Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “jw”
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 …
By Monica Velin Rodriguez Q. How does a victim of shunning get a message to their family? A. It’s impossible. Mandated shunning is a social death sentence. In many cases, the shunning is so complete that victims have been blocked on phones and all social media. Any call would be ended; every door would be slammed shut. If a target …
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 …
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. …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Stop Mandated Shunning (part of The Open Minds Foundation) are thrilled to announce an innovative research initiative in collaboration with the University of Roehampton, London, to study the harmful effects of mandated shunning as practiced by high-control religious groups. This three-year, comprehensive research project, costing approximately $100,000 per year, will be spearheaded by esteemed researchers Dr. Savin Bapir-Tardy and Dr. …
I was a born-in to true-believing members of a faith-based group that practised mandated shunning. At ten years of age, I learned just how inhumane the practice is. And for me, it was a traumatizing event; one that I will never forget. My parents, who were devout Jehovah’s Witnesses, sat down with me and my 5-year-old brother. They told us …
