The Dark Secret at the Heart of the Jehovah’s Witnesses | Informer
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- Опубликовано: 13 май 2024
- The Jehovah’s Witnesses are an end of days Christian organisation who are known for knocking on doors and rejecting blood transfusions. However, they have also been subject to increasing scrutiny over their handling of child sex abuse cases within their congregations, and their treatment of victims. In this episode of Informer, we speak to a former Jehovah’s Witness elder who was abused as a child but didn’t report what had happened. As an adult, he felt a painful déjà vu when his own daughter told him she had also been abused.
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Развлечения
Any organization that demands the shunning of loved ones cannot be any good.
They're hardcore, they put god above EVERYTHING! I do respect them for that though. Even though I'm nothing like that
@@808Mark Shunning your own children over something provably false and nonsensical isn't something to respect a group for. They are a harmful group that deserves condemnation.
@@808Mark *The Watchtower Organisation above everything.
This actually isnt true. Within the last year people were encouraged to reach out to family or friends who may have been "shunned" in the past and rebuild
@Mischief716 My dad lost his position as Elder last year because of allowing his tweaker grandson to stay with them. He's trying to get it back due to the nephew stealing from them and now my parents are shunning him.
I really wish this organization could be stopped, they destroyed my life and tore apart my family
😂
😂😂😂
🎉
Same with me and the right-wing evangelical cult.
My parents are still witnesses, this year in their scheduled convention, the Headquarters is going to push hard on the shunning. I left 30 years and I will not go back.
To shun your own flesh & blood is unbelievable. The fact that a person would even ask that of you is evil in itself
Many Christians who practice shunning would claim to do so in accordance with the biblical teaching of disfellowship. This teaching can be found in 1 Corinthians 5:1-5′ 11, 2 Thessalonians 3:6'14-15, Romans 16:17, Matthew 18:15-17, and 2 John 1:7-11
I don't think you understand what you are talking about at all. Please read 1 Corinthians chapter 5. It is just 13 verses. Could you tell me, when you are done, what that scripture tells Christians to do?
That may help you see that disfellowshipping is not an arrangement by Jehovah's Witnesses, but an arrangement by the Christian body of the first century from which Christianity derives its principles.
And yeah, when a person is disfellowshipped, their family ties are not affected by the disfellowshipping. Their spiritual ties are what gets cut off.
The only time a family shuns a relative who is disfellowshipped is if the relative continues pursuing a lifestyle that is morally wrong, even after being disfellowshipped.
You are right. Shun and draw a line are two different things. Most faiths will result in some type of change in boundary with family. But demanding flatout shunning is maniacal and signifies a departure from faith into the occult.
Do you agree with this? : 1 Cor 15:33 Do not be misled. Bad associations spoil useful habits.
_And with this:_ 1 Cor 5:9 In my letter I wrote you to stop keeping company with sexually immoral people, 10 not meaning entirely with the sexually immoral people of this world or the greedy people or extortioners or idolaters. Otherwise, you would actually have to get out of the world. 11 But now I am writing you to stop keeping company with anyone called a brother who is sexually immoral or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man. 12 For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Do you not judge those inside, 13 while God judges those outside? “Remove the wicked person from among yourselves.”
_And with this:_ Matt 10:34 Do not think I came to bring peace to the earth; I came to bring, not peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to cause division, with a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 Indeed, a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever has greater affection for father or mother than for me is not worthy of me; and whoever has greater affection for son or daughter than for me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not accept his torture stake and follow after me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his soul will lose it, and whoever loses his soul for my sake will find it.
Do you believe Jesus was evil?
Under the mosaic law, what was to happen to an adulterer? Lev 20:10 Was that evil?
@@rakeldanell Let me give you a scenario.
You and your two siblings take turns taking care of your sick mum because that is all you've got - each other. Your mum is sick and near death and you are all trying to do your best so mum stays alive long enough to see you succeed just a little bit and also pay her back for all the love she has shown you since you were kids. The doctor says that your mum's heart is failing, she has DVT and lymphoedema in her feet and she is constantly in extreme pain. She is bedridden and you and your siblings have to do everything including bathe your mum.
So, to ensure that there is always someone around, you and your siblings take turns taking care of your mum.
Now imagine that at some point, you find out that your sister, when it was her turn to take care of your mum, would leave her to go see her boyfriend and have "fun" (fun here meaning sex), leaving your mum alone for hours with no one by her side.
You and your elder brother had to find a way to take care of her as best you could and in the end your mum made it.
What will be your relationship with your sister from that point forward?
The above does not even begin to cover my situation and I am the last born in my family.
When my sister was disfellowshipped, the organisation did not have to tell me not to talk to my sister. My sister's behaviour already gave me the reasons I needed. I decided never to talk to my sister again, ever.
Now this is what some friends of mine told me. They said not to give up on my sister. They told me to remember that even though my sister is disfellowshipped and is no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses, she is still my sister and that counts. It matters.
Do you know who told me that?
The ELDERS of my congregation.
So, if I tell you that the default position of Jehovah's Witnesses is not shun disfellowshipped family members, would you believe me? Or do you prefer to take the word of those who would tell you that we simply shun family because they are no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
The bible principles we are taught at out Kingdom Halls includes the principle at 1 Timothy 5:8, which encourages us to prioritise family.
Shunning a family member is not the result of a person being disfellowshipped. It is the result of a person who is disfellowshipped choosing to continue in an act that hurts their family.
For example, a husband who is an elder in a congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses is found to be indulged act of cheating on his wife. A lack of repentance on his part leads to him getting disfellowshipped from the organisation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. There are people out there who are willing to argue that disfellowshipping this man is what destroys his family, not the fact that he was cheating and is still cheating on his wife.
If this person’s family decides to shun him, it won’t be because he was disfellowshipped. Because disfellowshipping does not remove family ties. His family will start shunning or rather cutting him off if he keeps on pursuing the course of actions that got him disfellowshipped in the first place.
Unfortunately, a lot of people have been deceived into thinking that the first thing Jehovah’s Witnesses do is disfellowship people and then tell family members to shun their disfellowshipped family members. The reality is very different.
And remember that in my case, the organisation that so many people demonise is the reason why I still speak with my sister who is disfellowshipped, even after what she did. And believe me, you have not even heard half the story.
You can have your opinions about us, and we are not perfect. Yes, child abuse and sexual immorality occur and no one is happy about it. But that is no indication of a problem with the organisation itself. There isn’t one organisation on earth as big as ours or bigger that does not have a single paedophile or some immoral human hiding in it. That is why the disfellowshipping arrangement exists. To remove from the congregation those who engage in such heinous and other immoral grossly acts.
Here, you have a world that says that we are destroying families with our disfellowshipping arrangement which derives directly from the Bible (1 Corinthians chapter 5) and at the same time claims that we harbour within our congregations paedophiles, a subset of a group for whom disfellowshipping is reserved. Which narrative should one believe?
I was a Jehovah Witness.... And I can confirm. I've gotten out of my deep depression when I got out. AMA
How did you become a Jehovah's Witness?
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Go back
How long were you a part of them, and how did you finally manage to break free?
🤣
That trauma reaction was him dissociating, and yeah… you get a lot of trauma from this cult. I grew up in it. Left when I was 17. A few years later, as my younger brothers got old enough, they left too. After a few years of us all trying to talk some sense into our mom, we finally got her out, too. My stepdad stayed in as an active member. She divorced him. He is still in the religion, even though he abused me for years, and all of the elders know it too. I repeatedly begged them for help, but they refused and said I’d better not say anything to my teachers, doctors, police, etc… because if he went to jail, I would be responsible for the reproach on Jehovah. It’s such a load of horseshit.
Whoa that’s an interesting situation, sorry you had to go through that with no help
The only horseshit here is that fairytale of yours
It's not only the Jehovah's Witnesses that are culpable here. Your mother is, too. Your stepfather was the one who abused you, and this was the man your mother chose to marry and stayed married to for years, who also defended him and stayed silent in the face of this abuse. It's good you got your mother to leave the cult. But you're not only a victim of them and your stepfather's abuse, but of your mother's neglect, too.
@@mtganfilm You’re trying to tell me something I am already well aware of. It is extremely difficult to get out when you’re in an abusive, controlling marriage and you have 5 kids and you live 1,000 miles away from any family who can help you. I understood that, even at a very young age. I saw what he did to her and my brothers. Ultimately, the elders were WELL AWARE of all of the abuses happening in our home. For years and years. They are mandatory reporters, yet they never lifted a single finger to help any of us. She has apologized to me for her culpability in the abuse, and I have forgiven her. Neither my former stepfather nor the elders EVER have. That’s the difference.
I never bothered to tell the Elders about my abuse because I knew I'd be the one who got in trouble and told to forgive and shut up. After about 15 years out, I did tell my dad who is an Elder and that's exactly what he told me, forgive and move on.
This is NOT EVEN A FRACTION of how psychotic those “nice people” are. The abuse and manipulation is so unreal. The craziest part is that all of the members are literally brainwashed so it’s pretty spectacular to ever wake up AND escape. Congrats to your family sir!!
Exactly the uncle explaining didn’t cover well but I like how calm and level headed he is since jws like to point people like him as crazy apostate etc
It’s an extremely common misconception but the word you mean is psychopathic (lack of empathy) or just psycho (perjorative) - psychotic is a medical term that just means having hallucinations or being paranoid.
Exactly! The Jehovah's Witnesses cult is a thousand times worse than what was depicted here.
@@quadling3521 lol both ngl
@@quadling3521so psychotic was the right word to use them. It describes the jdubs well. They are constantly going on about Armageddon. They believe demons are attached to second hand items, yard sales=evil, as well as the government is out to get them.
As a former JW, I can tell that there are many good people still trapped in this cult. Thank God I have never suffered or heard about any case of sexual abuse, but I can't say the same about psychological manipulation and emotional abuse. If you stay in for too long, the sure consequence is pain and regret. I'm a member of a broken, resentful family and when I got out, I ended up hating God and myself. But His plans are perfect and He reached me. Now I understand His true principles, which has allowed me to build for myself a happy and loving family.
This is my exact same story with the seventh day Adventist church. So many restrictions and unnecessary judgments. I was abused and a lot
Of things happened to me in the name of religion. God found his way to me through smoking weed and depression. He ordained me leave the church and I felt much happier.
It's simple:
Beliefs are the opposite of knowing.
Stop believing and start knowing.
This guy and all people who speak out against Jehovah’s Witnesses are idiots. They are like Carl Marx. Carl Marx was an idiot who couldn’t budget $5 and blamed his financial woes on the wealthy and rich of his day instead of accepting his own faults. These people are foolish in the same way . Are Jehovah’s people imperfect? Yes. And I that elder was removed from his position permanently.
So like Marx, you have to accept that you refuse to live up to God’s standards. You don’t love God or care about objective theocratic truth. Also what all you clowns have in common is that your understanding of the Bible is at a very low level despite being a part of the only organization that teaches the Bible accurately. It’s all a you problem
SURE jan....
I had a weird co worker that was a JW. He talked so bad about them to me the whole time he worked there. He said he only stayed due to his wife. The amount of abuse he disclosed to me was so sad. He said he even went and file a report on an elder for sexually abusing a 12 year old that ended up pregnant. He said i could take that crap no more. Due to him working with kids he was a mandated reporter and he told it all. They opened a case thw family was investigated. They disfellowshiped him after that and 2 weeks later he no longer worked for our company.
Lol. But of course. Got baptized in 2008 and haven't been back since COVID. Will never go back.
Did you investigate his claims before you believed it? Because I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and I can tell you that you don't get disfellowshipped unless you seriously violate scriptural principles.
Since, reporting an abuse is not a sin from a scriptural standpoint, there is no way he was disfellowshipped for reporting an abuse.
The only way he would be implicated in the story he told you that could get him disfellowshipped is if he is a perpetrator of the very crime he was telling you someone else committed.
That is why the disfellowshipping arrangement exists. It is for people who break the bible's commands.
Please read 1 Corinthians chapter 5 and tell me what that scripture tells Christian congregations to do with a baptised Christian, or brethren who engages in immoral behaviour. I would like to know your honest response after you have read it.
@@timothykporsu2472 Im a JW myself, I’ve seen people been disfellowed for much less than you’re describing here. The person describes sexual abuse that ended up in a pregnancy. Clearly one cannot hide that. They disfellowed him for not maintaining the silence.
@@Wehn. This is an obvious FALSE statement. Dude didn't get disfellowshipped for reporting something.
@@timothykporsu2472It’s actually a lot more complex than that. You can be DF’ed for going directly against elder’s instructions. In cases of sexual abuse, elders of the congregation write to the governing body who give instructions on how to proceed after contacting the bethel legal department. The reason reporting is strongly discouraged (not blatantly forbidden as that would be illegal) is because they put that sanctity of Jehovah’s name above all else, they believe reporting a JW doing something like this would bring reproach on Jehovah’s name (their actual words). If you vocalize that you disagree with the Governing Body and that you will not follow their directions, you will absolutely be DF’ed for apostasy to prevent you from “infecting others”. Elders have a manual on how to deal with such matters, albeit situations like that are very specific and mostly outline “contact the GB”. It’s called Shepherding The Flock. And women aren’t allowed to even touch it 🙄.
The beautiful thing about the social media era is seeing lies and degeneracy exposed on a large scale. As a (more conventional) Christian myself, seeing all the cover ups of abuse has been heartbreaking, but necessary. So many people in positions of power are preying on their congregants.
Still a death cult, sorry.
I am curious and have a question for you:
How do you deal with your religion being true (with all it's tenents and claims) while there are so many subverted congregations?
From my understanding, if the congregations were 'true', it would disprove the claims of the religion about their god at least partly. If the congregations are 'false', it would still diminish these claims (as in, either god tolerated these exploitive people and is thus not 'pure good' and rather uncaring, or god did not intervene to safeguard his faithful against impersonators, which would throw shade at the claim of it being almighty and omniscient)
Or does this not matter, and you are simply putting trust in god, and it's ways?
Sorry if this comes off as rude, but my approach to my worldview is always to look at logic. So, seeing this contradiction, I have no clue how I would deal with it myself...
@@nordos Haha don't worry about coming off as rude, I appreciate the question.
I don't see any logical contradiction between the existence of evil in the Church leadership and the Church itself. The Bible actually warns about false teachers who appear as sheep but are actually ravenous wolves. And these wolves, it is said, will deceive many. This doesn't detract from God's goodness, as God has always been known to tolerate evil for the purpose of producing even greater goods (look at Joseph's story; what his brothers used for evil, God used for good).
You'd have to show a logical contradiction between
1. either the existence of evil, or God's tolerance of evil in the Church, and
2. God's Goodness.
I am unaware of anyone who has been able to show this, as if evil by third parties using their own free will is used to produce great goods, this, far from detracting from God's goodness, actually helps demonstrate it.
@@nordos Your biggest error is assuming there are many "subverted congregations" which is an outrageous lie!
@@nordosyeah, RUclips comments is the best place to have this discussion
My grandmother is a Jehovah witness, any inconvenience she blames people and tries to ruin their life by causing them to argue with others by spreading false information and being cruel. I haven’t spoken to her in 15 years. My life has been amazing ever since.
That’s narcissistic behavior
Jesus Encounter Ministries RUclips channel**
My grandmother is catholic and acts just like this but my whole family laughs at her and knows she’s crazy
Yeah anyone that’s talked back, challenged or even as far as split from their partners in the Kingdom Hall had the same treatment. A fair few jehovahs have been ‘exiled’ due to this behaviour. It’s more like a fucked up cult.
The impact of toxic people isn’t fully appreciated until you get away from them
I was brought up as a Witness.
Took me 35yrs to get out of it.
Now i am much happier and living my own successful life.
People get deceived by this religion.
I feel truly sorry for them.
No. We are not deceived, my friend. You had a choice to make, and preferred rather to live your life outside of the organisation. That is your choice and you made it.
To say we are deceived, is to say that 8 million people are less wiser than you are. I don't believe that to be true.
Some of us are really happy as members of the organisation. Does that mean that you leaving makes us delusional? I don't think calling us "deceived" is accurate.
@timothykporsu2472 Many people need religion.
I'm not one of them.
And no it is not " The Truth".
But glad you are happy.
@@timothykporsu2472I grew up with it. I think my family has been in it since before my great grandparents. I’ve been in an out for a while. It really depends on which congregation you go to. Some make you feel like an outsider and judge you for everything others welcome you and help you out and make you feel welcome. Some things that they preach about make no sense though and I’ve called them out on it and when I do they get mad. Someone once told me “the Bible is there to guide you. Take what you believe will lead you to god and his holy essence from the Bible directly not what other believe the Bible says”. It’s solid advice.
@@timothykporsu2472 8 million is around only 0.1 percent of the world population, surely if it was the truth some of the other 99.9 percent of people worldwide would be JW
@@timothykporsu2472You’re a “witness”?! You’re a horrible one. Witnesses shouldn’t be online so off you trot back to the bible lol.
I have severe PTSD. There are so many things I have blocked out, but when certain phrases or JW terminology instantly hit me then a bunch of repressed memories start flooding my brain.
Same here. I'll pray for ya
its time we speak up !
i think you have religous trauma
@@daniellenewby3169 it's not down to just religion liketake boy scouts/ scouts for instance
@@oimpaa no of course i just thought that’s what this person might have because i’ve heard when you leave certain religious organizations that you’ve been in a long time you suffer from that
I was sexually assaulted by a ministerial servant, 20 years ago this year. The only witness was my mother, who walked in before it got too bad. She blamed me. Her reason: "When he did that to your little sister, she fought back harder." I wanted to go to the police, but my mother threatened to disown me if I did. She said the elders would handle it. They did nothing; there weren't two witnesses. They still prayed over him, because OBVIOUSLY I was the one at fault, and he was merely weak to my evil seductions. (I was a young woman; that's "evil" to them.)
That was the end for me. I refused to go back. I already strongly disagreed with their view on education (I rebelled and went to college), their anti-science opinions, some really gross levels of homophobia, antisemitism, and racism against some of my Black friends (many textured hairstyles were banned, one mother from Nairobi was told to not wear her traditional outfits because they were "too colorful" while a Japanese immigrant in a bright kimono was totally fine) but this was too much. As I looked around online, I realized that this was not unique. It wasn't that my elders were horrible. They were following standard operating procedures.
I began to think back, how many times I questioned things, how often I was scolded for DARING to question. They're fine with simple questions, but when one's love for history becomes a serious threat to their brainwashing, the reply is, "Don't ask that, don't speak of that again, or you'll get in trouble." They are TERRIFIED of facts that clash with their beliefs.
Thankfully, my mother refused to cut off communication with me. She kept getting in trouble for it. She finally moved to another state, so she could talk on the phone with me all she wanted, and no one cared. She never apologized for blaming me, we had a rocky relationship until the end, but at least she still loved me and enjoyed talking to me. That alone was rebellious.
The last time I stepped into a Kingdom Hall was when I flew out to visit her and my (non-JW) dad. I reluctantly agreed to go. Mom introduced me to their head elder, and someone teased that he and two other elders used to shoot kittens and set dogs on fire when they were teens, something he didn't deny but merely laughed about. I was horrified. That's the psychotic types of people running the show.
And your dad didn't know about the assault?
True story no doubt. I have seen the ugly up close!
they are definitely not anti-science they push the vaccine like every other pro science
When that happened to your SISTER?? She said that? 😲 😱 OMG. Your mom needs to go to prison too. Sorry, not sorry.
Antisemitism 😂
Nice word to defend children kllers
i fucking knew it when i was a kid i felt something was off when Pokémon came out they sat me in a room five of them tried to convince me the show was devils' work
All of the hullabaloo from the elders and the governing body when the Harry Potter books came out!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@tiabeaniesemotionalsupportdmon dont forget the simpsons
All because Pokemon "evolve". Science and evolution is forbidden!!
They got so pissed when the movie Showgirls came out too
🤣🤣🤣🤣
My parents met through this cult so I grew up in it. I wasn’t allowed to say pledge or prayer in school, or celebrate anything - instead, I would be sent to sit in the hall alone if there was a birthday or holiday celebration in class. As a result, I resented the organization and never believed in it (thankfully).
Most family members left or were disfellowshipped and moved on with their lives. My sweet grandmother, however, remained a true believer and it cost her her life. They have a blood doctrine that you can’t accept blood. During a routine surgery to remove her gallbladder, an artery was severed and she lost 1/3 of her blood. At 87, it wasn’t something she could recover from on her own. After a month and a half, she died.
She would have been 90 a couple of days ago. Jehovahs Witnesses took her life and have her blood on their hands. I will never forgive them. RIP, granny - I will miss you for the rest of my life.
I had been a Jehovah's Witness for 28 years in Brazil and I can surely tell this is all true. Being a Jehovah's Witness was the worst thing that ever happened to me but I moved on. My brothers are still manipulated by that cult.
I remember a friend of mine telling me he was abused by an elder and I was so mad at him because I used to say he was lying and couldn't accept the fact that he was saying bad things about an elder. I regret it so bad. Today he is still my friend, he is still a Jehovah's Witness because he doesn't have a place to go so he doesn't want to be shunned by his family. He is into a very bad depression for years.
Honestly every ex witness out there has got some wild stories to tell ,they will definitely shock you. Glad this guy got his chance to speak out
Jesus Encounter Ministries RUclips channel**
This guy is not giving you accurate information. Yes, he has had a bad one, but his story is not accurate. Anyone who has been a serious member of the organisation can tell you where he tells the truth, and where he allows his personal experience to colour his story a little too much.
For example, he mentioned sexual abuse. But he also spoke about the two-witness rule.
If you have never been a witness, then all you know is what this man said about there needing to be two people who witnessed the sexual abuse before a case can be established.
But if you have been a witness before, then you will know that the two-witness rule refers to ANYONE or ANYTHING that proves a case.
In the case of sexual abuse, the first witness is the accuser or the alleged victim. The second witness is the perpetrator, should he come clean about the act. If that does not happen, the second witness would be any third party who witnessed what happened.
Unfortunately, in about 99 percent of cases, there are no other witnesses other than the perpetrator and victim. Knowing this, the elders would accept anything in the form of evidence that corroborates the account of the alleged victim.
It could be a video from a CCTV or audio of what happened if there is any, DNA evidence or some other forensic evidence proving the case of the accused.
Quite often, the elders are not able to get such evidence. It is the reason why it would be wise for the victim or their parents to go to the authorities to report such cases. The police will usually be able to get such evidence, and once they get the evidence, if they are able to, the elders can proceed further with the case and take congregation action against the perpetrator. And at the same time, the authorities can do their job and apprehend the criminal.
Any elder who prevents you from going to the authorities is doing something wrong. I know this because I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses. No elder is supposed to do that.
I always say that it is not the organisation that is to blame for things like these, for only those who do not follow the teachings of the organisation do such heinous things, be they elders or your average publisher within the congregation.
It is necessary to realize that the majority of the 8 million Jehovah's Witnesses are actually good people. You must see that.
@@timothykporsu2472I've heard similar stories that cult makes it easy for predators.
@@timothykporsu2472Have you watched The Australia Royal Commission video on how religious organizations handle CSA? You really should watch it.
I spent my entire life as a JW. I gave up so many experiences, prom, living at university, birthdays. I was disfellowshipped 3 years ago. I had a very similar experience to him, when I was in my judicial committee I took medical records and evidence to them to try to protect myself. But it wasn’t enough. I was seen as a role model in my circuit so whenever I was disfellowshipped it was a complete shock, to my friends, the congregation, even myself. I’m healing now, but i will never forget what that process felt like. Now with the recent announcements of being able to speak to disfellowshipped people feels like a slap in the face, the people who stopped talking to me now try to contact me? And I should see this as a sign of love? No, absolutely not. It’s a manipulative tactic to try to return people to the organization because they know people are no longer joining. To anyone who wants to join, don’t. And to anyone who has left, I’m proud of you. This organization has no love, no god. I strongly believe in karma, and they have debt to pay.
They truly have no love, and they allowed their members to speak to disfellowshipped ones in a limited setting because they are losing funding in Norway 🇳🇴 But it is not enough since every day people die refusing blood transfusions at the direction of that cult.
Sorry to hear you went through this. I was a JW until I was 17. You just gotta understand these are weak minded people. So much so that the mere conversing with disfellowshipped people could alter their thinking and behavior, thats just how weak they are. You're so much better off living your own life and thinking your own thoughts without them. Congratulations.
I don't know, being able have a beard now sounds pretty good.
Deal with the scriptures not all the extra stuff
@@HankFacepunch🤣🤣🤣🤣 if you're a REAL man, you don't need to be told you're "allowed" to have a beard before you grow one.
I stopped going to church at the age of 12 after the priest at the church started sending me love messages calling me to his home. He later started treating me harshly in the choir when I refused to go to his home. Later I came to learn about that he was using all the other boys of my age at the church. It's now 20 years without ever stepping a foot in church. Am happy where I am
God Loves You Wherever you are
i just wanna say first that i’m sorry that you experienced that.. i experienced abuse at the hands of a pastors daughter who is several years older than me. i was 7 or 8 at the time and didn’t realize until i was older what had happened to me. i want you to know i understand your plight but i want to encourage you to know that God loves you dearly. not all churches are the same. i know because i have been a member of 3 churches throughout my life and the reality is that no church is perfect. however, i do believe that if you ever have a desire to find a good church, you should. you dont need church to love God but i do believe that you do need a church to learn how to love people. and one the main ways you love God is by loving his people. being a part of a good church will strengthen you. the community is irreplaceable. i hope this message finds you well bro! love you
Did you report him? Dis you show anyone the letters?
Don’t conflate creepy catholicism with Christianity. You may come to realize what the bible says has nothing to do with catholics if you ever decide to read it for yourself
Not to sound harsh but it doesn't take genius level thinking to know there are good churches out there and we still have an obligation to the Creator. I doubt anyone is going to tell you to submit to that type of guy in leadership
I worked in Georgetown Ontario, the town of the Watchtower compound of the Jehovah's Witness.
Late one night while I was heading home from work a middle-aged woman ran out from the Watchtowers fence line toward traffic yelling for help and waving her hands. Thankfully a few cars stopped to help.
I believe she escaped from that cult, and hope she is safe and living a healthy happy life.
I'll never forget the look of fear in her eyes.
That is so unfair.
That story has no meaning at all. You saw a woman running away from the Watchtower's fence line toward traffic yelling for help and it is your opinion that she was escaping "the cult"?
How do you form such a sure opinion without having heard a single word she said, and without knowing why she was running? Just because you hate us does not mean you should be fanning hatred for us with such vague accounts.
If I saw a woman running like that from your house, would you want me to draw the same conclusion about you? You can have your suspicions, but to express them as if they are surely words of truth in a space where anyone who takes any such account will only add it to their reservoir of reasons to hate us is just not fair.
A lot of us are actually good people who are grossly misunderstood. Has that even occurred to you? Ever?
@timothykporsu2472 🤔
@@timothykporsu2472 🥱🥱🥱🥱
This cult has a lot of ignorance, lack of accountability, and manipulation. Hypocrisy thrives in this environment. I am so glad I left when I was a teenager.
Good for you!
I am happy you got out when you did!!♥️♥️
You were very fortunate to leave at a young age. Good for you ❤!!! I wish you happiness and success
1:04 seconds in I can tell you guys he’s not lying. I too was unfortunately indoctrinated into this cult as an infant from both father and mother. I too got out as a teenager. I’ve seen it a million times as teenagers a lot of us go. Few stay, and those that stay become elite and elders. Pioneers and ministerial servants (Jehovah witnesses lingo). I’m 43 now
I’m glad you managed to get out. However, I would say that they aren’t ignorant at all. I think they know exactly what is going on within and outside of JW and use that knowledge to manipulate the vulnerable. Just like the cult of Scientology, there is a reason why those at the top have money and power. It is very sad that 8 million people on this planet have to suffer at their hands.
Wow. I spent 23 years in this faith and finally hearing other's experience in the organization is really refreshing and cathartic
Hey former brother, how long you been out? (sounds like prison) Ive been out out about 15 years. and here I am.
Thank you
Been about 11 years now. Most of my family are still in it but wow it’s something that you find you can never fully cut out. Even now my views of religion in general has been corrupted going forward
I really wanted to hear what this man had to share. Can’t understand him with the mask and garble. Bummer.
@@Nihilnovus Thanks for responding. I enjoy hearing personal stories. See on the other side. lol That always kills me.
One of my best friends got captured around 20 years ago... After marrying into this cult via his now wife. He has a son in his early 20s, living on the streets... Due to severe mental, criminal and behavioural problems... And he has a difficult relationship with his eldest step daughter... Who only found out that he wasn't her Dad a couple of years ago.
He also has a home schooled daughter, in her early teens so... He's had an interesting 20 years!!! Because our friendship took a long hiatus soon after his JW directed marriage, in which an Elder was his best man! Even though I've known my friend since we were 7 years of age!!! And I'm 51 now! So yeah I was PISSED! And our friendship went on ice for about 16 years...
Anyway, he's a CHANGED man! Essentially just waiting for the world to blow up! Negative... Nihilistic... Frustrated... Bitter... And I think that the longer this world goes on... Is the more depressed he's going to get because it's like half of him has already shuffled off this Mortal Coil already!
He's wrapped up in a Crazy End of the World cult.. And there's not much I can do... Because if I intervene then that will be the end of his marriage...
Religion huh? A truly insidious concept to ensure that Human Beings remain divided and controlled by men... Because it usually is men... With sinister motives!
I’m disfellowshipped for about a decade I’m practically alone I lost my family and have suffered but I’ve found people along the way that became my family
I knew a family of Jehovah's Witnesses when I was a kid. I went to school with their twin boys, who both had problems of their own. It came out in the woodwork that one of them (let's call him M) would receive endless praise as he did well in his studies, was good at sports, and was well liked by teachers and students. The other boy, (let's call him D) however, was more into theatre, trains, and classical/40's/50's music. It came out that D would get beaten and berated almost every day by the parents whilst at the same time they'd be showering M with praise, cursing D that he wasn't more like M. Eventually social services got involved, but by that time they were reaching their late teens. D managed to break away from the family and get a job driving trains, his passion. M on the other hand lost all of his charm, charisma and potential, breaking down and getting addicted to hard drugs and gambling. These two kids were so smart and in their respective paths would have done so well had it not been for their fanatical, insane cult led parents.
Abuse is rampant. Parents are trained to be abusive. Women and children are subjected to a lot of abuse from the leaders to the elders and their own husbands.
My god, this is another world isn't it? I know a woman who hides her friendship from them as her friend is not a JW. She even hid that she was going away with her. And she badgered her friend constantly to try and get her to join. Even befriended her when her husband passed. But my friend never gave in. She refused. Felt there was something not right with them. Then another friend lost a child 40 years ago. They knocked on their door and my friend thought they were the bereavement women. They didn't say they were not them. Just sat there. And then started their preaching. He realised his mistake. Screamed at them to get out. A priest was walking passed and heard what went on. He shouted that he would be jn touch with their elders as he was sick of them doing this. They used to hang out at hospitals to get deaths info so they. Could get people who were that aggrieved, they could suck them into their cult. Vile people.
Dam
Dude I’m a ex JW, born and raised in the this religion. There are many fault of this faith but accounts like this are just pointless, these are shitty parents, it has nothing to do with the religion but the bad character of the people. Understand the difference so you can focus on the actual flaws of that religion. Also a sidenote, if the parents were extremely devout Jehovah’s Witnesses, they would not be encouraging their kid to play sports because that is actually not encouraged in the congregation.
@@Lulu-oi9ue That’s false my man. Bad parents are everywhere.
Former child witness here, I can’t tell you alienated this did to my childhood. Birthdays, parties, media, books and so many more restrictions.
Yup, no Christmas, no Halloween..can’t celebrate our own bdays - was horrible
Such a sad way of living, gotta stay away from all the religious fanatics and cults because they are in essence diabolical and want to keep you indoctrinated, obedient and confused.
That's how I felt. Looking back, those things are traumatic to a child.
@@BeyondEboand the trauma still follows me to this day. I still feel guilty doing normal things in everyday life because of the mental hold they had on me.
@@jasonafrifa1418 same. I'm 48 now and I'm realizing the effects it had on me. My grandmother has passed and my mom has severe dementia, and although I'm of age, I feel like I can finally talk about how miserable it was. I'm also starting to see my stepdad's (an elder) true colors.
I was raised a devout Jehovah's Witness and the mind control is real, the fear and influence are all real. The programming is real and people are encouraged to watch each other. I was disfellowshipped and shunned.
I was abused throughout my childhood from 4 years old growing up in that bloody cult. I hate the bastards. I was disfellowshipped for speaking out against them 30 years ago. The family have shunned me ever since. Yet still I cannot get justice. Like so many others who are the victims of abuse by Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watchtower Society, which has charitable status in the United Kingdom, they can get away with their crimes scott-free whilst victims like myself are left to pick up the pieces of a tortured childhood for the rest of my/our lives without compensation or any form of help.
I've been free for 17 years now, but badly traumatized. This man was telling the truth. The fact he feels the need to cover his face from the organization seeing him should speak volumes. It was the first 19 years of my life and it was full of abuse and evil, as well as judgment and invalidation.
The judgement was the worst aspect of it. For being an organization that purports to represent the Christian Spirit there's little love there or compassion. Granted some of the people are wonderful but the organization itself is questionable.
So how were you traumatized? What happened?
@stoiccrane4259 totally agree. It's one of those things that presents as pure and holy to outsiders, but for those of us on the inside, we saw it was everything but.
@koreanhog5735 it was a lot. I actually put up a 2 part vid on my channel last year. I'm also currently writing a book about my experience in it. I was being abused, and they basically kept it quiet and told me I was deserving of it. For example, I was molested as a child, and my JW mother years later told me I wanted it. I had elders pulling me aside in private to ask me highly inappropriate sexual questions and wanted details, when I was a minor. They constantly tried to control my thoughts and they tell you who you are allowed to talk to, what you can wear, lies to tell the public in order to recruit.
We were trained 3 days a week in our meetings how to do door to door, how to pick up on vulnerability in others in order to exploit them/convert them. So if let's say, your dad just died and you were my schoolmate, it was my job to use your grief to try and recruit you, telling you about the resurrection in order to entice you into joining us. If I didn't try to preach to you, I would be considered blood guilty because 'I could've saved you but didn't try to'. Imagine being a child and having the thought process in your mind that if you didn't preach to your teachers and peers, their deaths could be your fault for not trying.
Anytime there was a birthday in class, you were not allowed to even eat a cupcake (they don't celebrate any holidays other than one yearly ritual regarding Jesus death and rebirth). So as a kid, you had to go sit in the hallway and listen to your classmates enjoy a party while you were treated as if you did something wrong sitting in the hall, or in the library.
If you were bullied, you were expected to 'turn the other cheek' as Jesus would, so for years, I was beaten up and harassed by several peers, and was expected to just ignore them. Once, I defended myself and when an elder found out, he was upset and after a deep sigh, asked me if others knew I was a JW. He was more concerned with how me getting into a fight hurt Jehovah's reputation vs my safety.
When I came out as being gay, I was disowned by my parents via notarized letter and left homeless and unable to talk to them or my 2 siblings. Being gay made me "detestable" and vile in their eyes. I was 19. Lost my entire JW congregation overnight like it was nothing to them. It's been 17 years and I'm still estranged from my parents, siblings, and former JW friends. I'm talking never checked in on, never reached out to, not responded to, nothing. Had various suicide attempts when I was in, and denied my request for prayers. It was a lot.
I now live with CPTSD and have flashbacks every single day. This probably also has to do with the fact that we were constantly told about Armageddon/the end of the world coming any second, which caused severe anxiety that I still carry. The organization uses you like a battery to do their preaching and recruiting and then tosses you to the curb the moment you start asking questions about operations.
Pedophiles are sent to other congregations after abusing kids, not reported to the police because they handle everything internally. The new congregation is not told this person's history and has access to a new group of unsuspecting children. This happened in my congregation where one dude tried to come onto me a few times and I ended up piecing it together what he was after. They lie to outsiders regularly and demand you don't pursue higher education or association with outsiders. You can't hang out with non JWs and if you are caught, you are counseled and at risk of expulsion. It was hell, and I struggle with the memories daily. I deal with severe anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, loneliness, isolation, flashbacks, repressed memories, etc on a regular basis ever since. It was hell and I don't wish that experience on any child.
His daughter was abused and he can't name the abuser even if he is in prison c'mon, state names, dates to fact check,
People who didn't grow up in the organization are often fooled by the reasonable front they present to the public, but it's all true. If your child needs a blood transfusion to save her life, they expect you to let her die instead.
When you're in it, you're made to feel shame for questioning. You're "relying on your own understanding," and "puffed up with pride." They strongly discourage independent thought, just obedience on pain of shunning by all your friends and family.
Some ideas do not deserve respect. The hate and destructive methods of this organization are great examples of such.
Ya know I never really thought that through until now. They were tying together "independent thought" and "pride". As if making a decision for yourself is self-congratulatory. That truly is madness. What did they have us passively believing?!?
@@PastaMaster115 and if there's still any question, ask if what they're asking is self serving. When you build a kingdom hall or contribute your money or spend more hours making disciples, are you ever getting anything back on that effort besides the "happiness," they tell you that you feel? They get a broad real estate portfolio that they liquidate at will, cash, and new brand ambassadors who give more of the above.
Yup I know a brother and sister who refused a blood transfusion for their 4 month old daughter. She died, sadly. But he told their experience in a comment. They’re actually PROUD of that decision. Their baby girl could have been alive today… Makes me sick
Many cults have a benign looking front (as well as many front groups) and spend a lot of resources on PR and reputation damage limitation- it's the ex members who really see the vile activities beneath the veneer. Any high control group will be full of abuse, it's a psychopath's playground.
Dude you are not in medical field to say that malicious statement. Witnesses has doctors and liason committees worldwide that contact major hospitals to discuss different medical strategies to save a witness both child and adult. Blood transfusion is just one of the strategy use in operation. Refusal to that procedure and accepting other medical procedure that can allow operation to push through is not as equal as letting a person just to die. Investigate further, based your reasoning on a solid proof not just on a mere statement that can be malicious in nature.
I have a similar story. I got out at 12 luckily. There was a abuser in my family, the church didn't believe the children. Later the abuser was charged and recognized by the JW church. They definitely worked to cover up the abuse and gaslight the victims before that point.
I am not throwing out your account, bro, but what you have said is lacking so much detail, that to draw the conclusion that the elders were covering up the abuse would not be correct.
Believing anything that anyone says requires proof. And if there is no proof, how do you expect the elders to take action?
Your job, and the job of anyone in your family was to go to the authorities as soon as possible. The elders can only act if there is evidence. Without it, you can't simply say that they covered it up. It would be more accurate to say that they were stuck, and there was nothing they could do. Once the authorities got the proof they needed, the elders could follow up and take action against the wrongdoer. And from what you said, they did.
Note also, the elders handle the sin, not the crime. These are two different things.
That is why the reporting is left to the family members. If you believe there is abuse taking place, you don't delay. Go straight to the authorities and have it investigated.
I was in this organization over 20 years. Saw a lot of stupidity and injustice, but I always thought it's just the local congregation that's getting it wrong.
Now I see the wickedness goes right to the top. The unempathetic men running the show have completely numb consciences.
My Grandfather is an Elder and I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness from a young age. My mother was also introduced into it as a child when she was living in Jamaica and told me a story of how she was in the car with a trusted Brother from the congregation who was supposed to drop her off somewhere.
Apparently he went in another direction and put his hand on my ma's leg saying how beautiful she was and that another girl in the congregation was a "bad girl and shouldn't be believed". When she realized what was happening she opened the car door and jumped out into moving traffic nearly getting hit! She explained to a passerby what happened and he drove her home.
She then told my surrogate grandmother who's care she was under who was a Jehovah's Witness and instead of bringing the matter to police she decided to discuss it with other sisters in the congregation and "pray" on it. Within a few weeks the guy left the congregation and didn't return as far as my ma knew but who knows how many other girls he attempted and successfully sexually abused..
Call the police
They are sick. Totally sick. The Catholics hide their paedophiles. No doubt these do too. I'm glad you got out.
This is very common in the disgusting Jehovah's Witnesses cult.
I'm shocked in the video how the wife kept going to the church for another 10 years while her husband left and the fact her own blood was abused. Some women are just foolish
@@edobwoyyou'd be surprised how many still in that cult have been abused or seen others be abused. The mind control is real.
I was born in as well back in 1971. My Dad was a JW for over 60 years. He shunned me for 15 years. 4 years before he died he showed up at my door. He was old, alone and had no one to take care of him. He died in 2019. He made me POA and AIF of his Will. Because of this the W's could not control his funeral. I spoke at his funeral and I have the video on my You Tube Channel. I am so thankful that people are waking up from this Cult.
I will watch it.
I would have turned him away. I have no time for forgiving and forgetting. That's for small children and the birds.
@@bobjames6622 Matthew 6:14-15
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
This small child, bird, will stick with Jesus.
@@XJW-fb8ww You've simply replaced one cult (JW) with another (christianity). ALL man made religions are mere prisons of the mind. You've been fooled.....AGAIN!
@@XJW-fb8ww That is the same tactic religious people use to cover abuse. Don't report it to autoririties, forgive your rapist and god will forgive you and welcome you into heaven. The person who wrote matthew was wrong.
I walked out of the house as a young teenager and never went back. I had that exact feeling, that "Whoosh" and it was amazing!
Agreed. Hope that many others trapped in the cult can experience that too.
You've made an intelligent decison. 🙏🏾
"And if you don't agree with their beliefs, you can get yourself into trouble". Bigotry is badge of honor in cults and some prominent religions, run away from such when you can.
As someone who has half of their family in the Jehovah's Witnesses, none of this surprises me. Always something off about those people, always a feeling that they were being controlled.
They are. When after I left about 10 yrs later I went to a meeting to appease my grandfather featuring an Overseer.
I don't remember much about the meeting but one of the statements I recall is the Overseer literally saying to the congregation "Don't think for yourself. As humans were too dumb to think for ourselves without Jehovah."
The moment he said that I mentally noped the freak out and haven't returned to a meeting since.
It's a dangerous cult.
That governing body is the main culprit. They replaced themselves with god to the point a Jehovah's witnesses can literally read in the bible what it says, but yet follow the words of those men. Even if those words differ immensely from what the bible says. All Authority is in the hands of these men.
@@j3in725 Stephen Lett is the worst of them. He says things to the degree that "When he rises to heaven as an anointed he'll exercise judgement on the wicked" I paraphrase.
@@j3in725 - The words in a Watchtower magazine trump anything written in the Bible. That's how the J-Dubs think.
Covering up abuse is common with all cults because the reputation of the cult is more important than the people in it- it's utterly psychopathic. Also common with all cults is extreme levels of control of members- who they can talk to, what they can read or watch and they are certainly not allowed to have doubts (or express those doubts). Escaping is a very brave decision and always the right one.
Look at every religion in the world, they all cover up abuse ,and most have way more dirt on their hands.
Jesus Encounter Ministries RUclips channel**
The Catholics do this, too.
WOW….This cult is another level of nuts for sure. My heart goes out to those who are personally effected by them. I hope the good ones that are still currently possessed by this organization eventually leave & save themselves.
I grew up JW but never followed their rules. I thought for myself amd they would tell everyone I was bad association. When I was 17 I wrote them a letter and disassociated myself!
Thanks so much for shedding light on this. I’m shunned by my entire family for leaving. They need to be exposed as a cult!
Your family has to realise that disfellowshipping does not cut off family ties. If they can't see that, the problem is not the organisation. It is your family.
I have a disfellowshipped sister, and while I tried my best not to talk to her because her actions were disgraceful to the family, the elders told me that just because she is disfellowshipped does not mean that she is no longer my sister. Family ties remain. Spiritual ties are cut off.
That difference has to be realised. Again, the problem is your family, not the organisation. Remember that.
@@timothykporsu2472boy are you brainwashed…you just said you try your best to not talk to her. Who is forcing you to not talk to her? It’s not you…because, you’re having trouble NOT talking to her. It’s the organization!!!!
@@alexandrasalazar2705 You said I am brainwashed because I tried my best not to talk to my sister? Did you read everything else I wrote?
Let me give you context that don’t have.
I am Ghanaian, and this culture frowns on promiscuity. Let me put you in my shoes for a second.
You have a mother who is extremely sick (and this was 2017/2018). Her situation seems hopeless but you (the last born) and your older brother and sister are trying to do your best to help. You take turns to make sure that your mum is fed, bathed (and we had to do the bathing ourselves because we are all our mum has), and comfortable. Doctor’s said that her heart was failing, she had edema in her feet, deep vain thrombosis, her pressure was up all the time, she was asmathic and couldn’t breathe… and the list goes on and on. Your mum was in excruciating pain all the time, and painkillers could not do anything to help.
Now imagine that you find out that when it was your sister’s turn to be at your mother’s side, she would leave her for hours to go visit some guy. And of course, you can imagine what she went there to do.
My anger and hatred for my sister had nothing to do with me being one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
There is a lot of pain and anger here. Even if I was not one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, I would still have tried everything to not talk to my sister. My brother felt the same. And he is not even one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Her behaviour earned the disgust of our neighbours and anyone who heard about her and saw the lifestyle she was leading. What is more, she ended up with a violent drug addict who impregnated her.
Imagine that you go to a pharmacy to get your mum’s medication, only to learn that your sister’s violent boyfriend came there to cause trouble. What kind of reputation is that for our family?
Why does my mother after all the pain she is enduring have to deal the fear of losing her child at the hand of some violent drug addict who has no respect for anyone? The painful thing is that my sister keeps going back to him.
The organisation does not have to tell me to stop speaking with my sister. Oh, I would gladly cut all ties with her.
But like I said, which you gladly ignored, the ELDERS in my congregation, are the reason that I still speak with my sister. They reminded me over and over, and they still keep reminding me, that even though she is no longer one of Jehovah’s Witnesses (of course, she was disfellowshipped), she is still my sister.
The organisation you demonise is the reason I still recognise my sister as my relative. You don’t get it at all.
I can’t escape these guys. Even showing up in my feed lol
They are insane
I'm an exjw...this made me rotff
Demons are showing up in your feed Demon- icus.
This guy literally has demon in his name. If anyone is creeping, it's his evil ass. His simple-minded troll talk sounds very demon puppet to me
LOL.. stay loyal bro, I'm pretty sure that you will be the one of the 144000 to govern the new earth in the future as promised
I was raised a JW, and my mom let us make the decision to stop going when we hit our teenage years. My grandparents still attend till this day.
My grandad is an elder, and he went up to the other brothers and told them that my mom was pregnant out of wedlock and she had to meet with the brother's to basically apologize and they dismembered her at that time. But yet, my grandfather didn't tell them that he was putting his hands on my grandmother for years and is still an alcoholic to this day. They would actually help the people of the congregation before helping their own family. I still have a relationship with them, but it's at a distance.
I also remember as a young child asking questions about the congregation, and they would say, "You ask too many questions. Don't question the congregation." I still have SO many questions that still went unanswered. My mom still goes every now and then, but only for big events, and I think it's just to appease my grandparents. No one is perfect, but the witnesses will try to save face to make them look holier than anyone and everyone else who isn't a witness.
The word is "excommunicated" not dismembered! Dismember means to cut a body into parts, like a butcher does. Excommunicate means to remove from all communication with a church as a form of punishment for some infraction against the faith. I had to laugh at the word choice, but because "dismember" has such a distinctly different meaning, I had to comment just to tell you so you don't make that mistake again and give people the wrong idea!
Sorry for your experience. Your grandfather was not a good person and doesn't reflect all JW quality.
Jesus Encounter Ministries RUclips channel**
Sweet Jesus! Dismembering the poor woman seems a bit harsh, though I'm impressed with her fortitude for still going back every now and again for big events. Do ..... do they carry each part of her into the event hall in... like.. little matchboxes?
@@kma3647that's what they call it in the JW world, dismembered. My uncle was dismembered but my aunt and cousins still go
I was born and raised into that cult. But having always been a strong-minded individual, I knew something wasn't right at the age of 10 or 11. When my parents divorced is when I noticed our friends (me and my dad) weren't our friends anymore, which was when I started to question everything and even to this day. Whenever those people come to my door, I question anything they tell me, and I love it when they can't give me a straight answer. The sad part is because having been one of those people I have always had a bad taste in my mouth 4 churches and religion. So now, even when I go to just a normal, regular old Christian church, nothing crazy. No special rules, just reading the Bible and praise. I take everything with a grain of salt. It's so bad to the point that I even question the existence of God and everything they try to teach us, not saying I don't believe, but I guess you can say I'm spiritual. I definitely believe so much more than what they tried to teach me or tried to tell me not to believe in.
All Humans need to repent & Believe in Jesus as their God. Why? Because all Humans have sinned (lied, lusted sexually, stolen, dishonoured parents, unbelief etc). Avoid the fires of Hell (justice of God) and choose Heaven today. Jesus defeated death by rising from the dead. GOD IS HOLY
I grew up a JW. My parents still are. I will say this. It’s led to an outside looking in worldview that’s impossible to shake.
good! world is bad
@@harshitgarg419But the JW is worse.
Gave me a nihlist outlook. Nothing matters but Jah, not my family, not my friends, not education, not even my own life. From my first day of life until I left it was the main theme.
Armageddon is tomorrow, so no need to do anything other than preach the word so perhaps i can survive the ire of the Almighty.
My mother even used the threat of me dying at Armageddon and being totally forgotten about by her and Jehovah in the new system as a form of chastisement/punishment.
@@shadegreen5351look at it realistically. Who can save you but Jehovah. Who deserves worship. What have they given you, and is it the same as what Jehovah's given you.
@@lugi25screw jehovah
This religion broke up my family. I was abused by an elder, realized as adult the extent of this problem and when I stopped going everyone cancelled me immediately no questions asked.
Were you. What is his name? What is yours? Can you prove it? I mean, if you accuse someone of something publicly, you should be able to prove it, shouldn't you?
I'm so sorry you went through that. I'm hoping you heal from the trauma this cult has caused. I left 5 years ago after being abused for over 10 years. It's hard but I remember that I'm safer now and I actually have control over my life.
@@koreanhog5735 take a breath, I have no evidence, I was a child. The elder late went to prison for touching at least 9 others
@@BabyDoll-xx9rk thank you for the kind reply. I’m sorry you went thru your experience. Man we’ve really gone thru it. It takes real strength and courage to walk away. I know people in now, that are just too afraid so they choose to stay in and suffer. Hang in there survivor, I hope you are now thriving
@@koreanhog5735 Are you a lawyer? Why do you need a name?
My grandmother was a Jehovah's Witness. She converted later in life when my dad was already an adult.
She lived below us and was at most a bother. They always yelled at each other. I wonder now how much of that tension came from the religion, they never outright argued about it.
I saw the letters she and her caretaker wrote and delivered to people, wasn't that bad, fortunately.
I knew someone who is JW and went to prison for sexual abuse...the victim was very young...and the abuser was young as well...its unfathomable for someone to use there religion as a shield to protect themself from incarceration😢😢😢😢😢😢
as someone who was born into this. i can say 100%, he is right. i got out when i was 24, and i had to rebuild my life from scratch. i to felt like i was at last free! they completely tore my family apart and made my mother leave my dad, even after he foresore what was happening and got baptised him self she was never aloud to re marry because they said she had no grounds for scriptural divorce after convincing her to leave. so now a single mother with 5 kids 100% reliant on them. they completely destroyed my life. im now 40, and it's taken me this long to rebuild.
When you get out you feel so behind in comparison to everyone else when your life has been the cult for so long and you’ve been taught to discard normal society and the people in it, me personally I feel so out of place and like no one understands just how damaging the cult really is. A lot of people say, we’ll if you don’t like it just don’t be in it. They don’t understand the psychological abuse and manipulation
1st of all no 1 can make your mother do something Did he threaten to kill her and throw her in the river ...no You can do whatever you want you're accountable to Jehovah not to men... All these comments are blaming their religion And not taking Accountability for their own actions nobody can make you do anything you mess up your life because you want to the Elvis Accountability for their own actions nobody can make you do anything you mess up your life because you want to the elders can't force you to do anything You And do what you feel you need to do I'm tired of you guys crying Take some initiatives And grow the hell up And grow the hell Grow the grow up
@@blackklash so you are a JW still or are you just studying? because you dont really have a dam clue what you are talking about!. JW is a cult and there is more then enough people on here that can tell you about cult trauma and once you are full in why you cant just leave. and i know more about Jw's then most my family are generational i was 3rd generation.
Jesus Encounter Ministries RUclips channel**
@@blackklash yep, it’s always blaming and no personal responsibility. I am DFed and guess what it was own fault, it’s no one else’s.
The fact that we get free videos from VICE on RUclips is priceless, keeping the education and knowledge alive. 👍👍👍
🤷
Why’s this spammed every where in all the vice videos comments lolol
They just reinforce the idiotic fantasies of the ignorant haters of Jehovah.
Bot@@Mattieb_23
How could you look your own daughter in the eyes, listen to her tell you that someone abused her in a horrific way, and then continue to stick with the organization that hurt her. I will never understand.
True.You will never understand.Get the individuals and not "the organization".
As a current Jehovah witness, this was englighting. Good to have more active awareness of these type of real issues.
What are you going to do about it? In the Bible, Jehovah doesn't like people who don't deliver proper justice. There is a lot of harm when you guys are not judging it righteously. Jehovah will judge you all harshly.
@@Thatgirl12-fp3uq JW doesn't teach people to go molest children or people. You're blaming the actions of man as if they were supported by JW. Romans 2:23 will help you understand that because someone is a baptized JW, doesn't mean they can't be a monsters.
JW had changed their ways, look no further than the Australian report on how prevalent predators stays because of the 2 person rule. It changed.
If you ever attended our mid week meetings (can be done over zoom), you'll notice every few weeks a reminder to protect your children and be vigilant. Moses wasn't perfect, David wasn't perfect, Paul wasn't & we aren't either.
@@Thatgirl12-fp3uqYou’re a psycho 😂
@@Thatgirl12-fp3uqblah blah blah, shut up... also, grammar is your friend kid.
In the late 90's, my roommate's nephew escaped The Watchtower. He was clearly and obviously in a state of shock, and traumatized. I advised her to let him be, give him room and listen when he was ready to talk. I hope he eventually did. If youre reading this B, i hope youre doing better, love to C, and i hope you are handling your trauma better than i am mine.
What a load of garbage, people like you just lie constantly, you're all a bunch of babies.
I hope you are okay. You don't sound it by what you wrote. I hope you can finally be healed one day. 🤗
I am sorry for what happened to you, and I hope you are coping and are alright now. ♥️♥️♥️♥️
Sending you tons of love you’re not alone that was me in my early 20s and guess what I never looked back because clearly there is nothing for me there I am happy with how my life is tbh
They Just say "Leave it in Jehovah's Hands" meaning "Shut Up"
Exactly!
@@EfrainRiveraJunior So I ask " how do you not know that Jehovah is not using this incident to handle this matter at this time?"
@@eyevanwillaims7368 - That's how I reasoned 30 years ago when Barbara Anderson exposed the CSA issues inside the cult. I eventually stopped lying to myself.
@@eyevanwillaims7368 Because things never get handled… because Armageddon keeps getting pushed back again and again… it’s all a bunch of lies. When you’re force fed lies all of your life, you eventually (hopefully) begin to pull the wool from your eyes. You stop believing the lies.
And to turn your head the other way
My son was sexually abused by an elder and my son later committed suicide. The elders name is Bob Romanchuk
Jesus Encounter Ministries RUclips channel**
I’m so sorry to hear this… I too was abused by an elder at 7 years of age. I am still a JW again now, and I truly understand the struggle your son would have had… it’s truly one of the most painful isolating experiences… I gather especially for a male also.. it’s different how they try to cope… I’m so sorry for your loss. My uncle committed suicide, also my first bf., I can only imagine your pain and loss. One thing I know, is I do still believe your son is remembered by God and will come back. I truly believe this. And that as much as we wish he was still here now, he will never suffer the terrible torturous pain of post trauma ever again. Pleas take care of yourself Lorina… 🌷🌷🌷
Thank you for your bravery. More or less the same thing happened to me in 1978 and I’d had enough at the age of 18 and just told them to fellowship me. I remember the extreme relief I felt afterwards I felt freedom like I hadn’t felt in my entire life from a very young chilld. Keep spreading the word I have my whole life. Life will get better and better for you.!
the fact that he only refers to the person who both abused him and his daughter about "her" abuser really makes me realize that he hasnt really accepted the fact that hes also a victim. i hope him and his family are doing well
It can be really difficult to accept that reality. The mind has many ways of trying insulate itself from trauma.
Thank you for covering this. As someone who lost my family to this cult, this doesn't receive enough coverage.
You got to be wary of a group who covers up sexual assault performed by minors but will kick out teenagers over simple infractions.
This. Big time. They will kick a teenager or adult out for not being repentant for doing a natural human thing. But yet, they give peso's a lot more breathing room to the point many cases were not reported to law enforcement, and abusers stayed in congregations for years.
On minors*
They are bystanders and the worst thing about it they will never apologize for their actions
If someone sexually abused my daughter they would never be able to do that again.
I had a best friend named Sarahi in middle school. Such a beautiful and kind girl. Her mom got a boyfriend and soon after married him. He is a Jehovah Witness; converted their entire family. In high school, she was pulled out to be homeschooled and I lost contact with her. She even deleted all her socials. A few years ago I ran into her at a restaurant I used to work at and she asked to take a picture with me. It always made me so sad that she didn’t desire to switch numbers or anything of that sort. I’ve come to realize it was due to her restrictions within the Jehovah church. It’s really so sad. I hope she’s doing okay.
Trust me, she is doing great, too bad you don't want to investigate her beliefs.
"I hope she’s doing okay." in this cult NEVER BE "ok" if talk about LONG PERIOD of life.
Always begin cultish bullshit after a time and INCREASING crazyness
@@djparsons7363 too bad YOU don't want to investigate YOUR beliefs
@@djparsons7363 trust you why? How do YOU know how this random person on youtube is doing? How arrogant.
No, it wasn't. If you really want to learn about Jehovah's Witnesses, learn from them, please! There is no restrictions as to who you are friends with. But it's true that many follow the biblical advice not to be associated too much with people who do not follow the Bible's standards. If you want to know more ask Jehovah's Witnesses not people who are disgruntled because they failed to follow the God of the Bible.
Barb was 21 years my senior, married, and a Jehovah's Witness; it was a "May-December" that I'll always remember.
Say what now? 😂 😉
You fucked a Pioneer? No way I will believe that without two witnesses.
imagine you destroy the life of your entire family for an imaginary friend and some evil people
Being raised as a JW was so traumatic. I got baptized and the treatment I received was worse. I was treated horribly by the elders. I have nothing but disgust for that religion. It’s a cult.
I was bullied even as a witness; they are wolves in sheep clothing
@@talkmone Yes they are evil.
It is sad that you felt that way. But my question to you is this: "Why is it that I never faced anything like that? Why has none of my friends?"
My point here is that your experience in your congregation which only one of hundreds of thousands of congregations should be your reason to hate everyone within as if we are all bad people.
Yes, some are not good people, but it is not a reflection of the teachings of the organisation. Rather, it is the failure of those who treated you unfairly to apply the bible principles they have been taught.
Do you really think it is right to hate an organisation over the actions of members who are not following its teachings?
@@timothykporsu2472 By their fruit you shall know them
@@timothykporsu2472 I read your comment and I assume you are a yt person. Like most yt people you are speaking from a place of privilege and entitlement. Me as a black woman raised in this organization run predominantly by white men. You will never understand how it feels to be treated differently as a black woman in this country and as a black woman in an organization that claims to love and treat everyone the same. Not that is any of your business but last year I tried to return back to the organization because I have fell away. I asked to have a meeting with the brothers and restart my Bible study. Not only was I just fellowship, but I hadn’t heard anything from the brothers for over a year. Last month one of the elders reached out to me to ask me if we could talk. I find it interesting that he did this after President Putin from Russia has just released to the world that he had pictures of how Jesus Christ really looked. I’ll look at the whole organization as a cult. I believe the elders are racist and I have nothing but contempt for that organization. So you could have kept your comment to yourself because I give zero fucks about how you feel or what you think. Just like a white person to disregard a person feelings when they try to tell y’all something so your comment is typical of white people privilege and entitlement have the day you deserve.
ive been there. hearing a loved ones name being read out and then poof everyone around you forgets they existed :(
Im not a JW, but i dont think the critism of the organization is fair. I 100% agree with the shunning, stand for something or fall for anything. I only dont think the blood transfusion makes sense and no once cant tell me to buy people a birthday gift.
I also dont agree with baptism early. What does a 12 year old child know? Very rediculous.
Wait you don't believe in the baptism of a 12 year old, but the whole world accepts the baptism of a baby! Committing to faith in God is not the hardest decision in the world. You don't have to KNOW everything in order to look at the world around you (speaking for all people that should be capable of doing this) and saying this world was created, and I want to honor the creator. So that's a very basic understanding that anyone can accept. From there if you accept other basics a child may say they don't need more info.
@mazar420 - tho, sadly humans may at times choose to ignore what they are being shown from the Bible about their own personality. Some individuals do not look at others with humility. Therefore they may "forget someone existed" sadly they forget that Jesus holds out hope for all people.
But JWs do not accept that. They allow anyone to return to a relationship with God, and that person's sins are forgiven by God despite what any human may think or feel. But I do pray for individuals who do behave judgementally. That should not reflect how all JWs think.
@@fixityahnow1252you can't understand because you didn't grow up JW Someday the truth will be revealed and no one will deny how horrible and manipulative this cult is
@@fixityahnow1252 biggest mistake of my life ... No way my 12 yr old brain could comprehend what I was signing up for. But I wanted to be a part of something & all my friends were doing it. Wish I would of been 1 of that just hung around but never got baptized 😂
They will NEVER apologize to any of their victims EVER.
Because they believe that they are above everyone else.
Because there are no victims of theirs.
@@koreanhog5735 - Only a Jehovah's Witness would make an comment this arrogant.
@@koreanhog5735cowards…. Baseball bats work pretty god damn well for getting answers and the truth out
@koreanhog5735 Yes so the millions of testimonies are all false. It's all lies. No victims. Right. Too bad no one believes you. 😂
I was forced to grow up as a Jehovah's Witness in this awful cult. My friend who's dad was an elder abused him. No one did anything. If you showed any form of self-thinking or freedom, they'd corner you with 2 on 1 meetings and talk you into submission. I left the moment I was 18, and they disfellowshipped me. I got used by some of them when they needed me, acting like they were still my friends but when I would run into them in public, they'd treat me as if I was invisible. My own mother cut me off because I refused to go back, even though she herself had also been treated terrible. She's brainwashed. I had to have a surgery that may have required a blood transfusion, and when she heard of this, she only appeared just short enough to tell my doctor I wasn't allowed to have blood and it's a sin. I quickly notarized a letter for my doctor telling her she had no power over my medical treatment and I was to be given blood if I needed it. They are a cult and don't believe anything about them telling you they are not. If they can make a mother believe that allowing her own child to die is ok and choosing to killing them by refusing their medical care is something that's not just ok, but righteous, you better believe they are far more dangerous than they appear on the surface.
It's horrible, an "elder" tried to feel me up at age 14 no one believed me either. I'm so glad you and I got out
I stopped believing when I was 10 years old due to the fact that them constantly blaming entertainment was enough for me to look at them in a different view and not in a good way I started to noticed how they wanted parents to control their kids because “the world has them wrapped around your kids fingers” when they themselves love to gaslight the hell out of anyone, my parents and sister did not have a good relationship because of this religion and it made me feel alone and depressed because once again this religion as soon as she wanted nothing to do with this religion due to how their “members” aka rats were spying on her social media that made me loose respect 100% and then they started doing the same crap to me and that was a violation of my privacy and then during my late teens I stopped going all together because of the fact that they have 0 morals, 0 respect, and 0 boundaries I couldn’t for the life of me feel an attraction to a JW man because dating wise we are too different and personality wise they are trash thank god I never went out with one and I felt more attracted to the “worldly men” because the attraction is real and genuine and they are against piercings and tattoos because it’s a “sin to trash your body” but god forbid you call out one of their members for committing sin as in sexually assaulting someone then they gotta bystand their own members like that’s not hypocrisy at its finest and sinning against their own body and minds and the worst thing is my parents at the time loved to gaslight me into me thinking the way I am living is me being “miserable and no god” but their attitude to me was godless as hell and when my dad was an elder at the time he would ALWAYS bring up his damn privilege and rub it in my face and my sister just to get us to feel bad I stopped caring about his feelings and beliefs due to the fact that that’s not how you win your families love and ever since he was no longer an elder I see how he’s much at peace and no longer brings up the religion to me nor my sister THANK GOD because at one point he used to threaten how he would shun us if god forbid we stop attending and it came down to either he looses his family or he looses his privilege I have 0 hate towards him and my mom even tho my mom keeps in contact with her friends but doesn’t mean I forgive and forget I keep my distance from them mutually as in I don’t try like I did in the past because “thanks” to that religion the trust is dismantled and some things still traumatize me and I send my love to the ones who are ex JW you’re not alone my friends 🖤 stay strong
I am not discounting your experience, but a couple of things are just not accurate here and I felt the need to correct them. At least, someone would have an opportunity to read not just your comment but also something from someone who is still a member of the organisation of Jehovah's Witnesses, and whose experience has been massively different than what you described.
You cannot leave the organisation and be disfellowshipped. It is impossible. You get disfellowshipped only when you do something immoral.
You say we are the ones telling people not to accept blood transfusions. Are you implying that the Bible makes room for the use of blood as you are saying?
What is more, your mother should not have done what you said she did. She indeed had no power over your medical treatment. But you have to know that the medical system in the United States developed blood transfusion alternatives, which are safer than blood transfusion in every way in which they are useful, mainly because of Jehovah's Witnesses.
So, parents don't let their children die. They choose alternatives. And if you had done deeper research on the subject you would know that blood transfusion is not what saves your life.
I didn’t realize there was so much trauma associated with JWs. I didn’t grow up in it, but I had small children (which I never encouraged to get baptized). I had a medically fragile kid too & we ended up doing a back surgery without a transfusion. The doctor was annoyed, but he did a great job and they said she had the speediest recovery they’d ever witnessed….but I also looked into some data from Europe when I decided to push through that way. My mom once said she didn’t know how I managed to avoid getting kicked out😂 I question heavy & I was accused of having an independent spirit by one of the elders🤷🏾♀️ I got what I needed from it at the time and the ones I socialized with were genuine folk. Loved that there were all races together. But I do wish for the healing of those who had experiences that rocked their world and impeded their existence. All of my love to you and may those ties keeping you bound fall away.🫶🏾
It just takes one incident caught on camera, and an organization could fall over time; they tend to hold on to survival mode for a while, and then they're done
They literally tell members not to record judicial meetings with elders. I remember thinking afterwards that I wish I had not listened and recorded the conversation because it showed just how truly clueless the elders in my congregation were to the damage abuse causes people and how they repeated a party line so to speak without actually realizing the information was not accurate.
We wont fall. Only getting bigger
@@lugi25yes. The delusion is getting greater.
Every single word this man said is true.
At least I woke up in my 20's and only lost the first 20yrs of my life, not 50 like this gent and many others.
I lost 32 years inside that cult.
I lost 50
@@tammyg8031 - 😲😢
Same, I finally left in my early 20's. I was indoctrinated since the age of 5, baptised at 12. So glad my family and I left!
It is not true.
I grew up in this organization. So saying I escaped a cult is something I’d jokingly say but hearing him say it was so relatable. I’ve only met other Ex Witnesses in passing. Knowing someone else feels the same way is reassuring and sad.
I believe that his experience of viewing himself and the two other Elders from the ceiling was not the result of anxiety but rather, a genuine Religious Experience, a Gift from God. Immediately, he was able to see the absurdity of his brainwashing.
I was abused, a judicial committee was formed and I had to described in detail my abuse...they decided to privately reproved me. My family treated me like i had a disease. Also it was decided not to press charges against the abuser (decisions made by the elders and my mother) All this at the age of 12. Just typing this brings so much pain...
🫂 I'm so sorry
i'm so sorry
😢 wish you the best for the rest of your life ❤
I’m so sorry for your experiences!! Hopefully you have sought some counseling and or healing from this trauma!!
It's never too late to locate the abuser, then fix it.
My family are generational JWs. I am the only one in my immediate family that is not a JW. People don’t understand what this cult does to people.
Unfortunately, I do.
My in laws are witnesses and it’s definitely wild
Oh it’s wild because we don’t live in the same debauchery as you? Wild parties and living an immoral life? Because of this you are confused. Abuse may happen but does abuse not happen in every religion? 😂 wake up people Jehovahs witnesses are the true religion think about it why are they painted in such a bad light one answer Satan the devil. And he is blinding you
Not a cult
@@joraiders8o594 lies.. they are definitely a cult
Everything he said is true. My husband’s family was JW and my brother in law told me that he was abused and that abuse is swept under the rug. He said also that they use shunning to manipulate their own family members. My brother-in-law is so messed up because of this indoctrination. My father-in-law has passed away and my brother-in-law is almost 60 years old and can’t even think for himself.
I've met a few survivors who were trapped in a world of abuse and shame. I know people still who can not integrate very well and are very lonely.
3:47 Just a reminder: Watchtower Society sees no problem in a child making the life time decision of getting baptized and taking the future risks of getting shunned by his entire family.
A child can’t legally enter into a contract. How is a 10 year old allowed to be baptized and make a lifetime dedication or contract with God? They don’t have a fully developed brain to make that decision. They don’t understand the consequences of what happens when they default. I’ve always thought that children are manipulated into baptism. It’s so wrong.
not just his entire family but also his entire social circle
I am still a JW on paper. I walked away a decade ago while I was a ministerial servant and I promise you, though I am not up to date on their new beliefs if there are any or changes in their teachings but if I ever hear real true lies or etc. I will openly tell people they are lying or to stop talking bs. However if they are speaking truth I cannot deny it and to my knowledge and experience this man is sadly not lying he is telling the truth. He is not even bashing JWs
The funny thing they will say his lying he didn’t even explain all about them
@@jaebonjiya1275 he is simply talking about Disfellowshipping the shunning, the sad truth that the Watchtower org. Is not free of chold abuse and is just like most other religions, the fact that we are not part of the world and the things we can and cannot do as jws the fact that you cannot openly disagree with some of their teachings...literally in less than 7 mins said everything every former jw has experienced for the most part and he is not bitter he is not lying
Hi
I tell Jehovah's Witnesses to go through the narrow gate that is on the cramped road leading to life.
.
Matthew 7:13-14
“Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; 14 whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road ** LEADING OFF INTO LIFE ** and few are the ones finding it.
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I ask them to read what Jehovah said would happen at the time of the end that is in every Christians bible and yet, few are the ones finding it:
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Isaiah 66:5
Hear the word of Jehovah, YOU men who are trembling at his word: “YOUR brothers that are hating YOU, that are excluding YOU by reason of my name, said, ‘May Jehovah be glorified!’ He must also appear with rejoicing on YOUR part, and they are the ones that will be put to shame.”
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[Name of person] is no longer one of JEHOVAH's Witnesses ---->> "excluding YOU by reason of MY NAME"
.
I ask them if they can see Jehovah's promise to disfellowshipped Jehovah's Witnesses:
.
"He must also appear with rejoicing on YOUR part"!
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I then warn them that, if they go through this narrow gate they will lose their family as a consequence of the Watchtower Societies shunning policies.
.
Then I ask them to read what Jesus Christ said about everlasting life:
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Mark 10:29-30
Jesus said: “Truly I say to YOU men, No one has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the good news 30 who will not get a hundredfold now in this period of time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, with persecutions, and in the coming system of things ** EVERLASTING LIFE **
.
I then ask them if they want to live forever.
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I also tell them that they can leave the organization and their congregation with dignity by telling everybody that they believe Jehovah, Jesus Christ and everything else in the bible.
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Walk out with your head held high and jump for joy when you do.
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What Jehovah said would happen, is now really happening!
.
That's Good News ................... right!
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Jesus said: “Truly I say to YOU men, No one has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOOD NEWS.
.
Hope you realize your mistake and return. The policies on these things has changed but witnesses have always changed for the better. The light gets brighter as time moves
I can tell you firsthand, they make great employees and on top of that don't celebrate anything so they can work holidays. From a business perspective they're great. You even know they won't be coming to work hungover because they're door knocking on Sundays. Just sharing my experience maybe it helps some business owners out there.
The downside being that you got a cultist on your hands now.
This comment section is breaking my heart. Prayers to all of you who suffered.
I know a lot will not read this all the way through, but I don’t even know where to start with this. We were taught to be anxious and feel disappointing to god for having close friends outside of the organization. In kindergarten, I didn’t get too close to my friends in school because I was taught they were all going to be destroyed by god for not being witnesses. We were scolded for even eating cupcakes at a school bday party. Being a teenager and mid twenties, it made me anxious to do things with “worldly” people because when I openly had friends that weren’t witnesses, the elders would take me in the back room and tell me to stop “keeping company” with non Jehovah’s witnesses, because it was upsetting Jehovah. If you continued being friends with a non witness, you were soft shunned. I was a kindergartener going through school thinking all of their friends were going to be killed by god. I was r-ped by a witness at five years old. His name was Freddy. It came out to the congregation that, including me, this man had done this to five other children. He was disfellowshipped (excommunicated) for 6 months. This man had been assaulting (that’s me putting it very very lightly) his own sister from the age of three, to sixteen. It is still unknown as to who got her pregnant at sixteen. Because no one reported him to the authorities, when he was allowed back into the congregation again, he was able to assault at least a dozen other children. We did not come forward because the misogyny in the organization would blame girls for “enticing” the men. We saw how this would be because when that man’s sins came out, all anyone talked about was how gross the sister was and how she must have tempted him. They PITIED him. My parents were told when I was thirteen to make me wear baggy clothing because my body was distracting to the men in the congregation. I was able to escape from the cult four years ago. In doing so, I was branded an apostate. My family will never have anything to do with me again. The friends I grew up with have not spoken to me since. Even the sister that was abused stopped speaking to me. However, the man that ra-ed and molested over a dozen children has said he’s “sorry” and is still an active member of the organization. According to their teachings, someone who has abandoned the “faith” is worse than a pedophile. My father deleted me on all social media, and attacked me for being an “agent of Satan”, yet is friends with the child molester that destroyed me and multiple other children. I went to the authorities about him a couple years ago. I gave the FBI agent that came to my house all the names of the victims. He was confident this man could be put away. Every single one of them denied it, and told mutual friends that they didn’t want to “bring reproach” on god aka Watchtower. They teach that me speaking against the organization is worse than a predator. And I’d be willing to bet there will be witnesses on my comment that will call me a liar. Because that is what they’re taught to say when someone comes forward about abuse. Anyone is welcome to google the secret elders book that the rank and file are not allowed to see. In it there is a passage saying smoking cigarettes is an immediate shunning matter. However, it verbatim states that viewing child pron is not considered child abuse and only a matter of shunning if it happens multiple times. It states the child pron viewer should only be “strongly counseled”. Lastly, the man that destroyed my innocence has since married a woman with children, and no one in the organization has ever informed this woman that she’s brought her children into a marriage with a child molester.
You are so fortunate to be away from all these sick, evil people. I wish you all the best. 💜
I hear you, I see you, I believe you.
I was raised a JW too... left at 24 as a pioneer & even served where the need is great down in Mississippi. I did all this just to make my mother happy, and make the family "look good." I feel like I escaped Alcatraz... I'm now 52. I now live a beautiful big full happy life, however it took about 10 years to unbrainwash myself from that cult. I'll never get my childhood back, but I live my life by my rules.
I wish you to heal and move on, its not easy, but it's worth it. A book that's helped me tremendously by Dr Nicole LePera: How To Do The Work
I'm praying for all of you! This is just terrible, but God is a healer.
Idk what congration you belonged to ive never heard of no bull like that and elder got caught tryna talk to a minor on social media sending things he wasnt supposed to he went to jail and was exiled hes no longer allowed back
@@YyouscaredHomie except as soon as he’s proven he’s “sorry” he will be accepted back in like nothing happened. It happens everywhere, my guy.
I remember the moment i left that kingdom hall and knew I would never go back. It was that exhilarating feeling of being free from a cult. My heart goes out to all the survivors ❤
Might have a change of mind when you see all you learnt take place .. Jehovah always forgives and longs for you to return .
@@shaydenwadley after the way the jehovah's witnesses- your brothers and sisters- treated me I would be a fool to return. Hatred, gossip and judgement is not godly or loving. Thank God I am free of that cult thinking. Maybe you will be too one day. Or maybe not. Goodbye 👋
It was a breath of fresh air for me the minute I severed the ties with them I am happier than ever than I was during my childhood and I was able to accomplish my goals without them and the minute they have to make you “evaluate” your life due to no holidays, no college or university, no friends or dating “of the world” and shun yourself from your own family is when you know it’s a cult they wanted me to shun my sister you don’t do that with family at all the only time you can shun someone in my book is when they’re a child predator, drug addict, killer, and a thief that’s it and all I can say is I am glad I never looked back 🖤 you’re not alone
@@natalyavalasquez9121 that’s alright your choice my friend . Glad you accomplished your goals . This present world only offers temporary pleasures .. the reward will come in the future ..
Jehovah will always have you back , he longs for your return, that’s how loving he truly is .
What man among you with 100 sheep, on losing one of them, will not leave the 99 behind in the wilderness and go after the lost one until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he puts it on his shoulders and rejoices. 6 And when he gets home, he calls his friends and his neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost
I hope when all that was prophesied before hand comes true you see it and return just as some of the Egyptians saw the signs and changed their ways leaving with the Israelites .
The congregation must be kept clean if someone does something that goes against Jehovah’s standards and they are unrepentant they must be removed from the congregation until they truly change their path . At which time they can return .
All the best
Iremember when they did their annual convention in Dallas, TX. The kids are just so oblivious to the danger, and there were many, many times people tried to convert me. I refused as I Believed that God would never want his people to become a cult for the sake of his name. When I said this, people began to avoid me like the plague. I was even followed home from work a couple times. I'll never understand why people use fear-based faith as a control meothod, It only harms the generations that follow.
I have 4 hand written letters that were mailed to me by J.W. that I haven't opened. You have to really admire the effort they put in to bamboozle.
I grew up a JW and spent 35 years in. I experienced what he's saying. I'm so glad I got out and I i can heal finally.
what are some things I can ask them to challenge their beliefs next time they show up at my house?? If you know of any
@@Kmac223 cults don't work that way. If you tried they would put you on a do not call list. These people are brainwashed and logic and facts don't mean anything. It takes a lot to snap people out of it and it usually comes from the person beginning to question and looking at things themselves.
@@Kmac223Ask them what proof they have that the governing body are what they claim to be -they won’t be able to answer you 7:4
Sending you love my friend you’re not alone 🖤
I was robbed of my childhood. No birthdays, Christmas. Wasn't allowed in school assemblies because the school was C. Of. E.
Bullied until I was big enough to defend myself. Left at 16 years old after telling my dad it was the law that I could chose my own religion in the uk. I'm now 55 and atheist. I hate all beliefs.
❤
I’m so sorry that happened to you…
Christmas is a false pagan holiday. No person who claims to believe in christ should be celebrating it.
I was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness yet I have never experienced anything like what yall are claiming. I was able to attend prom and do university activities. I am still able to enjoy life and do things. So i am very confused by these comments.
I stopped believing when I was 10 years old due to the fact that them constantly blaming entertainment was enough for me to look at them in a different view and not in a good way I started to noticed how they wanted parents to control their kids because “the world has them wrapped around your kids fingers” when they themselves love to gaslight the hell out of anyone, my parents and sister did not have a good relationship because of this religion and it made me feel alone and depressed because once again this religion as soon as she wanted nothing to do with this religion due to how their “members” aka rats were spying on her social media that made me loose respect 100% and then they started doing the same crap to me and that was a violation of my privacy and then during my late teens I stopped going all together because of the fact that they have 0 morals, 0 respect, and 0 boundaries I couldn’t for the life of me feel an attraction to a JW man because dating wise we are too different and personality wise they are trash thank god I never went out with one and I felt more attracted to the “worldly men” because the attraction is real and genuine and they are against piercings and tattoos because it’s a “sin to trash your body” but god forbid you call out one of their members for committing sin as in sexually assaulting someone then they gotta bystand their own members like that’s not hypocrisy at its finest and sinning against their own body and minds and the worst thing is my parents at the time loved to gaslight me into me thinking the way I am living is me being “miserable and no god” but their attitude to me was godless as hell and when my dad was an elder at the time he would ALWAYS bring up his damn privilege and rub it in my face and my sister just to get us to feel bad I stopped caring about his feelings and beliefs due to the fact that that’s not how you win your families love and ever since he was no longer an elder I see how he’s much at peace and no longer brings up the religion to me nor my sister THANK GOD because at one point he used to threaten how he would shun us if god forbid we stop attending and it came down to either he looses his family or he looses his privilege I have 0 hate towards him and my mom even tho my mom keeps in contact with her friends but doesn’t mean I forgive and forget I keep my distance from them mutually as in I don’t try like I did in the past because “thanks” to that religion the trust is dismantled and some things still traumatize me and I send my love to the ones who are ex JW you’re not alone my friends 🖤 stay strong
The fact that he needs to hide his identity for fear of being retaliated against by the cult members tells you all you need to know.
I went to JW church while growing up. It was the most depressing sermons I’ve ever heard. Every week, it’s the same thing: judgment day is coming and we are seeing the end of the world. If you aren’t depressed, become a JW and you will eventually become depressed
I grew up as JW. My dad was an elder. I had a miserable upbringing, bullied at school and at home. It is a control cult, and it appeals to men who like to use positions of authority in the congregation to heighten their own status, and control others. I left the organisation when I was 16 - mainly down to years of questioning its teachings, and always getting contrived answers. You're not allowed to openly question it, unless you question it and accept the answers found in the literature. They deny evolution: I was forced by my father to read a Watchtower society book, which claimed to debunk evolution. I remember arguing with my dad, telling him that the book offered a very skewed view, and didn't present all of the information available - he didn't want to understand that I was right, and just got angry.
In regards to child abuse, I had one weird experience. A missionary couple from the congregation, who were based in Africa, came back to visit. They gave a presentation on their missionary work. I was about 10 years old. I found myself alone in the toilets with the man - and he tried to guilt/pressure me into sharing his urinal, instead of using the cubicle. I told my parents and they raised concerns at the time. Nothing was done about it, and they still do their work in Africa. Imagine the number of innocent children who have been exposed to him. I told my mum about this recently, and she defended him as a "lovely man". I told her about what happened, that he'd said to me "in Africa, children have to share urinals, because they don't have their own toilets", and she said "well, he's probably right". I said "no, he tried to get me to share his urinal, with his penis out", to which she just made dismissive sounds and ignored it. They are completely blinded, and in total denial. I expect a lot more to come out of that organisation, than what has already been covered up. They need properly investigating. They brain wash you from a very young age, with rhetoric about the dangers of 'the world', that armageddon is 'just around the corner' and control your life. A disgusting organisation - not the people, the organisation and the predators who thrive and are protected within it.
In Nigeria here, they have a school. And there are times they make the news round of sexual molestation. A young boy, aged 9-10, was raped at one of their boarding schools. He was raped continuously for a long time until he became so sick and his mother found out and alerted the government. He was raped by older boys and teachers. Heartbreaking. He was such an innocent boy when he went to school.
it appeals to men who like to use positions of authority in the congregation to heighten their own status, and control others.
True.
get your hand on a copy of Kingdom of the Cults by Walter Martin. He goes in to explicit detail on the JW false and perverted teachings. It’s a classic.
@o_m8717 Yeah that's heartbreaking.
@@5150Bud I will! Thank you.
Not a word from the family who raised me since 1980. Cult
They just destroy the very essence of us.
Thank you for bringing light on this dark group. I pray to Jesus Christ every day to bring the revelation to people suffering in this cult that long to truly know and love Him. The cult must and will be stopped in Jesus Mighty Name!
I remember going to their congregation and seeing this pregnant woman come in late 15 mins every Sunday after it started. I asked about her to one of the members. They told me she was being punished for having a baby out of wedlock. She had to be made an example while parading in front of everyone after the service started. I was really young at that time and it produced sort of a fear of doing anything wrong. I was not greeted by the elders when I left after a long hiatus and came back. I realized soon after it wasn't for me and haven't been back since.
This is BS in the highest degree
I can confirm the policies and culture that this gentleman perfectly described. I was a third-generation JW who left after decades on the inside.
My mother is a Jehovah's Witness and not celebrating holidays & birthdays is a slap in the face. Another thing that pissed me off is dating as if you are dating a female in the congregation, you are supposed to have an elder accompany you (aka The 3rd Wheel).The religion in general is joke
Religions in general are joke
My aunts & uncle are Jh, I’m happy my 4 cousin seen the bs n left when they were 18 , stupid clut
Lol you’re not supposed to have an elder accompany you.. who told u that?
Having a third wheel isn’t just a jw practice lol that has been around since the 20’s or so you take someone else along the date so you don’t get have a baby lol but I never heard it had to be an elder but at least someone other then someone your age. And holidays and birthdays with out jw being connected and telling you no, if you look on the internet talk about how much paganism is involved in those but everyone only wants to see it’s the jw’s saying don’t do this or that hahaha
@@Rudom17 one of the Witnesses told me when I was there. Clearly I can tell he never been laid
Each person I discourage from ever even looking at this organization is a victory to me
I grew up JW from birth until I quit going as a teen. It's hypocrisy at it's finest!
I was raised in that cult and the day it folds for good, will be a blessed day!
Stop the 🧢
Continue wishing
I guess you will NEVER have a blessed day, only those who worship Jehovah will make it through the millennium.
@@djparsons7363 Ain't nobody making it thru the millennium bud. See you in the dirt.
@@djparsons7363why r u watching apostate material? i’m going to tell the elders on you
I'm 28,I was DF in 2018 and I haven't heard from my dad a single time. Or any of my friends or anyone I've known my whole life. It's like I just died. If I pass them at the store they just look at the ground or look at me like I'm a disgrace and do not speak. My mom had cancer and died years ago, she survived the surgery but lost alot of blood in the process and died later that night. She would have lived with a blood transfusion but unfortunately that's not allowed. I can't believe more people don't wake up from this bs
And yet Watchtower apologists want to argue that normal family relationships continue. That shunning is a choice.
My cousin hemorrhaged and lost her life after giving birth. Her child is very angry at her grandparents for allowing that to happen.
Wow, that's dark. My experience is different but has some small parallels with yours. Greetings from an "outcast", former Catholic and apostate Costa Rican.
Jehovah's command at Leviticus 17:11, that blood is to be used only for atonement and at Acts 15:20, 29, the command to "abstain from blood" meant nothing to you, in which Esau also did NOT "appreciate sacred things".(Heb 12:16) At Malachi 1:2, 3, it says: "Was not Eʹsau the brother of Jacob?” declares Jehovah. “But I loved Jacob (because he obeyed Jehovah), and Eʹsau I hated; and I made his mountains desolate and left his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness ".
@@EfrainRiveraJuniorit is a choice.
Jehovah's witnesses came to my place one afternoon. I was on the phone and wasnt paying much attentuon to them when i opened the door. They saw i was on the phone and got the hint im not really willing to talk, so they left.
After a couple mins something hit me, and for some reason i had strong feeling i just saw Napoleon Dynamite at my door. In hindsite dude looked EXACTLY like him. To this day i feel like i really rejected Napoleon at the door. Crazy
Cursed are the hypocrites who sin and hide sin, and persecute those who call out sin and crimes against them.
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