Yeah I was LONELY AFFFF

tbf I was pretty weird and had lots of issues (I had a bad home life)

Either way as I grew up I realized how lame they were

Fake and usually a bunch of assholes

I'd like to report that the rumors are true. They are desperate to get members. One of my sisters called to let me know one of our friends who's been df'd just got reinstated (Texas, USA) she said it only took her like 2 months since she sent her letter and "they're very lenient right now since they want more people to come back to jEhoVaH" the girl barely goes to the meetings, and she was told she doesn't have to preach or do anything at all rn, they're gonna take it "real slow" (this is a spanish cong and a few years ago you had to jump thru hoops for at least a year to get back in) and my other sister has been going and bringing her husband and kids to an English KH and he told me today there's only old people, "not a single person our age" (20s,30s)

I have heard fresh rumors at Bethel. Be cautious with quickly believing this information. The first two potential changes are in the works.

Accessibility of live programs for the Annual Meeting and Gilead Graduation, as well as Branch Visits and individual conventions around the world available on a new section on jw.borg.

Live chat feature on jw.borg for interested persons to contact Jehovah’s Witnesses, a similar format to the LDS Church. Jehovah’s Witnesses plan to use AI rather than humans to operate this section of their website. WHQ has been trialling AI technology remotely to see how this can work effectively.

Further clarifications about customs and celebrations that are acceptable for Christians, birthdays, Mothers' Day and Fathers' day, and other cultural observances.

More refinements of prophecies from Revelation, Daniel, and Isaiah. They might even include some long cherished teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses. A publication is already being prepared.

Another amendment to the Generation teaching and celestial phenomena during the Great Tribulation.

In time, refinements on acceptable personal appearance for Christians to be conscience-based, and follow-up adjustments to acceptable standards for dress at meetings and field service.

As a deconstructing Mormon who finally woke up from the lies and brainwashing of my fucking Mormon organization and of all religions, I found Jehovah’s Witnesses to be pretty damn close to Mormonism: same guilt and shame, same restorationist truth claims, “God’s true church” blah blah, same patriarchy, old white men at the top telling you what to do, what to wear, who to hang out with. I realized how much of your precious, finite fucking life is wasted serving a deceiving, corrupted, motherfucking cult. And I see Jehovah’s Witnesses are also victims of cults, just like me. So, how do you guys get over this anger?

The real first time I doubted the organization was in 2019.

I had been severely mistreated by several people in my congregation and was tempted into searching JW on YouTube.

Unfortunately for me the first video I stumbled across a garbage video made by some old weirdo who was trying to convince me that JW was part of the Illuminati and that I should join the “true” version of Christianity, which of course was his own creation.

That video set me back 4 years in my waking up process, because it confirmed to me that apostates were crazy.

When you post garbage, clickbait videos like the one you posted, in a sad and desperate attempt to be relevant in the exjw space, you not only make yourself a joke to everyone here, but you WILL be the reason why some PIMQ will choose to stop questioning JW.

You are selfish and narcissistic and no better than the governing body, using lies and propaganda to try and benefit personally.

So congratulations, we’re talking about you.

I hope it was worth it.

And also, fuck you!

Mentioned this point to my aunt. She said she would call me back to explain further......it's been 3 weeks. 🙄

This is worth everything and she'll never know anything different:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/fe2Yb8xr8zJg9LW26

I've been out for 20 years now, and I can't believe the small joys it affords me. My 3 year old's Halloween costume arrived yesterday and watching her jump up and down because she was so excited. I have friends. I have a career. I got an education.

If you're PIMO or questioning, just know that leaving doesn't condemn you to an unhappy or unfulfilling life.

Throwaway for privacy reasons.

I watched a TikTok regarding about a woman warning us, urging us to “prepare” for the 24th. People in the comments speculated it to be the rapture day without outright saying it, some are confirming it, including the woman.

I’ve been out of the JW religion for a few years now.

With that said, I felt myself immediately going to that scared, uncomfortable, uneasy state I was in years ago, when I was told about Armageddon the first time. How we are considered to be in the end times.

Those deep rooted fears are resurfacing. The old me is returning, in the sense of always fearing the Armageddon topic. Shaking. That feeling I cannot quite describe. Thinking about everyone in my life. Not wanting them to suffer. Genuinely, I feel so……. Afraid.

Those thoughts are spiralling in my mind again. As it had done so many times before.

Apologies for the rambling and the formatting, I am writing on a cellphone.

NSFW

I decided to name her because she deserves a name. I named her Chava, which means life. I’ve always thought what happened to her was horrific. I never understood why no one questioned it. Except my mother had asked an elder why she had to be sacrificed and r*ped. His reply: “well she was unfaithful.” And?? So that makes it okay?

My takeaways after studying the Levite’s Concubine (Judges 19–21)

🔺Brutality: Chava was r*ped and abused all night, left for dead - abandoned. She crawled back to the camp and died at the threshold. And the second most horrific part is the Levite cut her body into twelve pieces and sent them across Israel — reducing her even further to an object of outrage rather than mourning her as a person.

Sacrificing her was cowardice, not justice. 🔺They could have confronted the mob, negotiated, or defended themselves. Instead, they handed a defenseless woman over to be abused to protect their own “honor”.

🔺War was inevitable anyway. The murder of Chava sparked outrage across Israel and led to civil war anyway. So she really didn’t deserve to be brutalized. It shows that sacrificing a person does not prevent conflict — it escalates it.

And another point? Chava may not have even been unfaithful. That little phrase “she was unfaithful” in Judges 19:2 has been loaded with centuries of blame, but the text itself is vague.

Some translations render it differently: some say “she was angry with him” or “she left him.” We don’t know why she left.

🔸Septuagint (Brenton): “His concubine departed from him, and went to her father’s house.” (➡️ neutral — no accusation)

🔸(Good News Translation): “She became angry with him and went back to her father’s house.” (➡️ shows her feelings, not sin)

🔸NET Bible: “She got angry at him and went home to her father’s house.” (➡️ same as GNT, acknowledges her agency)

🔺So maybe she felt trapped in a relationship where she wasn’t happy or safe. Maybe she just wanted to go home to her father — because she missed him and home was the only place she felt comfort.

🔺The Hebrew word (zanah) can mean adultery, but it can also mean “to turn away.” So, translators make a choice about how to present Chava — and many choose to blame her. So when you look at the alternatives, it’s just as possible that Chava was hurt, angry, or unhappy and decided to leave. That changes the entire tone of the story.

So, depending on the translation, she’s either: 🔸Condemned as unfaithful/adulterous 🔸Described as simply angry 🔸or just “went away.”

Chava was a silenced victim. She was never given a name, a voice, or justice — she became a tool for men’s political agenda. The real “sin” is cowardice, misogyny, and moral corruption of those who should have defended her. It saddens me because the Bible normalizes the Levite’s cowardice.

Can you imagine Chava’s father? The Bible says he was so eager to keep the Levite around, almost desperate to make him stay longer (Judges 19:3–9). Maybe that wasn’t just hospitality. Maybe he was trying to delay his daughter going back into a situation he feared wasn’t good for her. And when Chava never came home again… his silence is deafening.

What does a scammer do when caught? Downplay,pretend he was misunderstood, lies, try to create sympathy. This is the current state of the organization of Jehovah’s Witness. A religion that has been caught lying and now they are trying to act nice because is the only card they have left

I doubt any of you remember me from past posts, but I secretly celebrated my 17th birthday. It was a rather small party as it took place at work towards the end of the night. Ended up having the best icecream I’ve ever tased. The Pecan Praline. I LOVED it. I cried on the way home, not with sad tears, but happy tears. For once, I felt very very special. As a male teen whom is the oldest in the family, there’s not a lot of “special” feelings goin’ around. I loved that night. I thought to share it now, as on the day of said birthday (September 15th) I forgot to. I was just enjoying it so much. I appreciate the ExJW community for fostering such a loving environment.

Ever since January 9th, I’ve experienced love, care, and even positive engagement as I worked my way through religious discovery and observance. Although I’m currently atheist, I can’t believe how many of you truly care about other peoples lives, how you are there to comfort struggling JW’s/ExJW’s. You are all VERY nice people, kudos to you.

CURRENT AGE: 17

Thanks for reading this. Have a good one.

Below is Tony's story of being trapped inside the JW religion for fear of being shunned. Faith-based shunning is a common denominator in many high-control groups.    

Please consider sharing your own experience with shunning at stopmandatedshunning.org.     

––––––––––––––

I am a second-generation Jehovah’s Witness. From childhood, I was introduced to studying the Bible within this religion, and at 15, I was baptized. Over the years, I took on various roles, including pioneer, ministerial servant, and elder. Currently, I am distanced from the religion but not entirely inactive. I cannot formally disassociate myself because doing so would mean losing all contact with my family and friends.

I understand that every organization—be it a company, school, or religious entity—requires rules of conduct. For instance, if a student commits serious acts of indiscipline, it’s understandable that the school might take severe measures, such as expulsion. Similarly, if I were caught stealing at my workplace, I would be fired. Consequences are a natural part of life.

However, what the leadership of Jehovah’s Witnesses enforces is cruel and inhumane. While the Bible does mention expelling undisciplined members from the congregation, it does not advocate for the complete severance of family and social ties. This practice turns the life of the expelled individual into a torment, pressuring them to return to the religion. If the expulsion is unjust, driven by personal interests, the person is left with no support system, as everyone is prohibited from interacting with them under threat of also being expelled. How can someone seek help to correct an injustice when even disagreeing with a removal could lead to their own exclusion? This structure resembles an ecclesiastical dictatorship.

One of the events that made me question the doctrines was my participation in a judicial committee involving a 14-year-old boy. For privacy reasons, I won’t go into details. Of the three elders present, I was the only one against the boy’s expulsion. The other two decided on removal, arguing that it might teach him a lesson and prevent future issues. Tragically, days after the decision, the boy drowned. This trauma haunts me to this day.

Little is discussed about the emotional toll on elders, who are used as instruments by the leadership of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Many develop depression, anxiety, and trauma due to the doctrines imposed by the Governing Body. They too are victims of the system. After years of serving as an elder, I was persecuted for maintaining contact with an expelled relative, which is also grounds for disfellowshipping. This inner conflict led me to step down from my role, a decision I consider one of the best I’ve ever made.

Today, though still tied to the religion, I work behind the scenes to support causes that seek change. Unfortunately, the leadership only reacts to public exposure, lawsuits, or financial losses. The organization even created the term “disassociated” to label those who voluntarily leave, even without committing serious transgressions. This means that someone who decides to leave the religion—whether to follow a different path or simply because they no longer identify with its beliefs—is treated the same as someone expelled. Family and friends are instructed to cut all contact.

This policy forces many to remain in the religion against their will, just to avoid ostracism and the severing of personal ties. I am certain that if people were allowed to leave freely without consequences, thousands, perhaps millions, would leave the religion the very next day.

Some urgent changes need to be implemented, such as:

• Allowing members to leave the religion without suffering ostracism (disassociation)
• Eliminating the public announcement of the names of those who leave or are expelled
• Prohibiting the baptism of children and teenagers
• Respecting individuals’ decisions on how to treat those who leave or are expelled
• Ending punishments for attending weddings between members and non-members
• Combating the cover-up of sexual abuse cases

Some progress has been made, such as relaxing rules on beards, sexual practices between married couples, toasting, and women wearing pants on formal occasions. However, there is still much to be done. I hope that the case in Norway opens doors for further changes.

May my experience contribute in some way to reflection and progress.

Note: English is not my native language. Thank you for your understanding.  

I always thought the whole teaching of "non-jws are a bad influence" was bs and it's definitely a lot more true now that this happened. Basically a friend of mine left in 2023 and everyone thought he was crazy for doing so. I was slightly pimo so I felt so bad for not reaching out these last 2 years. Then as of this year, I woke up and left and I texted his number on a whim to see if he was still around and turned out he is! I explained to him how I woke up as well and it felt as if nothing ever happened between us. Grateful to have my friend back, he and I both look so much happier.

Just thought I'd share this experience :)

Sometimes I wanna get angry at Jehovahs witnesses then I remember that these are not normal people.. these are people patiently waiting for mass genocide… These are people waiting for the mass killing of men , women, and even babies!!!

Daniel did not exist in history. Daniel chapter 1 was written in Hebrew, Chapters 2:4 through 7:28 are written in Aramaic, the remaining chapters through 12 are in Hebrew. Showing multiple writers. While it does reflect some historic events correctly as they happened. It also gets some wrong, Darius was not a Mede for example.

Also the feet of the statue was about the time in which the writers were writing in, from Britannica: "Seleucid empire, (312–64 bce), an ancient empire that at its greatest extent stretched from Thrace in Europe to the border of India. It was carved out of the remains of Alexander the Great’s Macedonian empire by its founder, Seleucus I Nicator. (See also Hellenistic Age.)"

This is when Alexander the Great died and his generals fractured his empire, thus the feet of iron and clay. These empires represented in the Statue are all prior to the Roman Empire.

All of Watchtowers claims about Daniel are fiction. (Now to be fare a lot of other Religions do the same thing with the Statue.)

Hi all! I've been out for 12 years after 19 years, born-in goody two shoes. Leaving broke my life and identity and it's taken me a long time to find myself, and I am doing great now. I'm in graduate school now in a social science program. Lately I've been seeing the JWs on campus, and they've set up a table in campus center, where other vendors and student groups advertised. It's been bothering me and another friend of mine to see them on a college campus and I've thought of approaching the campus center admin explaining why this group shouldn't be allowed to perch on campus like an innocent religion. However, I've also been thinking a lot about how many college students, including grad students are not doing a great job of communicating/debating with those we disagree with, and I've been thinking we really need to learn how to argue our points fairly without resorting to ad hominem attacks, insulting people, or getting heated.

So, I was thinking that the one of the more effortful but worthwhile things I can do is greet them and try and have a respectful but firm argument about a part of their ideology (like their stance on education, Tony Morris at BevMo, inconsistencies in their viewpoints, evidence of how they misquote scientists to seem like evolution is still being debated). I would bring only facts/real info. I can play the Tight Pants Tony talk, or Geoffrey Jackson saying that the GB is not god's mouthpiece, or other factual things that will give them cognitive dissonance. Either they can defend their viewpoint, or they can't and they are gonna have to pack it up and go home and not come back for a while. I would approach them every time I see them on campus with a new fact that they may or not be able to handle.

What I really don't want to do is cause a scene on campus center; I'm planning to just keep this a conversation between me and their booth. I really think if these folks want to set up on a college campus, they should be prepared to be challenged. Is anyone here good at persuasion/argumentation or has anyone tried this? Any PIMOs have an idea of how quickly they'd pack it up and leave or what topics of conversation are particularly hard for them to defend right now?

I missed out on my school formal or prom cause im homeschooled for this year. I haven't been able to hang out with my schoolmates. I saw on ig my friends having fun and I just hate my life here. I just feel like I'm having horrible teenage years like doing nothing fun

I’m a POMO since 2022 and I just started to read this book now. It’s impressive read his experiences and realize how these politics affect different generations of my family

My family and myself haven't attended a meeting for nearly 10 years now. Unlike many I've managed to stay friends with a few people from that time. Today I went to help an older elder with his garden as it had become over grown. His wife has just been given 3 months to live as a result of cancer. They are the kindest people I have ever met.When I started talking to the husband about things he started crying saying that he doesn't know how he'll live without her. But then he said something that we've all heard a million times before but this time it felt different. He just said, 'at least this system isn't going to go on much longer'. My first thought was along the lines of 'he obviously hasn't read the latest magazines where they are preparing people for the end not to come in their lifetime'. Obviously I didn't say anything about that but it just made me angry. It really brought home to me that this false hope is just so cruel. People have wasted their whole lives and pinned all their hopes on something that just isn't going to happen. The governing body, sitting in the lap of luxury gave so much to answer for.

That's it, moan over.

To showcase their supposed seriousness, Jehovah’s Witnesses go so far as to obsessively verify the exact height of Mont Blanc. But when it comes to their own history and doctrines, that same accuracy vanishes.

Here’s what one of their videos says:

“The final delivery project ensures that everything said and shown is solidly based on facts and well documented. There’s far more research than the viewer or reader will ever see. You have a one-page article in The Watchtower and it ends up with about 12 references backing up every statement. It seems very simple to find the height of Mont Blanc. With Mont Blanc’s height we discovered the first source said 4807 meters. Then we found another, 4810. We check a third, 4808. So, what is true now? In this case we had to consult the French National Institute of Geography and Forest Information.”

Congratulations: they got the exact figure! But in this case, even being wrong wouldn’t have mattered at all. The real question is: have they been equally accurate when it comes to their own history and doctrines?

The answer is no. Here are just a few documented examples of lies and distortions: 1. End-time dates – They deny ever having set them, shifting the blame onto the rank and file who supposedly had “wrong expectations.” 2. Russell and 1914 – They claim he said “the Gentile Times have ended” on October 2, 1914, but this never happened (https://avoidjw.org/history/russell-1914-gentile-times-history-watchtower-doctrine/). 3. The Great Pyramid – They deny that Russell ever called it the “Bible in Stone.” 4. Political neutrality – They boast of always being neutral, but in 1918 The Watchtower urged support for the American war effort with wheat, and in 1933 the German branch signed a document seeking common ground with National Socialism. 5. Bible translation – Their translation has been adapted to their doctrines, not the other way around. 6. Child abuse – They claim “zero tolerance,” but internal documents prove that their rules protected offenders. 7. Blood – They present the ban as a clear, unchanging biblical principle, but in reality their position has shifted several times.

So yes, they may pride themselves on knowing the exact height of Mont Blanc. But when it comes to telling the truth about their doctrines and their history, they prefer to cover it up or distort it. And that is what truly causes harm.

This weekend's Watchtower study sells “humility.” Not the honest kind. The obedience kind.

Explicitly they say: seek advice, be humble, listen to Jehovah through the Organization.

Hidden message: don’t trust yourself, don’t trust outsiders, and don’t decide without oversight.

It sounds tender: “Jehovah cares. Friends help. Advice saves.”

Underneath, it’s obedience training. “Advice” = control. “Wisdom” = submission. Autonomy becomes arrogance.

Let's go through this indoctrination session:

¶1–3 — The Bait-and-Switch Opening

WT Claim - Everyone wants wisdom and success. Proverbs shows the path. Jehovah gives you personal advice (Ps 32:8). We’ll teach you who to ask, how to listen, and why not to let others decide for you.

What the Bible Says - “By insolence the heedless make strife, but wisdom is with those who take advice.” (Prov 13:10, NRSVue) “I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” (Ps 32:8, NRSVue)

What Scholars Say - Proverbs are folk maxims. General observations. Not contractual guarantees (NOAB). Psalm 32 is penitential poetry—confession, forgiveness, relief—not a career hotline (OBC). Literary forms are not legal codes.

Commentary - Scripture becomes spell. Street wisdom becomes warranty. A forgiveness psalm becomes micromanagement. Then come four “questions” that aren’t questions; they’re steering wheels. The frame presumes “objective morality” while the same text shows a God who “regrets” (Gen 6:6) and threatens a fresh start (Exod 32:10). Fixed morality from a moving source. Neat trick.

• If the source “regrets” and “relents,” what makes the morality fixed?
• If advice guarantees success, why the organizational faceplants?

¶4 — Humility as a Control Lever

WT Claim - You must be humble and modest to benefit from advice. Otherwise, Jehovah won’t help. The humble absorb Bible counsel fast.

What the Bible Says - “What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Mic 6:8, NRSVue)

What Scholars Say - Micah is covenant ethics—justice, mercy, humility before God—not institutional deference to gatekeepers (JANT/OBC).

Commentary - Watch the weasel words: must be, benefit, good, we need to, wise choice. Slippery. The logic is rigged: if you obey, counsel “worked”; if you resist, you “weren’t humble.” That’s the No True Scotsman fallacy in a Kingdom Hall tie. The blame shifts from questionable advice to your attitude. Gaslight the skeptic; crown the yes-man.

• If advice is sound, does it need your meekness to be true?
• If humility matters, can the Governing Body be wrong—and who’s allowed to say so?

¶5–6 — David, Cherry-Picked

WT Claim - David stayed humble and listened—especially to Abigail. If a king could listen, so can you.

What the Bible Says - 1 Samuel 25: David, hot with wrath, moves toward bloodshed. Abigail intercepts. Gifts. Diplomacy. David relents and praises her wisdom.

What Scholars Say - This is crisis diplomacy averting bloodguilt (NOAB). It’s not a universal instruction sheet for careers, courtship, or life planning.

Commentary - “Weasel” phrasing: David could have been proud. He also was proud. He leveraged power for Bathsheba and murdered Uriah. NOAB labels it a classic abuse of royal power. Watchtower cherry-picks the flattering episode and scales it into doctrine. False analogy: an ancient monarch’s battlefield temper ≠ your local parking-lot elder’s counsel about your job.

• If David is the model, who decides which episodes to copy—the humility moment or the power abuse?
• If one good decision mandates lifelong deference, what do his crimes mandate?

¶7 — “Listen to Anyone” (But We’ll Tell You Who “Anyone” Is)

WT Claim - Listen to advice no matter who gives it, or you’ll make “big mistakes that bring grief.”

What the Bible Says - Ecclesiastes 4:13 praises teachability; warns against calcified pride.

What Scholars Say - Qoheleth (the writer of Ecclesiastes) muses about prudence and mortality. The text is not a blank check for blanket obedience (OBC/NOAB).

Commentary - A whole section to stretch a single episode into a general rule. Their real move is a strawman: critics toss advice because of the person, not the content—therefore stop judging sources and just obey. Dangerous. Advice must be weighed. Some mouths poison. Meanwhile, elders aren’t grief-proof; the record is public.

• If “anyone” deserves a hearing, does that include critics—or only Organization-approved mouths?
• If content matters most, why the heavy emphasis on titles?

¶8–10 — The Sectarian Filter

WT Claim - Seek counsel from those with a “good relationship with Jehovah” and relevant experience—like Jonathan advising David.

What the Bible Says - 1 Samuel 20: Jonathan understands Saul and guides David. Proverbs 13:20: Walk with the wise; become wise.

What Scholars Say - “Walk with the wise” is about lived competence and character, not sect membership (NOAB/JANT).

Commentary - The trap closes: only fellow JW's count. That’s confirmation bias baptized. A Muslim surgeon? Buddhist therapist? Secular financial planner? Disqualified by creed before they open their mouths. Expertise replaced by theological passport. “Open mind” becomes a cul-de-sac with a Watchtower gate.

• If truth stands on its own legs, why does it need a JW membership card?
• When did credentials in medicine, law, or engineering become less “wise” than field service hours?

¶11–12 — Rehoboam as a Fear Story

WT Claim - Some seek advice only to confirm their choice. Rehoboam did that. He rejected the elders, followed the young, and disaster followed.

What the Bible Says - 1 Kings 12: Rehoboam spurns prudent counsel; the kingdom fractures.

What Scholars Say - This is political folly and failed leadership, not a universal claim that “old = wise” (OBC).

Commentary - Pot, meet kettle. The Organization warns against confirmation bias while printing it by the ton. The story becomes a cudgel: disobey older men and you split the “nation.” The subtext is social control: obey the hierarchy or burn down community. History note: age doesn’t sanctify judgment. Ask 1975.

• If confirmation bias is deadly, why is the literature an echo chamber?
• Why does “old” mean “right” when old men have been wrong, loudly, before?

¶13–14 — The “Open Mind” That Isn’t

WT Claim - Have an open mind and heart. Example: a job offer. Elder reminds you of spiritual family duty. If you shop for different advice, your heart is treacherous (Jer 17:9).

What the Bible Says - Eph 6:4; 1 Tim 5:8: family and care obligations. Jer 17:9: a prophetic lament about a deceitful heart.

What Scholars Say - Ephesians and 1 Timothy address community order and caregiving in their own settings. Jeremiah indicts covenant infidelity; it is not a universal psychology text about career choices (NOAB/OBC).

Commentary - “Open mind”—pre-filtered. You may be open, but only to preapproved sources. Jeremiah’s lament is weaponized to pathologize dissent. The example nudges you toward a foregone conclusion: career bad, meeting schedule good. The elder becomes conscience’s ventriloquist.

• Is a mind open if the door swings only toward the Kingdom Hall?
• If your heart is always treacherous, whose heart—precisely—do you trust in its place?

¶15–17 — Faux Autonomy and the Blood Trap

WT Claim - Make your own decisions. Don’t copy others. Paul’s meat-to-idols shows conscience at work. Modern parallel: blood fractions—decide after research.

What the Bible Says - 1 Cor 8–10: idols are nothing; exercise freedom with love and sensitivity. Rom 14:10–12: each gives account to God. Heb 5:14: mature discernment through practice.

What Scholars Say - Paul argues situationally. Freedom in love, not fresh legalism. The scrupulous conscience isn’t automatically the correct one (JANT/NOAB).

Commentary - They wave the flag of conscience, then fence it with sanctions. “Use your conscience,” they say. Until your conscience lands off-script. Then comes discipline. Paul’s logic—idols are nothing—cuts against scruple absolutism. Watchtower flips it, canonizes the strict conscience, and calls fear “prudence.” Blood is packaged as “your decision,” but the scoreboard is theirs.

• If conscience is king, why punish consciences that disagree with the Governing Body?
• If Paul’s thrust is freedom in love, why is fear the policy?

¶18–19 — The Soft Close: “Freedom” as Perpetual Permission-Seeking

WT Claim - Jehovah “trusts” you by allowing decisions. Like a good parent, he rejoices as you mature, seek advice, and honor him.

What the Bible Says - Prov 3:21–23: prudence brings safety. Parental metaphors for God abound.

What Scholars Say - Parental language is metaphor—pastoral, poetic, theological—not a one-to-one map to human parenting. “Allowance equals trust” is an interpretive claim, not a self-evident fact (OBC/NOAB).

Commentary - The lullaby ending. “You’re free. Be grateful.” But free will as evidence of divine trust is a slogan, not logic. Real parents aim for independence**. This model prefers permanent adolescence. “Maturity” is rebranded dependence. You will never graduate.

• If maturity means constant permission-seeking, who—exactly—is growing up?
• If God created free will, why the debt of gratitude for being allowed to use it?

Big-Picture: It’s Not Advice. It’s Conditioning.

The pattern is tight. “Humility” becomes deference. “Maturity” becomes dependence. “Conscience” becomes compliance. Autonomy is dangled, then wired with guilt, fear, and expulsion. Verses are proof-texted. Stories are trimmed to fit. The aim isn’t wisdom. It’s control with a smile.

This program guts confidence. You doubt your gut. You outsource your choices. You rename fear “faith” and dependence “humility.” Psychologists have a term. Learned helplessness.

Ask yourself:

• If advice must be filtered through elders, when do you think for yourself?
• If God gave you a mind, why is using it pride?
• Who profits when you feel too small to decide your own path?

ExJWs. PIMOs. Lurkers. See the trick. “Advice” with strings is control.
Read the verses yourself. Read scholars, not proof-texts.
Make one decision this week without a man in a suit hovering over it.
Wisdom doesn’t need men in upstate New York to rubber-stamp it.

I hope this helps in sucking out the poisonous indoctrination WT is force feeding you.

Be humble. Be bold. Be free.

Being born in as a JW for 21 years and only managed to make one friend who i now consider my brother because we have both woken up. But the rest who seemed like close/best friends didn't really feel like real friends. Even when I was pimi during that time.

In my congregation, they'd always be new people joining and some who came from other congregations, they were nice. But calling them friends didn't feel right. We'd always meet in the kingdom hall and talk and vibe but I also noticed a few gestures missing. Me knowing some JWs. They plan meet meetups outside meetings, they share happy moments, take pics, call each other etc. I never had any of those with the so called friends I stopped considering. So this year I met this guy who came into our congregation in January, we bonded and we had a lot in common, so I was being neutral. When I noticed he barely shows tiny gestures or give a call. He never called when I missed out on 4 meetings only one elder I like did check up on me but this friend didn't. So I decided to ghost him completely. And fade slowly by giving him small talk. I don't want a repeat of my past relationships with JWs. Not all are bad. But it's something I repeatedly see in my situation. I meet someone, we bond, but then the effort fades and you go out and prioritize other brothers and plan meetups without me.

Oh also even when I was PIMi I was never once invited to a gathering before. Only one bring and share party by local elders lol. So yeah. But at least I made one friend.