As a now mom of 2 little boys in public school, one of fav. things of now not JW is my little boys get to celebrate holidays school/home. Seeing their love/excitement for is just magic I didn't get. Not bitter, bc I also doing w/for them is my never to late experience. My unified hs hold not hvn diff. of faith brings us together in most special times.
Really appreciate that! We are obviously working low budget so the best we can do is try to give some good conversation as we grow. That seriously means the world!
You are the brainwashed one... define cult. Jonestown was fake...Waco Koresh was fake, moonies are fake Falun Gong fake fake fake fake. Turn off your tel-Lie -vision...Awake!
I am sorry for your loss. Many ExJW’s that i have spoken to have struggled with suicidal thoughts because of our trauma from being in this organization. I hope you are doing well now. Thank you for sharing.
It's nightmare being a JW you study tues Thurs Sun then you go door to door your holidays are spent going door to door no celebrations its a tough life .what Brian saying is the truth.
Everything Brian says is true. My gay friend took his life because of this religion. His parents refused to believe this is the reason why but we all know. Thanks and great job!
Couple of corrections: 1. The JW religion does have 3 meetings during the week, but it’s changed. -The Midweek Meeting which is now called “The Christian Life & Ministry” Meeting which operates or takes place of the now defunct “Theocratic Ministry School” -The Weekend Meetings which are broken in to, two parts (technically) a. The Public Talk which is 30 mins & handle by either a local appointed brother (Elder or Ministerial Servant) or a visiting appointed brother from a different congregation. These talks are outlines provided to them by The Organization & are not to be deviated, too much, so in other words these r scripted talks. b. The Watchtower Study. This is an 1 hr & 15 min. portion of the weekend meeting, & this is the indoctrination portion as they examine “The Bible” via the lens of The Organization’s explanation. This is a ? & answer meeting, & the answers r predetermined w/in the paragraphs read. 2. They do believe Jesus is The Son of God, but they have changed many scriptures w/in their version of The Bible to hide his deity (ex. Any scripture that says “worship” Jesus have been changed to “Do Obeisance or they added “a” to John 1:1). They do not acknowledge The Holy Spirit much other than it’s Jehovah’s Holy Spirit; in fact, they don’t even mention it in their baptism questions. I’m a former Elder who disassociated, & JW trolls tend to try to criticize ex-JWs who don’t have “up to date” info as lies. Great content, & thank u posting this interview.
Thank you for the info! I didn’t want to type this multiple times because I thought it was obvious, but yes his info is somewhat out dated. He’s just sharing his experience and people can’t handle different perspectives and think things through anymore so it’s been a bunch of hate in the comments. It’s awesome that a former elder jumped in here and saw the video for what it is so thank you for being educated and open minded.
I appreciate your response and yes I know things have changed a lot since i stopped attending in the early 90’s and thank you for clarifying how meetings are currently broken down. My experience was from the 70’-early 1990 so i was speaking on my experience through those years.
@@BrianCaudill-u9w Bro, it was no worries. It was actually to protect u, b/c The Organization have trolls that come on various sites trying to discredit ppl like us. So I wanted to give some clarification just in case they come & say “that’s old light” or “that’s not true.” U did AWESOME, my guy.
thank you and yes those “ good “ JW’s who love to troll. haha. I do appreciate the support. It’s taken many years for me to be this open about it and still felt horribly guilty doing this. Isn’t that crazy?!?!
This was great! I’m exJW and I loved this! Thanks for doing such a great interview and using your channel to bring awareness. Hugs ex-bro!!!!!!! Hugs!!!
My experience with JW people is that their religion is like folk Buddhism or folk Taoism in Asia. It's very free-flowing, the son of God language is thrown around, and it warns against wickedness. If you read popular fear mongering Buddhism and Taoist texts intended for uneducated audiences, it's exactly the same religion as the watchtower. The falun gong have the same kind of thing, where all of the cult members basically check in weekly to get new directions. Because the cult does everything by decree from a central office, they can go through periods like they just did where they're telling everybody the world is ending and they need to stop interacting with the world, and then last week where the leadership announced that they need to stop focusing on the afterlife.
Oh SNAP at the 35ish minute mark about Elder abuse! I thank God I was not raised as a witness, but I did lose about 15 years of the prime of my life to them. I can so relate to everything you said. What a heck of a thing you had to endure. There were so many unhappy looking children at the Hall I attended. (Central, North and Hillcrest rotating congregations in San Diego) but, of course, it's explained away with the "Jehovah's people will be persecuted, you are no part of this world so you will be victimized" language. Went through disfellowshipping because of ONE discretion, which my husband and I voluntarily confessed to shortly after we were both baptized! I kick myself we crawled back, but "It's the Truth!" It was so humiliating. My Bible study teacher was future Governing Body Member Mark Sanderson's mother. He was in his 20's and pioneering in Newfoundland at the time, but the short periods of time he came home to visit, he seemed to be a male version of a Stepford Wife. His Uncle, Jim Sanderson, was the elder who disfellowshipped my husband and me. PTSD is a real thing.
Clarification: funerals (or "memorial services" as they call them), are basically recruitment talks. An elder delivers the talk and the family is not allowed to speak. The deceased's personality is rarely mentioned. The focus is on the group's beliefs. If you are currently on a shunned state, it still applies. Even if it's your own mother, no one will speak to you at her funeral. Not everyone "qualifies" for a memorial in the Kingdom hall. If you were disfellowshipped (in a shunned state), and you die: No memorial for you! If you committed suicide: No memorial for you. If you died in hospital and as a last ditch effort, took a blood transfusion: Ha! No memorial for you. Also, regarding a non-witness family member, obviously they would not qualify for a Kingdom hall memorial, so they'd probably have one at their local church but active JWs are not allowed to go to non-Witness churches. Typically, witness family members will participate in everything else, other than church services. Weddings follow the same pattern. You have to qualify to get married in the Kingdom Hall and you absolutely cannot go to a family members wedding at a church, etc. It's insane
this is why i wanted to get my story out so that people like you and others could start having these conversations. It’s great to have help from other EX JW’s to help me fill in the blanks for things i didn’t cover or not cover well. This is ALL OUR story !!
@@PodTox-yh1oyYou did an awesome job way to go exposing the cult and it's evil. I've waken up too myself. The worst day out of the cult is better than the best in the cult. Look up Rick Fearon and Six Screens of the Watchtower.
Brian thanks for everything you shared with your story and so sorry for what you have been through. I left a similar church group over 20 years ago so can understand much of what you said. (The group take no name but are called 2x2s by ex-members) So much has come out in the last 18 months about CSA that has been covered up for decades, and they are now being investigated by the fbi.
If they come to your door...have extreme empathy for children and dis affected ones. Treat elders. Sadly their wives( because they know too) and others as not to be believed. Yes..there are exceptions. You will pick it up . Be careful.
You might want to check out Borean Pickets. Some serious clarification about what the Bible really says from X JW’s. It’s our life line right now. Just thought it might help.
I'm ex ...I at adore with some young girls.He rightly said I have said don't come here. Bit then sai ff head a gun he'd use it.I quietly spoke to the girls and said please ray for him because we didn't know what he's been through...and that way we give it to Father. I asked them to go back to the group .Then I apologised to the man ..listening to him...and left The stupid elder started rantingI said "I asked if there. Were any do not calls and you said no..I dared about the girls..but I personally wasn't concerned. The man looked like he was in personal pain.
I was disfellowshipped as a teen for engaging in fornication which the bible condemns. 27:14 I became bitter because one particular elder was extremely harsh despite i came forward to confess. Then in my twenties went through a divorce i even tried a relaxing exercise turned out to be spiritism. Was reinstated in my late twenties jehovah has blessed me with the love of my life been married for 22 yrs. I am in my forties. YOUNG PEOPLE NEVER LEAVE JEHOVAH YOU WILL REGRET IT LIKE ME ❤❤❤ A wise person will listen .
@@shawnmcanthony5724 You don't have to leave Jehovah, but you might want to leave 9 men that inflate themselves to be representing God. Worship Jehovah and Jesus, not man. Follow the Bible, not publications written by men.
Being a JW is not like a secretive society where nobody knows what they believe. The challenge is like any other religions group if you are born in a family where both parents are JW. It can be extremely challenging if you decide to be baptised and as you grow older decide to leave the congregation. Other than that, you can actually attend meetings as long as you are not baptised they can try to influence you but cannot discommunicate you from the congregation. All religions are strange and demand various forms of loyalties. Been born in a home where mum was JW and my father wasn't maybe made it possible for me to leave the congregation and still have a good relationship with my mum even after i got baptised.
I’m sure some JW organizations are actually good as well and doing the right thing. This is the experience from one person although he has talked to many others who felt the same way.
@@PodTox-yh1oy Well it's true also that it can be extremely devastating to lose all contacts with your family simply because you've decided to go another way.
I was a active, in good standing, baptized, wife of a ministerial servant, our son was a regular pioneer. My father was an elder and my mom continuous auxillary pioneered. My dad went on to become a regular pioneer. We left 5 1/2 years ago. Not for any reasons other than we no longer believed. We never told anyone it was a cult and they should go too, we just left, we didn't celebrate holidays, we kept living like JW's quietly, except we didn't go to meetings or service anymore. I tried to reach out to friends and family to go to lunch here and there... They all blocked me. Completely ignored us. Treated us like we were DFed. Even though we literally never said anything to anyone. Never talked badly about the organization, or questioned the elders... Nothing. My husband and 2 adult children quit first and over time, I was ignored at meetings, I even was still commenting, but other than a quick wave, I was barely spoken to. And when I was, ppl very critically asked where my family was? Knowing full well that they hadn't been to a meeting in months. I would answer by saying, they are just in a place where they don't feel they can come right now... I never gave ppl reasons to believe they were no longer believers, more they were just discouraged at the moment. And I disagree, the books JW's study with ppl to learn the 'Truth' do not teach about disfellowshipping (which the august 2024 Watchtower now states it will be called being REMOVED from now on, not DFed. So, it is secretive. And my father in law was an elder who was a convicted pedophile. And molested 2 little girls in his congregation. Besides his own daughters. He's dead now thankfully. He only went to prison because they family of the 2 girls went against the elders by going to the police, even though it would "bring reproach on Jehovah's name." I have since found out there are 1000s of pedophiles in the JW organization!!! There are LOTS OF SECRETS within the JW organization. You are welcome to disagree, but I think that would be based on lack of knowledge. I'm not trying to say that to be mean or argumentative. I'm in my 50s now and have battled a lot. Including alcoholism. I'm now sober finally. As an ExJW. I hid it as a JW. I'm a CSA survivor myself. The Stories I could tell you are not unique to the many ExJWs I know and have interviewed on my channel. I wish you all the very best, just wanted you to know another perspective. 💗
@@JustDeannaJune We must have these conversations,I am also an ex JW born in a country with the biggest number of JW. I have nothing to do with religion today and have a wonderful life. The issues of molestation and pedofiles is a common problem among so called Christians and in all honest I am not defending these inhuman acts against innocent children. I have just come to realize that everyone can be easily cheated and it's not always easy to learn something different if you are isolated from other people. My mum is still a JW but we still have a wonderful relationship. I know this is not the case for thousands of JW been disfellowshiped or removed. I have also heard of all the things you've just mentioned even if I never knew all the details. One thing is for sure, there is no smoke without fire. I wish you all the best and I am so happy to hear that you are in a better place.
I appreciate your comment so much. Most people don’t fully understand the ends and outs of the organization. Thank you for sharing your experience and perspective.
He must have been out for years. Because there's only 2 meetings now. Sunday talk and WT study. The book study is mixed with the ministry school nights. So it's combined now.
yes, been out since 1992 and i appreciate the feedback as I have had others clarify what it’s like now. My time was 70’s through 1992 so many things have changed.
@@BrianCaudill-u9wso sorry. I’m 68 been in since 1 yr old. In process of being disassociated myself. So losing all my friends because I believe the BIBLE over the GOV BODY!
Starting @58:36 The gentleman answers: "at least 10%" tithing. May I remind you its important to be honest and truthful. The truth is, there is no requirement for a specific amount of money to be donated. The rule is to give what you can out of your heart. Just be honest because you discredit everything else you say for such an outright lie of somthing so small and simple. Your trustworthiness is questioned. Its sad because it was a good interview up until then. We have to be better then what has hurt us. Not being truthful even in small matters is not right even though the pain is real.
A few people have mentioned that. You have to remember this was back in the 90s. Some things were different back then and I’m sure some areas did different things. Just because he has some outdated information doesn’t mean he’s lying.
@@PodTox-yh1oy nope. Even more so back then. I was there then also. Definitely donations, what you can, not 10%. We need to be honest. He said it with such certainty and it was just not true
i said it with certainty because that is what i was taught. Give out of a joyful heart yes, but the expectation was a minimum of 10%, which in my own experience I was told this by the elders after asking this question when i got my first job in high school my friend. My mother also reiterated that to me as well. So yes, i gave an honest answer to what i was taught personally about giving to the organization. Do you remember before the failed prophecy of 1975 people selling their homes and land?? That’s definitely more than 10% wouldn’t you agree? Attacking someone’s personal experience is petty especially when you don’t know all the details about them on a personal level. I stand 100% behind everything I said in this video. If you found fault with it, that’s on you. Do you actually think if you have a “ Joyful heart” in giving the organization would expect less than 10%? Come on!! You trying to split hairs? Have an awesome day.
In many ways this mirrors my experience. Being ostracized at school and at the kingdom hall (because my old man wasn't a jw) led to a very introverted life. Being df'd and having your own mother treat you as no longer existing really puts a damper on every furure relationship. You tend to look at ANYONE as someone who will potentially turn their back on you tomorrow. Therefore you keep your cards close to your vest and never give away too much, even to your spouse.
According to the Bible your cousin WILL resurrected! You suffered cognitive dissonance like me & my son did. That’s fine why you felt two ways about a lot of things you had two different thoughts conflicting in your brain. I would’ve loved to known this was what was happening years ago. Would’ve saved ourselves a lot of trauma also
actually that is not accurate at all. JW’s do believe that Jesus died for their sins and they must believe in him to gain eternal life. Now they do not believe in the deity of Christ, they don’t believe he died on a cross, etc…
@@BrianCaudill-u9wthey don’t believe Romans 6:7 that Paul was speaking about spiritual death with Christ has been set free from sin. This is from their publications on their website “However, Paul also explains that a person “who has died has been acquitted from his sin.” (Romans 6:7) When a person dies, he is set free, or released, from any sins he has committed. “
twisted scriptures was not referring to “ Jehovah “ I was referring to how the organization tries to prove that Jesus is not deity! For example John 1:1 The New Wotld Translation refers to Jesus ( the word) as “ A god” small G there and they use that scripture to try and prove that Jesus is not God. However they will also say there is only one true God, Jehovah so if Jesus is A god and Jehovah is the only true God that by their own definition would make Jesus a false God. The organization can’t have it both ways. Look at John 8:58 in any other bible but The New World Translation Jesus said …..before Abraham was, I Am.” The NWT changed that scripture to read “…..Before Abraham came into existence, I have been.” But if you continue reading John 8 you see that the crowd took up stones to kill Jesus WHY??? Because he declared he was I AM so the NWT of this scripture doesn’t make any sense in the context of the other scripture around it. These are just two examples of “Twisted scriptures” so i would encourage you to do your own research on The organization because I have spent years doing it.
No wonder people don’t feel good enough. It’s been drilled in our heads. Good for nothing slaves. Do more do more do more! Yes you are a good person. You have the kind of love jesus wants.
@@BrianCaudill-u9w John 1:1 Any greek interlinear shows clearly different spelling for the word you claim is "God" - this is because at the end of the last sentence "god" is a describing word i.e. godlike/divine which is in several different translations. John 8 when Jesus says "I am" the literal greek translation is "I am he" - in context they were talking about the coming Messiah. Jesus was identifying himself as that Messiah and so they threw stones at him. in the next chapter the blind man who was cured by Jesus, says "I am" (i am he) to identify himself as the one born blind, using exactly the same words in greek for "I am" as Jesus did. By your reasoning you think the blind man was God also. i have only been researching the (dis)organization since January. Eyes were opened once i got myself a greek interlinear and hebrew interlinear. Have a happy day.
I know. It spikes randomly on hers because she talks loud. The program I was editing in was struggling to keep up the more I adjusted also. We are trying to get to the point where we can have better equipment so that issues like this are fixed!
@@BrianCaudill-u9wI'm not a JW but I have some family in it.. but thanks for sharing.. I give this advice to u, that all thoughts are lies all the time except practical thoughts. So thoughts of past hurts & trauma is the devil's plan to keep u in bondage, in anger and in ur past. The enemy does not want u to know or have God's grace & peace. Most religions are wrong, some worse than others. We shld all worship in spirit & in truth by faith alone, nothing else makes any difference. There is no true church on earth, just except Christ. If u was to find Christ minded people, ur church can be under a tree, in a church building or in a house as long as its sincere & loving fellowship with no pressure, that's all u need. U can listen to others opinions but the Holy Spirit will teach u all truth & guide ur path. Peace & Heaven is available to u today, when u be still & know God. Let go of every problem don't crave family, friends, church, let go of ur anger & emotions and watch ur life b transformed etc..mine was. Peace 🙏🏽
I'm former JW and I'm taking a full responsible for for joining and leaving and I will never blame anyone neither my parents or people who recruited me. I refuse to join on decampaigning nor talk ill about any other religion. It's sickening to see adult sitting over an hour discussing flaws of their choice to drum up some kind of sympathy
see that’s where you are wrong i wasn’t given a choice. If you actually listened you would have heard. Nobody is looking for sympathy either it merely my story and not unique because there are thousands of EX JW’s with similar stories of how they are shunned after being disfellowshipped and if you really ever were. a JW you would know that.
I would look into the ARC (Australian Royal commission on child sexual abuse) case study 29. I would also look into the recent findings of the abuse in care inquiry with the New Zealand Royal Commission. The secret elder’s book shepherding the flock of god. The elder’s have a secret handbook on how they handle the judicial process. They even grill young children on their sexual abuse and rape in graphic detail . The religion also has stocks in military weapons and aircraft, when they don’t allow them to serve their country and they go to jail for it. How about how the Watchtower is a real estate company that uses their members to build the Kingdom Halls and pay for it all. Then the Watchtower can sell the Kingdom Halls to cigar lounges or other churches and keep all the money. What about the human rights a child has that has an older sibling that left the cult? Why should that minor sibling have to shun their sibling that left? What about the deadly blood policy ? They didn’t allow fractions and JW’s died now fractions are okay ? There is way more , but just a sample of why ExJW’s speak out. When you speak out it creates change with the governments to make laws to actually protect the members inside. I won’t judge anyone for using their voice to share their experiences or to protest to create a change to protect my brainwashed family in the cult.
We have religious trauma. Many of us grow to hate religion and the idea of 'God'. We need to find others going through this because we grew up isolated and still feel isolated as adults. No other religion has so many speaking up because the trauma of your life being so completely controlled is not found in other religions.
Watchtower is a terrorist organization recruiting people. If you can't bear to listen to the horrors of religion I really don't know if you are fully human. Millions of people all over the world will share their stories whether you like it or not. I'm sorry you can't empathize.
Loved this. Thank you!
I broke free from this group and often look back in horror. It is such a damaging organization. Absolutely dangerous
As a now mom of 2 little boys in public school, one of fav. things of now not JW is my little boys get to celebrate holidays school/home. Seeing their love/excitement for is just magic I didn't get. Not bitter, bc I also doing w/for them is my never to late experience. My unified hs hold not hvn diff. of faith brings us together in most special times.
They don't worship Jesus. They pass the bread and wine but no one partakes of it! A slap in the face to Jesus!
Good lord i was one for 23 years! The stories i could tell being a jehovahs witness in the U.K they would make your toes curl
Wasn't it the worst? I left after 3 decades. All my youth wasted...serving a real estate company. Totally messed my life up
This was the best podcast I ever watched. This man told the real truth and you two asked very intelligent questions. Thank you.
Really appreciate that! We are obviously working low budget so the best we can do is try to give some good conversation as we grow. That seriously means the world!
It is a cult. Can't believe ppl are so brainwashed to still be there when none of the prophecies have never materialized.
You are the brainwashed one... define cult. Jonestown was fake...Waco Koresh was fake, moonies are fake Falun Gong fake fake fake fake. Turn off your tel-Lie -vision...Awake!
He's 100 percent, I grew up in the jw hell and lost a couple of family members to suicide and have been suicidal myself in the past.
I am sorry for your loss. Many ExJW’s that i have spoken to have struggled with suicidal thoughts because of our trauma from being in this organization. I hope you are doing well now. Thank you for sharing.
❤ Kiss 2 U from Norway.
right back at you, thanks for watching
It's nightmare being a JW you study tues Thurs Sun then you go door to door your holidays are spent going door to door no celebrations its a tough life .what Brian saying is the truth.
Everything Brian says is true. My gay friend took his life because of this religion. His parents refused to believe this is the reason why but we all know. Thanks and great job!
i’m sorry for your loss
My condolences. This wicked organization has caused so many people so much pain. The courts are exposing them ⚖️
Refuse to believe it or refuse to admit it? That's what I notice about JWs, they lie and cover up truth.
@@TallKulWmn1 i am not taking my life over over a false religon nor am i gay no diff.
look up the word deflection.
Thank you for sharing this!❤
'Apostate' greetings from the Netherlands 😊🇳🇱
hello my fellow Apostate!!! haha
LOVE your screen name 😂🎉❤
love the reference to Beth Sarim and i could almost bet modern day JW’s have no clue what that one is…..another failed prophecy
Cults need to be exposed. Children are destroyed because they dont have the ability to escape.
Couple of corrections:
1. The JW religion does have 3 meetings during the week, but it’s changed.
-The Midweek Meeting which is now called “The Christian Life & Ministry” Meeting which operates or takes place of the now defunct “Theocratic Ministry School”
-The Weekend Meetings which are broken in to, two parts (technically)
a. The Public Talk which is 30 mins & handle by either a local appointed brother (Elder or Ministerial Servant) or a visiting appointed brother from a different congregation. These talks are outlines provided to them by The Organization & are not to be deviated, too much, so in other words these r scripted talks.
b. The Watchtower Study. This is an 1 hr & 15 min. portion of the weekend meeting, & this is the indoctrination portion as they examine “The Bible” via the lens of The Organization’s explanation. This is a ? & answer meeting, & the answers r predetermined w/in the paragraphs read.
2. They do believe Jesus is The Son of God, but they have changed many scriptures w/in their version of The Bible to hide his deity (ex. Any scripture that says “worship” Jesus have been changed to “Do Obeisance or they added “a” to John 1:1). They do not acknowledge The Holy Spirit much other than it’s Jehovah’s Holy Spirit; in fact, they don’t even mention it in their baptism questions.
I’m a former Elder who disassociated, & JW trolls tend to try to criticize ex-JWs who don’t have “up to date” info as lies.
Great content, & thank u posting this interview.
Thank you for the info! I didn’t want to type this multiple times because I thought it was obvious, but yes his info is somewhat out dated. He’s just sharing his experience and people can’t handle different perspectives and think things through anymore so it’s been a bunch of hate in the comments. It’s awesome that a former elder jumped in here and saw the video for what it is so thank you for being educated and open minded.
I appreciate your response and yes I know things have changed a lot since i stopped attending in the early 90’s and thank you for clarifying how meetings are currently broken down. My experience was from the 70’-early 1990 so i was speaking on my experience through those years.
Good information
@@BrianCaudill-u9w
Bro, it was no worries. It was actually to protect u, b/c The Organization have trolls that come on various sites trying to discredit ppl like us. So I wanted to give some clarification just in case they come & say “that’s old light” or “that’s not true.”
U did AWESOME, my guy.
thank you and yes those “ good “ JW’s who love to troll. haha. I do appreciate the support. It’s taken many years for me to be this open about it and still felt horribly guilty doing this. Isn’t that crazy?!?!
This was great! I’m exJW and I loved this! Thanks for doing such a great interview and using your channel to bring awareness. Hugs ex-bro!!!!!!! Hugs!!!
My experience with JW people is that their religion is like folk Buddhism or folk Taoism in Asia. It's very free-flowing, the son of God language is thrown around, and it warns against wickedness. If you read popular fear mongering Buddhism and Taoist texts intended for uneducated audiences, it's exactly the same religion as the watchtower. The falun gong have the same kind of thing, where all of the cult members basically check in weekly to get new directions. Because the cult does everything by decree from a central office, they can go through periods like they just did where they're telling everybody the world is ending and they need to stop interacting with the world, and then last week where the leadership announced that they need to stop focusing on the afterlife.
Oh SNAP at the 35ish minute mark about Elder abuse! I thank God I was not raised as a witness, but I did lose about 15 years of the prime of my life to them. I can so relate to everything you said. What a heck of a thing you had to endure. There were so many unhappy looking children at the Hall I attended. (Central, North and Hillcrest rotating congregations in San Diego) but, of course, it's explained away with the "Jehovah's people will be persecuted, you are no part of this world so you will be victimized" language.
Went through disfellowshipping because of ONE discretion, which my husband and I voluntarily confessed to shortly after we were both baptized!
I kick myself we crawled back, but "It's the Truth!" It was so humiliating.
My Bible study teacher was future Governing Body Member Mark Sanderson's mother. He was in his 20's and pioneering in Newfoundland at the time, but the short periods of time he came home to visit, he seemed to be a male version of a Stepford Wife.
His Uncle, Jim Sanderson, was the elder who disfellowshipped my husband and me.
PTSD is a real thing.
Death Cult
yes it many ways it is
Pray that they wake up.
What a traumatic experience.
Clarification: funerals (or "memorial services" as they call them), are basically recruitment talks. An elder delivers the talk and the family is not allowed to speak. The deceased's personality is rarely mentioned. The focus is on the group's beliefs.
If you are currently on a shunned state, it still applies. Even if it's your own mother, no one will speak to you at her funeral.
Not everyone "qualifies" for a memorial in the Kingdom hall. If you were disfellowshipped (in a shunned state), and you die: No memorial for you! If you committed suicide: No memorial for you. If you died in hospital and as a last ditch effort, took a blood transfusion: Ha! No memorial for you.
Also, regarding a non-witness family member, obviously they would not qualify for a Kingdom hall memorial, so they'd probably have one at their local church but active JWs are not allowed to go to non-Witness churches. Typically, witness family members will participate in everything else, other than church services.
Weddings follow the same pattern. You have to qualify to get married in the Kingdom Hall and you absolutely cannot go to a family members wedding at a church, etc.
It's insane
thank you for adding this, I was so nervous doing this that I left out some things
@@BrianCaudill-u9w you did great. My own trauma just boiled up and I went into a writing frenzy 😂😂
this is why i wanted to get my story out so that people like you and others could start having these conversations. It’s great to have help from other EX JW’s to help me fill in the blanks for things i didn’t cover or not cover well. This is ALL OUR story !!
Thank you for this info!
Look up Rick Fearon and Six Screens of the Watchtower.
I am a ex jw
sorry there were things i missed bringing up everyone but i was extremely nervous
You did great man!
@@BrianCaudill-u9w U did phenomenal, bro. Thank u for sharing ur experience w/in this cul….i mean, “new age” religion.
you did great! your upbringing in a "divided household" with an alcoholic father reminded me a lot of my own childhood. thanks for sharing!
You were fantastic
@@PodTox-yh1oyYou did an awesome job way to go exposing the cult and it's evil. I've waken up too myself. The worst day out of the cult is better than the best in the cult. Look up Rick Fearon and Six Screens of the Watchtower.
Brian thanks for everything you shared with your story and so sorry for what you have been through.
I left a similar church group over 20 years ago so can understand much of what you said. (The group take no name but are called 2x2s by ex-members)
So much has come out in the last 18 months about CSA that has been covered up for decades, and they are now being investigated by the fbi.
If they come to your door...have extreme empathy for children and dis affected ones.
Treat elders. Sadly their wives( because they know too) and others as not to be believed. Yes..there are exceptions.
You will pick it up .
Be careful.
You might want to check out Borean Pickets. Some serious clarification about what the Bible really says from X JW’s. It’s our life line right now. Just thought it might help.
That was a wealthy area..but our family was dirt poor too.❤
Money taking. Look at their donation in their website, asking everything you got including airline miles
I'm ex ...I at adore with some young girls.He rightly said I have said don't come here.
Bit then sai ff head a gun he'd use it.I quietly spoke to the girls and said please ray for him because we didn't know what he's been through...and that way we give it to Father.
I asked them to go back to the group .Then I apologised to the man ..listening to him...and left
The stupid elder started rantingI said "I asked if there. Were any do not calls and you said no..I dared about the girls..but I personally wasn't concerned. The man looked like he was in personal pain.
I was disfellowshipped as a teen for engaging in fornication which the bible condemns. 27:14 I became bitter because one particular elder was extremely harsh despite i came forward to confess. Then in my twenties went through a divorce i even tried a relaxing exercise turned out to be spiritism. Was reinstated in my late twenties jehovah has blessed me with the love of my life been married for 22 yrs. I am in my forties. YOUNG PEOPLE NEVER LEAVE JEHOVAH YOU WILL REGRET IT LIKE ME ❤❤❤ A wise person will listen .
@@shawnmcanthony5724 You don't have to leave Jehovah, but you might want to leave 9 men that inflate themselves to be representing God. Worship Jehovah and Jesus, not man. Follow the Bible, not publications written by men.
Yahusha was not Christian,christian means Greek christos.Yahusha was not greek he was Hebrew.
Being a JW is not like a secretive society where nobody knows what they believe. The challenge is like any other religions group if you are born in a family where both parents are JW. It can be extremely challenging if you decide to be baptised and as you grow older decide to leave the congregation. Other than that, you can actually attend meetings as long as you are not baptised they can try to influence you but cannot discommunicate you from the congregation.
All religions are strange and demand various forms of loyalties. Been born in a home where mum was JW and my father wasn't maybe made it possible for me to leave the congregation and still have a good relationship with my mum even after i got baptised.
I’m sure some JW organizations are actually good as well and doing the right thing. This is the experience from one person although he has talked to many others who felt the same way.
@@PodTox-yh1oy Well it's true also that it can be extremely devastating to lose all contacts with your family simply because you've decided to go another way.
I was a active, in good standing, baptized, wife of a ministerial servant, our son was a regular pioneer. My father was an elder and my mom continuous auxillary pioneered. My dad went on to become a regular pioneer. We left 5 1/2 years ago. Not for any reasons other than we no longer believed. We never told anyone it was a cult and they should go too, we just left, we didn't celebrate holidays, we kept living like JW's quietly, except we didn't go to meetings or service anymore. I tried to reach out to friends and family to go to lunch here and there... They all blocked me. Completely ignored us. Treated us like we were DFed. Even though we literally never said anything to anyone. Never talked badly about the organization, or questioned the elders... Nothing. My husband and 2 adult children quit first and over time, I was ignored at meetings, I even was still commenting, but other than a quick wave, I was barely spoken to. And when I was, ppl very critically asked where my family was? Knowing full well that they hadn't been to a meeting in months. I would answer by saying, they are just in a place where they don't feel they can come right now... I never gave ppl reasons to believe they were no longer believers, more they were just discouraged at the moment. And I disagree, the books JW's study with ppl to learn the 'Truth' do not teach about disfellowshipping (which the august 2024 Watchtower now states it will be called being REMOVED from now on, not DFed. So, it is secretive. And my father in law was an elder who was a convicted pedophile. And molested 2 little girls in his congregation. Besides his own daughters. He's dead now thankfully. He only went to prison because they family of the 2 girls went against the elders by going to the police, even though it would "bring reproach on Jehovah's name." I have since found out there are 1000s of pedophiles in the JW organization!!! There are LOTS OF SECRETS within the JW organization. You are welcome to disagree, but I think that would be based on lack of knowledge. I'm not trying to say that to be mean or argumentative. I'm in my 50s now and have battled a lot. Including alcoholism. I'm now sober finally. As an ExJW. I hid it as a JW. I'm a CSA survivor myself. The Stories I could tell you are not unique to the many ExJWs I know and have interviewed on my channel. I wish you all the very best, just wanted you to know another perspective. 💗
@@JustDeannaJune We must have these conversations,I am also an ex JW born in a country with the biggest number of JW. I have nothing to do with religion today and have a wonderful life. The issues of molestation and pedofiles is a common problem among so called Christians and in all honest I am not defending these inhuman acts against innocent children. I have just come to realize that everyone can be easily cheated and it's not always easy to learn something different if you are isolated from other people. My mum is still a JW but we still have a wonderful relationship. I know this is not the case for thousands of JW been disfellowshiped or removed. I have also heard of all the things you've just mentioned even if I never knew all the details. One thing is for sure, there is no smoke without fire.
I wish you all the best and I am so happy to hear that you are in a better place.
I appreciate your comment so much. Most people don’t fully understand the ends and outs of the organization.
Thank you for sharing your experience and perspective.
👏👏👏
I Love a beautiful, caring , smart woman
Wow! Brings up memories and still get rejected by JW family.
He must have been out for years. Because there's only 2 meetings now. Sunday talk and WT study. The book study is mixed with the ministry school nights. So it's combined now.
yes, been out since 1992 and i appreciate the feedback as I have had others clarify what it’s like now. My time was 70’s through 1992 so many things have changed.
Let God prove it right. You are no greater or powerful then God. It is a matter of faith with God's backing.
There’s only been two meetings a week for over a decade now. Just a small detail he got wrong. He’s been out for a while. I can tell
yes, last meeting was early 1990 so i appreciate the clarification
Bless your heart ❤ that you woke at the time you did.
@@BrianCaudill-u9wso sorry. I’m 68 been in since 1 yr old. In process of being disassociated myself. So losing all my friends because I believe the BIBLE over the GOV BODY!
Thanks . Great video and interview
Starting @58:36
The gentleman answers: "at least 10%" tithing. May I remind you its important to be honest and truthful.
The truth is, there is no requirement for a specific amount of money to be donated.
The rule is to give what you can out of your heart.
Just be honest because you discredit everything else you say for such an outright lie of somthing so small and simple. Your trustworthiness is questioned. Its sad because it was a good interview up until then.
We have to be better then what has hurt us. Not being truthful even in small matters is not right even though the pain is real.
A few people have mentioned that. You have to remember this was back in the 90s. Some things were different back then and I’m sure some areas did different things. Just because he has some outdated information doesn’t mean he’s lying.
@@PodTox-yh1oy nope. Even more so back then. I was there then also. Definitely donations, what you can, not 10%. We need to be honest. He said it with such certainty and it was just not true
i said it with certainty because that is what i was taught. Give out of a joyful heart yes, but the expectation was a minimum of 10%, which in my own experience I was told this by the elders after asking this question when i got my first job in high school my friend. My mother also reiterated that to me as well. So yes, i gave an honest answer to what i was taught personally about giving to the organization. Do you remember before the failed prophecy of 1975 people selling their homes and land?? That’s definitely more than 10% wouldn’t you agree? Attacking someone’s personal experience is petty especially when you don’t know all the details about them on a personal level. I stand 100% behind everything I said in this video. If you found fault with it, that’s on you. Do you actually think if you have a “ Joyful heart” in giving the organization would expect less than 10%? Come on!! You trying to split hairs? Have an awesome day.
In many ways this mirrors my experience. Being ostracized at school and at the kingdom hall (because my old man wasn't a jw) led to a very introverted life. Being df'd and having your own mother treat you as no longer existing really puts a damper on every furure relationship. You tend to look at ANYONE as someone who will potentially turn their back on you tomorrow. Therefore you keep your cards close to your vest and never give away too much, even to your spouse.
They also believe that Jesus was Michael before he came to Earth Michael the Archangel which was God's first creation!!
Childish nepotism re elder selection
I'd like to talk to Brian sometime.
I’ll let him know! I also have his TikTok link in the description so you can message him on there.
😂😂🎉🎉🎉🎉
According to the Bible your cousin WILL resurrected! You suffered cognitive dissonance like me & my son did. That’s fine why you felt two ways about a lot of things you had two different thoughts conflicting in your brain. I would’ve loved to known this was what was happening years ago. Would’ve saved ourselves a lot of trauma also
❤
They believe your sins are cleansed upon your death. Believing in Jesus sacrifice and shedding of His blood for your sins means nothing to JW.
actually that is not accurate at all. JW’s do believe that Jesus died for their sins and they must believe in him to gain eternal life. Now they do not believe in the deity of Christ, they don’t believe he died on a cross, etc…
@@BrianCaudill-u9wthey don’t believe Romans 6:7 that Paul was speaking about spiritual death with Christ has been set free from sin.
This is from their publications on their website “However, Paul also explains that a person “who has died has been acquitted from his sin.” (Romans 6:7) When a person dies, he is set free, or released, from any sins he has committed. “
Jesus is Michael the Arcangel. In jw's cult. I was born in.
"twisted scriptures"? "Jehovah" is in many different Bibles at Psalm 83.18 i.e. King James
twisted scriptures was not referring to “ Jehovah “ I was referring to how the organization tries to prove that Jesus is not deity! For example John 1:1 The New Wotld Translation refers to Jesus ( the word) as “ A god” small G there and they use that scripture to try and prove that Jesus is not God. However they will also say there is only one true God, Jehovah so if Jesus is A god and Jehovah is the only true God that by their own definition would make Jesus a false God. The organization can’t have it both ways. Look at John 8:58 in any other bible but The New World Translation Jesus said …..before Abraham was, I Am.” The NWT changed that scripture to read “…..Before Abraham came into existence, I have been.” But if you continue reading John 8 you see that the crowd took up stones to kill Jesus WHY??? Because he declared he was I AM so the NWT of this scripture doesn’t make any sense in the context of the other scripture around it.
These are just two examples of “Twisted scriptures” so i would encourage you to do your own research on The organization because I have spent years doing it.
YHWH
No wonder people don’t feel good enough. It’s been drilled in our heads. Good for nothing slaves. Do more do more do more! Yes you are a good person. You have the kind of love jesus wants.
@@BrianCaudill-u9w John 1:1 Any greek interlinear shows clearly different spelling for the word you claim is "God" - this is because at the end of the last sentence "god" is a describing word i.e. godlike/divine which is in several different translations.
John 8 when Jesus says "I am" the literal greek translation is "I am he" - in context they were talking about the coming Messiah. Jesus was identifying himself as that Messiah and so they threw stones at him. in the next chapter the blind man who was cured by Jesus, says "I am" (i am he) to identify himself as the one born blind, using exactly the same words in greek for "I am" as Jesus did. By your reasoning you think the blind man was God also.
i have only been researching the (dis)organization since January. Eyes were opened once i got myself a greek interlinear and hebrew interlinear. Have a happy day.
@@donnyetta i agree. There is only one God. Jesus himself said who he is, God's son. I do believe Jesus knows who he is. Thanks for your comment.
The audio is too high for the female here. Just turn down the audio a bit cuz you been hurting my eardrums this whole podcast
I know. It spikes randomly on hers because she talks loud. The program I was editing in was struggling to keep up the more I adjusted also. We are trying to get to the point where we can have better equipment so that issues like this are fixed!
@@PodTox-yh1oy glad she has a great voice, but my ear buds work too good.
@@PodTox-yh1oy. I'd like to speak to Brian sometime because I woke up from that cult myself and just need to make my resignation.
You haven't escaped you still trapped thinking about it lol 😆
I don’t believe you ever forget any kind of trauma you just do your best to move forward.
@@BrianCaudill-u9wI'm not a JW but I have some family in it.. but thanks for sharing.. I give this advice to u, that all thoughts are lies all the time except practical thoughts. So thoughts of past hurts & trauma is the devil's plan to keep u in bondage, in anger and in ur past. The enemy does not want u to know or have God's grace & peace. Most religions are wrong, some worse than others. We shld all worship in spirit & in truth by faith alone, nothing else makes any difference. There is no true church on earth, just except Christ. If u was to find Christ minded people, ur church can be under a tree, in a church building or in a house as long as its sincere & loving fellowship with no pressure, that's all u need. U can listen to others opinions but the Holy Spirit will teach u all truth & guide ur path. Peace & Heaven is available to u today, when u be still & know God. Let go of every problem don't crave family, friends, church, let go of ur anger & emotions and watch ur life b transformed etc..mine was. Peace 🙏🏽
I'm former JW and I'm taking a full responsible for for joining and leaving and I will never blame anyone neither my parents or people who recruited me. I refuse to join on decampaigning nor talk ill about any other religion. It's sickening to see adult sitting over an hour discussing flaws of their choice to drum up some kind of sympathy
see that’s where you are wrong i wasn’t given a choice. If you actually listened you would have heard. Nobody is looking for sympathy either it merely my story and not unique because there are thousands of EX JW’s with similar stories of how they are shunned after being disfellowshipped and if you really ever were. a JW you would know that.
I would look into the ARC (Australian Royal commission on child sexual abuse) case study 29. I would also look into the recent findings of the abuse in care inquiry with the New Zealand Royal Commission. The secret elder’s book shepherding the flock of god. The elder’s have a secret handbook on how they handle the judicial process. They even grill young children on their sexual abuse and rape in graphic detail . The religion also has stocks in military weapons and aircraft, when they don’t allow them to serve their country and they go to jail for it. How about how the Watchtower is a real estate company that uses their members to build the Kingdom Halls and pay for it all. Then the Watchtower can sell the Kingdom Halls to cigar lounges or other churches and keep all the money. What about the human rights a child has that has an older sibling that left the cult? Why should that minor sibling have to shun their sibling that left? What about the deadly blood policy ? They didn’t allow fractions and JW’s died now fractions are okay ? There is way more , but just a sample of why ExJW’s speak out. When you speak out it creates change with the governments to make laws to actually protect the members inside. I won’t judge anyone for using their voice to share their experiences or to protest to create a change to protect my brainwashed family in the cult.
We have religious trauma. Many of us grow to hate religion and the idea of 'God'. We need to find others going through this because we grew up isolated and still feel isolated as adults. No other religion has so many speaking up because the trauma of your life being so completely controlled is not found in other religions.
@@pearlestrada7453exept by Islam.
Watchtower is a terrorist organization recruiting people. If you can't bear to listen to the horrors of religion I really don't know if you are fully human. Millions of people all over the world will share their stories whether you like it or not. I'm sorry you can't empathize.