The Jehovah's Witnesses

This episode explores the dogmas of the JW through the personal stories of some ex members, and exposes the similarities between some of the damaging practices of the JW and Scientology.

Growing up my best friend was a JH. I didn't know this, I just knew that when her Dad was around she couldn't do anything fun, she wasn't allowed to spend the night at my house, and I wasn't allowed to go to church with her like I could other friends. Growing up my Mom was Irish Catholic, so I learned a LOT of that from her, I went to Methodist & Baptist churches with friends occasionally, but at about 3, just before my Mom got pregnant, she to me to a Pentecostal church.... and i LOVED IT!! It wasn't the strict ones you see with them screaming in tongues, nor the long hair and skirts, but I liked my church, and at 4 when my brother was born and my Mom used it as an excuse to skip church, I begged so she asked our Reverend to take me for a few years until he moved on, & the next guy started the outlandish stuff. So it was back to my Catholic training. In college I took courses and studied foreign and ancient religions. I married a "Church of Christ" member, and at that point I was a self-proclaimed Drueo-Christian, so "converting" wasn't a stretch, I was75% there, but my heart was filled with more love-for God's plants& animals (Cliff's Notes Version) so I went along with everything. A decades later, I caught back up with my old BFF, and unknowing still that she was JH, and my mother and I always keeping open minded about religions, we had been doing a bible study with a JH woman for a few months, it had been going well, we could bounce idea off each other & ask questions, then out of the blue one day I asked a completely innocent question, and she just started attacking me, being really snide and nasty, I apologized not far my question-I think educating yourself is never wrong- but for upsetting her, and she flipped a switch and jumped up, started yelling, calling me unclean, told me I'd burn in the fires, so I told her to leave, very calmly, she kept going off, I practically had to pack her stuff up and chase her out of the house! So, later, on my Facebook, I told this story, and made a JH joke to blow off steam. Ugh, I still feel bad, my BFF messages "I'm really sorry this happened to you, but the joke isn't like you & it's not very Christian. It hurts me because if you remember I'm JH."- which I didn't.... But THANKS SO MUCH to Leah, Mike, & everyone, because NOW after my long journey through many religions, I FINALLY understand what she's been going through her whole life as a JH!! XOXO

Born and raised in a Hispanic JW household was tough in the 80's/90's. There were many rules to abide by but some were that your only friends were the ones within the organization and family members that were censored or expelled were no longer your family members. These were probably the two most prominent ones that I remember causing so much pain and division in my life and thats why This episode was so emotionally impacting because I witnessed (and experienced) many wonderful, meaningful relationships get thrown away all because of this religion. Mothers and fathers shunning their own children. Longtime childhood friends choosing not to be friends with you anymore because of what they believe it's not a good relationship within the eyes of Jehovah. It's was very emotional for me. Even so, my grandmother, whom taught all her children to belittle people that wouldn't prove their faith as much as they did, looked back at them in her death bed and whispered to me that her kids were ugly humans inside. That should tell you a lot. However, I can also say that I also know some JW's that I still remain in contact with that will still treat me like family; I call it the new generation of witnesses. Nonetheless, the bad apples are definitely brought to like in this episode and I thank Leah Remini for exposing the ugly truth this religion hides.

Great expose on the damaging practices of Jehovahs Witnesses! Spot on, completely accurate!