Customer Reviews

I Was Raised a Jehovah's Witness

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I just wanted to respond to "A Reader from California," who smugly inquires if those who have left the Watchtower Society are happier or have better marriages. The answer is a resounding "YES!" Freedom from mind control, coercion and spiritual blackmail results in happiness on many levels, including marriage. I applaud Mr. Hewitt's courage in writing a book that exposes Jehovah's Witnesses for what they are - a cult of brainwashers and brainwashees, no different from any other group that professes to be "the only true religion" - because leaving the cult no doubt cost him dearly in lost friendships, relationships and even family. Perhaps more people will come to realize that you don't need anyone to tell you what God thinks. God is inside each and every one of us, and he doesn't need a middle man to touch our lives.

I, too was raised a Jehovah's Witness. I could really relate to his story, although mine is slightly different. He was pretty much on the money. Anyone that is in the same situation really needs to read this book, as it can help you find answers to dispute your old beliefs. I have sought answers to a lot of questions for a long time and he answered most of them for me.

now that I have left the "truth".

To the reader who thinks all who leave or are disfellowshipped from "God's organization", please explain to me why, after being disfellowshipped from God's loving people, I'm no longer suicidal, my alleged bi-polar and dissociative identity disorders have disappeared, and I'm happy, thriving and content.

I am no longer consumed with paralyzingly low self-esteem, I am gaining confidence, poise and grace. I smile now. I laugh. I don't spend every waking moment wondering if Jehovah will kill me at Armegeddon for some (egregious) transgression of Watchtower Society rules.

Coincidence? I think not.

...This book as well as many others has finally set many people free and given them free thought instead of just going along with the rest of the lemmings. Many people have been released from their feelings of guilt and fear and now are able to lead normal lives instead of living their lives for a man-made organisation that is "ruled" by imperfect men who change their minds and prophecies to suit their own interpretation...

I also was once a Jehovah's Witness. I was disfellowshipped at the age of 21. I felt like my world was over. I had noone, except my family who are also witnesses. They didn't listen to the rules of the religion and turn away from me. My sister was also once a witness but kicked out for being gay. They said that you're allowed to be gay, but you need to act straight, get married have children etc. Then you will be "fixed" in the paradise. I had to start all over again, or go back to a religion that I felt treated people like a herd of cattle. I mean, how do you just turn away from and ignore someone that's been in your life for so many years, and been a friend? They disgust me. And the really scary part is that they feel that they are doing the right thing. That this is the only way of handling things. I was kicked out for smoking cigarettes. I was 21 years old!! What did you think I was going to do, knock on people's doors 24/7, and hand them watchtowers? I was so secluded from the world growing up that I wasn't even allowed to be in afterschool activities. The reason? Because then you will spending voluntary time with non-jehovah's witnesses. You're not supposed to associate "the wordly people". School was one thing, but staying on your own free will for things that are not mandatory is prohibited. Well I'll tell ya, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. The aftermath was absolute hell, but I pulled through, and I'm still pulling. It's been 4 years now, and the only possible way that I can view this "religion", is one word CULT!

I was too raised as a Jehovah's Witness and I decided to leave when I was 15. I was extremely unhappy and really felt that God wasn't in this religion that there was something more that I couldn't understand. I didn't stay despite the intimidating elders meeting to make me feel guilty to stay. Fear always haunted me and I knew that there was no future in this to do anything but what they want. My story is different than Hewitt's, because fortunately I wasn't baptized so I wasn't disfellowhipped, which really is unbiblical in the first place. When I left I wasn't disowned which can happen in many J.W. homes because it has been pushed not by all but some J.W.s. so I am thankful for my family for that. I knew something was wrong with this and wanted answers but was very content to be independent from the organization. It wasn't the friends that I left but it was the organization. I had a best friend whom I dearly cared for but was never permitted to see her again nor did she let me. Her parents would remind me of the pain that she had. I am sorry for that but it didn't have to be that way at all especially if you are "friends" in the true sense. But I realized that like all of them and for myself for the time being they were brainwashed. To be honest with you I don't remember any kind of real teaching from the Bible itself in the meetings. We only read the magazines and they were repetitive and very very narrowminded about other religions. Where do they get their research from, for example their brochure on the Trinity? It is ridiculous, just because other pagan gods had three headed statues doesn't mean that it refers to the "Trinity" of the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. And I always remembered that I lived my life in fear and with this horrid feeling I had the label "I am bad" and never will get better unless I do A,B,C and D. However, when I read this book a few years ago the scripture that stuck out was in Ephesians 2:8. We are saved by grace and not by works. All of the J.W.s were doing were works. I understand they use the scripture "Faith without works is dead" but they don't even understand what the work of the cross is which is salvation from death, sins, sicknesses, poverty, unrighteousness, curses, rejection and abandonment. Jesus exhanged all of this and by the way He is God see John 1:1 and not a god. I suggest further readings about the cross in the teachings that Derek Prince wrote and has on audio. It is amazing to learn and important to know.

The Jehovah Witnesses have no real understanding (nor a personal relationship) with God.

I thank God that my friend showed me an old version of this book. I was shocked and amazed of the accounts that Joe Hewitt had made in this book. My jaw dropped and cried. It was very powerful and especially is when the work he references is from their own literature which Jehovah Witnesses are not allowed to read anymore supposedly in some congregations. Their own literature points to their downfall when tested against the Bible which have been tested and tested again by many Greek and Hebrew scholars (who by the way are not shy to confess who they are like the supposed "scholars" in the Watchtower organization).
I was amazed and I recommend that Jehovah Witnesses be open minded because it is hard to uncover the guilt and blindfold. Christianity is not Christianity when people are not restore and are free. Are you free? Can you breath? Are you a little bit tired from all of these things? So, will God love you next month or do you need the WatchTower Organization to tell you? God does love you always and knows the heart. Man doesn't and has put many J.W.s under much pain in fact suicidal rate is the highest among many religions. And I for one had been going down that route because of Jehovah's Witnesses. I feel sorry for everyone in this religion but I know that some know what they are doing to people, they really do know and if it all goes downhill then there goes their salary and free trips. So, I strongly recommend this book. It was a turning point in my life when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior and I came as I was and by faith I was made and am still righteous because of Jesus my Lord and Savior God, Jehovah.

Joe Hewitt gives a whole panoramic on the society so-called as Jehovah's Witnesses in a sensitive recounting of his own exclusive relationship to this religious system.

Having actually READ the book, I sense the meekful and loving work of God that reecho in his life. Although the autonomy of independent, individual thinking and study of the Bible was forbidden, the date-setting errors and duplicity within the organization opened his mind up to God's word. He discovered that grace could't be merited but was God's Riches At Christ's Expense; and it was available to common man. (I would also recommend "Crisis of Conscience" by Raymond Franz)

Joe Hewitt recently beacame my grandfather, and his stories are just marvelous. I have been in encouraged by his tellings of his life to read his book. I should be picking it up very soon. I say he is quite interesting, and has a way of telling things that it feels like he's talking to you as a person. I am blessed to have him as my half/step grandfather. I recemend his book to anyone, and I hope it opens them up for a better understanding.

This book gives you an inside view of the WatchTower Society Cult. By the way, all the Jehovah's Witnesses who are posting these negative reviews have either not read the book (they are not allowed to read material against the Watchtower teachings) or aren't very good witnesses in the first place!

ALTOUGH I HAVE NOT READ THIS BOOK YET, I'M SURE THE STORY I WILL READ WILL SIT VERY CLOSE TO HOME. MY MOTHER IS A DEVOUT JEHOVAH'S WITNESS. AS A SMALL CHILD ME AND MY TWO BROTHERS WERE RAISED ON THE ORGINIZATIONS TEACINGS. TEACHINGS THAT SAID ALL HOLIDAYS WERE NOT TO BE CELEBRATED, ALL NON JEHOVAH WITNESSES WERE NOT BE ASSOCIATED WITH BECAUSE THEY WERE DEEMED "WORLDLY".ETC ETC.... ALTHOUGH GROWING UP DIFFERENT AND BEING VIEWED AS WIERD BY YOUR PEERS AS A CHILD, AND ALWAYS BEING SINGLED OUT AS "THE KID WHO CAN'T SAY THE PLEDGDE OF ALLIGIENCE" HAD A LASTING EFFECT, THAT WASN'T WHAT MADE ME NEVER STEP IN ANOTHER KINGDOM HALL AGAIN IN OVER 12 YEARS...
MY OLDER BROTHER HAS SOMEWHAT OF A MENTAL DISABILITY. AROUND THE TIME HE WAS 13 MY MOM SET UP MEETINGS WITH HIM AND THE ELDERS SO HE COULD DO THE REQUIRED STUDY TO GET BAPTISED. (MY BROTHER NEVER WANTED TO GET BAPTISED HE DID SO OUT OF FEAR OF MY MOTHER.) AFTER A SHORT WHILE MY BROTHER WAS BAPTISED AS AN JEHOVAH'S WITNESS. MY MOM WAS SO PROUD HER FIRST SON WAS A BAPTISED MEMBER. HOWEVER, A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER MY BROTHER COULD NO LONGER PLAY THE CHARADE, AND FINALLY TOLD MY MOTHER THE TRUTH, THAT HE NEVER WANTED TO BE A WITNESS AND HE HAD ONLY DID IT OUT OF FEAR AND LOVE FOR HER. HE LEFT THE ORGINIZATION SOON AFTER. THIS IS WERE IT GOT BAD.

MY MOTHER ALWAYS TOLD US HER PRIORITYS IN LIFE WERE JEHOVAH FIRST, HER KIDS SECOND. I NEVER SEEN HER APPLY THIS BELIEF TILL MY BROTHER RESIGNED HIS MEMBERSHIP. AFTER WHICH SHE TREATED HIM AS A STEP MOM WOULD TREAT A STEP CHILD SHE NEVER WANTED. EVERYTHING OUT HER MOUTH WAS MEANT TO BE LITTLE HIM. WHEN I BROUGHT THIS UP TO THE BROTHERS IN THE CONGRGATION THEY SAID MY BROTHER BROUGHT THIS UPON HIMSELF, AND BASICALLY DID'NT DESERVE HELP. I NEVER GOT OVER THIS BETRAYAL.

TO SHORTIN THIS STORY, I LEFT HOME AT THE AGE 13 BECUASE I WAS DEPRESSED AND SUICIDAL. I HAVE NEVER SET FOOT IN ANOTHER KINGDOM HALL AND NEVER WILL. MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY MOM IS STILL STRAINED. HOWEVER, I DON'T COMPLETLY BLAIM HER. SHE BRAINWASHED AND MALNIPULATED TO THINK THE WAY SHE DOES BY THIS ORGINIZATION. I'M NOT GOING TO SAY ALL JEHOVAH'S WITESSES ARE ALL BAD, BUT THIS IS NOT ABOUT LOVE. I'VE SEEN THESE MEMBERS CAST AWAY THEIR OWN FAMILY MEMEBERS THE WAY MY MOM DID MY BROTHER. ANY RELIGION THAT SEES CASTING AWAY ONES OWN AS OKAY, HAS TO BE SECONDED GUESSED. THIS IS NO RELIGION TO RAISE YOUR KIDS IN.

I'M THANKFUL I GOT PROFESSIONAL HELP. I AM SOMEWHAT OVER MY CHILD HOOD DAYS BEING RAISED IN THIS RELIGION. ALTOUGH THE WOUNDS STILL HURT FROM TIME TO TIME. I AM NOT WRITING THIS IN ANGER OR OUT OF SPITE. I SIMPLY WANTED TO SHARE MY STORY.

I CAN'T WAIT TO READ THIS BOOK.