Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “watch tower”
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 …
To say that I was born and raised in the Jehovah’s Witnesses religion does not accurately describe the scope and magnitude of its effect on my life. It was more than a religion; it was my entire existence. It wasn’t just how I worshipped; it was who I was. Being one of Jehovah’s Witnesses was so inextricably a part of …
I was 39 years old when I first realized I was going to die. All my life I’d been led to believe and cherished God’s promise to me that I would live forever on a Paradise Earth. However, I had begun to doubt this was possible. Was I mortal? Had I been misguided? Years of bullying, double standards, and contradictions …
My story starts in Mexico City, where I grew up in extreme poverty. At age 18, I emigrated to the USA in the hope of a better life, but that’s not exactly how it worked out. After a few weeks in this new country, I was without a job, without money, hungry, and I didn’t speak the language. Worst of …
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 …
The team at Stop Mandated Shunning highly recommends watching and listening to this entertaining and informative podcast about mandated shunning. It features an engaging conversation between two ex-JW elders, Patrick Haeck and Daniel Torridon, who compare this form of shunning to a social death sentence and stoning. In one hour, get caught up on why mandated shunning should be treated …
The Foundation Against Watchtower Shunning (SAWS), registered in Aalten, Holland has sent 7 letters to the Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses (CCJW) in the Netherlands inviting them to enter a dialogue with all those who continue to suffer because of the religious mandated shunning policy. A press release has been circulated stating that if the CCJW Directors or representatives ignore the …
On 11 September 2023, Richard E. Kelly was interviewed by Daniel Torridon from the Onion Unlimited podcast. The interview explored Richard’s powerful and often painful story and much more: Click here to watch the podcast on OnionUnlimited’s YouTube channel.
In the early 1960’s my mother began to study the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses with the woman who lived next door. She was at a low ebb. My father had recently had another nervous breakdown, and she felt she had nowhere to turn. Jehovah’s Witnesses offered a false hope to a frightened woman, and she still clings to that fallacy …
In a letter dated January 26th 2015, addressed to the Public Prosecutor in Ghent, Belgium, Patrick Haeck and about 15 other brave ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses took the initiative to file a complaint against the shunning policy of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The complaint mentioned that the behaviour towards disfellowshipped and disassociated members of this community was a violation of multiple Belgian laws: A thorough investigation …
