By Patrick Haeck During my many lectures in educational institutions and communities, someone almost always asks me if I feel guilty about what I did as an Elder in the high-control religious group I grew up in. While I realize the damage I’ve done—in particular my compliance to mandated shunning—my answer is categorically “NO!”. And yet I know many people …
Cody Casteel: Losing Everything to Mandated Shunning
I grew up as a Jehovah’s Witness, fully believing that I was part of the one true faith. Baptized at 15, I genuinely wanted to serve God and please my family. As I got older, I became passionate about my faith and even enjoyed debating with non-believers. I thought I had all the answers. But as time went on, nagging …
Time for Action: Support the Czech Republic’s Efforts to Reconsider Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Legal Status
In recent months, significant developments have been taking place in the Czech Republic regarding the legal status of Jehovah’s Witnesses (Watchtower Bible and Tract Society). The Czech government is currently reviewing whether this religious group should maintain its status as a recognized church, a status that grants them certain privileges, including financial and legal benefits. This scrutiny has prompted Jehovah’s …
Victims of Mandated Shunning are Fighting for Change
As we count down to the pivotal appeal trial in Oslo this February, attention is drawn not only to the victims who will testify but also to the dedicated advocates fighting for change. One such advocate is Hilde Langvann, the leader of Hjelpekilden, an organization devoted to helping individuals recover from the psychological trauma of life in high-control religious groups, …
Miriam Rincon: How Mandated Shunning Cast a Shadow Over My Marriage
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 …
Spotlight on Oslo: Stories of Courage and the Fight Against Mandated Shunning
As the February 2025 appeal trial in Oslo approaches, the spotlight intensifies on the brave individuals whose voices have exposed the harmful realities of mandated shunning. This trial has its roots in Norway’s decision to deny Jehovah’s Witnesses state subsidies and revoke their registration as a recognized religious community. The Norwegian State argues that the organization’s exclusion practices amount to …
A Marriage Torn Apart: My Story of Mandated Shunning
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 …
Terri O’Sullivan: Mandated Shunning Is a Cruel Practice
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 …
Cindy Gabriela Ramirez: My Cold Day in January
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 …
Norwegian Court to Hear Landmark Case Against Jehovah’s Witnesses in February 2025
OSLO, Norway – A historic appeal case will take place at the Oslo Appeal Court from February 3-14, 2025, with critical testimonies scheduled for February 7 and 10. This case, brought by Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW) against the Norwegian State, has the potential to reshape how mandated shunning is understood and addressed legally. The Norwegian State previously revoked JW’s status as …