Imagine feeling that you have to run away from your family, leaving them physically, so that you can hope to continue to have them in your life through the bond of a cult. For Jodi, this was a reality. She knew that if she stayed where she lived and with the person that she was falling in love with, a person that was not one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, it could cost her relationship with her family. So she left. But high control groups don’t always just let people leave, sometimes they reach 3000 miles away to send elders to try to bring you back. This Jodi’s story, but also that of family members that can’t speak for themselves, a life story involving tragedy, loss, and ultimate reclamation of life.

Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

The song that Jodi chose to represent her journey is Through Smoke by NEEDTOBREATHE

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here

An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

Young Kenesha knew from the time that she was a teacher’s pet in school that she wanted to be “the good one”. Growing up in a life that she hated as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Kenesha continued trying to be “the good one”, but somehow found herself in situations where she was being backed into corners by people seeking to punish her, both at home and in the cult. Over and over again she would find that even being the good one wasn’t a protection in a world where nobody could never be good enough.

Kenesha’s website is https://keneshaantoine.com/

Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here

An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

I have created a website with a trivia quiz to help reach Jehovah’s Witnesses online. The goal of the quiz is to get them sharing, talking, and above all, thinking. Through carefully crafted questions and answers, where even the wrong answer can introduce a person to something that they never knew, my hope is to help people have fun while learning about the very destructive thing that they are involved in. The website and quiz is available in English, Spanish, and Polish versions currently. It has been taken by people all over the world, and it was tested prior to release to make sure that at least some of those participants are active Jehovah’s Witnesses. You can find and share the quiz as part of your own activism at: https://jwtrivia.com/

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Struggling with perfectionism, building a social network, codependency, or feeling like you’re not enough? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a Cult Recovery Coach. I work with many ex-JWs, along with ex-other groups, and your average person that has never been in a cult that wants better things in their life. Find out more here: https://storyworkscoaching.com

I also have an ExJW specific site here: https://exjwhelp.com

You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/

Please consider supporting the show’s Patreon if you appreciate the time that goes into producing these stories, and get yourself some exclusive bonuses, at: https://www.patreon.com/shunned

Show notes and information on how to be a guest or find other resources for the podcast can be found here: https://shunnedpodcast.com/episodes/

Music provide by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself

An ExJW podcast and an ExJW YouTube channel

Trigger Warning: This episode contains frank discussions of sexual abuse and suicide.

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of taking items like broken pottery and repairing the cracks with gold. It is an acknowledgement of the scars that a piece has as part of its history. Drew has some scars, but he’s not afraid to be vulnerable and talk about his life. From involvement with the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses to many situations in life that could have broken him irreparably, Drew has picked up the pieces and made something out of them over and over again with his heart of gold.

The song that Drew chose to represent his journey is Escape by Metallica.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Drew by leaving him a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

Join in on the inaugural Ex-JW Help Day event on September 2 2021 by performing random acts of kindness in your community. For more information see:

https://exjwhelp.com/index.php/exjwhelpday/

“The only reason I got baptized was…….I wanted to save my ass.”

The cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses promote fear of death at the hands of their genocidal god. Unfortunately for Raene, from the time she was molested at the age of seven by someone in her congregation, she would spend her days trying to save herself in many ways. Saving herself from that violent god. Saving herself from the people around her that would never listen to a young girl that seemingly knew more than the adults around her. Raene had to save herself in more ways than the one that came up and prompted her baptism into this cult.

The song that Raene chose to represent her journey is Under The Table by Fiona Apple.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Raene by leaving her a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

“So I can never change my mind. I can never leave. And I remember having the thought that I am trapped. That was the first time I realized that you can’t just leave, ever, for any reason.”

Jake, known on YouTube and other platforms as AltWorldly, had to face a harsh realization that as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses you can’t just leave. It has been referred to as a “captive organization” at times because, like most cults, there is no easy way out without losing things that may matter deeply to you. Married to an active Witness that he loves dearly, his journey to awakening was fraught with many perils, including a life threatening moment that forced him to face down one of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ most controversial and destructive beliefs.

You can follow the AltWorldly channel on YouTube by CLICKING HERE.

The song that Jake chose to represent his journey is Harmony Hall by Vampire Weekend.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Jake by leaving him a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

“Honestly I just always felt horrible about going, it never felt like this was my calling or this was where I needed to be. It was quite the opposite actually.”

Baptized at 15 as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christina knew that this really wasn’t the place for her but did what she needed to do in order to get by. When her life took twists and turns over the years, she would at one point find herself living with her father and stepmother in strange circumstances. Medications were pushed on her, they would refuse to use the same dishes as her or share a bathroom with her, and of course shunning came into the relationship as well.

The song that Christina chose to represent her story is Beautiful Pain by Eminem.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Christina by leaving her a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

Rama was a spiritual teacher in the 80s and 90s who inspired many of his students while leading what many of his detractors would call a cult.  He defied the typical vision of a New Age leader, trading in minimalism in favor of wealth and celebrity.  He was also a man ahead of his time, encouraging his students to develop careers in computer science before that was mainstream.

For some, following Rama's lead worked out spiritually and financially.  But for others, Rama's actions contradicted the version of him that he projected, others vanished, whistleblowers went to the media, and the group began to shrink and splinter.

In this 10 part investigative series, Jonathan Hirsch explores the life, death and and impact of Rama, also known as Dr. Frederick Lenz.

Search for the Smoke Screen Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, or for the title of this second season "I Am Rama", to listen.

“It’s all F.E.A.R. They have that over your head with everything. Fear of Armageddon, fear of being shunned, fear of not doing enough, and at that age of 11, 12, 13, fear of being persecuted was so big……..From 2 or three up to 10 or 11 years old, life was fun, just being a kid….but once we were in it, life became scary.”

Justin’s life changed when his family was introduced to the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. A happy and carefree life suddenly became entrenched in the fear that the cult held over their head. One by one Justin’s family would leave the cult until he was the last man standing, and he had some tough choices to make as he faced some of those fears to find freedom once again.

The song that Justin chose to represent his story is New Person, Same Old Mistakes by Tame Impala.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Justin by leaving him a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

Raised by a mother that wasn’t truly one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in practice but that still made her children live a JW lifestyle, Za’kaeda had trouble fitting in. When her mother finally got serious about “The Truth”, she had a rare opportunity to make her mom proud as her mom asked her to study, and she obliged. Za’kaeda’s story is one of trying hard to be someone she wasn’t for people that didn’t truly appreciate it only to be shunned in the end and then told by elders in her congregation not to dare trying to talk to her mother because this is already hard enough on her. The perpetual victimhood of Jehovah’s Witnesses came to the fore and this story has a very interesting twist at the end.

The song that Za’kaeda chose to represent her story is How To Save A Life by The Fray.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Za’kaeda by leaving her a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

“I remember my husband saying ‘you are a sex addict’ but I’m not. I just waited 21 years of my life for this thing and I thought it was going to happen because I did everything right and it’s not happening and I don’t know why.” Sex is something that is repressed and shamed anyway, but what if you married someone that was trying to be someone that they weren’t? In Brandi’s story we’ll learn the impact that the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses can have on the sexual expression of individuals and the complications put upon it by the demands of a cult that doesn’t allow people to be who they are.

The song that Brandi chose to represent her story is You Don’t Own Me by SAYGRACE.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Brandi by leaving her a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

“I’m a nuts and bolts kind of guy. I see how people are treated. Doctrine can be twisted and turned and however you want to interpret the Bible is however you want to interpret the Bible. For me what’s important is how you treat your people.” Follow Dino’s story and you’ll see that people are what matter to him most. From his time in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses to his time helping rebuild after the F5 tornado that rocked Joplin Missouri, to his time working at Habitat For Humanity, Dino cares about how people are treated. For that reason and others Dino could no longer be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The song that Dino chose to represent his story is What A Shame by Shinedown.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Dino by leaving him a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

In the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, appearance means everything. It is your credibility, your social status, even your standing before god in their congregations. So when Daisy had moments that mirrored the pain she felt inside that manifested in a way that could be seen outwardly, her mother took that very personally. In fact, time and time again throughout Daisy’s story the need to look the part is put above the harsh realities of her daily experience. Eventually Daisy would have to find her way to freedom and real substance to leave the shallow and abusive environment of her past.

Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

Note: This is the second of back to back episodes on the Unification Church, often referred to as the Moonies, named after their leader Sun Myung Moon.

Lisa spent her time playing with the children of the Messiah while living with Satan. Her mother went into the Unification Church, leaving Lisa and her brother behind with their father, a man living a lifestyle completely opposite of what they were to believe in. However on weekends Lisa would go play with the children of the Messiah, Sun Myung Moon, at times while she was visiting her mom in the church. Torn between two worlds, and really between who she was and who she felt she had to be in order for God to love her, Lisa went on a journey of exploration that ultimately led her to the depths of despair and eventual freedom.

To follow Lisa and her writings, you can click here.

The songs that Lisa chose to represent her story are Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen and You Don’t Own Me by Joan Jett.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Lisa by leaving her a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

Note: This is the first of back to back episodes on the Unification Church, often referred to as the Moonies, named after their leader Sun Myung Moon.

Jen Kiaba is an award winning artist and an educator, and in this episode she educates us on this particular group. You will learn how the group worked, the unique terminology of the group, but above all you will meet Jen herself as she details her story of growing up in the Church and eventually escaping a forced arranged marriage. As she tried so hard to be what they wanted her to be she was also carrying a huge secret that threatened her very worthiness inside the Church. Jen is yet another example of someone with the strength to leave everything she was for everything that she could be.

To follow Jen and her art, you can click here.

The song that Jen chose to represent her story is The Sound of Failure by The Flaming Lips

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Jen by leaving her a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

Jehovah’s Witnesses claim to be a religion guided by love. Throughout Joe’s story a common them arises though: “where is the love?”. We know that they practice shunning and call that love, but daily life inside of the cult also shows it to be sorely lacking. Joe’s story involves a lack of love starting in the congregation and only gets more personal from there, as it does for many former Jehovah’s Witnesses. Note: There is an update to Joe’s story available for those watching on YouTube. The link is in the description for this episode at the shunnedpodcast YouTube Channel.

The song that Joe chose to represent his story is The Day That Never Comes by Metallica.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Joe by leaving him a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

“In a way I felt like I was better than everyone else in the world, because I knew the truth. I was one of the few that was going to be saved at Armageddon, but at the same time I felt like I was worthless because no matter what I did it was never enough, and I could never truly compensate for being gay. That was never going to go away and I couldn’t do anything about it. So I felt worthless and better than everyone else at the same time.” – Patrick

The songs that Patrick chose to represent his story are Let It Go by Idina Menzel and How Far I’ll Go from Auli’i Cravalho

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Patrick by leaving him a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

At just 19 years old, when others are experiencing life for the first time after high school whether going to college or starting their lives, Isaiah was leaving a cult. That decision to take a stand didn’t come without the predictably terrible reaction from family and friends that are swept up in a cult that controls their behavior.

The song that Isaiah chose to represent his story is Out of Sight by Chelou

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Isaiah by leaving him a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

“Have you ever wondered if this is actually the truth?” Such a simple question. Something that one would think might be a natural question when a person calls their doctrine “The Truth”. This question was the end of a relationship, and just a small part of a larger story that involved so much change and some moments of pure heartbreak.

The song that Malina chose to represent her story is Wide Open Spaces by Dixie Chicks.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Malina by leaving her a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

What is it like to grow up as a child in Scientology? Not as a celebrity, nor anyone with clout, but as an average person going to a local church and trying to assimilate into the only life that you know? Laurel tells her personal story of growing up as a Scientologist, joining the Sea Org at just 13 years of age, getting married, her path toward becoming a “word clearer”, and one particular way to leave the Sea Org to obtain freedom.

This isn’t just a story about Scientology though, this is a story about how a belief system can impact a family, and ultimately this is a human story about a little girl growing up and facing some things that most people will never have to face. From the normal desire to fit in and make friends to her life being pulled into the extreme emotional control of the group, to having to stare into someone else’s eyes without breaking gaze for hours at a time, Laurel has an experience to share.

The song that Laurel chose to represent her story is Pay No Rent by Turnpike Troubadours.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Laurel by leaving her a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

The underground. As Jehovah’s Witnesses we were trained for the possibility that someday we would have to go underground and do our public preaching work in secret. Most of us would never actually do that. Geoff did.

Geoff went to China to work underground as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in a country in which the cult is banned. Secret meetings, smuggling cult propaganda into the country, specious credentials, etc. But doing this work would backfire as it forced Geoff to realize certain things about the cult that he was involved in. Even bigger, living this underground life would force parts of his authentic self to come out and be exposed to the light of day in ways he could no longer hide.

The song chosen by Geoff to represent his journey is The Weight of Lies by The Avett Brothers.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Geoff by leaving him a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

“How do you get kicked out of church?” These are the words of Suzanna’s brother as he tried to wrap his mind around her shunning. Her journey starts as a 14 year old girl with two real options to get out of her abusive home, joining a local gang or getting involved with Jehovah’s Witnesses. The choice she made would lead to decades of trying to make that choice work. All while living a life outside of that decision as she went back and forth between the choice she made so young and the life she really wanted to live.

The song chosen by Suzanna to represent her story is La Vida Es Un Carnaval by Celia Cruz.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Suzanna by leaving her a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

What is it like to move around the country multiple times as a child? To not have a consistent place to live? To be placed into foster care at times? To do all of this while growing up exposed to a cult, and then to have a catastrophic moment that pushes you farther in? Ramil’s story involves all of this, and much more. He found solace in cult teachings, found a place to belong by pioneering and getting involved in the ASL congregations, but then he also had a secret all along, part of his identity that he tried so hard to deny. This is a story of overcoming a lot of instability and the strength it takes to build an authentic and stable life.

The song chosen by Ramil to represent his story is Beautiful by P.O.D.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Ramil by leaving him a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

I decided to go out this year to test some new ideas for activism and protest at conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Evansville Indiana. I wanted this to be a one man protest and planned to go alone. The goal was to give a voice to the voiceless, to create cognitive dissonance in people that wish to ignore actual truth in favor of “The Truth”, and to give them a chance to connect to the emotions of those on the outside. This was done by exposing them to real audio recordings from the Shunned Podcast here, featuring poignant moments from guests that I hope might resonate with someone there. Activism can take many forms, and this is my chosen form for the day in question.

In this episode I discuss my takeaways from this protest, which took place in three parts over two weekends in Evansville. Everything from what I felt to what I saw, from how people reacted at the protest to how they reacted online (including in the YouTube comments), and I give tips on how you can do something similar if you wish.

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Struggling with perfectionism, building a social network, codependency, or feeling like you’re not enough? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a Cult Recovery Coach. I work with many ex-JWs, along with ex-other groups, and your average person that has never been in a cult that wants better things in their life. Find out more here: https://storyworkscoaching.com

I also have an ExJW specific site here: https://exjwhelp.com

You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/

Please consider supporting the show’s Patreon if you appreciate the time that goes into producing these stories, and get yourself some exclusive bonuses, at: https://www.patreon.com/shunned

Show notes and information on how to be a guest or find other resources for the podcast can be found here: https://shunnedpodcast.com/episodes/

Music provide by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself

An ExJW podcast and an ExJW YouTube channel

If you’re looking to buy the speaker that I used, here’s a link to the Doss Traveler on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XKZCBYM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

If you’d be interested in any of the shirts that I wear on the podcast, they can be found here, and I do get a few bucks on each sale: https://shunnedpodcast.threadless.com/

One of the things that really stands out at times is how much people put into following these high control groups, or cults, and how little it takes to get a person kicked out and shunned. Years, even decades can be spent serving faithfully, but one simple statement by a once sincere follower can be all it takes to start the path to shunning. “I wish they were just more open minded”, a reasonable remark and a personal feeling expressed to the wrong person who told the elders started the process for Allison. Her answer to the infamous question often asked in their secret judicial committees, “do you view Jehovah’s organization as your authority”, would seal her fate. A fourth generation Jehovah’s Witness, and everything changed so quickly. There’s often no credit for time served in a cult.

The song chosen by Allison to represent her story is Let The Mystery Be by Iris DeMent.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Allison by leaving her a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

“God isn’t with you. Don’t kill yourself. You can get through this even if you have to do it alone.” Those are the words of 10 year old Z (Z Olvero, formerly Whitney Blackburn). Today Z is a gender non-binary person that has found themselves after a life as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses that tried to force conformity rather than authenticity. They knew that their life wasn’t going to fit the mold but they still tried to make it work. After being disassociated from the cult their reaction was bliss, a feeling that finally it was done, and now they get to pursue the life that they want.

The song chosen by Z to represent their story is Cost of Doin’ Business by Fifth.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Zee by leaving them a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

Kim grew up in a home where she was to be seen and not heard. Her family was also in a cult where people are to be seen and not heard. Jehovah’s Witnesses are obsessed with appearance over substance, and Kim had to eventually leave that behind in order to find something real. She had to grow up fast to leave abusive situations and to give herself a chance at a real life of her own, becoming a CNA at just 15 years old. Listen to find out how she overcame those struggles, and how she’s gotten involved in some interesting things after leaving.

The song chosen by Kim to represent her story is Hairline Fracture by Rise Against .

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Kim by leaving her a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

“They weren’t there to help me; I’m not going to let them judge me.” These were Seth’s words as so much in his life came to a head. The loss of his mother early in life, the abuse from his father, homeless at just 14 years of age, Seth had so many things against him. As an adult he would lose siblings to suicide and face a marriage rife with issues while turning back to the cult that he was exposed to as a child only to find it lacking. Through it all Seth proved himself resilient and caring while being failed by those around him, leading him to eventual freedom.

The song chosen by Seth to represent his story is Popular Monster by Falling In Reverse  .

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Seth by leaving him a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

Note: This episode gets very real, including potential triggers surrounding suicide and sexual assault. It is important to discuss the realities of these things and we hope that it helps others. Kayla was very brave in sharing her life story.

Sadly a cycle of abuse is often like a role that gets played over and over again. We typically think of it in the role of abusers that repeat patterns, but so do those who are abused. Kayla’s story includes abusive behaviors from parents, her husband at the time, and of course the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. At every turn when she needed something healthy she was met with unhealthy toxic behavior. This wasn’t limited to her but also included some of her siblings. From growing up to being married to custody battles to dealing with pedophiles, the JWs sided with and allowed abuse to perpetuate on their watch.

Kayla is a strong person that not only made it through these situations but she’s actively working to better her life as she heals from the trauma caused by members of a group claiming to have not only “The Truth” doctrinally but also to have the happiest families on earth. They even use a hashtag for their cult, #bestlifeever. By their fruits you will recognize the true religion, according to them. Kayla’s story shows yet again that their fruitage is not just rotten, but poisonous, as Jehovah’s Witnesses utterly destroy families and individuals alike with their corrupt practices.

The song that Kayla chose to represent her journey is Heaven is a Place on Earth by Belinda Carlisle.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Kayla by leaving her a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

Kidnapped at the age of 6 years old by her mother, LaShanda’s life had a rough start. Many around her were struggling with mental health issues, substances, and of course, the toxic environment of Jehovah’s Witnesses eventually came into play as she got older. She felt different for issues due to race, the circumstances of her life, and eventually joined a group that gave her a sense of belonging for a time while all the while trying to isolate her even more.

The song chosen by LaShanda to represent her story is Alive by Sia.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support LaShanda by leaving her a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

At just 19 years old Jen had a moment where she realized that “this is going to be the rest of my life”. That thought made her shudder. Listen to find out what it was that she didn’t want for the rest of her life, what that moment was like, and an unexpected place that she turned to in order to get space to grow. Jen has been told no by the people that were once close to her but she’s learned to say yes in her life and to explore and grow on her own even if family chose to stay behind.

The song that Jen chose to represent her journey is Wildflowers by Tom Petty.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Jen by leaving her a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

“From an early age I accepted that I was garbage. I was not going to survive Armageddon. I knew I wasn’t going to make it. I knew I wasn’t good enough. I knew I was letting Jehovah down.”

How does someone get to this place so young? Ramo was baptized at just 8 years old into a cult that denies one the ability to be themselves, that forces children into a mold whether it fits or not, and that lets them know from early on how defective they are. The only cure is to serve Jehovah by following whatever the cult says.

“The crazier you sound, the better a witness you are.” Ramo learned over time how to work the system to survive mentally and emotionally in a dysfunctional environment in both his family and the cult. Eventually he found his way to freedom and now he tells his story to help others see the realities found inside the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The song that Ramo chose to represent his journey is The Rapture by Senses Fail.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Ramo by leaving him a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

“I’m not sorry for who I am.” When you think about that statement and life as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, it holds certain weight. But what if you were born into a body that didn’t fit the person that you knew yourself to be? Meet Mitch, a trans man that had to go on quite a journey to be himself. When you grow up in a cult, where you are supposed to be like everyone else, it takes tremendous courage to be yourself. Sadly it often comes with a heavy price as well, but that freedom to be oneself is priceless.

Note: There were some technical issues recording this episode in video format via Zoom so both the video and audio versions have an awkward moment or three where we had trouble syncing up and one or the other of us ended up talking over the other. We did our best to overcome the lagging that we dealt with.

The songs that Mitch chose to represent his journey are My Immortal and also Bring Me To Life by Evanescence. He also chose the song In The End by Linkin Park.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Mitch by leaving him a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

Angela was a born-in member of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Although it was all that she ever knew, she could see that some things didn’t add up from an early age and struggled to adopt everything she had been told. She was told to shun her own mother by her father, while at the same time all she wanted was love and attention from her parents like any normal child. In her story you will learn what woke her up and her path out. This story does involve suicide attempts and sexual abuse. Sadly, these things are all too common among Jehovah’s supposedly happy and loving people.

The song that Angela chose to represent her journey is Best of You by Foo Fighters.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Angela by leaving her a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

When Felicity’s father left when she was just eight years old, life took a sudden turn as her mother fell into the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Struggling with her own mental and emotional health, her mother is described as a wild animal, hurling objects and abuse at her young daughter. Concerned outsiders could see what was going on at times, but not Jehovah’s Witnesses. In fact, young Felicity would walk to the Kingdom Hall and be passed by brothers and sisters in cars that refused to pick her up. She was even fostered for a time by an elder and his family, only to find them devoid of love as well. Ultimately Felicity would take a stand for herself and her children in an act of courage. This is her story.

Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence. As Jehovah’s Witnesses we were taught endurance, how to put up with things externally that weren’t what we wanted to achieve a goal we were given. As ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses we have the opportunity to learn persistence in working toward goals that we set for ourselves because we want them bad enough.

Through toil and tears, big moves and lots of hustle, Jack was able to connect with his own passions in his business. Always a fan of nature Jack wanted to do something to give back in some way, to help clean up the planet that he cared so much for even as a child, and started his own recycling business. You’ll see the persistence that is embodied throughout his story as he reached for his own personal goals.

Support Jack by leaving him a comment HERE

Are you struggling in some area of life and looking for your own success and happiness? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

One reason that people are attracted to cults is that they are looking for stability in life. They may feel vulnerable and are looking for answers, something to hold on to that allows them to leave their troubles behind. Unfortunately the reality of what cults offer is nothing more than a surface level illusion of stability covering over deep dysfunction, beliefs that people use as an escape for their problems. It is like quicksand. It looks like firm ground but once you take the first step things just slowly get worse and worse.

Stephanie grew up in a somewhat chaotic environment. She could be found beating her dolls while “playing meeting” because the dolls weren’t listening. At fourteen her father started suffering from mental issues that altered his view of reality at times. Her home wasn’t stable from the environment in it to where she physically lived, even moving in with another family at eighteen. Then in her pursuit of stability she would look for it in marriage and find anything but that. Disfellowshipped three times, Stephanie finally realized that what she was seeking could only truly be found in another life and she had to go find it.

The song that Stephanie chose to represent her journey is Praying by Kesha.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Stephanie by leaving her a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

“I should have gotten the abortion”, the words of Mario’s mother when he was disfellowshipped at a young age from the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Some would equate shunning to exactly that, essentially aborting someone from your life and treating them as though they are dead. All because a person, even a mother’s own son, simply chose another path.

“I just want to be normal”, the words of a depressed 15 year old Mario growing up as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Living in a self-described “police state” in his own home, the harsh fundamentalist upbringing resulted in a life of frustration and anger where nothing was ever good enough in that environment to garner trust.

Mario overcame so much to finally have a chance to find himself, and he shares his story today to help others going through similar circumstances. We talk about his time growing up JW, how he was treated in his own home growing up after the shunning started, his time spent after being pushed out and the impact it had on him, and how he has continued to work on himself to grow into someone that he can be proud of.

The song that Mario chose to represent his journey is The Unforgiven by Metallica.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Mario by leaving him a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

For many of us most of our lives were spent devoting our assets to “Kingdom interests” as Jehovah’s Witnesses. We literally counted the hours spent pushing literature door to door and gave our everything to the belief that in doing so we were helping people. Tim took his time, treasure and talents in another direction, using them in the nonprofit world to make a real difference today. From helping cats as a kid to preventing pediatric accidents to helping burn victims in Ghana and now working to help with adoptions, he has seen real needs and worked to address them while growing as a individual at the same time.

Support Tim by leaving him a comment HERE

Are you struggling in some area of life and looking for your own success and happiness? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Either you get baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses or you die. These are the two options presented to most young kids growing up in the cult. Often times people will say “it’s not like you had a gun to your head so you had a choice”, but they’re wrong on both counts. JWs hold a god to your head, a god that will let you live if you make the right choice and that will kill you if you choose any other path. What kind of choice is that? It sounds more like extortion.

Ryan’s baptism was just part of his story of looking for connection and stability. Instead of people talking to him they far more often talked about him. He tried everything to be what they wanted him to be, including undergoing conversion therapy to try to suppress his sexuality. Ultimately Ryan had to make a choice to be himself.

The song that Ryan chose to represent his journey is It’s Not My Time by 3 Doors Down.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Ryan by leaving him a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

Jehovah’s Witnesses have a practice called “disfellowshipping” that at one point long ago even Watchtower estimated at costing them 70,000 members per year. Tens of thousands of people are cast out of their group and shunned to an extreme degree. They tell their members that the practice is one of love. Is that true? They also have a narrative about shunning that they tell the general public through the FAQ section of their official website. Are those answers true?

A letter was leaked on Twitter from a JW circuit overseer. Per direction from the organization he was looking for positive stories of shunning inside the organization. In particular they wanted to hear from those that openly express their confidence that the disfellowshipping arrangement is loving, and that they had personally benefited from this discipline. Preferably, the experiences should illustrate the points in the second, third, and fourth paragraphs in the article Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Shun Those Who Used To Belong To Their Religion (from their official website). That’s exactly what they asked for word for word in their letter. That’s exactly what we’re going to look at.

So follow along as we examine their words. As we do you’ll hear from real life stories of people that volunteered to call in and leave voicemails in response to questions asked regarding the claims made by the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Watchtower. Those familiar with the cult know that they refer to their doctrine as “The Truth”. Let’s see how honest they really are in the narrative that they sell the general public.

I want to thank Andy, Chris, Stephanie, M.K., Patrick, Mario, Lydia, Lisa, “J”, Vicki, and Rebecca for lending their voice and personal experiences to this project voluntarily.

You can leave a comment of support HERE

Are you struggling in some area of life and looking for your own success and happiness? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life and shunning? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Welcome to the first episode of the Shunned Success Stories series. In this episode we meet Kelsey and get to learn from her path as she went from a homeschooled member of Jehovah’s Witnesses to recently being accepted to attend MIT. You’ll learn about her struggles on this path as she is shunned by her family and former friends, how she overcame that for this part of her journey, and the new opportunities that she’s found. Success as defined by these episodes is personal happiness, so look for the lessons you can take on your own journey to find more happiness in your life.

Support Kelsey by leaving her a comment HERE

Are you struggling in some area of life and looking for your own success and happiness? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

A third generation Jehovah’s Witness from Puerto Rico, Daniel often had an identity crisis despite being surrounded by a cult that dominated so much of his life. He loved people and wanted desperately to fit in so he tried on different personas to try to make that happen. At one point a brother named “Mr. J” comes into his life and you’ll meet this character too as he tells his story.

The song that Daniel chose to represent his journey is Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Daniel by leaving him a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

The year was 2014. The event was the annual meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses streamed all over the world. And then it happened…….”Tight Pants Tony” was born. A young Karamat was watching, and if stumbling someone results in the person doing the stumbling being cast into the water with a millstone around his neck, ol’ Tony Morris of the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses might need a bigger neck for all of the stumbling he did that day.

Karamat was a young enthusiastic member of Jehovah’s Witnesses but he also had friends outside of the organization and could never embrace the JW teaching that his friends would be killed in a fiery Armageddon by his God. He was an intelligent young man, one that started to wake up around the time of the annual meeting whereby Tony Morris ranted unintelligibly about women wearing “spanx” and men wearing tight pants designed by the homosexuals. Let’s also not forget his hatred of colorful or fun socks. On the world stage when he could have encouraged people in any way he saw fit, he went on a homophobic rant about clothing. He also railed against amusement parks if cult followers weren’t spending time visiting the Watchtower headquarters, among other inane assertions such as what standing one should have in the congregation in order to be considered marriage material.

A young man of intelligence and emotional/mental honesty, Karamat would go on a journey toward more education and less ignorance. He couldn’t abide by the elder’s warnings to give up his “worldly” friends on the outside, and of course he had an interest in relationships beyond friendships as a normal young man. He also had questions for which the elders didn’t have answers. This resulted in him being kicked out of his home, being homeless for a time, suffering depression, losing people he thought were his friends because Jehovah’s Witnesses truly shoot their wounded, and he started his life over at a young age.

The song that Karamat chose to represent his journey is Toussaint L’Overture by Santana.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Karamat by leaving him a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

The last episode was the story of Aaron, and in it he mentioned a particular couple in the congregation that he was close to. That friendship ended in much drama for him and his status with the congregation. In this episode Dani, the wife in that relationship tells her life story and gives details of what led to her eventual shunning from the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The parties, the relationship she had with her husband, and the relationships that he had outside of their relationship. You’ll learn how she went from someone that always doubted the cult doctrine to the pressure to get baptized and how it all got worse after that. Through adversity often comes strength and Dani has earned hers.

The song that Dani chose to represent her journey is Last Hope by Paramore.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Dani by leaving her a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

Throughout Greg’s life in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, he observed the hypocrisy and lack of love in the congregation. People were appointed to positions based on who they knew. They were dealt with judicially, with determinations of their fates being based on who they knew as well. Eventually Greg would have to leave his life as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses behind to find himself.

Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

Aaron was born into the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses and never fully bought into the life that he was given. Knowing from a young age that he was gay he knew that he couldn’t fully be himself in the religion. A tight group of friends later in life would lead him into situations that eventually resulted in his shunning. Although it would still take several years to wake up even after shunning, Aaron has the opportunity to live as his authentic self.

The song that Aaron chose to represent his journey is Summer Storm by Joel P West.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Aaron by leaving him a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

Joseph’s story starts at the beginning, no not his beginning, all the way back at the beginning of the organization now known as Jehovah’s Witnesses. We start discussing some history of the Bible Students that I then researched later myself personally and found fascinating. But this story is much more than a throwback, this story features much of the modern issues within the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Joseph got caught up in a bad situation with an elder and his wife, ending up married to that elder’s wife. Just like he got caught up as an adult with a cult, he was caught up in another bad relationship. He also saw other abuse while in the organization and knew that he wanted out of all of it.

The song that Joseph chose to represent his journey is El Ultimo Renglon by Estopa.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Joseph by leaving him a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

“All of your worth is only as a JW” is a quote and common theme from Laura’s story of falling for a young man that was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in high school. Meeting this person at just 16 years of age would send her down an intense path of self-denial at the behest of him and others that would come into her life. Ultimately she was manipulated into doing what they wanted. For a religion that calls itself “The Truth” this story involves so many lies, the ones told to others, the ones she told to herself, and the ones told to her. The cult dynamics were seen in her relationship early on. This 16 year old girl unknowingly entered a world that would take her from her family, take years of her life, and things got even worse when she met an elder that took advantage of her. Today Laura is an educated woman pursuing things that she values in freedom.

The song that Laura chose to represent her journey is Bird Set Free by Sia.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Support Laura by leaving her a comment HERE

Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.