Religious ideologies often use the practice of shunning to silence their critics and to control their members through fear. This podcast sheds light on this practice through real life stories as told by the people that have lived through it. Learn what their lives were like and where they have ended up in life after shunning.
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The Shunned podcast is a highly recommended show that brings attention to the damaging effects of the Jehovah's Witness shunning policy. The host does an excellent job of allowing guests to freely share their truths, often for the first time, and brings out the emotional impact of this practice. The stories shared on this podcast are often tragic and heartbreaking but also encouraging as they shed light on the experiences of innocent members caught in this harmful practice. This podcast serves as a valuable resource for those still in the Jehovah's Witness community, providing them with a voice and helping them heal.
One of the best aspects of The Shunned podcast is how it gives voices to those who have been silenced by the Jehovah's Witness shunning policy. The host shows compassion and empathy towards the guests, allowing them to share their stories without judgment. This creates a safe space for listeners to hear relatable experiences and find solace in knowing they are not alone in their struggles. The podcast also provides valuable insights into the closed world and twisted beliefs held by Jehovah's Witnesses, giving outsiders a better understanding of what members go through.
While The Shunned podcast is highly praised for its content and approach, one potential downside is that it may only appeal to a specific audience. As it focuses on the experiences of those who have left or been affected by Jehovah's Witnesses, it may not resonate with everyone. Additionally, some listeners may find the topics discussed too heavy or triggering, as they delve into traumatic events and religious indoctrination.
In conclusion, The Shunned podcast is an amazing resource for anyone seeking insight into the experiences of those affected by Jehovah's Witness shunning policies. It provides a platform for individuals to share their stories, offering support and validation to others who have gone through similar struggles. While it may not be for everyone due to its specific focus, this podcast serves as a powerful tool in bringing awareness to harmful practices within religious communities and fostering healing among those affected.
This episode explores Dianna's life, starting with her family's unconventional path into the faith, with her grandmother and later her mother and siblings becoming baptized, though her parents initially struggled with aspects like smoking. Dianna describes her own baptism at age 15, feeling it was the expected next step rather than a deep connection. She discusses her social life, including friendships within the Kingdom Hall and at public school, and her experience with pioneering. The interview details her marriage to a fellow Witness, his appointment as an elder, and the eventual downfall of their marriage due to his inappropriate relationship with another woman in the congregation, culminating in a tragic event involving the other woman's husband. Finally, Dianna reflects on being disfellowshipped, reinstated, and ultimately drifting away, finding freedom and joy in her life outside the organization, particularly through motherhood and embracing her open-mindedness. Dianna's story is a compelling account of the impact of a high-control religious environment on an individual's life. It highlights the themes of familial and social pressure, the superficiality of relationships within the organization, the detrimental effects of judgmentalism and control, and the challenges and joys of breaking free and finding personal identity and genuine connection in the outside world. Her experiences with shunning, the tragic events surrounding her divorce, and her journey of waking up and embracing a more open-minded and accepting perspective provide valuable insights into the realities of leaving a cult. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
This episode is an interview with Alex, formerly one of Jehovah's Witnesses, who shares his deeply personal experience of being raised in the organization and the profound impact it had on his life. He details his family's multi-generational involvement, highlighting the emphasis on being “God's chosen people” and the resulting feelings of being “special” yet also judgmental and isolated from the “worldly” people outside due to the black and white thinking and discouragement of those outside relationships. The core of his story revolves around his struggle to reconcile his inner desires and the forced external appearance of a loyal Witness, ultimately leading to being “shunned” after a seemingly minor infraction, a traumatic event that triggered severe depression, alcoholism, and a long period of self-destructive behavior, before finding a path toward self-discovery, genuine connection, and challenging the destructive beliefs he was raised with. Alex's story provides a powerful and deeply personal account of the profound and lasting impact of growing up in and eventually leaving the Jehovah's Witness organization. It highlights the psychological toll of strict doctrines, manipulative practices, and the trauma of shunning. His journey underscores the difficulty of navigating the outside world without the necessary social and emotional tools and the importance of self-discovery and building authentic connections in the healing process. The inclusion of a song reflecting on his relationship with his father adds a poignant layer to the narrative, emphasizing the enduring pain and complex emotions associated with familial separation due to religious beliefs. Alex's story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the possibility of finding happiness and purpose after leaving a high-control religious group. The song featured at the end is “Sometimes Your Best Still Hurts” by Mrs. London's Butler and the song and his channel can be found on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/iq_RoSyYoig?si=1XDKPNrRT9eIcw9C Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
This episode provides a powerful and heartbreaking account of growing up within the restrictive and often damaging environment of Jehovah's Witnesses. Carol Anne's story highlights the immense pressure of maintaining a generational heritage, the severe consequences of shunning, and the prevalence of abuse and trauma within families intertwined with the organization. The organization's handling of serious issues like grooming and molestation, often prioritizing internal control over reporting to authorities, is a significant point of concern. Carol Anne's experience of living a double life, suppressing her identity, and the limited social and educational opportunities are clear consequences of the JW lifestyle. Despite the profound challenges and betrayals she faced, particularly from her family, Carol Anne's journey towards deconstruction, healing, and building healthy relationships offers a hopeful conclusion, emphasizing the possibility of breaking negative cycles and finding genuine happiness outside of the organization. The narrative serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of authoritarian religious control and the importance of individual agency and self-acceptance. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. The song that Johanna chose to represent her journey is Surface Pressure from Encanto. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Johanna was raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Her story encompasses a childhood marked by secret abuse, a home environment with a dangerous and alcoholic father, and what could be considered a shocking and early marriage, ultimately leading to her being shunned by the Jehovah's Witnesses. • Secret Abuse: Johanna was molested by an older cousin for about a year and a half when she was around 8 or 9 years old. This was kept a family secret, and she was told not to tell anyone, not even her father. Her mother, upon finding out, questioned Johanna in a blaming way, asking “Why did you let him do that to you?”. This incident highlights a significant secret abuse that Johanna endured without adequate support or protection from her family. • A Dangerous Dad: Johanna's father is described as an alcoholic who became increasingly violent as she got older. There were instances where he would smash things, break into the house after being locked out, and Johanna would overhear him threatening to kill the entire family. The family would sometimes leave for short periods due to his violence, but were discouraged from permanently leaving by elders in the congregation. Ultimately, her father died by suicide using a homemade gun, and Johanna believed his plan involved killing the entire family as he had six bullets for six family members. This paints a picture of a dangerous father who created a volatile and fear-filled home environment. • A Shocking Marriage: Johanna got engaged at 15 or 16 and married at 17 to a 22-year-old fellow Jehovah's Witness. This occurred partly as an escape from her difficult home life, as her mother and stepfather did not want her there. The circumstances surrounding the engagement, where her mother suggested marriage as a solution to them being forbidden to talk, and the young age of Johanna, particularly within a non-Witness context, could be considered shocking. Johanna herself acknowledges her naivety about relationships due to her sheltered upbringing. • But Johanna is shunned by Jehovah's Witnesses. Today she shares her story for herself and for her son that was featured on a previous episode. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. The song that Johanna chose to represent her journey is Surface Pressure from Encanto. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
It's been almost 8 years, a whole lot of work, and here we are sitting at episode 200 of the Shunned Podcast. Episode 100 featured 100 things you need to know to heal from Jehovah's Witnesses, and this episode will feature a lot of ways that the cult may have impacted you that you never thought about. If you watch or listen to this episode, I'll be surprised if you don't walk away with something to think about, if not many things, for your own life. We're going to talk about how we relate to others as we navigate a post JW world but we'll also discuss how we relate to Jehovah's Witnesses. Then we're going to talk about our relationship with self, and drop a lot of points for consideration. After that we'll talk about the teachings and culture of Jehovah's Witnesses and some of the more directly related impacts of their beliefs. And some might enjoy a bonus episode of my views that are often a bit unconventional on things like Norway, the ExJW community as a whole, violence and Jehovah's Witnesses, and maybe a little interview of myself as well if they want. I'm a cult recovery coach with my own lived experience as one of Jehovah's Witnesses and I've worked with hundreds and hundreds of individuals since 2019, often working with roughly 6 individuals daily in hour long sessions, diving into people's lives, helping them to heal and move forward into a life that is reflective of who they are and who they want to be. I also have three podcasts, This JW Life which is my story told in such a way as to help others process their own. We translated that into Spanish to help in that community where it's known as Esta Vida Como Testigo De Jehovah. And This JW Life was also turned into a book called Becoming Jehovah, which is available to read for free online, links to everything mentioned here will be in the podcast or YouTube description. Today I'm the host of the Shunned Podcast where I help other people to tell their stories their way, which I've been doing since 2017 as one of the OG podcasters still out here doing their thing. My channels have been viewed, listened to, downloaded over 1.5 million times at this recording. I have also developed an ExJW cart to take out to do street activism, and last year I went out to do a one man audio protest at a regional convention. I've also been privileged to speak at the University of Louisville in a psychology class, at the inaugural When Rights and Religions Collide conference, and I've done online and in person speaking for the International Cultic Studies Association. Oh, and I created fun trivia quiz website that I've been able to get active Jehovah's Witnesses to interact with at JWTrivia.com that is in three languages and that introduces active Jws to new concepts if they take the simple quiz. I even ran a private Facebook group of ExJWs with a couple thousand members that was aimed at positivity and moving forward for a few years, and I've always been active in various Facebook groups and subreddits to try to offer a word of support or encouragement since I left Jehovah's Witneses in 2015. In fact, we're coming up on my 10th Shunniversary this September. So when you listen to what I'm about to break down, these are my observations and lessons that you can take away from my experience in this community. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Life for Chelynn didn't exactly get off to an auspicious start when her parents were marked as bad association in the congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses as they had her. While is is hard enough to grow up exposed to a cult, further losses only compounded the tough path that she would have to walk. Facing the loss of more than one man that she loved, and addiction to various substances beginning with meth in high school, Chelynn has had to fight for everything that she's had. Today she fights, not just for herself, but for her little boy as well. The prize? A happy life for herself, a loving environment for her little boy, and to give him things that she never had. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
It's hard enough growing up different than everyone else because your family is in the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses. Everyone wants to fit in, to belong, to feel seen and heard and validated. But what if you individually were singled out in the very isolated cult environment at the ripe age of 12 because of rumors started by children and carried out by adults? What if everyone labeled you as though you were demonized in some way over silly childhood games? What if you did the one thing that you thought you could do to get them to see you differently, and it didn't work? This is the story of Alex. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
One of the highest goals for a young person that is one of Jehovah's Witnesses is to go to the Bethel headquarters located in New York, to work as a volunteer, serving their cult full time. But every person that goes there has a life before they go there, a life there, and for most, a life after as well. KJ has taken the time to share his story, one that involves the depths of emotional despair, the harsh realities of the most revered place on earth for Jehovah's Witnesses, and how he came to realize that “we're all just drones, following along thoughtlessly, because we're afraid”. KJ is no longer a drone but has chosen to take flight in his own life, charting his own course, even though it has cost him dearly inside the life he once knew. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. The song that KJ chose to represent his journey is I Drink Wine by Adele You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
As a young teen, Maxwell had a unique opportunity to get into a Korean pre-group for need-greating locally as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Although that didn't ultimately pan out, self-described “ultra zealot” Maxwell was given yet another chance at just 17 years of age to start a Hindi group, which grew to over 30 individuals. Eventually he would learn Indian sign language and act as a need-greater over Zoom. But like so many, Maxwell knew that he ultimately couldn't be what the cult wanted him to be. When the time was right he would come out to a friend and later to his family, but this story doesn't end like you think it would. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. The song that Maxwell chose to represent his journey is Easy On Me by Adele You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
In this episode I, once one of Jehovah's Witnesses, interview Cass, a former Seventh Day Adventist. Both religions were born in the same time period, out of the same disappointments, and both are capable of creating tremendously negative impacts in the lives and families of their adherents. Growing up with an atheist parent that she knew would die at Armageddon caused great pain. As you listen, you will hear so many stories that resonate with former Jehovah's Witnesses. And in a particularly poignant moment, a young Cass is in a standoff with a young JW girl in school, both desperately trying to save the other from the same Armageddon, both upset that they can't make an impact for the other. Cass can be found online as an author at her website CLRowe.com We mentioned the allegory of the cave by Plato, which can be observed on YouTube by clicking HERE Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Much like in the movie The Truman Show, young Tara was living a lie. In the 8th grade, at the age of 13, Tara would be told something by one of Jehovah's Witnesses in her English class that would rock her world. Learning her family secret would open her mind to wondering what else might not be as true as portrayed, and it would take great strength to untangle things that she once held as true while at the same time trying to figure out who she was and what she wanted for herself. A strong person that learned at an early age to think for herself out of necessity, Tara has forged ahead in search for truth, leaving behind what she once called “The Truth”. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. The song that Tara chose to represent her journey is Damn It Feels Good To Be Me by Andy Grammer You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Treated terribly by those that were supposed to protect and love her, Sam looked to things like baptism and being “The Bible Girl” at school to escape into serving a god that she was also seeking love from. She tried desperately, even seeing herself as “Jephthah's daughter”, trying to dedicate herself to Jehovah, nearly meeting a similar fate. Ultimately the congregation would take away everything that she wanted and leave her searching for identity in a marriage that mirrored the rest of the abuse that she had suffered at the hands of others that claimed to love her as well. In a desperately haunting moment she faced the end of everything, not knowing that it would work out a new beginning for her, one that she has seized as she has fought for survival. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. The song that Sam chose to represent her journey is Horseshoe Crab by Slothrust. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Dino, a Shunned Podcast veteran, came up with an idea to reach out to convention locations for Jehovah's Witnesses to challenge their messaging that is featured, at times, even on the campuses of institutions that they condemn. You will learn who to contact and we're even including a downloadable sample letter/email that you can use directly. This is something that anyone can do from the comfort of their own home to get involved in activism. At a minimum this is an educational campaign, but it could have impact that creates real tangible change as well. You can find more activism options, and an email that you can literally copy and paste for this project, at the following link (this project is at the bottom of the page): https://exjwhelp.com/exjw-activism/ Dino's family was featured on episode 146 here: https://youtu.be/pY8uJ4WSjp4?si=y9_wg95oPJ_uWuGP Dino told his individual story on episode 90 here: https://youtu.be/ffa1yxXVaMU?si=pZeKE2qdnaHKMCxm Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Thank you to all of the wonderful people that donated this year for our “day” of giving. Because so much is received, it takes more than a day, but we were able to do the following in September and October 2024. An accounting is below, and mirrored in the video: Amount Raised – $1525 plus $10 for $1535, explained in video (Thank you soooo much to all of you that gave generously!) Accounting: $40 – Meal for Facebook group admin and pimo $105 – Pimo first birthday $40 – Tip at Mexican restaurant $200 – Bookkeeping marketing and business $500 – College scholarship $250 – Baby shower for ExJW couple $200 – First Christmas number one $200 – First Christmas number two Total – $1535 We paid for all fees incurred for the collection and distribution of all monies, so the amounts are full amounts. Professional one on one Cult Recovery Coaching services, helpful videos and articles, more information about ExJwHelp Day itself, and other resources can be found at: https://exjwhelp.com/ Find Bell's Bookkeeping at the following link: https://bellsbookkeeping.net/ Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Struggling with perfectionism, building a social network, codependency, or feeling like you're not enough? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a Cult Recovery Coach. I work with many ex-JWs, along with ex-other groups, and your average person that has never been in a cult that wants better things in their life. Find out more here: https://storyworkscoaching.com Please consider supporting the show's Patreon if you appreciate the time that goes into producing these stories at: https://patreon.com/shunned An ExJW podcast and an ExJW YouTube channel
Imagine feeling that you have to run away from your family, leaving them physically, so that you can hope to continue to have them in your life through the bond of a cult. For Jodi, this was a reality. She knew that if she stayed where she lived and with the person that she was falling in love with, a person that was not one of Jehovah's Witnesses, it could cost her relationship with her family. So she left. But high control groups don't always just let people leave, sometimes they reach 3000 miles away to send elders to try to bring you back. This Jodi's story, but also that of family members that can't speak for themselves, a life story involving tragedy, loss, and ultimate reclamation of life. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. The song that Jodi chose to represent her journey is Through Smoke by NEEDTOBREATHE You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Young Kenesha knew from the time that she was a teacher's pet in school that she wanted to be “the good one”. Growing up in a life that she hated as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Kenesha continued trying to be “the good one”, but somehow found herself in situations where she was being backed into corners by people seeking to punish her, both at home and in the cult. Over and over again she would find that even being the good one wasn't a protection in a world where nobody could never be good enough. Kenesha's website is https://keneshaantoine.com/ Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Today we meet Mikey, aka Mikey J Havoc on the comedy stage, a stage that is very new for him in his life as he explores his past as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. In this episode we explore that past together, from the “divided household” that he grew up in, to growing up having to mask not only the fact that he didn't believe, but also masking his autism while in the Kingdom Hall. Despite his obstacles he was able to go to college and get a degree, and now he's added comedy. And if you grew up JW, you won't believe the reason that his dad eventually left the Witnesses behind. Watch Mikey's first ever comedy set after taking just a very short bootcamp here: https://youtu.be/AhWPSRf06Ok?si=_Oh1Wl2G8xBIS0Dg Check out Mikey's artwork here: https://shunnedpodcast.com/188-an-autistic-bipolar-adhd-exjw-comedian-tells-his-story-shunned-by-jehovahs-witnesses/ Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. The song that Mikey chose to represent his journey is Get Better by Frank Turner You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
When Kelsi was a young girl growing up in the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses, her head was filled with fears of great tribulations and doomsday scenarios. As most faithful Jehovah's Witnesses would, her mom let her know that there would be no compromise, and that if push came to shove, she would choose her faith over her children. As she grew into her own person, Kelsi would realize that she would need the strength to to stand up for what she believed in, even if it wasn't the same as what she had been taught, and even if it resulted in shunning. This is Kelsi's story. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
After a life growing up in the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses, where she thought she was going to do something good but only found pain, Megan made changes. Today she may be shunned by a group that holds women down, but she has done something good with her life and wishes to inspire women to see the good that they can do too. Earlier this year she was recognized by Women's Magazine as one of 70 Women Entrepreneurs of the Year, as her company provides sustainable solutions and furnishings for people in need, turning surplus into support. Furniture Reuse Solutions Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. The song that Megan chose to represent her journey is Born For This by The Score. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
To participate by donating to the cause, you can donate here (I will personally match the first $200 dollar for dollar): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/shunnedrecovery You can also Venmo to @michael-shemwell-1 (last four digits of phone are 3279 if needed) To learn more about this day and how you can go out and participate on your own visit: https://exjwhelp.com/exjwhelpday/
Jason describes his life like a cult version of the Nickleback song Too Bad and the accompanying video. The house was a bad day away from being condemned. Home was a place where his parents hated each other. His dad had an affair, got disfellowshipped, and took off. Mom was working at a cafe. Jason had to go fend for himself, and eventually his 15 year old brother was shipped off to stay with him. This is Jason's story of waking up and leaving Jehovah's Witnesses and changing his life for himself and his own family today. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. The songs that Jason chose to represent his journey are Never Too Late by Three Days Grace, Awake and Alive by Skillet, Liberate by Disturbed, and Left Behind by Slipknot. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
It all started in 2017 when I first told my story as the podcast This JW Life, the podcast that kicked off everything that has happened since, including this channel. Now, years later, that podcast has been turned into the book Becoming Jehovah, a book that can be read online at https://becomingjehovah.com/ in both English and Spanish. In this episode I talk about how this came about, the work that went into it, and share my hopes that with its accessibility online it can be shared to people that might need to consume such helpful content, some that may even need to read it in secret. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. The song that Shayna chose to represent her journey is White Flag by Bishop Briggs This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Shayna was a person that stood up to bullies in school that were hurting other kids, but unfortunately the biggest bullies were the adults in charge of her care in life. A mother that left her with her alcoholic dad and that took the other kids when they split is just a small glimpse into what she was facing at home. But the later judicial committee discussing rape encapsulates why Jehovah's Witnesses simply shouldn't be allowed to exist. They should never have this much power. They should never be defined by any government as a charity. They are an abusive real estate corporation masquerading as a religion that truly destroys families and provides a narrative that buoys abusive individuals as well. This is truly one of the most egregious stories of abuse, and Shayna has had to be such a strong person to make it through. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. The song that Shayna chose to represent her journey is White Flag by Bishop Briggs This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Hali grew up in the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses, but also in what was thought to be a trap house. One of her first memories, at just 5 years of age, was a SWAT team breaking into her house, taking everyone out, and holding her father at gunpoint to arrest him. So she experienced the shame of being one of Jehovah's Witnesses and having to be different from other kids at school, but she suffered a double layer of shame because her father suffered from addiction. Being third generation and born into a cult that is essentially a trap house for shame, that pattern would only continue throughout her life until she one day realized that she didn't need to care what they thought anymore. She always felt like she wanted to go home but didn't know what that meant for her, and although she has faced shunning, today she has found home in the form of a person, her husband, and the life that they are creating together, a life without shame. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
I have created a website with a trivia quiz to help reach Jehovah's Witnesses online. The goal of the quiz is to get them sharing, talking, and above all, thinking. Through carefully crafted questions and answers, where even the wrong answer can introduce a person to something that they never knew, my hope is to help people have fun while learning about the very destructive thing that they are involved in. The website and quiz is available in English, Spanish, and Polish versions currently. It has been taken by people all over the world, and it was tested prior to release to make sure that at least some of those participants are active Jehovah's Witnesses. You can find and share the quiz as part of your own activism at: https://jwtrivia.com/ Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Struggling with perfectionism, building a social network, codependency, or feeling like you're not enough? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a Cult Recovery Coach. I work with many ex-JWs, along with ex-other groups, and your average person that has never been in a cult that wants better things in their life. Find out more here: https://storyworkscoaching.com I also have an ExJW specific site here: https://exjwhelp.com You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/ Please consider supporting the show's Patreon if you appreciate the time that goes into producing these stories, and get yourself some exclusive bonuses, at: https://www.patreon.com/shunned Show notes and information on how to be a guest or find other resources for the podcast can be found here: https://shunnedpodcast.com/episodes/ Music provide by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself An ExJW podcast and an ExJW YouTube channel
In the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses, appearance means everything. It is your credibility, your social status, even your standing before god in their congregations. So when Daisy had moments that mirrored the pain she felt inside that manifested in a way that could be seen outwardly, her mother took that very personally. In fact, time and time again throughout Daisy's story the need to look the part is put above the harsh realities of her daily experience. Eventually Daisy would have to find her way to freedom and real substance to leave the shallow and abusive environment of her past. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
I decided to go out this year to test some new ideas for activism and protest at conventions of Jehovah's Witnesses in Evansville Indiana. I wanted this to be a one man protest and planned to go alone. The goal was to give a voice to the voiceless, to create cognitive dissonance in people that wish to ignore actual truth in favor of “The Truth”, and to give them a chance to connect to the emotions of those on the outside. This was done by exposing them to real audio recordings from the Shunned Podcast here, featuring poignant moments from guests that I hope might resonate with someone there. Activism can take many forms, and this is my chosen form for the day in question. In this episode I discuss my takeaways from this protest, which took place in three parts over two weekends in Evansville. Everything from what I felt to what I saw, from how people reacted at the protest to how they reacted online (including in the YouTube comments), and I give tips on how you can do something similar if you wish. Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Struggling with perfectionism, building a social network, codependency, or feeling like you're not enough? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a Cult Recovery Coach. I work with many ex-JWs, along with ex-other groups, and your average person that has never been in a cult that wants better things in their life. Find out more here: https://storyworkscoaching.com I also have an ExJW specific site here: https://exjwhelp.com You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/ Please consider supporting the show's Patreon if you appreciate the time that goes into producing these stories, and get yourself some exclusive bonuses, at: https://www.patreon.com/shunned Show notes and information on how to be a guest or find other resources for the podcast can be found here: https://shunnedpodcast.com/episodes/ Music provide by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself An ExJW podcast and an ExJW YouTube channel If you're looking to buy the speaker that I used, here's a link to the Doss Traveler on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XKZCBYM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 If you'd be interested in any of the shirts that I wear on the podcast, they can be found here, and I do get a few bucks on each sale: https://shunnedpodcast.threadless.com/
When Felicity's father left when she was just eight years old, life took a sudden turn as her mother fell into the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses. Struggling with her own mental and emotional health, her mother is described as a wild animal, hurling objects and abuse at her young daughter. Concerned outsiders could see what was going on at times, but not Jehovah's Witnesses. In fact, young Felicity would walk to the Kingdom Hall and be passed by brothers and sisters in cars that refused to pick her up. She was even fostered for a time by an elder and his family, only to find them devoid of love as well. Ultimately Felicity would take a stand for herself and her children in an act of courage. This is her story. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Throughout Greg's life in the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses, he observed the hypocrisy and lack of love in the congregation. People were appointed to positions based on who they knew. They were dealt with judicially, with determinations of their fates being based on who they knew as well. Eventually Greg would have to leave his life as one of Jehovah's Witnesses behind to find himself. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Whether it is aligning people against you, telling you that you can't trust people on the outside, or trying to convince you that you're crazy, a person that is gaslighting you can wreak havoc on your relationships. When that person isn't just one person but an entire cult of Jehovah's Witnesses and it is everyone that you know, you don't stand a chance at having good relationships with others or yourself. This is the sixth in a series where I'll break down the ways that the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses is actively breaking individuals down, from what they do to why they do it to the real fruitage that it produces in those impacted by it. Learning what it looks like can help us to see remnants that may lie within ourselves, and perhaps even relationships that we may have kept or gravitated toward in our post-cult lives. Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
In this episode we meet Kyle and Kari, a brave couple that has been a support (along with others) to their community of religious disaffiliates as they have been awakened to the realities of their group in shocking ways. What group are we talking about? Meet the Two By Twos, at times referred to as “the no name church”, a group that doesn't necessarily have a specific designated name from within, but which has been given names primarily by the secular community. Much like Jehovah's Witnesses, they often refer to their doctrine as The Truth, and they also use similar terminology, such as the friends, the meetings, elders, overseers, worldly, conventions, and more. Sadly, just like Jehovah's Witnesses but more recent, they too have been devastated by allegations of child sex abuse that have come out of the darkness and into the light. This is the story of Kyle and Kari, and the group commonly known today as the 2x2s, the Two By Twos, and The Truth. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Gaslighting isn't just a one time event, it is a pattern expressed over time, and Jehovah's Witnesses use it with regularity in the cult. Love bombing, brainwashing, projecting what they're doing onto others, hypocrisy, etc. are all a part of the experience. This is the fifth in a series where I'll break down the ways that the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses is actively breaking individuals down, from what they do to why they do it to the real fruitage that it produces in those impacted by it. Learning what it looks like can help us to see remnants that may lie within ourselves, and perhaps even relationships that we may have kept or gravitated toward in our post-cult lives. Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Catherine wasn't born into the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses. There was a lot of abuse and bullying that went on in her home, both parental and from her siblings. Her family was lacking love, and one day she thought that she found it when she met a young man. That young man ended up bringing her to Jehovah's Witnesses, and she took to what she thought was “The Truth”. Eventually she would realize that both her husband and the Witnesses around her, including a sister that became her best friend, were narcissistic. Throughout her journey with them, she would look for love from emotionally unavailable people, mirroring her upbringing, only to eventually find a relationship through her ministry work that led her to realize that she was the one that needed help. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. The song that Catherine chose to represent her journey is Home by Three Days Grace. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Lying is integral to gaslighting, pushing the false realities that create confusion and lead to controlling behaviors. “The Truth”, as Jehovah's Witnesses refer to their religious cult, is full of lies. The organization conveniently bends truth to create narratives to support and excuse their own behavior. The constant pressure to conform creates situations that lead to inauthenticity among members. Ultimately lies are a huge part of “The Truth”, as upholding the cult's narrative is much more important than searching for actual truth. This is the fourth in a series where I'll break down the ways that the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses is actively breaking individuals down, from what they do to why they do it to the real fruitage that it produces in those impacted by it. Learning what it looks like can help us to see remnants that may lie within ourselves, and perhaps even relationships that we may have kept or gravitated toward in our post-cult lives. Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Waking up to the realities of life in the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses is hard enough to do even in the best of circumstances. But what if you were an active JW, and what if you were fighting another active JW for custody of your child? And what if, in doing so, your eyes were opened to the reality of everything that you were involved in through the behavior of others? What if, as lawyers asked you questions on the stand, it all started to fall apart? Darrin's story is both incredibly unique, with so many twists and turns that you won't see coming, but also so familiar to many that have fought for custody of their children within the cult. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
One hallmark of gaslighting is using what is near and dear to a person as ammunition against them. Jehovah's Witnesses weaponize their relationships with you, your normal and natural desires, the expression of those desire, and more. They use shame to make you feel like a bad person for daring to want something outside of the approved list of personal expressions. A person that is beaten down and that has given up on what they want in life is easier to control. Often people lose their ability to form an identity apart from the group. This is the third in a series where I'll break down the ways that the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses is actively breaking individuals down, from what they do to why they do it to the real fruitage that it produces in those impacted by it. Learning what it looks like can help us to see remnants that may lie within ourselves, and perhaps even relationships that we may have kept or gravitated toward in our post-cult lives. Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Life happens, both for the better and for the worse. Being a kid is hard, especially as it relates to school. Families fight. Relationships come and go. Individuals have their own internal struggles. There are amazing people in this world that seek to uplift others, and also people that prey on others and hope to take them down. Cherie's story highlights how these normal life events happen, but no matter how bad life can be, Jehovah's Witnesses can always add stress and drama to the situation that wouldn't have been there otherwise. In the end, Cherie had to choose herself in order to protect her own peace. The song that Cherie chose to represent her story is Not Ready To Make Nice by The Chicks. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
One hallmark of gaslighting is the denial of what happened, even in the face of proof. Jehovah's Witnesses are masters of spin, from the organization itself to the individual members of the cult. When you hold something dear and you call it “The Truth”, you need it to be true no matter the cost. Whether it is the denial of their systematic shunning policies, their failed predictions of the end of the world, their denial of the Australian Royal Commission inquiry into child sex abuse and Jehovah's Witnesses, or any number of things, what happened didn't really happen if you ask members of the cult. It is easy to claim truth if you deny any challengers to it, and it is easy to feel alone or crazy when you see things that don't add up and everyone around you acts like you didn't see what you saw. The denial can cause a person to question their own reality, thus making them more pliable in the face of such control. This is the second in a series where I'll break down the ways that the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses is actively breaking individuals down, from what they do to why they do it to the real fruitage that it produces in those impacted by it. Learning what it looks like can help us to see remnants that may lie within ourselves, and perhaps even relationships that we may have kept or gravitated toward in our post-cult lives. Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Jess grew up between two worlds, the one at her father's house and the one at her mother's. Both involved abuse and created much trauma for her, and as a child she would have to choose which home to stay at. That often meant staying at one home until she could no longer tolerate it, and then moving to the next. Add in bullying at school, by other family members, and the destructive cult of Jehovah's Witnesses, and Jess had to be stronger than she could ever realize to make it through. Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
On March 15, 2024, Mark Sanderson of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses gave an update to his cult followers. This comes on the heels of a country like Norway taking the cult to task for their shunning policies, something that most Jehovah's Witnesses likely won't even know happened, and a court case that the JWs lost. As a result, funding was cut for their religion. This announcement of theirs was a lot of deflecting and obfuscating to make it look like they don't really shun individuals. They're just trying to help. They are the real victims of shunning, after all, not the people that they shun. However, some exciting things came out of this video, like the ability to say a quick greeting to a shunned person if they come back into their house of worship, the ability for grown women to decide if they want to wear pants or not, and grown men to decide if they want to wear a tie and jacket. When a man that has millions and millions of people hanging on his every word speaks, someone has to acknowledge what was really said, and I say the quiet parts out loud for him. Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Struggling with perfectionism, building a social network, codependency, or feeling like you're not enough? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a Cult Recovery Coach. I work with many ex-JWs, along with ex-other groups, and your average person that has never been in a cult that wants better things in their life. Find out more here: https://storyworkscoaching.com I also have an ExJW specific site here: https://exjwhelp.com Please consider supporting the show's Patreon if you appreciate the time, effort, and money that goes into producing these stories at: https://www.patreon.com/shunned You can also join The Uprising Project and get help to grow in your career or small business with a private Facebook group, monthly group coaching call, resources, advertising opportunities, and more at: https://www.patreon.com/shunned Show notes and information on how to be a guest or find other resources for the podcast can be found here: https://shunnedpodcast.com/episodes/ Music provide by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself An ExJW podcast and an ExJW YouTube channel #exjw #jehovahswitnesses #cult
Young Jacob was diagnosed with cancer at just 5 years of age and suddenly found himself in different environments that garnered attention. However, as he would move on throughout his life, Jacob would find himself on the outside looking in, trying to be good enough to qualify to do the things that he saw other Jehovah's Witnesses doing around him. Jacob discusses these matters, living with autism in the congregation, and how he came to realize that he was raised in a cult. The paper that Jacob wrote about the BITE model and Jehovah's Witnesses can be found at: https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/bwi43n/jehovahs_witnesses_religious_cult/?share_id=X6gItqQ6FhpLimP6ExXvf&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1 The song that Jacob chose to represent his story is Vindicated by Dashboard Confessional. Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can apply to be included in The Uprising Project, where we will be working to lift the ExJW community financially by bringing new opportunities to it, and get more information at: https://exjwhelp.com/the-uprising-project/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Through gaslighting, one person or one group of people can become the reality check for an individual, whether that person wanted that reality check or not. A person is systematically broken down, detaching from themselves and attaching to the one doing the gaslighting. Cults often employ gaslighting to get oneness of mind, unity, sameness. Jehovah's Witnesses don't just tell you what to think and how you should feel, they also demonize what YOU actually think and how YOU actually feel. Your thoughts and feelings are gradually replaced with theirs, as you start to doubt yourself and look to them to tell you if you're right or wrong in what you think, feel, and how you want to behave in this world. This is the first in a series where I'll break down the ways that the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses is actively breaking individuals down, from what they do to why they do it to the real fruitage that it produces in those impacted by it. Learning what it looks like can help us to see remnants that may lie within ourselves, and perhaps even relationships that we may have kept or gravitated toward in our post-cult lives. Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can apply to be included in The Uprising Project, where we will be working to lift the ExJW community financially by bringing new opportunities to it, and get more information at: https://exjwhelp.com/the-uprising-project/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Getting baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses is a forever contract with a cult. In Justin's case, that decision to get dunked in a pool of water was made as a young man, a young man that knew he was gay. Because of that, ultimately he would never be able to be what they wanted him to be. He realized that if he were ever to be disfellowshipped from the cult because he was now an official member and they see being gay as a gross sin, he could now lose contact with his mother, the person that he cared about more than anything. The song that Justin chose to represent his journey is Brand New Me by Alicia Keys. Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can apply to be included in The Uprising Project, where we will be working to lift the ExJW community financially by bringing new opportunities to it, and get more information at: https://exjwhelp.com/the-uprising-project/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
The Covid-19 pandemic brought a lot of change to the world. Many started to wear masks for protection. But for many Jehovah's Witnesses, their facial freedom was about to be granted as a result of something that is seemingly totally unrelated. Will these bearded brothers continue to grow their beards bred in captivity, or will they eventually become the free range beards that we all wish for them? Only time will tell, but this pandemic left its mark on the formerly fresh faces of these men. Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can apply to be included in The Uprising Project, where we will be working to lift the ExJW community financially by bringing new opportunities to it, and get more information at: https://exjwhelp.com/the-uprising-project/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Finding a way out of a cult is one of the hardest things that a human can do. To find one's own way free, to take a stand against everything you've ever known while knowing that it will cost you dearly, is hard. For many it costs them their entire family, and in this episode I talk with a couple that made it out together. That comes with its own unique challenges, and Natasha and Ben were open in discussing their struggles and victories along this path. Under the cover of Zoom meetings held during the height of Covid, Ben saw a path out of the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses. Listen to find out what that path was and how both of them found their way to freedom. The song that Natasha chose to represent her journey is New Beginnings by Moonlight Scorpio, Equanimous, and Nyrus. The song that Ben chose to represent his journey is Anthem Part 2 by Blink 182. Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can apply to be included in The Uprising Project, where we will be working to lift the ExJW community financially by bringing new opportunities to it, and get more information at: https://exjwhelp.com/the-uprising-project/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Many people don't realize that Jehovah's Witnesses were among the many that were persecuted and brutally murdered by the German Nazi Party. Growing up, this was put to me as both a source of unusual pride but was also used to instill fear in me that someday this would likely happen again… to us, because it was always about us. We were told many JW centered stories about the event, and although I always knew intellectually that it was primarily the Jewish people that were targeted, it always felt like the event was really focused on us as Jehovah's Witnesses. A trip in 2023 to St. Louis, and a spontaneous visit to the Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum that we didn't know existed until we were there, sparked a lot of feelings about that event and the portrayal of it by the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses. This is my personal experience. Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can apply to be included in The Uprising Project, where we will be working to lift the ExJW community financially by bringing new opportunities to it, and get more information at: https://exjwhelp.com/the-uprising-project/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself. An ExJw podcast
Tana was raised in a home where her parents weren't on the same page. Her mother, a devout participant in the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses, raised her to follow that path. Her father, a racist man that struggled with alcohol and rode bikes, clearly had other views of life. These differences caused her tremendous problems growing up, but when a blood transfusion was needed for a 15 year old and disfellowshipped Tana after a horrific accident, it was Tana's father that came in to save the day. The song that Tana chose to represent her journey is Closer by Goapele. Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can apply to be included in The Uprising Project, where we will be working to lift the ex-JW community financially by bringing new opportunities to it, and get more information at: https://exjwhelp.com/the-uprising-project/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Behold the tale of the Smurf doll and the Kingdom Hall. A legend told by adult Jehovah's Witnesses that made it across the United States and to other continents as well. Learn about this legend, and share your own stories of demons and fear promoted by the cult below in the comments. Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can apply to be included in The Uprising Project, where we will be working to lift the ex-JW community financially by bringing new opportunities to it, and get more information at: https://exjwhelp.com/the-uprising-project/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
When Caressa's 18 year old sister started dating a “brother” from another congregation that was 37, an elder close to the family said that he didn't like the guy and that he was bad news and that they shouldn't be dating. No details were given, but it was foreboding. For the next few years Caressa, just 8 years of age, would face the abuse of that man. In time her story would come out, but unfortunately it would fall on deaf ears in the congregation, despite taking it to the police. A full decade later that “brother” in the congregation, still in good standing, would harm more innocent children and the congregation would disfellowship him. Who knows how many people he may have hurt in all of that time. For Caressa, this life of abuse and manipulation from her family, the cult, and this predator, left her no safe space. At the age of 17 she would ghost her family in search of safety, and a life of her own. This is her story. The song that Caressa chose to represent her story is Redemption Song by Bob Marley Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com You can apply to be included in The Uprising Project, where we will be working to lift the ex-JW community financially by bringing new opportunities to it, and get more information at: https://exjwhelp.com/the-uprising-project/ Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
The Uprising Project is a new initiative in the community of former Jehovah's Witnesses to help these individuals with opportunities to find financial footing in a world that they were isolated from. According to one study by Pew Research of various religions and their incomes, Jehovah's Witnesses had the lowest percentage of six figure household incomes at just 4%, while having the second highest percentage of household incomes below $30,000 per year at 48%*. As a cult that promotes financial control by discouraging the pursuit of education, demonizing networking with anyone that is not of the same faith, and encouraging a lifestyle of devoting as much time to their religious pursuits as possible, it is no wonder that the group would struggle financially. Add to all of that the psychological warfare of abuse that leaves many feeling like they have no intrinsic value as an individual, and the subsequent extreme shunning for those that leave the group, and many continue to struggle after leaving. Financial stability is the basic ability to survive, and people need to survive before they can truly ever heal and have a possibility to thrive. The Uprising Project seeks to bring resources into the community to help individuals rise from the effects of prior abuses. Applications for inclusion in this project can be found at: https://exjwhelp.com/the-uprising-project/ The Rights and Religions Forum, and the Fellowship mentioned in the episode, can be found at: https://rarforum.org/fellows/ *https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2016/10/11/how-income-varies-among-u-s-religious-groups/ Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Natasha grew up in Belgium and found herself in a world of abuse at home. Others, noticing the outward countenance as a result of that abuse, referred to her as “the little girl without a smile”. Being raised in the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses, she would be pushed into baptism at 17 years of age under false pretenses. As a result, just 6 months after being baptized, Natasha disassociated and left the cult behind, resulting in her shunning. Although the adults around her couldn't see what was really going on, a little girl named Yvette saw Natasha for who she really was and provided a safe space for her to be herself. The song that Natasha chose to represent her story is What's Up by the 4 Non Blondes. Support today's guest by leaving her a comment HERE Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let's talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah's Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
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