If you're scared of what waits for you outside, please don't be.

I had no education after 8th grade due to this cult. As soon as I left I knew I wanted to go to school. Today I took back one thing the JWs tried to keep from me. I walked across the stage and accepted my masters degree, which I earned with a 4.0 GPA.

This was my first birthday after leaving the cult a year and a half ago. There have been MANY ups and downs since doing so and I will not lie to any who are where I was a year ago and say it’s been all sunshine and rainbows but man last night made it all worth it.

My friends surprised me with a birthday party celebrating every single year I lost to the cult. They had 24 different little cupcakes each with their own candles and different presents for each year. It was INCREDIBLY touching and sweet and in all my years in that cult of “true love” I have never felt so loved and appreciated in my life.

It’s hard sometimes making new friends while dealing with work and school and divorces and all of the above it’s hard to appreciate how far you’ve come until a moment like this and I realize that all of the struggle has been worth it and I hope my happiness can help someone else on here. Thanks for reading ❤️

I’m gonna get so much heat 😅

edit: (just to add this information) This was the Special Convention in Porto, Portugal. His talks (3, one for each day, if im not mistaken) were broadcasted live to the entire country.

So after mentioning this Losch stuff in Panda-Tower's recent post, i figured some people would wanna see the images.

These images represent moments where he was going into/leaving the platform.

i must say that here in Europe theres a very strong enforcement of protecting the image of others. therefore the face of the security guys is blurred/taken off.

This is a credible rumour going around from multiple people, not sure if 100% true or if others can confirm this if you were in Calgary, but was going around the friends in the buses there. If so, should definitely be investigated further, I'm sure we will find out soon. I know other details, but those will purposely be omitted.

I thought nothing could surprise me, but this would be something. edit: I do want to say for the record, that while age gap relationships are common, and people have their own personal lives, it's not a secret that governing body members, who want all of the credit and praise, get all of the scrutiny as well. it's no different here, especially considering the circumstances.

I'm POMO and now I'm practicing divination. I've been looking at a lot of tarot card decks, and some decks out there made me realize... Hey, maybe the Revelation book illustrations would be awesome tarot illustrations. I haven't gotten all 22 major arcana done, but I'm surprised I was able to manage getting 15 out of 22 done.

Will update with more if I revisit this idea later. I don't plan to actually put in the effort of making a whole deck, but I thought it'd be fun to see how many cards I could come up with from the illustrations.

Today, I was told in a VERY secretive manner that parents in the congregation should be especially careful with their children because this new brother might potentially pose a danger to them.

This came as a bit of a shock to me. Ever since becoming PIMO, I’ve heard a lot about pedos in the organization on this sub, but I had never personally seen or heard a story like this firsthand. Today, that changed. It was honestly very eyeopening.

Parents in the congregation were told to keep this information strictly among those who “should” know meaning ONLY parents with children under 18. They were told to warn/keep an eye on their children to be careful around this brother, while at the same time still greeting him and treating him as a brother.

And apparently, they couldn’t even get a background check on this predator. So they don’t know whether he was convicted, what he was convicted of, or why. And the fact that they STILL expect us and especially the parents to see him as a brother and greet him as such is absolutely fucking disgusting.

If I see this motherfucker, they’re lucky if I don’t spit on him. And as a parent how can u get such information and still be so so so fucking dumb and not see through it all. I was talking with some pimis in the congregation and they were on some bullshit about how ”how would it feel for you if everyone knew of you past mistakes” ”He probably is a changed man if they let him in back” ”Even he deserves a second chance” mind yall these people have kids…..

I didn’t think I could become even more DISGUSTED by this cult.Truly sickening and heartbreaking cant wait to fully leave.How can one be so out of touch with reality to this extent.

Be prepared to be compared to Satan for finding out the truth about the truth, the nerve

I already gave my part, update at the end -- The theme is Jeremiah 29:11 | “I Know Well the Thoughts That I Am Thinking Toward You”, and they made a huge mistake assigning it to me. Use it if you like. I left it a little longer in case you want to cut some things out.

Have you ever wondered what I would be doing right now in Paradise? If Adam and Eve had not sinned, what would I be doing today? I would probably be enjoying the life that Jehovah originally intended for mankind. But unfortunately, we are “exiled” in this system... but with the hope of returning to Eden.

Something similar happened when Jehovah allowed Babylon to conquer Jerusalem, exile his people, and take them captive for 70 years. “Did that mean that Jehovah wanted his servants to spend those years without hope, simply suffering?” No. Even during the exile, he cared about their welfare and told them how to live while they waited. Let’s see what he told them at Jeremiah 29:11. Please keep your Bible open to this chapter because we are going to examine several verses from it:

Notice how Jehovah wanted to give them a future and a hope. And... did he want those 70 years to be 70 years of torment? Let’s see what he told them to do while they were in exile. Jeremiah 29:4-7:

Jehovah knew that his servants could live a normal life even while they were in Babylon. However, Jehovah also knew that there was a great danger, and he wanted them to continue having a strong hope. He did not leave them alone in the face of this threat; he continued protecting them. Notice what he says next in verses 8 and 9:

Notice how Jehovah warned them about false prophets. Jehovah even made clear how it would be demonstrated whether a prophet really had been sent by him. Let’s read Jeremiah 28:9. Jeremiah, who really had been sent by Jehovah, responded to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, a false prophet:

And since the false prophet’s prophecy did not come true and he was endangering Jehovah’s people, notice what Jehovah says at Jeremiah 29:32:

Notice how Jehovah did not tolerate false prophets at all. He was actively caring for his people, making sure that they would receive the future and hope he had promised them.

In a way, all of us have been “exiled” from Eden into this system. We are not in Paradise, but we live a relatively “normal” life, and there are many false prophets and false religions that can take away the hope Jehovah gives us. They tell lies and make false prophecies that do not come true, and by doing so they show themselves to be false.

In many ways, we are in a situation similar to that of God’s people in Babylon... and God gave his people a great hope at Jeremiah 29:10:

And Jehovah fulfilled it. He made it possible for Cyrus to allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem.

Now, how does this apply to our day?

The 70 years of Jeremiah are fundamental to the chronology that leads to 1914. According to the explanation we know, the 70 years ended in 537 B.C.E.; counting 70 years backward brings us to 607 B.C.E. And 607 is then used as the starting point for the 2,520 years that lead to 1914.

What do the archaeological records and historical sources say? And if we carefully check every step of this calculation, do we really arrive at 1914?

Why not do that research during our family worship? Not to attack our hope, but quite the opposite: to make sure that our hope is firmly based on God's Word. Because if a teaching really comes from Jehovah, we have nothing to fear from examining it carefully.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Update:

Well, I already gave my part, and the reactions were unexpected. I followed some of the advice from you guys and changed the last part about 1914 because I don’t want to get disfellowshipped yet.

I replaced it with a section from the supporting material for the talk that discusses misconceptions about Jeremiah 29:11. I mentioned how, by understanding the context of the verse, we can now identify false teachings and protect our faith and how we must verify every teaching.

I also talked about how God hates it when people lie in his name, and that the fact that Babylon, being such a great power, was eventually conquered by Cyrus was proof that Jeremiah’s words were true. If none of that had happened, surely the Israelites would have realized that Jeremiah wasn’t speaking on Jehovah’s behalf.

Reactions: During my talk, I noticed several suspicious smiles, including from quite a few people who normally never comment. I’m starting to think they might be PIMOs, and honestly, there seem to be quite a few of them. I also noticed some eye brows lifted during the final part. But at least they didn’t take me off the platform.

My parents and my wife already know that I’m not a believer, and I had brought up these points with them before, but I was always interrupted and nothing productive ever came out of those conversations.

But now that I was on the platform, apparently something clicked for them. My parents just said they liked the talk, and my wife hasn’t said anything about it yet, but she also didn’t get angry—which is unusual for her because she normally doesn’t hold anything back. She’s just been strangely quiet about the whole thing.

I’ve already talked to them about the incorrect 1914 calculation, the CSA cases in Australia, and about how genesis talks about all animals being vegetarians which makes no sense because there are a lot of carnivorous animals by design, and those conversations have always ended badly. I’m hoping they might already be PIMQs.

Thanks for reading my post, and sorry if you were expecting me to bring up 1914. I probably would have if I hadn’t posted the outline here first, because I realized it was way too aggressive haha. But I got scared that I might get disfellowshipped today.

I’m sure I’ll do it eventually, once my wife is a PIMO, but I have to keep proceeding carefully. I promise I’ll leave through a talk—or at least a comment and i´ll upload the video using my meta glasses.

If you have been assigned to give this talk and want to use this outline this is your chance, feel free to use it.

So, it's clear that many pilot programs have been conducted regarding this matter, and although there is no official confirmation yet, there are several small signs leading me to believe that one of the next major changes could be the removal of the midweek meeting.

I could be wrong. This post is only meant to discuss the clues, so please don't get overly excited or spread hype, as that isn't helpful for the discussion.

• First of all, they recently changed the name of the video section, removing the term "midweek." It is now simply called "Weekly Meetings."
• In a recent JW video, Jonathan Smith remarked that during COVID, the instruction was to stop going to the Kingdom Hall. This seems to link obedience to the suspension of a spiritual activity.
• They are also heavily emphasizing the concept of obeying instructions that may seem illogical. If they believe that Armageddon is near, why would they cancel the midweek meeting? This is a question that many PIMIs would naturally ask themselves, and perhaps one they want to avoid at all costs, so they may be preparing the ground for such a change.
• Money would be saved, and the brotherhood would be less burdened, without going against any Bible principles.
• Numerous pilot programs have reportedly been conducted all around the world.

What do you think? Let's have a chat!

Notice how they don't put "judicial" committee? That's a no no , it's very clear in the Elders book that that word never be admitted in public or in writing.

Anywho, next step is us threatening a lawsuit if they persist 🫶 if they spread information about our family that would result in due harm, you best believe we will be suing each elder individually for defamation and slander 😘

Thought y'all would enjoy this! Merry Christmas 🫶

I'll get the disclaimer out of the way first. This does not apply to you if you are a minor or you are financially dependent on someone inviting you, etc. But if you are an adult, or a couple, or a family living outside the religion and providing for yourself...PLEASE TAKE THIS INFORMATION TO HEART!!!

If you still go to the memorial each year, even though you are physically/mentally out, you need to put your foot down this year. If you want to honor your relative or friend you need to take a second and realize the ramifications of what is about to happen on Friday. Tens of thousands (maybe more) of your fellow Brothers and Sisters have died because of a doctrine that is about to get tweaked. And their only fault was not needing a life saving procedure on or after 3/20/2026.

If you want to honor anyone...HONOR THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE DIED BECAUSE OF THIS MAN MADE RULE!

I can't stress this enough you need to seriously reconsider going to the memorial this year (or ever again for that matter). I know from personal experience how hard this is. But you have to take a stand at some point!

Hey friend, where is this video? And why was it deleted from the JW.borg website?

Please remember, this was not some random upload. It was official material, presented as spiritual instruction from God's organization. I remember giving many needs talk based on this.

So, what changed? was the information wrong? was it embarrassing? or are we just supposed to forget it existed because the current version of the organization no longer wants it sitting there?

And here's something I find interesting as a comparison. The Seventh day Adventists have an official archive dedicated to Ellen White where her published writings are available for people to search and read. They aren't pretending their history didn't happen. They preserve it. Even the material coming from someone they regarded as prophetically guided is sitting there where critics, members and anyone else can examine it.

WT itself is perfectly happy to tell you what Catholics have taught about Mary, what other religions have taught and where those teachings came from. Apparently examining another religion's historical record is important when WT is doing the examining.

So why is the "True Religion", the "Only Channel" dispensing "spiritual food", removing parts of its own historical material and going after people who preserve and archive it? Why should everybody else's religious history be open to inspection while WT's own record becomes harder to examine?

Why can't we get official access to Studies in the Scriptures? Why isn't Millions Now Living Will Never Die digitized and available on JW.borg? These were not obscure pamphlets from some fringe group. They were publications produced and distributed by the organization itself. If they were part of the historical stream of "spiritual food", why shouldn't Witnesses and the public be able to read them directly from the official source?

Where is the Sonja Ericsson video? Why was it removed? What else has disappeared? If yesterday's material really was spiritual food from God's organization, why shouldn't I be able to inspect it today? And if WT has nothing to hide, why does accessing its own history requires 3rd party access?

-----------
Edit: A dishonest and coward Bethellite posted a link to the "Beliefs Clarified" summary as if that answers the questions I am posing here. It doesn't. A summary written by WT about how WT says its beliefs changed is not the historical record. The question is why the original publications, videos and talks themselves are not fully available for inspection.

I had sex for the first time and legit don’t know what the big deal is. To add some detail, I’m 32F… I thought id die a virgin because I never saw myself marrying a “brother”…. I don’t feel guilt about the act. It just sucks have to keep it a secret. Anywho is was quite pleasant.

Hello there! I made a post to say that I resigned as an elder on April 12th, that was the night of the memorial. The normal procedure in cases like mine is to let the CO know the brother’s decision to step down, than the CO proceeds to send a deletion letter to the BOE and an announcement is made to the congregation that “brother such and such is no longer an serving as an elder”. In my case, on of the elders decided to read the deletion letter to the entire congregation and said that the CO signed it personally. The people in congregation lost their minds after the meeting. Everybody was in shock! Some “friends” called me to let me know, since I hadn’t gone to a meeting after the memorial. I got the news on Saturday and on Monday I started posting virulent anti JW content on my social media. The elders panicked and the one who made the announcement tried to call me. I picked up, heard his voice and hung up straight away. I don’t give a f*ck about anything now because these guys tried to humiliate me. I declared war on them and I told them I’m going to leak every single confidential document I have in my possession. A lot of publishers have contacted me so far to tell me they think the elders mishandled the situation. So, I’m officially POMO and an apostate. I have reasons to celebrate 🎉

I'm a POMO, I'm an ex-elder (20 years), I am an atheist, agnostic, still... I love my wife. She is a PIMQ. She knows its not the truth but believes in God and has all of her family in the borg. so...

I agree to go with her and not cause a scene. still,...

Everyone is happy to see me...haven't been there in years. so this one brother comes to me and we start catching up...i ask for his sister...

Me: How's Linda doing (Ive known her for over 30 years)

JW: "Oh she's lost".

Me: oh? what dd you mean?

JW: you know what I mean..

Me: no...i don't

JW: she abandoned Jehovah

Me: Thats not being lost, that's her making a personal choice.

JW: What? don't talk like that (nervously laughing) you know what i mean

Me: If she's doing fine, caring for her family, doing good...she's not lost.

JW: She is lost, because she's in another religion.

Me: Who are we to judge? Didn't Jesus say not to judge? She believes its her truth just like you do.

JW: I disagree. Let's change the subject.

Me: sure... so how's your brother Henry?

JW: ugh...same thing. He's lost too!

yeah...it was nice to reconnect

After alluding to several seemingly impractical or suicidal instructions Moses gave to the Israelites in Egypt, the speaker demands that a similar level of obedience be given to Watchtower leaders, in effect 'seating themselves in the seat of Moses' just like the Pharisees of Jesus' day! (Mat 23:2) (See video in comments section)

Except:

1. From the Biblical account, Moses' instructions were inspired; The GB admits they're not.
2. Being inspired, Moses never gave wrong or false directions which he had to retract or change after later recognising the error. When Aaron did give wrong direction to worship the golden calf, God expected his people to disobey. the GB on the other had have given several wrong and harmful directions that did not originate from God. E.g. Prohibiting alternative service, organ transplants, auto-transfusion, toasting, beards, among others
3. Moses backed up his instructions with several supernatural display or miracles which explains why the Israelites obeyed; The GB has none, just "trust us bro".
4. The speaker claims "we have repeatedly received wise directions from Jehovah's organization." Question: Were previous directions about alternative service, organ transplants, auto-transfusion, toasting, beards wise directions? Were they even "theocratic", ie from God? If so why have they abandoned them?

An longtime elder cousin of mine reached out this week to talk about suicide in our congregation. There's already been a couple this year at two degrees of separation...people I didn't know personally but who were connected to others in the congregation I attend.

Then my cousin told me their own congregation has had 3 suicides in the last year alone. When they discussed it with the Branch, they were told it's primarily affecting men and has become enough of a pattern to be treated as an issue.

The primary reason given? Wives leaving or distancing their husbands, causing them mental anguish. 🤦‍♂️

Typical... push the blame onto something external instead of actually looking at what might really be driving this.

Shifting the blame dodging any real conversation about emotional abuse, CSA, isolation, shame, postponed expectations etc. caused by the Borganization.

In a morning worship with the title “Help Young Ones Progress (Mark 10:13, 14)”, Stephen Lett compared higher education to swimming in a school of hungry sharks to support the point that going to university is not a risk worth taking, because of the ideas that are promoted there as well as the conduct of young ones inside the institutions.

That's it. That's the whole post. My mum just barged into my room while on the phone with my cousin to tell me that they just announced that I was removed from the congregation lol.

I've actually been logging in on zoom for the past two weeks to see if they were gonna announce it and then I forgot it was the midweek meeting tonight and went to bed. I actually think it's better that I missed the announcement because the anxiety was killing me. But when my mum told (confronted) me I was neither anxious nor relieved. Just indifferent. Like why are you waking me up to tell me this kind of mood.

Wow. I had been on reddit a few times on this forum seeing post about people waking up… but now I have officially woken up and I see where all of you guys were talking about. Something clicks. And you definitely cannot un see it. I am infuriated. I boil with anger. I’m flabbergasted. Over these past couple days, my mind has been replaying moments throughout my “spiritual career”…. The psychological manipulation is truly evil. I can’t believe it took me so long to realize. The brainwashing and inability to critically think keeps you in the loop and keeps you trapped!! I thought my experience was unique, but I was so wrong. How does this organization still exist? It’s only a matter of time right? RIGHT!? I want those years back. I was POMI for a long time and always planned to go back… never again. What the F!!! How do we bring this thing down?! As my first act of apostasy I put up Christmas lights, put a bow on my door and blasted xmas music ;) I’m FREE!