During WWII the horrific extermination of religious and ethnic groups forced people to denounce their faith and hail Hitler for their own survival. Owen Morgan, former JW and successful YouTuber  @OwenMorganTelltale  dove into the rabbit hole to extensively research the position and stories of the JW people at the time. He explains how Joseph Franklin Rutherford, the second leader of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, made an attempt to align with the Nazi regime to  maintain freedom of worship. However, he took things a step further, actively harming the witnesses and taking the religion in a cultic direction. 

Click here to watch on YouTube

Watch our initial interview with Owen:

The Extremely Isolated Life of Growing Up Jehovah's Witness

Find Owen on Social Media:

YT: https://www.youtube.com/@OwenMorganTelltale

IG: @owenmorgantelltale 

Website:  www.owenmorgan.com

Book: Was Hitler an Atheist? 

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**Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.**

Chapter marks:

00:00:00 Intro

00:03:09 Owen's motivation for researching the N*zi's treatment of Jehovah's Witnesses during World War II

00:04:26 Owen's reasons for leaving the church

00:06:36 German Christian national*sm and H*tler's connection to the Jehovah's Witnesses

00:10:53 Rutherford's letter to H*tler

00:12:10 JW's support of N*zism vs the well known rule of no politics

00:15:44 Frank's story as a JW  in N*zi Germany

00:21:24 Paul Balzereit's story

00:23:40 How JW's were forced into signing the declaration to H*tler

00:25:35 How Rutherford came into leadership and the changes he brought

00:31:51 Why Rutherford released the statement and the resiliency of JW members

00:37:44 Corruption in leadership of Jehovah's Witnesses vs Mormonism

00:41:15 Rac*sm in the Jehovah's Witness religion and Mormonism

00:44:46 Different schisms of Jehovah's Witnesses and their similarities with the main group

00:48:17 Word of wisdom hot drinks vs caffeine debate in Mormonism

00:51:44 How and why trivial religious rules and how they can dictate people's entire lives

00:57:21 Other recent changes to the religion

01:00:05 Financial holdings and corruption in the JW religion

01:07:17 Guilt and being a good person as a Jehovah's Witness

01:13:03 Linda, listen

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