Finnish Newspaper raises awareness about the JW cult
by His Excellency 6 Replies latest jw friends
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Refriedtruth
Image: Raimo Torikka / Yle
http://yle.fi/uutiset/religion_outcasts_struggle_to_craft_new_identity/6472460 LINK
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mariu
In pretty much all of Northern Europe, the JWs have been on a slow but steady decline for about two decades now. Not the least because it's perfectly okay there to speak out against cults, with no "political correctness" excuses.
From what I can see in Scandinavia, many congregations are stagnant with only a few born-in kids and an immigrant here and there ever getting baptised.
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His Excellency
bumping
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purplesofa
"Jehovah’s Witnesses have very strict rules on disassociation for former members. It’s not ok to speak to a disfellowshipped member, even if that person is family," says Joni Valkila who heads a support group for cult victims.
Sixteen years ago at the age of 22 Vakila was shunned by the Jehovah’s Witnesses and hasn’t seen his family since.
The largest alternative religious groups in Finland include Jehovah’s Witnesses (20,000 members), Laestadians (100,000) and Pentecostals (50,000).
Vakila says adjusting to the outside world was difficult. Those leaving religious communities often feel they’re stuck between two cultures.
While no exact figure exists on the number of people leaving these faiths, Vakila says the exodus is growing.
"The number of Laestadians is not growing, even though they’re known for having very large families," he explains.
Vakila’s organisation runs support groups in Helsinki, Tampere, Turku and Oulu and new meeting groups are also expected to form in Joensuu and Jyväskylä.
The association, called the 'Support Group for the Victims of Religion' in English, has run in Finland for the past 25 years. While taboos may be fading, leaving a religious community is still not easy. Social media has emerged as a channel offering ex-members an opportunity to talk to others with the same experiences.
"It’s most difficult for people in their 50s to leave, which is understandable as it's harder to rebuild your life from scratch at this age," Vakila surmises.
- Sources
- Yle
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His Excellency
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