Please share with us your journey out of a spiritually abusive religion, situation or organization. Thank you
“I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.”
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on Home: Our Mission- Who Are We?: “Hello all, Lee Anthony here, After just talking to Jacqueline I thought I would say hey to everyone on here.…” Oct 3, 15:16
on Ask Jacqueline: “Jehovah’s witnesses today get baptized in the name of the organization leaders of the Jehovah’s witnesses believe organization of Jehovah’s…” Sep 23, 11:56
Marjo,
I’m so relieved and encouraged by your expressions of faith and by your appreciative attitude. Thank you!
-greg
Hello all 🙂
I have had my own struggles which are almost clear now for our victory.
After these situations my faith is more stronger now.
I feel like I have healed fully from JW and
I am now moving on with my personal Bible study and clear thoughts.
God bless you all
Marjo so glad to reconnect with you!!! Your struggles came straight from satan, you were under attack! I had to only have close family as my friends on facebook because it clould get brutal. But your case is much more heart rending. So glad you are mature enough for you and your husband to hold your family together against all odds.
Often it is fear of man and what people will think that stops you from fighting for what you know to be true. But you bucked the crowd and won. Thanks to God thru Jesus!
You mentioned personal study on your own. All of us are on the same wave lengths it seems as we actually started a Thursday night “Bible Only” small study group and we don’t filter it thru any long held doctrines. The doctrine may prove to be partially or completely accurate but we want to see only what the Bible clearly says and the Holy Spirits reveals. I am excited about this blessing that has taken a lot of hands to put together.
We have writers gearing up now and even Dave writes every week a summary of what we discuss from scripture. No one set of thoughts and we don’t have to agree with any books or rules except those given by the Bible and our God.
Would you elaborate on a point about women in the Bible that you finally noticed? Maybe put it here because as you said you have moved on past the Jehovah witness issues. I have to and beyond that.http://askjacqueline.life/moving-on-after-spiritual-abuse/
Wow! With stories like Sherry’s, I am reminded of the painful helplessness that one feels when one sees violations happening to one’s self and to the one’s they love and feel responsibility towards. It’s incredibly dis-empowering to feel so powerless, so desperate, so frightened, so frustrated, and to seem to have no clear direction for one’s energies.
Thwarted dreams have been called the ticking time bomb that explodes into violence.
I pray that all who find themselves in similar positions of rage and powerlessness can work to find peaceful resolutions, and compassionate ways forward. It’s so often the case that when we see threats, we get distracted away from maintaining compassion for ourselves, and for the one’s we see as being in danger.
I heard it wisely said, “We need to love them out (of the JW organization); not hate them deeper in.”
Personally, I trust that Watchtower is soon going to be brought to complete ruin, and all it’s slaves who are currently imprisoned within it will be freed eventually. That helps me stay somewhat calmer, stay kind, gentle, patient, confident and hopeful. It tempers my reactionary inclinations to some extent.
But just to be clear, I’m not endorsing, suggesting, nor encouraging things such as inaction, or indifference. Even Jesus taught the downtrodden people of his day to actively work at resisting oppressive forces.
For an enjoyable demonstration of this, I’d encourage you to watch, “Walter Wink- Nonviolence for the Violent” (about 46 minutes in length):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQQjE2G25Co
And for those that still have some respect for the Bible, it does caution us, “Be wrathful. Just don’t let your rage get you into trouble.” (Eph. 4:26-27) It also encourages us to, “Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.” (Isaiah 1:17)
In order to strive for a healthy balance I always try to remind myself to: “Never turn into the very monster I am condemning.”
Supportively and Compassionately,
-greg
Greg I am on my phone internet because they are residing my house so I am limited. But set up a time for Kent and us all to come together to talk about the setup.
Sherry gave me permission to post her story and our facebook conversation here.
I was born into this religion but my parents disassociated themselves when I was 13. Then when my Mom was 60, she went back into it. She took my daughters, who were 4,5 and 6 yrs. with her to the meetings and sometimes I would go along too. When my Mom passed away, the girls wanted to still go to see their friends, so I began to take them. When we moved, we stopped attending regularly. Last summer we were approached by JW’s from the new area that we live in so we began attending this new Kingdom Hall. `This Kingdom Hall has been different from the others that I have ever been apart of…they preach continuously that the people in the Kingdom Hall are the ONLY family that you need. It made me upset that that is what they preached, so I tried distancing myself and my kids but this very manipulative couple[an Elder and his wife] had been having studies with 2 out of my 3 daughters and my daughters did not want to discontinue studying. My daughters started to not talk to me and treat me like I was a bad person. My 17 yr. old told me that she had been told that they didn’t have to listen to me anymore because my 18 yr. old daughter was their spiritual lead in our household and therefore, was the one that should be listened and obeyed.It has gotten so bad that our 18 yr. old left and moved in with the Elder and his wife and now she has been sent to another state to do preaching and has been told to not have any contact with us. We were such a close family and they have torn our family apart. I want to warn parents to not let their children get caught up with this religion because if the parent isn’t a JW, they may lose their kids like I have lost mine. I never realized how dangerous this religion and the people are!!
Jacqueline said:
Take that man and his wife to simple small claims court on alienation of affection of your family. You just want to get a judge to hear this and if you win they will present an order order for counsel to your 17 year old. Make sure you put a monetary amount if harm to it. I don’t talk on facebook about some things but you have a case because of the age it began and the age of the 17 year.old. I won my case.
Sherry said:
I told my husband about your wonderful advice because it is exactly what they have done and I know it won’t be the last family this couple does this too either. My husband is VERY mad at me over all of this because he was against our 3 daughters having anything to do with the JW’s in the first place and when our 18 yr. old was spending so much time with bible studies, to begin with, he said he didn’t trust this couple but I was stupid and hadn’t dealt with such lying and manipulative people in the other Kingdom Halls before and by the time I had heard enough about their preaching about not needing your family if they aren’t a JW and saw how this couple would lie and tell people to lie, I tried to get the girls to see how wrong they were but it was too late! Thank you very much for responding Jacqueline …I really appreciate it!!
Jacqueline said:
Sherry I don’t want to alarm you but the couple sounds like something is going on other than religion. It isn’t natural for the male to care about another man’s daughter when she has a father. I smell a RAT! Just grown woman antenna going up here.
They (governing-body)encouraged young ones to leave in the 1970 because of 1975 so now we need to let everybody know this is starting up again.
Sherrie said:
The sad thing is, that this has become led by man and not by God. They have changed so many things in their teachings from when I was in it as a youngster. I have shown my Dad,who was a JW for 17 yrs., their literature and told him what they are now teaching and preaching and he has tried to explain to the girls how the JW’s have changed a lot and not in a good way. My 18 yr. old who left hasn’t talked to him and my 16 and 17 yr. old are also mad at my Dad because they do not want to hear the truth about the JW’s…and it is very sad because they were all always very close to my Dad but when you say anything that they feel is negative about the JW’s they get mad. I was in the car with my 2 daughters and their sister called to tell them about being in North Carolina preaching and they were saying how lucky she was and how beautiful it sounded :/
Jacqueline wrote:
Sherry, I just re-read your comment and see that it is your Dad that is talking to them also. Hormones and all is involved when it is teen agers. You have to walk on eggshells, lol. Hopefully these two are just rebelling. That husband and wife not going to spend their money on your two. lol If they do call the police, this is about something else. It is so prevalent within the organization and they aren’t scared off by 35 million dollar judgements against them either. So let’s watch this as a mom. Take them roller skating, anywhere they like having fun. I raised 3 boys of my own and helped with 2 girls. It can get tough. But we will twlk it out with you. There will be some professional help debuting on the site in the near future so they might help too. I am a Holistic Psychotherapist. I work with mind and body.
This is a story of the effects of shunning of parents to their child. Very sad. Told by Steven Cottingham
Back in the fall of 2015, I was walking around Downtown El Paso, taking photos of random people that I found interesting.
One group that always catches my eye is the homeless population that passes through town; especially if they have a pet dog or cat with them. That’s where I first met Chuck. (not his real name. He never wanted to embarrass his family)
Chuck was outside of Church’s Chicken, and I asked if I could take a couple of photos of him. His speech was halting, but he agreed. After snapping a few shots of him and his dog, I invited him to lunch. The thought of a hot meal brought a huge smile to his face. He hadn’t eaten in a while, at least not more than a sandwich purchased at a convenience store somewhere.
It was while we were eating I asked him if he could tell me his story, tell me how and why he became homeless.
“At age eighteen,” Chuck began his story, “I was a drug mule in San Diego.”
“I couldn’t afford any place to live, even with roomies,” says Chuck. “When I turned eighteen I didn’t want to be a J-Dub (Jehovah’s Witness) anymore. I was dis-fellowshipped and then shunned. My mom and dad wanted me gone. I was told if I did this thing I would make the money to get an apartment.”
Read the entire story here:
https://elpasoheraldpost.com/chucks-long-journey-home/
This is my story: I am 70 years young so my story might be long. At 3 years old I remember going from door to door with my Mom and it was fun. My Father became a witness around 1956 but disagreed with the “no blood transfusion policy” and actually took a transfusion in 1958. He only had a third grade education as a black man but knew that wasn’t sound doctrine. He was disfellowshipped and in those days you could come back in 1 year but he refused and wanted to die “not” a (J) witness. Today he would be called an “apostate” He died in 1959 and left 9 children all under the age of 18. The “society” told people not to attend the funeral but a few came anyway. Our neighborhood was shocked to realize the witness religion didn’t provide after funeral food for a family of 9 kids and my mother. They and their Church fed us I will never forget that day of neglect , I was 10.
I embrace the “truth” and get baptised at 12.
I wanted to pioneer and make money for the summer. You only paid a penny for the magazines but sold them for a nickel, .15 for a book but sold them for .50 and .75. (wages were $5 a day for most people) So my brother and I did pretty good for the summer as we sold many books. Life was good and okay in those days before a governing body. We could celebrate birthdays, Christmas, halloween and easter. Have playmates from the neighborhood. No flag saluting however.
We had a ” Company Servant”, like a pastor. No elders to form a gang. The book study and field service overseers formed the three man judicial committee if needed. (What a joke, no law school.) But the men were nice and generally cared for the congregation. They answered straight to New York only.
Our childhood was run by your parents only. We had chaperoned parties and got to start dating at 16. We could date “worldly” teenagers as well as witness ones. You were chaperoned.
Conventions were fun you didn’t have to sit with your parents, you socialized with other young ones. You were under your parents authority only. They tightened the control after they formed the Governing body.
THEN CAME 1968!
The world was to end in 1975. A GOVERNING BODY was proposed and fought for by Raymond Franz and others. They won. This Body later turned on him and he realized it was a mistake. Life got terrible, manipulative and like being in a camp with Gestapo as the “ELDER” arrangement was instituted in 1970. He landed in my childhood Circuit.
I married an elder had 3 children before 1975 because I never believed them nor preached it. I was reproved for refusing to teach “be alive in 75”! They never apologized to me, just kept everyone waiting until 1984. My husband and I defended and protected our kids from elders.
In 2000 I took the congregation and the watchtower society to court and won a restraining order against them that expires at my death. It was a federal order recognized in 50 States. I was totally alone in court against elders and congregants and legal letters from the society lawyers but I won with the help of God. The court room was full of people from the city who told the judge she needed a break and settled their cases bwtween themselves. The elders wanted to attack me so I was held and escorted to safety. This spread all thru the congregations and the city. That is another chapter another story.
I began to see the organization for what it was, fought and spoke out openly. I toured with entertainers and was often at Bethel in New York, Patterson and Wallkill. It was then I saw all the drinking and the fact that these were business men not ministers of God. I stayed on their properties often observing this empire of men being worshipped. Once while going thru the tunnel at Patterson, NY to lunch, everyone stopped got silent, stood to one side respectfully. It was some governingbody members walking and talking like dignitaries ignoring, not glancing at the proud worshippers standing at attention. They had butlers (young Bethelites) carrying their food and briefcases like servants. It nauseated me to see these adult Bethelites holding these men in awe! I swore I would never set foot on their properties again, ever!
(This was prior to the trial in 2000, around 1996-2000.
I was persecuted heavily by the congregation elders and Circuit overseers openly wouldn’t speak or assign me in service because I won the restraining order against the society. I had many pedophile cases come my way and I aggressively helped the victims. (Another story)
Finally one Tuesday in September 2009 I missed that meeting and never returned. It took a year before they realized I was gone as I left quietly without fanfare. I lived in another city so the local congregation wasn’t aware either. This was the best way for me, COLD TURKEY!
The governing body or their Gestapo elders hardly ever mentioned Jesus and thought themselves the actual Jews. Non of the prophecies about the Jewish people made any sense when applied to them. They would lie at trials against victims. Disfellowshipp anyone that questioned them!
I realized I was caught up in a harmful cult like, hierarchy controlled spiritually dangerous situation! My kids are still stuck in it.
I have been out now for 9 years and WHAT A JOURNEY!!! I have lost quite a few of my family due to their shunning but God has been good to me.
Shunning doesn’t faze me now as I see those shunners lives falling apart because they are trying so hard to earn their salvation thru the organization totally disregarding that Christ has paid the price.
God has allowed me to help many persons after they chose to leave the Jehovah witness organization. I never tell anyone to leave because it may create a vacuum which can be filled with something worse!
I was on another website as Ask Jacqueline for 8 years. It was a blessing and a haven for many of the big internet friends that are now exposing and helping others as they flee the destructive Sect. We were able to explain and clear up some doctrinal matters concerning the original teachings and the Bible students existing today. This seemed to help some move on as they saw the Armageddon teaching and Ransom doctrines weren’t correct in the Jehovah witness organization.
I can take a softer approach now as there are thousands exposing and helping on the internet. I listen now and help others find answers. There are many blank spaces in my story but:
WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR YOUR STORY!
Feel free to make it as short or as long as you please. It might just help another person to come out and be free to think and find their way back to God or just be in PEACE! Writing can be therapeutic.
Thank you for reading.