This Podcast was inspired by watching the documentary “The Watchtower” aired on Oxygen.com in February 2020
I was bought up a Jehovah’s Witness. I was disfellowshipped twice, I got reinstated after only four months, and then disfellowshipped again 6 months later. My family doesn’t speak to me and I’ve been out of the organisation since 1993.
I’ve had two family members commit suicide and I believe one of the main factors was the Jehovah’s Witness organisations.
I had to start over from scratch at the age of 23 as a Ex Jehovah’s Witness. All the people I looked up to, all the people that gave me leadership and my best and dearest friends, were lost and I couldn’t communicate with them.
Honestly, I do not believe I have a chip on my shoulder, however the influence this organisation has on people has to be spoken about. Ironically, they believe that the world will turn on them one-day, who knows, this could be the beginning.
If you are a Ex Jehovah’s Witness feel free to contact me if you would like an interview.
Transcribed by Otter
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Sorry bro, am also a one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but I Want to know more.
Hello Niyi, I was a Jehovah’s Witness for about 23 years, if you have doubts go with your heart. The brotherhood there’s one reason why people remain in the church the other reason is out of fear of losing their life. I’m not sure what your reason is however there are a lot of good people in the world. When I was a Jehovah’s Witness they talk about the worldly people, it took me years to believe that the world had good people. This would be a good opportunity for you to step away from the crutch that you maybe hanging onto and start a new life.
Your mum didn’t love the religion. More than you… she loved Jehovah God more. She would only hope you would return. Like the prodigal son. Hope you can change your thinking… I hope you are not apostate.
Once upon a time parents would do anything for their children, my mum is now very old I would be surprised if she remembers who I am.
Unfortunately she’s gonna die and old and lonely lady with the comfort of JW ZOOM Meeting. After 28 years of hoping you think my mum would realise I’m not going to return to the religion. After watching all the news and the people that are going after JW.org you really need to ask why do you think I would want to return. When my mother found the Jehovah’s Witness faith she was in a desperate state of mind and she used it as a crutch for many years. She has witnessed her husband take his own life, she also had her daughter that she loved very much who couldn’t meet the standards of the Jehovah’s Witness faith and took her own life as well.
If I was her I would be concerned that her youngest son could potentially take his own life as well, but instead she continues with her faith and has nothing to do with me. I think the Jehovah’s Witness organisation uses whatever it can to keep people in the faith. That Trudy has blinded so many people, think about it why would you shun the only people that you love, in the hope of a better world for yourself, I think it’s selfish. My mum will never change and I hope she doesn’t she’s far too invested in the religion to back out now and I feel there’s so many other people who have a vested far too much of their life and feel the same way.
When I was a Jehovah’s Witness they talked about having unconditional love it is conditional, no I have also made it easier for people to return to the Faith, elders are used to look up to have been exposed to for Findlay with children kids are used to go to the same Kingdom Hall where we are living with secrets for years and these men got away with their actions it’s disgusting. Am I apostate what do you think?
I too am an Ex-JW. I was born & raised as a JW & left at the age of 20. I’m now 67 and not sure why I am now feeling compelled to listen to podcasts & research the organization but appreciate your down to earth telling of your story. I deliberately did something I knew I would get “disfellowshiped” for in order to extricate myself from the religion. I knew of no other way out. As you probably surmise, there is a whole story to be told but suffice it to say that as a 20 year old (1975!) I didn’t expect to live this long
Nice to get your comment Ruth! My recommendation is tell your story as I found it quite good for my soul getting my story out rather than keeping it in my head.
I think you might want to tell your story now because you’re probably got second generation family in this terrible religion, who are blindly following it just like you used to maybe .
One of my nieces got to disfellowship and her father (my brother) is shunning her, this is why I spoke out. I didn’t want to see her spend the next 30 years of her life feeling like she was the one that the problem.
If you want to do a podcast over Zoom together and I would interview you you’re more than welcome just reach out to me. It would be a story of survival in your life living as an ex-Jehovah’s Witness rather than the doom and gloom of been a Jehovah’s Witness and not being able to live up to the unrealistic high standards of the organisation.