Lloyd Evans - How to Escape From Jehovah’s Witnesses

HOW TO ESCAPE FROM JEHOVAHS WITNESSES

By Lloyd Evans

JLE Publishing

2018

2018 Lloyd Evans

All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwisewithout prior written permission of the copyright holder.

Published by JLE Services Ltd. t/a JLE Publishing

www.reluctantapostate.co

May 2018 printing

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the modern-language New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, 2013 edition, published by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.

Certain references to Watchtower publications are provided in shortened form. For further information, see Abbreviations of Publication Titles in Watch Tower Publications Index.

Photo Credits: Page 58: Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania

All copyrighted material has been used per the fair use provisions of copyright law.

Trademarks: All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The publisher is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

Typeset in 12 pt/15 pt Alegreya Sans

DTP services provided by Toon Media Publishing

Cover design by Kyle Racki

Layout by Arthur Weber

How to Escape Jehovahs Witnesses

ISBN: 978-0-9956691-5-4 (paperback); 978-0-9956691-6-1 (Kindle)

To the memory of Raymond Franz

Contents

Acknowledgments

IN MY first book, The Reluctant Apostate, I devoted several pages to naming the many dear people who have assisted me in my activism work over the years. Rather than name them all again, suffice it to say that I continue to be extremely grateful for their support, whether it is historic or ongoing.

Even so, I really should single out for special mention my immediate circle of friends and colleagues who, through their assistance and collaboration, make my work possible. The team at JWsurvey has been outstanding in their dedication and solidarity, namely Mark and Kimberly ODonnell, Chloe Powell and Covert Fade. Javier Ortiz, an honorary team member thanks to our collaboration on another important project (a documentary film titled The Truth About the Truth ), has also been a reliable source of encouragement and guidance.

As far as the creation of this book is concerned, I need to acknowledge those who have directly helped in bringing it to life. Kyle Racki has designed a beautiful, attention-grabbing cover. Arthur Weber, who designed the layout and lovingly crafted each page, has applied the same care and scrupulous attention to detail that made The Reluctant Apostate so easy on the eye. Paul Grundy, one of two people who were instrumental in my own awakening (this book is dedicated to the memory of the other), has generously supplied a wonderful, very flattering foreword. And Graeme Hammond, Arthur Weber, Mark ODonnell and Covert Fade have all given me the benefit of their guidance, wisdom and expertise as editors.

I must also express my sincere appreciation to the following individuals, along with the many others who assisted with funding the publishing of this book via Indiegogo: Frank Jepsen, Ronald Feller, Ashley Latham, Barbara Weed, Sonia Mallet, William J. Fitten, Neil Buckley, Annette Davis, Kazimierz Walach, Annette Black, James A. Campbell, Phoenix Seamstress, Malen Cross, Kelly Perazzolo, David Camilo, Joan M. Miller, Mark & Karla Wilmot, Derrick McCorkle, Philip Hickey, Jorian Micom, Kjetil Marius Waldersnes, Luke Giles, Bea Gatchell, John Hutchinson, Sarah Harris, Erin Heald, Shaun Miller, Loretta Singhatat, Alex Reid and Andrew Blackman.

And finally, I need to give profound thanks to my loving wife Dijana for her unflinching affection, support and companionship. It is not always easy to surrender your spouse to intensive, emotionally draining workespecially when this occasionally attracts unwanted drama, resentment and controversy. Over the years, Dijana has become a true rock without whom it would be impossible to achieve a fraction of the activism work that has been accomplished, and for her incredible strength, understanding and love I will always be indebted.

Authors Note

FOR ease of reading, I have mostly avoided citing references to quoted material in the main text. This information can instead be found in the Notes section at the end.

Please also note that I am not, and would never pretend to be, a therapist or any kind of authority on mental health. Nor would I presume to tell people how to live their lives. The advice offered in this book is merely based on what I have come to learn through my own experience and that of the many people who have contacted me over the years since I first started my activism.

This book is not intended as a psycho-educational tool. It is purely offered as a means of helping the reader navigate their way through the many challenges posed by leaving the Jehovahs Witness religion. As I explain in the pages to follow, if you feel distressed and traumatized by your exit from Jehovahs Witnesses, you would be well advised to seek the services of a qualified mental health professional who can advise you on techniques for coping with stress, anxiety and feelings of hopelessness, or who is able to prescribe further therapy or medication as needed.

Foreword

I FEEL honored to be writing the Foreword to such an important book. Leaving a high control religious group can be traumatic, particularly one that has control over your ability to associate with family and friends. The information contained within these pages will greatly assist in preparing the reader for what is to come, helping them make wise choices that will increase the likelihood of breaking free with minimal bad consequences.

Over the last two decades, it is estimated that well over two million Jehovahs Witnesses have left the Watchtower organization. As revealed in the Pew Research Centers 2008 U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, Jehovahs Witnesses have the highest turnover of any religion in the United States, with two thirds of those raised as Witnesses eventually leaving. It is a tragedy that a religion with such a high turnover is also one of the most difficult to leave due to the excessive control wielded by the leadership. The organizations cruel policy of shunning former members makes it particularly difficult to acclimatize to life outside the Witness bubble without anyone by your side.

In the past, many Witnesses were forced to leave without a support network and with limited access to information guiding them through the emotions and dilemmas they would encounter. Thankfully, the internet has now made this process considerably easier. However, to date there has been little in the way of specific advice of the kind outlined in this book, which summarizes the entire process in one comprehensive and well structured resource. I applaud Lloyd for taking the time to put together this information in an easy to read format.

Lloyd is a gifted writer, and through his activities has become a leading light in the ex-Jehovahs Witness community. I know from experience how taxing it is to be constantly involved with Watchtower activism; to be confronted by the heartbreaking stories emailed through from people who are frantically searching for advice. But Lloyd is driven by the same passion that consumes methe desire to make a difference. As emotionally draining as this work can sometimes be, receiving messages of gratitude from those who have been able to move on with their lives having been positively affected by something I have written makes it all worth the effort.

Lloyd tells me that I was instrumental in helping him come to terms with discovering that Watchtower is not the Truth, and I am proud that this is the caseespecially given that he has gone on to play such an important role in assisting many more to reach that realization.