197 - The Shadiest People Rise At Bethel - Former Bethelite Shares His Story Of Moving On

One of the highest goals for a young person that is one of Jehovah's Witnesses is to go to the Bethel headquarters located in New York, to work as a volunteer, serving their cult full time. But every person that goes there has a life before they go there, a life there, and for most, a life after as well. KJ has taken the time to share his story, one that involves the depths of emotional despair, the harsh realities of the most revered place on earth for Jehovah's Witnesses, and how he came to realize that "we're all just drones, following along thoughtlessly, because we're afraid". KJ is no longer a drone but has chosen to take flight in his own life, charting his own course, even though it has cost him dearly inside the life he once knew.
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[@MiriamTV2]

This has got to be one of the most revealing interviews you have ever done! Huge shoutout to KJ for coming on the show. As he went to Bethel, I started to fade out, but we seem to be around the same age, so in a way, it was a blast from the past. May you find love and lots of joy in life, KJ, much deserved! Also, your giggles throughout the interview gave me life, you have such a nice laugh. :D

[@greatdayn4651]

What an amazingly well-balanced, clear-headed and articulate young man. Much respect to him and for you giving him a wider voice to help others. Thank you for sharing his story.

[@richardanderson7091]

My cousin was disfellowshiped for not agreeing with some of the doctrine and the teachings. The elders told him he was rebellious and he needs to fall in line pretty much. Long story short he ended up getting disfellowshipped and shunned from the community . His own brothers and sisters would not speak to him as well as his own children. Well they were adults by that time but they told them they never want to speak to him again. He ended up winning a large sum of money from the lottery and the all of a sudden wanted to talk to him again. Now he is shunning them and the money in his will is going to various charities.

[@theoriginalwaterbaby]

Love this interview!! I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know KJ this past year and a half, what a thoughtful, lovely young man! I really appreciate learning more of your journey, my Friend, and it's so touching hearing the chronology, the context, the details of your thoughts & intentions starting at the tender age of 5 years old. 😥🐣😘 Bravo to you for sharing with us this way! Thank you "ShunnedPodcast" for being a kind & compassionate interviewer! This makes for a safe space for everyone, including viewers, to hear these personal TTATT expressions. 💖💕⚖️🗽💕💖

[@Alisha-zq6vh]

Excellent interview 👏🏽. My sister was in Russian, in upstate NY and I remember having a blast going to the circuit assembly at the Stanley Theater with her. Fun group of people, just wish they could free themselves of the high control group. Congrats KJ, on waking up and starting to really live your life!

[@Joeandfran]

My husband and I are in Upstate NY, Utica and we had a Russian group. They dissolved it a few years ago but I wondered if your cousin was going to the hall in Utica. We Disassociated two years ago after being a JW for 36 years. Our four grown children are still in and shunning us.

[@Joeandfran]

Sorry, I meant your sister

[@Alisha-zq6vh]

@Joeandfran Yes I know who you are 😊 ❤️. My sister is in Rochester, NY. Wonder if you crossed paths. Did you go to Henrietta for assemblies? She switched to French and then disassociated later.

[@anonymousvon5159]

Amen on 1975! The elders are still denying it. Congratulations on your freedom!

[@dinotudisca3821]

While listening today, a comment struck me When you were young, you wished that your bio- mom might come to be a JW. That of course is common for all of us. While we were JWs we wished our relatives, our friends maybe even some co workers would become JWs Now as ex JWs we wish that our relatives and friends still in will wake up and leave. Ironic

[@RR-zk2vj]

I've listened to countless exBethelite interviews over the course of a year. I'm still surprised by the sh1t that goes down. smh. Well, WT Society wants to set themselves apart from the rest of the world and religious-- that's one way to do it.

[@janeneshireese]

I escaped to Russian too! I wonder if we ever crossed paths. I often wonder how many ppl wake up and went to foreign languages as an escape.

[@unite4peace88]

The interesting thing about being labeled an Apostate is that the people who are affected by it, are the people you should be running away from anyway. So I wear it like a badge of honor. No one else even knows what the word means. Yes, it blocks our message to people inside who we want to get out, but hopefully they will see it.

[@vestland3877]

We are not apostates, we believe in God. I can agree with Heritic but not an apostate.

[@unite4peace88]

@ according to their interpretation it’s a person who opposes; speaks to others against their organization… I’m a proud Apostate.

[@vestland3877]

@ indeed but its not the Catholic church or the Oxford definition. But ofcourse Watchtower is delusional.

[@unite4peace88]

@@vestland3877 True.

[@carloswhomusic]

The shadiest? How about Jeffrey Winder? He's the shadiest GB member ever, he'll say anything the old guard tells him to say with a smile. Jeffrey has NO SHAME.

[@heatherwillson4862]

👍

[@lonniestilley8382]

Um is not a word

[@aservantofJEHOVAH7849]

There is no money to be made at bethel, if one us a money lover the last place one is going to find oneself is bethel ,it's not a requirement ,you can make it in to paradise and get eternal life without going to bethel. So my advice remains investigate first hand and make up your own mind. If you are worried about what people might think you can read our literature online for free, instead if the quote mining of our enemies, you can attend meetings via zoom,you can even study the Bible via email or the phone. No one that you don't want to know has to know about your independent investigation, if you gave relatives in the truth as them whether they pay tithes or believe the GB are prophets or look around their homes for portraits of the elders, or check our places of worship or branch offices for statues or bust or portraits of prominent elders or the society's founders,hero worship is totally alien to JW culture, you will notice that there no names or images of writers on any of our literature for instance.

[@vestland3877]

No name in the magazines are for legal reasons.

[@vestland3877]

You have listened to countless of interviews. Doesnt anything sound shady about Org or you still hang on to the imperfect men nonesens?

[@aservantofJEHOVAH7849]

@@vestland3877 whenever they talk about me or things I know about firsthand it is AKWAYS a lie that is an amazing coincidence if you believe in coincidences.

[@aservantofJEHOVAH7849]

@@vestland3877 there us nothing illegal about publishing the name of an author. In fact for many years the magazines and literature did publish the name of the authors with no legal consequences.

[@aservantofJEHOVAH7849]

@@vestland3877 so you are stupid enough to believe that a court could not get the name or names of a writer if they felt they needed to. You people simply have no standing to talk down to anybody.