Fear of End Times: Ex-Jehovah's Witness Confessions ft. @altworldly

How to survive the Armageddon. Jake, @altworldly a 4th generation (ex) Jehovah's Witness talks about his childhood, growing up with the fear of annihilation, disfellowship, and what he's doing now to help and advise the community of those who have left the JW church.

Make sure to go to his channel to watch another video collaboration we did on how Jehovah's Witnesses are similar to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Find Jake on Social Media
YouTube: @altworldly

Twitter: @AltWorldly

TikTok: @altworlder

Patreon: Alt Worldly

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Theme Song Produced and Composed by Christian Guevara

**Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.**

[atherisGAY]

I have never been a JW or a mormon, but my family grew up in a "one person cult" having been raised by a narcissistic sociopathic father, and it's surprising how many parallels I notice, regarding brainwashing and thought stopping techniques. 😖 I am glad you guys are out and talking about your experience. I find them very enlightening and helpful for my own self reflection. My heart goes out to all of you, escaping and healing. ♥️

[priscillajenkins]

I was born and raised 2nd generation JW, escaped when I was 18. I’m 37 now and still dealing with mental recovery of the brain washing that has affected me my entire life. To this day I have a hard time with regular life because I was not raised to live in “this world”. I have not recovered yet. My entire family shunned me and labeled me the black sheep when I left at 18, and I didn’t even follow through with being baptized. In my congregation, they would somewhat overlook the egregious error of you leaving if you were not baptized. If you were baptized, you were fully fledged in and I was the only one in my family not baptized. I’ll never forget the day. I lost my entire family because I chose not to be brainwashed anymore. I’ve recovered my sister, our relationship has bloomed. But she has been disfellowshipped, I helped her leave her husband that beat her. The church took his side. My father died, my mother and I have a very strange strained relationship. My brother continues to be in the faith and we barely talk. It’s a mess. I’m a mess. But I’m free of it physically. I now live my own life and make my own decisions, and I’m no longer chained to answering to men who have no business in my personal life. Sadly, this experience has ruined whatever relationship or belief I had in a God and I don’t buy into it after being lied to for the first 18 years of my life. I did a lot of research on a lot of religions, and I now believe that we all have the same core morals and values, and everyone is right, we just tell the story a little differently. I do believe in a higher power, but I do not believe in labels, genders or names.

[deborahklinlger]

Being a JW ruined my childhood.
We called our churches a Kimgdom Hall.
I lived in a bubble of fear.

[Trillora]

My mother-in-law has told me, on two different occasions, that she didn't expect her kids to reach adulthood, because she and my father-in-law were in a Christian group in the 70s-80s that was teaching that the End Times were just around the corner.... So of course they didn't worry about saving for retirement....and of course, she didn't expect to have to raise her 6 kids to adulthood because they were all going be taken straight to Heaven while her kids were still children. This aspect of "teachings" from various Christian etc. groups is MONUMENTALLY harmful to people. I'm glad you guys talked about it!! Thank you 💖

[daniboileau]

“I don’t want to serve a god like that”
That is exactly what I’ve told myself anytime things got scary. Thanks for the video. ❤

[rrruby]

A childhood friend of mine died at a young age because blood transfusion was not allowed. at that time we werent friends anymore (no specific reasons), but I still found it shocking and it made me dive into this subject more because I wanted to understand how that could happen... you know... parents letting their children die for a beflief system. And yeah, I kinda blame then.

[jennadarby]

I have made it clear to the local KH where I now live in a different state than I was raosed that if they set foot on my property again they will be reported to the police for tresoand harrassment and I've even filled out Google reviews on the local KH. Its a very powerful and corrupt organization that should be reocognized as the cult that it is. There are many well meaning good people brainwashed and indoctrinated into being controlled.
And they target vulnerable society members in an organized way...they will even train members to speak different languages and then go after those people in the community who are new immigrants bc they know they will geel lonely and how nice it is to find ppl who speak their languages. My Mom learned sign language through the KH for exactly that reason...to recruit a deaf woman! They go after lonely, greiving, elderly and disabled people as well. It's disgusting. And
some of the beliefs they have...would blow your mind. It's amazimg how similar our experiences as ex witnesses are.

[matrixnavigator]

Jake, Don't give up on college! I decided to go at 40 and it's one of the best things I've done!

[bradleygrant]

Thank you for sharing your perspective on receiving blood products. I have worked with Hospital Liaison Committees and it was nice to hear your perspective and experience. Unfortunately, I've also watched patients pass due to refusal of blood products.

In a weird irony, a lot of the best data in transfusion medicine is from studying Jehovah's Witnesses. Denying products to test safe thresholds would be unethical but because a population self restricts, we have studied to find thresholds that we use for all patients in the hospital. Transfusions always carry some risk and being better able to identify a safe target is beneficial for everyone.

[litehold]

I was dragged into JW's as a 7 year old child by my best friend's mom. It's a bait and switch con. First they entice you with all of the images and stories of paradise on earth. Then they switch to terror of Armageddon and everything you have to do to try to make sure God will save you. My best friend was always told she would live in paradise, while her mom showed me scriptures about the blood and urine being up to the horse's bridles at Armageddon because of the blood from slaughter and people peeing out of fear. She never showed her own daughter those scriptures.

Finally I had an emotional break down at age 11 when I realized there was no way to survive Armageddon with the massive rules JW's wanted me to follow as an 11 year old whose parents weren't in the religion. I remember that I was at my best friend's house, and my friend's mom was telling my mom that only people with a "good heart condition" would survive Armageddon. In that moment, it was the same as if armed robbers had broken into the house and held a gun to my head. My arms and legs went numb and a dark depression hit me and didn't leave until after I finally started to get out in my late teens/early 20's. My friend's mom had told me she expected me to confront my parents and demand that I go to every meeting at the Kingdom Hall at age 10, just like Jesus went where he wanted at the Jubilee regardless of his parents' opinions when he was 12. Eventually my mom joined, but in order to make sure she wasn't "stumbled" I couldn't tell her anything about my terror and distress or she would die at Armageddon and not become a JW.

The religion terrorizes children in particular, with images of puppies and babies falling into chasms during Armageddon because "When you find a nest of poisonous snakes you kill the babies as well as the parents" according to JW's. It's sick, they destroyed my childhood and I wish I could sue that evil organization for what they did to me when I had no say in it.

[deeccummings]

This was a fantastic conversation between 2 people who obviously have a lot of compassion both for people still in high-control religions as well as those (like themselves) who have left those worlds behind.

[mama_abudance]

My only uncle has always been absentee from our family and I’ve always tried to figure out why. A few years ago my mom told me that he is a JW and now that I’m learning more about the religion it’s all starting to make sense. Thanks for these videos ❤

[lauramoss]

Studying JWs (as a cult), helped me get out of mormonism! If you haven't already read them, I highly recommend two personal account books by women ex-Witnesses that I found to be super interesting: Leaving the Witness by Amber Scorah, and Shunned by Linda A. Curtis.

[fnbqeft]

Shelise, you are an awesome interviewer! You engage with the guest, actively listen, validate their feelings and ask them to expand on their logic and emotions. Great job!

[mambisa]

Extreme readings of religions and high-control cults are only going to become more common as the economy and environment get worse. This work is so important, thank you both.

[ruthhughes]

My childhood friends were JW's and they constantly lied and still do. I asked another former JW why this is and he told me because the elders and WatchTower writers are always changing the narrative of belief. This to me made so much sense! Of course they lie...because their religious leaders lie. It doesn't make it any easier to have a relationship with them but it finally made sense as to why they couldn't help but tell falsehoods~

[aquariusfriar]

I didn't plan for my future because my grandmother convinced me the world would end before I grew up. Now I'm poor AF.

[sanditubia]

I'm reminded of a pastor I had, whose favorite line was "Touch not God's Annointed ". Which was basically a warning of, don't question the Pastor's behavior/actions.

[michaelkirakossian]

Just watched the other half at Jake’s channel. What an encouraging listen. Thank you for both of your experiences.

[SaraLilyRose]

I understand, I was told the same thing since I was born. When I turned 18, I just realized I would rather die than live like this, having to spend all your free time for the watchtower. So no, and that's what I said to my family. I am one of the lucky few that their family didn't shun them. But then I was never baptized. Anyhow, I totally get it !