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 …
Jeffrey B: The Dark Reality of Cult Recruitment
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 …
Patrick Haeck: Mandated Shunning is a Crime Against Humanity
Three years before “Armageddon” was supposed to happen in 1972, my parents became Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW’s). I was only 8 years old and I trusted them to make the “right choices” for themselves, me, and my younger brothers. How could I have known then that I’d become a researcher of cult characteristics and that such knowledge would lead me to …
19 Years a Captive: I Pretend to Believe for Fear of Shunning
Translated by SMS from the original language I have spent almost 40 years of my life as an active member of Jehovah’s Witnesses. For 20 of those years, I served as an elder (local congregation pastor), which is a highly respected position in the congregation. In 2005, my daughter was disfellowshipped and decided she would not return to the organization. …
Daniel Torridon: Believing the Lie—A Story of Cognitive Dissonance
I was born in 1969 to parents who were both Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW) from birth. Their parents were also Jehovah’s Witnesses, so it’s all I ever knew growing up. From a young age, my life was shaped by the doctrines and high-control environment of the religion. I was taught that God’s name was “Jehovah” and that our religion was the …
Daniel Allen Cox: Memoirs of a Queer Ex-Jehovah’s Witness
In I Felt the End Before It Came: Memoirs of a Queer Ex-Jehovah’s Witness, Daniel Allen Cox provides an intimate and powerful narrative of his life within the Jehovah’s Witnesses, his awakening to its cult-like nature, and his ultimate escape. Through his story, Cox sheds light on the pervasive influence of the sect and offers valuable insights for others trapped …
Review of the ICSA Conference from the Perspective of a Recent Defector of a High-Control Group
By Monica Velin Rodriguez Stories are powerful. Two weeks ago, on July 2, I was sitting on an aeroplane headed to the annual conference of the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA). A local Minnesota philanthropist saw the stories my husband and I had shared on the Stop Mandated Shunning website. He was so moved that he wanted to support the cause. He said, “You’re …
Esther Gebhard: Mandated Shunning at an Early Age
I was five when my parents joined a faith-based group that practised and enforced mandated shunning. At seven, my mother’s good friend was disfellowshipped and everyone in our group was informed that we had to shun this person to be loyal to God. If we didn’t, we’d be shunned. A few months later, I was walking with my mom when …
Holy Books in Glass Cases: When Religious Freedom Turns Absurd
Robert U. Rational “Holy Books in Glass Cases: When Religious Freedom Turns Absurd” Ever wondered if your next Bible Belt neighborhood barbecue could legally double as a witch burning, if you claimed it as a religious practice? Of course, before you start planning a themed party complete with pitchforks—or wood stacks, for that matter—let’s consider where we draw the line …
Joining the Fight Against Mandated Shunning: How You Can Make a Difference
By Robert U. Rational In the realm of human rights and personal freedoms, the issue of mandated shunning by high control religious groups remains a deeply concerning practice that inflicts untold emotional and psychological pain on countless individuals. At ShunningIsACrime.org, our mission is to challenge and ultimately criminalize this coercive behavior through legal channels worldwide. However, the success of this …
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