I am a former born-in Jehovah’s Witness (JW) (left in 2015). I pioneered for decades and was a devout JW. I am now an academic and psychologist who publishes research on the experience of leaving the JWs / shunning. The latest update on the JW website has caused much distress in the lives of exJWs […]
Tag: Disassociation
On March 4, 2024, the Oslo District Court upheld the Norwegian government’s decision to revoke the legal registration of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Norway. However, Jehovah’s Witnesses are not banned as a religion. They are still allowed to have meetings and share in their public ministry as always. The removal of registration only affects two things. […]
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How Religious Shunning Ruins Lives
A form of institutionalized estrangement, shunning hurts health of the excluded. Psychology Today Updated March 27, 2024 | KEY POINTS A former member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Josh Caswell Sr., reached out to me after reading one of my posts about estrangement. He asked that I explore the policy practiced in some religions of shunning. In religious […]
NEW ZEALAND LAW 21 Mar 2024 jemima.huston@rnz.co.nz Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King The Court of Appeal has reserved its decision in the Jehovah’s Witness Church’s case challenging the Abuse in Care inquiry. In Wellington on Thursday the church appealed a High Court ruling that dismissed its claim to be excluded from the investigation. The public gallery was […]
Discover the stories of Jefferson Alexandrino de Lima and Fabiano de Amo, who challenge the practice of shunning in religious communities. Their experiences shed light on the need for dialogue, respect, and inclusivity. BNN Saboor Bayat 28 Feb 2024 10:04 EST In 2008, Jefferson Alexandrino de Lima’s life took a significant turn after joining the […]
JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES: Few Norwegian religious communities need to worry after the Jehovah’s Witnesses verdict, according to legal expert Vibeke Blaker Strand. – Will not trigger an avalanche of new cases. Vårt Land 05/03/2024 (EXPERT: Professor Vibeke Blaker Strand believes the Jehovah’s Witnesses verdict will stand up in the European Court of Human Rights, unlike human […]
The Watchtower society has printed what they believe are scriptural reasons for shunning persons that resign from their organization. While Jesus gave instructions about how to handle a member of the Christian congregation that engages in sin and does not want to change, this video answers the question: Does the Bible support the shunning of […]
In 2015 The Australian Royal Commission in case number 29 gave the Watchtower organization recommendations that would enable them to respond more adequately to child sexual abuse allegations and protect children. After two years the commission reconvened in order to ascertain whether their recommendations were followed.
In 2015 at the Australian Royal Commission’s Inquiry into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, governing body member Geoffrey Jackson tried to explain in his testimony that Jehovah’s Witnesses do not shun former members as long as they leave unofficially by merely ceasing to attend meetings. But if they formally wish to disassociate themselves so […]
Some 30 cases involving Jehovah’s Witnesses came before the U.S. Supreme Court in the five-year period between 1938 and 1943. The decisions of which have greatly led to the protection of religious freedom. However, what happens when a member decides they want to leave the religion? Is their freedom to do so respected? This video […]