In the intro to the new Chimney Sweep episode, the boys mentioned they were gunna get to Jehovahs Witnesses. When they said it, my heart sank and then right back into place and starting beating fast! I have waited so so so long hoping around the corner we get an episode series of the JW’s. So to finally get acknowledgment was a massive win for us damaged by this cult

For those of you who grew up JW, I know you understand. And for those of you who haven’t, JW’s are a horrific control cult that like to pretend they are the happiest people on earth.

The b’organizations history is interesting. Between Charles Taze Russell and Joseph Franklin Rutherford that could easily be two episodes before even getting to what’s going on in recent years and the recent legal travesties that have significantly changed what’s going on in the b’org today that could also easily be another two.

The amount of SA that’s been protected in the JW cult is ridiculous and I hope the boys do a juicy multi part series on them. They deserve as much call out as Mormonism and the child in me that was abused by that cult that is still deprogramming 15+ years later needs it.

Thank you boys for giving me something to look forward too that’s really personal 🩶

EDIT: just wanna say I’m a bit overwhelmed with how much people agree. Thank you all this is incredible 🩶

  • I’ve been waiting for this for years. I had no childhood because of that cult.

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    I had several classmates growing up that were JW and one day with absolutely no explanation they were all pulled out of school and we never heard from them again.

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    My parents would periodically pull me out of school or change my school if they thought I was becoming too “worldly.”

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    Had a great friend growing up who was JW (Jordan H. if you're reading this, hope you're well). He could never come to birthday parties or do anything really, but we hung out every day at school from like 3rd through 5th grade. One day he just wasn't there anymore.

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    I’m sorry to hear that.

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  • My best friend grew up JW and I have always wanted a series so I could more deeply understand the trauma she endured... and continues to endure even long out of it.

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    Yah it is brutal. Imagine being raised in a completely different reality parallel to actual reality where you were afraid of everything outside and waited any day now for the world to end so the real life we were intended to have can begin. Imagine your developmental years scrubbed of any organic thought about life because there is only one ‘truth’ that you must cling to cause the devil is lurking in everything and anyone. That’s just a scrape of what life is like. I encourage all survivors and those curious to go check out r/Exjw , great community of people trying to support each other

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    That is so incredibly terrible. I hate that your childhood was stolen from you! Religion is such an insidious monster, and extreme religion is just evil.

    I’m glad you got out!

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  • They are SUCH a child harm cult. Elders are protected. CSA is encouraged to be swept under the rug. Look up the "2 witness rule. Where literally 2 JW's have to see and vouch for the child being abused for it to even be reported. They have a "blue envelope" at every kingdom hall on earth. It is where the child sex abuse complaints go, and is sent to the Watchtower HQ and never reported. My first husband was JW and he knew marrying me would get him disfellowshipped(their version of FULL and complete shunning.) PLEASE DO it.

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  • Ex jw here. Yes! Please do!!!

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  • Until then, listen to Sinisterhood's JW series. (They're the podcast duo from the live show from the cruise.)

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  • One of the most wanted episodes of all time

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  • My school friend was JW and tried to convert me. It didn't work and now I'm Jewish! She used to tell me the devil put dinosaur bones in the ground to make people believe in evolution instead of Genesis. A family in her congregation were a married pair of first cousins and their daughter who sadly had genetic complications.

    The Telegraph did a decent podcast series about the CSA cover ups called "Call Bethel".

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    We do not tolerate discrimination and intolerance.

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    Okay.

    Not like the boys haven’t said it a hundred times but yes. Noted.

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    We do not tolerate discrimination and intolerance.

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  • I briefly dated someone who escaped the JW org. She was a very open, very warm, very damaged person. She did not use social media, was protective of her last name, and did not talk much about life under JW. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that her childhood and 20s in that cult we're not a happy place for her 

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  • I had two friends that were cousins raised in that cult, luckily they made it out alive but I have been waiting for them to cover this for so long!

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  • The first time I said hail Satan was in a JW church/temple!

    My friend converted to JW in high school (not a great home life and she was in love with a JW boy from a rich family in our class) and invited me to attend her church. I was super keen on exploring other religions growing up as I was raised Catholic, but I remember the vibe being super weird. After mass, I ran into my little sister’s BFF who was also raised catholic. We locked eyes from around the room, and met up in the middle.

    Me: what are you doing here? Her: supporting a friend. You? Me: same… (glances around and leans in) hail Satan? Her: oh thank god, I was worried you were into this shit. Me: uh, fuck no. We gotta get outta here. These people are way too nice. Something’s not right. Her: right?? I feel that too. Anyway, congrats on not getting converted! Me: you too!

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  • I feel like this would be a good topic for a crossover with Someplace Underneath.

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    Yes absolutely, I love the Mormon coverage they have done, hoping JWs get as much attention

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    Oh man, I would love to hear Natalie go off about JW the way she does about LDS.

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  • One of my best friends is a PIMO witness and the stuff he tells me about the religion is wild. There's so much interesting stuff they could cover (and plenty of Historical Context for Marcus)

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  • They did my childhood cult (mormons), only fair they cover yours too!!! And because I know you don't hear it enough- I'm so proud of you for escaping and I'm so happy to have you here with us on the other side.  

    Until the boys cover it though, I highly recommend Sinisterhood's JW eps. They did a really good job and I absolutely bawled over it. Even with certain big differences, was crazy learning/hearing what similarities the two share. 

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  • i got SO excited when i heard henry say that!! i can’t wait :)

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  • I've been waiting too, but this is one of those times where every little thing they get wrong will be glaringly obvious for me. Anyone born and raised in this shit is basically an expert, unless they're POMI

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  • I found out that Santa wasn't real when I was 9 from from some friends who were JW. Their Pastor had instructed all the kids to go out and tell other kids that Santa wasn't real, since they don't celebrate any holidays. Fuck a religion that has to crush the magic of childhood to prove their legitimacy.

    Don't even get me started on the rampant child abuse as a result of recruiting JWs in prison or the defecits in education due to the belief that the world will end any minute. And let's dive in to the psychological damage of denying humans the opportunity to celebrate Holidays, Seasons, and Birthdays.

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  • Honestly I didn’t go through much of anything since the West Coast divisions were far more relaxed. I’d just like a deep dive to know what everyone else has gone through in the more strict sections of the organization.

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    That’s interesting, I’m also west coast and it was horrific where I was at. I have some friends in Bay Area Cali that made it sound that their elders were surfers and smoked which is so wild but it’s def an anomaly.

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    Central Valley here. Was very laid back till an elder from the east coast came in. But they didn’t excommunicate my mother or grand parents when I came out. So that’ll give you a basis on how liberal that area was.

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  • I’m waiting for them to do Islam.

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  • Dad's mom was a JW. She was made to feel so bad for not going door-to-door when she was overweight and had diabetes so she couldn't. Dad's Dad was not JW Grandma forced us to have the funeral at Kingdom Hall the pastor had never met him and the whole service was a sermon on why we should become JW's. All the kids and grandkids walked out of there angry at the church

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  • ~some place under neath~

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    Listened to most of their stuff, have they done JW coverage?

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  • It's kind of too depressing. Just a bunch of child rape.

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  • The super boring Mormon one's were the thing that made me slow down with the podcast. This sounds even more boring than that.

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