It’s only through happenstance that I came to be an admin here at JWsurvey, but it was an opportunity I was happy to accept, because I love helping the cause.

One of my duties is sorting any contact emails that arrive. I often see messages of support and thanks for the information provided here.

A recurring theme in these messages is a desire to help. Speaking from personal experience, I can completely relate. Curtailing Watchtower’s influence is a cause I fully support.

Like so many of you reading this, my time as a Witness is marked with painful memories of unnecessary grief caused by Watchtower’s policies. When it all got to be too much, I had to make the difficult decision to leave behind those I had grown up with, including my immediate family.

The past twelve years have been a time of rebuilding and discovering what life really is all about. I’m never sorry that I decided to leave, but I still resent what I had to go through to get to where I am today.

My parents and sister have no contact with me. And, even though I live three hours from my hometown, news of my involvement with the ex-JW movement appears to have spread. I’ve recently started experiencing shunning when out and about in my current location. This new development has made me wonder what more I can do to help stop this from happening to others.

I don’t consider myself to be a leader in the cause. I’m not the type to uncover secrets and expose hidden policies. Truth be told, there are already so many who do this, and in my opinion they do it well. Cedars and others like him are doing a great job of putting Watchtower’s flaws out there for the public to see.

New YouTube videos are being added every day. Facebook and Twitter are buzzing with stories about things Watchtower wants to keep quiet. The information is there, and that’s where WE come in.

All of us have a unique opportunity to make all this effort pay off. Others have done the hard part, now it’s our turn to spread the information. We can all draw attention to the stories and blogs by sharing them with others. By word of mouth and social media, we can each play a part in getting the message out to a wider audience.

It may require an act of courage, or stepping out of our comfort zone. But unless more of us take this leap, the efforts of those doing the research and writing cannot reach their full potential. We can all be the backing chorus to the work being done. By lending our voices, we make the message stronger.

The more issues such as shunning and mishandling of child sex abuse are put in the public eye, the more momentum builds. Every opportunity we take to share is an opportunity to help someone avoid the pain we’ve experienced inside the Watchtower.

With increasing numbers of active Witnesses using the internet, we have a chance to show them the reality of their “truth.” As opinions start to change, everything we do puts just a little more pressure on Watchtower to make reforms and end their oppressive and often life-threatening practices.

As your fellow chorus member, I’m asking you all to consider supporting those who are leading the charge in the fight against Watchtower by sharing their message at every opportunity. The more we speak up, the more the world will notice, and lives could even be saved.

Further reading…

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