knorr decided to break the rules. Even though Rutherford was not only married but had a mistress at Bethel!
@@annabizaro-doo-dah That is just so sad! How dare they control people’s lives like that. It’s actually going against what God told us to do and that was to have children. It’s not respecting our creator.
Wowsers! Can you imagine the karma (reap what he sowed) that elder will receive for telling you he thought less of you! Appalling and completely inappropriate! I am very sorry for the treatment you received.
It's insane looking back and remembering the BS we tolerated. But like you said, karma... :)
Your daughter sounds like a very sharp little kid. I’m so glad you won’t hold her back from reaching her full potential.
She really is! It makes me sick thinking how horrible it would have been for her if we were still in. Thank God for freedom! :)
We had an older sister in the West Fork Arkansas Kingdom Hall who everyone called “the mean witch with the switch” because if the children in the car group acted up while the parents were at the door she would beat them! This is a 💯 % true story!
Seriously, you need to write a book or start making videos. She sounds...insane haha
It will be a relief to be away from "the watchers" in the JW congregation. Even if they still watch you you do not need to listen to them any more. Be glad to be free.
Oh, we are beyond glad :)
A child detracts from time spent promoting watchtower interests. That's the way the governing body view children. "Wait for the new system before having children". I would hear that a lot in the kingdom hall. In other words, spend every waking minute slaving for the organization, not wasting time nurturing children.
This is what I've always thought. It amazes me though, because surely it's easier to grow your numbers by encouraging your followers to have more kids in the long term...I guess they really believe the end of the world mallarky.
That is 100% spot on!
Great video
My family and ‘the truth’ made it clear as I was growing up ….that it was not appropriate to have kids in this system
I remember my mum saying to me (I was 10) look at Sister Proctor …pregnant again (they had 4) it really shows a lack of spirituality by having kids in these last days
5 years ago via Twitter someone tweeted me & asked me if I was a JW, they sent me a link to a podcast where they mentioned me …the other tweeter asked me if it was me they were referring too
I listened to the podcast knowing I shouldn’t (as there apostates controlled by the bad guy)
It was me they were talking about, they kept (for the 90min podcast talking about Ray Franz & his book, I’d never heard of him)
I bought the book and by chapter 3 I knew it was all nonsense manmade stuff
I drifted away after a failed marriage but but still believed 1000% …..looking out the window in the mornings to see if Armageddon had come ….I’m now 52 & remarried (I had always made it clear I don’t want children)
I now have a 4yr old boy and wished I’d done it 20 years ago & filled the house
I have discovered the meaning of love and life and care about nothing more than my Son…I’m so lucky to have him and paranoid making sure that none of the BS in my head is shared with my Son.
My mum was telling me last night how some single sisters are looking forward to having kids in the new system ….lucky them
That is some story, Ian! Glad you made it out and discovered the wonder that is children. I was always on the fence about kids. But looking back, I see that I mainly didn't want them for many of the reasons you outlined above. As an elder it seemed irresponsible to have kids. How mad is it that we juggled "children are a gift from god" and "don't have children until after Armagedon"??? My kids are the best thing that ever happened to me :)
@@TheExjwFamily I remember, my mortgage adviser trying to sell me a pension back In 1992, I explained that I was a JW and had a different view of the future and that we didn’t need pensions …..he named a Brother in St Albans Cong whom I happened to know (not that well but by name only) who worked with him, he called him there & then…. The brother said that JW’s could have pensions, there was no issues at all. I was shocked !!! As I was such a firm believer 😂
Now firmly free from all this nonsense ….& so happy 👍
Haha great story! Thanks goodness we're out :D
A great video thank you people: Husband became an Elder and wife is told by an Elder "We will be watching you now". (As if they were waiting for the family to make a mistake!) More control over the people!
Well said!
I have 3 kids that I did a really good job indoctrinating.. unfortunately. My youngest is 8, and I'm getting divorced from their dad who is still in. So they spend 50% of their time at dad's as JW. Its a super tough spot.. for everyone! I really enjoyed hearing your story.
Man, that really is a tough one. Sending our thoughts and good vibes, for what it's worth. Hoping your kids adjust without too much difficulty. All the best on the journey. It might be crazy now, but it will get better.
I'm sorry to hear that you are having these problems. I think that kids are far more knowledgeable than we realise, so each one will eventually start questioning what they are learning there, and will start feeling that same cognitive dissonance that all ex jws have. If at that point they leave your ex will be lonely man, because he will have to disown them. I hope that one day he too will get out and away from the constant manipulation of the governing body. To be honest I think modern jw kids watching JWtv see through that festival of cringe especially Stephen Lett! Give it time, and good luck!
Growing up I only ever went to church on Christmas. Then in middle school my parents started going to church every Sunday, and that went on until I was in high school. I was lucky in that I already had a decently good idea of what I thought was morally wrong so when I was told homosexuality was a sin, I didn’t believe it. As someone who has known I wasn’t straight since I was like 4, I can’t imagine where I would be if I had gone to church as a small child. Religion can do a lot of good in the world but it also does a lot of negative to individual people.
So good to hear the things that pushed me many years ago away from that horrid soul killing society. Now you can live vicariously through your children as I did. Sad thing is that my daughter held on to the cult think but she is thriving in her own way. I am trying my best but this coronavirus program is so culty and triggers my sensibilities. Love to see you all laugh and live and love. Merry Christmas
Glad you got away too Penny! Hang in there. It's funny waking up from one cult only to have to deal with another. Happy holidays :)
@@TheExjwFamily Wishing your family every goodness and happiness possible. Thank you for reading my comment.
Of course, Penny. And same to you. May the new year be good to us all :)
100% with you guys, they don't know how much they really hate children. Our child was the reason we left. I wanted to be the exemplary jw father so I had to strengthen my faith, and ended up with the faith of leaving lol. Only took two years after for my wife to finally say we were not going back, the way our little one was treated, no one cared about his comfort as a baby. To them, it was bad if you went and he was crying, bad if we didn't go, bad if we stood up to stop the crying, bad if you walked around in the lobby to keep him from crying, bad if we went outside, bad if we went into the back room. That's when we really noticed how much children are hated. My wife said, if our child is not well received then that's not a place for us either. 4 years out and we are happier than ever, specially our son.
Hello nice to see you again thank you for your hard work your doing to help innocent Victims of the cult WT cult
If we can help even one person all the work in the work in the world will have been worth it.
They have basically held me hostage since I was 16 in 1992 when I reported abuse and my pediatrician hospitalized me and called me a delusional bipolar schizophrenic and drugged me and then 20 years later they hacked me and posted abuse photos and trashed my mental stability reputation and gave my graduate thesis committee credit for my Fulbright dissertation research proposal without paying or crediting me and hospitalized me again after they handcuffed me in front of my family and neighbors and held me hostage in mental hospitals and tortured and almost killed me and put me in a conservatorship and everyone in my family made money off of it. I did a background check on my psychologist and she is associated with First Step Pediatrics like my pediatrician and wrote a letter discrediting my mental stability reputation and has ties to Saudi Aramco and the World Bank.
I remember fearing going to the summer assembly because I would get extremely nauseated and I didn't know why. It stopped when I was 8ish. Now I know why.
I'm sure almost all of us had similar experiences, and I probably had more, but mentally in parents aren't going to tell us or notice!
Very true!
I was 23 married, both working, self employed, 3 small children and I was a MS, and on numerous building projects, but it was never enough for the elders. They hated kids is true.
So true. It doesn't matter how much you do. They will always find something.
I'm new to your channel and very much enjoy listening to the stories that we can all relate to. I reached the point of MS and it was truly the "peek behind the curtain" that started my waking up process. I don't have much anger anymore but must say that my efforts to indoctrinate my children are a sore point and I truly regret having done so. So many stories and so little time!
Would love to hear those stories sometime, Willy. When I got the peak behind the curtain as an MS I shrugged it off. But when I was made an elder, my mind was blown!
@@TheExjwFamily -- I keep hearing that becoming an elder was a tipping point for many. What's one thing that blew your mind?
Good questions. The one thing that blew my mind was the sheer hubris of a bunch of guys feeling okay with having such undue influence over other people's lives. I couldn't put my finger on what bothered me at the time, but I figured out this was what it was later. The biggest event that blew my mind was having to remove an experienced elder...because the other elders didn't like him. That was an insane debacle. Or that one time I had to sign over all the congregations finances to the organization. I guess a lot of things blew my mind. I could probably list them here all day :)
@@TheExjwFamily - ok. this is quite eye-opening. I feel so much less alone in my feeling that something was out of place with how things were done, how kids were viewed, etc. I didn't follow my gut feeling at the time; I only wish I had woken up early enough to have my own family.
I think we all wish we'd woken up earlier. I guess the main thing is, we woke up at some point and aren't still stuck on the inside.
Great perspective to hear from
I remember when I was a witness they were discouraging the younger generation from having children by manipulating them and saying we are living in the last days and do you really want to raise children in this system of things.
Thanks for sharing.
I found out that the jw meetings were not guided by anything Godly. When I became a mother I did what was best for my daughter and I, as you both have declared.
We're glad you and your daughter escaped! Good luck :)
Thanks that you noticed, The meetings are guided for mental manipulation to to acept the stupits rules and regulations they have in place.... One the most repeting line is " You have to belive in the goberning body " they pronoun this sentence hundreds of time so the slave understant who is the master manipulator.....
I've read your comment in several place, buddy. Not entirely sure what you're asking.
Thank you both of you..
No, thank you, Shasha :)
The Watchtower cult is similar or like North Korea! Was in for at least 30 years after my older brother introduced it to me and I joined. Hoped to "survive the 1975 ...", but that didn't happen. Remember having small children at meeting too and had to go out with them when they were uneasy having to sit through these hours. Stopped going out to the preaching work as I couldn't get myselft to do it anymore even though there was pressure from the elders so mostly reported casual witnessing, but that ended to. So in the last years was only attending meetings and later to annual memorial service. After ending going to the meetings I had had enough of meetings for the rest of my life haven't hardly worn a tie since then and hate that and will not wear one anytime! So much can be said and now I'm not any longer beneath the fear of the Watchtower org.
Glad you're out from under that fear, Timothy. It's good to be free. Especially after being in for so long.
True, my sister is a pioneer with her husband for more than 20 years. They didn’t want kid from the first time, and they don’t even care how my son, who will be her nephew is doing. Typical jw pioneer couples who think they’re showing the best love by reporting time but does not even think or spend time for kids they know.
It's always about counting hours. They rarely care about the people. Which is sad, but I've seen it over and over. Living for a future that will never come...which means not actually living at all. It's probably best that they don't show an interest in your son. Hope you are well!
Thanks for reply, yes as a pimo now I also think it’s better they won’t show interest to him cuz if she did, might have pushed him to get baptize!
This is true. It's tricky for sure. Hopefully you can keep him away from that baptism nonsense. Wishing you the best of luck!
Those meetings were soooo long! Even as an adult it was hard to stay awake, but for kids it was tortuous. I remember a couple who decided to defer having children until after Armaggedon. They would be in their sixties now, so I wonder if they think it was worth it - at the time they were banking on the 1914 + 70 (3 score years and 10) equation. Well that didn't happen! This deferring having a family was seen as a powerful witness (statement) of their faith, and they were somehow elevated in the congregation because of this sacrifice, because they now had the time to be pioneers, perfect examples. There was a big difference between those who were born into it, and those who joined later. They looked down on you like there was a smell under their nose. I was fond of many of them but the friendships were superficial because they came with a catch, that you stay involved. Going door to door was mortifying. At the time my mum got involved, and for many years after, the magazines were not free, so you were standing there pushing the person to look at the articles, which you knew didn't interest them, and then you had to ask them for the money for something they didn't want, and they came back with the money hoping you would now piss off and that would be the end of it. Oh how wrong they were! Notes were made, and just a fortnight later you would be back on their doorstep asking them what they thought of the articles, which they hadn't read because they had binned it straight away as soon as you had left them. If it came down to a choice between root canal treatment and going door to door, I would race to the dentists chair! No regrets leaving, I don't intend to go back.
I remember that story. The book came out when I was a child.
It's a crazy book!
That's one of the first books I learned to read
I was three when I was learning those stories, and was already reading at that age
I used to be scared of Balaam's donkey! They used a very ugly picture to depict the animal!
You daughter is a very smart little girl , she cought on right away. I hope everyone has a happy and safe new year.
Thank you, Jem. And the same to you and yours! :)
Little genius. I wish I refused to accept that nonsense so young.
@@TheExjwFamily thank you 😊
If I didn’t have children, I believe it would have taken me longer to wake up- I am generally more aware of threats to their safety and well being than I’ve ever been of my own.
When i got pregnant after 3 years of marriage, I was worried that my dad would be upset when i told him i was pregnant. I was surprised when he was very happy about it.
P.S.
I assert that no one likes going door to door. No one.
I remember my mom sitting all the way in the back my mom used to put us aside before entering the hall and telling us don't make any noise as soon a baby or toddler or kid made any noise they were taking into the bathroom and spanked I was more consentrated in the child crying then what they were talking in the meeting long meeting thou wooshhh Thursdays were eternal 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺
Thx for the open and honest discussion. As a child, I was traumatized thinking all my non JW loved ones (including my mom) would die at Armageddon. It was horrifying.
I saw an elder's wife, quite elderly, say that her husband would simply "not allow" their children to cry, and that crying babies are just a discipline issue.
mind, my congregation was very pro child. mostly middle class families in a relatively affluent area, so 90% of the growth was just having kids.
Not surprising that extreme people have such extreme views. I still battle with some extreme views and reactions and I probably will for the rest of my life because of the indoctrination.
We've been in a a few pro-child halls in the past, though they are few and far between over here. That growth is the bit I don't get. I mean, having kids must be a big point of growth for them overall, so why make it so difficult on families?
@@TheExjwFamily I cam only speculate.
I imagine it is a combination of the leaders being childless, their doomsday beliefs holding that "this is no time to have babies", and the fact that children cannot be controlled innthe same way adults are
All good points. Makes sense :)
I actually saw a very young mother 'smack' a newborn who was crying. She was tapping baby harder and harder which of course made it scream all the louder. It was a demonstration that she could "discipline" her child! Some older women took her out the back and had a word with her, thank goodness. Talk about children having children!!!
@@annabizaro-doo-dah goodness. some people just don't get it.
the baby doesn't care about propriety. it needs something, so it will cry. babies don't have the ability to "just wait an hour or two". there us a decent chance that it will die if the issue isn't addressed! they need constant care, because they are so fragile.
You're lucky you didn't have your kids in the 80s. You'd have been expected to beat your eldest for saying not to knock on doors. They'd have accused her of being controlled by Satan. Being raised in the religion I'm amazed you are so empathetic and gentle with your children. I think you didn't question the horrible deaths in JW kids books yourselves because you were trained not to, whether you knew it or not. I did question it because, although I was indoctrinated as a child, I didn't live in a witness house so I had the mental freedom to empathise with non witnesses. It's great that your kids did too, despite being born in. It's a credit to yourselves.
My two older cousins were beat badly by my witness obsessed uncle. They wanted nothing to do with it. Needless to say they both never became witnesses thankfully 😅
That's weird because the organization would definitely benefit from family with more kids
This is what we always say. You'd think they would figure this out?
I have a lot of kids and I didn't understand why they would like us because they were very negative towards children 😔 I thought maybe I am to show them how to love and embrace them and I do think I did a little. I couldn't stand the way they treated children.
So glad I came across your video, I believe your perspectives on “family” will have a great impact for those that are struggling as families in the organization. Paddy (?), were you interviewed recently on another video? You’re face is familiar 🤔
We hope it resonated with folks struggling with that aspect. There wasn't a whole lot of that when we woke up :) I wasn't interviewed recently...I must have one of those faces haha
I did not have baby when I went in but I was basically a single mother with four children 7 to 16 years old I was treated so badly until today my children are scared they gave my children low self esteem and they are adults now 3 are out but one is still in its rough being a witness it's worst when you wake up >to a lonely place to be
I raised two step children in Watchtower ,but I will tell you that the no children thing was a popular factor for me ....and my wife .....I'm the oldest of seven and I never wanted to have kids ....Watchtower caught me on multiple levels .....fool me once !?!?!?
Oh yea, Merry Christmas and Happy new year😁
Haha. Same to you :D
You're amazing peoples nice family 👪 thank you for post your stories it is very encouraging to other's
Thanks Mike. We really appreciate your kind words!
I am not a JW, my mum was and I attended some meetings. The Children were always well dressed. Happy, not allowed to roam the streets. In most cases with a mother AND a father! They did well at school. Were intelligent and well looked after! So I take exception to this insulting, unfair labelling of an 8 million strong group of people! You cant 'type cast' the many due to known isolated instances.
I know what you mean, bro.
I was in the Waterville Congregation of their Kingdom Hall. I actually saw a mom with her kids and 1 of them is on a leash. I'm not kidding you, people! And many more of these kids were there, also. I know that kids will be kids and will do anything that ours will do. They can't help it!
That is crazy. Like you say, you gotta let kids be kids.
Wow. Way to treat the lifeblood of your religion. Kids should be number one also for the congregation, as they are literally the future. Obviously not!
Such a cute couple 😍 i am not married yet, but when I do get married I hope to be a couple like this one, they seem so perfect for each other and a good fit and like really good friends as well. I have never been a JW, only a normal Christian, but I studied with JW and quickly sensed that its a cult that is actually taking people away from Christ. Great that this couple escaped. I wish you all the best.
I'm glad you sensed they were a cult very fast. And thank you for your kind comments. We have faults like everyone else, but we do our best :) Take care!
Thank you for your video I'm told I'ma walking dead woman
They've got a way with words...
How blasphemous is it that they call themselves the truth when only Jesus is the truth, this is the definition of an antichrist right ? I love you both God bless
Jehovah’s Witness family values? My father does not speak to me. My mother does not speak to me. My older sister does not speak to me. My parents do not speak to my older sister. My older sister no longer speaks to my younger sister. My JW uncles & aunts, cousins & nephews do not speak to me or my younger sister but they will speak to my older sister. This is a pretty normal JW family. When you decide to leave the JW religion, they make your family shun you in an effort to get you back. They call it a “loving provision”. I call it a culty and destructive religion.
I appreciate the insight. I’m not a JW but I think it fair to not blanket all JW’s as hating children. I realize this is your true experience but your title suggests this all all. Nice video though.
I feel bad for my niece and nephew they are little adults and don't act like children at all and even when they are around my kids and start letting a little loose and acting like children my sister will tell them to stop and to not do this or that and if it doesn't work she will say your making jehovah sad and then they will get a depressed look and start playing very quietly when my kids are the loudest children in the county.
That's so sad....Jesus is not happy with this I can tell you that.
@ 6:50 Humans are born with a natural empathy for the plight and experience of other humans, and this is expressed by *Confuscius* in 600 BCE, and later at Leviticus 19:18:
"...you shall love your neighbor as yourself"
--- it's called:
' Reciprocal Morality '
Jesus himself wasn't original in repeating this common idea of a very basic human trait.
To days think out the box and most want good jobs .This doomsday cult is the reason my son never got higher education born after 1975 we were newly married.Were told from platform at assemblies and through litrature the end is coming.In the last few months so many changes and yet their folk follow them blindly. 🤣🤣🤣
The blind leading the blind, bro. Glad you're out :)
What was not right about what the child saw and asked in the book of Bibel Stories? Why could the Mother or later the Father (Elder) the simple question not answer? SAD!
Caleb and Sofia... Enough said... My most fun memories is being a kid at the hall and we had three of us... All we received was love as kids
I couldn’t agree more! You guys sound like us!
It's amazing how many people had similar experiences.
I know this is an older video but I was wondering what you thought of Steven lett calling babies enemies of God?!
Your oldest sounds as if she's an empath. She has a rare ability to be tuned into the emotions of those around her. That could be a gift but it could become a burden because it must be exhausting to feel so many emotions to such a degree.
You are quite right. we already have to very mindful of her emotional state for exactly this reason.
I'm sadly still forced in the jw because me and my oldest sister are the only ones in my family to understand that this cult is totally wrong. I can't even see my friends that aren't jw because they're apparently "bad influence" for me and because I'm forced to go in service all Saturday and to the meeting all Sunday and Thursday.
I have never been a JW because the Lord blessed me by growing up in a Christian family. When ever the JWs would come knocking at our door, I was ready to discuss the Bible in detail. Over the years as I learned more about this cult my skills at dialogue have improved. My last dialogue with a group of 5 JWs in a shopping center ended after an hour. They literally fled my presence when they could not answer me anymore. I was only getting “warmed up” by that point…. They panicked and ran away. At first I thought, Did I do something wrong? But today I realize that I did something very right. Those who preach and teach error should never get over on believers who truly love the Lord. I never saw those JWs again.
JW parents should never rely on ex-JW kids for eldercare.
Again…wow. We’re stories are so similar 😂❤️
Crazy how we have so much in common in terms of our experience :)
So many say that JW is Christianity...it is not.
Org never encouraged having kids, now the active numbers are low
Love the mushroom dungas.
Thank you :) I do love my mushrooms!
Well, married to a fine women raised by a devout JW mother. She is affected to this day by this cult and its followers.
Her mother cares little about her daughters, both daughters are quite damaged by this. I feel they are bpd.
What to do?
Get out and seek help. And pray to God to help you. He is always there for the broken hearted.
See,in a marriage where 2 people are together for years there can still be secrets, he had no idea about that incident & his wife decided he wasn't ready to hear such a thing because he wasn't ready due to not being woke, still do you think she should have shared that with the daddy of that little girl? I'm not making any judgement as to what she did, it's just the fact there can be secrets, so don't think it spouse isn't keeping secrets 😁
The elder members either did not have kids cause the end was near anyway (and it clearly was not and they missed out) or they had kids and lost them when disassociated so it is sad to see the little ones. You and your kids/future kids are competition to be the 144,000. Nothing like taking away the confidence of others to put yourself higher up to be the 144K. For the kids in the group they got to make sure other kids are dedicated enough so their parents will not leave cause if they leave then they have less people they are allowed to talk to. They are already very isolated. Never a JW. Just an observation.
Great video! Your kids sound like amazing people 😃
I'd love to interview you guys on my channel if you're interested.
What a Statement: Jehovas Witnesses hate Kids! This heading almost disqualifies the whole Video 😂😂
I love your accents. Sometimes you sound Scottish or Irish, but then you sound American. At this point I have no idea which you are. (I am American.)
I think Patrick's Irish, and his wife is British