News And Links For Ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses And Atheists: Richard Dawkins on the Bill Maher Show – Overtime

VIDEO: Richard Dawkins on the Bill Maher Show – Overtime

VIDEO: Caller Pastor George on The Atheist Experience

VIDEO: The Atheist Experience Discusses the Difference Between Indoctrination (Cults) and Socialization

Children of religious parents at ‘more risk’ of abuse

Countering JW Shunning: How the Implications of Stanley Milgram’s Work May Suggest Using a Different Approach

In an attempt to force abandonment of the cruel practice of shunning, we’ve seen countless impassioned pleas from ex-JW members who point out how cruel and emotionally-painful it is for THEM, the targets of shunning. Although these painful accounts are absolutely heart-felt, they often are quite ineffective; the shunning continues, partly because the cries paradoxically CONFIRM the message that the WT delivers to their members, telling them shunning HAS to be uncomfortable for the shunned since it’s done “for their own good”! The Society claims that shunning WON’T be effective UNLESS it causes pain in the shunned!

Shameful Shunning in a Thousand Words

This is a picture of my dad eating. He had just made lunch for me, but he couldn’t eat it with me. I had to eat it at another table with my four-year-old son while he sat there away from me.
Why? Because that’s what the Watch Tower Society tells him to do.

What is Jehovah’s witnesses?

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Science Of Cult Behavior


Finally, I am not dead. But posts will be far fewer during the college semester. Also, as happens every other month it seems like, updates continue to wreck the editor on my WordPress install. One minute it’s there, the next it isn’t. Grrr…

News And Links for Ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses: Warwick OKs Site of New Watchtower Headquarters

Warwick OKs Watchtower site

The Watchtower Tract and Bible Society has won Planning Board approval for a new world headquarters in a semi-rural section of town off Long Meadow Road.

I think it’s kinda funny that they got the name wrong. Because I’m easily amused, I guess.

Extreme Shunning

Written by AAWA’s Richard Kelly. As always, be sure to check the comments.

Team 10 obtains video of admitted child molester in Jehovah’s Witnesses

In a video deposition taken in 2011 during a civil lawsuit, admitted serial pedophile Gonzalo Campos said he abused several children in his San Diego congregation from the early 1980’s through the mid 90’s.
“I did abuse him,” said Campos in the video. “I touched his private parts.”

Church Usher Charged With Sexual Abuse of Boy Parishioners

An usher at a Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation in Sun Valley was charged Wednesday with sexually abusing four boys he met at the church.
Marcelo Lozano, 34, is expected to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon at Van Nuys Superior Court with nine felony counts…

Bradford paedophile jailed for abuse of boys

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday Capazzo, 41, who was formerly known as Andrew Collins, had been a member of the Jehovah’s Witness faith.
Prosecutor Sophie Drake said his behaviour had been brought to the attention of the elders at a Bradford place of worship and he was “disfellowed”. She said: “Although he was shunned by the congregation he was still allowed to attend meetings. At that time matters were not brought to the attention of the police.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses under fire

At the recent summer conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Silkeborg and Herlufmagle, speakers likened lapsed members to a deadly virus, snakes and contaminated soil that should not be mixed with clean soil.
The rhetoric was so strong that the movement may have breached article 266b of the Danish Criminal Code, under which…

“Shun your disfellowshipped loved ones!”: Shocking District Convention talk hits YouTube

From Cedars at JW Survey:

Recorded at one of the 2013 “God’s Word Is Truth” District Conventions in California, the speaker instructs Witnesses to shun family members, even children, as an act of loyalty.

Jehovah Witnesses dispel myths, discuss religion at Lyndhurst Kingdom Hall

The followers, which are anything but cult-like, come from all walks of life and transgress many cultures. The Watchtower is published monthly in 209 languages. Locally, followers get together in Lyndhurst at their hall on Stuyvesant Avenue on Thursdays and Sundays for “meetings.” The hall caters to local Portuguese and Spanish speaking, as well as English, Jehovah Witnesses.

Anything but cult-like??? Someone needs to do their homework. Check the comments for more.

PODCAST: BTR Guest: Former Watchtower HQ worker Mariuca Rofick
VIDEO: 7.0 Why I left Mormonism – How to Avoid Deception

VIDEO: Dad vs Jehovah’s witnesses

Economic stimulus: Jehovah’s Witnesses, Thunder are a boon to area businesses

Jehovah’s Witnesses and Shunning

Shun the nonbelieverWhen one of Jehovah’s Witnesses does something that his local elders deem a serious offense against God and Watchtower, he will probably be disfellowshipped by a closed-door tribunal. From that point forward, he is basically dead to all Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide. It’s a bit like that one episode from the Twilight Zone, actually. If he tries to communicate with them in any way, he will either be ignored or angrily told the error of his ways.

They call it “congregation discipline” and make it sound like it’s a punishment from Jehovah God himself. As if Jehovah floats down from Heaven and plays judge and jury instead of congregation elders. If those elders were truly being influenced by Jehovah or Jesus in any way, then why is it that some disfellowshippings get annulled? As in, oops, the elders made a mistake!

But you don’t hear about those very often, do you? (They do happen, though.) Never mind. Keep reading to learn more about disfellowshipping.

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How And Why Doubting Witnesses Can Fade From The Watchtower Society: Bigger, Better, And Uncut!

fading1Many of my ex-Jehovah’s Witness readers know that I have written some articles for Austin Cline’s About Atheism & Agnosticism web site. One of the more popular ones is called Jehovah’s Witness To Atheist: How Doubting Witnesses Can Fade, Avoid Shunning – Advice for Jehovah’s Witnesses on Fading from the Watchtower Society. That article was good (thanks, me!) but now I’ve got a bigger, better version for you right here on Atheist Geek News. So if you want to fade from your local Kingdom Hall to avoid being disfellowshipped without going all “The Fugitive” on your family and friends, you’ve come to the right place.

Here’s the new list of tips for anyone who wants to fade peacefully into the night.

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