#ex jehovah's witness

[waywardlampcookieturkey]

I REMEMBER WHEN THAT MUSIC VIDEO CAME OUT!!!!! it was fucking insane, it came out during an assembly and a lot of people were crying by the end of it and I remember thinking "well, this seems fucked up somehow but I'm 13 AND this has been my life since I was born so I'm not really sure HOW it is fucked up" man, what a fucking ride that was.

Also, they're this video that still haunts me to this day of Caleb and Sophia's family (basically there's this whole animation series they made of this made-up family of jw (a man a woman an eldest daughter and a younger son, ofc) to make short videos teaching different things) where Sophia (the daughter) comes home and tells her mother they were drawing their families at school and how one of her classmates drew two moms. And the mother proceeds to explain to her that well, it's not wrong as in Straight Up Evil, but you have to remember that god asks things of us in exchange for being allowed in paradise. Then she compares being gay to carrying a bag (the gay is in the bag) and being stopped at TSA (entry to paradise) and having to drop the bag to be able to enter, like you would at an airport (that's not how luggage works at an airport??? But okay????). And THEN they end the animation by the mother asking "so what are you going to tell your classmates tomorrow?" LEAVE HER ALONE?????? YOU'RE JUST GOING TO ACHOST A POOR GIRL TO TALK TO HER ABOUT HOW HER MOMMS NEED TO STOP BEING TOGETHER SO YOU CAN LIVE IN PARADISE???? THEY WERE TEENS. Insane

i don’t know why i only recently realized that most kids didn’t grow up with the anxiety of thinking that at some point in the near future they’d have to hide in their basement or attic because the government would hunt them down because their religion would be banned due to ‘gods plan’.

most kids didn’t have to feel guilt at wanting that day to never come even though god said it would happen because they were scared. most kids didn’t have to see real footage of peoples homes being invaded by police in countries were their religion was banned.

most kids never watched a dramatization imade by their religion where in the end police found the basement full of people were it was implied that you better be ready for that to happen to you because there’s a high chance it will.

most kids never watched a music video made by their religion where they were in an open field and police members rushed towards them guns drawn with the implied you better have the courage to be able to face that in the future because it very well could.

most kids don’t have this fear that runs so deep in me because their religion never did that. and hell, maybe it fucking did i don’t know anything about what other kids childhoods were like. but that was my childhood. this is my life.

having nightmares about my house being raided by police and being held at gunpoint.

being terrified of police men or swat members because my only exposure growing up was how in the future they’d hunt us down.

still wondering if i would be able to survive time in prison because growing up we were told we should be ready to serve if it means keeping our faith

this shouldn’t be my normal. but it is. and i fucking hate the watchtower for making it so.

fuck the governing body, fuck all those videos they made for their convention. fuck being raised a jehovah's witness. i fucking hate it

[the-rad1o-demon]

[Image ID (sorta, basically just the text from it):

GET KOSA TRENDING.

STOP SCROLLING NOW!

AS OF FEBRUARY 21ST, 2024, WE GOT FIVE DAYS UNTIL THE DAY OF DECISION OF THE KOSA BILL, WHICH WILL CAUSE MASS CENSORSHIP ROUND THE INTERNET IF PASSED. OR DOOMSDAY. WE NEED EVERYONE TO KNOW ABOUT THIS AND CONTRIBUTE. I'M NOT GIVING UP ON YOU ALL.

WE'RE DOWN TO THE WIRE BUT WE CAN'T GIVE UP YET. IF WE GIVE UP, EVERYTHING IS OVER. IF WE DON'T, AT LEAST WE HAVE A CHANCE.

I'M THE ONE WHO SOUNDED THE ALARM, AND I'M NOT GOING TO CURL UP AND DIE YET.

Reblog this post in every LEGAL way you can under the Tumblr guidelines with the appropriate tags. TELL AND TAG EVERYONE YOU KNOW, then add the tags to see below... and more if you can think of any complying.

Visit badinternetbills.com if you want to find a way to defeat KOSA. It WILL NOT take much of your time. Reblog with any other information or sources, too-- but make sure to reblog if you can.

Reblog if you support lgbtq+ content.

Reblog if you support questioning queer youth and/or abused youth getting the information they need.

Reblog if you support Ao3 and/or other sites that wholeheartedly preserve talentedly made media.

Reblog if you're going to repost this on other sites than Tumblr and spread the word across Twitter, Tik Tok, Pinterest, or elsewhere, alongside the link to badinternetbills.com.

END image ID]

Hey, everyone. So yeah, this is happening. We're still fighting this battle. And we can't give up now. We can't. We can't stand idly by while one of the most important resources that helped us all wake up, or at least start to question things, is being threatened by the government.

We can't stand idly by when kids, teens, and adults just like us still trapped inside might lose access to the resource that could help them wake up. We can't stand idly by when they might lose access to their non JW friends and family. We CAN'T stand idly by when we can do something to stop this bill from passing.

I am sick and tired of this same old song, where conservative fuckers higher up think they can oppress everyone. I am FUCKING SICK of it.

Please, reblog both this post and the original post linked above what I've written, and do what you can to stop KOSA, please. We are running out of time.

I suggest that if it is within your power to do so, that you do more than simply reblog and assume someone else will do something. DON'T assume that. Please do more than just reblogging if you are able to, because that's not really enough at this point.

Call/email representatives in the House and tell them to oppose KOSA (you may want to list different reasons depending on who you're calling, some House representatives are anti-LGBTQ+, so it may be best to tell them to oppose because it violates people's privacy, safety, and anonymity online). Print posters and put them up where legal if you can.

Sharing all this information to other social media sites (Instagram, Reddit, TikTok, the bird app) to reach more people can really help too. The wider the reach, the better.

Thank you. Now let's fucking rip that bill apart like we rip apart Watchtower magazines and eat it for fucking breakfast. (In a "we're eating it and the politicians who are sponsoring it are looking on in horror" kind of way)

[apostateoverrubies]

It's funny how certain religious people act like accepting LGBTQ rights will lead to paedophilia being normalized when they've already let that shit slide for centuries.

Then again, what else do you expect from people who value religion over the rights of children?

Don't let them trick you into thinking they care.

[waywardlampcookieturkey]

I know they look and sound nice but they are SO manipulative, it's fucking crazy. And they have getting so much worse these last few years, I'm actually glad I got out when I did. And I'm so sorry to everyone who's still in today

seeing people who have never been a jw/have very surface level experience inside the cult say it ISNT abusive is so disheartening. listening to actual survivors of an abusive situation should always come first.

-♦️

[wisteria-grows-here]

[dailytransitiongoal]

transition goal <3

[macrotiis]

Growing up as an ex jehovahs witness is so wild, like you think it's just an ordinary religion, a bit overly dedicated but otherwise standard fundamentalist Christianity.

You start to question & you start to realise they are really anti-education as part of their belief system bc they believe the end is coming. Instead, they encourage people to take up trade jobs.

"We won't need lawyers or doctors in the new system" they will say as their reasoning, because they believe after Armageddon, Jehovah God will reign supreme as law of the land & everyone will be immortal on earth with no illness.

But what you don't know is that the organisation that runs the religion is a real estate company with billions in assets.

They regularly buy up land & send in JWs to do what's called a "quick build" where together the whole congregation will build a "kingdom hall" (church) over one weekend. They don't need to hire any builders bc they already insentivise everyone to be builders by occupation. They will move congregations around & sell off old kingdom halls for a profit.

It's basically just a rly stupidly elaborate way for some old cunts in NewYork to make money off of free labour.

Anyway, this is why I'm a marxist now.

[wetsocksinbed]

dropping some lore for my followers, but here’s a list of things that the doomsday cult I was raised in banned and forbade:

• Celebrating your birthday. I’m 24 next month and it’ll be my first birthday

• Celebrate Christmas, Halloween and Easter. All stem from pagan beliefs (yes including Christmas), which is “satanic”

• Do afterschool activities like joining a sports team or a club. You risk being “influenced by the world” and may be “tricked into joining Satan’s world”

• Have friends that weren’t part of the religion. We could play with kids at school but god forbid we asked mum and dad if those kids could come over to play. See above for reason why.

• Have sex before marriage. Even kissing someone on the lips is seen as taboo.

• Be anything other than Straight. You’re obviously mentally ill, you’re confused, it’s just a phase, it’s Satans World

• Seek higher education after high school. This is considered viewing yourself as better than others. Also you might “be influenced by satans world” and “commit immoral acts” if you’re around people who aren’t part of your religion. Instead you’re pushed to become a missionary and preach in places “where the need is great” aka poor and impoverished places

• Own anything expensive. You clearly think you’re better than everyone else

• Like a band/singer/actor and own posters of them. This is considered idolatry.

• Get tattoos or piercings. One lobe piercing one each ear was acceptable though.

• Dye your hair a colour that wasn’t brown, black or blonde. You’re being influenced by the world.

• Wear trousers/pants to church. Only men are allowed that. Women must wear a dress or skirt.

• Have a role in the church. Only men can give talks/sermons or “shepherd the flock”

• Wear a head covering if you say a prayer in a room with a man who is in the church. You must show submission to him in front of god

• Never get divorced. If you do, then you’re forbidden from marrying again

• Have any opinions that differ from the general belief of the church. If you don’t believe humanity started 6000 years ago in Eden, you’re essentially a heretic.

[exjw-safeplace]

Exjw's what are some songs that you love that helps or you relate to?

I will open this question up honestly to literally any excult member or anyone with religious trauma. I'm genuinely curious what kind of songs everyone has found.

[brokenmovie1992]

Some kid: you should come over to my house for a playdate

Me: can't. Not allowed

Kid: why not?

Me: shit... how do I explain "bad associations spoil useful habits" without sounding like an asshole? This kid is nice as hell and we really get along. He doesn't deserve being told something like that. He can't help not being born into my religion. I could invite him to a bible study but he probably wouldn't want to... and deep down I really dont want to subject him to that either. I wonder if maybe later in life he'll become a witness just by coincidence. Like when hes a grown up and someone at work tells him about it, or comes to his door. I really hope so. I dont want him to die at armageddon.

Me: I'm uh. Grounded. Forever

[sky-daddy-hates-me]

How delusional do you have to be to think that the religion that has forcibly invaded and converted multiple countries throughout the centuries has preserved languages and cultures.

Old norse was only converted to the Latin alphabet because of Christianity, almost destroying the runic alphabet.

Christians forced indigenous children in North America and Canada to attend schools that stripped them of their culture and abuse them into Christianity. There are still Christian organisations who are dedicated to preaching to the native tribes on the North American continent.

How many mythological/folklore/fairytale figures have been diluted down to make it more christian friendly? How many have been demonised because they went against christian values?

How many historical artifacts or culturally significant items have been stolen or destroyed because of Christianity?

It genuinely breaks my heart to think of all the pain and suffering and death Christianity has caused to numerous countries, and the historical knowledge we might have lost in the process.

[lavendersamoyedss]

in you, i exist in every crack.

[the-rad1o-demon]

Please do what you can to stop this bill from being passed, and please share this message where you can. It's going to be very bad for pretty much everyone on the Internet if this bill is passed. If you're skeptical: There are resources online with more information about the KOSA bill, including articles written by lawmakers explaining why this bill is a terrible idea. There is even a TechDirt article written by Mike Masnick titled "Marsha Blackburn Makes It Clear: KOSA Is Designed To Silence Trans People" where they write of and post a video in which Senator Marsha Blackburn (who co-wrote the bill) explicitly stated that this bill would be used to target the trans community. So please share this in your stories, with your family and friends, and call your Senators to tell them not to sign this bill. And if you know anyone in Massachusetts, tell them to call Senator Warren to ask her to withdraw her support of the bill. Thank you for your time and consideration.

EDIT - UPDATE:

Please read the post I linked below, it pertains to the status of the KOSA bill. Things are not looking good right now.

UPDATE #2:

Please look at this post!

[apostateoverrubies]

Children don't need religion to develop good morals. I'd argue that certain religions get in the way of that because they encourage you to do things because a deity approves and it will lead to you having a good afterlife or whatever. And I don't know about you but I find that to be self-serving.

Not to mention, the fact that religion can advocate for immoral things.

Let's just teach children to be good just because.

[fag4spyders]

Hello! I've been studying with the Jehovahs Witnesses in my town for almost half a year now, I go to the kingdom Hall, and they're all very pleasant people. I feel that the fact that I've chosen this rather than being raised in it makes it seem a whole lot better for me in my opinion. Can any ex witnesses tell me stories about why you left the church, or things like that? I just wanna know what I'm really getting into. They're very supportive of all gender identities and sexual orientations which definitely surprised me, but maybe the congregation here is just nicer than most