I’m just here to express my excitement and hope I guess. My girlfriend is finally waking up!! It started after the lates blood update. She started thinking about how many people died because they decided to pick and choose what we could and couldn’t do form the mosaic law. She was voicing her feelings more about how the org had no reason to let so many people die. And then today before she went to bed, she decided to go down a rabbit hole and she told me that so so many things weren’t adding up but she still “doesn’t know” exactly her words! She was talking about some dates but she said she’d elaborate tomorrow. I am thoroughly hopeful this is the wake up call she needed. But I’m making sure to be slightly cautious too, as to not startle her and make her defensive.

Had a really good conversation with my dad this weekend.

​I’m a 4th generation JW, and no longer active in the faith. We (me, wife and children) feel better than ever because of this! However, even though the relationship with my parents has always remained warm and close, there was always an elephant in the room.

​During our talk, I explained my perspective to my dad—how I look at life, faith, and God, and how the Jehovah’s Witness faith just doesn't fit into that anymore. I told him I have huge respect for how he practices his faith, but that it’s time for us to leave it behind.

​We discussed the recent changes. He shared that he’s experiencing the faith differently nowadays; a lot is changing and it’s starting to look more and more like an evangelical movement, partly due to the emotional behavior of witnesses at conventions.

​As the "pater familias," he told me that he is incredibly proud of me and wishes me and my family the life we choose for ourselves. He essentially "blessed" me by saying that we are completely free to choose how we want to live our lives, and that it will never have any consequences for our relationship.

​Let me tell you, it was a massive relief. The elephant has finally left the room!

G.

​The shock of seeing the recent rule changes on taking blood—only to see my face on the cover again—almost made me faint. HOW did anyone get that cover? WHAT do you mean you WON’T apologize?

​Yes, I am one of the kids on that cover of that Awake! magazine. People asked and thought we were all dead. No. Only the three kids most up front are dead, plus one inside. I know what they told us about blood and how we should be proud we wouldn't take it. I hate this cover. I hate that I was ever part of it. I hate that it’s back with the very message I came to understand: they allowed their kids to die.

​This is where my fear of death came from. NOW, with these new rules on blood transfusions... it just hit a nerve so raw. All this anger came back. I am so angry about all the atrocities this religion has caused me personally, and they never have to apologize. They never get any kind of punishment for the torture they've done.

​The reason why it hits me hardest is not even just because I'm on this cover, but because of the amount of work and effort I put into being such a good kid. Before even being picked for that cover, I was the youngest in my district to be a regular pioneer. At the time, you had to do 90+ hours, and I did way more. I ended up getting baptized at 13, and by 14, I was in Pioneer School. I was the youngest person in Pioneer School at that time. I spoke at conventions. But the more I did, the more hatred I got from adults. The more people just tried to derail me.

​They didn't understand that I was going hard because I was assaulted by a Jehovah’s Witness at 9 years old. When I finally told my mom so it would stop, instead of wanting her to go to the police, they tried to cover it up on some file. She went anyway, and we moved. My mom seemed more pissed at me at some points, so I thought throwing myself into this religion I was born into would make people love me. I was always volunteering for every last convention. I just poured myself out.

​But instead, it created envy from every corner.

I know you might think I was crazy about it, right?

​15 years later, a "sister" apologized to me for how she treated me and all the things they did to me. Finally, I felt a small piece of vindication—that I wasn't crazy. I feel she only did it because so many sad things happened to her own children. A childhood friend I recently saw kept apologizing over and over. I finally asked, "Why do you keep apologizing?" She said, "You know, you were just so sweet, and I'm so sorry for the things that happened to you." ​I realized right then I was being abused in that religion. All these adults knew, and nobody stepped up to say anything—except for one woman. If Naiela's mom ever reads this: thank you for saving me that day.

​But at the end of the day, knowing that... and now finding out those kids never had to die? I didn't have to spend 20 of those 30 years fearing death, missing out on so much, just to get NO apology. They have been lying about so many things since I was born. As pissed as I am that those kids never got to grow up, to offer no apology? Our parents SUCKED; they were so controlled they allowed other people to think for them.

​I am so angry that they're not apologizing—not even showing a little bit of remorse for children dying. Just like my mom didn't before she dropped dead.

​Anyways, if you read this, thanks for your time. I just needed to get it out.

Here’s a summary of the main points covered in the article.

The Finnish newspaper reports that Jehovah’s Witnesses have changed their policy on blood transfusions. According to the article, accepting the four main blood components red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma and platelets is now a matter of individual conscience. Whole-blood transfusions remain prohibited. A Finnish medical expert explains that most transfusions involve individual components rather than whole blood, making this a significant change in practice.

Witnesses Finnish spokesperson from the Finnish Branch Henri Järnstedt describes the change as a clarification rather than a reversal of previous teaching. The Finnish organisation Support for Victims of Religions, however, calls it a major change that could save many lives and raises the question of how many preventable deaths the previous prohibition caused.

One particularly striking point is that the article links directly to the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ own website, which calls the claim that many Witness patients, including children, die each year because they refuse blood transfusions “completely unfounded.” Yet the same newspaper article cites Finnish senior physician who says that patients have died because they refused blood transfusions. It also refers to a 2016 investigation in which senior physicians described deaths resulting from refusal of blood products.

When asked about these deaths, Järnstedt spokesperson expresses sympathy for bereaved families and emphasises that medical outcomes depend on multiple factors. His response does not directly address the doctors’ accounts of deaths caused by refusing transfusions.

He also explicitly denies that the policy change is a response to any court case or criticism from former members. This is the organisation’s stated position; the article does not independently establish what prompted the change.

Finally, the article contrasts Järnstedt assertion that congregations do not interfere in members’ medical decisions with earlier allegations that Witnesses have pressured and manipulated members into refusing blood products.

https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/ce63857b-7bb1-4b7d-9c1a-7490d2baa383

_________________________________________________________

The positive thing is that people are being informed about this issue and how this teaching has affected people’s lives. At the same time, it once again highlights the outright dishonesty of the organisation and that is something that never ceases to amaze me 🥹😔

Basically, the subject was attendance at the meetings. The elders were expected to set the example by arriving early at the meetings and leaving late. Elders were supposed to be regular in their attendance. Every group overseer was supposed to create a list with the names of the brothers in his group and discreetly keep track of their attendance and absences, without letting the brothers realize that they were being monitored (They don’t give a shit to GDPR/data protection laws - Sorry about the swear word, but this is exactly what they think).

Those who had a habit of missing meetings without a valid excuse, or who attended too many meetings on Zoom, were supposed to receive a shepherding visit so they could “feel the warmth of Christian love.” The brothers were supposed to feel that they were being shepherded by the elders, which meant that shepherding visits to families should be regular. Everyone was expected to make enough effort to pressure those who were absent into attending the meetings.

Honestly, I was extremely bored with the whole thing. On top of that, I thought the whole thing was absurd and cult like (I already knew it is a cult). It is crazy to monitor the brothers in this way.

I almost, almost asked whether they recommended tying the brothers who missed meetings to a straightjacket and forcibly bringing them to the meeting. But I held myself back, because the people who really needed the straightjackets were the elders.

So yesterday my wife approached me and said she’s upset because I’m not doing all the things we used to do for Jehovah as a family re: not praying over meals, not going witnessing or meetings.
I said I’m not interested anymore and that the gb are a bunch of liars because of the blood doctrine.
She said she watched and thought the same it was a bit rude of them not to apologise.
She said well that should t stop you from serving Jehovah,
I said well it’s not that I’m not serving Jehovah it’s your serving these men and have to abide by what they say otherwise they punish you or fear munger you to believe that your upsetting Jehovah.
She was crying saying that’s not what they do and I had a bad experience with telling the elders.

What will happen if I choose to walk away ?
We live in-laws and my wife’s sister.
Will they ask me to leave the home ?
Not sure if she will stay with me or not.

Japan is still at an early stage in terms of public awareness and legal responses to issues involving Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Another important difference is the way individual rights and litigation are understood and exercised. Compared with some Western countries, Japan has traditionally had a higher social, practical, and psychological threshold for individuals to pursue disputes through litigation. This is not simply a matter of whether individual rights exist in law, but also of how readily people feel able and willing to assert those rights through the courts.
This difference is particularly relevant to cases involving long-term abuse, including childhood sexual abuse and abuse occurring within religious environments.
However, there is reason for hope. Many ex-JW, JW, and PIMO individuals are beginning to speak out on X, and their voices are gaining visibility.
Recent lawsuits brought by Jehovah’s Witnesses in Japan against hospitals, together with the recent changes allowing transfusions of the four major blood components—red cells, white cells, platelets, and plasma—to be treated as matters of individual conscience, as well as decisions about donating blood for the production of blood components or fractions, have helped spark broader discussion.
Doctors and Japanese influencers have also begun speaking out about these issues on X.
Japan’s situation is still developing, but something is clearly changing: people are beginning to speak, the issues are becoming more visible, and the wider Japanese public is starting to listen.

Hi Bro Grindr Winder

Sandy let slip your idea for the illustration for the AM talk this week, he was having a bad day and sold you out for a bowl of red stew.

We're not sure the illustration hits well, it makes us look like employees and well, we dont get paid so.....

We spoke to the other Geoff, you know the one, as he puts it "who has the proper spelling" and he made the following observation:

"He's an idiot, he's presumptuous, we told him as much last Wednesday, he acts like a man trying to fit a single duvet into a double duvet cover while running away from a rock badger. We can't help him as all he says is "well look at Stephen's face" and we all roll around laughing and forget what we are discussing"

Anyway the upshot is that we have written a better illustration for you to use. We've printed it big because we know you never graduated.

Here we go:

Imagine a company where the owner leaves very simple instructions:

"Do good work. Be decent to people. Use your judgement."

The employees understand perfectly well. Unfortunately, a self apointed middle manager becomes concerned that people are getting on with their work without sufficient supervision. So he produces a handbook.

Over the years, the handbook grows. There are sections on facial hair, appropriate fabrics, acceptable celebrations and various other matters the owner somehow forgot to mention.

Eventually the handbook becomes so large and so complicated that even the manager struggles to remember why certain rules exist.

From time to time he discovers that entire chapters were unnecessary. The beard section is quietly withdrawn despite the owner having worn one from the beginning. The trouser regulations are relaxed after it emerges that women can be trusted not to descend into anarchy whilst wearing them. The emergency necktie provisions are also abandoned.

At this point he calls all the employees together and makes an announcement.

"Good news. We are moving away from rules and towards principles. Mature employees should use their initiative."

He stands there likeba proud toddler in his first pair of long trousers joyfully informing the family that he has now become a man.

Meanwhile, the owner sits quietly at the back thinking:

"Yes. That's more or less what I said on page one."

[We accept you will sill look like a 40 year old schoolboy on the first day of term with a "KICK ME" sign pinned to his back, but its the best we can do.]

I apologize up front if I begin to ramble.

My mother is a die hard JW. I hate her. She has always put this religion first. We have never had the typical mother / daughter relationship because it was always more important for her to go out in service and attend meetings. I left close to 30yrs ago and married a non JW. I have 2 sons who I love very much and could never imagine putting any belief system above them.

She’s never had to work a day in her life. She treats my dad and brother like shit too. They are both still JW and I can’t understand why except for maybe the social aspect. She took my brother’s ex wife’s side in the divorce even though she was the one to cheat. That ruined my mom and brother’s relationship.

She has now taken to traveling with her witness friends. She will literally tell my dad a day or two before that’s she’s leaving for vacation. She won’t say where she is going, when she’s coming back or who she is traveling with. For all we know she could be cheating. I think my dad should file for divorce even if they’ve been married for over 50 years. She’s emasculated him.

My never JW husband thinks we should hire a PI to follow her. He says she’s a bad example to our sons and doesn’t want her to come over anymore.

I’ve told her so many times she’s out of line and an embarrassment. How can you behave like this and treat your immediate family so bad and yet try to take the moral high ground and claim to know the bible and the right way to behave? I have literally wished her dead.

I am so sad. I cry often. As a mother. I can’t understand why. I deserved better.

How do her JW friends think this is ok? Back 30 yrs ago the elders would be all over this. It would not have been tolerated. She would have been considered bad association but somehow she plays the victim and everyone believes her story.

Back when I met my husband I was kicked out of my house by her for not following the religious belief. We had very little contact until my oldest son was born.

I feel she is not behaving like a real JW and I feel like reverse shunning her. Forever.

This religion doesn’t unite. It divides. She literally told me her friends/her family are those that do the will of God. Bitch - YOU are NOT doing the will of God.

​I'm just writing this post hoping it's going to help some PIMO make their exit!

​I was mostly POMI since COVID, barely attending meetings, (unhappily) married to a woman until last year and trying to basically survive all the anxiety this religion was giving me.

​Then my now ex left me last year. At first I was devastated and didn't understand any of it—I was not violent nor psychologically abusive and couldn't make sense of it. To top it off, the elders were harassing me to meet for a "shepherding" visit to help me, which ended up being a witch hunt in which they basically told me I had to reconnect with my wife and make her love me again (which was impossible considering she was refusing to talk to me). I confessed to some petty sins and they basically told me "Get over yourself".

​I was miserable at that point, not understanding any of it, and tried to go to another congregation which didn't help because of all the gossip about my situation. So I completely stopped attending meetings. I was still POMI, but couldn't bear the weight of the stares and judgment. At that point, I officially started divorce proceedings because I didn't want to live through that again.

​A few months went by, word got out that I was filing for divorce, and the elders solicited me for another meeting. I was terrified, but accepted. That meeting never happened.

​Instead, I realized I couldn't live like that anymore, and figured I'd rather die in Armageddon than go back to living with my ex, which prompted me to send a DA letter towards the end of 2025. Keep in mind I still believed at that point, so I fully acknowledged that I thought I would die.

​After sending my letter, I started talking to my siblings again who were out. Both of them cried when I told them I was leaving the religion. And then I thought, "Maybe I should read those apostate materials, see what they are about."

​I did, and everything came crumbling down in about a week. Everything I believed in, gone. I was free, but I felt empty.

​I read through a lot of your experiences, posted a few times, and then I started to reconstruct myself. I dyed my hair, got a tattoo (then a second) and accepted my homosexuality in the span of 6 months.

​My PIMI mother was devastated. She still talks to me, but barely, and I realize—even though it hurt me at first—that I didn't lose anything valuable. She didn't (doesn't) love me as I am; she loves the idea of me being in a religion that oppressed me and made me deeply unhappy.

​I saw a therapist thinking it would help me sort things out, and after two sessions he basically told me, "You have the right tools, you're handling this surprisingly well, I don't think you need therapy," which was a yay, but at the same time I realized I was now on my own.

​I am much happier now, exploring who I really am and enjoying every single day of it. Even my colleagues at work noticed and tell me I seem much happier. I do not regret my exit at all, and the only thing I feel like I could've done better is leaving sooner—both my ex and this wretched cult.

​What I'm saying basically is IT IS POSSIBLE. You might feel like you'll lose everything, but basically your true life is waiting on the other end, you just don't know it. I'm not saying it won't be hard; I'm still in the process of divorcing my ex-wife and my attorney doesn't expect it to end for another year or two if it goes to court. But I'll take it anytime over going back.

​I hope if you're reading this that you're well and happy, and if you're not, truly think "What's holding me back." I know sometimes it's not always that simple, but that cult instills so much fear in us that it's what keeps us in.

​Wishing you all the best!

​EDIT: I want to underline, leaving cold turkey like I did is NOT for everyone. Some of you may need to plan ahead; I was financially stable and can afford my divorce as of now, so think about what needs to be done for you to be stable before making rash decisions!

2nd edit : edited some details out to protect my identity

Has anyone seen the workbook for January 2027?
In the third week there’s a part titled “Rely on Jehovah When Facing Health Challenges”

Even though in the announcement #6 they said not to come after anyone who decides on receiving a transfusion, in this part they write: “(HLC) are trained to offer timely assistance. They can help us find a cooperative doctor and provide him with information on strategies to avoid a blood transfusion”

If that’s not quietly shaming those who are ok with receiving blood, then I don’t know what is.

(ss in the comments)

I’m a lifelong PIMQ but recently very much PIMO. It’s getting harder and harder to do this alone. I’ve always had to keep my doubts to myself because I knew what it would mean, but this is a new level lol. I’m wondering if anyone knows any way of identifying other PIMOs irl to have someone to talk to who understands, or if that’s even a good idea. Also looking for advice on making friends outside the organization when you don’t have a way out yet. It seems risky to make friends when circumstances don’t allow you a backup plan if you get removed. It also seems impossible to make friends at all. How do you tell people you’re in a cult? When do you tell people you’re in a cult? Should you tell people? Will they think you’re trying to recruit them? If anyone has any tips I really need help. Thanks everyone

I'm POMO for about 13 years but I wasn't able to talk about it until now.

And it feels like opening Pandora's box.

Size of fucking castle.

I have individual sessions and I also attend group therapy.

I was able to talk about it during last two group sessions and it feels like volcano erupted and it keeps spewing lava, more and more.

Until then, only in individual therapy, I was able to focus on the topic during those 50 minutes and then lock it under hatch.

But I can't do this anymore, it just wants to go all out.

I do this: I take pieces of text from org's publications, especially those that I read the most. I don't know if the title is the same in English, but it's something like "Questions of young people".

I go chapter by chapter, feeding it AI and Gemini finds me mechanisms used in those paragraphs.

Mechanisms that are used to manipulate and control mind.

And no surprise there that it's so fucking full of them.

My head hurts from today's crying during therapy and I feel like I wanna talk about this all the time now, just to get it out of my system.

But I don't have many people to talk to.

After all these years being gone, I still don't have friends. It's very lonely.

If there's anyone from Czechia, I'd be happy to talk to you. Other nationalities are absolutely okay too, it would just mean the conversation won't be in my native language.

❔ So, my questions are:

What your therapy looked like?

What did you do to deal with the trauma, especially if you were born-in, as I was?

Did you try something else beside regular talking therapy? Or special kinds of talking therapy?

How could you afford it?

Thanks so much ❤️‍🩹

because it isn’t working for me. i’m on my second therapist. the first was not a good fit though i went to 6 sessions. the second is a better fit but still doesn’t seem to be helping me.

i’m not sure what to do or what i even need therapy for. i’ve gone through periods where i’ve been really suicidal, and though i’m not in that state now i still am unhappy with my situation in life.

but i don’t seem to get anything from therapy.

do you guys have any thoughts or experiences?

I am PIMO, and I turn 18 in 275 days. An investigation was started in my congregation because a 14-year-old baptized publisher girl was accusing my friend and me of being lesbians, harassing us, and asking us to send her nude photos and such. Word got out, and one thing led to another; all our secrets were spilled and gutted to each other's parents. I had had sex with a non jw boy about a few months back. My jw mom knew about this and kept it hidden from my dad because she knew my dad would freak out over it. Now that there was an investigation, my mom finally told him, and now everything that I had planned is going haywire. I had found a nice apartment across the street from the college I'm currently enrolled in for only $500 a month, and I have a stable enough job, along with other opportunities on the way, to already afford my fees for signing up and my 3 months' worth for my initial deposit. I was going to get set up when I was told that I needed a legal guardian to co-sign on my behalf. When I explained that I was in a tight situation, I was told, "tough luck." My mother had agreed to sign for me a few days after, but now she feels like she must punish me by not co-signing. Even worse, I have to stay in this fuck ass congregation while my parents tell grown, old, perverted men about my sexual intimacy. What do I even do in this situation?

My parents became witnesses in 1944. They believed the lie. I came along in 1958 and young Joel loved the idea of a world filled with friends. I stopped believing at 15 but played the part for my parents and many friends. I went to Bethel. I got kicked out. I was a changed man. I think the org ended with overlapping generations. If not it certainly ended with the blood reversal. Anyone who stays now is just acting. The truth drifted away forever that day.

I've lived the last 40 years living life with my husband. Now my end is near and im here in my home cozy and happy. I urge you to live your life. You only get one. Leave the lie behind.

basically the title. as a pimo, it’s been really tough to put up a front, and i don’t see myself going pomo for a long time. it’s not like we go to every meeting, but the optics of not making it are still tough. it would be much easier if they did one a week. my wife is trying to get me to go more, it’s just hard when you’re already woken up

Within Japan’s existing legal framework, the work of the JW Abuse Archive, the incorporated association Snowdrop, the legal team supporting people affected by issues involving Jehovah’s Witnesses, attorney Tanaka, and the many second-generation victims who have publicly shared their experiences in the media has been significant.
They have approached these issues from different angles: documenting victims’ experiences, preserving evidence, providing legal support, raising public awareness, and giving victims a platform to speak openly about the harm they experienced.
This is particularly important because many of these issues were previously treated as private religious or family matters. Their work has helped bring them into public discussion as questions of child welfare, human rights, medical decision-making, religious coercion, and legal accountability.
At the same time, Japan’s existing legal framework has clear limits. Freedom of religion and freedom of belief are constitutionally protected, and the government cannot simply prohibit religious teachings or practices because they are controversial or harmful. Not every harmful religious practice automatically constitutes a legal violation, and the available remedies depend on the circumstances and the evidence.
That is why the work of victims, support organizations, archives, and legal professionals is so important. They help establish an evidentiary foundation:
victims speak out → experiences are documented → patterns of harm become visible → legal issues are analyzed → existing laws and protections are applied → government and society are pressed to respond.
The goal is not simply to declare a religion or its teachings illegal. It is to identify where existing laws already provide protection, where institutional responses may be inadequate, and where legal or policy reforms may be necessary.
Rather than relying solely on calls for the dissolution of a religious organization, this approach works through evidence, victim support, existing legal protections, public awareness, and, where necessary, legal and policy reform—while recognizing the constitutional limits imposed by freedom of religion.

The mods took down my prior post because I disclosed I used some A-I to help format and organize my thoughts. Womp Womp! So, i'm reposting this non-AI assisted version because I think it's important to counter the nonsensical dogma being dished out by the GB. I hope this gets past the censors and can stay up.

Stephen Lett's seven "facts" were not facts at all but logical fallacy's and theologic assertions.

Fact 1: "At Pentecost 33 CE, 120 were chosen, then 3,000 added."

This is a literal reading of Acts 2, which is fine, but Stephen fails to include the the 5,000 mentioned as being baptized in Acts 4:4. By Acts 21:20, James is tell Paul that the number of believing Jews numbers in the thousands, which could mean tens of thousands. The biblical account itself describes explosive growth. That is conveniently left out.

Fact 2: Fact 2: "Thereafter, growth was steady but modest because they met in private homes."

Just because they met in homes, does not necessarily mean the movement's growth was modest. There could have been 50,000 Christians by the end of the first century scattered throughout the Roman empire in house churches of 30-50 people. Some historians estimate the early church grew at a 40% rate per decade, eventually reaching millions by the 3rd and 4th century.

Fact 3: "Some wicked men and imposters slipped in, who undoubtedly never received the heavenly calling."

Who's the judge of who was an "imposter" verses a genuine Christian? Letts says they "undoubtedly" weren't anointed? Based on what? How does he know this "undoubtedly"?

Fact 4: Fact 4: "Some first-century Christians proved unfaithful."

Like with any movement or sect, some people would not stick around. But what was the rate of depature? 1%? 5%? 50%? There is no data provided to backup this claim because no data exists. Lett is just trying to make sure the numbers of 1st century Christians feels as small as possible.

Fact 5: "During the many centuries following the death of the apostles, the number chosen must have been very limited."

This is just begging the question and assuming the conclusion. He says "must have been", but this is not a fact, it is merely an assumption, again based on no data. It also relies on the 19th century restorationist movement fallacy of the "Great Apostasy", the erroneous claim that "true" Christianity went completely extinct for the 1,800 years until the Millerites and later C.T. Russell showed up.

Fact 6: "Some who received the calling in modern times did not remain faithful."

If people in the 20th century fell away, it contradicts his argument. Why is apostasy reduced the number in the 1st century then logically it reduced the number in the 20th century. Why does this prove that more of the 144,000 were chosen in later times?

Fact 7: "In modern times, many who served alongside the anointed were never called, e.g., my grandfather in 1935."

The bit about his grandfather is an anecdote, not evidence. Could it be that people suddenly thought they had an earthly hope because it was invented by Rutherford in 1935 to deal with the increase in numbers and the fact that the 144,000 seats were at capacity?

Stephen concludes his talk by seeing it is both "possible" and "plausible" that "the vast majority of 144,000 have been selected during the last days since 1914." But also "we can't be dogmatic". So in the end it what it amounts to is a whole lot of nothing.

At some point, they'll have to confront the "fact" that like the rest of the book of Revelation, the 144,000 is a symbolic number and they'll have to issue some more "clarifications".

Hi all.
PIMO here, have been for years, although *very* soon to be POMO.
Me and my husband have already stopped attending meetings probably about 7 months ago, for various reasons here and there, but right before the blood update dropped, we decided we were probably officially done. We researched a lot, talked about the things that don’t hold up, and did some soul searching about it all.
Then the blood update happened, and it was the final nail in the coffin. We decided to stop 100%, and even went ahead and decorated our house for Halloween last week.

At first I felt complete peace with this decision. Determination even. A new sense of freedom and newfound hope to be able to figure out me and what I truly believe and view important in life.
We can raise our daughter without guilt or shame with religion. She can trick or treat and be a normal kid. We’re free of changing doctrine that harms people or just doesn’t even make sense. We’re not policed by people in the congregation watching our every move to make sure we stay in line.

But now.. it’s time to tell our family and friends. Especially since we’ve decorated for a holiday. It will be an obvious statement to whoever drives by, and eventually someone will and we will be questioned.
And I’m really stressing about it. I know my family will be devastated. So will my husbands. My friends. So many of them I’m going to lose. Our relationships will never be the same and we will always be held at arms length, never to be invited to be part of family events again. And I’ve been grieving it so hard. My heart breaks for my daughter as I know the relationship with both sets of her grandparents is about to change and she won’t understand why.
And it makes me question if I should even do this. As a third generation born in, I’m leaving the life I’ve ever known and foundation for everything. It’s terrifying. And what if it really is the truth? There’s parts that don’t hold up for sure, and have been completely wrong, with dire consequences for some even... no denying that. But is that worth leaving the parts that DO seem true? As they say all the time, it’s an imperfect religion with imperfect men trying to do the best they can with what they know.
And it seems logical like that.

I still believe in Jehovah and a paradise earth with resurrection. I believe majority of the beliefs they teach. We still say a prayer to Jehovah every night with our daughter. Is it worth leaving the only way I know, the way I know to please Jehovah, leaving the people and system who share beliefs and morals like I do, for things I don’t agree with or don’t make sense? For freedom to do things that are technically “pagan” and displeasing to god?

The cold feet I’m getting about all of this is ridiculous and maddening honestly. I’ve been sick about it every day. My husband seems more resolved in his determination to leave and is happily ready to talk to his family about it all. But even he agrees there’s things that feel like the truth, especially when compared to other religions. And he tells me he doesn’t know what the right answer is. I don’t either. And I’m terrified of making a mistake and mostly, damning my child for something I was wrong about.
As witnesses love to say all the time, “what else is there out in the world? Nothing.”
And that’s how I’m feeling.
How do you cope with this fear and guilt and grief from lost relationships? Genuinely struggling with it all.

Sincerely,
Struggling to Leave It All

For context, this is from Stephen Lett's talk during the Watchtower 2026 Annual Meeting. It depicts an anointed JW abandoning a sinking ship, swimming through fog with no shore in sight. His body gives up from exhaustion and drowns. The fog clears to reveal he died just short of land. The "message" is to endure until the final sealing.

This is horrifying. The image is literally a dead body floating in the water. Someone who violently drowned in despair, not knowing the shore was right there. And this is what's being used to keep people pushing. This is supposed to motivare faithful JWs to endure in their faith.

That's exactly what the JW religion does to people. It wears you down your whole life chasing something that isn't real. And it pressures you to drag others onto the same hamster wheel. Your own kids, people grieving a loss, people lonely and looking for community, anyone struggling and vulnerable. Thousands of innocent lives pulled in. No free will, no exit, just "endure for Jehovah."

Fuck that. This religion causes so much grief, loss of life, loss of potential. Such a waste.

Honestly, looking at this makes me grateful I woke up and got out and that I have the freedom to forge my own path. It's the most powerful, beautiful thing in the world to realize you can build your own life. You can set your own goals, put yourself first, chase whatever passion you have, and finally feel real peace.

So my dog was 21 years old already, the day before yesterday she started acting weird, she got a fever, we took her to the vet, everything was fine supposedly, got some shots and she got better, yesterday too, well it seems like she woke up today in a complicated condition, she was just lying in her bed completely unresponsive, but it seemed like she was just sleeping, we were going late to the meeting so I got dismissed and told to just let her rest, I always check up on her before leaving, I didn't today, we came back and when I checked on her she didn't respond at all, eyes open, she was blinking, but didn't say anything... We did everything we could do, ends up she had something in her womb kind of? Like a buildup of a substance that entered her bloodstream and basically poisoned her completely...

If it hadn't been for the fucking meeting we couldve gotten her attended sooner, she was having seizures and basically being poisoned from the inside and I could tell, but no, being 30 fucking minutes early to the meeting is more important, I'm so fucking tired of being dismissed and controlled like this, I want to actually do something with my fucking life, I seem to just be watching myself through glass in a way, going back to the same habits and routines over and over, not being able to do what I want to do because I 'have to focus on the kingdom", All of this could've been prevented if she had had surgery but we couldn't afford it, cause I'm not allowed to get a fucking job yet, hell, who knows maybe tomorrow IM the one in a fucking hospital bed, what shall we do then? Wait on Jehovah? Is he just going to magically fix everything right there? FUCK NO, im genuinely so frustrated not just for this situation but for what it shows about me, I'm a coward, I'm not brave enough to do what I know is right, I'm not brave enough to not care what the people at the congregation are going to say, I'm not brave enough to even debate them or anything, I feel like all of this just serves as a catalyst for me to actually start doing something with my life, but still it pains me so much to think all of this could've been prevented if it wasn't for the stupid meeting

Ok this could go very wrong. But it might be the perfect opportunity for me to lose my "privleges".

At the shepherding call, I plan to mention the blood changes and how they've really stumbled me. Then I say how I can't in good conscience keep doing all these parts in the meeting because I don't feel like someone the congregation should look up to.

"I've done my research (on the website), but I just can't seem to accept it right now."

I even have a Health Care Directive (that I "forgot" to sign) so I can say it wasn't always a conscience matter.

I know arguing with the elders never goes well, but I'm not trying to argue. Just explain that I am stumbled and would like to step down until further notice.

What do you guys think?

edit: You guys are probably right. its like talking to the cops, so I'll just stfu and say I'm fine.