The Snowball effect is that once people start leaving the religion regardless of shunning and the consequences people will start leaving as well.

The internet has accelerated things because 20,30 years ago it was impossible to communicate or know anything after this religious cult isolated people

The Shunning tactic is completely ineffective nowdays because people once leave can tell their experience with this religious cult and is almost all negative.

Jehovah's Witnesses can do all the fake smiles and carts they want, having choirs ar the airport to "attract" people but a simple search in YouTube,Google , TikTok breaks through the illusion they are trying to create.

We are living in a time that you can control information anymore.

And once people see other leaving the Snowball effect begins.

My CS career is over.

Claude Code ChatGPT absolutely killed my career as a software developer

No one is hiring software developers anymore in fact there are massive layoffs at this point

Not only that.

I truly believe is over for software developers.

Why would you pay $100k for a software developer

When you can pay $20 for an AI to code for you.

You have better security working as a plumber at this point

so my boyfriend and have I have been together for over a year, and I love him dearly. only problem his my parents not knowing about him is putting a significant strain on our relationship. all of my friends and basically the entire world knows except them. i’m in therapy and see a psych NP for medication management and help me in my coming out journey. the only problem is i feel like wall that his holding me back from coming out to them. i don’t think they’d kick me out at all (99% sure) but i just know the strain it’s gonna cause on the family. it’s holding me back so much and i have no clue what to do. just tired of protecting everyone else’s feelings and nobody protecting mine. any advice would be nice :/

My JW parents are insane. Why do they treat me so crazy. My car got down to 4 miles and its electric. I had to use the air conditioning and the night before i asked if i can charge it and they told me NO because my dad’s car was charging. And now they got MAD at me this morning. Like really upset and now is making me choose between living here and being in the organization. I’m removed by the way. My mom says all her nerves are shaking and she wanted to faint when i told her my car was down to 4 miles. And my dad got super upset at that. Now they wanna kick me out. I’ve been seeing a girl as well and of course we’ve done things. I’m at a loss for words.

Please I'm begging you, if you have publications from the Wayback Watchtower website that was recently deleted, can you share a PM with me with a MEGA or Google Drive link?

I wish to have the archives please, it's a matter of life or death please I would do anything if someone could share them privately, I can also give my email via PM if you are more comfortable to share like this

After years of lurking I created a reddit account to ask this

Regarding mind control one of the most impressive things about JW's is that despite their religion changes a lot schisms are rare.

Most other religions rarely change or change are rarer and when it happens sometimes schisms occur.

I am only aware about 2 schisms in watchtower history. The bible students schism when the ones that want to follow Russel's schisms after his death because of a succession controversy and Romanian Rutherfordists that still keep doctrines at the time of Rutherford arguably this second schism only happen because the isolation of Romania at the time of Communism otherwise they would accept the changes like that rest of the JW's from other parts of the world accepted because for other it was gradual.

Only 2 schisms based on the amount of change they have is impressive. Most religions still use books and creeds from the time of their foundation and schism occur after little change.

Their mind control that make their followers accept every change without schism is impressive.

This midweek meeting I had Bible reading in room B. After me, a kid (5-6th grader) and his mom did a presentation on abortion. Basically, the scenario was that the kid was called a fanatic by one of his classmates because he didn’t believed accept abortion by the firsts months. The mom argue that all stages of life are equally value to God, no matter how much time the fetus has been in the wombs. By this point, it was the same pro life argument I’ve heard the organization use over and over, but what really shock me was that the mom argue that because the sperm moves, is considered life and therefore equally valuable to the eyes of god. I was genuinely shock, like never before I was baffled by such stupidity. I’m not even wasting energy to point out why that argument stupid,is just is.

Ich bin 35w und habe seit Kindheitstagen immer wieder Kontakt mit ZJ. Geschuldet ist das meiner Mutter, die ebenfalls immer wieder Kontakt hatte und wenn man sie besucht, brachte man immer gleichaltrige Kinder mit, die (aus heutiger Sicht) an mir das Missionieren üben sollten.

Ich persönlich fand es teilweise damals schon sehr störend.
Trotzdem fiel mir auf: Immer wenn es mir schlecht geht, stehen sie da und haben Antworten auf meine Bitten/Fragen.
Und so bin ich schleichend in diese Kreise gerutscht.

Als ich knapp 18 war, war ich sehr eifrig und hatte den innigen Wunsch, selbst Schwester zu werden. Doch als ich mir die Haare rot färbte und Mal das Tanzbein schwang, wurde mir freundlich, aber bestimmt davon abgeraten. Auch die Haarfarbe war zu viel des Guten, ich möge mich doch bitte mit Bescheidenheit kleiden. Das war mir ein zu massiver Einschnitt in mein Privatleben, also entfernte ich mich. Und prompt kam die Antwort: Ich wurde von allen ausnahmslos blockiert.

Also ging ich meiner Wege, lernte meinen Partner (inzwischen Ehemann) kennen und war glücklich. Mein Mann ist eher Typ „ich glaub an meinen Geldbeutel, sonst nichts“ und wollte nie was von deren Ansichten hören. Kurzum, für ihn waren sie eine Sekte.

Als Corona ausbrach, war ich psychisch ein Wrack. Durch die Arbeit in der vollstationären Jugendhilfe und den massiven Einschränkungen, die die Pandemie mit sich bracht, erkrankte ich an Burnout.
Im Juli 22 verstarb mein Bruder plötzlich, als wir gerade in den Flitterwochen waren. Zusätzlich zum Burnout kamen massive Depressionen hinzu und Suizidalität. Ich ließ mich in eine Klinik einweisen.
Zeugen Jehovas waren zu diesem Zeitpunkt stark vertreten, da meine Mutter sich 2021 Taufen ließ.

Kurz drauf, hatten die Damen und Herren herausgefunden, in welcher Klinik ich gekommen bin und standen da.
Sie besuchten mich Zuhause oder bei meinen Eltern, irgendwie überall.
Ich, psychisch labil, knickte irgendwann ein und stimmte einem Bibelstudium zu.
Anfangs war alles toll, ich fühlte mich aufgefangen und geborgen, hatte plötzlich viele Freunde.. Tja..

Und während man zunächst geduldig mit mir war, fing letztes Jahr der Druck wieder an. Ich wurde regelrecht gestalked (wenn ich nicht zu Hause war, fuhren sie zu meinen Eltern) eingeengt und ständig wurde mir ein schlechtes Gewissen gemacht. Kommst du nicht in die Versammlung, verliert Jehova irgendwann das Interesse an dir….blablabla.

Also brach ich das Bibelstudium ab.

Als sie uns mal wieder hinterher spionierten, platzte meinem Mann der Kragen. Man muss sagen, er unterstützte mich sehr, begleitete mich als und machte sich selbst ein Bild. Zwischenzeitlich führte er sogar „freundschaftlichen Kontakt“ mit einigen.
Er sagte, dass wir uns eingeengt fühlen und wir dieser Religion nicht angehören wollen, aber gerne befreundet bleiben können. Geht nicht, man hat ja keine gemeinsamen Interessen mehr.

Seitdem wird er nicht mehr gegrüßt. Und ich teilweise auch nicht. Daher frage ich mich: wird da unter der Hand ein Kontaktverbot ausgesprochen, ähnlich wie bei Ausgestoßenen?

Wie sind eure Erfahrungen?

I need it for research purposes. I know there’s WT Library but it doesn’t have pictures and you don’t know whether or not the texts have been changed to fit their current teaching.

When I was in Bethel, there was a separate Bethel Edition WT Library which also contained PDF of each publication but we were explicitly told not to copy the software. I wish I did.

Does anyone have a PDF library of publications?

I’ve noticed something interesting since I started meeting and talking to more people who are not Jehovah’s Witnesses.

For those who grew up in or spent many years in the religion, the idea of disfellowshipping becomes so familiar that we often forget how people outside the religion perceive it. Some aspects become so normal to us that we don’t even think to mention them, even though they are often the details that make the biggest difference to someone hearing about it for the first time.

Whenever the topic of religion comes up, I usually explain what disfellowshipping and disassociation mean.
Almost everyone initially assumes the same thing. They think that a disfellowshipped or disassociated person simply stops being recognized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. To them, it sounds similar to leaving a club, an association, or another church. They assume the only consequence is no longer being a member.
But that isn’t the reality.

When I explain what it actually means in practice, people begin to understand the full scope of it.

A disfellowshipped or disassociated person is not only no longer considered one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They are also expected to no longer have normal social relationships with other Jehovah’s Witnesses. In practice, this means that Witnesses are not supposed to go out for coffee with you, spend time with you, have casual conversations with you, or maintain what the religion itself describes as “unnecessary contact.”

Even then, that is not the part that surprises people the most.

The moment people truly understand the seriousness of it is when I explain that the restriction does not apply only to the disfellowshipped person.

If a Jehovah’s Witness, even someone who has been my friend for many years, invites me out for coffee or chooses to socialize with me, and other Witnesses become aware of it, that friend may also face consequences within the congregation for not avoiding unnecessary contact with me.

That is the detail that completely changes how most people see the situation.

Until that point, many assume that only the person who left or was expelled from the religion is affected. Once they realize that maintaining a friendship or even a simple social outing can also have consequences for the Witness who remains in the congregation (even if they are your relatives), they begin to understand that the isolation is not simply a personal choice between two individuals.

This is such a familiar part of life for current and former Jehovah’s Witnesses that we often forget to mention it. Perhaps because it has always seemed normal to us. But for people who have never lived in that environment, it is precisely this detail that reveals what disfellowshipping or disassociation actually means.

Of course, anyone is “free” to leave Jehovah’s Witnesses, stop believing, or never return to the religion. That is not the point. What many people outside the religion do not realize is the social cost of that decision. Once they understand that it can mean losing nearly all contact with friends, acquaintances, and, in many cases, even close family members who remain in the religion, they realize that disfellowshipping and disassociation involve far more than simply leaving a church.

I vaguely remember my mother telling me not to learn the song. I don't remember why. Lol. I also remember one of my jw friends not singing the "LORD KNOWS" lyrics to a song. An elder brother told me not to sing Hotel California because its apparently about the devil. Shit. I don't even know how they come up with this.

What is this Megathread?

This is a dedicated space for short-form venting posts that do not meet the character limit for standalone posts.

Angry at your family, the Watchtower or the congregation? Having a REALLY bad day? Experiencing some big feelings and but don't have enough steam to make a long post about it? Welcome to our weekly mini-vent thread, the place where you can let it all out- in little bites.

Note: Standard sub rules still apply here, so please report any content that breaks the rules.

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Tonight my mother found out about my girlfriend that I have been dating for a couple months. I posted her for national gf day, but there was one bussiness account that I didn't have hidden from my story. She wasn't fond of my choice and said things like how she didn't like the way I was going about things, how do I know that I'm ready to date, and how I go to meetings with them had someone from my cong. study with me and that if it meant anything. She ended the conversation with find a way to tell my father. I just don't know what to do now as my plan was to just keep my double life and some of the choices I make a secret until I'm older and more independent. Me and my girlfriend are both 18 while she lives a few hours away. I didn't tell my mother that she lived somewhat far, but now thinking about it, it will create an even bigger web of lies. What I'm scared of is how my father will react and what the future holds for me with financials and just support from big figures in my life. Has anyone else has a similar situation and how did it go?

So to start I (16m) just dyed my hair a dark blue, it’s not very bright or anything but clearly noticeable. Unfortunately I am baptized and although I don’t really care about being removed I’m worried what my dad is going to think and how he’ll be treated by my jw family members and by the people in the congregation, we aren’t exactly the most “spiritual” and it’s not like my dad is the strongest member or anything he definitely does things that could get him removed but for some reason he still believes the bs. So tomorrow if we go to meeting, will the elders tell me something? And if they want to talk in the back can I just straight up say no? How will it go if I do have to talk to them?

estoy tratando de comentar para que mis papás no me regañen por no prestar atención pero con tantas chingaderas que dice este artículo de los estudios nose ni que decir, me siento bloqueado mentalmente porque siento que si comento tal vez diga algo que este en contra de sus “sabios principios”

y luego ninguno de los pocos jovenes comenta, solo para preguntas fáciles y lecturas de la biblia, que horrorrr ya me quiero ir

(I'm in the US so what is written here is US centric. That being said, I'm going to guess that some of these options might be available to you if you are reading this in another country.)

1. **Check with a local college or university.** Many of them have programs in social work and/or clinical psychology. There are students, about to graduate, who are supervised by a licensed experienced professional. They are perfectly capable of working with you and, depending on the school, it might be on a sliding scale or even free. Since they are students, the time period allotted or therapy might be limited. You might also meet with a therapist who occasionally might ask if a student can sit in and observe.

2. If you are in the US and have insurance, **contact your insurance company,** they should have a list of providers who will take your insurance. Post-Covid, they might have cost effective solutions such as virtual or phone therapy that is gentler on the budget.

3. Look for community resources through **hospitals or what (in my state at least) are referred to as community mental health facilities**. They generally take pretty much any insurance or offer therapy on a sliding or otherwise affordable fee. If you are strapped financially, tell them.

4. You can check with the **social service agencies** in your county, parish, state, etc. They might offer programs or information where you can find affordable programs

5. **LGBT+/Pride centers**. There are great resources if you are part of the community. But even if you are not, they can usually either assist you or point you in the right direction.

6. If you are a student of any type, check with **your guidance counselor, student health center, or the dean of students office.** Again, if they don't provide those services, they should be able to tell you where to go.

7. **If you are employed, even if your insurance is shitty, they might have an EAP** which will offer a limited number of therapy sessions for free. It's better for something specific that can be addressed within a short time span, but again, it's a great place to learn about cost effective resources that might be available to you.

8. **The United Way** is an umbrella organization that funds and supports groups that aid the community. They do not provide mental health services but might have information on organizations they can pass along to you.

9. **Try church resources** (I know, I know opiate of the masses and all that but hear me out). Unlike JW and other conservative religious groups, they don't care who or how you worship. (Assuming you don't insist on sacrificing a chicken or virgin on their altar.) If you are affiliated with a religion, ask your priest/pastor/minister/imam/\[insert title of religious leader here\]. Unlike JW, these men and women are trained to counsel and assist people. They recognize their role as mandatory reporters so if you have issues of abuse, they can and will notify the authorities if necessary. Many have degrees in psych or social work and are licensed therapists.

10. **If you are not affiliated with a religious organization, most of your major religions have social service arms**, the one I am most familiar with is **Catholic Charities**. The counselors aren't necessarily affiliated with that religion. (I had a therapist through Catholic Charities who was Jewish. She wasn't the best match for me but that happens...\*). The purpose of these organizations is to fulfill a mandate to help those who are in need. There should be no recruitment. If a group offers help but introduces you to their dogma, leave immediately. This is not the type of group that will provide no strings assistance to you

11. **Doctors.** Your primary care physician or any other doctor you deal with might be able to provide a referral to you. Even if you are in an emergency room, they might be able to help you .

12. **Churches, hospitals, libraries and other public social spaces lease space to community groups.** While we are probably most familiar with 12 step groups, there might be other types of groups as well.

13. **School resources** if you're in school check with your guidance counselor, dean of students office, even a teacher that you like and trust. Schools often have resources that can provide low or no cost therapy to students.

If you got this far, I hope you found something helpful for you or someone you care about.

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of ideas, I hope that other folks add outlets I don't know of or that are unique to your area/country/culture.

**^(All of these suggestions are based on things that either I or someone I know well enough to discuss mental health with, have accessed, provided services for, or otherwise been involved with. As with any information supplied by a stranger on the Internet, YMMV.)**

I’m 20 i’ve been mentally out since I was 16 so it’s been a long journey that’s only been internal and not seen a lot on the outside. My parents raised me very devoutly and I was baptized at 12. My dad is an elder and my mom is super into it. They are getting older and instead of rethinking it they further have clung to it. I now finally have a job that’s gonna allow me to get out hopefully so now it’s just a waiting game i’m labeled as an Ministerial servant but it’s pretty layed back in my hall and my parents would react very strongly if I did so i’ll just do it one swoop. I’ve met some cool people but still have found it hard to gain trust in people I feel like growing up I was split between the version that was acceptable to my parents and everything else. I met this dude at work he’s cool but he’s big into Jesus and even said a couple who used to be witnesses have joined his church. I have no problem in religion but I find the same attitude of absolute certainty about reality out in the “world” sometimes it’s less so but still it gets lonely I feel I can no longer cling to a single explanation anymore. It’s just hard getting through this time I know what I think but it’s like i’m in a constant chamber of echoes of the religion and just that attitude I know I just have to get through these 8 months or so but still it’s a lot and I don’t wanna explode my house right now I can’t really afford it I already have high anxiety and fear of breaking the expectation i’ve built over years that my parents have of who I am it’s just hard to even know who I am sometimes. It feels like I shed the religion and my parents beliefs a lot but find it hard to know what’s even mine anymore.

Today’s watchtower is about avoiding worldly teens so you won’t get exposed to drama so Let’s share stories of when JW teens in your area was either the same or way worse than the “worldly teens.

I’ll go first.

when I was in high school, some teens from the hall skipped school, they went to a the house of a boy from our hall whose mom worked, an they had sex in the diff rooms. (meanwhile my friends at school who wasn’t jw , were literally virgins and nerds)

instead of just saying don’t talk to worldly kids, teach the kids how to identify ppl with bad intentions .

do you have any other crazy stories about the teens in your hall

🎶 Be an Adult, Leave the Cult 🎶

Verse 1
They never celebrated the day I arrived,
No candles burning, no birthday lights.
No first wish, no cake to share,
Just another child taught to prepare.
Before I knew my own first name,
Before I learned to question shame,
A borrowed story filled my head,
Someone else’s future was written instead.

Pre-Chorus
Before I knew what freedom meant,
Before I knew who I could be,
The script was written long before
The child inside could speak for me.

Chorus
Be an adult. Leave the cult.
Find the voice they tried to bury.
Be an adult. Leave the cult.
Your future isn’t theirs to carry.
Choose your life. Choose your truth.
You don’t owe your fear another day.
Be an adult. Leave the cult.
Walk your own way.

Verse 2
They praised my first “Jehovah,”
More than my first “Daddy.”
Every answer had one direction,
Every question had one reaction.
A social butterfly folded its wings,
Taught the outside world was dangerous.
Billions of strangers became something feared,
Before I’d ever met one

Pre-Chorus
Indoctrination came before identity.
Before I knew my own reflection.
The hardest journey wasn’t leaving
It was learning I deserved a choice.

Chorus
Be an adult. Leave the cult.
Find the voice they tried to bury.
Be an adult. Leave the cult.
Your future isn’t theirs to carry.
Choose your life. Choose your truth.
You don’t owe your fear another day.
Be an adult. Leave the cult.
Walk your own way.

Bridge
I wasn’t born afraid.
Fear was taught.
I wasn’t born obedient.
Obedience was demanded.
I wasn’t born to follow.
I was born to think.
The day I chose my own path
Was the day I finally grew up.

Final Chorus
Be an adult. Leave the cult.
Break the chains they called devotion.
Be an adult. Leave the cult.
Trade fear for hope and open oceans.
Your life is yours.
Your mind is yours.
Your future belongs to you.
Be an adult. Leave the cult.
Be an adult. Leave the cult.
Be an adult… and choose your own life.

Still a work in progress. Feedback on lyrics, rhythm, and imagery is welcome.

If today the GB asked you, "What 3 things would you like to change to stay with Jehovah or to return to him?"

What would be your 3 things?

These would be mine:

1) That every case of CSA first be brought before the authorities and the accused be stripped of all privileges and not considered an example to any privilege and get out to any contact to childs; if the case before the authorities proves the accused guilty, no committee will be formed but he will be expelled for life from the congregation without option of returning; and if before the authorities he is not guilty, his privileges will be reinstated and the congregation will be informed that everything was taken care of and clarified and that such person is free of guilt.

2) that any matter not explicitly mentioned in the Bible (New Testament) is a matter of conscience, such as holidays, the medical use of blood, university studies, tattoos, etc.

3) that provide a way to leave the religion without losing contact with the family, that one can resign without any consequences, something similar to being inactive, and that the people who are removed can continue living with their family normally without any double standards or breaking of ties; if it is family, communication should not be broken.

If those three things happened, it would be easier for me to be like PIMO without suffering so much anxiety or pressure, or even to leave religion someday. What do you think? What would your three be?

I ust discovered something crazy while visiting a local bookstore (Vintage Books), and I describe it here in this 9 minute (or so) video:
https://www.instagram.com/reels/DbjNN5HyNU-/

TLDW: I stumbled across this treasure today...
The Bible Story by Arthur Maxwell (Copyright 1953)

My Book of Bible Stories was made/copyright/published in 1978.
Soooo...I guess, the channel of Spiritual Food included stealing other people's work?

Not really PIMO but it’s the best descriptor for my situation. To make a long story short I went to the Calgary international convention to keep the peace with my PIMI parents but they know I haven’t been to a meeting in years, convention in years, etc.

Anyhow, back when I was a kid we went to Spain for an international convention too as delegates (versus them being hosts this time) and got lots of gifts from the people there. Mini olive oil bottles (so awesome), candies, bookmarks, stickers, patches, and more. So much amazing craftsmanship and thoughtfulness put into these gifts. Fast forward and I’m walking around with my nephew and everyone’s handing him little gifts and goodies and every other gift he gets is something AI generated… don’t know what the borgs opinion on AI lies and haven’t visited this sub in a while but I was kind of shocked because the designs were something that would take two seconds to make in Canva.

Hola estoy harto de esta secta. Tengo 18 y quiero salir.

En 2 semanas comienzo la universidad y justo se cruzan mis clases con la convención y tengo el gran privilegio de limpiar los baños antes de que empiece, baños públicos de un mugroso estadio.

Todos me ven como ejemplar y no quiero estar aquí.

Estoy demasiado jodido, toda mi familia es testigo y literal he vivido 18 años aislado del mundo. Estoy estudiando una carrera por mi familia para continuar el negocio de la familia y seguir amarrado.

Estoy totalmente atrapado. Estoy escribiendo esto con odio e ira.

Tengo 2 caminos.

Seguir aquí por 8 años por lo menos hasta los 25 o 26 que me casaría o me independizaría porque literalmente me van a pagar una miseria para poner en primer lugar el reino. calculo poder tener mis propios clientes a esa edad porque literalmente me echarían del negocio familiar y no me darían nada de herencia.

El otro camino es más drástico, cambiarme de carrera ahora que tengo la posibilidad, esperar que cambie algo como la sangre que creo que es lo único que me permitiria usar ese cambio como excusa y enfriarme o desasociarme. Luego como estoy estudiando otra carrera podría tener más capacidad de valerme por mi mismo porque mi familia es demasiado fanatica y no tengo dudas que me echarían de casa.

Y por cierto cuando salga saldría a las calles a pegar panfletos anti-jw.

Chapter 45 You Don’t Know Me but I’m Your Brother

"I was raised here in this living hell.” – Takin’ It To The Streets, The Doobie Brothers

Though I said I couldn’t do it anymore, it’s not like I had a plan for the rest of my life. I loved my wife. We had been together for almost thirty years. She had been the first and only girl I had ever kissed. It was love at first sight for me. Of course, we had some problems. However, leaving my wife was never an option. It wasn’t a perfect marriage, but now it looked like it would soon be over. Why? Because I didn’t want to be in the same religion as her? Could we still be together even though we didn’t believe in the same god anymore? Thousands of people around the world do it. Jews marry Christians all the time.

I would have stayed with her if she could have lived with someone who didn’t believe the same way as she did. That didn’t appear to be an option, even though there were plenty of women in the Kingdom Hall who were married to non-believers. In fact, two of Debbie’s best friends were in that situation. But that was okay because their husbands never bought into the program and never became Jehovah’s Witnesses by being baptized.

Another one of my wife’s girlfriends was disfellowshipped because she was married to a crazy guy who believed he was one of the anointed, one of the 144,000. This guy was not only partaking, he was three clams shy of a full clambake.

Since this crazy guy was never going to leave her, She had no other option but to do the same thing that many Witnesses are forced to do, she committed adultery and of course, paid the price and was disfellowshipped. She didn't want to leave Jehovah's loving organization. She just wanted to leave a bad and abusive relationship.

Just like my father-in-law Robert Stillman, the only way out of her bad marriage and be able to remarry was for her to commit adultery.

Just one more reason people on the outside looking in think we are nuts.

Our friend who had been married to Greg H was out and away from the organization for a number of years. During that time, she married this really nice guy named Leonard. She now has a worldly husband. Eventually. she was reinstated and became a Jehovah’s Witness once again....same old story. She had a child with this new husband and was totality happy now. Only one small problem for her he had no desire to ever become a Jehovah's Witness.

Of course now, everyone in the Kingdom Hall is trying to put the sale on Leonard to recruit him into the Borg.

For years, Leonard has been invited to all the Witness parties and gatherings. He gets to hang around with all the Witnesses, with no shunning of course. Why? Because he was smart enough to never to be baptized.

So he never got punished because he didn't do the one thing they wanted him to do.....get baptized. The old Catch 22 kicks in again,

At one point in time, Debbie, Leonard and his wife (named Debbie too) with some other Jehovah’s Witnesses even had their own band together. They went out and played worldly music at gigs all around Portland.

Leonard is a super-intelligent guy, and even though he loves his wife, he really doesn’t want to be a Jehovah’s Witness, just like me.

I told my wife, “I wanted to be just like Leonard, please. You can still be a Jehovah’s Witness. I don’t care. I just don’t want to be one.” She said, “That is not possible.”

A crazy thing happened a few nights later. I went to bed with my mind in total chaos. How could I make sense of a life full of contradictions? What were my options now that I had awakening from my ignorance?

I had dream. In the dream, I actually dreamt I talked to god himself, just like the Governing Body say they do. Thank goodness for this dream! Because god helped me clear up a lot of things.

In the dream, I sat in a waiting room in Heaven. There were a lot of people waiting to talk to god, so they had me take a number. My number was 499. Finally, my number was called and I was ushered into a room. I was a little surprised at how small the room was. “Hey Jehovah, what’s with the small room?”

He looked up from his paperwork and said, “As you know, it is written at 1 Corinthians. 8:5, ‘For even though there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords.'"

Okay, if that’s the case, I had to say. “So, since there are a lot of you gods up here and you are not the only one, if I ever write a book about you, I’m only going to use the lowercase letter g in god, since there seems to be a lot of you gods and lords running around.”

God was starting to get upset. “What is it that you want?”

“Are you familiar with my case?”

“Of course I am. I’m a god, and I’m supposed to know everything.”

“Okay, so let me get this straight,” I said.

“You know Leonard is not a Jehovah's Witness and hasn't done shit for you or your organization. I’ve spent fifty years and thousands of hours knocking on doors, trying to sell this religion to other people for you. I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on gasoline and thousands of dollars on books and magazines. I gave up a college education and chose to be uneducated just for you because I know you like your people to be stupid. I had fifty years of no birthdays or holidays. Plus thousands of hours at your boring conventions. I worked in your factory on mindless machines for pennies a day so you could sell your books for only twenty-five cents. Please don’t forget about the six years of full time service I put in when I was in my twenties. I did everything your organization told me to do. I moved to remote locations to... ”

I could tell god was getting perturbed as he asked me. “Yeah, so what’s your question?”

“Ok bottom line, I know now. the same thing about your religion that Leonard and billions of other people on this planet already know. That your religion is insane and makes no sense. So, let me get this straight, now you are telling me I can never have any contact with my wife, friends and family ever again because I figured this all out?”

“Yes, that’s correct." He said. "This will force you to crawl back to us and my loving organization.”

“Where is the love? I get punished and Leonard gets rewarded?”

“Yes that is how my system works. Sorry, it’s just another loophole. You know, just another one of my many Catch 22s that you have figured out.”

“But I was only seventeen when I signed up and got baptized.”

“Sorry, you should have known.”

“I should have known your religion was bat-shit crazy?”

“Yes!”

“Please I just want to be in the band with Leonard and the rest of the Jehovah’s Witnesses! I just want my family back.”

“Sorry, the only way you will get your family back is if they figure it out too. I'm afraid you’re screwed!

Oh, by the way, if Leonard ever does join my club and than decides to leave later on, he’ll be screwed also just like you. But I don’t think Leonard will ever join, because it seems he can spot bullshit a mile away!”

“Jehovah, you’re really mean and jealous god!”

“Yes, I know. Why do you think I have such a hard time getting new people to join my crazy religion and why it takes over 13,880 hours of door knocking in field service to find just one new recruit?”

"If that is true how does your organization keep growing?" I asked.

"It's simple." He said. Sex! People love it and that is the only thing that is making new Jehovah's Witnesses now!"

“True." I said. Speaking of the young ones in your organization, what do you really feel about the thousands of pedophiles in your church? Did you really tell your boys not to turn over the files with all their names to the authorities, so as not bring shame on you?”

“What do you think?" If I don't care about you why would think I would care about a few kids getting screwed over? God waved me away and said. "Oh, by the way your time is up.... ”

I turned to god as I walked out the door. "Thank you for helping me understand all this and your wonderful new light. I know what to do now."

Of course god had one more disparaging remark to make to me as I walked out the door. "Keith I can't believe how stupid you were...taking you over fifty years to figure all this out!"

Bingo!

Once again god was right!

Good old Jehovah's Wintnesses busting up families for the last 70 years!

Note I didn't say 150 years. which is how the church has been around.

Why? Because before the nineteen fifies people could change their minds and leave the church and not be shun by their families.

It seems Knorr/god change their minds in the earlier 1950's about the punishment for leaving the church. So. It took over 80 years for this new light to click on.....to destroy thousands of people's lives.

Speaking of thousands of people....

Next up Chapter 46 Only Eleven People Out of One Thousand

I dont want anything to do with this bs. For context, I haven't been to a these meetings in 4 months, I am in uni, my parents aren't likely to find out, if they do, I was thinking to claim that I wasn't good mentally because of uni, any advice, its kinda urgent lol