Episodes

Linda was a devout Jehovah’s Witness, one that believed it all and really put her heart and soul into it. Today she’s been out of the organization for 25 years and our discussion involves Buddhist teachings, the neuroscience of shunning, and her story which she also shares in her memoir that is entitled Shunned: How I lost my religion and found myself. So you’re going to see how she both lost that religion and what she found on the other side.

Resources Mentioned:

Her book Shunned: How I Lost Religion and Found Myself

Kip Williams at Purdue University

Poem: The Journey by Mary Oliver

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Would you like to be party to my birthday party? Send a card, letter, anything but JW literature to:

Mike Shemwell
P.O. Box 2641
Clarksville, IN
47131
USA

Thank you!

Support Linda by leaving her a comment HERE

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

Today we are talking with Andie, formerly one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This story really involves so many things. First, we’re talking about a family that goes all the way back to the Rutherford days of the organization. Additionally, Andie was beat up for her beliefs, she was forced to move a lot for a reason that you won’t see coming, and she spent time in Mexico to try to build an English speaking congregation but had to come home for another reason that you won’t see coming. She talks openly about self-harm, about her own horrific rape, living in her car, and thoughts of suicide. Andie was one tough young lady that dealt with a lot and came out the other side. She should be very proud of herself.

The song that Andie chose to represent her journey is “If We’re Honest” by Francesca Battistelli.

Resources mentioned included the book Combating Cult Mind Control by Steven Hassan, the Marc Cora YouTube Channel, and the Kim Mikey YouTube Channel.

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Would you like to be party to my birthday party? Send a card, letter, anything but JW literature to:

Mike Shemwell
P.O. Box 2641
Clarksville, IN
47131
USA

Thank you!

Support Andie by leaving her a comment HERE

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

In this episode we’re going to meet Lyla Illing from South Africa, now living in New York City. She was involved in a cult early in her life that, translated from Afrikaans to English, means “The Chosen People”. As one might imagine in a land where apartheid held strong for so long the cult was definitely racist. Lyla was only involved for a short time and you’ll see why, but it created dynamics that impact her to this day, and set her on a path to try to help Amish youth here in America.

This episode features two amazing songs from Lyla. The first that you will here is “Not Coming Home” and the second is “Below the Surface”.

“Not Coming Home” – Proceeds go to the Amish Heritage Foundation

“Below the Surface” by Lyla Illing

The song that Lyla chose (by another artist) to represent her journey is “Runaway” by Pink.

Resources mentioned:

William Ramsey Investigates interviews Mike Shemwell of the Shunned Podcast about Jehovah’s Witnesses HERE

Conversations with God interviews God about shunning in Episode 39 HERE

Would you like to be party to my birthday party? Send a card, letter, anything but JW literature to:

Mike Shemwell
P.O. Box 2641
Clarksville, IN
47131
USA

Thank you!

Support Lyla by leaving her a comment HERE

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

Naomi was raised in one of those JW families that didn’t have a tv and that limited books because they were reflective of Satan’s world. Their lives, even their limited traveling, revolved around the Kingdom work. You’re going to see how even in such a controlled environment a child still has their own mind and thoughts, and how that plays out. It was really interesting what woke Naomi up, and you’re even going to find out how a Buzzfeed quiz can get a JW reprimanded.

She chose two songs to represent her journey. The first is Cigarettes by Illy and the second is Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra.

The resources mentioned included the books Crisis of Conscience and I’m Perfect You’re Doomed. Also the forum jehovahs-witness.com.

Support Naomi by leaving her a comment HERE

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

James was a member of the Old Order Swiss Amish but James is gay and that obviously caused a lot of difficulty for him. Just this week he had his story shared in The New York Times. He’s taken his life from a place that is closed off and drab and he’s built a life of openness and color.

The song that James chose to represent his journey is Here by the Pet Shop Boys.

Resources Mentioned:

Punatic – by James Schwartz

The Literary Party – James Schwartz’s Site

James in The New York Times

Follow James on Twitter/Instagram @queeraspoetry

LGBT Amish.com

Amish Heritage Foundation

Support James by leaving him a comment HERE

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

Today we have a story that’s different than the norm. We’re going to get to know Dave Warnock, former pastor and member of a charismatic evangelical Pentecostal church who is shunned by his children. But the story is bigger than that. Dave has been diagnosed in the last few months with ALS, sometimes commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and he knows that he only has a finite time left in his life. This is truly inspiring story and we talk about a subject that few want to talk about, death. More than that, we talk about life, as death isn’t as scary as never truly living.

For Dave’s contact information, more information about him, ways to support him, please click HERE.

Support Dave by leaving him a comment HERE

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

Chloe’s family was in the circuit work, but her family also had a lot of pressure in the house, pressure that she’ll describe in a way that will put you right there, pressure that perhaps you felt in your home if you too had a particularly volatile parent. Chloe, like so many, lived a double life and ended up getting married young to another JW. Today she shares custody of her daughter with that JW and at my request she provides some really amazing advice for others in that situation. There are a lot of things here that I’m sure you’ll relate to on some level.

Special music by Secret Cigarettes and Cats To Whip.

Resources mentioned include the book “I’m Perfect You’re Doomed”, the exjw reddit, and the podcast called This JW Life (particularly the episode about the FOG and cult tactics).

Support Chloe by leaving her a comment HERE

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

Today we have Nico’s story. Nico has actually already been on the podcast, at the end of episode 23 after Sherrie’s interview. He told the story of his first Christmas in the Facebook group and it was such an amazing story that I had him call in and record it and played it on the show.

Nico is one of the youngest guests that I’ve had. He was able to break free from the cult with so much life ahead of him, but the life that he left behind is still fresh and he lost a lot of people that he cared about in the process. In his story you’ll see what kind of person he his, how he tried to live that dub life, and also how things happened that led to him waking up. In fact, there’s a story at the end that involves another person, and I know that you like I will want an update on them. So I have an update for you to share after the interview.

The song that Nico chose to represent his journey is Second Chance by Shinedown.

Support Nico by leaving him a comment HERE

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

I really had to think about how to describe this episode. A word kept popping out at me and that’s “tough”. Yolanda faced verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse inside the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but she comes through with this tough and resilient spirit. Yolanda isn’t officially shunned and we’ve done things to protect her identity. She has become a haven for some shunned people in her local area. Her story needs to be told because it’s indicative of a lot of what goes on behind closed doors inside the organization. They used to talk about a scripture that referred to whitewashed graves that looked nice but held dead men’s bones inside. There is so much in this story that is going on that will show you inside just another JW family, and you’ll see how some things like sexual abuse are perpetuated through the veil of secrecy in their hierarchy.

The song that Yolanda chose to represent her journey is What About Us by Pink.

The podcast that helped Yolanda to wake up mentally was This JW Life.

Support Yolanda by leaving her a comment HERE

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.

Georgia grew up in what Jehovah’s Witnesses often refer to as a “divided household”. Her mother was a faithful JW, her father violently opposed. In this episode you’ll see how that opposition actually played into the hands of the Witnesses. You’ll see how someone from an abusive situation ended up in another abusive situation after being raped. Georgia faces PTSD after a life of abuse, secret Bible study drills, and the doctrine of an imminent fiery destruction of the world, but she does so with a sense of humor and going for her dreams in life.

The song that Georgia chose is World of Stone by Blackmore’s Night

Georgia referenced the book 1984 by George Orwell

Support Georgia by leaving her a comment HERE

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.