Natasha grew up in Belgium and found herself in a world of abuse at home. Others, noticing the outward countenance as a result of that abuse, referred to her as “the little girl without a smile”. Being raised in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, she would be pushed into baptism at 17 years of age under false pretenses. As a result, just 6 months after being baptized, Natasha disassociated and left the cult behind, resulting in her shunning. Although the adults around her couldn’t see what was really going on, a little girl named Yvette saw Natasha for who she really was and provided a safe space for her to be herself. The song that Natasha chose to represent her story is What’s Up by the 4 Non Blondes. Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

Growing up as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses is hard. Kids want to fit in and are forced to be different. For Andrea, the cult reinforced the authority of her mom, and her mom ruled with fear. Under the ever watchful eye of a mother looking to mete out corporal punishment, the beatings were so bad that her sister took some for her out of fear that she would be killed. Their mother would die of cancer while they were still young, and Andrea’s older sister cared for her while the congregation that had been silent about the abuse remained aloof. Only once it was thought that Andrea might need to be reprimanded by congregation elders did anyone reach out to her. Thus began the journey to freedom that she always wished to find. The song that Andrea chose to represent her story is Luka by Suzanne Vega. Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

So yeah, I created my own cart to help people get another side of the story that Jehovah's Witnesses try to tell. I felt it would be a good idea to have a companion to the JW carts, the Awake to one's Watchtower of sorts. Thank you to those in my local area, including several never JWs, for giving me tips on where to find the carts. You made this possible. If you want to start your own cart, you can find all of the files and links to everything mentioned at the following link: https://exjwhelp.com/exjw-activism/ Please subscribe to follow the journey and as this project continues and grows, you'll be the first to know when I make adjustments to the cart or release new files on various subjects that you can download for your own cart. These projects all have real costs attached to them. Parking, tolls, gas, cameras, equipment, carts, and so much more time than you would ever think editing and producing it all. Each episode of the regular Shunned Podcast takes probably 8 hours or so from start to finish, including fielding correspondence and making posts to share and production, editing, etc. My cart videos take a lot of time to produce. And I have websites and such that I put time and money into as well each month to host files for this project. So please consider supporting my Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Struggling with perfectionism, building a social network, codependency, or feeling like you're not enough? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a Cult Recovery Coach. I work with many ex-JWs, along with ex-other groups, and your average person that has never been in a cult that wants better things in their life. Find out more here: https://storyworkscoaching.com I also have an ex-JW specific site here: https://exjwhelp.com

When a person leaves the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses they may still find themselves attached in ways that they had not considered from a legal standpoint. This interview with a legal professional gives us insight into various topics, from going from our former no blood stance to a pro blood stance, what we need to consider when it comes to wills and insurance, as well as the topic of emancipation for minors. In this episode the following resources are mentioned: 1. An advance directive notification card that you can carry in your wallet – Click Here 2. The Jehovah’s Witness Blood Refusal Card: Ethical and Medicolegal Considerations for Emergency Physicians – Click Here 3. Kenesha’s Website – Click Here Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

In the concept of gaslighting, one person is trying to create the reality for another person in order to gain or maintain control of them. Jehovah’s Witnesses are masters of gaslighting, weaponizing what is near and dear to others against them, shaming them for who they are and what they want in this life. For Taylor there was massive internal confusion as she got older and realized that there were parts of her personality that didn’t actually come from the cult’s influence. Those parts of her, such as the very normal and natural attraction to someone else, created great inner conflict and external turmoil in a world where her desires weren’t allowed. And thus the realization that gaslighting can be internalized and turned against ourselves felt overwhelming to a young person not equipped to deal with the ramifications and grief caused by a life lived according to the influence of those with power around her. She realized that in order to continue to live the life she was given, she would have to gaslight herself out of things that she actually wanted. Ultimately she would come to grieve the parts of her that were lost during those times, the time lost, the people that could never truly love her for who she was but rather a vision of who they wanted her to be, and she would go on a quest to find herself. It is said that grief is just love without a home, so she went on a journey to find that home in herself by learning to love a person that others were incapable of loving because of their desire for control. You can find Taylor and her work on Instagram as mothandmooncommunity at: https://www.instagram.com/mothandmooncommunity/ Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

Thank you to all of the wonderful people that donated this year for our “day” of giving. Because so much is received, it takes more than a day, but we were able to do the following in September 2023. An accounting is below, and mirrored in the video: Amount Raised – $707 (Thank you soooo much to all of you that gave generously!) Accounting: $200 – Ladies at thrift store $20 – Two libraries, book suprises $160 – Tips across two small local taco restaurants $53 – Basketballs from Walmart $274 – Soup, tuna pouches, snacks for little pantry from Walmart Total – $707 We paid for any meals, gas, tolls, etc. ourselves and used the amount donated that came in after fees and such charged by various payment processors like PayPal and Venmo for our totals. Professional one on one Cult Recovery Coaching services, helpful videos and articles, more information about ExJwHelp Day itself, and other resources can be found at: https://exjwhelp.com/ Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Struggling with perfectionism, building a social network, codependency, or feeling like you’re not enough? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a Cult Recovery Coach. I work with many ex-JWs, along with ex-other groups, and your average person that has never been in a cult that wants better things in their life. Find out more here: https://storyworkscoaching.com Please consider supporting the show’s Patreon if you appreciate the time that goes into producing these stories at: https://www.patreon.com/shunned Here is the text used in our message to those that would find and read the ex-JW books in the library: If you’re reading this book, you’re likely in a spot where life is starting to look different. You might even be scared reading this, but if you are, that shows that what you’ve been taught is very fear based, and you should absolutely question why someone would do that. Why would someone want to control what information you are exposed to? Courage isn’t the absence of fear, but feeling the fear and doing it anyway. You are about to take a courageous step, one of many that can unlock a life that is founded in actual truth, not just what you’ve been told is true. So take heart that others like you are out here, that we love you, that we’ve been wherever you are today, and that you are doing the right thing for yourself even if it doesn’t feel like it in the moment. There are other wonderful people out here that were hurt by something that was supposed to be good. Take this and go buy yourself your favorite coffee or treat. This money was donated by others that are out here. You are not alone. With real love that doesn’t shun, we send hugs and treats. ThisJwLife.com ShunnedPodcast.com ExJwHelp.com

Daniel knew from a young age that the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses was supposed to come first in his life. In his teenage years Daniel would start to realize that something wasn’t right and that “The Truth” wasn’t actually true, and he took those doubts to his father. His mother would soon be diagnosed with cancer that would take her life, and in that time he would push his doubts aside and try to give his mom something by getting baptized, as the religion was the focal point for the family even as they rallied around his mom. Later in life, as a father himself, Daniel would start to realize his disconnect again as he tried to indoctrinate his own kids, which would lead him to the discoveries that real research can bring. Ultimately it would cost him certain relationships because of their stand for the religion, but he had to do what was right and not simply what the religion he was given pushed upon him. Daniel referenced two resources in his episode: Carl Sagan – The Demon-Haunted World – Science as a Candle in the Dark The Great Courses , specifically a course on critical thinking. Upon researching it I found that Your Deceptive Mind – A Scientific Guide on Critical Thinking Skills can also be found on Amazon as an audiobook that looks much cheaper if you aren’t into all of The Great Courses and I’ll link that HERE Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

“I can’t express to you how crazy this house was, and yet the friends would come, it was perfect…showtime.” Trish and her kids were in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but their home too was a place where they didn’t feel safe. Although from the outside people may have seen them one way as they put on a good show, the realities didn’t match up at home. Instead of living out loud, they had to be silent and to hide themselves, becoming small so as not to be seen in a home environment that didn’t feel safe. Later in life Trish would be encouraged to even deny the existence of her sons by the wife of an elder, to make them invisible, as they were not who the cult wanted them to be either. This is a story of reclaiming a life that was a false show of something that wasn’t real underneath, and of finding oneself and being free to be authentic. Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

Chameleons change their appearance for many reasons, one of which is to avoid predators. Growing up in an abusive home with his stepdad, who was only 11 years older than him, Kevyn couldn’t be himself. At an early age he had to be who he needed to be to survive at home and to try to make friends with the limited opportunities that he had as an isolated member of the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Eventually he would finally earn positive attention from his stepdad because he made it to Bethel, cult headquarters, where he quickly learned that not everyone there was who they appeared to be either. Finding the “degenerate” Bethelites, he learned that there was a world outside to explore, and eventually through several more changes he would find himself enlisting in the Army to leave the life that he had behind as he changed yet again to save himself. Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

To participate by donating to the cause, you can donate here (I will personally match the first $200 dollar for dollar): PayPal.me/shunnedrecovery You can also Venmo to @michael-shemwell-1 (last four digits of phone are 3279 if needed) To learn more about this day and how you can go out and participate on your own visit: https://exjwhelp.com/exjwhelpday/

Tara grew up in a family where fear ruled, whether that was of the cult indoctrinated teaching of Armageddon, or whether it was fearing abuse from those entrusted with her care. Future relationships for her sister and herself would involve men that were abusive as well, and the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses would come up woefully short of supporting them in healthy ways. In the end, despite her prayers, despite her pleas with the elders for help, it would be Tara that would break the patterns herself and change the course of her life. Tara’s art can be found @artbytaraworthing on Instagram Her husband’s music can be found at Analog Smokeshow on Facebook The song that Tara chose to represent her journey is How by Lisa Loeb Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

Between being told that she was an accident that ruined her mother’s opportunity to be a “regular pioneer” as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and eventually being shunned, Alyssa was baptized into the cult at the ripe age of 9 years old. This is the story of what it is like to have the pressure of expectations to be an adult at such a young age, worried about the end of the world. This is the story of trying to be what your parents want you to be in order to try to earn their love. This is the story of feeling so desperate that you consider doing something absolutely life changing in the face of one of the secret “judicial committees” where your fate is held in the hands of three men. This is the story of growing up and moving forward while others remain stuck in dysfunction. Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

Many have heard the phrase “what would you do if you knew you could not fail”. Inside the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, opportunities for failure abound and the constant refrain of “I’m never good enough” echoes in the minds of those exposed to it. But what if a family that started out in the cult started to change the narrative? What would it be like to change the way you see the world as parents, and to then try to implement that change with your own children so as to give everyone a chance at success, instead of abundant focus on failing? How would you feel as that parent? What challenges would arise that perhaps you never even considered if you grew up JW yourself? What beautiful possibilities could lie ahead? This is one family’s story. The charity mentioned in this episode can be found at https://tbbcf.org/ Support today’s guests by leaving them a comment HERE Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

Arthur was introduced to the concept of extreme shunning by the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses when he was just six years of age and was forced to shun his sixteen year old big sister. This moment would send him on a course that was opposed to the path that his parents had set out for him, one that would leave him in a place to face his own disfellowshipping and shunning. However, in a surprise turn of events, Arthur’s baptism was invalidated and annulled rather than being disfellowshipped. Did that make any difference? This is Arthur’s story. Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

This is a recording of my presentation at the 2023 International Cultic Studies Association annual convention in Louisville, Kentucky. It was recorded on Friday July 30 in front of a live audience, as well as streamed online for those with tickets to the event. The theme of the conference was "The Cult Phenomenon in the Covid World". My presentation was about the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses and their response to the pandemic. If you would like to watch the full video, you can see that on my YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/ADem_-x19XU Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

I'll be speaking at the conference on Friday July 30 and there won't be a regular release of the podcast this week. I do hope to record my presentation and to be able to share it afterward if all goes well. Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Struggling with perfectionism, building a social network, codependency, or feeling like you're not enough? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a Cult Recovery Coach. I work with many ex-JWs, along with ex-other groups, and your average person that has never been in a cult that wants better things in their life. Find out more here: https://storyworkscoaching.com I also have an ex-JW specific site here: https://exjwhelp.com Please consider supporting the show's Patreon if you appreciate the time that goes into producing these stories at: https://www.patreon.com/shunned

Growing up, Rachel moved roughly 15 times between the ages of 5 and 19. Without much stability other than the consistency of the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses and her parents in her life, she was forced to move and adapt to new situations without attaching to anything. The out of control feelings and trauma stood to threaten her very existence, but eventually Rachel found better days outside of the cult and more stability in her life. This is Rachel’s story. The songs that Rachel chose to represent her journey are I Did Something Bad by Taylor Swift, My Tears Ricochet by Taylor Swift, and I’m Not Angry Anymore by Paramore. Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

Behind the scenes of a rock concert for Saves The Day, Spencer gets to interact with these “worldly” people that weren’t Jehovah’s Witnesses, and he sees that he doesn’t need to save them like he had been told his whole life by the cult. Eventually Spencer comes to realize that the only person he truly needs to save is himself. The song that Spencer chose to represent his journey is Even If It Kills Me by Motion City Soundtrack. Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

While some religions speak about the concept of grace, the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses has another term for it… “undeserved kindness”. This is the underpinning of what it is to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, to know that you don’t deserve any chance at salvation as a good for nothing sinner, and to know that you don’t even deserve the life that you have now. For Joel, he had something else going on internally that served as yet an extra obstacle to his existence in the cult, and he was left wondering how that could possibly be fair. Why would he have something above and beyond what others had to contend with to try to be good enough for a God that hated a part of who he was. Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

If your true thoughts and feelings were put on display in a lineup of Jehovah’s Witnesses, would your own parents be able to pick you out? Like so many, Jarvis knew that who he was and who he was expected to be were not necessarily congruent. He found himself living for others because he just wanted to make his parents proud, but in the end he came to realize that when everything broke down, they didn’t even know their own son. Unlike them, he came to the defense of a gay friend, he struggled to judge people with the harsh judgment of the cult, and ultimately he stood up for himself, a self that nobody ever knew. You can find Jarvis on Instagram @jarvis_tha_artist The song that Jarvis chose to represent his journey is What’s Normal Anyway by Miguel. Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information. Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com Leave us a review on iTunes Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.