Strategy

Are Jehovah’s Witnesses a Cult?

It is counter-productive to tell anyone they are in a cult and Jehovah’s Witnesses reject such a notion. The definition of “cult” encompasses all religious groups, but the word “cult” conjures images of communes, rituals, a charismatic leader, and followers ready to kill or die for their cause. More pertinent is to identify whether a religion is “high-control,” manipulating followers through “undue influence” or “coercive persuasion.”

Can You Convince Your Parents Their Religion is Wrong?

It is frustrating to be raised as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses when you know it is not the truth. If you could prove that to your parents, they would leave and life would be better for everyone. Not so fast. Sure it would be great if the whole family stopped going to meetings, but the chances of you convincing your parents what they believe is wrong is very low.  

Helping Jehovah’s Witness Family Leave

When you first find information disproving Watchtower teachings, you will be eager to share it with your family, thinking it obvious they too will accept the volumes of proof Jehovah’s Witnesses are not the truth. Slow down. It is not easy to change a person’s belief, no matter how many facts you show them. The opposite is likely to happen, your family will become more entrenched in what they believe, and reject you instead. 

Does Money Bring Happiness?

The topic of money and happiness is important for Jehovah’s Witnesses, as Watchtower frequently discusses this correlation. A realistic understanding of finance is important due to the effect money has on stress and happiness, both now and in your future.

How do I Become Independent?

The idea of becoming independent is both exciting and terrifying. If you’re in a household that’s less than ideal, figuring out how to get by on your own is something that’s better sorted sooner rather than later. There are five important steps with developing self-sufficiency.

Safety on the Internet

It is wise to understand general internet safety, as outlined at places such as https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_safety. Whilst these articles discuss online scams and predators, there are additional factors you need to consider if you are having doubts as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Rule number 1 – do not get caught researching Jehovah’s Witnesses. 

Cognitive Dissonance

You may have found information that convinces you Watchtower is not the truth, yet when you discuss it with family or friends, they dismiss it as unimportant. They may even become angry and attack you and your motives. The reason behind this reaction is referred to as cognitive dissonance, which describes why people retain a belief despite being aware of evidence it is wrong.

How to Leave

Once you realise this is not the truth, you will probably want to stop going to meetings and leave the religion. It is common to feel passionate and angry about having been forced to live a life based upon deception, and tell everyone. Be careful, because this will lead to elder’s meetings, your parents becoming stricter, and if you are baptised, being removed, or even kicked out of home.

How to Make Friends

Key to a plan to fade away from Jehovah’s Witnesses is a support group; friends that are not Jehovah’s Witnesses. This is critical. If you have no one when you leave, loneliness can lead to depression, making you vulnerable to crawling back to the religion as a broken person, or being taken advantage of by people that do not have your best intentions at heart. 

How do you make friends?

Meeting With Elders

It is never a good thing to receive a request to meet with Elders. The best that can happen is the status quo; that is, things just stay the same as they are. All other outcomes will be worse, ranging from being marked to being disfellowshipped.

The advice in this article is based on the assumption that the best scenario for you is to avoid trouble. 

Should I leave Home?

This question appears regularly on forums and in emails sent to sites about Jehovah’s Witnesses. In fact, this question led to the formation of this site, as the founders recognized there are a large number of youth in need of support through this difficult phase. 

Depending on circumstances and the strictness of parents, thoughts can range from frustration, to depression and even suicide. If you are not coping, please read I Feel Suicidal. 

A Therapist’s Guide to Jehovah’s Witnesses

This section is for therapists whose client reveals involvement with Jehovah’s Witnesses. A complaint from former Jehovah’s Witnesses seeking professional assistance is that their religious experience was downplayed and not understood. This article covers the most important factors for offering constructive guidance.