At nineteen, I fell in love and made the choice many young people make—I became intimate with my boyfriend before marriage. But as a Jehovah’s Witness, this simple act of human intimacy triggered a cascade of consequences that would shadow my marriage for 26 years. The elders of my congregation subjected us to humiliating interrogations about our intimate moments. My …
I was born in 1983 in Toulouse, France, into a Jehovah’s Witness family. My earliest memories are woven with the strict doctrines and rigid expectations that came with being part of the organization. As a child, I often felt confined, surrounded by rules that dictated every aspect of life—what to believe, whom to associate with, and even how to think. …
I cannot give my name, but I live in Brazil, and I am one of the many victims of ostracism by the Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In March 2020, I was disfellowshipped for disagreeing with the teachings of the Watchtower Society and openly stating that I no longer trusted the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This decision came after …
I was 21 years old when I left the Jehovah’s Witnesses. I had started to have doubts and had skipped a few meetings, yet leaving the religion I no longer believed in resulted in being shunned by everyone I knew. Five years earlier, my older sister was also shunned after she was disfellowshipped (excommunicated). For five years, she sat at the back …
I was born into Jehovah’s Witnesses. My parents, young and hopeful, immigrated with me from El Salvador to Portland, Oregon, when I was just 18 months old. My mom was only 23, and she had been baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness when she was just 14. For her, the Organization wasn’t just a religion—it was her identity. Moving to a …
I started studying the Bible with the Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1986, at the age of 13, following my mother’s lead. By January 1988, I was baptized and quickly immersed in the congregation’s activities, becoming an Auxiliary Pioneer, and six months later, a Regular Pioneer. Being new to the congregation, I naturally tried to be friendly. One day, I greeted a …
I was born in 1970 into a strict Jehovah’s Witness family. Like many who grew up in high-control religious groups, my childhood was marked by isolation from the outside world and intense pressure to conform to the organization’s rules and expectations. From a young age, I faced severe challenges within my family and religious community. I endured traumatic experiences that …
It’s every parent’s nightmare—watching your child get drawn into something you know isn’t right, powerless to protect them. That nightmare became my reality when my daughter, as a teenager, was coerced by her father and the leader of the Concerned Christians cult. The group, which had started as a Christian counter to the New Age movement, evolved into an apocalyptic …
In 1993, Jeffrey was a 23-year-old struggling to find his place in the world. Penniless, jobless, and living with his parents, he felt isolated from his siblings. So, when his sister and brother suddenly began showering him with attention and affection, he couldn’t help but wonder why. What Jeffrey didn’t realize at the time was that his siblings were no …
I was raised in the New Independent Fundamental Baptist movement from age 10 until I left when I was 18. This high-control group expects complete and utter obedience to the church, their version of the Bible, and your parents. There were several large incidents of shunning during my childhood and teen years. Every time it happened, someone would be completely …
