A Childcare Expert Analyzes Caleb and Sophia (Part II)

[@gerry6075]

After the pre-teen years the phrase "making Jehovah sad" gets switched over to "making Jehovah angry".

[@DarthMagog]

Ooof yup, can confirm.

[@556deltawolf]

“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.” Richard Dawkins.

[@556deltawolf]

@@DarthMagog you know what else is ironic about how "Jehovah knows right and wrong" iirc in the Adam and Eve story God LIED to both of them. He told them if they ate the forbidden fruit they would die and other bad things would happen. The serpent then told Eve "Hey that's not true you will not die you'll just become sapient" and he was correct and for some reason Adam and Eve developing rational intelligence was bad for some reason.

[@StarshipVGer]

@@556deltawolf and then in the new testament they pretend 'he' is loving, kind, and basically the opposite of that.

[@PeachWookiee]

I’d recommend examining how deities were portrayed in the Middle Eastern religions at that time. I’ve figured that the OT was written as…uh… male private part waving…😅😅😅

[@sh4rky466]

"Do you really want to play with something Jehovah hates?" "Yes." *Good ending*

[@DarthMagog]

Lol if only.

[@4CH1NGC4V1TY]

i remember looking back on that episode when i was questioning if i was truly a jehovah witness or not and realizing how cruel it was instead of giving the toy back which was a gift, bro really was told to throw it away

[@庫倫亞利克]

They'd be shunned by their parents. Hardly a good ending.

[@КостяКиндалюк]

@@DarthMagog Yeah😅 I don't think that being murdered and thrown out in a black trashbag for disobeying would be a "Happy ending" for the kid

[@unclefranklin4575]

No, best ending.

[@rowanmccracken5041]

My headcannon is that after Caleb and Sofia grow up they leave the Church and go no-contact with their parents

[@julietfischer5056]

I think there's fanfiction for that, already.

[@DarthMagog]

Can confirm, they have some posted on KZbin. It's not Blender animation, but it's pretty fun stuff.

[@Monty_Humble]

probably for the best

[@marcuseaston1583]

I suspect Caleb and Sophia go on a rampage of sorts after turning their parents into clothing.

[@DarthMagog]

@@marcuseaston1583 ooof, edge lord fanfic lol

[@Paladin_Krieger]

The next day: Caleb’s friend: “So you THREW IT OUT because it’s magic?” Caleb: “I don’t wanna make Jehovah sad” Caleb’s friend: “So what you are saying is that Jehovah is gonna get sad over a literal piece of plastic?”

[@DarthMagog]

Jehovah: *Gets sad because of magic* Also Jehovah: *Uses magic to support all the animals of the world, a senior citizen and his family in a wooden box for 40 days* but that's none of our business eh Trooper?

[@Paladin_Krieger]

@@DarthMagogI guess it’s none of our business

[@dragletsofmakara1120]

Caleb’s friend: You know the toy isn’t REALLY magical, right? RIGHT!?

[@ZizixxSamurai]

@@DarthMagog I always loved the implications that magic is always bad (Not like anyone can use even something bad for good purposes), but god (and many other god related figures) constantly use magic, and that's okay, apparently.

[@MeemahSN]

Magic is bad when other people do it. Jehovah is a hypocrite.

[@bruna7534]

that "pray for courage" thing was basically "Oh sophia, you're getting bullied because you're letting them! Because you're a coward!" while she even told and asked for help from TWO ADULTS SHE TRUSTED and their "help" was just "oh honey, just pray, what have you yourself been doing wrong this whole time?"

[@DarthMagog]

It's truly depressing. That poor baby. Fictional, but you still feel for her.

[@lloydmartel]

We can't expect god to do all the work

[@user-fm4ip7lo8u]

@@lloydmartel That's because he doesn't do ANY of the work.

[@RedQuill13]

When I was getting bullied in school I remember my dad asking what I wanted him to actually do about it. They werent violent to me but being mean and causing me termoil but that's when I realized that there wasn't really much he could do about it. Bullying in the way the video showed isn't realistic, atleast not for girls. Girls are going to be catty and less direct in their harassment and thus harder to punish even if you did tell on them. That's when I decided to just bide my time and wait til graduation.

[@grenade8572]

@@RedQuill13 Oh yeeeeesss.. I was bullied for 6 years (it stopped only because I left school after finishing my studies and went to the university). My mom did what she could, the teachers and director were aware... but no one could do anything, because those little pieces of crap were too sneaky.

[@Kyleruin]

I fucking laughed when Sophia was like "stop! Ur being mean"💀, like I've ACTUALLY been bullied and bullies do not act like that

[@DarthMagog]

Especially after the same character literally knocked Sophia to the ground earlier. So bizarre

[@wolfwing1]

most bullies know it's a idle threat as the teacher most likely will do nothing, and at best as was said just make the bully angrier.

[@BootyCrusader]

Sophia actually tried the “STOP! YOU’VE VIOLATED THE LAW” but without the sword and armor to back it up

[@DarthMagog]

@@BootyCrusader my head canon is that Sophia is secretly Sir SIC

[@Nockgun]

@ferret Give them the consequences my bully is a harrassment type non violent one my parent say get away from him like WE ARE IN THE SAME CLASS WHAT DO I DO? HES ALSO A RICH KID HIS PARENTS ALWAYS SIDED WITH HIM HES LUCKY HE DIDNT GET ANY BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA

[@thomasjames5757]

I can't bring myself to re-watch the "Obey Jehovah" episode. The way the mom forces her kid to throw out his favorite toy, then gaslights him into thinking that it was his own choice to do so.. It's infuriating to me on a deep, primal level to watch that kind of abuse be glorified.

[@DarthMagog]

Can't say I blame you. This is the first time Commander Fives has seen it in it's entirety. And as you can see, the Commander was also GREATLY displeased.

[@SonicGamerGirl2006]

I agree. It's just sad to see Caleb be guilt-tripped and be forced to throw the wizard warrior action figure away because it'll make Jehovah sad if you don't. This is child emotional and mental abuse on a WHOLE unique level, and I DON'T like it... AT ALL! 😠😡😡💔 MY GOSH, I feel so bad for Caleb... 😞😓💔

[@girlrottingpro]

@@SonicGamerGirl2006 I know right! why tf does jehova care about a wizard toy??

[@kokuhakuqiun4215]

@@girlrottingprodoesn’t like it, he himself can strike dead every single person making these toys and then make all these toys burst into flames. *He clearly likes it/or doesn’t care at all* since he hasn’t done so yet. Also if Caleb’s mom didn’t like having that toy in her house, *she could’ve just confiscated it and gone to the school when it was the next day to have it returned to Caleb’s friend and tell Caleb’s friend that she doesn’t like him playing with those toys.* Same logic as parents taking up candy their kid stole from the store and having it returned.

[@SonicGamerGirl2006]

@CloudyLemon It's definitely the Watchtower Society who want us to believe magic is demonic and that we must avoid it at all cost. However, I don't think this way. There is LITERALLY nothing wrong with liking or believing in magic. If you believe it, good for you! That's all it matters! I HATE that the Watchtower Society controls the lives of their members, including children. It stunts them from being able to express themselves, effectively stripping much of their rights, ESPECIALLY the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. 😞😓

[@arandomladywithabadsleepsc1748]

God, the first one just..the mom is so blatantly horrible that it’s shocking anyone can see her action as heroic.

[@DarthMagog]

Yup, it's allllllll cultural. They really try to paint it as the right thing

[@Rouseiryuu]

"WHAT TOY IS THAT!?" "Ohhh, your friend gave this to you... >:(" "Who likes magic? ✝️Jehovah 💕 or SATAN666🤮" "So what do you think you should do with this toy >:) "

[@greasedgamer55]

@@DarthMagog ye parents do shit like this then they wonder why the kid hates them

[@556deltawolf]

@@Rouseiryuu Me: But if Jehovah hates magic then how come Moses, David, Jesus, and many others conduct acts of magic all the time and he's okay with that? Governing body: DISFELLOWSHIPPED!!!!!

[@Rouseiryuu]

@@556deltawolf "it's not magic when we do it"

[@jennytaylor3986]

Regarding parents not taking kid's attachment to their possessions seriously I have a bit of a story. My youngest sister had a stuffed dog (dalmatian) named Patches. My mom liked to have some fun with her and would do things like set her (Patches) in front of the TV with a game controller so it looked like the stuffie got up in the middle of night to play video games (think Elf on the Shelf but less creepy surveillance and more magical stuffed animal best friend) It was all in fun and I don't think baby sis ever truly believed Patches was alive, but it was a nice spot of magic in what was, honestly, a hellish existence since we mostly lived with my dad. So my stepmom apparently got "worried" about baby sis (she got "worried" about a lot of things) and decided to "prove" to her that Patches wasn't really alive by taking the dog and whacking it on a chair over and over. Maybe it sounds silly to some people but it was super traumatic to my baby sis. I don't think she was even 10 at the time. Kids possessions are SO important. They have so little control over what happens in their lives and having something that is just theirs is SO meaningful. Treat kids things with respect, okay? The thing you think is silly might mean more than you know to them.

[@DarthMagog]

Oh that adds a whole extra dimension to Fives' comment about arresting Caleb's agency. Poor baby Sis and Patches :(

[@LeolaGlamour]

Your stepmom sounds like a see you next Tuesday, and needed severe mental help

[@Snowicorn]

When I was almost five my younger sister was born and my parents suddenly started taking my toys (that they themselves gave to me) and giving them to my baby sister without asking me. As you can probably guess my sister wasn't very gentle with my toys and often tried to squish or chew them (as babies do) and if I tried to take my toys away from her or even say anything about it and ask to get my toys back, my parents would get angry and tell me I must share my toys with my sister, because "she's a baby" and that was their only argument. The worst case of this was when grandma gave me and my sister the exact same coloring books, so it was fair to both of us. The next morning while I was getting ready for school, mom left me and sis alone for a few minutes. My sister took *my* coloring book and started chewing on it, so obviously I immidiately tried to take it away (gently) because she was ruining the paper and she also had *her own* coloring book. At that exact moment mom came back and got really mad at me for this. She yelled at me, grabbed the coloring book from my sister and sayd she's going to throw it away "because you don't want to share. Your sister is only 4, be kinder!". Usually this would just be a threat and she wouldn't throw stuff away, but this time she actually did it... Now I'm just very protective of my belongings. I wonder why huh

[@SonicGamerGirl2006]

@@Snowicorn Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry you had to go through that. It seems to me that your parents fail to realize that children don't understand sharing until ages 3 to 4, as well as how disrespectful it is to be taking your things without your permission. Hope you're doing okay now, my friends. No one deserves to go through that. 😞😓

[@amethystrose1888]

That story shook me reading it, I've got a similar one from...well, not my experience, but someone my mom knew. My mom's been a long-term care nurse for as long as I've been alive and has had hundreds of residents with neurodegenerative disorders (dementia, alzheimers, etc.) Those disorders work by eating your brain bit by bit, so you tend to go backwards in terms of development. One of the things you'll notice in a nursing home is how old women love baby dolls, because now their brains are at that stage where the doll isn't just a plastic and cloth dummy, but it's THEIR baby. It reminds them of their child they had 40, 50 years ago and gives them something comforting and familiar to love on. This happened maybe 20 years ago or more at a facility my mom worked at when she was a new nurse. Her and a more established nurse were trying to put a woman to bed who didn't want to sleep, she just wanted to stay awake and hold her baby. Mom wasn't sure what to do, and the other nurse grabbed the doll by its head and started shouting at the resident that "THIS IS NOT REAL," and smacked the baby doll's head into the corner of the night stand a couple times. "NOT REAL. NOT REAL BABY. GO TO SLEEP." The resident stopped talking and went to bed, and the next time my mom was on shift and saw the resident, she was absolutely morose. Mom tried to offer the resident her baby doll to cheer her up, when the resident started crying and said "No...my baby is dead. [other nurse] killed my baby." I've heard this story a handful of times from my mom, and from what I know the other nurse was punished pretty bad after this, but it's an awful story. The woman never got over that baby doll being "killed," and reading what you wrote about Patches brought me right back to that story with the dead baby doll. I know the age is across the spectrum of human life, but it's just...man. It's awful how people can be so callous to people who are vulnerable and are clearly not developmentally in the same place. So little empathy. It makes my heart hurt.

[@Trey_816]

This video brings back a memory. I'll keep it brief. I was nine years old, and I had been bullied by the same kid for years. I got sick of it, and confronted him. Keep in mind, I told adults what was happening, but they didn't care. I had no choice. I was about to hit me for a millionth time, and I hit him in the jaw, skinning my knuckles in the process. Naturally, I was sent to the principal's office. And he called my Dad. I hear my Dad ripping up the hall, and ripped the office door open and shouted, "HOLD THE FUCK UP!" Dad is: A, a combat wounded United States Marine Corps veteran, B, a widower. He was pissed off at the principal, not me. Oh, and Dad was in his Dress Blue uniform, and spent TWENTY UNINTERRUPTED MINUTES Shouting at the principal saying how ridiculous it was putting me in trouble for defending myself! That's when I was transferred to another, a lot better school.

[@CraftyVegan]

I also had a bully, but I lost my patience with him at after school care instead of at school, and so I wasn’t punished. My mom was pulled off to the side and the daycare worker said “hey, your kid isn’t in trouble because she was just defending herself, but I have to tell you this because it’s policy” and then proceeded to tell my mom about how I just beat the f*ck out of this kid to the best of my little 7 year old abilities. Apparently I waited for him to walk by and I tripped him and climbed on top of him and started hitting him. He and I had been in the same daycare classes since we were 3 and were in the same classes in school. I will say this though, when I brought it up to the adults, nothing ever happened. Not at school or at daycare.

[@EmilyGetsCancelled]

@trey8164 Zero tolerance policies seem to protect the child whos starting the bullying in the first place, you were in the right. When I was a kid my parents would punish me for hitting my sibling back, after awhile I just stopped trying to fight back and it was happening about once a week. They'd also tell us that if some other kid were to attack at school, THEN we should just fight back. What actually happened when some kid started slamming me into the monkey bars? I just let it happen because that's what I was taught for the first 6 years of my life.

[@CraftyVegan]

@@EmilyGetsCancelled zero tolerance policies are never “zero tolerance”. Every school I’ve ever been to had “zero tolerance” but the adults would always “happen” to not be looking when bullying would be happening, but as soon as someone defended themselves, the cops would be called and the bullied child would get the worse punishment.

[@infrasleep]

I was bullied once. I beat the living crap out of the bully and was never ever bothered by anyone again.

[@Trey_816]

@@infrasleep Mine, I knocked his jaw loose. I got one fist of iron, and the other of steel. If the right one doesn't get 'em, then the left one will.

[@realglutenfree]

There is one interesting thing about the first video: We dont actually know that this toy was a gift. It could also just have been borrowed from Calebs friend and in that case, the mom made Caleb throw away a borrowed toy from her sons friend, risking their friendship. Maybe that is even the attempt.

[@Roadent1241]

I would love to know how the parents of that friend - who's money was likely spent (even given as pocket money to the friend) on the toy - reacted to "oh yeah we threw it in the rubbish oops lol sorry"

[@DarthMagog]

Yeah, Caleb is going to be *pretty* isolated after this.

[@DoritoBot9000]

In that cult both children and adults are supposed to separate from “outsiders” and develop friendships with other believer ONLY. So yeah, Calebs friendship with the other kid is an inconvenience from the mom’s perspective.

[@kymo6343]

@@Roadent1241 Yeah no dude JW parents really do shit like this. There was one time I borrowed a book from a friend and my parents were so pissed when they found it they burned it, even though I said it was a friend's they A didn't believe me and B didn't care. My friend was disappointed but pretty cool about it knowing my parents were super jerkwads. But I felt so bad I never borrowed a book from anyone again after that.

[@Roadent1241]

@@kymo6343 What a despicable bunch of humans if they're happy to act like that then. I think Matilda's dad was one too then.

[@dionysus_adores]

I hated when my parents threw away my toys and had me watch as a 'punishment'. It really messed me up and didn't tech me anything. Instead i just got good at hiding my favorite items.

[@DarthMagog]

Omg they did that as a punishment? I've had things confiscated before, but thrown away or destroyed is a whole different level of WTF!

[@dionysus_adores]

@@DarthMagog yep even worse they did it to a mentally disabled kid, me.

[@suneater_zeef050]

i'm so sorry to hear that! my family isn't religious but my mother would often threaten to break/throw away my posessions like my CDs, my computer, even things like markers. she also used to thrash my room if i was unhappy about helping her. i hope you get better soon and that what they did will haunt you less and less as time goes on.

[@PanaSouza]

Sneaky, just like Satan the devil.

[@misterauctor7353]

???​@@PanaSouza

[@КатЖак]

the fact that these people thought that Sofia telling the bully 'stop, or I'll tell the teacher' is an effective strategy to stop bullying tells us all we need to know about their pedagogical insight

[@DarthMagog]

Yeah that's it in a nutshell. No violence, just rely on Jehovah. He'll probably fix it maybe, maybe? If not, do more field service or something...

[@sharkpoolbolt662]

I know this is a fictional show, but I have a feeling that when the kids grow up, Caleb will remain in the religion, while Sophia might be disfellowshipped/no longer believes… since she is already questioning it

[@DarthMagog]

I hope so. I get the feeling that Caleb is like most little boys and just not all that interested in being cooped up inside, reading the same dusty book from 2,000 years ago, over and over again. I hope their actual voice actors get out.

[@PeachWookiee]

@Sharkpool Bolt: I suspect that Caleb will leave, too. He’ll want things that will go against the Elders and I can’t see him shunning his sister. I’ve seen the “All Grown Up” cartoons and was glad he broke free.

[@nancia24]

@@PeachWookiee we're did you seen all grown up cartoon

[@Amadeus8484]

She is older to be fair.

[@thesandydragon6433]

That sounds a lot like my current situation. Not JW, but Adventistism in play here. Idk why my brother still appreciates the religion, but I never felt so free because I left

[@Chaos_Fantasmic]

Damn those parents didn't even think to tell the principal that their daughter was getting bullied. Just let her handle it completely on her own

[@DarthMagog]

Left the girl on a wing and a prayer. Literally.

[@Wolf-ln1ml]

Sadly, all too many schools (teachers, principles, ..) don't actually do much to stop bullying. In my view, that should actually be seen exactly as _any_ other caretaker of children neglecting their well-being. Teachers like that should be sued into the ground, not just by the parents, but by the state, same as if some parents starved their children or something similar.

[@Roadent1241]

I'm not surprised, it doesn't do anything either way. They basically just tell you not to be the victim. And that you don't know what bullying is.

[@kittypeanut4102]

@@Wolf-ln1ml that's true, but they should at least have tried

[@nycbuzz22]

Yep the best way to handle your child being bullied in school is to talk about Hannah and how she handled her husband's other wife's taunts. Nevermind going to the school and talking to the principal or teachers...yep just tell her about some obscure Bible character. These videos are so disgusting.

[@jonunya6552]

what frightens me the most about the Jehovah’s Friend series is that Caleb and Sofia and their parents don’t even feel like 1 dimensional characters for the sake of these lessons, their emotions feel real to the point where it’s painful to watch. You can see how hurt Sofia is when she’s being bullied, her and Caleb’s scared glances at each other when they know their in trouble, and the parents’ condescending tone. I don’t even know the context of the clip at 15:30 and i feel so bad for Caleb, he looks like he’s trying so hard not to cry. These videos really feel like a whole new genre of horror.

[@DarthMagog]

Indeed. It's relatable AF, that's what makes them hit so hard, cuz most of us HAVE been Caleb or Sophia at one point or another

[@badulgumm5458]

It's funny how good at they at charachter writting

[@CreativeWitchArt]

Sofia really went the "if you don't stop I'm telling the teacher" while the right thing to do I was thinking she was going to drop kick her for how much people was praying

[@DarthMagog]

Really had that End of Dragon Ball Z Spirit Bomb vibe didn't it?

[@PikachuLittle]

Can you imagine how the story would’ve turned out if Dad had told her the story of Sampson instead? “Jehovah. Please give me the strength to stand up to these bullies” *spots jawbone on the ground* *DOOM MUSIC STARTS PLAYING*

[@agirlhasnoname6637]

@@DarthMagog I was waiting more for a FUH RAH DAH myself!! 😆

[@delicioushotdogs36]

@@DarthMagogEveryone! Lend me your Prayers

[@alphadragonwolfwarrior6373]

The way Caleb's mom reacts to Sparlok is exactly what it's like when your parents see you playing Pokemon while being a JW. All of my 1st edition Pokemon cards, games, and toys ended up in the same place as Sparlok did. I had the I Choose You talking Pikachu plush as a child that was literally like my best friend whom I took everywhere with me (as a JW child you're truly very isolated when it comes to friendships as was brought out in the video) and I cried every day for a month when I had to throw away my Pikachu in the trash with everything else. I felt like I had killed my own best friend in a strange way. I was only about 5 or 6 years old when this occurred. Also, I wanted to point this out as many people including myself thought the same thing at 2:36: the book the mom pulled out was on the table below her hands right before she picked it up.

[@DarthMagog]

Yuuuup, we were in the golden age of Pokémon and Harry Potter and missed out on SOOOO much. Luckily, we're rising my Dark Apprentice with no such compunction. So they can have all the Pokémon they want!

[@alphadragonwolfwarrior6373]

@@DarthMagog Yes! Completely agree!

[@kymo6343]

My parents sold what probably would have been thousands of dollars' worth of cards in a garage sale while I was at school for just a couple dollars. I feel ya.

[@collinranieri8247]

I new other jw kids that did play with Pokémon but i still wasn't allowed

[@agirlhasnoname6637]

In my day 👨‍🦳 lol it wasn't Harry Potter books it was VC Andrew's books, I think...? It was some type of "horror lite for kids" books & I borrowed one from a friend at school & when my mom found it she lost her frikin mind!! She accused me of bringing demons in the house!! She almost threw it in the fireplace, but I had to tell her it wasn't mine so she wrapped it up & put it outside in the shed til I could give it back. 🤪 it was a BOOK!! All because of the photo on the cover I guess...🤷‍♀️

[@loveycat5474]

One time I complained about being bullied to the school counselor about being hit by another student. I was told that if I hit back I would be punished too. So next time I as hit, I fell backwards on purpose and acted like I was badly hurt. The teacher saw it and the bully was punished a I did not because I did not hit back. No one question if I was faking the injury. When I told my parents what happened my dad was proud of me but my mom said it was not good that I was dishonest. But I felt I had no other choice in stopping it. Fighting back was against the rules. There was no rule against faking a injury. It did stop the bully, he was suspended and he did not pick on me anymore .

[@DarthMagog]

NGL, I love how you gamed the system. Breaking the game though

[@MissCaraMint]

You are a freaking genius. The thing is you really COULD have been seriously hurt. Those are the chances the bully was taking by bullying you like that. You essentially just forced them to take a real issue seriously.

[@caitlinsnowfrost8244]

31:45 reminds me of a parable I've heard about a drowning man. A storm descends on a small town, and the downpour soon turns into a flood. As the waters rise, the local preacher kneels in prayer on the church porch, surrounded by water. By and by, one of the townsfolk comes up the street in a canoe. "Better get in, Preacher. The waters are rising fast." "No," says the preacher. "I have faith in the Lord. He will save me." Still the waters rise. Now the preacher is up on the balcony, wringing his hands in supplication, when another guy zips up in a motorboat. "Come on, Preacher. We need to get you out of here. The levee's gonna break any minute." Once again, the preacher is unmoved. "I shall remain. The Lord will see me through." After a while the levee breaks, and the flood rushes over the church until only the steeple remains above water. The preacher is up there, clinging to the cross, when a helicopter descends out of the clouds, and a state trooper calls down to him through a megaphone. "Grab the ladder, Preacher. This is your last chance." Once again, the preacher insists the Lord will deliver him. And, predictably, he drowns. A pious man, the preacher goes to heaven. After a while he gets an interview with God, and he asks the Almighty, "Lord, I had unwavering faith in you. Why didn't you deliver me from that flood?" God shakes his head. "What did you want from me? I sent you two boats and a helicopter."

[@DarthMagog]

Lol that's brilliant actually, I might use that next time I run into a JW

[@ninyaninjabrifsanovichthes45]

"God works in mysterious ways" mfs when God doesn't beam them up like Scotty and instead influences feasable things

[@PeachWookiee]

I’ve heard at least one version of that story. It’s always a guy who ended up unalived because he didn’t end up taking the help he was sent.

[@DarthMagog]

@@PeachWookiee you figure if God was really hearing your prayer, in all his power and wisdom, he *might* just tell you "Bro, see that boat? Get on it, I'm gonna bring them over here. Common sense please."

[@DaNintendude]

Before I got to the punchline I was gonna say that the deliverance was right in front of him, lol.

[@LettaLeeJoy]

That last one is a doozy, holy shit. Subtle implication that secular people are evil bullies, turning prayer into literal magic, the implication that this kid can't find inner strength or solve her problems without depending on a divine authority figure, and that's just the bits I noticed off the top of my head.

[@DarthMagog]

Yeah it hits different for sure. What mortifies me is how many JW children are probably watching this and earnestly trying it. Like, what's the plan if it doesn't work? Are the parents just going to say "pray harder and do more ministry?" All the while these children are emotionally, mentally and physically traumatized :(

[@556deltawolf]

@@DarthMagog Yeah in the video about the 12 Tribes Cult, the woman who escaped that was being interview said the moment she lost her faith was when no matter how hard she prayed and obeyed the bible for it to stop, the physical abuse from her father still came. That might also be why we see a lot of spousal abuse in JW families.

[@MissCaraMint]

How about the implication that if God doesn’t answer your prayer it’s because you aren’t doing it hard enough? That one is nasty.

[@disodosid]

While i didn't grow up in the JW community, i was part of a similar cult, especially in my early years. It was lovely [and admittedly a bit cathartic] watching you and Commander Fives have meaningful discourse over these indoctrination videos. The last one really hit hard, and it gives me the need to share a little bit of my own experience, but before i do: i apologize for the miniature novel 😅 -TRIGGER WARNING: CHILDHOOD TRAUMA/VIOLENCE- Getting bullied wasn't new to me; i was bullied from the moment i started interacting with people outside of my safety bubble [aka: going to daycare at, like, 2 years old] and over the years the pacifism became my default. I always had to be the bigger person, turn the other cheek, ignore the pain that my peers would inflict on me or tell a teacher and get only momentary reprieve. Generally the teacher option lead to a calm before the storm of a backlash, so it was another thing i learned wasn't worth reaching out for help. Sure, i prayed, but it was less asking for it to stop and more asking for knowledge and strength. The knowledge of how to deal with the situation and the strength to endure it. As you might imagine, things only escalated, until one day there came a breaking point. Apparently, i had angered an upperclassman in the in-school-choir practice because i was given her front-row placement and she was given my spot on a higher, further back level. In her eyes, i stole the spotlight, and i needed to be punished for it. Her first attempt to harm me took place immediately afterward, when i went to the restroom; it was unsuccessful, as i managed to escape. Thus, she came after me when we went to the church across the street after school for church-choir practice. While us choir kids waited without adult supervision for the adults to arrive, she took out a pocket knife and charged at me with it. I didn't fight back, i just tried to dodge every attempt, eventually having to rely on my backpack as a shield. I loved that backpack, and it broke my heart that it had holes in it when i went home after choir. That was the last day i ever went to choir. I wasn't even in 5th grade yet, but i had hit a breaking point. I could handle the bullies kicking me, pulling my hair, spitballing, calling me names, tripping me, knocking stuff out of my hands, pushing me, throwing rocks/pinecones/spikeballs at me, grabbing my arms so hard their nails peeled my skin back like the bark of a tree- but the knife was too much. Thing is, it never should've gotten to that point. TLDR: Pacifism is great in theory, but it can literally get people killed... even children.

[@DarthMagog]

It's depressing how common these stories are. Surprisingly this six foot tall cyborg could fit into a locker until he was 13. Not the same thing, but I certainly can relate 💔. Really hoping you're free and healing now

[@disodosid]

@@DarthMagog Thanks to therapy, I've come a long way; healing takes time and work, and even once you heal it can still leave scars. Six foot tall or not, trauma is still trauma, and yours is no less impactful than mine 💜 My grandfather was picked on real badly too, and he was 6'2" starting in elementary! His peers wanted to prove they were tougher than the biggest guy in school, even though he was the sweetest kid who never wanted to fight to begin with. Knowing that really helps me put things into perspective, y'know?

[@Ojo10]

@@disodosid Jesus christ if someone had charged at my kid with a pocket knife I would have gone ferral. Immediately would have threated to sue her parents. That is just mind boggling.

[@disodosid]

@@Ojo10 See, that makes perfect sense- but there were no adults around at the time. When an adult DID arrive, as you might have expected of the church, nobody really did anything besides separating us and congratulating me on having done "the right thing" and being brave. I was picked up from church and upon explaining what happened I was given permission to stop going to choir, though we still went in on Sundays every now and then. Fun/Funny Fact: I gave the sunday school teachers hell every single time i went 🤣I wasn't rude, I was curious- which was bad because I kept asking all the tough questions I wasn't supposed to ask! It'd get to a point where I'd get threatened with being kicked out of the fun class to go sit with the adults in the pews if i didn't stop asking questions.

[@danicafugit2697]

Same here! My mom didn’t follow this guy as much as my aunt but because my mom confused me and scared me so much I was just so weird compared to the kids. I was thrown in a dumpster once, called names a lot, and always talked to as if I was a child by kids my own age. I was so glad to graduate high school and get tf out my family, out of that hick ass town, just away. I’m in therapy now too and I’m doing so much better.

[@lambadajewo.4143]

You have no idea how it warmed my heart when Commander was speaking of Caleb's unknown friend and said "he or she or they". Every single time I relaize there is a place for ones of my likeness I feel warmth nearby my heart. Also, thank you for the video as a whole. As a person raised in a very religious (although non JW) family, I can relate to many things. That lasting fear of Satan, demons and possesions still haunts me.

[@DarthMagog]

Completely understand. And yes, Commander Fives makes room for everyone 💙. Except bigots, we don't suffer bigots on this channel.

[@Roxton13-13]

The sith and clones truly understand younglings better then the jedi

[@DarthMagog]

The Empire has standards, Jehovah apparently does not 😅

[@556deltawolf]

then why did you guys ruthlessly have them all killed during the siege of the Jedi Temple?

[@DarthMagog]

@@556deltawolf oh yeah, Anakin wasn't a strong reader. He just saw "kill Jedi" and didn't read past that.

[@556deltawolf]

@@DarthMagog Well it wasn't just Anakin the clones killed jedi younglings too.

[@coopigeon619]

My current Sophia and Caleb headcanon is when they're adults, they're both ex Jahova's Witnesses. Caleb grows up and goes through years of therapy, eventually manages to heal himself and manages to maintain a good relationship with his sister...however, he's had to go no contact with his toxic JW parents, Sophia has also gone no contact as well. Caleb manages to go to collage, study something he likes and gets a career. During his collage time, he questions himself and comes out as pansexual to his sister who is supportive as is their friend circle they managed to make outside JWs and they're also ex-JWs too. Sophia also goes through therapy after running away from home in her later teen years. she finds herself in a few rough spots but manages to get taken in by a loving family that loves her for who she is. She has problems trusting them at first but slowly opens up. They both raise Sophia as their own daughter...she's actually encouraged to follow her dreams and not what some invisible sky daddy says (the adopted parents are antithesists but slightly spiritual but are based AF) and she finishes growing up, still in therapy for along while through collage. She becomes an artist and author and writes a series of children's books with help from her brother Caleb on some books. She eventually comes out as a lesbian to her adopted parents and brother (all of whom accept her and her gf), falls in love with a lovely girl and they get married and eventually adopt a kid. Caleb adopts kids later in life with his life partner too after they have seen the world.. Just my fanfic headcanon..I just want these kids to be happy. Also based AF videos. I like your content.

[@DarthMagog]

Oh I love the fan theory 😍, happy ending for the children indeed. I hope the girlfriend is that little Zoey girl from the school episodes, she deserves a happy ending to her story too

[@theonemasterwarhero]

@@DarthMagog Something tells me you both love Disney Star Wars based on your comments..which is littered with hypocrisy/inconsistencies/contradictions which cannibalizes the lore and is actually more about a pushing an obvious agenda..forgive me but talk about answering extreme normal with extreme abnormal - aka answering madness with Madness. 🤨🤦‍♂️

[@DarthMagog]

@@theonemasterwarhero i enjoyed Mandalorian, Bad Batch and Rogue One yes. So Disney Star Wars has it's merits. Though I do miss Jedi Outcast, Force Unleashed and Star Wars: Legacy. Cade Skywalker and crew were WILD

[@theonemasterwarhero]

@@DarthMagog YT won't let me respond despite the fact I've said nothing that would warrant comment removal..this should speak for itself as to the motives of YT and Disney and that they don't like people who criticize them.

[@DarthMagog]

@@theonemasterwarhero nah I can see you

[@cringequeen6291]

My fav duo- Jehovah Witness Survivor and Child Psychologist i bet they will have positive things to say! Also love the content and yes do that anti-school video

[@DarthMagog]

Anti-School video it is Your Highness :)

[@Dr_Mid]

Bro called it JW survivor. That's so funny

[@dragletsofmakara1120]

I love that you provide documentation, personal experiences, as well as specific explanations of JW culture.

[@DarthMagog]

Thank you :) We like to cite our sources, unlike a certain periodical that's been proclaiming the end of the world for the last 140 odd years...

[@alexkill2936]

Honestly, this has got to be THE most underrated channel I've ever seen. It has everything - SW, critique of JW, an actual expert (wearing a stormtrooper armour) and all of this is compiled into high quality videos. I hope to see more of you in the future and may the force be with you

[@DarthMagog]

And May the Force be with you too Alex, always! Having so much fun doing this, glad to have all the support :)

[@nationalinstituteofcheese3012]

They’re also destroying the child’s social life because who’d want to be friends with someone who throws your gifts away? But it works to keep them isolated

[@DarthMagog]

It's pretty painful really 😕. One thing my parents weren't that extreme about is friends, and that saved me once I left

[@rainbowdragonflies1134]

YES, DO THE ANTI EDUCATION ONE. DO IT. Umm, please.

[@DarthMagog]

Alright, you twisted my Cyborg arm lol

[@Rouseiryuu]

It is a core tenant that does make JWs stand out. Not that Religion in general promotes scientific inquiry and doubt. But it is an aspect that can be overlooked by passive, nonJW viewers.

[@JustinGrays]

Agreed. I'm curious about it. 👍🏿

[@gracefullynadine864]

You forgot to mention the annual conventions. Just 8 uninterrupted hours of absolute torture, for an entire weekend

[@DarthMagog]

Oooof, District and Circuit Assemblies. Don't remind me!

[@loveleedesigns]

27:45 i couldnt help but laugh when angelia just showed her hand and said “stop ur bein mean >:(“ as if that would solve all bullying lmao

[@DarthMagog]

Part of me hoped she was going to Force Push her lmao

[@Scalesthelizardwizard]

JWs and Christian: Magic is evil Jesus: I heal people, walk on water, and turn water into wine if that's not magic I don't know what is

[@DarthMagog]

Lol oh and Moses stories, Moses was magic AF

[@556deltawolf]

@@DarthMagog yeah iirc there are tons of people in the bible who conduct acts of magic all the time. IIRC King David did some magic, saints allegedly commit magic.

[@Puppetgirl93]

Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead so in logic that would be magic

[@dr.altoclef9255]

Maybe it's a mistranslation and it's just specific schools of magic that aren't okay. Jesus clearly does restoration magic.

[@sixrabbits3972]

When the last video showed Sofia getting a good grade and her bully getting a near failing grade, I thought they were setting up a scenario where Sofia would help the girl do better on her next test... guess I was expecting too much!

[@DarthMagog]

Lol, yeah unless they're studying with you, don't expect much practical assistance from a Witness.

[@dr.altoclef9255]

Then like, the girl realizes "hey, I've been pretty mean.And you still helped me out...guess you're not so bad. I'm sorry."

Once my mom dragged me sick to the field service. I was throwing out, but she had to go to the service.

[@DarthMagog]

Oh that's terrible. That would ruin field service for me for life. (It's already ruined for me, but the principle of the thing though.)

[@momolegoshi435]

Not ex-JW, but ex Christian. Your videos really speak to me and the trauma that I have had to deal with and that I'm still trying really get over. But, I love your whole style here too! You rock dude! Keep it up.

[@DarthMagog]

One day at a time my friend, honestly the Star Wars stuff has helped me deconstruct greatly.

[@greasedgamer55]

I feel ya my guy Darth Magog is a great agent keep the fight going Dagon smiles upon us

[@justrachel4496]

My parents were conservative (not JW though) and regularly took my possessions away and/or forced me to get rid of things. It has caused significant financial and clutter problems for me as an adult because getting rid of anything now feels deeply unsafe, and I have the impulse to obtain everything I can because it feels like my possessions could be taken away at any moment. If you are a parent, it may be uncomfortable to have a few "too many" toys laying around or have to hold on to clothing your kid has outgrown until they are ready to let go, but allowing your kids the freedom to make those choices themselves can help them so much later on. Also, a lot of the time a kid will decide to get rid of something on their own if you explain why it might be a good idea and leave it up to them; it just has to be on their timetable and with the freedom to say no.

[@Rouseiryuu]

As you mention, the children end up alienated during their formative years, having minimal interaction with kids their own age. Which I've seen in other C&S videos that they push for the kids to form friendships with much older people or full grown adults. Of course that's not to cause immediate concern, however it can quickly raise several red flags. Not to mention that the church isn't lacking any time soon of child abuse scandals.

[@DarthMagog]

Yeah that's one I plan to cover in another video. I know *exactly* which trilogy you're referring to, and kinda had it in mind for Fives next foray after the School Episode.

[@marcelostalker]

Yes, do the school episode. Also, what kind of useless parent hears their child say they are being bullied and do NOTHING like they did? Sure, at the moment, confort the child and give advice, but THE VERY NEXT SECOND you do something, call the school, make a fuss anything, your children is suffering, geez.

[@DarthMagog]

Common in JW parentage I'm afraid :(

[@zeltech-alpha]

Watching this stuff makes me glad I grew up in a household where faith was a choice. My parents always stood by the idea that if someone doesn't want to partake in a faith or religion, they should not be coerced into it. Ironically, such a hands off approach resulted in me and my siblings all being Christians by our own volition.

[@DarthMagog]

Actually I think that's the best approach. Let your kids find what speaks to them, as long as it isn't harmful. The JW vicegrip of control is what leads probably 2 /3 Witness kids to leave when they come of age.

[@throneisbed7833]

Ah, the bullying episode. Fond memories to back at the Private Christian School when I was bullied literally throughout my entire pre-kinder to grade 8 run there and I got such good advice from the adults around me as "Just tell them "Stop It, I Don't Like It." "Just Walk Away." and my personal favourite (that I was mostly told in kindi-grade 1), "He's Just Mean To You Because He Likes You." Spoilers, none of this worked. Moving to a public school and getting friends who were actually nice to me worked.

[@DarthMagog]

Community is a strong defense, adults can be so out of touch. Seems to get worse if they're religious for some reason. Not sure why.

[@kingdomofire2556]

same :/ "just tell him to stop" I did "tell him again" I did! "he probably likes you" he didn't- I was so tired of it that I stopped telling the teachers

[@MakiPcr]

I haven't heard the commander's opinion on the bullying video, but as a victim of bullying I can tell that's a horrible lesson for children, in the real world the bully would've hurt her or at least mock her and in the long run it would get worse

[@DarthMagog]

Oh yeah, keep at it. Commander Fives has some choice words for the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society...

[@mhavens8532]

TW: child neglect and (I think?) emotional abuse I was never a JW, but I was Christian. I spent years praying I wouldn't have to go to my father's and stepmom's house because I was emotionally abused and acted a lot like Sophia. Praying doesn't work. I thought I was doing it wrong or that God hated me because my other family would say "the Lord will always provide". If he "provides for us" then why did I have to suffer in a life I had no say in dealing with where I was neglected and abused? Thank you so much for making these videos. If I have kids, I want to be able to deconstruct what I've felt was wrong my whole life so I can end the cycle. I only just discovered you today, but definitely subscribing. Sorry if this is really long

[@DarthMagog]

Never too long a comment Maddison. I'm a bit of a slow reader, but every word means the world. You never know who it will help. I'm glad you're in a position to able to deconstruct and heal

[@finngswan3732]

This honestly explains a secular experience I had with my Pikachu doll as a kid. It was my comfort blanket, but when we moved houses (into an unstable environment!) my mom guilted and shamed 8 yo me into giving Pikachu up. I admit, it might have been an unhealthy attachment, but no one tried to understand kid me. I never could explain how much it affected me until you put it into perspective. I've slowly done the work to heal and having the words for it feels so validating. Thank you for this series.

[@DarthMagog]

Anytime Finn! Glad youve been able to deconstruct and heal too

[@Thepresident498]

Bruh, just imagine calling a peice of plastic satanic.

[@dand3329]

That is exactly what I thought. " Is that magical ? " No it's a toy ! are you f ing stupid ? 😆😆

[@ComradeLuka]

Satan made it fall from the sky, I swear.

[@DarthMagog]

It's truly disgraceful Mr. President.

[@dinosaysrawr]

Imagine your omniscient, omnipresent deity being foiled or stymied by that same piece of plastic!

[@Amadeus8484]

I mean if the plastic isn't made of hemp you'd have a point but what its made into is of no consequence to its unholiness...

[@KittyChan86]

Holy SHIT I just realized where my nervousness about garage sales comes from. I had COMPLETELY forgotten about the weird possession bullshit. I swear you are unlocking my freaking childhood room by room. Repression is a hell of a drug.

[@DarthMagog]

Oh preach sis, I had a trigger around graduations and a fight I had with my parents nearly 15 years ago about it 🙃 this stuff goes DEEP!

[@KittyChan86]

Friend, could you cover the holocaust martyr complex? That is talked about in general meetings? I remember getting basically told that we should be happy about JWs getting murdered in concentration camps. It was like a persecution circle jerks.

[@DarthMagog]

@@KittyChan86 oh yeah I remember those too. That does merit discussion indeed.

[@KittyChan86]

@@DarthMagog it is insane how you stumble over these things and your brain is just like "oh core memory unlocked!" I have to wait sometimes to watch your vids just becausr I have to assure I am in a healthy brainspace to deal with the toxic purge. It is utterly insane how indoctrinated we were. For the school one, I was absolutely expecting uer parents to tell her she should share the message with her bully. That's what we all had to do. Also sitting in the hall during all holidays. They fed us to the wolves.

[@Ryusku]

God I hated the Kingdom Hall meetings- usually on Wednesdays right after school so my little brother and I would go home, take a quick shower and get dressed then head out again, sitting there for 1-2 hours without learning anything useful-after the meetings we’d go back home- my dad would ask “what did you learn from the meeting?” So my brother and I had to make something up because we did not pay attention- we’d usually sleep because we were so exhausted. Then get yelled at for sleeping when we were tired. Plus I also hated the “going out in service. Going out on extremely hot days in a dress/suit, felt like passing out, didn’t have water. All that work for doors to get slammed in our faces or people saying “I’m not interested” for hours. My dad also expressed his disgust towards the lgbtq+ community- saying how it was “disgusting” and how “another man can’t love another man”. My mom however is not apart of the religion anymore, since my parents are divorced I live at her house full time. I am happier without the religion and I feel free :3

[@DarthMagog]

Ah, a happy ending. Glad you got out. I really hated Service too. Never been much for sales, and even then the pressure was IMMENSE.

[@Lisa-x3n5x]

Those blasted animations are so well done, they make your toes curl. They'd work, no doubt. I like to think less so in Australia, but I know I'm kidding myself. Thanks guys! Your analysis was great!

[@DarthMagog]

After the ARC I'm astonished that there are even Aussie JWs left to be honest. Cheers Lisa, glad to have you aboard :)

[@Lisa-x3n5x]

@@DarthMagog had an elderly fem ale duo visit a month ago. I gently suggested they bring an elder with them in this neighbourhood next time, as the house opposite me are drug dealers. They looked alarmed. They should be. And I personally think that JW pioneers should always have a male companion in this day and age. The carts are safer. Haven't seen a live one yet! 😊

[@DarthMagog]

@@Lisa-x3n5x that was kind of you. As much as I hate the organization and the religon, there are still quite a few individual JWs that I care about a lot. I just want everyone out.

[@silverfire1248]

Absolutely loving the breakdown from a childcare specialist. Especially combined with an ex-jehovas witness take! I’d watch you react to all of them.

[@DarthMagog]

So it is written, so it shall be.

[@indie-rose6]

Whoa it’s so weird seeing the videos and teaching methods I grew up with thinking it was normal or good and hearing them be talked about critically. It’s good for someone like me who is (relatively) new to being out of the religion and needs help acknowledging what about it wasn’t healthy.

[@DarthMagog]

We were all fooled my friend. You're not alone.

[@leogolive]

This is so ironic that I can’t even began to explain it! I grew up having to secretly love Star Wars because I was raised as a witness.

[@DarthMagog]

This is the way! The perfect combination for you

[@andrewt3768]

The one about how to behave in meetings is relatable for me. I grew up in a Baptist church, and I was required to sit in those awful seats with near perfect posture at all times. No slouching, no leaning, no sitting with my legs crossed. I wasn't allowed to do anything at all outside of paying attention to the pastor. I sometimes was able to get away with reading more interesting chapters of the bible, but only once I was a competent reader lol. Church was a miserable experience for me as a child.

[@DarthMagog]

Same my friend, it's rough. Occasionally I'd write a story in my notes, and pretend I was paying attention.

[@dancingnature]

Been there , even though I’m neither a JW nor a Baptist . Had a strict ( read that as violent) father and I also remembered the extreme boredom and the statue-like behavior. I couldn’t even turn around to see who was in back of me. I’m not an atheist but I rarely go to church. Too many bad memories

[@kymo6343]

Yeah the seats at the meetings were none too comfy... But sometimes they hold them at other ppl's houses and I remember one time I was so bone tired from school n homework and we were sitting on a sofa so I started nodding off and slouching down and at first my parents were shoving/pinching me awake but then I suddenly snored and they grabbed a whole fistful of my hair and yanked up to wake me and surprise surprise I started crying so then I get taken outside and smacked and accused of disrupting and even of trying to purposefully trip people bc my legs stuck out when I slouched down falling asleep... -_-;;;;

[@kymo6343]

Oh lol and the ppl in the house after their lil meeting after seeing me get smacked: Well next time we'll just have to make sure to give you a hard chair so that doesn't happen again!

[@itsmekimmielc]

Growing up like this instilled in me the lesson that I am responsible for others feelings.

[@DarthMagog]

Very harmful lesson. I'm still unlearning it myself.

[@colinmelton3815]

Oh my best friend Sparlock.. rest in peace buddy. Edit: I'm going to try really hard not to barf while I'm watching the actual videos. Darth Magog,Commander fives you're fine, keep it up

[@DarthMagog]

We'll filter them as best we can for you Colin!

[@kymo6343]

I can't get through them without cringing, I always skip. XD;;

[@ellianbearr]

I absolutely love the way you both succinctly explain these concepts. Especially Fives in this regard, since he has the specialized knowledge. You both talk about these subjects and fairly advanced concepts (social psychology, conditioning, developmental psychology, etc.) in a way that everyone can understand. It shows how intelligent you both are, and how well you both understand these concepts personally!! I'd definitely love to see you guys review the cheating episode. It's crazy how they equate one unanswered question to this key to have a life that pleases Jehovah, or to go to college and 'live selfishly'. It's such an unbalanced equation, it blows my mind that they somehow went 'yes, her not cheating is her giving up her totally reasonable dream to want to succeed in class and move on to going to a good college' LMAOOO It'd be interesting to see you guys talking about JW culture surrounding post-secondary, as it's pretty key to the culture of JWs, and keeping them easier to manipulate. Demonizing that extra education keeps people in that bubble of being more easily exploitable (as you know already, Darth Magog), so I'd be interested in you guys covering the episode(s) that bring up Sophia's desire to go to college.

[@DarthMagog]

Oh we're in. I'm calling in Commander Fives for the next one

[@ellianbearr]

@@DarthMagog Hell yeah! I'm hyped! Y'all are an epic duo >:] /g /pos

[@CaptainBuccaneer9506]

I love the idea that a Sith Lord is a KZbinr in their spare time

[@DarthMagog]

Now Jehovah can Witness the power of The Dark Side lol

[@BilboBaggMan]

YESSSS please do a part 3, the insights you both add are so thought provoking!

[@DarthMagog]

Part three inprogress

[@jeanniejewel2272]

Thank you both for your activism helping people to use their critical thinking abilities. Awesome video.

[@DarthMagog]

Just spreading awareness, but thank you so much!

[@inyu00]

the mother always looks so evil. 😆like she gets off being horrible.

[@DarthMagog]

Oh I'm sure someone has a fanfic expounding on that idea

[@dinosaysrawr]

Agreed! The dad gets off easy in that regard, because he appears less often, and is cast more as the family preacher and storyteller. Guilt-tripping Caleb by suggesting that the omniscient, omnipresent Creator of Everything will be so very saddy-sad if he likes the wrong hobbies or toys was equal parts ridiculous and grotesque.

[@lilyovalle7254]

@@dinosaysrawr The dad gets worse, it is implied in a chapter that he frequently beats Caleb

[@jet_899]

@@DarthMagog R34 artists:"WRITE THAT DOWN, WRITE THAT DOWN"

[@dr.altoclef9255]

"Is this toy MAGICAL?" "No it runs on batteries. You press the button on his back and the arm lifts up, the staff lights up and makes a 'wooosh' sound. My friend has Grarr'gh the Barbarian who swings his fists when you press the button."

[@DarthMagog]

I want a full series centered around the doings of these toys.

[@dr.altoclef9255]

@@DarthMagog The warrior wizard seems like he has Power armor so I’m thinking ‘He-Man meets a PG-13 Warhammer 40k’ and that would absolutely be the height of toy based cartoons and I would ABSOLUTELY buy all the toys of that even at 27.

[@TheMellowFilmmaker]

Plot twist for the Bully One: Sophia: Stop it, you're being mean! Angela: I'm being mean? I'm being mean!? You keep telling me my dads are going to hell! Sophia: Well they are!

[@DarthMagog]

Gehena, Dads will be destroyed in Gehena. Or Armageddon, whichever lol. But yeah that'd be a helluva plot twist. We need a "Gospel of Angela" episode

[@cheneethompson5756]

​@@DarthMagogwhat's gehena?

[@DarthMagog]

@@cheneethompson5756 just a state of permanent destruction, with no hope of a resurrection. It's a whole thing.

[@cheneethompson5756]

@@DarthMagog ohhh ok Thanks for answering!

[@Rouseiryuu]

From what's mentioned. Sparlock would be a protagonist. I like to imagine that the plot involves him being a hero defending innocent people against an evil organization with heavy religious subtext that brainwashes people to form part of it, stripping them from their autonomy, sense of creativity, freedom and everyone's innate ability to use magic. Keeping all that power only for the top leaders who don't follow their own core principles... Oh, and the show's creator and movie director are ExJWs.

[@DarthMagog]

I'm going to learn Blender just to make Sparlock the Warrior Wizard vs The Hateful Eight

[@TheRentown]

You deserve way more subscribers. You genuinely gave a lot of good nuance on this topic I hadn't gotten the first time I watched other people analyze these Caleb Sophia videos. I didn't realize that the part where the Hannah is bullied by Penina for not having a child but then gets one for praying is not just Jehovah fulfilling a wish, but actually more of a slightly less mean monkey's paw since she ultimately never keeps the child and gives it away.

[@DarthMagog]

Yeah these things are surprisingly layered. As foolish as some of the teachings are, they're very smart about how they present them.

[@ZimVader-0017]

2:35 I like the implication that she basically did magic and summoned/manifested the book directly onto her hands. While saying that magic is evil 😆

[@DarthMagog]

Lol right? I know it was just a weird edit, but we couldn't pass up the joke

[@hopefullyentertainment6029]

y’know i never thought i’d see a video of darth vader physiology analyzing and deconstructing the childhood trauma that is deeply rooted in this cult propaganda video. i love the internet

[@DarthMagog]

This is the power of the dark side!

[@Truffle85]

I'm really enjoying these discussions. And I love the dry sense of humor you two have.

[@DarthMagog]

As tough as these are to watch, we have fun suffering together lol

[@SnackThatSmilesBacktm]

I ended up watching the whole video last time (I’m the one that called y’all cringe) and I want to apologize, I’m just not used to such theatrical ways of speaking. Your videos bring awareness to a horrible issue and I thank you for that

[@miac4455]

Redemption arc!

[@DarthMagog]

Welcome back Kaeyn! No apology needed, just glad to have you :). We need all the help we can get to take down Watchtower!

[@dragletsofmakara1120]

Respect earned!

[@JustinGrays]

I'm glad you came back and gave them a chance, and that you were open about it. 🤘🏿 Gives me hope for the future.

[@Jaminux]

i wasn't raised as a jehovah's witness specifically, but i was raised as a christian and the idea of "god hears your prayers but we're gonna leave it ambiguous whose prayers we're gonna answer" was pushed pretty hard onto me at church. i remember this one video we watched of a girl writing/narrating a prayer to god about something that i can't remember. i tried monologuing to god in my head like that the next day because i was really lonely and felt that people weren't noticing me, but then felt guilty because i thought it wasn't "bad enough" to pray for. i suffered a lot of non-religious emotional abuse that probably contributed to that mentality, but i think the whole "god selectively answers prayers" bit contributed too. great video as always, you two! i can just tell that there's been improvement from your last one and i'm excited to see any future videos you guys do on this series :)

[@DarthMagog]

Thank you Jaime, despite the trauma it's been a very helpful way for us to heal. And evidently it's helped a few others heal, so we'll stay at it!

[@electrofonickitty823]

The mother is talking down to the child which also shows a form of control or guilt tripping. It is certainly what you are saying Clone Trooper. The issue is that guilt tripping that JW do to their children is very worrying. Also as a kid I remember this from not a JW who was an AWANA zombie. "I think that book you are reading is evil," I was reading Dune and of course being a child I didn't understand. I felt JW and AWANA were about the same at times. Creativity is often stifled by both groups.

[@DarthMagog]

Yeah these High Control Religions tend to push down creativity. Creativity encourages thinking and they don't like where that leads...

[@electrofonickitty823]

@@DarthMagog that was why my grandmother and mother talked about the importance of creating new things, I was raised Episcopalian which was more open minded on concept being yourself over the idea of being a sheep. I had classmates who were often telling me that Girl Scouts was stupid in comparison to going to AWANA, but in the long run it helped. As for a fact I was bullied and yes, I did pray for it to stop and it didn't stop, being learning disabled was a hindrance in some cases. The issue that Sofia is dealing with is rather upsetting because it could be worse. Also please cover the Cupcake Episode and the Birthday One.

[@thexp905]

Just to talk about my personal bullying experience, I never seeked help for it. It started with my friend bullying one of my other friends, and I stood up to him for it. This then led to me being bullied later by him, which went on for months. He ended up getting his older friend, who again was friends with me, also start picking on me. I also played sports on the same team as him, where it still continued. So, a couple months later, I was balling my eyes out for something they did, so I started kicking them. This got *ME* a detention for a week, whilst they got the exact same punishment. So me standing up for myself was as bad, as a few months of bullying, because I didn't bend to his will on demand. Yeah, schools are shit at handling bullying, and it needs to be done better.

[@DarthMagog]

A broken system, desperately needs reform. And some actual funding...

[@F9rklift]

i love this format a lot, u guys have a rlly good chemistry together and is very entertaining while also being informational good lucky and keep up the good work :))

[@DarthMagog]

Shout outs to Commander Fives, could not have done this without them!

[@RavenFilms]

When I went to meeting they were just over 2 hours. It was one hour if a talk then a short intermission, followed by another hour of discussion. This was in the early 90s in Chicago, but as an half empty Kingdom Hall. In fact, it was only ever totally full if it was a “holiday”.

[@papermintairplane]

Bruh I almost had a trauma response when the mom's face crinkled like that about the wizard toy. I know that look well. I wasn't raised JW but I was raised by Fundies (which have a stunning amount of parallels, I'm coming to find out) and that's exactly the look my mom would get when yet another thing was about to be banned for being "Satanic" for no other reason than I enjoyed it. The animators really did a great job capturing that look of disgust, contempt, and pure sinister evil.

[@DarthMagog]

It's mortifying that they have these hard working, talented, probably young, artists working their butts off for this propaganda isn't it? Edit: For free mind you, this is all "volunteer" labor.

[@kidcthulhufortney1320]

That bullying episode always infuriates me. The unrealistic "everyone's praying for you, so you get a +1 to your roll against Bullies" is a dangerous "solution" to a very real problem. It doesn't even address the problem; it just puts everything back on the victim! Gah!

[@mygachaphase]

So basically the mother is implying that disobeying jehovah will bring punishment, but in reality, the mother is implying that disobeying HER will bring punishment. This is coming from a religious household. I’m not necessarily abused but my parents do have a lot of flaws regarding/coming from their religion.

[@DarthMagog]

Common affliction I'm afraid. I've noticed that a lot of Religon is made of the same parts, just put together slightly differently.

[@mygachaphase]

@@DarthMagog religion is basically just a large set of similar rules that have different reasons to follow it.

[@rjshadow4321]

her eyes at the table in the magic one are showing she is getting pleasure from destroying his happiness. the boys is terrified when the old man gets in the seat next to him.

[@DarthMagog]

Yeah that's the double edged sword of these cartoons getting so expressive. I wonder if the animators know what they're doing...

[@dand3329]

Nice work Darth and 5 . It's all abuse and twist a child's personality for life. It leads to magical thinking where wishes are worth more then making plans and goals. Happy new year 🎉

[@DarthMagog]

Happy New Year Dan. Always remember, Magic is Bad. Except specifically when Jehovah and his friends do it.

[@Chrischi3TutorialLPs]

Once again, i feel the urge to write a Caleb and Sophia fanfiction about the two of them losing their faith.

[@suspishfishy]

As a kid I prayed to find my leopard purse and actually found it! But praying for him to take my pain away when I was at my darkest point around 15 he didn't do anything. And I started fading at 16!

[@DarthMagog]

I'm so sorry Fishy. I'm glad you're out though, those fades are TOUGH. Even mine wasn't fully successful I admit.

[@johannageisel5390]

@@DarthMagog What does "to fade" mean in this context? To stop believing in god? Or to distance oneself from the JWs?

[@DarthMagog]

@@johannageisel5390 oh yeah, just to distance one's self from the religon. Belief in God is up to the individual, as always.

[@niconico486]

Hey, I've just found your channel today, but I'm glad I did. You've pretty good stuff! And your comedic timing (both of your comedic timings, really) is golden. I've been watching stuff analyzing these things for a while now. I appreciate how you go about it, providing context and cultural considerations. I thank you for the video, really. I hope it reaches more people. Peace

[@DarthMagog]

Thank you very much Nico! Honestly, just you watching, liking and commenting is helping spread the word. So thank you for that!

[@BeasEasel]

The prayer part reminds me of a situation with my younger brother. We were raised Mormon, which definitely feels similar to JW in terms of all the victim blaming, justification of insane things to normalise them, and mind games that messed up me and all of my brothers. When my brother was in high school he had bullies who were physically beating him. It got so bad that he ended up switching schools. He prayed that he would be safe at his new school, but before long he had bullies beating him there too. He told our mum and her response was "it's because you didn't believe enough." 🙃

[@DarthMagog]

Oh thats so painful to hear. I'm so sorry about your brother, he deserved a lot better.

[@JustinGrays]

Hannah, huh? I was totally expecting Job. He's so commonly used for those "belief" narratives. I was also expecting her to get in trouble for only getting an A on that test. I was never a JW, but I've had experience with being shamed for not getting a high enough A. What was with the bully's eyes?

[@DarthMagog]

Lol yeah, Hannah was the one. Probably because she's a woman. And that's a "more appropriate" story to tell a young girl (cultural thing, I'll explain a bit more in next week's video.) And yes, JWs have an interesting relationship with secular education, so that's one of the rare times the parents have reasonable expectations. I'm sure they'd actually be happy for the A lol. And most of the antagonist worldly kids seem to have these dark, sunken eyes to differentiate them further for the innocent, kind, JW Caleb and Sophia. Really sneaky stuff.

[@cacklebabygg6156]

Caleb tries to have fun. Caleb's mom: So you have chosen, death. Sophia is sad, her robot parents, DOES NOT COMPUTE. ERROR. ERROR. QUERY INVALID.

[@godslaughter]

"Caleb, try harder! (at pushing)" me: it's the lack of necessary childhood exercise.

[@DarthMagog]

Lol too true, poor kid doesn't get to play outside

[@TheFlowerchild712]

Well, this explains why I was so sick as a child when I was in this "religion". I had such a hard time getting over strep as a child. Oh, we absolutely were hit. We taken to the back and beaten if we were to nod off or even just wiggling. We were expected to sit perfectly still while bored out of our skulls with things we didn't understand.

[@DarthMagog]

Yuuuup. What did they use to say "Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" or something? They go on about our "imperfections" not being "our fault" but also refuse to make room for normal, developmental things.

[@kymo6343]

I was also significantly more sick as a child and more often back when I was being forced to go to meetings. At one point around 12-13 I had a stress related ulcer. A KID having that is NOT normal...

[@OdellM520]

The last thing I expected was Star Wars cosplay when I read the title lol I love it

[@DarthMagog]

Lol we aim to please 😊

[@opalyasu7159]

I'd both love and hate to see an episode where Caleb/Sophia is going through their rebellious teen phase and the religious simp dad blames it on their dying relationship with Jehovah.

[@DarthMagog]

Oh if only.

[@opalyasu7159]

Sophia: mom why am I suddenly all cramped? Mom: well it's cuz Jehovah's mad and Armageddon is upon us. Even prayers can't save us from the doom soon to come.

[@beaunellos8322]

I just found your channel but I love it how you explore your interest with your old religion or your hobbies with your old religion that you left and draw the parallels

[@DarthMagog]

Thank you. It's been instrumental in healing I've noticed.

[@gothgammy666]

@@DarthMagog I’m glad you are healing…this all seems so sad and abusive to put an entire family through.

[@L1ghtbulbl0vr69]

Religion personality scares me due to my own trauma (not by my parents it’s REALLY complex) and this helps me realize that it’s not something to be scared of it’s something to laugh at

[@DarthMagog]

Definitely a way to process, and hopefully help people heal

[@Tiny_Koi]

My mom had a saying, "If I don't laugh about what happened to me, I'll cry, so I have to laugh!" And it definitely helps in times when stuff is too ridiculous or sad to deal with at that moment.

[@L1ghtbulbl0vr69]

@@Tiny_Koi that’s a wonderful thing to say to help! I might start using that personally heh! ^^

[@rlowethewitch8417]

Honestly came here because I have a gear kink lol, but stayed because this stuff is truly enlightening. I’m glad I was able to escape from being raised Catholic as a child! Please keep up the series with the child care aspect being explored!

[@DarthMagog]

We'll be watching more this weekend 😁

[@wolfwing1]

i've always found it funny that we let thigns happen to kids that be illegal if they were adults. If half the thigns bullies did to kids and get away with it as being, "Kids will be kids." Happened in a office, best case the bully would be fired, worse case he be charged with assault and harassment. Cuddling bullies sets them up for a terrible wake up call when what they do goes from being, "Kids be kids." to 5-10 eyars.

[@DarthMagog]

Yeah that is interesting, never thought about it like that.

[@pinkdiamond1847]

I can kind of see why we let kids be kids because the reason we say kids will be kids is because their brains aren't fully developed yet. They don't fully understand the consequences of bullying or what it's really like for their victims, but that's why we teach them. That's why we pull them aside and we teach them. We don't just kick it down the road for them to become adults and face real consequences when they do it as adults because they didn't learn any better as children.

[@Z3r0_g]

I really love the Star Wars getup, the comparison between the Jehovahs witnesses and the Jedi is pretty clever. And yes, I think the Jedi are a sort of cult as well.

[@DarthMagog]

Oh for sure. And the Jedi at least had the advantage of having doctrine that was true in their universe. Watchtower can't even claim that.

[@hearteyedracoon8605]

This reminded me of when my mom threw away all my comics in my pre teen years. She did it while I was at school, only a few days after I had shown the comics to one of her friend's (obviously also a JW) kid in an attempt to socialize and find something I actually had in common with other JW kids that wasn't just our shared faith. Mom had never cared much about my comics before hand, so I think the kid's parents "talked to her about it". When I found out I felt really betrayed and cried a lot. Overall my mom raised me a lot better than most JW parents, but it still hurts to think about

[@DarthMagog]

That hits so hard on so many levels. Like, she absolutely stiffled your passions first off, your good faith attempt to make a connection turned into an opportunity to snitch, your Mom violated your privacy and absolutely took joy. As an avid comic fan myself, I'm furious! Wishing you all the best bound volumes and collections now my friend!

[@hearteyedracoon8605]

@@DarthMagog thank you very much. I now have a much bigger collection and even found some new copies of the volumes she had thrown away. She never touched anything of mine again without my permission after that so I think she understood what she did was wrong

[@kymo6343]

I know just how you feel dude. Got all my Pokemon cards and a bunch of other fun but "demonic" fandom stuff sold at a garage sale that was held while I was at school. My parents considered themselves "generous" allowing me to keep the 20-25 dollars they made off of selling several boxes of my cards, toys and mangas stupid dirt "go ahead and just rip us off bc we don't care bc it's not ours" cheap...

[@NissaMaezHartman]

I'm loving this series! Keep 'em coming! 👋👋

[@DarthMagog]

We'll stick to it!

[@wesołameduza]

I didn't think seeing this video would make me so excited. Thank you for your service, Commander Fives!

[@DarthMagog]

This is why Commander Fives leads the 1914th Legion :)

[@zinis]

This genuinely reminds me of when my non witness cousin told my mother that I had easter candy that the teacher gave me (by accident) and I was forced to give my easter candy to him, who then gloated about it. Good times.

[@DarthMagog]

Ooof, snitch!

[@america2793]

I love this format

[@DarthMagog]

Thank you!

[@america2793]

@@DarthMagog :D

[@user-yr8mu1ce1m]

This is like a web/religious version of MST3K and I love it! You just earned yourself a subscriber.

[@DarthMagog]

Well thank you 😊 We love doing these

[@Bella-eh8km]

When I was younger I was banned from watching and reading multiple things I now realize were (and some still are) special interests. Half due to my mom thinking some of them were evil, and half because my psychiatrist didn't understand autism and thought I was just "trapping myself in a fantasy world," but that's beside the point. I still occasionally get shamed for my "darker" interests, but as I am now an adult my mom can't really do anything about it, I still live with her as I am disabled. By darker interests I mean I'm a horror nerd, and that started in my early teens. Anime also was/is frowned upon but not as much as those. I could go into detail on how I was restricted from things but I will not. Edit: Not a JW, just Christian, but I could relate so commented.

[@DarthMagog]

For the record, JWs are technically Christians, so I'mma count you among our heroic ExJW agents :) I am glad that you can explore your passions now!

[@Bella-eh8km]

@@DarthMagog Ah, okay, I was told they weren't. My mistake. I also still consider myself Christian, I just don't interpret things the way my family or most Christians seem to, I just don't think the way they say things are are how a loving God would make things. I have also done research into it and found some sources made by language experts saying many passages have been mistranslated. I believe those sources.

[@RavenFilms]

I don’t know if you got to the school episode, but if not, please do. I’m going through the videos still, I only found this channel 4 hours ago.