Hey gang. EDIT: I sent the document to Jason Wynn at avoidjw.org, so it should be up there sometime soon. Also, Sorry for the delay! As I mentioned a few videos ago my plan is to upload less frequently, but to make the videos more substantial. Like this one. Let me know what sort of things you might want a deep dive into!
I was brought up as a JW. It wasn't until I reached the age of 35 that I had worked out it was all false. Well, this resulted in losing most of my JW family and all of my friends. I was married and had a 7 yr old son. My wife told me I had to find a place to live, even though I was equal on the mortgage. At 17yrs old my son got baptized as a Witness and told me he couldn't talk to me anymore. All I can say is, if a JW knocks on your door, politely and firmly tell them to put you on a " do not call" list. These guys will destroy you and your family just like a flick of a switch. They believe they have the only " true" religion and Jehovah will destroy everybody else at Armageddon. They dress nice but they are not nice.
your situation is simple. Repent and turn around and regain your membership again. No one is guaranteed everlasting life. A person must endure to the end. All people who support false religion and the worlds political entities will find themselves on the wrong side of Jehovah God.
@@ronhansen8471 This comment is disgusting. If you are a JW what are you doing watching and commenting on a apostate video? You know God can see you doing this right? So who says you will make it through Armageddon defying Jehovah like this?
@@ronhansen8471 - "Having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power." Your "eating from the table of Jehovah and partaking from the table of Demons" when watching apostate videos. What a hypocritical, two faced, double standard of a Christian you claim to be. It's no wonder your organization has a smeared God's good name. People like you only convince Apostates that they made the right choice.
@@kimbal1958 I do not watch apostate videos or entertain their viewpoints, but I am zealous for the truth of God's word the bible and very much dislike people denigrating Jehovah's organization, its members and its teaching. When it comes to apostate thinking I will not back down from it in fear but instead will do my best to set things straight as I know the truth and the JW Organization. I praise God's name Jehovah and let everyone know who he is and why we are called Jehovah's Witnesses. If you have a problem with that stand in line with the 7 plus billion people who dislike JWs
I hated my childhood, I hated the book young people ask, I hated not celebrating my bday and all the other holidays. I was born into it and was baptized at 15 and I left at 18 (I'm 35 now)after seeing the horrible truth. I knocked on countless doors, stood around giving out magazines. My friends disowned me and family were demeaning me until I moved out. I found my way eventually but it wasn't easy. I had some great mentors that I still remember. Yes the world is horrible but I navigate it and protect myself. Stay up Ex JWs love yall.
As ambassadors for Christ we would like to share the gospel of our salvation in the dispensation of God's grace. “Grace can be defined as the undeserved favor of God for people who deserve His condemnation.” God does not hold sins against us because they have already been paid for (every sin for every person.) Christ was made to be everyone's-every-sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). However, full reconciliation is not achieved until an individual "reconciles himself" to God (2 Corinthians 5:20). This happens upon belief of the gospel of our salvation. All humanity is forgiven but not all believe it. Being forgiven does not equal being saved, salvation comes by faith. Salvation is appropriated by faith, forgiveness of sins is NOT. Your sins were forgiven regardless of your belief. God did not need your faith at Calvary, He only needed His Son. SALVATION is only gained by trusting Christ - via belief in the word of truth (the gospel of our salvation.) Salvation IS by works, just not our own. It is not of ourselves, but through the gift of God's grace that we are saved. Upon HEARING the gospel, if we BELIEVE the gospel, we are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14). A lost soul can only be saved by trusting Christ to have done everything necessary for our salvation though His finished cross-work. Romans thru Philemon are the only books in the bible that explain salvation for today. In those books we find salvation is by faith alone, in Christ alone, without-any-works-of-any-kind-at-anytime. Christ died for your sins, and has risen for your justification (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) Put your faith in what He did rather than what you have done, are doing, or are going to do. Salvation is not getting-your-sins-forgiven, it's believing they already are. (2 Corinthians 5:19) Truth Time Radio, also on youtube and facebook, is here to help you better understand your bible and better articulate your faith to others.
My mom is still a JW, she converted when I was about a year. I hated it too, but now I don’t care much for them. I never really care for Halloween either, and Easter never made sense. Passover does just not the bunny rabit
For Easter it’s just to get the chocolate bunny and the candy eggs and the peeps if you like them. We also got pretty new clothes for Easter so we kinda enjoyed the holiday as children.
After I turned 11 a bible study was arranged for me by my mom with a sister and after we finished the first book I was asked if I was ready to be baptized. I knew the consequences of being disfellowshipped and knew I wasn't going to be perfect throughout my life and I replied, "I think I need to study another book." After 3 books and lots of annoying questions the sister I was studying with passed me over to someone else and they eventually just stopped studying with me. The pressure of getting baptized is definitely there in passive guilt/fear comments from parents and adults which is something that I had to hear from 11 years old until I moved away to another city. My elderly parents "witness" to me in a roundabout way and as always I politely decline.....it really wears you down when you just want to have a regular conversion with family that are heavily indoctrinated. Sometimes my mom will say things like, "I feel sorry for you because of what's going to happen to you when Armageddon comes."......🤦🙉 This is a really great video! 👏👏👏👏👏✌
Good on you for being so aware. You could just answer next time, thanks and I feel sorry and sad for you. I worry how you will support yourself as Armageddon never comes.
I gave in to the pressure when I was 13 and I have never regretted a decision more in my life. Very happy for you that you stayed skeptical and didn't give in to the blatant peer pressure.
@@depressedacorns I'm sorry to hear that. It was a definite struggle being young, unbaptized and having no interest in pioneering. My mom and I had a bad relationship because she was always forcing "spiritual food" down my throat. Even though I didn't know it was a cult I still had the "what if it's true" fear in my mind along with other religious traumas, anxiety/panic attacks and depression that I had as a result of being born-in. This organization really can mess you up mentally and emotionally.✌
@@shonaford250 I absolutely hated talking to JW classmates at assemblies, meetings or the memorial after being gone for a while because the first thing they woul say is, "Have you gotten baptized? You know the world is going to end.." 🤦🙉🙉🙉 That just wore me out!
I made it a point to not get baptized because I knew I was gonna leave. My aunt regularly talks about how "sad" it is that she can't talk to her son because he got baptized and then left, but I'm chill because I never got baptized. While I never got baptized I was homeless as a teen because of my choice to not get baptized. Because the person raising me left "for their spiritual health". Tell me normal family relations continue. Gaslighting at it's finest lol
I made the same choice. When I was a kid, my aunt was always around with my cousins, helping out. I loved her. She got disfellowshipped and suddenly we weren't even allowed to talk about her. That was a very good scare tactic for me to avoid getting baptised at all costs. I didn't like being a JW anyway, I didn't believe in it; I was lonely and no effort was ever enough. Thankfully I managed to get married to my long-term secret partner and move abroad.
This hit me hard. It could literally be my husbands story. The same thing happened to him. We are now in our forties, happily married with kids of our own. I cannot conceive treating our sons the way my husband was treated. I’m so sorry for your hurt, but so glad you are free to be yourself.
Same here "My Birth Parents" Are Shunning my Brothers, Who got Baptized at the age of 17.and did nothing wrong but left the Religion. But Talks to me, Who is Not Baptisted and Broke a lot of Commandments 😊 Make this Make Cense
At age 16, I stopped going to meetings. My mother packed up my belongings and told me I had to leave. So I quit school and got jobs to survive on my own. My mother made sure everyone I knew shunned me. She, my brother and friends have not spoken to me since she kicked me out 40+ years ago.
I am sorry that you had to go through that. If their version of God truely exists he’s not worth worshipping if he expects his members to treat their children this way.
This is the same for me how does a 15 year old girl make it on her own???? I promise you it was Very Very hard.And now days would be child abuse for sure.Who can you trust???at 15 No one.... Your a walking confused target.
IDK what their 800 page diversion is going to be but I was baptized at 16, married at 20 and realized I didn’t believe the JWs anymore at 30. My friends, family and in laws absolutely shun me. As it’s Christmas, my mother in law will have all the family to her home to not celebrate together and my husband will have to decide if he’ll go and leave his wife alone or if he’ll miss out on seeing his entire family that he’s very close with. That’s reality. I always tell him to go see his family and not worry about me because I don’t want to put him through that. And that’s the case for every family event. They shun, they destroy people, they destroy relationships. And frankly I did it too when I was a member.
I thought I would miss the family, nope! I miss their toxicity. We had good times & I cherish my memories, but I don't miss it - the shaming & talking bad about others. It's all fake and pretentious. Good for you being ok with him going. Stay strong.
I remember an incident when I was around 12 where a girl I knew (also a teen) was sexually assaulted by multiple teen boys. Obviously I was horrified hearing this, but what came next was the adult women in my life standing in a circle in the kitchen condemning her, confirming that it was her own fault. "A good girl wouldn't stay in a room with boys alone". From that moment, I knew for certain that if anything like that ever happened to me, I would NOT come forward. Think about whether you want this life for your children before you join Jehovah's Witnesses. She was probably one of the teen girls who got disfellowshipped for "sexual immorality" that he's talking about in the video
I got a horrible flashback when you mentioned Young People Ask. That book fucked me up as a teen. I eventually went to a school counciler about my issues and felt so much better after one session that I did reading those two books multiple times.
@@jana731 If you Google the book, you can download it and look for yourself. But essentially, it makes you feel wrong and guilty about such small things. It was a book designed to make you feel guilty and dirty about such natural and innocent things.
I think as exJW many of us probably shunned someone while we were still JW, and the reasons why I shunned people had nothing to do with my own free choice, I shunned people because I was told to. Watchtower tries to claim disfellowshipping and the shunning it entails is no different from an individual who cuts of relations with someone who irritates them or harms them, but that is not true. There are people who I whole heartedly cut contact with because they abused me, that was a choice from within myself, it was what I chose to do for my own emotional health. In contrast, when I shunned disfellowshipped people it was never from a place of wanting to do it, if the organization had not been pressuring me to do it in order to keep my relationships with god and the congregation I never would have shunned any of those people. They did nothing offensive or wrong to me, I had no reason to cut off friendship, I wished every time I saw them that I could talk to them and hang out with them, but I was indoctrinated to think god would punish me if I talked to them or that I could be shunned myself if I talked to them, or that I would be endangering them by risking their eternal life if I didn't enact the "godly discipline". The Watchtower or JW claim that shunning is a personal choice is a lie, being threatened to do something does not make it your choice if you comply to avoid the harm. A teller at a bank that is being robed puts the money in the bag and hands it over to the thief out of fear, because they are being threatened, no one thinks that the teller did it of their own free will and would have done it regardless of if the thief was there or not. The JW organization is holding a "weapon" pointed at every member, they are threatening loss of relationship with god, subsequent loss of life, and the threat of being shunned themselves, the members are like that bank teller for the most part, following the organizations orders to avoid extreme consequences that are created by the organization.
I completely agree. I remember having to shun my friend's dad who had always been so kind to me, because he was disfellowshipped. I was only 5 at the time. Do you really think I would have cut him out by myself? Nonsense. One of many shunned. No idea why any of them were shunned so how could I make my own mind up about whether or not I thought they were good company to keep or not?.
@@stephstevens2 That is a very good point, none of us hardly ever knew why someone what announced, they could have been doing any number of things that we really wouldn't give a crap about but the elders decided they should get kicked out, or they could have simply said "enough I'm done with this religion", nothing to shun someone over.
I was expelled and I have stopped talking to expelled members, not because the GB told me, but because the Bible says to quit mixing in the company of anyone who calling themselves a brother engages in certain activity and refuses to stop. Not even talking to such a man or woman (paraphrased).
@@vusimngomezulu2500 as far as I know. I've seen some churches trying ro preach door to door and in public here in sfla. But it didn't take. Even the Mormons don't have the reach JWs have. There are few areas they haven't reached and they are working on fixing that issue
So what they're saying is that if a person is disfellowshipped, their families and friends are held hostage until the person is reinstated. Then this means they have no freedom of choice. 🤪
Oh, they do have freedom of choice They can choose to either obey the org and shun the disfellowshipped person, or die at Armageddon That's seriously what they believe It's what I used to believe
I knew absolutely NOTHING about Disfellowshipping until three weeks AFTER baptism. The person who was supposed to inform me chose to smugly reveal that sordid detail at that time.
I remember about 10 was when I was told I asked too many questions because they couldn’t answer me other than have faith. When I finally pushed through the “you can’t go to college” and started coming back with even more questions I was told the devil was trying to stumble me. After a horrific experience in disciplinarian committee I couldn’t stay anymore. Being 21 and disassociating myself was so hard. I lost my family, the majority of my friends, my job because I worked for other J W. My father specifically warned me I would never see my little brother if I didn’t change my decision. Luckily after 16 years my parents decided to let that go to be able to be family with my daughter and I.
I pray ,dont let the faults of the JW organization keep you from having a relationship with Jesus, ive seen to many times people being so damaged by the organization , that they completly reject the bible.
@@michelleturrey hmm knowing my mother (who is kinda not so smart) she wouldnt have the brains to think for herself sadly... But thank you very much for the encouragement
While I was told that I'd be shunned as a result of disfellowshipping/disassociating myself, nobody *NOBODY* told me that my children would be shunned too. The way they were treated after I left disgusted both me and my ex-husband.
@@professormartyrdomtruth Mmm I can almost feel your forked tongue as you flick it against my earlobe while hissing ‘aaapossstassssy’ Get away from me you minion of Satan! 💥
Isn't it shocking how shady their so-called sources were! My goodness. Talk about cherry picking - it's just like they do when conjuring up interpretations in the Bible - they cherry pick scriptures. How did I ever fall for this religion as "the Truth". Yikes!
Thank you for your time. I am a grandma of 12 raised 10 children I am on the books as a “Pioneer “ I have gone to pioneer school 3 times but …….after the situation of the medical decision they decided for me . They got in the way of me doing my Fathers Work. I’m Out. I have children and grandchildren I’m trying to help . More to this Story . I wanted to say thank You for Being So Brave!!! I Love You! I left the Organization I’ll Never leave YHWH. I’ll probably get did fellowshiped. I’m Ready . 💕😔♥️☝️🦋🥰
Oh by the way my Elder Son made me move out of the little tiny house He Built for me!!! I was Homeless and my inactive Daughter took me in… It was the medical situation in 2020… Booted out because of MY View of the Vax .
They haven’t cornered me Yet! I’ll play their game to get my my beautiful family back to the True YHWH and washed them of their cult garbage. ( ask me how I really feel?!?, maybe not.)
Did he just compare getting a drivers license to selling your soul to the cult!? 🤣The governing body has taken their delusions to the next level (haha)
It’s awful that they pressure kids (whether intentional or not) to make a lifelong commitment about something they can’t possibly have the capacity to understand at a young age, and then they’re trapped forever. IMHO, they shouldn’t be allowed to get baptized until legal adulthood (age 18), but that would have to be implemented by the organization, and I don’t see them doing that-too risky that they’d lose control. 😠
I have never seen a more genuine CZcams apology than the one you gave in your latest video. Don't let that hater get to you, fuck him/her, we know you're a good guy, everyone makes mistakes, you owned up to yours and are working towards improving your life. I hope to see you when/if you come back.
Re: Legal Precedents: An example of the law of upholding something we find to be wrong is Plessy v Ferguson where the US Supreme Court ruled that segregation laws didn't violate the 14th amendment's equal protection clause. So, just because a country has ruled that something is acceptable, doesn't mean that thing isn't also harmful. We can only hope that the Norwegian decision sets its own precedent and those countries that once ruled in favor of JWs shunning practices come to realize the harm it causes, that it's a violation of human rights, and then overturn those cases.
It's great to hear you applying and articulating basic common sense to all of this. Before the internet, I could have these same kinds of thoughts, myself, but to hear others talk about it is very healing. This is why this religion doesn't want people to become educated because education builds critical thinking skills and makes it easy for people to see through the BS.
My mother married a divorced JW. We were all disfellowshipped for like 2 YEARS. I WAS SEVEN! I realized right then that I didn't want to be JW for myself. I never changed my mind, and they TRIED pressuring me into being baptized. It was always creepy and I hated it.
I'm lucky to have never been shunned; in fact, despite being a baptised person, the rationale for my leaving was so in line with their teachings that they actually supported me. I suppose I found a loophole as I've never met anyone else with that experience, even those from the same congregation. (Cue survivor guilt) Anyway, it pisses me off that they say shunning is a choice. One of my strongest and most confusing childhood memories was seeing a 'new' woman at the congregation and, after the meeting running over to lovebomb her, as JWs tend to do. She looked TERRIFIED, and kept looking around for help. Then some sisters pulled me aside and quietly said I couldn't talk to her. I don't know if they fully explained it, but at that time, I didn't believe JWs shunned in the way outsiders said we did, so this seemed completely out of nowhere. This woman continued attending meetings, remaining silent, & leaving immediately after every meeting, with no one even LOOKING at her. After a few months, the elders had an announcement; someone was reinstated. And immediately, she burst out crying; everyone looked at her, relieved and then began love-bombing her. I didn't engage that time as I was confused and probably a bit scared. The whole thing was fucked up, and I did NOT have a choice in being part of her shunning. I was made to. If I chose to ignore it, I probably would have gotten in trouble, maybe shunned myself. She was a fantastic person, a ray of sunshine, a bright, intelligent, kind, and excitable person; I don't think she ever belonged in that religion. Her dad was an elder, and she probably had no contact with any family members while she was 'in the world', doing what? Having a fucking career. That's all she did, as far as I could learn anyway. I worry the cult will continue to drain her until she's miserable and stiff like her mother and self-loathing like her father. If it was a personal choice of conscience, then why did a child get forced to shun an obviously repentant person doing their best? Disgusting behaviour. (Also, in writing this, I realise I probably had a queer crush on her, repressed by the cult. lol)
How easy it is for Watchtower to change the truth about shunning when it suits them. They are such hypocrites! The harm that is done to people is so terrible. Twisting the truth is lying!
My brother also killed himself because he never felt that his baptism was the right decision- rather one enforced by both our mother and the “elders and Kingdom Hall”. He saw the hell I went through when I separated myself from the cult- albeit by disfellowshipping. I myself was married to an abusive elder not only abuse towards me including rape, but then he turned his wrath to my teenage daughter- which lit my fire as a mother, abusing me was bad enough, but he was not going to turn that to my daughter. He was addicted to porn and an alcoholic. But that resulted in the elders turning a blind eye to what he did and how he treated me over many years. He is still an elder, remarried and had to agree to become an elder in an Asian language where “the need was great”. My brother saw the way my mother shunned me, and he couldn’t fathom his mother doing that to him. The worst part, his wife covered up his suicide by not allowing an autopsy and having him immediately cremated. That “religion”- CULT is a disease that needs a swift stop put to it. It’s sickening the hurt and deaths that they are “bloodguilty” for.
Thank you so much for your content! I have binge watched everything i could find against the organisation for the past week. It has helped me tremendously to cope with my childhood. I had so many memories brought back, that I buried inside me, because I couldn't deal with or understand it at the time. I've been out of the cult for ten years, i left and totally wanted to forget everyting and start a new life. The only reason my family stayed in contact with me, is because I was never baptised. Just now, I made the decision to start researching this "religion" and everything that is wrong with it. It was heart wrenching to realise, that i was raised by a bunch of lies. My family still are strong believers and I just wish, that i could open their eyes. I have just started with trauma therapy, but when the trauma has healed, I want to support others that leave or want to leave the organisation.
Jake, I want to thank your parents for bringing up such an intelligent individual. I love that many ex-JWs produce videos telling their stories and exposing the WTS. However, intellectually speaking, there are few channels that stimulate my brain and allow me to engage with what the video maker is expressing. Thank you for your incredible work and research. You totally destroyed this large document that the WTS deviously crafted. There is no question that the WTS does NOT want this document accessible or viewable by its members, because the members will clearly see how the WTS bends/twists the truths over and over again! The WTS's pattern of lying has been going on since its inception. You have done a great job exposing the lying nature of the leaders of the WTS! Keep up the awesome work!
One of the main things that made me wake up was the love bombing those who were reinstated would receive after being shunned for so long it just felt so hypocritical to me.
Saw your latest video. Although I’m really gonna miss your content, I completely understand. As soon as I found your channel, I binged the f out of it. You’re highly articulate, and you have a magnetic personality. It’s no wonder people reached out to you, because honestly, i think we can all use a Jake in our lives. But in reality, we can really only hold on to and really be there for a few. Whoever your real friends are, they are blessed. Whatever that means. Your channel has helped me keep some sanity while leaving, as I’m sure it has helped others. I guess it’s good to know the toll that it was taking on you. Please don’t be overwhelmed by the current circumstances; it’s all part of growing. I hope your healing process will allow you to come back healthy and continue as a creator of some more content. And one more thing, you’ve allowed me to be comfortable with being an LCD Sound System fan
The loophole where you never get baptized so you can't be disfellowshipped, that's how I can still talk to my family. It's messed up, but there's no other way I can think of to still talk to your family without themselves getting in trouble. There is a catch, of course, they must be preaching to you when they see you (because if they preach to you they aren't technically doing wrong, they can justify it that way) The pressure to get baptized was certainly on me, but I was always viewed as bad and unsavory so I'm sure no one was surprised I didn't do it 😂 They don't realize that by making you feel bad they're literally driving you away
Wishing you the best man. Thanks for helping so many through tough times. Focus on you. Many battle through some sort of addiction. Just a matter of taking the right steps and you are. Better than can be said for a good chunk of people. Wish you and Jarbin the best.
I have to say this is one of your best videos, I keep coming back to it and I recommend it to anyone trying to concisely explain how disfellowshipping works and how it isn’t something people knowingly “agree” to.
This is absolutely excellent !!!! v. little mocking and so can be safely shown to JWs with "doubts" keep up the good work and thank you, loads of information.
I’ve studied with a JW for some months a while ago, when we got to the topic of disfellowshipping I opened up a debate, that was the moment I realized there was no way I could do this- I wasn’t even studying to become a JW, I just find the religion intriguing, yet it was still too much to bear
Hey bro. Just watched your new video. You are being very hard on yourself. The shame comes from the organization. Keep your head up man. I never expected you to be perfect.
In our congregation, if you weren’t baptized by 16, you were no longer invited to jw kid events. We all knew it, and if you didn’t follow that, you got a talking to from the elders.
I stopped going around 12-13, but I would have loved it if they would have officially excluded me. I hated going to JW events. Thankfully they were few and far between because there was no one my age.
Since we can not comment on your last video, I just wanted to say that it's important to fix your personal life. We will miss u while you're gone. No matter what you've done, do not allow yourself to be bullied or blackmailed. Hurry back!!
Yes, that's some scary stuff that someone has accessed your personal information. Take care of yourself first, but don't be tricked again into believing that your voice does not deserve to be heard. Whoever is threatening you in this way has their own issues. Be aware there are scams too, where you get sent random texts from an anonymous number saying they have personal info on you and threaten to expose it if you don't pay them a certain amount of money. It's a sick scam that's been going around lately. Not sure if this fits into that category, but make sure you're saving evidence, as you might need it. These types of incidents are called "extortion scams" and you can and should file a police report about them, as they are a form of illegal harassment.
Not one to comment on videos such as these, but as someone who raised as a JW and was baptised only two years ago (27), i wish that i knew then what it takes to leave this religion back then when i was going through the questions... all the times i was "encouraged" (sure as hell felt like being pushed) not once was i told if i wanted to leave one day it would mean giving everything up, i suppose that's my fault for not reading the fine print, but my life ive lost almost everything for taking a stand against this religion and its cost me nothing short of my life.. i wouldnt wish what i'm going through on a daily bases on my worst enemy. 😔😢
Hello Jake, Steve here from the U.K. First I want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for your hard work and commitment in making this video. As a former JW of over 40 years I can confirm that what you say in this video about the Watchtower Society is absolutely true. They are extremely deceitful, not just to the outside world, but to their members. When I started to question my beliefs in 2018 I researched quotes from scholars and scientists in their publications and saw how often they misrepresented and misquoted them, taking their words out of context to make it seem like the scholars/scientists etc were in agreement with them. It was the final nail in the coffin for my belief in them being Gods spokespeople on earth. God would not use anybody who were deceitful to represent him for anything. Unfortunately I was too traumatised at the time to document any of my findings, however, I have included a link below to a video that shows such deception and encourage everybody ESPECIALLY current JW’s to watch it, it is taken from Watchtowers own publications with any relevant proof linked. I want to forward this video of yours to legal authorities and wonder if you could provide contact info for any. I have liked this video and encourage all to do the same. Thank you again Jake and keep up the good work. Link to aforementioned video: czcams.com/video/sYDrQaeUmjQ/video.html
In the picture with the girl who is disfellowshipped standing next to the door in the kingdom hall the door looks like a jail cell door. Thank you atworldly for your continued activism.
bc i was “spiritually sick”, my parents refused to teach me how to drive and when i left home, it was one of the many skills that was withheld from me bc i left prematurely. it’s very sick edit: i was 10 when i got baptized and was the youngest at the convention. sooooo yeah.
Ex jw content creators can be likened to prisoners who break out of jail but then hang around by the exit trying to help more get out whilst watching the old brutal regime. Thank you for your work but look after yourself in the meantime..it must be gruelling. Much respect
Excellent research sir, excellent points 👍 Those religions that frown on independent research have something to hide 😳 To use a biblical quote “For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed”.
the age standard for baptism that i grew up with was "Old enough to know right from wrong".... in an insular community where they drill it (aka: inculcate it) into you from the time you exit the womb
I remembering hearing the same thing! That’s a tricky thing about WT, they may say one thing in their publications but those of us who are members know there are CULTURAL rules/aphorisms that aren’t written down
Thank you for this video, I watched all the way through with everything you were saying. From my research personally I definitely noticed they use these same tactics and taking things out of context prove a lot of their beliefs one of those things being the cross. I was raised Jehovah's witness but thankfully never got baptized into it held a grudge for years because I was kicked out of a friend's wedding but still believe in the teaching. It wasn't until I started doing my own research and watching videos like yours but I really started to try to figure out the truth about things. So thank you again!
Great breakdown of a very long document, Jake. In Scientology, SP (Suppressive Persons) are disconnected - same thing as shunning. No one is supposed to talk to them - they are PTS (Potential Trouble Source). In JW lingo "stumbling". Plus - the accent was perfect - you need to do theatre or stand up or some such. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
30:53 to 32:09 really hurts me. The elder's handbook literally spells it out that 'normal blood-ties and familial affections' for relatives are wrong and even warrants judicial meetings if they continue. Yet, the organization also tells governments in their shunning document that 'normal blood-ties and familial affections' not only continue, but word it in a way that completely contradicts said statement by merit of their broadcasting videos telling their own members to shun disfellowshipped, and even disassociated relatives. Even though they recently changed how they operate their disfellowshipping arrangement in March this year, its very painful to know how deceitful they speak when it comes to twisting their portrayal of this discipline. The organization promotes a person to use power of reason and reliable proof to support and speak out about truth boldly, and yet when 'apostates' do exactly that and use the Bible, factually verified evidence, and reasonable logic to explain why a Witness doctrine or belief is incorrect or severely flawed, they're demonized or ousted if they were once in the cult. It really makes me realize that the real apostates are they themselves. So called 'wicked apostates' such as yourself are just genuine people who care deeply about spreading the truth with tactfulness and sincerity, which is exactly what Witnesses are commanded to do. Excellently researched and insightful video AltWordly. You used plenty of examples from this cult's media library to prove their hypocrisy and debunk their own article to governments. As someone who was born into this false religion and is currently waking up, I needed to hear this despite the despair I feel realizing that my entire world up to this point has been a false reality. Thank you for spreading the truth and warning others of this cult. The Witnesses are not wicked people. They're just sincere individuals who have been taken advantage of by being deceived, isolated, and brainwashed into doing awful things that no ordinary person or even a Christian would ever do.
I was going to get baptized by the Catholic church and then back out . I really not in to religion. I read the bible and i believe in God and the saints but I'm not ready to be baptized. And i had a talk with dad . He supports my decision. My family Catholic and the other half of my family are in other religions. we respect each other .
The branding of anything that contradicts their beliefs as apostate even if brought forward by someone who has never been a JW is their mind control techniques
Thanks for this, Jake. Wow..they only had two reinstated jws say how "loving" shunning is. Two!!!! That's pathetic! Regarding the quote you read, she said she had "limited contact" with her jw family and friends, rather than absolute shunning. What she described is more in line with the limited association connected with "marking," not disfellowshipping.
Great video, very informative and well explained. My maternal grandparents and a large chunk of other family are JW and it has led to immense family trauma that now as a free thinking adult, has ruined my relationship with them. My mother was broken from their mentality, and I had to emotionally care for her as I got older. I had a lot of harmful mindsets placed in me as they took me to church and tried evil tactics to try and convert my brother and I starting from birth. Shunning is absolutely a massive part of the JW community and tore apart aspects of my family as well. It is disrespectful that they would even claim to not know of shunning existing in their community when they are the ones who crafted it. Anyways, real meat and potatoes of my comment is the discomfort and shock I felt recognizing Holly Folk from WWU. She is an active professor at WWU, a university that I went to and still live in the town of. I'm really disgusted and wildly uncomfortable that she is wrapped up in all of this. I saw your newest video, Jake, and wish you an immense amount of power finding yourself this year onwards. Every member of my family has been completely BROKEN being exJW. As you said, it's hard going into a world that was so different from your own and making mistakes as a grown adult that "teens would be expected to make" and would be forgiven for. I've seen some people come out as really good people after 15-20 years of wrestling with themselves. It's an active battle, and while I don't know the full story, I wish you ultimate recovery and I am with you. I am glad to hear you are connecting yourself with therapy, and hope it helps immensely. I hope to be strong enough to send these findings to the WWU school board/Bellingham newspaper to try and take action against Holly being an active professor... But I'm not sure if I have the mental strength to handle this at this time. And it's somehow hard for me to believe that they didn't know about her activity in all this in some capacity.... I have a lot to reflect on. Thank you for the effort you put into this, it's something that touched many people and I would not have known about this otherwise.
I don't know how I found your channel but I'm so happy I did. Maybe it was the big guy up in the sky, the J-Dogg himself 😂😂😂. I look forward the going through your back catalogue and absorbing all your contact. I don't know if you are on the spectrum or if you are around someone who is but I am and the way you speak with a matter of fact and almost keep you opinions and feelings out of it is exactly what I have been looking for. Thank you so much for this and I am sure all your videos last and future.
I was 5th generation JW, and can tell you the trauma I faced was unbearable when I tried to leave in my early 20’s and was manipulated to stay in the cult by my parents. I grew so depressed and su*cidal over the next 10 years because of this, before finally waking up and leaving in early 2019. I still don’t have any contact with my relatives or former friends, and it’s taken years of therapy to reconcile this. That’s to say nothing of the pressure from the organization itself and other members. The amount of propaganda members are exposed to about this make it abundantly clear that JWs are expected to shun former members.
Im 20 minutes in so far and just want to say, "Jeez man! Incredible work!" Could not imagine the time and effort that you must have put forth on this. Its a great breakdown already. Looking forward to finishing. For all of us exjws's out here your representing I gotta say thanks. Worst corporation in the world IMO, I hope for their fall off everyday.
I really appreciate the editing in these videos! The way you bring in things from JW sources to specifically point out what they've said (and in some other videos, for humor) is fantastic. It gives context-both context for their arguments and cultural context. I'm sure it's a ton of work, and I (like just about all your viewers, I'm sure) appreciate it!
More documented evidence that proves the god of the bible named Jehovah, is a FAKE god, and we on this earth are all being deceived . czcams.com/video/Bp9-6NuNK9c/video.html
An elder in my congregation at around 2005 or 2006 was told that if he continued to employ someone that had been recently been disfellowshipped, he would be removed as elder. This is in LA. It’s illegal. The elder chose to stop being an elder. He continued to employ this person. I think that was the best. I don’t know where they’re at now.
You did a great job on this video. I never joined it but did associate with them and even went out to the field with them a few times. There are some really great people in the organization and I agree with their ideas on heaven and hell which some other religions have too, but in general their ideas ruined my marriage and my life. I was confused and didn't have much self esteem and this really didn't help. Thank you for helping people and please get back to me 🙂.
Thank you for the wonderful video. Over the last couple of years I’ve started to search out information like this on CZcams. It’s been incredibly healing the watch and also read the comments from other ex JW’s. As all of us know we’re left with some serious scars after being raised in this cult of a religion.
Goatlike highlighted court case over shunning in his post on GB response to Norwegian ruling. They claim that not getting a government handout = not having freedom of worship. The court case however upheld their right to decide whether someone is a member or not. No one is telling them how they should organise their religion, just saying that we won't give you privileged status if you don't fit our rules.
Governing Body writers, keep painting the target in bold colors, shining ever brighter light on this death sentence that you are perpetrating on you and your beloved corporation. Your Jehovah has something harrowing in store for you, while the informed souls escape your self destruction.
Hey gang. EDIT: I sent the document to Jason Wynn at avoidjw.org, so it should be up there sometime soon.
Also, Sorry for the delay! As I mentioned a few videos ago my plan is to upload less frequently, but to make the videos more substantial. Like this one. Let me know what sort of things you might want a deep dive into!
the king the legend is bacccc!!
I mean this in the most loving way possible - welcome back!
You have such a great skill for this kind of work; absolutely fantastic video. ❤
Quality not quantity is fine by me.
Goal accomplished. Really well done. 👍🏽
Great video!
I was brought up as a JW.
It wasn't until I reached the age of 35 that I had worked out it was all false.
Well, this resulted in losing most of my JW family and all of my friends.
I was married and had a 7 yr old son. My wife told me I had to find a place to live, even though I was equal on the mortgage.
At 17yrs old my son got baptized as a Witness and told me he couldn't talk to me anymore.
All I can say is, if a JW knocks on your door, politely and firmly tell them to put you on a " do not call" list.
These guys will destroy you and your family just like a flick of a switch.
They believe they have the only " true" religion and Jehovah will destroy everybody else at Armageddon.
They dress nice but they are not nice.
your situation is simple. Repent and turn around and regain your membership again. No one is guaranteed everlasting life. A person must endure to the end. All people who support false religion and the worlds political entities will find themselves on the wrong side of Jehovah God.
@@ronhansen8471 This comment is disgusting.
If you are a JW what are you doing watching and commenting on a apostate video? You know God can see you doing this right? So who says you will make it through Armageddon defying Jehovah like this?
@@ronhansen8471 - "Having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power." Your "eating from the table of Jehovah and partaking from the table of Demons" when watching apostate videos. What a hypocritical, two faced, double standard of a Christian you claim to be.
It's no wonder your organization has a smeared God's good name. People like you only convince Apostates that they made the right choice.
@@kimbal1958 I do not watch apostate videos or entertain their viewpoints, but I am zealous for the truth of God's word the bible and very much dislike people denigrating Jehovah's organization, its members and its teaching. When it comes to apostate thinking I will not back down from it in fear but instead will do my best to set things straight as I know the truth and the JW Organization. I praise God's name Jehovah and let everyone know who he is and why we are called Jehovah's Witnesses. If you have a problem with that stand in line with the 7 plus billion people who dislike JWs
@@ronhansen8471 you’re missing the whole point! His family should not be used as a tool for control!
I hated my childhood, I hated the book young people ask, I hated not celebrating my bday and all the other holidays. I was born into it and was baptized at 15 and I left at 18 (I'm 35 now)after seeing the horrible truth. I knocked on countless doors, stood around giving out magazines. My friends disowned me and family were demeaning me until I moved out. I found my way eventually but it wasn't easy. I had some great mentors that I still remember. Yes the world is horrible but I navigate it and protect myself. Stay up Ex JWs love yall.
Good for you!..❤
As ambassadors for Christ we would like to share the gospel of our salvation in the dispensation of God's grace. “Grace can be defined as the undeserved favor of God for people who deserve His condemnation.”
God does not hold sins against us because they have already been paid for (every sin for every person.) Christ was made to be everyone's-every-sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). However, full reconciliation is not achieved until an individual "reconciles himself" to God (2 Corinthians 5:20). This happens upon belief of the gospel of our salvation. All humanity is forgiven but not all believe it. Being forgiven does not equal being saved, salvation comes by faith. Salvation is appropriated by faith, forgiveness of sins is NOT. Your sins were forgiven regardless of your belief. God did not need your faith at Calvary, He only needed His Son.
SALVATION is only gained by trusting Christ - via belief in the word of truth (the gospel of our salvation.) Salvation IS by works, just not our own. It is not of ourselves, but through the gift of God's grace that we are saved. Upon HEARING the gospel, if we BELIEVE the gospel, we are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14). A lost soul can only be saved by trusting Christ to have done everything necessary for our salvation though His finished cross-work. Romans thru Philemon are the only books in the bible that explain salvation for today. In those books we find salvation is by faith alone, in Christ alone, without-any-works-of-any-kind-at-anytime. Christ died for your sins, and has risen for your justification (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) Put your faith in what He did rather than what you have done, are doing, or are going to do. Salvation is not getting-your-sins-forgiven, it's believing they already are. (2 Corinthians 5:19)
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My mom is still a JW, she converted when I was about a year. I hated it too, but now I don’t care much for them. I never really care for Halloween either, and Easter never made sense. Passover does just not the bunny rabit
For Easter it’s just to get the chocolate bunny and the candy eggs and the peeps if you like them. We also got pretty new clothes for Easter so we kinda enjoyed the holiday as children.
After I turned 11 a bible study was arranged for me by my mom with a sister and after we finished the first book I was asked if I was ready to be baptized. I knew the consequences of being disfellowshipped and knew I wasn't going to be perfect throughout my life and I replied, "I think I need to study another book." After 3 books and lots of annoying questions the sister I was studying with passed me over to someone else and they eventually just stopped studying with me. The pressure of getting baptized is definitely there in passive guilt/fear comments from parents and adults which is something that I had to hear from 11 years old until I moved away to another city. My elderly parents "witness" to me in a roundabout way and as always I politely decline.....it really wears you down when you just want to have a regular conversion with family that are heavily indoctrinated. Sometimes my mom will say things like, "I feel sorry for you because of what's going to happen to you when Armageddon comes."......🤦🙉 This is a really great video! 👏👏👏👏👏✌
Good on you for being so aware. You could just answer next time, thanks and I feel sorry and sad for you. I worry how you will support yourself as Armageddon never comes.
I gave in to the pressure when I was 13 and I have never regretted a decision more in my life. Very happy for you that you stayed skeptical and didn't give in to the blatant peer pressure.
@@depressedacorns I'm sorry to hear that. It was a definite struggle being young, unbaptized and having no interest in pioneering. My mom and I had a bad relationship because she was always forcing "spiritual food" down my throat. Even though I didn't know it was a cult I still had the "what if it's true" fear in my mind along with other religious traumas, anxiety/panic attacks and depression that I had as a result of being born-in. This organization really can mess you up mentally and emotionally.✌
@@shonaford250 I absolutely hated talking to JW classmates at assemblies, meetings or the memorial after being gone for a while because the first thing they woul say is, "Have you gotten baptized? You know the world is going to end.." 🤦🙉🙉🙉 That just wore me out!
I'm really sorry that you had to grow up with / live with parents like that. It is honestly really impressive how you chose to avoid being baptized
I made it a point to not get baptized because I knew I was gonna leave. My aunt regularly talks about how "sad" it is that she can't talk to her son because he got baptized and then left, but I'm chill because I never got baptized. While I never got baptized I was homeless as a teen because of my choice to not get baptized. Because the person raising me left "for their spiritual health".
Tell me normal family relations continue. Gaslighting at it's finest lol
I made the same choice. When I was a kid, my aunt was always around with my cousins, helping out. I loved her. She got disfellowshipped and suddenly we weren't even allowed to talk about her. That was a very good scare tactic for me to avoid getting baptised at all costs. I didn't like being a JW anyway, I didn't believe in it; I was lonely and no effort was ever enough. Thankfully I managed to get married to my long-term secret partner and move abroad.
This hit me hard. It could literally be my husbands story. The same thing happened to him. We are now in our forties, happily married with kids of our own. I cannot conceive treating our sons the way my husband was treated. I’m so sorry for your hurt, but so glad you are free to be yourself.
Same here "My Birth Parents" Are Shunning my Brothers, Who got Baptized at the age of 17.and did nothing wrong but left the Religion. But Talks to me, Who is Not Baptisted and Broke a lot of Commandments 😊 Make this Make Cense
The most conditional “love” ever.
At age 16, I stopped going to meetings. My mother packed up my belongings and told me I had to leave. So I quit school and got jobs to survive on my own. My mother made sure everyone I knew shunned me. She, my brother and friends have not spoken to me since she kicked me out 40+ years ago.
I am sorry to hear of you being shunned and for the awful way your mother treated you. I hope she has woken up to see the error of her ways.
@@georgebrown8312 She's still in the JW cult. She's only loyal to her masters. She is just waiting to see me possibly in Paradise?
I am sorry that you had to go through that. If their version of God truely exists he’s not worth worshipping if he expects his members to treat their children this way.
This is the same for me how does a 15 year old girl make it on her own???? I promise you it was Very Very hard.And now days would be child abuse for sure.Who can you trust???at 15 No one.... Your a walking confused target.
@@VB-ff1dr Wow.
IDK what their 800 page diversion is going to be but I was baptized at 16, married at 20 and realized I didn’t believe the JWs anymore at 30. My friends, family and in laws absolutely shun me. As it’s Christmas, my mother in law will have all the family to her home to not celebrate together and my husband will have to decide if he’ll go and leave his wife alone or if he’ll miss out on seeing his entire family that he’s very close with. That’s reality. I always tell him to go see his family and not worry about me because I don’t want to put him through that. And that’s the case for every family event. They shun, they destroy people, they destroy relationships. And frankly I did it too when I was a member.
I thought I would miss the family, nope! I miss their toxicity. We had good times & I cherish my memories, but I don't miss it - the shaming & talking bad about others. It's all fake and pretentious. Good for you being ok with him going. Stay strong.
I remember an incident when I was around 12 where a girl I knew (also a teen) was sexually assaulted by multiple teen boys. Obviously I was horrified hearing this, but what came next was the adult women in my life standing in a circle in the kitchen condemning her, confirming that it was her own fault. "A good girl wouldn't stay in a room with boys alone". From that moment, I knew for certain that if anything like that ever happened to me, I would NOT come forward. Think about whether you want this life for your children before you join Jehovah's Witnesses. She was probably one of the teen girls who got disfellowshipped for "sexual immorality" that he's talking about in the video
That’s fucking repulsive!
I got a horrible flashback when you mentioned Young People Ask. That book fucked me up as a teen. I eventually went to a school counciler about my issues and felt so much better after one session that I did reading those two books multiple times.
That book was awful,a teenage mind screw.
What was it all about? Like can you name examples? I was never a JW so I'm kinda curious...
The awful chapter on Masturbation didn't work for me. Now I do it guilt free.
@@jana731 If you Google the book, you can download it and look for yourself. But essentially, it makes you feel wrong and guilty about such small things. It was a book designed to make you feel guilty and dirty about such natural and innocent things.
@@Geohovahs_Hand Yep. That was the worst one for me personally, too.
I think as exJW many of us probably shunned someone while we were still JW, and the reasons why I shunned people had nothing to do with my own free choice, I shunned people because I was told to. Watchtower tries to claim disfellowshipping and the shunning it entails is no different from an individual who cuts of relations with someone who irritates them or harms them, but that is not true.
There are people who I whole heartedly cut contact with because they abused me, that was a choice from within myself, it was what I chose to do for my own emotional health. In contrast, when I shunned disfellowshipped people it was never from a place of wanting to do it, if the organization had not been pressuring me to do it in order to keep my relationships with god and the congregation I never would have shunned any of those people. They did nothing offensive or wrong to me, I had no reason to cut off friendship, I wished every time I saw them that I could talk to them and hang out with them, but I was indoctrinated to think god would punish me if I talked to them or that I could be shunned myself if I talked to them, or that I would be endangering them by risking their eternal life if I didn't enact the "godly discipline".
The Watchtower or JW claim that shunning is a personal choice is a lie, being threatened to do something does not make it your choice if you comply to avoid the harm. A teller at a bank that is being robed puts the money in the bag and hands it over to the thief out of fear, because they are being threatened, no one thinks that the teller did it of their own free will and would have done it regardless of if the thief was there or not. The JW organization is holding a "weapon" pointed at every member, they are threatening loss of relationship with god, subsequent loss of life, and the threat of being shunned themselves, the members are like that bank teller for the most part, following the organizations orders to avoid extreme consequences that are created by the organization.
well said.
I completely agree. I remember having to shun my friend's dad who had always been so kind to me, because he was disfellowshipped. I was only 5 at the time. Do you really think I would have cut him out by myself? Nonsense. One of many shunned. No idea why any of them were shunned so how could I make my own mind up about whether or not I thought they were good company to keep or not?.
@@stephstevens2 That is a very good point, none of us hardly ever knew why someone what announced, they could have been doing any number of things that we really wouldn't give a crap about but the elders decided they should get kicked out, or they could have simply said "enough I'm done with this religion", nothing to shun someone over.
I was expelled and I have stopped talking to expelled members, not because the GB told me, but because the Bible says to quit mixing in the company of anyone who calling themselves a brother engages in certain activity and refuses to stop. Not even talking to such a man or woman (paraphrased).
@@vusimngomezulu2500 as far as I know. I've seen some churches trying ro preach door to door and in public here in sfla. But it didn't take. Even the Mormons don't have the reach JWs have. There are few areas they haven't reached and they are working on fixing that issue
So what they're saying is that if a person is disfellowshipped, their families and friends are held hostage until the person is reinstated. Then this means they have no freedom of choice. 🤪
Oh, they do have freedom of choice
They can choose to either obey the org and shun the disfellowshipped person, or die at Armageddon
That's seriously what they believe
It's what I used to believe
I knew absolutely NOTHING about Disfellowshipping until three weeks AFTER baptism. The person who was supposed to inform me chose to smugly reveal that sordid detail at that time.
honestly curious, how did you make it to a point of baptism without even hearing of disfellowshipping?
I remember about 10 was when I was told I asked too many questions because they couldn’t answer me other than have faith. When I finally pushed through the “you can’t go to college” and started coming back with even more questions I was told the devil was trying to stumble me. After a horrific experience in disciplinarian committee I couldn’t stay anymore. Being 21 and disassociating myself was so hard. I lost my family, the majority of my friends, my job because I worked for other J W. My father specifically warned me I would never see my little brother if I didn’t change my decision. Luckily after 16 years my parents decided to let that go to be able to be family with my daughter and I.
I feel you I left 3 months ago it’s hard I just turned 22 and I feel so lost at times. But making taking it one day at a time.
I pray ,dont let the faults of the JW organization keep you from having a relationship with Jesus, ive seen to many times people being so damaged by the organization , that they completly reject the bible.
@@brett703 other people may not understand but you are brave and will have a great life ahead.
@@nightwalker2350 that’s because they showed us all other religion is lies and once you realize so is theirs, you free yourself to live without lies.
It really sucks we had to go through such things. Hope you're good now.
im infuriated... when i disassociated my mom went as far as go to court to get me evicted the day i turned 18
uhhhhhhh!!!! have hope i was a evil mother too, pray she wakes up! i pray for forgiveness.
Absolutely shocking. What a disgusting horrible mother you have, some people should never be parents.😡
@@michelleturrey hmm knowing my mother (who is kinda not so smart) she wouldnt have the brains to think for herself sadly... But thank you very much for the encouragement
That could be from the pressure your mum may have felt from the "groupthink" to appear spiritual.
While I was told that I'd be shunned as a result of disfellowshipping/disassociating myself, nobody *NOBODY* told me that my children would be shunned too. The way they were treated after I left disgusted both me and my ex-husband.
What a quality video. I never knew their sources were so shady. I'm just starting to learn so much about the cult I was born into. Thank you, Jake.
@@professormartyrdomtruth Hi, do you know something about him that we don't? If yes, why not let us know?
@@professormartyrdomtruth
Mmm I can almost feel your forked tongue as you flick it against my earlobe while hissing ‘aaapossstassssy’
Get away from me you minion of Satan! 💥
@@murdoc-is-god I noticed. Thank you.
@@professormartyrdomtruth thank you for the warning, but I don't plan to follow another cult.
Isn't it shocking how shady their so-called sources were! My goodness. Talk about cherry picking - it's just like they do when conjuring up interpretations in the Bible - they cherry pick scriptures. How did I ever fall for this religion as "the Truth". Yikes!
Thank you for your time. I am a grandma of 12 raised 10 children I am on the books as a “Pioneer “ I have gone to pioneer school 3 times but …….after the situation of the medical decision they decided for me . They got in the way of me doing my Fathers Work. I’m Out. I have children and grandchildren I’m trying to help . More to this Story . I wanted to say thank You for Being So Brave!!!
I Love You!
I left the Organization I’ll Never leave YHWH.
I’ll probably get did fellowshiped. I’m Ready . 💕😔♥️☝️🦋🥰
Oh by the way my Elder Son made me move out of the little tiny house He Built for me!!!
I was Homeless and my inactive Daughter took me in…
It was the medical situation in 2020…
Booted out because of MY View of the Vax .
Because I wouldn’t believe in the GB and I said they make mistakes…
They haven’t cornered me Yet!
I’ll play their game to get my my beautiful family back to the True YHWH and washed them of their cult garbage.
( ask me how I really feel?!?, maybe not.)
Am curious, what did they interfere with? This sounds interesting
@@markmello1366 it’s a long story. …..
I said enough.
Who needs details?
Did he just compare getting a drivers license to selling your soul to the cult!? 🤣The governing body has taken their delusions to the next level (haha)
But you can surrender your drivers license and not get shunned, he missed that part
@@Normanclegg1 and now they're actually slowly easing up on the shunning policy with their recent updates to it
It’s awful that they pressure kids (whether intentional or not) to make a lifelong commitment about something they can’t possibly have the capacity to understand at a young age, and then they’re trapped forever. IMHO, they shouldn’t be allowed to get baptized until legal adulthood (age 18), but that would have to be implemented by the organization, and I don’t see them doing that-too risky that they’d lose control. 😠
I believe having their hooks in generations of families is very intentional.
And think of the age Jesus git baptized, he was experienced and a mature age.
I have never seen a more genuine CZcams apology than the one you gave in your latest video. Don't let that hater get to you, fuck him/her, we know you're a good guy, everyone makes mistakes, you owned up to yours and are working towards improving your life. I hope to see you when/if you come back.
Re: Legal Precedents: An example of the law of upholding something we find to be wrong is Plessy v Ferguson where the US Supreme Court ruled that segregation laws didn't violate the 14th amendment's equal protection clause. So, just because a country has ruled that something is acceptable, doesn't mean that thing isn't also harmful. We can only hope that the Norwegian decision sets its own precedent and those countries that once ruled in favor of JWs shunning practices come to realize the harm it causes, that it's a violation of human rights, and then overturn those cases.
Fantastic point!
my marriage was destroyed by the watchtower.
mine too. tears
Ditto .. twice!
It's great to hear you applying and articulating basic common sense to all of this. Before the internet, I could have these same kinds of thoughts, myself, but to hear others talk about it is very healing. This is why this religion doesn't want people to become educated because education builds critical thinking skills and makes it easy for people to see through the BS.
🎯🎯🎯
Spot on!! 🤜🏻🤛🏻💪🏼
My mother married a divorced JW. We were all disfellowshipped for like 2 YEARS. I WAS SEVEN! I realized right then that I didn't want to be JW for myself. I never changed my mind, and they TRIED pressuring me into being baptized. It was always creepy and I hated it.
Absolutely superb video. The quality of the research and presentation is worthy of a professional journalist.
I'm lucky to have never been shunned; in fact, despite being a baptised person, the rationale for my leaving was so in line with their teachings that they actually supported me. I suppose I found a loophole as I've never met anyone else with that experience, even those from the same congregation. (Cue survivor guilt)
Anyway, it pisses me off that they say shunning is a choice. One of my strongest and most confusing childhood memories was seeing a 'new' woman at the congregation and, after the meeting running over to lovebomb her, as JWs tend to do. She looked TERRIFIED, and kept looking around for help. Then some sisters pulled me aside and quietly said I couldn't talk to her.
I don't know if they fully explained it, but at that time, I didn't believe JWs shunned in the way outsiders said we did, so this seemed completely out of nowhere.
This woman continued attending meetings, remaining silent, & leaving immediately after every meeting, with no one even LOOKING at her. After a few months, the elders had an announcement; someone was reinstated. And immediately, she burst out crying; everyone looked at her, relieved and then began love-bombing her. I didn't engage that time as I was confused and probably a bit scared.
The whole thing was fucked up, and I did NOT have a choice in being part of her shunning. I was made to. If I chose to ignore it, I probably would have gotten in trouble, maybe shunned myself.
She was a fantastic person, a ray of sunshine, a bright, intelligent, kind, and excitable person; I don't think she ever belonged in that religion. Her dad was an elder, and she probably had no contact with any family members while she was 'in the world', doing what? Having a fucking career. That's all she did, as far as I could learn anyway. I worry the cult will continue to drain her until she's miserable and stiff like her mother and self-loathing like her father.
If it was a personal choice of conscience, then why did a child get forced to shun an obviously repentant person doing their best? Disgusting behaviour.
(Also, in writing this, I realise I probably had a queer crush on her, repressed by the cult. lol)
How easy it is for Watchtower to change the truth about shunning
when it suits them. They are such hypocrites!
The harm that is done to people is so terrible.
Twisting the truth is lying!
You are brilliant! Your videos are pure gold!
"The Things"... Wishing you and your wife all the best.🍀
What a perfect rebuttal! It's clear much time and work went into this. It shows. Keep up the good work Jake!
My brother also killed himself because he never felt that his baptism was the right decision- rather one enforced by both our mother and the “elders and Kingdom Hall”. He saw the hell I went through when I separated myself from the cult- albeit by disfellowshipping. I myself was married to an abusive elder not only abuse towards me including rape, but then he turned his wrath to my teenage daughter- which lit my fire as a mother, abusing me was bad enough, but he was not going to turn that to my daughter. He was addicted to porn and an alcoholic. But that resulted in the elders turning a blind eye to what he did and how he treated me over many years. He is still an elder, remarried and had to agree to become an elder in an Asian language where “the need was great”. My brother saw the way my mother shunned me, and he couldn’t fathom his mother doing that to him. The worst part, his wife covered up his suicide by not allowing an autopsy and having him immediately cremated. That “religion”- CULT is a disease that needs a swift stop put to it. It’s sickening the hurt and deaths that they are “bloodguilty” for.
Thank you so much for your content! I have binge watched everything i could find against the organisation for the past week. It has helped me tremendously to cope with my childhood. I had so many memories brought back, that I buried inside me, because I couldn't deal with or understand it at the time.
I've been out of the cult for ten years, i left and totally wanted to forget everyting and start a new life. The only reason my family stayed in contact with me, is because I was never baptised. Just now, I made the decision to start researching this "religion" and everything that is wrong with it. It was heart wrenching to realise, that i was raised by a bunch of lies. My family still are strong believers and I just wish, that i could open their eyes. I have just started with trauma therapy, but when the trauma has healed, I want to support others that leave or want to leave the organisation.
Jake, I want to thank your parents for bringing up such an intelligent individual. I love that many ex-JWs produce videos telling their stories and exposing the WTS. However, intellectually speaking, there are few channels that stimulate my brain and allow me to engage with what the video maker is expressing. Thank you for your incredible work and research. You totally destroyed this large document that the WTS deviously crafted. There is no question that the WTS does NOT want this document accessible or viewable by its members, because the members will clearly see how the WTS bends/twists the truths over and over again! The WTS's pattern of lying has been going on since its inception. You have done a great job exposing the lying nature of the leaders of the WTS! Keep up the awesome work!
One of the main things that made me wake up was the love bombing those who were reinstated would receive after being shunned for so long it just felt so hypocritical to me.
He/she has returned to Jehovah
Saw your latest video. Although I’m really gonna miss your content, I completely understand. As soon as I found your channel, I binged the f out of it. You’re highly articulate, and you have a magnetic personality. It’s no wonder people reached out to you, because honestly, i think we can all use a Jake in our lives. But in reality, we can really only hold on to and really be there for a few. Whoever your real friends are, they are blessed. Whatever that means. Your channel has helped me keep some sanity while leaving, as I’m sure it has helped others. I guess it’s good to know the toll that it was taking on you. Please don’t be overwhelmed by the current circumstances; it’s all part of growing. I hope your healing process will allow you to come back healthy and continue as a creator of some more content.
And one more thing, you’ve allowed me to be comfortable with being an LCD Sound System fan
Thank you so much, another winner. This Organization is TOXIC, left a long time ago, a good decision.
The loophole where you never get baptized so you can't be disfellowshipped, that's how I can still talk to my family. It's messed up, but there's no other way I can think of to still talk to your family without themselves getting in trouble. There is a catch, of course, they must be preaching to you when they see you (because if they preach to you they aren't technically doing wrong, they can justify it that way)
The pressure to get baptized was certainly on me, but I was always viewed as bad and unsavory so I'm sure no one was surprised I didn't do it 😂 They don't realize that by making you feel bad they're literally driving you away
Wishing you the best man. Thanks for helping so many through tough times. Focus on you. Many battle through some sort of addiction. Just a matter of taking the right steps and you are. Better than can be said for a good chunk of people. Wish you and Jarbin the best.
100%
It is breaking human rights, no doubt about it.
I have to say this is one of your best videos, I keep coming back to it and I recommend it to anyone trying to concisely explain how disfellowshipping works and how it isn’t something people knowingly “agree” to.
This is absolutely excellent !!!! v. little mocking and so can be safely shown to JWs with "doubts" keep up the good work and thank you, loads of information.
Excellent effort...excellent results.
He's back! Hope you're well! You were missed.
Fantastic video. Thank you for all the effort out into this. Very informative and well done. Enjoyed every second.
Awesome, awesome job Jake. This is where you shine!
Glad to see you back! Was getting worried!
I’ve studied with a JW for some months a while ago, when we got to the topic of disfellowshipping I opened up a debate, that was the moment I realized there was no way I could do this- I wasn’t even studying to become a JW, I just find the religion intriguing, yet it was still too much to bear
Thanks Jake. Awesome work!
Hey bro. Just watched your new video. You are being very hard on yourself. The shame comes from the organization. Keep your head up man. I never expected you to be perfect.
Thanks Jake, I don't feel alone when I watch your information sessions. I can attest to being dis-fellowshipped means being cut off.
In our congregation, if you weren’t baptized by 16, you were no longer invited to jw kid events. We all knew it, and if you didn’t follow that, you got a talking to from the elders.
yep
I stopped going around 12-13, but I would have loved it if they would have officially excluded me. I hated going to JW events. Thankfully they were few and far between because there was no one my age.
Since we can not comment on your last video, I just wanted to say that it's important to fix your personal life. We will miss u while you're gone. No matter what you've done, do not allow yourself to be bullied or blackmailed. Hurry back!!
Yes, that's some scary stuff that someone has accessed your personal information. Take care of yourself first, but don't be tricked again into believing that your voice does not deserve to be heard. Whoever is threatening you in this way has their own issues. Be aware there are scams too, where you get sent random texts from an anonymous number saying they have personal info on you and threaten to expose it if you don't pay them a certain amount of money. It's a sick scam that's been going around lately. Not sure if this fits into that category, but make sure you're saving evidence, as you might need it. These types of incidents are called "extortion scams" and you can and should file a police report about them, as they are a form of illegal harassment.
Not one to comment on videos such as these, but as someone who raised as a JW and was baptised only two years ago (27), i wish that i knew then what it takes to leave this religion back then when i was going through the questions... all the times i was "encouraged" (sure as hell felt like being pushed) not once was i told if i wanted to leave one day it would mean giving everything up, i suppose that's my fault for not reading the fine print, but my life ive lost almost everything for taking a stand against this religion and its cost me nothing short of my life.. i wouldnt wish what i'm going through on a daily bases on my worst enemy. 😔😢
Hello Jake, Steve here from the U.K. First I want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for your hard work and commitment in making this video. As a former JW of over 40 years I can confirm that what you say in this video about the Watchtower Society is absolutely true. They are extremely deceitful, not just to the outside world, but to their members. When I started to question my beliefs in 2018 I researched quotes from scholars and scientists in their publications and saw how often they misrepresented and misquoted them, taking their words out of context to make it seem like the scholars/scientists etc were in agreement with them. It was the final nail in the coffin for my belief in them being Gods spokespeople on earth. God would not use anybody who were deceitful to represent him for anything. Unfortunately I was too traumatised at the time to document any of my findings, however, I have included a link below to a video that shows such deception and encourage everybody ESPECIALLY current JW’s to watch it, it is taken from Watchtowers own publications with any relevant proof linked. I want to forward this video of yours to legal authorities and wonder if you could provide contact info for any. I have liked this video and encourage all to do the same. Thank you again Jake and keep up the good work.
Link to aforementioned video: czcams.com/video/sYDrQaeUmjQ/video.html
In the picture with the girl who is disfellowshipped standing next to the door in the kingdom hall the door looks like a jail cell door. Thank you atworldly for your continued activism.
bc i was “spiritually sick”, my parents refused to teach me how to drive and when i left home, it was one of the many skills that was withheld from me bc i left prematurely. it’s very sick
edit: i was 10 when i got baptized and was the youngest at the convention. sooooo yeah.
Thank you bro. I was glued to this incredible video to the end.
Stay blessed
Ex jw content creators can be likened to prisoners who break out of jail but then hang around by the exit trying to help more get out whilst watching the old brutal regime. Thank you for your work but look after yourself in the meantime..it must be gruelling. Much respect
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT VIDEO - thank you
Brilliant work Jake - well worth the immense effort you’ve obviously put in.
Excellent research sir, excellent points 👍
Those religions that frown on independent research have something to hide 😳
To use a biblical quote
“For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed”.
the age standard for baptism that i grew up with was "Old enough to know right from wrong".... in an insular community where they drill it (aka: inculcate it) into you from the time you exit the womb
I remembering hearing the same thing! That’s a tricky thing about WT, they may say one thing in their publications but those of us who are members know there are CULTURAL rules/aphorisms that aren’t written down
Excellent video. Thanks you for doing the research
Thank you for this video, I watched all the way through with everything you were saying. From my research personally I definitely noticed they use these same tactics and taking things out of context prove a lot of their beliefs one of those things being the cross. I was raised Jehovah's witness but thankfully never got baptized into it held a grudge for years because I was kicked out of a friend's wedding but still believe in the teaching. It wasn't until I started doing my own research and watching videos like yours but I really started to try to figure out the truth about things. So thank you again!
Great breakdown of a very long document, Jake. In Scientology, SP (Suppressive Persons) are disconnected - same thing as shunning. No one is supposed to talk to them - they are PTS (Potential Trouble Source). In JW lingo "stumbling". Plus - the accent was perfect - you need to do theatre or stand up or some such. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
the inference that "struggling with feelings like mine" is bad in regards to missing her child 🥴
Pretty sick, twisted and disgusting isn't it?
@@soskeepingitreal9401 manipulation for sure
@@heatherrants5881 FOR SURE! That and coercion
Great content and well delivered
Award-winning content here!! Jake, thank you for all your hard work and advocacy!!!! 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
I hope they don’t get away with this dossier of lies!!
They don’t deserve money or govt support/funding
30:53 to 32:09 really hurts me. The elder's handbook literally spells it out that 'normal blood-ties and familial affections' for relatives are wrong and even warrants judicial meetings if they continue. Yet, the organization also tells governments in their shunning document that 'normal blood-ties and familial affections' not only continue, but word it in a way that completely contradicts said statement by merit of their broadcasting videos telling their own members to shun disfellowshipped, and even disassociated relatives. Even though they recently changed how they operate their disfellowshipping arrangement in March this year, its very painful to know how deceitful they speak when it comes to twisting their portrayal of this discipline.
The organization promotes a person to use power of reason and reliable proof to support and speak out about truth boldly, and yet when 'apostates' do exactly that and use the Bible, factually verified evidence, and reasonable logic to explain why a Witness doctrine or belief is incorrect or severely flawed, they're demonized or ousted if they were once in the cult. It really makes me realize that the real apostates are they themselves. So called 'wicked apostates' such as yourself are just genuine people who care deeply about spreading the truth with tactfulness and sincerity, which is exactly what Witnesses are commanded to do.
Excellently researched and insightful video AltWordly. You used plenty of examples from this cult's media library to prove their hypocrisy and debunk their own article to governments. As someone who was born into this false religion and is currently waking up, I needed to hear this despite the despair I feel realizing that my entire world up to this point has been a false reality. Thank you for spreading the truth and warning others of this cult.
The Witnesses are not wicked people. They're just sincere individuals who have been taken advantage of by being deceived, isolated, and brainwashed into doing awful things that no ordinary person or even a Christian would ever do.
I was going to get baptized by the Catholic church and then back out . I really not in to religion. I read the bible and i believe in God and the saints but I'm not ready to be baptized. And i had a talk with dad . He supports my decision. My family Catholic and the other half of my family are in other religions. we respect each other .
Amazing! Altworldy thank you for taking the time to produce this content! I can see you've been working hard the writing is great! 10/10
The branding of anything that contradicts their beliefs as apostate even if brought forward by someone who has never been a JW is their mind control techniques
Great video! Really appreciate your hard work
Thanks for this, Jake. Wow..they only had two reinstated jws say how "loving" shunning is. Two!!!! That's pathetic! Regarding the quote you read, she said she had "limited contact" with her jw family and friends, rather than absolute shunning. What she described is more in line with the limited association connected with "marking," not disfellowshipping.
Great video, very informative and well explained. My maternal grandparents and a large chunk of other family are JW and it has led to immense family trauma that now as a free thinking adult, has ruined my relationship with them. My mother was broken from their mentality, and I had to emotionally care for her as I got older. I had a lot of harmful mindsets placed in me as they took me to church and tried evil tactics to try and convert my brother and I starting from birth. Shunning is absolutely a massive part of the JW community and tore apart aspects of my family as well. It is disrespectful that they would even claim to not know of shunning existing in their community when they are the ones who crafted it.
Anyways, real meat and potatoes of my comment is the discomfort and shock I felt recognizing Holly Folk from WWU. She is an active professor at WWU, a university that I went to and still live in the town of. I'm really disgusted and wildly uncomfortable that she is wrapped up in all of this. I saw your newest video, Jake, and wish you an immense amount of power finding yourself this year onwards. Every member of my family has been completely BROKEN being exJW. As you said, it's hard going into a world that was so different from your own and making mistakes as a grown adult that "teens would be expected to make" and would be forgiven for. I've seen some people come out as really good people after 15-20 years of wrestling with themselves. It's an active battle, and while I don't know the full story, I wish you ultimate recovery and I am with you. I am glad to hear you are connecting yourself with therapy, and hope it helps immensely. I hope to be strong enough to send these findings to the WWU school board/Bellingham newspaper to try and take action against Holly being an active professor... But I'm not sure if I have the mental strength to handle this at this time. And it's somehow hard for me to believe that they didn't know about her activity in all this in some capacity.... I have a lot to reflect on. Thank you for the effort you put into this, it's something that touched many people and I would not have known about this otherwise.
I don't know how I found your channel but I'm so happy I did. Maybe it was the big guy up in the sky, the J-Dogg himself 😂😂😂. I look forward the going through your back catalogue and absorbing all your contact. I don't know if you are on the spectrum or if you are around someone who is but I am and the way you speak with a matter of fact and almost keep you opinions and feelings out of it is exactly what I have been looking for. Thank you so much for this and I am sure all your videos last and future.
I was 5th generation JW, and can tell you the trauma I faced was unbearable when I tried to leave in my early 20’s and was manipulated to stay in the cult by my parents. I grew so depressed and su*cidal over the next 10 years because of this, before finally waking up and leaving in early 2019. I still don’t have any contact with my relatives or former friends, and it’s taken years of therapy to reconcile this.
That’s to say nothing of the pressure from the organization itself and other members. The amount of propaganda members are exposed to about this make it abundantly clear that JWs are expected to shun former members.
Im 20 minutes in so far and just want to say, "Jeez man! Incredible work!" Could not imagine the time and effort that you must have put forth on this. Its a great breakdown already. Looking forward to finishing. For all of us exjws's out here your representing I gotta say thanks. Worst corporation in the world IMO, I hope for their fall off everyday.
Outstanding presentation! Both fair and reasonable. I hope my deepest friends still there will watch this.
This is such a very thorough, and important video. THANK YOU for shedding light on their mental abuse.
I really appreciate the editing in these videos! The way you bring in things from JW sources to specifically point out what they've said (and in some other videos, for humor) is fantastic. It gives context-both context for their arguments and cultural context. I'm sure it's a ton of work, and I (like just about all your viewers, I'm sure) appreciate it!
@altworldly you did a great job Jake! Was worried about you and hopefully you are doing well. Thank you for your hard work.
More documented evidence that proves the god of the bible named Jehovah, is a FAKE god, and we on this earth are all being deceived .
czcams.com/video/Bp9-6NuNK9c/video.html
Missed ya man. Looking forward to the video.
The way they treat you like you're dead is so unloving. It's all about loyalty, not love.
An elder in my congregation at around 2005 or 2006 was told that if he continued to employ someone that had been recently been disfellowshipped, he would be removed as elder. This is in LA. It’s illegal. The elder chose to stop being an elder. He continued to employ this person. I think that was the best. I don’t know where they’re at now.
You did a great job on this video. I never joined it but did associate with them and even went out to the field with them a few times. There are some really great people in the organization and I agree with their ideas on heaven and hell which some other religions have too, but in general their ideas ruined my marriage and my life. I was confused and didn't have much self esteem and this really didn't help. Thank you for helping people and please get back to me 🙂.
This was so well done! Thank you for investing the time to produce and provide accurate information in a positive way!😊❤
Oh you’re back! I wondered where you had gone. Great.
omgosh! this is my favorite of your videos so far :) Thank you jake!!!
Well done Jake!!👊🏻
Thanks for all the work you put in 🥰👍😁
Thank you for the wonderful video. Over the last couple of years I’ve started to search out information like this on CZcams. It’s been incredibly healing the watch and also read the comments from other ex JW’s. As all of us know we’re left with some serious scars after being raised in this cult of a religion.
Thanks Jake. This is a compendium of knowledge that should be quite helpful for governments interesting in protecting human rights.
Good work kid keep putting out videos. The tide is turning.
All their concern and love is totally conditional. I would not be married to a person that lived like that.
Goatlike highlighted court case over shunning in his post on GB response to Norwegian ruling. They claim that not getting a government handout = not having freedom of worship. The court case however upheld their right to decide whether someone is a member or not. No one is telling them how they should organise their religion, just saying that we won't give you privileged status if you don't fit our rules.
half truths... by their words " if it is 99% true and 1% a lie then its a lie! half truths ....is lying ....their word not mine.
Left my abusive spouse of many years, lost everything, now I am dead. . . Because God loves me . . .
Governing Body writers, keep painting the target in bold colors, shining ever brighter light on this death sentence that you are perpetrating on you and your beloved corporation. Your Jehovah has something harrowing in store for you, while the informed souls escape your self destruction.