Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses-Critical Thinkers » Critical Thought Podcast

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The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses stakes claims that they are Gods Spokesmen. 

Check out this quote from their 2013 Watchtower:

"At that time, the lifesaving direction that we receive from Jehovah’s organization may not appear practical from a human standpoint. All of us must be ready to obey any instructions we may receive, whether these appear sound from a strategic or human standpoint or not."

November 15, 2013 Watchtower, p.20

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If you know the history behind the Jehovah's Witness religion, you are well aware of how it feels being at odds with the beliefs once you realize it is not the truth. Many JW's are in a quandary where they have to fake it just to survive. That is what being a PIMO is all about. It is an acronym for Physically In, Mentally Out. To further explain, it's all about pretending to believe so that you don't lose your family and social structure.

The term PIMO was coined several years ago to identify the growing number of individuals that are trapped in the religion for one reason or another. Because of the strict shunning  policy, Jehovah's Witnesses realize they can lose everything if they allow others to know how they truly feel about the organization. They stand to lose their marriage, job, friends, home, and anything else that connects them to a person that holds the cards to any situation as it relates to their livelihood.

This podcast delves into the lives of members at the world headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses aka Bethel. During the COVID-19 lockdown, members at Bethel experienced a very turbulent time as they were not permitted to leave the premises. They report alcohol abuse, domestic violence, depression and even suicidal thoughts.

Source of this video: exjwbethelelder (Reddit)
https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/v9mgao/a_special_message_from_a_pimo_bethel_elder_see/

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Meet Jonathan, a former Jehovah's Witness that realized something was wrong with the teachings long before he learned the truth behind the organization. As he states in this interview, things just did not sit right. He knew something was amiss, but could not pinpoint the issues.

If you have questions about his experience or may be able to relate to him and want to reach out, Jonathan can be reached at [email protected].

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#exjw #JehovahWitness #exjwcriticalthinker

You've no doubt heard of the term PIMO which means Physically In, Mentally Out. This is how Jehovah's Witnesses that are trapped in the religion but no longer believe it is the truth but they remain in the congregation because they do not want to lose their family.

Justin's PIMO story is much more than that because he was literally in survival mode while pretending to be a Jehovah's Witness. His entire livelihood was in danger if the brothers at the Kingdom Hall really knew how he felt about the Watchtower, Bible & Tract Society. In fact, he was facing the possibility of losing his job because not only the owner of the company, but approximately 80% of the staff were all Jehovah's Witnesses. Therefore, if Justin were to leave the religion, he may as well be quitting his job too.

It is interesting how Jehovah's Witnesses may seem to feel slighted because people do not want to deal with them and their religious beliefs. Yet, when it is convenient for them, they turn around and treat people the exact same way for choosing to leave their group.

Be sure to check out Justin's channel at EXJW Diaries https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsYLpWKwDlJUrp_SipTHAQQ

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What does it mean to be a PIMO? The acronym stands for Physically In, Mentally Out.
It is a term that is used for individuals that no longer believe in the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses but they are unable to leave for fear of shunning.

THE GROWING NUMBER OF PIMO'S IS ASTOUNDING.

We receive countless emails from individuals waking up all over the world.
It is amazing how the Internet has been a game changer for many people and they are receiving a confirmation by going online and meeting up with likeminded individuals learning the real truth about the Watchtower.

Do not allow fear to keep you from knowledge. You should always continue searching for information and knowledge. Never allow an organization to hi-jack your mind and keep you from living your life to the fullest. Never does the scriptures tell people to stop living for a future date.

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How to Reach VEVIAN VOZMEDIANO

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  ABOUT VEVIAN
  Learning how to live after leaving or getting disfellowshipped from the Jehovah's Witnesses is a challenging journey. It destroys your whole approach to life. It's like the rug gets pulled out from under you in every way because the organization defined everything about your life. It defined who you were, what you believed in, your relationships, your purpose in life, your view of the world, your view of the future, and your view on what happened to us after we die. Being part of it is how you made sense of the world.
  
  As a Jehovah's Witness, you were taught to be "no part of this world." The religion made you believe that it was only "Jehovah's people" who had "the truth". I'm here to tell you otherwise.
  
  When Jesus said, "the truth will set you free," he was speaking of your OWN truth. Living your truth means that you unapologetically embrace who you are and present that true self to the world. Your authentic self is the self that will most benefit you and the lives of those you encounter.
  
  Leaving or getting shunned from the organization and not having your voice as a woman can leave you feeling psychologically and mentally stunted and incapable of making life decisions. You could be feeling helpless, suicidal, numb, riddled with guilt and shame, angry, suffer from sleep deprivation, eating disorders, substance abuse, anxiety, depression, and interpersonal dysfunction.
  
  It is heroic of you to say NO to the organization and no longer want to be part of it. Possibly for the first time in your life, you are starting to ask yourself, what do I want and believe?
  
  Welcome to your healing journey and finding your truth.
  In a very real way, you have to re-create your identity from scratch.
  I know what what this feels like.
  
  I was disfellowshipped in December 2011. I wrote four letters to get back into the organization in 2 years. I missed everyone, including my mom, who has been a regular pioneer for 30+ years. After these two years of getting rejected re-entry, I decided I wanted to see what life was like in the real world. It turns out it's pretty INCREDIBLE!
  
  I've dedicated the last ten years of my life to my healing journey of finding my own truth. This journey of self-awareness, self-inquiry, self-acceptance and self-compassion led me to the path of self-love. It turns out, the only person you need approval from is yourself!
  
  Along my healing path, I've picked up tools, habits, and tactics that I'm sharing in this program.
  
  This program is intended to help support you and help you discover who you are outside of the Jehovah's Witnesses. The group format and setting will provide a safe space to connect with like-minded individuals who will intern empower you on your journey.
  
  During these eight weeks, you will take a deep dive into your inner world to unlock what you believe, who you are, and help you connect with your full potential!
  
  Please consider supporting our work on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/exjwcriticalthinker
  
  Check out our t-shirt designs: https://exjwcriticalthinker.myspreadshop.com/all
  
  How to Contact Us
  We appreciate hearing from our viewers; however, we do not have enough staff or resources to communicate with everyone. We rarely check messages in our social media platforms (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.), therefore, if you want to reach us, email us directly at the email address listed below:
   

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You can visit Amira aka Tuffryda at the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCROI7_fBzYBC4wmJZS3Cs6Q

In this episode, Amira discusses what it was like growing up as one of Jehovah's Witnesses and the difficulties she faced in school. Neither one of her parents were baptized as Jehovah's Witnesses, but Amira's mother was born and raised in the religion. Her mother, a person that didn't accept the religion as her own, allowed her mother to instill the beliefs in her daughter.

Amira tells her story about what it was like navigating her educational pursuits and the difficulties she faced trying to decide whether or not she should attend college. Mainly, because her Jehovah's Witness family didn't encourage higher education, but her academic advisors were telling her to move forward with her interests in learning.

Of course, no one talks about how much it costs to go to a four year university. So, in this episode, Amira helps other young people her age to understand the difficulties she faced and hopes to steer you in a better direction.


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#exjw #JehovahWitness #exjwcriticalthinker #Jehovah'sWitnessRelationships

This episode will be one of many in a series educating the public about Jehovah's Witnesses and relationships.

The information contained herein is from our perspective and what we have seen. Trust and believe, there are many more sides to this coin. It is just one of many that we will be presenting to the audience to see how Jehovah's Witnesses think and view relationships. The religion simply makes relationships more difficult because it sets up false titles and positions that people want to attain and when they do not materialize, it can wreak havoc in the lives of its members.

We regularly receive email's from individuals asking us for our advice about pursuing relationships with Jehovah's Witnesses. There are many different combinations of issues pertaining to these relationships. Some are married to disfellowshipped Jehovah's Witnesses and didn't realize it until their significant other decided to return to the Kingdom Hall. Others met the Witness on the job and began seriously dating all to find out that the person wanted them to join the group or else they would have to terminate their relationship.

We realize that in order to help educate individuals about being married to a Jehovah's Witness, it would be best for them to see what it is like when both parties are baptized in the faith. Once you see how stressful it can be for two people that are both willing participants in the religion and the issues they face, it makes it easier to help unbelievers to see the possible difficulties they will face.

In this video, we discuss the basics about how Jehovah's Witness women are pressured to marry individuals that are ministerial servants. We also provide experiences of several individuals that realize their past mistakes about getting married too young. 

Please consider supporting our work on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/exjwcriticalthinker 

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Autism Awareness

Our guest, reached out to us to tell her story about what it was like living with Autism and trying to fit into with the Jehovah's Witness culture.

Autism in Adults
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/autism-learning-disabilities/autism-in-adults.htm
https://www.autism.org/autism-symptoms-and-diagnosis-in-adults/

Autism - Mayo Clinic
https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/topics/autism

Early Identification of Autism
https://neurosciences.ucsd.edu/centers-programs/autism/early/signs.html

Autism Society
https://www.autism-society.org/what-is/symptoms/

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