Reddit reviews The Reluctant Apostate: Leaving Jehovah's Witnesses Comes at a Price
We found 7 Reddit comments about The Reluctant Apostate: Leaving Jehovah's Witnesses Comes at a Price. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Welcome to the board! I found ex-JW information around 20 years after I left, but that was some years ago.
>I still always go back to what if, or second guessing myself.
It's likely because you've never deconstructed the [false] beliefs that you were taught.
You've just now found out about the ex-JW groups, if I read your opening post correctly.
There is a mountain of information out on the internet now, about how wrong the WT Society was/is, and more significantly about how CORRUPT the WT Society was/is.
Someone's already recommended JW facts, right? I haven't read the rest of the thread yet.
Edit to add JW facts link: https://jwfacts.com/
And the book written by Ray Franz that first blew off the lid on the inner and extremely corrupt workings of the WT Society: https://www.amazon.com/Crisis-Conscience-struggle-between-religion/dp/0999499211
Also, to anyone else reading this, if I haven't linked the most current version of Crisis of Conscience, please tell me. Thanks!
Oh, and John Cedars' book: https://www.amazon.com/Reluctant-Apostate-Leaving-Jehovahs-Witnesses/dp/0995669104
And his highly informative YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz1w0ll081JJiYcjb298pOw
Oh, and EXJW Critical Thinkers' channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpHhWSPtMDTSa8dzapmzo5A
The usual recommended reading is Ray Franz' Crisis of Conscious. Ray Franz was a member of the Governing Body (JW's Corporate overlords) who basically defected and was "disfellowshipped" (excommunicated). You might have trouble finding it in bookstores though, since the copyright holders are refusing to publish for one reason or another [insert conspiracy theory here]. It can be found in PDF form online though.
Available on Amazon is The Reluctant Apostate by Lloyd Evans. He also runs a very informative and even handed (IMHO) YouTube channel under the name "John Cedars".
Lloyd's book was a very emotional read for me because a lot of the stuff that happened to him happened to me. Not everyone is can escape a cult, and those that do have irreversible damage done to their personality and psyche. Everyday is a struggle for me, but knowing that there are other exJW's make the pain bearable.
Knowing that exJW's and exMormon's have so many similarities give me even greater strength to keep going on. Thank you for existing and I hope that we all find our happiness.
side note: Tapirs, amirte? lol
edit: forgot a link
You think Crisis blows your mind? Read The Reluctant Apostate by Lloyd Evans. It covers stuff that is in Crisis, but goes even deeper down the rabbit hole, bringing the reader pretty close to up to date on the Borg.
https://smile.amazon.com/Reluctant-Apostate-Leaving-Jehovahs-Witnesses/dp/0995669104/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537552743&sr=8-1&keywords=the+reluctant+apostate
I recommend for the op to read:
The Reluctant Apostate: Leaving Jehovah's Witnesses Comes at a Price https://www.amazon.com/dp/0995669104/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Yvz4ybHCEXS26
It's a long book but it organizes a lot of Watchtower material/fallacies/scandals. It's written with non-JWs in mind.
I never managed to get into the second book, but I think you've inspired me to do so. Read CoC, am in the middle of The Reluctant Apostate at the moment (can be found here: http://amzn.to/2rd25ye ) ... but I will give 'In Search of Christian Freedom' a read very soon.
Thank you.
Autogenerated.
Discussion Megathread: Leah Remini A&E Special + AMA Announcement for Cedars and Steve Hassan!
The long-awaited special will be airing at 9PM ET/PT on Tuesday November 13th, 2018. It will air on the cable channel A&E in the US.
We'll be trying to keep this post up to date with links/details on how to watch Leah's A&E expose as we get them in, so please comment below if you know of a way to watch that isn't listed.
Do you want to Thank Leah? Do that here! A few Folks are organizing a Twitter Storm to thank Leah on November 14, which you can read all about here, or see u/patlynnw:
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Watch in Canada on Optik/Teleus
How to Watch in the UK Sun Nov 18th, 7pm
(Possibly) Watch Online, after the fact:
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Special AMA Details!!
To ease your cult expose hangover, we will also be hosting TWO Special AMAs. Please give a massive thanks to both Cedars and Steve Hassan who have reached out and accepted our AMA invitations! Here is when all that is going down:
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Cedars, AKA the inimitable Lloyd Evans- Friday November 16th, 2018. Starting 8AMEST for appx. 24 hours.
Guys, it's Cedars!! Join us as we offer the chance to Q&A one of the most prominent activists in the EXJW community. Lloyd is best known as the Founder of JW Survey and the John Cedars Channel He has also recently authored a book, which is part of a greater wave that is making public the struggles of those in the EXJW community. Lloyd, if I've missed anything (as I am sure I have), let me know. :) For the rest of you, watch this space for the sticky, where you will be able to ask your quesetions!
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Steve Hassan- Monday November 19th, 2018. 9AM EST, for appx 24 Hours.
Let's have a round of applause for everyone's favorite cult deprogramming expert! Steve Hassan is the founder of Freedom of Mind, and a leading figure in the movement to define how cults operate and combat their effects. His book "Combating Cult Mind Control" is a cult favorite (no pun intended) among EXJWs and will be having its 30th anniversary this week. Here is an excerpt from his website, with more information:
>"Steven has helped thousands of former cult members and their families, clergy, psychologists and fellow cult experts over the years. He co-developed “Ending the Game”, a non-coercive curriculum designed to educate and empower commercial sex trafficking victims, and has spoken out about the effects, mechanisms, and signs of undue influence in its many forms on 60 Minutes, CNN, NPR, Good Morning America, The Today Show, Larry King Live, Oprah, and many other programs, as well as being featured in People Magazine, USA Today, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, The Guardian, and dozens of other major publications and websites."
Watch "Hot" sort for the sticky next Monday where you can ask Steve whatever you'd like! You won't want to miss this chance.
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PS- Sorry we had to clump it all together. Reddit only gives us two stickys.
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Comment 1 of 1
Updated at 2018-11-12 08:24:51.091331
Next update in approximately 20 mins at 2018-11-12 08:44:51.091368
I am so sorry that this is happening to you. You are right to be concerned - this could very easily tear your family apart. I have seen it happen firsthand when someone in my family was recruited into the Dubs then became totally alienated from her non-Dub husband. You could very easily end up in a situation where both your wife and your child are brainwashed into thinking you are a bad influence and that only other Dubs are worth spending time with. You definitely do not want to be complacent about this. The JWs are not "just another religion". It is a very dangerous and nasty cult.
My advice would be to immediately start "studying" the JWs yourself - but NOT with their own material. JWs don't know their own history very well at all, but you can find a lot of eye opening stuff using outside materials like http://www.jwfacts.com
Here are the three books that I would strongly recommend you purchase and start reading right away:
The Reluctant Apostate: Leaving the Jehovah's Witnesses (a very long and well-researched explanation of the JWs - if you can only read one of these books, I would make it this one)
Combating Cult Mind Control (not focused on just the JWs, but a general book about how cults operate and how to try to work with someone to get them out)
Crisis of Conscience (an older book written by one of the "Governing Body" members that ended up leaving the religion)
If you read those books, you will learn a LOT about how the JWs operate and have ample proof that this is not a legitimate religion. However, you can't confront her directly with this info. She has been programmed by the cult to reject any direct attack on the religion.
However, as you read them, you will probably think of some questions that you'll have for your wife about the Dubs. Start asking her questions NOT in an aggressive way but just in a "curious" sort of way. For example, "What do you make of [this thing]? What is the JW explanation for that?"
When people are being brainwashed, you can't confront them directly about it. That just makes them dig their heels in. You have to slowly dismantle the belief system by asking them questions and forcing them to realize for themselves that the cult doesn't have a good answer for it.
I also recommend trying your best to find excuses to spend time away from home on meeting days to keep her away from the dubs as much as possible. Time spent away from the indoctrination sessions can often help people realize on their own that it is bullshit.