A life previously wasted

I grew up in a cult. I didn't know... Proof? - Confirmation bias - God's love weaponised (coercion) - Guilt motivation - Groupthink - Passive aggressive judgmentalism - Gaslighting - Operant conditioning - Collective narcissism - Illusory truth effect - Emotional blackmail #exjw

@pimitopomo They really do love to spin a good story... It keeps the brethren looking for omens and signs of their own worth by imagining god's approval. The conditioning taking place here is fascinating to break down. There are so many psychological outcomes that play out from this thinking

The May JW Broadcasting says Jehovah can answer prayers through “his servants or ones who are not yet his servants.” Which means even random people can be framed as answers. So how would anyone tell the difference between that and… normal life? #exjw #jworg

@umetoys @pimitopomo Yes. The idea that god selectively answers prayers about mundane issues, but not of those being abused within the congregation, proves he either (a) is not a god of justice after all, (b) doesn't actually answer any prayers - it's just coincidence, or (c) doesn't exist at all. 🤔

@pimitopomo If god answers a single prayer how does the old ‘allowing evil to prove man can’t direct his step workout?’ Any intervention makes this point logically mute.

@FadetoEx @Larchwood20 I was thinking the same. With god's backing, there would be no need to solicit for funds. It would just be there. That's another reason for not making an announcement about it. Admitting they are not getting enough funds is the equivalent to saying god is not backing us. 1+1=? 🤔

@Larchwood20 Well using Russel’s logic it’s time to close the Brazil branch ?

1/3 I have seen a leaked letter to the elders in Brazil for May 2026. In it they are updated on donations in Brazil. In the last 2 years the donations haven't been sufficient to cover expenses and monthly financial support is being received from the world headquarters.

@pimitopomo This is what you'd expect in a confirmation bubble. Acknowledging that someone else can have legitimate reasons for leaving allows the mind to analyse that legitimacy. That's why there's such a strong aversion - it becomes a fast track to doubt & potentially cognitive dissonance.

Some interesting thoughts here. I would love to see a similar study done on Jehovah’s Witnesses.

@miss_usato Interesting. I'll be fascinated to see if any other nations start reassessing their legal frameworks having witnessed what happened here. The contrast between the Spanish decision and this one demonstrates discontent in jws obvious manipulation of the system to their own end.

#JwvsNorway Good Article, 'The Minister of Religion and Family: Disappointed by the verdict.' "I must admit that I am disappointed by the verdict." - Lene Vågslid to Vårt Land. Vågslid is responsible for religious and life-belief policy in Norway. "The verdict is comprehensive, and we need time to familiarize ourselves with it." vl.no/nyheter/trosmi…

@pimitopomo Myside bias alive and well... 🙄

Funny how fast the “Legal Victory” banner goes up. When the earlier rulings went the other way… not quite the same urgency. Also, the court didn’t say everything is in harmony with the law. It said the threshold to deny funding wasn’t met. Big difference. #exjw #watchtower

@pimitopomo It seems that unless you've been in it and seen it for yourself, it's virtually impossible to believe that it takes place. Couple that with the jw rep blatantly lying about it, and it comes as little surprise. Religions always win.

When courts hear “family ties are not broken,” what does that actually mean in practice? Does it mean: “She’s still my daughter… but I won’t talk to her”? #exjw #watchtower #ttatt #JWvsNorway

@Larchwood20 Religion is the pestilence of humanity. 😔

1/3 Norway’s Vårt Land: A crushing verdict on the state COMMENT: The state has now lost all cases in which it has deprived religious communities of subsidies. This may indicate that the Religious Communities Act is not working. Or that it is. vl.no/meninger/en-kn…

@miss_usato Horrible decision, but shows the power of religion. Watch that brethren gloat... 🤦😔

1/3 #JWvsNorway The Verdict has dropped: Decisions denying Jehovah's Witnesses state subsidies and registration are invalid, the state lost. Two judges strongly disagreed. They viewed shunning as a rule-based system meant to create painful consequences, especially because it can cut or reduce contact with family. They saw this as improper pressure against leaving. domstol.no/no/hoyesterett…

@TechIsMyThing That's a very good summation. Well worth watching if you have left and still struggle with subconscious feelings of stress that you don't understand. The catch 22 of leaving and being caught in a purgatory of loneliness with no idea, as an adult, of how to move on is VERY real.

#exjw #TikTok tiktok.com/t/ZP8gtgJYf/

@CultWisDumb When I was about 10 (a long, long time ago), the hall we attended burnt down one weekend. I can still remember my father walking into the bedroom on Sunday morning to tell us it happened, and that my first thought was 'oh good, we don't have to go to the meeting' 😂

Let's hear it for inclement weather! Yea!

@FadetoEx @Larchwood20 Why would we be grateful for the bible teachings that drew us in the first place, when they've been completely disproved? It's been a bait and switch tactic all along.

💰🤑Never forget the new interpretation of Matthew 17:24-27 in 2023 by #JW The scripture says nothing about Jesus providing money to support worship. -Scriptures for Christian Living, Dec, 2023

@smitch2010 @Larchwood20 That really was a marketing ploy... create a 'need' that only 'we' can fill. Make demons something to be feared, and be the source of guidance to protect yourself.

@Larchwood20 Thinking back, my youngin-years in the truth-that period of time of when playing records backwards was demons talking, buying things from the Goodwill invites demons into your house, hear demon voices meant someone died in your house. Man I couldn’t wait for the New System, LOL.

Remember when #JW literature said demon voices may try to break up Christian marriages? Don’t let demon voices cause havoc in your marriage! -Watchtower, December 15, 1966

@Yvonne00322432 @pimitopomo Yeah, always very selective, huh? So many awkward accounts in the bible that don't equate to the loving, kind, just god we were told to trust and give our lives to. Myside bias at its very best...

@pimitopomo Jehovah's tenderness and mercy, wtf, he killed his children, he caused the whole thing because he basically had a wager with the devil, who's the devil.

Watchtower Study edition 07/2026 “What does this teach us about Jehovah?” Yeah… I have a few verses where that question gets real uncomfortable real fast.

💜

@Jerome16235677 It's like any corporate-speak... there's layers of messaging, and hidden terms and conditions the deeper in you get.

Can somebody please explain this?

@ShinichiKudo922 We grew up "in the truth", committed our lives to it, publicly proclaimed it, stood up & out for it, lost friends, jobs, opportunities & (some) lost lives defending it. All to be found to be just the misaligned opinions of one or more men who had control agendas. Such a waste. 😞

Zeugen Jehovas: Unveränderliche Wahrheit vs. doktrinäre Veränderungen Sie behaupten, die „Wahrheit“ zu lehren, die von Gott geleitet ist, doch im Laufe der Zeit haben sich verschiedene Lehren verändert: Kann sich die Wahrheit entwickeln oder war sie vorher falsch?

@MikeJMele When hope proves false, time and time again, the wise choice is to see it for what it is. That's high risk, but eventually delusional toxic positivity will catch up with you.

Suicide is the absence of hope. The hope that the pain will subside. The hope that you aren’t all alone. The hope that there are better days ahead. As long as there is life, there is always hope, but with death, all hope is truly gone. Please don’t ever give up hope on yourself.

@stackerco The parameters might be different, but the playbook is pretty much the same with most high control religions.

It was never about coffee. It was never about your tithing money. It was never about you struggling with sin. It was never really about agency. It was never about righteousness. —— It was about compliance reframed as obedience. It was about control made to look holy. It was about loyalty. You were taught to feel guilty for being human. It was about whether you could be governed Eight-year-olds don’t choose baptism. They comply. Many eighteen-year-olds don’t choose missions. They submit to expectation.

@pimitopomo @Larchwood20 Desperation seems to be a theme...

@brokenopsimath @Larchwood20 What I’m surprised about is how it’s them making so much noise around it. If they would really “put it in Jehovah’s hands” they might probably be able to stay under the radar for longer.

Japan: Jehovah's Witnesses followers sue Japanese government japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/04/1…