Strategy
Once you no longer believe Jehovah’s Witnesses teachings, or decide you do not want to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses anymore, it is essential you take time to decide your next steps. It is natural to want to tell others how you feel, or about information you have found, but the consequences can be drastic and cause life long damage. Please take time to look through this section to understand what will happen if you tell others you no longer believe, and options on how to leave.
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...
How To Leave
Once you come to the realisation what you are being taught to believe 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. You...
Live Support
If you are researching Jehovah’s Witnesses it is only natural to have questions. There is a large community of current and former Jehovah’s Witnesses at reddit.com/r/exjw to discuss these with. You will receive a wide range of responses, and part of your growth will be to develop critical thinking skills in order to choose the opinions that are best for you and your unique circumstances.
Recovering From Religion offers peer support and professional support to people doubting their beliefs. Volunteers of this not-for-profit organization come from a range of religious backgrounds, and provide support to people regardless of which religion they belong to.
Questioning whether Jehovah’s Witnesses are the one true religion can lead to anxiety and depression and even thoughts of suicide. If you are experiencing such emotions, please seek help immediately. There are many free resources you can call for confidential assistance.
- Australia: 13 11 14
- Canada: 1833.456.4566
- UK: 116 123
- USA: 1800-273-8255
International Crisis Lines and suicidestop.com contain lists of free support lines for almost 100 countries.