Ep. 02: My Family Life

Many of us as kids growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness may have felt pressure, or coercion to get baptized. I didn't necessarily feel that way, and in this episode will share a little insight as to how it was that I grew up being a witness kid, and elder's son. #exjw #exjehovahswitness #jw #jworg #excultmember

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Hello, everyone. Welcome to episode 2 of my podcast. I am Mitch, the ex-J-Dub or ex-Jehovah's Witness. I am truly overwhelmed by all the positive feedback that I've been getting over my first episode. Just kind of introducing myself to the X-Witness community. I also started a video podcast as well. It's up on YouTube. And I put it on my Facebook page as well. But... Man, I'm not... It's crazy because I'm not doing this to... Like, gain popularity. Or to get some... type of status, but I'm doing it to enlighten people and to bring that organization and its leaders, the Jehovah's Witnesses, to justice. The governing body, the leaders at the branch headquarters, elders that You know, under certain instruction from the governing body, they know about child predators within their congregation, but they don't report it to authorities. So, I mean, that's what I'm going to keep bringing to light. And I do it daily. I'm not going to stop. I'm not going to give up. I stopped going to meetings myself back in December of 2024. And I've always had the doubts and I've heard things about abuse within the organization. And within the last three weeks, I've just, I've gotten so much proof. And, you know, that's the first thing the JW cult members, that's the first thing they want to say is, you know, either the victim is lying or we're lying. It's not true. And when you have documents from headquarters sent to elders and congregations on what to do, how to handle these perpetrators, and when you have court documented proof of case after case in different states and the victim's are winning, that says a lot. I mention that all the time. I'm like a black and white person. If you show me the truth in something, the proof, then I'm going to go for justice. I want good to outdo evil. And what's going on in the congregations around the world is just pure evil. Family members knowing that one of their family members are doing these atrocious things to children, not saying anything, not reporting it to authorities. Elders knowing that Keeping them within the congregation, not doing anything. And let's take it a step further, because I've been hearing some pretty outrageous things to take it a step further. The victims, when they come forward, not only are they being told, you know, we need two or more witnesses. And then we'll listen to your accusation. Not only are they being told that bullshit, some are being told if you go to the authorities or if you keep on talking about this or bringing it up, you're going to be removed from the congregation. And for those of you not familiar with that term, it used to be called disfellowshipping. Some say shunning. Um, Their new fancy glittery word for it now is removing. And what that basically does is tells the congregation they are not to talk to you, not to speak to you, not to engage in any social activities with you, even if they're your family, your relative. So it's literally breaking up families, parents, against children, husband against wife, brother against sister, that sort of thing. It's breaking up families because of the cult member's allegiance to the governing body or the group of men, imperfect, sinful men in headquarters at New York who say they're spirit anointed and they are representatives of God himself. So under their direction, these are the choices that the victims have. You need to be quiet about it or you'll be disfellowshipped. You need two or three witnesses and they will listen to you. Imagine what these victims are going through and then they have to sit in those kingdom halls with the person they've accused of doing harm to them it's just sick like what's going on so that's my mission daily mission is to expose this to bring justice for the victims and to bring justice to the crooked organization and those that call themselves the governing body. Um, that's why I'm doing this. And the amount of support that I am starting to get is, is my, it humbles me. You know, I, I'm getting, um, comments on my YouTube channel. Uh, comments on one of the podcasts. I'm going to start, uh, placing my podcast on a lot of different, um, platforms this evening. And, you know, so that it'll be available even like on Apple play things like that. I want it to be widespread and I'm getting the comments, uh, on Instagram, Tik TOK. I'm getting these private messages, uh, I got one today that really touched me. A gentleman messaged me and said he appreciates what I'm doing, keep it going. He's never been a Jehovah's Witness, but he and his wife were raised in similar, very strict religious homes. And it really moves me because, you know, Man, each day, and like I told him, every day that passes is like a learning experience for me. And I've just been thinking, focusing about Jehovah's Witnesses. But there are other strict, fundamental, controlling religions out there. And so he said he's never been a Jehovah's Witness, but... He and his wife raised in similar ways, appreciates the message I'm putting out, keep it going. And also said, oh, what was the part that really got me? Oh, the part that really touched me because it's something I believe in too. He said that he and his wife, like they endeavor to raise their children together. Better and differently. Than they were raised. And so that. I say all of that. To bring me. To what I wanted to talk about. In episode two. Is. You know how most of us were raised. For the majority of my life. I'm sorry for the majority. Well I was raised that way for all my life. But my daughter. She'll be 18. Soon and. For the majority of her life, you know, we were raising her as a witness. And so it's like children raised in that environment, we go through so much mentally and emotionally. It's a lot. And like my family, none of us are active Jehovah's Witnesses anymore. All of us just seem so much happier. No, not seem happier. We are happier. Without all the control. Without that rigorous schedule that kept you just dead ass tired weekly. Without the guilt troops. Without the constant fear. Oh, I do this. God is going to destroy me. Like, there's no... way to live and so many of us are like that you know we were raised around that religious cult and so i was thinking as i was driving today i want to put this out there that like each of us we are different we have different backgrounds different circumstances different viewpoints my personal viewpoint is i don't blame my parents for them raising me as a witness child and a young adult my parents came into contact with witnesses there was a couple going from door to door and this is in 1965 and if you remember about that time period in the United States there was a lot of civil unrest African Americans Blacks were trying to get rights and civil rights to be treated decently And so both of them, both my parents were born in Mississippi. Around 1955, they moved to Chicago, but it was still civil unrest, even in Chicago. And my father, he, as a teen, he was just kind of lost, got in trouble in Chicago as a teen. And the police, they were pretty blunt with them. They were like, either you join the military or you go to jail. So, like, you know, that's right, man. We too pretty for damn jail. So he went to the military. He joined the Navy. And he did some time in the Navy. He got out right before like the missile, the Cuban Missile Crisis. Like he said, that scared him to death. But he got out. Got a job. And a huge electronic company that made televisions in Chicago. But he said there was always something in the back of his mind, like there has to be something better than what's going on now. So much prejudice, so much injustice, there has to be something. And, you know, here comes the knock on the door. Me and my mom, they're a new couple. They have a, my sister, you know, so they have an infant. Knock on their door as witnesses and they have that little blue book, the truth book. The truth that leads to everlasting life. So, imagine you're a confused young man and a young woman. You see all this injustice in the world and, you know, here comes someone Selling you a dream. Like, just painting the perfect picture. I remember this was in 1965. And, you know, they were saying the end is close. We're in the last days. You know the spiel. God is going to do away with all unrighteousness on earth. It's going to be a paradise earth. And, you know, my parents said that sounded great to them. Like, it gave them hope. And if you, I mean, just do your history. Like, they grew up as young kids in the 50s, like the mid-40s and the 50s, in freaking Mississippi. Do your research to learn what type of atmosphere they came from, things they saw, things that were happening to not only grown-ups, but to kids in that prejudiced-ass state they lived in. And so you come to Chicago, you're still dealing with prejudice. So imagine the message that the Bible have. It sounded appealing to them. Like they studied. They got baptized. And, you know, they've been faithful to that religion, to God, ever since then. And so I was raised in it. You know, my parents, they wholeheartedly believed in it. I did, too. You did, too. Like, we all, before we opened our eyes, like, we believed in it. It was our way of life. So, that's why I say I don't blame my parents. It did. It did them good. And I said this, I think it was on... One of my shorter videos that I put on TikTok and Instagram. There are some aspects of the truth when it's coming straight from the Bible. When it's God's word and his message. There are aspects to that truth that I love. I absolutely love. Because I feel... That God being our creator, he knows what's best for us, how we should live. And so I believe that being in that religion from that point of view, strictly from the Bible, helped my parents, helped many others. It helped me. You know, like if I didn't have what I learned from the Bible to reign me in as a teenager, as a young adult, I would have went crazy. I would have, yeah, been doing any and everything. I'll tell you that right now. So it kept me at bay, like spiritually, mentally, physically. So yeah, from that aspect, things straight from the Bible, coming from Jehovah's mouth, I agree with it. And I say it helped me and my family. And I'm sure many of you picked up different things that helped you through our life. So yeah, I don't blame my parents. It was a strict... regimented religion to come up in I've mentioned in my other videos the things that we go through as young children and teens coming up in that religious cult because it's so strict and it's so overbearing and you know you have to watch every little thing you do every aspect and as a kid so many things So I have to go to school. I can't associate with them too much. I have to rub elbows with them because we're in school together. There's things we have to do. But watch my association. I can't stand up to salute the flag. That's wrong. I can't celebrate birthdays when the class celebrates a birthday. Can't do that. go to a holiday party with the class. So for birthday parties and holiday parties, I have to go either sit in the library or I have to go sit in the office or sit in the room alone. Okay, check. It's just like all these things. And then on top of that, you know, I came, when I came up, it was like three meetings a week. So, you know, the family, we're studying for each meeting. And like, I'll break it down for you. Like our particular week, Tuesday, we had the book study. It was called One Hour. So, you know, we prepare for that like on Monday. After school and work, we're shoving dinner down our throat, going to the book study. Most of my life, my father was the book study conductor. So he wants to get there at a good time. All right, get that out of the way. Wednesday, we're studying for the Theocratic Ministry School and Service meeting. That was a two-hour meeting on Thursday. So we're studying for that. Same thing on Thursday. You know, get home from school, bust out homework, got to get dinner ready, got to clean the kitchen, off to the hall because my father was at Theocratic Ministry School while I was here. He wanted to be there at a good time. So off we go. And like when we, man, when I was a boy, like the kids now, and I told my kids, they have it easy. At least you all like had a little preschool themed workbook and videos to look at. Like when I was a kid in the 70s and early 80s, it was like you studying deep things like deep topics that most of me and my friends didn't even understand what we were talking about. And you're in publications that if you were fortunate to have a picture in there somewhere, it was a black and white picture. And then we do the Theocratic Ministry School for an hour. Then you go to the service meeting. That's an hour. And that's out of the Our Kingdom Ministry. And it's, again, just like Words, words, words, words, words. So many words. So many scriptures. And that's back when they wanted you to study for the meeting and write notes in the margins and look up scriptures and write those scriptures in the margins. Like your magazine and book had to be full of ink. That's what I came up in. You know, I'm sure the ones as it gradually, you know, the 80s, 90s and the 2000s and then like 2016 and on got super damn spoiled got electronic devices and yeah but I came up when it was like freaking war so Thursday two hour meeting Friday got kind of a little break since it wasn't a meeting the next day so that was a little bit of break but field service was Saturday and the household I grew up in You didn't ask, you know, are we going out tomorrow? Like, I knew. Like, have your ass at the door at 845 because we're leaving. So, field service Saturday. Later on, Saturday night, we're studying the Watchtower Lesson for Sunday. And the Watchtower Lesson, man, they have amazing. Now, sometimes it's like 15, 17, 18 paragraphs long. Man, when I was a boy, some of the magazine articles had like 25 damn paragraphs. 26. Long. So, we studied at Watchtower Saturday night. Sunday is the meeting. Two hours again. Like, when I was a boy, public talk was a full 60 minutes. 60 minutes. Like, don't Man, if that brother was a boring ass speaker, 60 minutes of fighting sleep and getting pinched by your mom. Then you have to watch tower study. Chill out a little bit Sunday and then Monday. We're doing that all over again. So it's like very regimented for a kid to come up that way. It was rough. But again, keep in mind what they were telling us. Like, keep doing what you're doing, brothers and sisters, because the end is so very near. And that's how they always put it at assemblies and conventions. You know, what do you think that's doing to us cult members? It's got us foaming at the mouth with excitement. Like every assembly, that's what they would tell us when it's wrapping up Sunday. Brothers and sisters, please keep doing what you're doing. Because that end is so very near. Here we are in 2025. At the very last of the last of the final part of the last of the last days. And it's the same old spiel from them. But it's like to come up as a kid and all of it. It's a lot. And, you know, I'm listening to, we all came up in different stages in the evolution of the organization, but I just wanted to share, like, you know, I'm old. So that's what I came up in. Like, it was very, very, it was a lot, a lot of studying, a lot of just and control and you know not to mention you're doing that as a kid and then I just thought about this like you're also occasionally preparing parts like you know I had to do bible readings get those together I don't know how familiar you are with the organization but when I started giving Bible readings it was a whole thing you had verses to read but you had to come up with an introduction sometimes you would like stop reading and kind of say something to drive down a point especially if you're working on something out of the student guidebook you know you may stop after a verse talk a little bit about what you just read whet their appetite for what you're about to read to finish it. And then you have to give a conclusion. And again, tie it in to what you're working on in the student guidebook. So it was like, here I am, like eight years old, doing it. And I got to a point, you know, I would have, when I first started, I would have my father help me. And it got to a point, like nine or ten, and I just started developing my own talks. It would scare him to death because he didn't know what I was going to say when I got up there. But, you know, he soon figured out how I was like by the book. I love the truth. Like even as a kid, like I loved going to the Kingdom Hall. I watched brothers who did things, who had assignments and privileges. I followed them around learning things. That's how I like started learning. doing sound at such a young age because I would just sit there and watch them do it. And one day I just started doing it and they were like, you know how to do this, huh? I was like, yeah, I've been watching you all for years. So I loved it. You know, so I was developing my own talks at a young age. As a preteen, they moved me to remember, I think it was like talk number five was the discussion talk where you had a subject or a point to work on and you developed a five minute talk. So yeah, when I was a preteen, I moved to that level. And again, I loved it. I didn't blame my parents for it. Our whole mindset was we're thankful for this. We're glad we're being taught by Jehovah. Jehovah is helping us live in a way that pleases him. So, yeah, it wasn't ever any animosity for the hard work that went into being a witness. Like, I loved it. When it came to... When I was a teen and it came... Because I see a lot of individuals say, you know, they felt coerced to get baptized or pressured And I will say, you know, personally, I did see that in the congregation. Some parents would kind of strong arm their kid to get baptized, which, you know, I didn't agree with. My parents didn't agree with it. And they, my father, he's, you know, I'm like him, pretty straightforward, black and white, you know, lay it on the line. And you know, different family studies we would have. And, you know, he would explain, you know, I'm an elder and we're supposed to be examples for the congregation. And, you know, as elders' kids, we had to, you know, make sure our conduct was good because it, like, if we were bad, you know, it would bring a reproach on his name and his position being an elder. And I didn't want that. I always thought that was so unfair. And I voiced my opinion to them too. I was like, that is unfair. If I do something, you'll get in trouble. Like as a young person, I could not understand. But then the older I got, you know, I understand what all that was about. But they never, my parents never said you need to get baptized by this age. And that's something I always appreciate about them. Because My sister, they always told us we, when we felt we were ready to get baptized, you know, you can, we'll support you. My sister, she got baptized when she was nine. Like, she knew it's what she wanted. She was built different than me. Sorry. Yeah, my sister passed away last September. But, uh... She was built different than me. Like, we got baptized when she was nine. Never, ever got in trouble. Like... Never had to be in a committee meeting or anything. And she was a regular pioneer for years. She had a two-year battle with cancer. And... Yeah. When she passed away, she was still a pioneer. But... Sorry. Oh, man. So, yeah, she got baptized when she was nine. The only thing my father would tell me was, you know, you like doing things around the congregation, which I did, like the sound and microphones. They weren't as strict when I was coming up about, you know, you had to be baptized to do certain privileges around the kingdom hall, but, you know, he would just tell me, you know, the more you want to do the more privileges you want you know you would have to be baptized that's all he would tell me and I understood he started telling me that when I was about 14 and so yeah when I was 16 I just decided like you know I think I'm ready to dedicate my life to Jehovah and get baptized And I told them, first thing out of his mouth is, are you sure? Like, you know, you know what it entails. And we studied, uh, some information about it. So it's like, I really appreciate how he and my mom, like never did I feel forced to get baptized. Uh, I made that decision, and even when I told him I was ready, we studied a couple of times, and he asked me, like, so is this what you want to do? Are you sure? And I told him, yeah. Went over the questions. I was 16, got baptized in November of 1986. So it's like, you know, I think back to my childhood. And yeah, I have no regrets because at that time, yeah, I love being a Jehovah's Witness. You know, I felt it made me a better person. And again, I'm talking strictly like things from the Bible. things that I'm learning from the Bible in meetings and assemblies I took like delight in it in learning how God can mold me to be better because I knew like you know you know your own mind and you know your tendencies you know things that affect you or things you really really have to work on and so I felt like through His words of the Bible, Jehovah was helping me. So, yeah, I loved it. And never once did I blame my parents. Or, you know, hold any contempt for them. I think, yeah, I don't think I know they love the truth. My father especially. My mom, she's suffering now. with dementia right now, but you know, I, and I've said this to some that I've spoken to, like, I know what I believe now. I know how I feel, but my parents, uh, being in their early eighties, like from 1965, this is, this was their life. this is what they know and I was telling someone I would just oh man this is like a freaking emotional episode uh I would just rather them finish their life out uh with the hope that they have you know Like I know how I feel and I have my reasons, but when it comes to them, I just want them to be happy and like, hold on to that hope. So yeah, no regrets I have a younger brother too and they did the best that they could with the three of us you know with the truth And like I said, my sister, she passed away a pioneer, a regular pioneer. My brother, he's 10 years younger than me. He's an elder. So, as you may have guessed, I was like the black sheep. I was the middle child. So, yeah. I always... Like, I've told you all before, I question everything. And that's just who I am. My sister and my brother, they kind of just like, whatever you told them, they just like, you know, they're okay with it. They listen to it. I was the one like, why? Why do we have to do it that way? Why does this say that? Like, explain this to me. And Yeah, that's just how I was. We all have our own personality traits, but like I said, it was a good life, you know, with me and my family. I don't blame my parents for how I came up. I enjoyed it. I liked my I call it a spiritual career, or the things and the privileges that I had, the things that I did within the organization and the congregation. Like, yeah, I had a good spiritual career. It's something that I believed in. And, you know, I still have faith in God. I just don't have faith in men, especially those that run the organization. known as Jehovah's Witnesses. So my belief system is a little bit different now than how I grew up, but I still feel the same. They paint the picture that if you leave that religion, that you hit rock bottom and you just live in the wild, life of sin and debauchery, but yeah, it's not like that. You still have your core belief system, but I think right now all of us are just kind of like fine-tuning everything. And we're deprogramming what was drilled into our heads over and over. Like, You know, and that takes some work because as you all just, you know, witness, I got emotional, uh, thinking about family and like what my life changes now, how that would affect them. So we're all going through, uh, our vulnerable moments. Um, I feel bad to a certain extent, but then I feel good about my choices because I have to stay true to who I am and my personal belief system and my personal core values. And because of that, I just couldn't align myself with that religious cult anymore. And I think that's why I take the soft stance that I have for the witnesses that do pop up on my post sometimes. Because if they come at me the right way, you know, I'm very empathetic with them. And I tell each and every one of them, look, I was you. I was very proactive. Jehovah's Witness. Nothing you could tell me wrong about it. And I would defend it. It would make my blood boil hearing people talk about it in a negative way. So I get it. And I get why they pop up on my posts. And that's why I am doing what I am doing because one day one of them might see something that i post or that i say or that one of you comment and it may give them that aha moment that that we had and so i made a video today house like is any of them popped up on my post i'm not gonna be mean i'm not gonna like lose my temper anymore i'm not gonna curse them out like If they ask something in a nice way, respectfully, I'll answer. But if they are just there to bash us or myself or to tell us they can't wait to laugh when God destroys us, then I'm not going to engage. I won't even acknowledge them. So I have nothing against individuals who are still in that religion. Because we all were brainwashed and led astray. Given false hopes, false dreams. Some of us were abused, neglected, put in harm's way. And, you know, we woke up. and so what we can do now is stay positive stay unified together support one another show up on each other's posts as much as possible and just show each other love like that's what we need now we've stripped ourselves of a very stringent controlling manipulative religious cult and so We have to be the positivity for one another. And that's what I'm trying to do each and every day. And yeah. So I wanted to just address that, you know, about my parents, because I've been hearing that a lot about how many felt forced. And I'm not doubting. I'm not doubting you. I'm not. downplaying it I just wanted to from my perspective say how it was for me coming up and my decision to get baptized like I wasn't coerced I wasn't forced I loved being in that religion so I did it because I wanted to and so yeah I just wanted to clear that up and whoo yeah That turned into something I wasn't expecting. But, I mean, that's what you're going to get from me. Realness. Like, I don't have anything scripted. I'm not reading off anything. I'm just sitting here talking into my podcast microphone. I just talk to you. What's on my mind, what's on my heart. So, I hope you enjoyed this episode. Again, I am on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Reddit, Twitter, YouTube. You just look up XJDub, E-X-J-B-U-B. Yeah, look up XJDub and you will find me. I would appreciate your support, your follows. My podcast, like I said, I'll keep it on. I have my link tree in the bio of all my social media platforms. That was a mouthful. So that's where you'll find my podcast. And like I said, I'm going to, as I add the podcast to different platforms, because some people might be on Spotify, some on Apple. So I'll let everyone know the various platforms too. Right now I'm on a platform called Podbean and Spotify. So I appreciate your support as always. This is just the beginning of our journey together. But I appreciate each and every one of you. Much love, peace, and happiness. Go make it a great day.