@Rayo - I wish I could give a full presentation like that again. Originally I was going to be one of the primary speakers at this but they were inundated with people with more academic credentials than I for solo parts so I was put on a panel. Ultimately it's an academic conference. I'm just happy to get to represent Jehovah's Witnesses in with the others and to speak in any form or fashion at Columbia is an honor.
My wife is going to video the panel however possible. I purchased a small audio recorder that should have enough juice to last the whole thing and I'm going to record as much as it will allow me. I may not have video of everything but hopefully I can have audio. We'll see how it does.
I'll be speaking at Columbia University next weekend, meetup to follow....
by dubstepped 33 Replies latest jw experiences
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dubstepped
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cofty
I look forward to hearing how it goes.
I also find the similarities with other high-control groups to be fascinating. I am drawn to books by apostates from all sorts of groups.
Good luck with the event and the meet-up.
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LV101
It's great you're there to represent JWs and can't wait to hear about. Enjoy.
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LoveUniHateExams
Hi Dubstepped!
I hope the talk goes well.
You're an intelligent person who knows what they're talking about so it should be good.
All the best.
LUHE
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dubstepped
Scratch that. Not entirely, as I'm still speaking at the conference on a panel, but the venue went from Columbia to some rental venue. I just found out on my way up to NYC that it was changed. Disappointing, as far as the cache of the venue, but still happy to do the conference.
I've been excited to speak at Columbia for months. Especially as someone never allowed to go to college. Oh well.
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dubstepped
I thought I'd share here what I took away from the conference. I posted this on Facebook. Also there will be video forthcoming in a few weeks as they get it put together. I have some audio but I am still in NYC and haven't been home to put it on my computer and see how it turned out.
So here you go:
Wow, yesterday's event was really great. I met people from Islam, orthodox Judaism, Quiverfull, the Amish, Mennonite, Hare Krishna, etc. I was greeted by strangers that knew my name from the podcast. A JW nonprofit organization sent someone to meet me and talk with me about opportunities. I met others that do work in helping people.
I met a woman that was taken to Libya because that way her husband could take the kids as he was afraid she was losing faith. He did. She spoke out for her children. I met people of faith that supported their spouse that had left faith. I met people that went from home schooling or educations that lasted only until the 8th grade that are in Ivy League schools. One courageous speaker's father was a governor in Pakistan that was murdered for even questioning the existence of an anti-blasphemy law.
One moment that stood out was when a speaker asked for a show of hands of how many were there that had left a religion. Then he asked how many were there to support. There were more supporters that were interested in this, that help through organizations, that knew someone, etc. that were present than those that had left. We need that. Those that leave need support in the outside. They need to be seen and heard and they often need help.
I'm looking seriously into starting a nonprofit to help victims of Jehovah's Witnesses that have left. So many struggle to survive after leaving everything they've ever known. JWs would say that's because of Satan. I say it's simply because they're dealing with the trauma of living and leaving that JW life. They need help to get the basics and they can't often thrive until they can first survive, like any population.
When religions use the FOG (fear, obligation, guilt) or the BITE models (controlling behavior, access to information, thoughts, emotions) they can rightly be called "high control religions", at times cults.
One interesting thing I took away is that nobody there shuns to the extreme that Jehovah's Witnesses do. Nobody strips you of everything and everyone to the extent that the JWs do.
Im so glad that I got to be a part of these voices speaking out. I hope that more will do so and that more will listen and support.
A man that was a Hasidic Jew talked about how there was a measles outbreak in NYC that made the news. Suddenly people were outraged that their community didn't vaccinate kids. Why? Because now it impacted their children. It was okay as long as it was over there, "those people", but when it touches the outside people take note. It's human nature. If we want to be better humans though at some point we have to start taking notice of "those people", those children and adults that need our help before it makes the news. We're out here collectively speaking out from JWs to Muslims, from Amish to Jewish, and we all have a story. It touches those of us that lived it and continue to and we hope our stories touch outsiders now to gain more support and supporters. That is how change will happen.
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dubstepped
Oh yeah, and the meetup was really fun. We had two large tables ful of ex-JWs at the Berg'n food court. Great conversation and people came from Boston, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. Oh and my wife and I from the Louisville Kentucky area.
One of the common refrains I heard was that it was so nice to talk to others that just get it, no explanation needed. We talked about JW stuff but also about life after, sports, work, lots of things. The food was great. We spent about 5 hours together there and then some of us moved on to dinner at a restaurant I had reserved. That was a nice continuation. We had a few that were supposed to join at dinner but they couldn't make it.
All in all a wonderful time was had.
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LongHairGal
DUBSTEPPED:
I am glad the conference went well and you got to meet people from all these other religions. 👍🏻
I find it very interesting that you found out that no other religion shuns to the degree that Jehovah’s Witnesses do..That makes JWs very controlling, spiteful and SUPER vindictive like they are out to destroy anybody who wants out.
The world sure needs to know this!
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dubstepped
Note that I said that nobody there (at the conference) shuns to the same extent. Not nobody in the world. The orthodox or hasidic Jewish communities may shun along the same lines at times and may force someone to leave the communities, which is an extra physical burden. Some Amish (old order) may too. But they don't shun at the same scale. My apologies if I overstated. -
LongHairGal
DUBSTEPPED:
Thanks. I understand your point.
I already knew about the Hassidic Jewish communities and their strict ways from personal experience. Amish I’m only familiar with through the media. However, the Witnesses go around proselytizing looking for new members - whereas these other groups (esp the Jews) are not known for this..So, the public is especially vulnerable IMO with regard to the Witnesses as they are not truthful about the shunning routine and whatever else goes on..This was my personal experience.