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Renee Cordeschi: A Jehovah's Witness Survivor

My personal story of growing up in, and then escaping the Jehovah's Witness religion

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Renee Cordeschi- JW Survivor

Renee Cordeschi- JW Survivor

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Remember that $35 million dollar Montana sexual abuse law suit? Is it a coincidence the brother here is asking for $33 million in donations?🤔🤔 -Some quick research on google will reveal that 2018 was certainly not a worse year for natural disasters compared to 2010 (Haiti) and 2014 (typhoons in Phillipines). #exjw #xjw #jw #jworg #bestlifeever #jehovahswitnesses #jehovahwitness #exjehovahswitness #exjehovahswitnesses #jehovah #jehovaswitnesses #jehová #testigosdejehova #testimonidigeova #cults #cult #undueinfluence

Together we want to help those suffering the impacts of child hood trauma, see a way through, and find ways to reclaim their lives, live a better life. We will look at childhood trauma, as a result of being held in a high control group, or as a result of emotional, physical or sexual abuse. We will visit the impacts of trauma: feelings of abandonment, shame, disconnection, suicidal ideation, loss of identity, self worth, relationships issues, addictions, and more... “We all silence ourselves as victims of trauma, sharing stories breaks the silence, lifts the shame and empowers the voice”. Love to you, Renee and Tina Link in bio #exjw #trauma #childhoodtrauma

I remember it clearly. It was my first initiation into “offering magazines.” It would’ve been a very proud moment for my mother. I was six and was only just able to read. The occasion was a Saturday morning. My mother explained I could do it in a very simple manner, and she would be there to help me if the person asked questions. “Okay, so knock on the door. Then when the person comes all you have to say is, “Hello, my name is Renee. I am a Jehovah’s Witness. I have some interesting magazines for you to read. They are only 600 lire.” From that day on I learned how to Witness. Slowly at first, selling magazines, and then trying to bring out the Bible to show a Scripture. Years later in Australia, when I was twelve years old and out Witnessing, I happened to knock on Mr Johnson’s door. He was my primary school teacher. He was a stout, stocky, sports trained teacher, with dark features and a moustache. I almost choked. I was so stunned to have found my teacher’s house. Normally I witnessed to total strangers. I stumbled, embarrassed and humiliated at what I was about to have to tell him. I regained my composure and proceeded with the speech we had practiced at the group meeting that morning. I managed to finish and remember looking up from the magazines I had just offered to him with such trepidation. What was his response going to be? He had a mixed look of pity and anger at the same time. He was very blunt and he told me, “This is not what you should be doing.” I sensed him holding back with what he really wanted to say, and at the same time it was clear to me he was angry with the adult Witness with me, at what I was being made to do. What he said and the way he said it stuck with me for the rest of my life. I strongly sensed a tone of caring in his demeanour. It was like he was trying to protect me. His advice replayed in my head over and over as I grew up. I now strongly believe that people who have the courage to speak up to say something may not realise the impact their words have. In my case the impact did not come to fruition until ten years later. Thank you for speaking up for me Mr Johnson. #exjw #jw #escapejw #xjw #cults

An excuse to come Down Under. Join us in Melbourne. Peaceful protest to let PIMOs know we are here to help. #exjw #exjehovahswitness #exjehovahswitnesses #cults

From an exjw survivor: “Today is the funeral of a man I knew as a child. We weren’t close .... he was in the next congregation over. He was an ex jw. He killed himself. The pain is over for you my brother. Im sorry they did this to you. Time to strike back.” Suicide among those disfellowshipped is real. The shunning is mandated by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (It was not always the case: In 1947, the Awake January 8 page 27 described the practice of excommunication as an unscriptural, pagan practice). Even when asked about shunning, so many Witnesses will lie and say, “No we don’t”. That’s how embarrassed and wrong it feels to them. A Witness who found my page, stood up and wrote to me not long ago and said: “Hi, I don't know why but I thought I should message you, mainly because I've been fairly close with your family and your mum for over a decade and it's so strange to me that you exist. It's kind of upsetting how I could not know you existed. Anyway sorry if this brings up bad memories, I hope they figure it out one day.” Over 80,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses are disfellowshipped each year, with 2 out of 3 never being reinstated. More info on JWFACTS here: https://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/disfellowship-shunning.php #exjw #cults #escapejw #jwlife #shunning #suicide #jw #exjehovahswitness #exjehovahswitnesses #exjehovahswitnessmerchandise #jwconvention #jw #bestlifeever

I am blown away by the information regarding Jehovah’s Witness persecution in Nazi Germany in this book. I bought this book for myself for Christmas, and I’m reading it while on holidays. Lloyd begins with a short story about himself before giving a history of the Jehovah’s Witness‘ beginnings. In the chapter about Rutherford, one of the founding American presidents, Lloyd details the correspondence between Rutherford and the Nazi regime. Rutherford in a personal letter to Hitler: “As president of the Society (Watchtower), I demand that you give order to all officials that Jehovah’s Witnesses... be without hindrance to worship God...” He then threatens he would besmirch the Nazi’s National Party in all his publications if the ban wouldn’t stop. When the Nazis did not lift the ban, Rutherford instructed all German Witnesses to assemble and to continue preaching in defiance of the regime. Witnesses were also instructed to send Telegrams to Hitler, which read: “Your ill treatment of Jehovah’s Witnesses shocks all people... refrain otherwise God will destroy you and your national party.” Hitler was reported as being incensed by these threats and unleashed his fury on the German Witnesses even more. Historian M James Penton, claims that while Witnesses would have still suffered persecution, had they not confronted Hitler, they would have fared much better. Rutherford’s threats and antagonism towards Hitler, from a safe position back in America, and his instructions to the Witnesses to keep proclaiming, resulted in their extreme torture and cruelty. Further, unlike the reports from Watchtower literature that the Witnesses “did not compromise faith”, as many as 516 were released in 1938 once they made the written statement that they would abandon their beliefs. And here I was told as a kid that we were persecuted more than any other religious group because we had the Truth. Shame. Shame on the lies and shame on Rutherford for sitting comfortably back in his safe home town, putting other Witness’ lives at risk. (There is a lot more detail, evidence and research in the book. This was just a short summary). I recommend this book. It’s excellent. #exjw

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