Hello and welcome to my blog, where I’ll be focusing on what I perceive to be the crimes of cults and religions against humanity – most notably, the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Having survived a tormented childhood and teen years at the hands of Jehovah’s Witnesses (which I invite you to read about here), and having observed its cruel and so-often tragic impact on many lives, I grew to view religion for what it is: a patriarchal creation, a menace to humanity, and a clever means of murdering, controlling and oppressing the many, by the few.
Little wonder then, that religion and politics are often seen in bed together. They scratch each others’ backs for common goals of vested interests.
Although there are those who genuinely find comfort in their faith, I would never besmirch or ridicule them for it, nor are they the targets of this blog, and I would ask that they read no further, to avoid upsetting themselves. Some truths are too awful to bear.
My aim here is to reach out to the many more who suffer because of religion and religious cults, and to perhaps cast light on something that others may never have noticed lurking within the hierarchy of their denominations.
I determined to join the swelling ranks of those speaking out, making myself available for any who are seeking comfort and encouragement in their bid for freedom from these oppressors, murderers, and ‘spiritual rapists’.
It wouldn’t be fair of me to say, ‘just leave the damn cult already!’. I well know it’s not that simple and, to that end, I would invite anyone who’s eyes are open and are desperate to leave their religious prison, to email me: myheathenheart@gmail.com
While I won’t tell you what to do, I will be an ear to hear, a shoulder to lean on, a source of comfort, and your own personal cheerleader.
Yours in freedom,
Gabrielle
*Edit: Please feel free to share, re-blog, or re-print anything in my blog you might find to be of interest.
First off, thank you and I am so.happy you found peace. JW are truly a sad people.They have been trying to preach to me the ‘truth’ for over a year. I attended 3 meetings and must tell you even the songs are a bore. It is nothing to do with peace and hope. They believe in an old testament God only wanting worship and obedience. We are not worthy of miracles. Everything is pagan and worldly so what to be done but be fearful and.sad. Each JW I met had been scorned as a child and had not realized how bad it,was. Good for you and I can attest most JW look upon outsiders as potential studies and service hours. I was a fool to.think I could have a friendship with anyone.
Hi Teresa!
I’m so sorry that it’s taken me so long to log back in here and reply.
You’re quite right about the JWits – in fact, our sentiments can rightfully be applied to all religions – and that includes Wicca, for all it’s claims of ‘liberation’, it, too, still pays homage to varied and assorted gods and goddesses and requires the following of certain human-made protocols.
No human owes any god/goddess anything. Not. A. Single. Thing. If such creatures even exist, then we are them.
Hmm…perhaps that’s another post for another time…!
Be strong, Teresa and, if all else fails and they keep hounding you, you can always tell them you’re an occultist and that if they don’t leave you alone, you’ll turn them into toads. Works for me! *insert wicked grin here*.
Hey Heathen – I think WP “spammed” a comment I put on this part of your blog as well . . . and for some reason I’m now getting emails every time someone places a new comment . . .
Hi Jefferson. Nope, nothing in spam but a dreadfully confused little vegemite spouting an assortment of gibberish, but they’ve gone to the land of non-existence now
I hope you noticed I gave you an award today!! http://teepee12.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/reader-appreciation/
and enjoy!! (P.S. You can’t give this one back .. haha!)
Oh my! I hadn’t noticed, I’m so sorry! Thank you very much
Thanks for visiting my blog. Be in touch. Browse through the category sections,
I feel you may find something of your interest.
Thank you, ajaytao; you too
thank you
Thank you for your visit to my postings ,now you know why we the first people (American Natives) do not do politics or religious debates, we have no religion and know that politics is for the rich to get richer. If you ask, we love all of creation created by a Creator. Remember that even Jesus Christ hated religion because it is built around profit at all cost, he only believed in the Creator because everything else is FLUFF designed to worship money.
Fluff for profit, indeed!
Hey there!
I was reading some of the comments that I saw on those post only because after reading your post I assumed there would be backlash. People these days are so afraid of “hurting” other people’s feelings! I am glad you still went ahead and said what you thought. We all think differently and we are all allowed to express ourselves in a public forum. Keep on blogging!
Hi Daisy!
Thanks for having a poke around and commenting. I think there’s just perhaps an increasing number of like-minded people who can relate to my rants
hi, i have nominated you for the liebster award! http://wp.me/p2GxHb-1Aw
Oh my goodness! Thank you! (I think?) Being somewhat technologically-challenged, erm…what is it, exactly?
Animal, mineral or vegetable?
Does one wear it, swim with it, sew with it, or flash it about?
lol..flash it about in your blog, my post is coming out in about 10 minutes with all the rules and such
Well thank you so very much….you’ll have to tell me how to ‘flash it about’, though…!
you’re very welcome! no worries
Hi. I just wanted to say, from your writing, I belive you are already in a dialogue with God and He with you. Just keep talking.
Hi again, views. I don’t want to break your heart or anything, but the only dialogues I tend to have are the ones with my ego (she and I don’t see eye to eye), friends, a bossy parrot, and a family of magpies. Oh – and occasionally the local pelican community
Hi. I really don’t want to badger you (that’s a British English verb but I can’t think of a better one and for some reason I assume you are American but I may be wrong). I could sense your anger and pain and I thought I could help in some way by letting you know that where you are and the things you are saying are so familiar to me because I too have had those feelings. You won’t break my heart either. I have rhino hide. I’m a middle aged man and have gone through all of those things that most people my age have, the loss of family and loved ones, illness, hardship, disappointment and being betrayed by those I trusted. I have seen the innocent suffer. I have asked where was God when I needed him/her. So for half my life I was asking the same questions and had the same thoughts as you. I am where I am now because I asked those questions and listened for the answers. Talking to a bossy parrot, magpies and pelicans sounds great to me. More people should do it. Sounds like you love life. I will sign off now and my prayers are with you. If there’s nothing there it’s only a waste of a little time and you never know…
American born, Aussie raised, but heart and soul live in NZ – if that didn’t confuse you, nothing will! Thank you for your kind words, views
Thank you for visitng my blog. I found your writing interesting and touching and clearly will make people think. Thinking and questioning are the key and not enough of that is done in all religions for sure. Any religion that asks for unquestioned obedience must be dangerous. You lead me to believe you are a spiritual person but not religious. I believe our relationship with God is our business and I think that is something we agree on. I also believe God is with each of us and we can chose to ignore him or welcome him. When I hear of people’s awful experiences that have turned them against organised religion, I understand completely and the sense of pain is just terrible. I hope those affected can find it in their hearts to separate the message from those who may claim to be the messenger. God is love. It’s that simple. If it isn’t love, it isn’t God. God only has people to work through and sadly many of those people are weak and wretched and abuse the trust placed in them. I find it difficult and sometimes impossible to forgive them for that and I speak as a practising Christian. I wish you peace as you journey on your personal relationship with God.
Hello viewsfromasmallisland (lovely name),
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I can’t deny that there could be ‘something’, but I also feel, at the same time, that whatever it is, isn’t what humanity blindly worships, adulates, and forms organized religions over – that we’ve got it horribly, horribly, wrong and in so doing, we hold ourselves back from evolving, maturing and developing.
I can’t help but see an irony in the way we chide older children for still wanting to believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, yet we indulge our own need to escape reality by adoring and worshipping that which can neither be seen nor proven.
Still, if believing in a god brings one a sense of comfort and peace, who am I to shout them down?
Peace should always be our ultimate goal and to that end, I wish you peace, also.
Hi both – just wanted to say that I agreed with notesfromasmallisland and appreciated her humble response and yours also heathen heart! Please hear me here I would really hate to hurt or offend anyone – that would be my worst fear about engaging in dialogue but there is no evidence for Santa or the Easter Bunny – although the Santa legend is based on the truth story of St Nicolas. Whereas there is evidence for the existence of God and especially for His Son and His claims; although admittedly there comes a point when faith is needed in order to accept it and believe. See Evidence That Demands A Verdict by Josh McDowell. I don’t find my belief stops me evolving – quite the opposite in fact. I have grown as a person, healed up, found creativity and increasingly my voice as I follow Him. I would be dead if I hadn’t met Him personally. I really understand that we all have our paths to journey along I’m just sad that bad experiences of organised religion may cause people to throw the baby out with the bath water? I was tempted too but decided to get rid of the bath & water and keep the baby. I no longer go to church but my love for Him and my fellow man goes from strength to strength as he softens my heart and increases my capacity to do so. Peace to you both, Karen
Hi Karen!
I appreciate your comment and value that you’ve found something that brings you peace.
Researching the origins of religion (christianity in particular), isn’t for everyone. It’s confronting and personally challenging, but I needed to do it and I’m glad I did. It led me to question many areas of life that I’d previously accepted blindly – subjective things I was told to believe as ‘truth’ and ‘fact’ in childhood, without evidence. I believe Abdun Nur (his link is in my ‘Sites I Love’ section on the top right) has done some exhaustive research in the matter, and I deeply respect his work.
As you say, “we all have our paths to journey along…”., and that’s so very true. My own is a long one, and although I don’t expect to reach a ‘destination’ per se, I hope that along the way, it will continue to wash away my own ignorance.
Peace to you and yours.
thanks for the visit! i was raised in a family that were into witchcraft,and stuff like that. in my teens i started trying to be a christian. i finally realized that i do not believe, i only wanted to.. i think. but after surviving cancer i got to where i feared it coming back or some other thing killing me. i ended up paralized from fear that this god would smite me for just a random bad thought. i started to realize that all christians do is FEAR their god. i sure did. all the stuff in the bible never made any sense to me either. long story shortened i went back to my ‘roots’. i actually feel more peace than i have in decades. i know you are mainly talking about the cults and such as that,just thought i’d throw in my thoughts on religion. i think your blog is great!
You’re welcome, Morrighan! It’s funny how you went from an upbringing in witchcraft, to christianity, and I went from an upbringing in a christian cult, to witchcraft, then back to christianity again, very briefly, before I dumped the lot.
Fear is such an insidious (and pathetic) weapon religions use – well, I suppose they have to, really; I mean, who’d wake up willingingly at a gawdawful hour on a Sunday morning after a long, hard week of shift work, just to listen to a financial sycophant with delusions of power and grandeur preach the word of lies, fairy tales and double standards while demanding a tenth of our hard earned money so he doesn’t have to actually work for a living?
A nice dream for some, no doubt, but as Jake Sully said, “Sooner or later, you always have to wake up”.
Hey! I like the theme of your blog and your perceptions about religion and the divide it creates so often. I sincerely believe that there is no religion, only God. Will look forward to your insights and ideas and I hope I’ll have a good time reading all of it. I am glad I stopped by
Heya, Read Stuff With Me! (love the name).
Thank you so much for your kind comment, although some of my posts may not be agreeable (the jury’s still out on the god business – they took a permanent vacation, I think), but I hope you’re able to take what might seem logical to you, and discard what doesn’t
And thank you for stopping by
Yeah sure … I’ll just start reading a lot of it shortly.. thanks for finding my blog’s name lovely haha…and by the way my name’s Nikita…:)
Welcome, Nikita
I tag YOU in a little story game. You can only continue the story with FIVE words and whatever graphics you’d like.
http://notlostjustweird.com/2013/01/11/toothsome-story-game-3/
Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. I do write some about my religious experiences etc and how my faith has been tested with some severe experiences I have had with my health and my son Luke’s Autism. Life is definitely not fair. Thanks again. I will be looking at your blog!
Thank you very much, Alesia. I do hope you and your son find the answers you’re looking for, and may 2013 be good to you both.
thank you . : )
Hey
I’m not part of any religion, have dipped my toe in a few and decided this wasn’t for me (too many rules) but I do believe in God, can’t imagine how something as wonderful as the masterwork of earth can exist without one. Organized religion just seems like another level of unconsciousness to me since most of the time it has no tolerance for the beliefs of others.
Best to you on your blog – I hope you reach a million . . .
Thank you for your very kind comment of support, jmlight. If only all earth’s inhabitants thought as you. Have a wonderful 2013
My family is also Jehovah’s Witnesses. I was raised in it until I was about 4, and them my mother was disfellowshipped. She went back into it some time around my 13th birthday. Although I wouldn’t consider it a “cult”, I rebelled like mad. I believed in God for a long time after but now I’m an Atheist. I prefer Science.
Well done, you
I’ve covered my personal definition of ‘cults’ in one of my previous posts, ‘How To Escape Cults Like the Jehovah’s Witnesses’, and in my interview with Jennifer Shepherd here: http://www.lipstickmystic.com/jehovahs-witness-cult/.
There are a lot of considerations to take into account when defining something as, let’s face it, insidious, as a cult. It’s not a simple matter of “that doesn’t fit within the boundaries of my religious beliefs, so I’m going to accuse it of being a cult”, which is pure, red-neck, string-em-up-boys pig-ignorant-mob-mentality in action, which some populations seem more particularly blessed with than others.
The world has enough of that to contend with (just watch televised sittings of Parliament in Australia to see similarly childish and dangerously ignorant mentality in action).
It’s a relief to know that for every person who wakes up, questions, investigates, and makes their own informed decision to leave a cult (or an overbearing religious way of life), another weight of burden is lifted from the world, another troubled mind has taken the first step to recovery, and a growing band of ‘we who’ve been there’ stands quietly (or not so quietly, in my own case) to one side, ready to offer comfort and healing words of encouragement.
Peace
For me religion is a dirty word. But faith is a whole different meaning altogether! Religion means rules, man’s assertion of them over other’s lives, both in cults and in the major “religions” of the world. Religion means regulation – faith means freedom, there’s a world of difference between the two (although I’d say that one can masquerade as the other until it gets you ensnared). Have you considered that possibility? Would love to talk more!
Hi Karen
Thanks for stopping by and offering your thoughts. Many find comfort in their chosen religion and as such, they’re not the target here. This purpose of this particular page – “About Me” – is to hopefully reach out to those who feel they’re imprisoned within a cult or religion, are frightened and desperate to find a way out, but who feel isolated, alone, and with no one ‘on the outside’ to talk to. This particular page, I’d hoped, would be mostly one of encouragement and support, and sharing similar stories, for victims of cults, but please feel free to offer thoughts and opinions on any of my posts that might interest you in the drop down menu, ‘Articles’, on the top right hand side of the site
I can so relate to you, but I grew up in evangelical Christianity. It is just a whole different world, and coming out of it feels like waking up to real life.
Oh I tried walking the evangelical and even the Pentecostal path for a while, so I can certainly relate. And yes, it truly does feel like waking up to a real life, doesn’t it? Thank you for your support, lovely
I have nothing against religion, per se, as I am a practitioner, albeit I am rather unorthodox in my orthodoxy. I do, however, harbor a great disgust for those abusers of said belief system for their own shits and giggles.
Amen! (pun intended)
I misread your phrase and thought it said “Talk dirty to me – don’t be shy” so I had to erase my original comment and begin again.
BTW, WELCOME to this little corner of lunacy. WE aim to please and please to aim.
LOL Give me dirty talk any day over hate talk…so…bring it on, baby!