Escape Plan?

No, I did not have an escape plan when I decided to finally walk away from the Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs) and I regret not having planned it out carefully. My exit from the all-consuming indoctrination and brain-numbing rhetoric of the JWs was a long process after years of suffering both physical and emotional abuse. I wasn't fully aware that I was slowly losing the hypnotic mind blocks that have been put in place, but I had many quick bursts of logic that would flash inside my brain that things did not add up with this religion that I was born into. But rest assured, that the exit door will become obvious to you with patience and thoughtfulness. 

Is there something blocking your exit out of the JW religion?
Don't be afraid to look back into the past of this religion, you just
might find the key that opens your exit door.

If you are a child still living at home with your JW parents, then maybe start to objectively read the required Watchtower literature, distancing yourself mentally from the contrived and carefully constructed words on the pages. Start engaging schoolmates in topics other than religion and you will see where your natural inclinations lie, maybe in art, math or athletics. This slow and deliberate process will prepare your mind for when you are old enough to think about moving in with trusted friends or non-JW relatives. If you are an adult and feel trapped inside the JW culture, start planning your work schedule to conflict with the JW meetings or maybe you have non-JW friends or relatives that suddenly need your time and attention. Start engaging persons at work in conversations other than religion. Maybe enroll in evening classes to further your education. 

Why don't I say to just walk out? Or, why not confront the Body of Elders in your congregation and tell them everything that you have discovered about this man-made religion? Obviously, it is a personal choice that only you can make. However, once you go down that rabbit hole with a fully armed-for-battle JW Body of Elders, you will only spiral into a vortex of never-ending arguments, one-sided banter, circular reasoning, gaslighting techniques, and suffer humiliations because the Elders are on a mission to protect the self-appointed Governing Body of men at the corporate headquarters in New York who have deemed themselves as having the only "truth" according to their own publications. They have deemed themselves as the sole avenue to salvation, pushing aside the sacrifice of Jesus.

"Truth" is what you can see, feel, hear, smell, taste and touch. We are physical beings and needing proof of any doctrine or belief system is okay, it doesn't mean you are not a believer in God which is everyone's choice, a point that is lost with the JWs. They have a belief system that cannot be penetrated through logic, reason, proof, debate, etc., so please know that anything you say or do to prove they are wrong in any way, will result in you being labeled as demonic and they will view you as an enemy to their faux spiritual paradise.  

A simple way of summing up the JW Elders' mindset is the play by Arthur Miller called "The Crucible", which was a fictionalized account of the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts from 1692 to 1693, yet based on the actual court records of those trials. You will suffer embarrassment and humiliation if you subject yourself to the court of Elders, you will be on trial for your life, and if you do not bow down and repent of all your sins against the corporation and figuratively kiss their ring, you will be labeled apostate and sentenced to eternal destruction with your "father" the Devil. 

Another story that mimics the mindset of the JW Elders is "The Scarlet Letter", a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne which takes place from 1642 to 1649. This is another example of how you will be treated by the Elders, a group of men that are judges against you, accusing you of wrongdoing, and you will be on trial resulting in being ostracized by the congregation. You might want to set aside any heavy reading material at the moment and take a break from trying to prove the JWs are wrong in their beliefs and doctrines and pick up these novels instead, or rent the movie versions, since that is the mindset and time period you are dealing with when attempting to talk to a JW Body of Elders. 

So, how can I help you to plan your escape from a book publishing company? That probably sounds pretty amusing to an outsider, one having no connection or knowledge of this religion that dictates every aspect of your life. Start researching the roots of this religion. It is a money-making corporation with the intent of separating you from your family, friends, social activities, education, and from pursuing your own interests and goals.  It's a business that cares little about the Bible and only markets their own religious publications to anyone that might be ignorant of religion in general or maybe they just like the concept of a paradise earth not realizing that the JW's will indeed require a blood sacrifice to prove yourself worthy of their false god, if not your own life, then of a loved one, even an infant because of their policy of refusing a potentially life-saving blood transfusion should the need arise.

Also, realize that there is not one universal "truth", it will mean different things to different people, which is okay. Think about your feelings. Are you happy being on a constant treadmill of sitting inside a JW church or sitting by a literature cart? Your life right now inside that JW church will be exactly the same in 10, 20, 30 or more years into the future. It is a dead religion, it moves nowhere but in a circle with recycled policies and circular reasoning. So, think about the situation you're in right now, where are you, what are you doing, where are you heading? Stop and listen to your own inner voice, it is highly insightful, and it will help you move towards your personal freedom.

#exJW #activism