Ep. 01: An Introduction to Mitch

In this episode, I introduce myself and give you insight into my life growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness. I also give you preliminary thoughts as to why I wanted to break away from that religion/cult.

Transcript

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Music Music

SPEAKER_00: 0:31

Hello everyone, hope you had a great and productive day. My name is Mitch, and this is my channel, MitchTheXJW. In case you're not familiar or don't know, the JW stands for Jehovah's Witness, and that's what this podcast will mainly be about. For the majority of my life, I've was a practicing Jehovah's Witness. I'm not anymore. And this is to explain why. Not only why, but help people see factually the ways that I came to my decision. It wasn't a rash decision. It wasn't one based off of just high emotion and one day I flip the script but no this has been a long time coming so that's what this podcast will be about I hope to get the attention of those that were in my situation or are currently in my situation where you have questions and you have doubts and you wonder is everything you're learning true is everything that you see going on around you Is it correct? And those are the things I had to ask myself. So I welcome you and I hope that you enjoy it. I've been getting a lot of support and attention through social media. I started social media about this a little bit over a week ago. And I've been blown away by the momentum that it's gaining. And I have accounts on TikTok, Instagram, X, which was formerly Twitter. And, oh, YouTube. I'm on YouTube and I'm also on Reddit. And Reddit, I'm basically... Same username... XJW and I spell that E-X-J-D-U-B so XJW and that's pretty much my handle on all those social media outlets that I mentioned but on Reddit I'm only on a it's about three channels for XJWs that's on Reddit so you can find me on any of those platforms, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, and I also made a Facebook page also. So facebook.com slash MitchEXJW and you'll find my Facebook page as well. So I made these different social media accounts because When I started this and started talking about it, it was kind of like a release for me, like an outlet for me to get things off my chest. And the more that I do it, the more I'm just finding like-minded individuals that pretty much realize the same thing that I did, that The Jehovah's Witness religion is deeply flawed. The group of men that run the organization worldwide, we just have a lot of doubts and questions about that. And so when you're a critical thinker or a free thinker, that's not looked upon too favorably. in that religion. As a matter of fact, and I'll get more into it in a bit, but they encourage us to question our faith. When they gave the public discourses at meetings or our assemblies or large conventions, that would come up quite often. Test your faith. You have to... constantly convince yourself that you have the truth. And then, you know, once you do that, you're supposed to live accordingly to that, to that faith. And so if you question it, but you question it too loudly, or you ask questions or you voice your opinions or you voice, voice, um, you know, the issues you have, that becomes a huge problem with them. And then all of a sudden they throw this word upon you that you're an apostate. And so if you look that up, it means that someone, they changed their mind. And so they're no longer agreeing with a religion. or no longer agreeing with an ideal, or it can even be in a business sense. You know, you're not going along with a particular company. So that's like the secular definition of apostate. Jehovah's Witnesses use that word, and they've labeled people who have doubts or question things as an apostate, but then they use the definition of to the congregations and the people that listen to them they say an apostate is someone whose mind is under demonic control and influence and so they scare people away from talking to those of us who no longer want to be witnesses which is a shame one of the many reasons I and others see it falling under the category of a cult you know they say it's a religion a lot of us say it's nothing more than a cult because I love this it's like a chart going around and it's called the bite chart B-I-T-E and each letter stands for something and you just go down a list under each letter and And, you know, if the quote unquote religion you're in are showing any of these characteristics, then more than likely it's a cult. And it's, you know, nothing to bash or speak badly of. It's facts, straight facts. And the Jehovah's Witness organization use a lot of control, a lot of scare tactics to keep members in line. but also to keep members going to meetings and being an active member of that cult. And so, you know, they label those of us who are free thinkers and critical thinkers as apostate. We're under demonic control. And I made a video addressing that. One of the videos I made last week when I was saying why I wanted to break free from that religion in the first place And I say that this is me speaking with a clear mind. The governing body or the group of men who run the organization, they try to convince its members that those of us who think like myself, our minds are under demonic influence and we're like speaking as agents of Satan. That's how deep it is. That's what they're telling the members. And they, you know, they say if you see them face to face, don't engage. If you come across their literature, books or magazines or whatever, don't even look at it. If you see them on social media, don't engage. Don't talk to them. Don't comment on their posts, which they do. And I'll get into that. Just stay with Uncle Mitch. But they engage. But they tell them not to. And why? Why? Because they don't want the masses to question or have the same doubts that we have. The majority amount of people that are on my social media and that I'm talking to either through comments or through direct messages these individuals are sharp. they are intelligent they come from all walks of life they're not ranting and raving like some fanatics but they are having discussions with me that mean so much and you can see just like myself they put a lot of thought and time into this decision nothing demonic or you know nothing out of the ordinary or shady like the organization is trying to paint us to be and that was another red flag because I grew up a Jehovah's Witness I was born into it in 1970 so for over five decades I was devoted to this religion slash cult and I know how it is I was you know Jehovah's Witness for decades and I can personally say I know how it is when we came across apostates you know you didn't talk to them didn't look at them didn't read the material and so yeah they I can vouch for that they have people afraid to talk and I don't even use that goofy ass word they use apostate I call us freethinkers They discourage the members in that religion slash cult. They discourage the members to talk to us free thinkers. And why do you think that is? That's because they don't want them to know the truth and to start questioning things. And like I said, everything I'm saying, I'm going to get more each episode I'll dive into different aspects of this but the main reason is because the organization is like a huge cash cow for the ones that run it in New York they're getting donations and contributions from all over the world and they are making bank tax free And so, yeah, they don't want to lose members. Why would they want to? They have a good thing going. You know, selling false dreams and collecting all that money each week, each month, each year. They don't want to lose members. And then you have those of us going around that, you know, we had those aha moments and we're speaking out and we speak boldly about it. So, That's why I'm doing what I'm doing. If there are ones out there that have left and they feel alone, like there's a huge community of us that you can reach out to. We support you. Then we have those that are still like attending meetings or, you know, saying they're Jehovah's Witnesses. but they can't leave for whatever reason. You know, maybe their spouse is a full believer and, you know, they can't, they don't want to feel like they're abandoning their spouse or what if you have parents that are in it. So, you know, as a child, you feel obligated to your parents, you know, or what if you, what if this religion is like all you have, you know, say you're single, a single adult and say, you know, this is your social life, the people in your congregation. But if you say you don't want to be a witness, they're going to like turn a cold shoulder towards you and stop talking to you. So what if in your mind, you can't see that happening? Like, how will I function? How will I live with no one? That's literally everyone I know. And so you have different people that they're still in it for whatever reason. I don't knock them for it, but they may feel all alone. But I want them to know, too, that there's a community out here that they can reach out to and get support. And then there are those that might have questions about the religion or they may have been offered to study the Bible with a Jehovah's Witness. or ones that may already be a Bible study. What if they have questions or doubts? Like if they want real factual information, I wanted this to be a place that they could find it. So those are the reasons I wanted to make this podcast. And occasionally I will have a guest on to... interview them slash we just have a conversation of how it was being a witness and you know maybe answer questions that were sent in to us we'll answer them through the podcast so I have like a lot of ideas of how to just move this forward positively and like I said this isn't going to be a place where I bash uh people for wanting to be a Jehovah's Witness. That's not what this is about. This is about me having a free and open mind, getting enlightenment and realizing that I didn't feel comfortable any longer being a part of it and that I could break free from it and I could have my own identity I could be Mitch, who I really am, without living in fear of displeasing an organization and without living in fear of displeasing God, but the way they portray him to be. They use a lot of fear mongering. And so that's what I want to get into with this podcast. Yeah, so I was born into it in 1970. And, you know, you're obligated when you're in a witness family and you're a minor, you're more or less obligated to attend meetings. Now, when you hit 18 or young adulthood, it's your decision if you want to stay in that religion. I'm like, will it be frowned upon if you want to move on with your life without being in the religion? Oh, yeah, for sure. You know, and your parents, they'll, you know, act devastated and like it's the end of the world. Yet and still now the whole time they're telling you that God gives everyone free will. This organization gives you free will. You don't have to be a witness. But as soon as you say, I don't want to be a witness, like shit is the fan. Like, for real. So that, too, like, keeps people in. You know, they dread that, oh, I don't want to go through this shit. People, you know, crying and acting all depressed and hurt because I don't want to be a witness anymore. Like, you know, I know people just don't want to go through that. So they reluctantly stay around. So, yeah, when I was young, you have... the pressure to, you know, you want to please your parents and you want to please God and you stay in. And when you reach a certain age and you have a certain understanding, a basic understanding of everything that you can, uh, like you have these convictions on your own free will at a certain age, there's no set age for us to get baptized. Then yeah, you're, Expected to dedicate your life to God. And then you symbolized it by water baptism. So I... At 16, I decided to get baptized. And... Like the whole while... You know, you have the... You have two sides. Like... Inside your head. And I tell people... I liken it to a war inside your head. You have... the side of you of what the religion expects. You know, what they're telling you that God expects. And in the other part, you have yourself. Like, who you really are. What makes you the individual you are. And we all come from different walks of life. We all have different tendencies and traits and personalities. So... You know, what one person may struggle with in a spiritual sense to align their lives up with what God expects can be something totally different than another person struggles with. And so for me, like even at a young age, I really, really, I like learning from the Bible. Like I like history and I like the different examples in the Bible, and I liked the things that God said in the Bible. I really love that I still do. Even though I'm against religion, I'm not against God. I believe in God, and I'm not against my doctrine that's taken straight from the Bible. I have a problem with what's man-made. Or man-made rules or man-made guidelines. That's where I have a huge issue. You know, but I fully accept things that's in the Bible from God. Because even He says in His Word that He doesn't change. And if you meditate on that and you look at, you know, things in the Bible, He doesn't change. It's a man who changes and it's man who tries to interpret shit and make you do unnecessary things. So that's a huge issue I had, even at a young age. But I enjoyed the Bible. And so, you know, I had... You're growing up and you have these things going on in your head, and my problem... Like, I've always, like, just liked females. Even when I was young. And so, like, that was my issue. I didn't... I've never done drugs. You know, I like alcohol and... I drink to feel good, but I'm not an alcoholic.

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Um...

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I'll occasionally go to the casino, play some blackjack, but I'm not this chronic gambler. Even from a young age, my thing was females. Living as a witness, you have to go really, really strict when it comes to opposite sex. It's expected that you're a virgin until you're married. Then, You can have sex in God's eyes. And so, you know, I'm a young, young kid and then I'm a preteen and I'm a teenager. And, you know, the older we get, the more we notice the opposite sex. So, you know, I had that. That was always like a war in my head. Then you just want it to fit in. You want it to be normal, you know, and have friends and be accepted like everybody wants that. But growing up a witness is certain things we couldn't do. Like we couldn't salute the flag. I'll get into that in another episode. We didn't do holidays. I'll get into that in another episode. So it's things like that that may have brought ridicule on you at school. You know, people teasing you. Everybody knows Jehovah's Witnesses go from door to door preaching. So, you know, you're young and that's stressful. Going to talk to strangers, that's stressful in itself. But then, you know, I'm going around in a suburb of Chicago and ring the bell and here goes a classmate. Open the door. And they're like, what are you doing here? Why are you dressed like that? You know, they go out of question. So, you know, as a young person, all that shit is hard. So, You know, I was constantly just felt like that. Like I love what I was learning in the Bible, but then I want it to be normal as well. So at 16, I got baptized and upper teens. I would say it's even harder because, you know, getting the job and you're around even more of the opposite sex. Who don't have the same belief system as you do. Didn't come up the same way you did. And so. You know things that they want to do. That they consider fun. Like I couldn't do. And so it's a. Complete mind F. Because you just. Like I said it's just a war. Constantly going on in your head. When you're. Brought up in it. And then in my life. early 20s. Now remember, I'm a, you know, you gotta be a virgin until you're married. So I'm like, damn it, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna just, I'm gonna stick it out. I'm gonna be a virgin. And yeah, I was, I got married when I was, my first marriage when I was 23. So, you know, that was a crazy time.

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And

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It's like letting a 23-year-old bull out the gate. It's just crazy how it makes us, those of us that were raised in it, and we do our best to stick to that moral code. Oh, man. Some either go crazy, can't handle it anymore, and they go crazy before they get married and they get in trouble with the religion. Or, you know, then there's those of us that wait. It's like we're... We feel like we're going to go freaking crazy some days. That was a crazy period in my life. But the older I got, the more I would still... You know, some things would bother me in the congregation. Things that happened. For the longest, it's like... You know, I always wanted to... I don't like people telling me... that I can't do something. You know, that always bothered me. And you're growing up a young man and you want to express yourself in different ways. And I always wanted to be, but that was highly frowned upon in that organization, especially in the United States. They wanted you to be clean shaven. And, you know, you, people see a little stubble on your face and they lose their shit. Like I'm not even playing, you know? And, and so that was one of the things that bothered me. Um, of course, just at the older I get and I'm in a workforce and, you know, still is like, you're not blind. So you're noticing the opposite sex. And I will say that, that I attribute me staying as decent as I was. I attribute that to God and the Bible and just trying my best to live in the way he wanted me to. And again, I didn't have a problem with it because it was coming from God. I'm like, this is what Jehovah wants. So I didn't have a problem with it. But it was just the things that went on in the congregation. And like I said, I'll break it down in different episodes of what I went through. To get a glimpse, you can just look at my TikTok or Instagram pages. And I'm telling stories on there in different videos. Like I've made short videos just describing different things. events that I've went through and I haven't even scratched the surface because I was a witness in four different states Illinois, Texas, Georgia and Washington so I've seen a lot of things I've been acquainted with a lot of people you know a lot of witnesses in those four states for the majority you know great people Again, I'm not going to bash anyone for their beliefs. Like, that's not what this is going to be about. Like, you know, if you're a witness and that's your belief system, more power to you. I'm just... I'm telling you... I'm going to be telling you why I feel the way I do and why I made the decision for myself that, you know, I'm not going to be a witness anymore. And... You know, getting to that part, like up to current times, son will be 24 this year and our daughter will be 18. And it's like the four of us, myself, wife, and the two kids, like we just, none of us are active witnesses anymore. You know, they're old enough to, you know, they're young adults that they can... I wasn't going to try to force it on them. You know, if they wanted to go still, I would support them. Like I said, we each made our own individual decisions. And they respect me. I respect them. We feel happier. You know, I know I... I felt a hell of a lot happier because for over 50 years I've lived by this code and I wasn't perfect at it. As you listen to me, don't think I was just this perfect model religious citizen. I had my issues and flaws, things I worked on. We'll get into an episode about this, but they used to call it disfellowshipping. or shining now they say removing but that's when you do something wrong in God's eyes like a major sin and we're talking like fornication like any type of sexual uncleanness before marriage we're talking adultery you know things like that If you do anything like that, you have the opportunity to seek help from the congregation elders. And, you know, they try to readjust your thinking and help you change circumstances in your life so you don't repeat those mistakes. OK, so if you go that route, they call it you're being reproved where you can still associate with members of the congregation. But you have these limitations placed on you. So it's like you couldn't comment at meetings. You couldn't give meeting parts. Restrictions is what they call them. You couldn't do things like that, have certain privileges. But you gradually get them back until they just remove all restrictions again and call it good. So you can go that route where you repent of your wrongdoing and you want to get help. You turn your life around so it won't happen again. But say you do something, you know, commit adultery or fornication or you unrepentant about it. Like, yeah, I did it. Don't see myself stopping anytime soon. Then you're going to get what I said, disfellowshipped. or removed, as they call it now. Or you can disassociate yourself from the organization. That's where you have to write a letter and let them know that you wish to be removed. You're living this type of lifestyle. Not going to stop. Don't want to be a witness anymore. So if you do either of those things happen, you get removed or disassociate yourself, then no one in the congregation can talk to you no matter if they're your family, relatives or friends. No one can talk to you. And, you know, it's also called shunning. Congregation have to shun you so that you don't corrupt anyone. within the congregation so twice I was in this fellowship um let me see early 30s and then late my late 30s I was in this fellowship and you know each time I came back so back in December of 2024 I just stopped going and I tried I think I tried like to go to one meeting in January of this year 2025 and I went and I just I was like this just isn't for me anymore like I can't do this I'm not a I'm not a hypocrite and so that's when I stopped going and I was a ministerial servant which is like a step below an elder. And so I actually told them that I wanted to step down. And that means you just want to relinquish your privileges and your status as a ministerial servant. They didn't want that. I told them once. They told me to think about it, pray about it. I had been through a lot of A lot of stressful events, the latter part of 2024. And they said they don't really like to let anyone step down after they've gone through so much trauma in their lives. To just think about it, pray about it. So, you know, I did not in my mind. I knew already that I did not. want to be a ministerial servant anymore because my mind and heart wasn't in it and i just felt like a hypocrite when i'm up there on the platform and talking and trying to teach and instruct like it makes you feel like a hypocrite at least me so you know i played their game and i'm like okay i'll think about it and more time went by and i told them again what i wanted and they still tried and i just had to get started with them and i was like look like I appreciate that you all care about me so much but I'm telling you I cannot be a ministerial servant anymore and I do not want to be one right now and that's how I have to put it to them that I'm just like need to take time for myself I knew I never wanted to be one again but I had to convince them and so yeah they eventually let me step down. So I was no longer a ministerial servant and I just kind of faded away. Like I have no contact with anyone anymore. And that's my choice. I joke with some of my other free thinkers and I say I've shunned them. So yeah, that was my choice. I wanted to break away my I need to be me and find my true identity. You know, over 50 years of being in the controlling religion slash cult, I needed my time now. And like I said, I still believe in God, nothing against God, nothing against the Bible, just the organization. And so, yeah, I've just been enjoying my time. and learning about myself I've actually learned and I kind of made a video about this the other day they drill in your head that you need that religion so damn bad and if you go against that religion your whole life is just going to turn to shit you're not going to amount to anything that's what they're drilling in your head from a young age so my mentality and I even told my wife I was like you know the What you call it is the truth. You know, if you hear witnesses say, yeah, this is the truth, that's what they refer to it as. So I told my wife, I was like, you know, the truth has really saved my life. It saved me from a lot of bad choices. I know I've messed up in the past, but for the majority of my life, it's really helped me and molded me. So the more, the longer I was out since January, and it's like almost July now, and I came to the realization, like, I'm not a bad person. My other free thinking buddies that I talk to daily, they're not bad people. It's like that organization drills into our heads that we're just going to become some deviants if we leave the organization. But it's like I realize I'm not going crazy. I'm not doing anything wild. To me, I'm better without going to those meetings and being under their thumb. Like I've been better in these last six months than I have when I was an active member of a religion. You know, I'm not out here getting drunk. I'm not out here sleeping around. I'm just living. Each day, I just live my life and I try to be the best I can be. I try to be better than I was the day before. That's always my motto. Wake up and be better than you were yesterday. And Like, that's what I'm doing. It's things in my life and a moral foundation that I have from knowing the Bible and what God expects of me. And I feel I still have a very strong relationship with God. And so it's like I just realized, you know, I didn't need these people telling me what I could do, what I couldn't do. When I could do it, how I can do it. Like, that's the type of control they have. Which, again, is a little culty. But they don't want to hear that, though. And the loyal, brainwashed members don't want to hear that it's a cult. But it's a cult. Very controlling. A lot of man-made ideas. A lot of man-made restrictions. They try to interpret the Bible and try to be prophets. And they, you know, they pushing something down our throat in one time period. And then a few years later, it's changing. You know, they say, oh, we receive new spiritual light. And this is how we should have interpreted it, this verse. And so now moving forward, this is what we'll do. Like, it's constantly that. An example is if you've been a witness or you associate with witnesses, and the main thing we preach about is that Jehovah's Day is coming, his war of Armageddon. He's going to rid the earth of Satan and all his followers. Nothing will be left but Jehovah's Witnesses on earth. And so you get that push down your throat for so many years. And them telling you that we're in the last days and that end is right around the corner. And then all of a sudden, the narrative changes. And, you know, when I was young, the end was supposed to come in 75. And then, you know, they just kept moving it and moving it. And they took a scripture, a verse they always used, Jesus. dealing with those, the generation that was around in 1914 and World War I, the end would come before they passed away. And then the older they got, they moved the goalposts. And they were like, hey, we looked and the version of the Bible, that word meaning generations means that generations can overlap. So, Those who are associated with those who were living in 1914. It includes them too when we say generation. So... Yes, the end has not come yet. But it is right around the corner. It's like that type of stuff. Like... The Bible is God's word. We as humans... We can't interpret every little thing in the Bible. Like we just can't. But you have this organization... that follows these group of imperfect men in New York, and we're talking all around the world, they follow these group of men, and they will admit to you, oh, we got this wrong, but Holy Spirit helped us see this is how we should have been viewing it. And I mean, the cult members around the world eat the shit up and roll with it, and I just, I've always had a doubt. I've always had issues with it. I am God and I do not change. Like, that verse stuck with me my entire life. And I'm like, God don't change. But these motherfuckers are, like constantly. And it's like, that bothered me. As an older teen, as a young adult, middle-aged adult, and now in my 50s, it always bothered me. Why change the narrative? Humans cannot interpret everything in the Bible, but they say they can, and they say they do, and they push it down to everyone in the organization. And oh, by the way, when you're dedicating yourself to God as a Jehovah's Witness, you go through these, like a group of questions to get baptized. And one of the things, one of the questions that they say, these elders are meeting with you, and it's like, do you accept that the governing body the group of men I'm talking about in New York do you accept that the governing body are God's anointed representatives on earth and that they lead his flock on earth and do you agree to obey them and never go against them no matter what they say that seemed like crazy to me when I was a teen but like what do you do You know, yes, I agree. I will follow them, you know, but that always bothered me. But that's, they want that. We couldn't, don't you dare look at the flag. Don't you salute the flag. Don't you say the pledge of allegiance. But damn it, you better pledge allegiance to the governing body on earth. Like that's what I felt. And I'm sure many others feel that way too. And yeah, it's a cult, man. But people are not ready to hear that conversation if they're still inside it. And like I said, what me and most of my friends do, the free thinkers, we present a lot of facts. You know, we're backing up things with court documents. Court documents have information that we're discussing and talking about. And like I'm. I've been talking for 46 minutes. I'm not going to get into the biggest reason and issue I had. I'm not even going to mention it on episode one because I just want it kind of like an intro. But I think the next episode I'll talk about the biggest thing that bothered me and others. And it makes me live it Because like I said, I believed in this organization. I defended this organization. Like for over 50 years. And to find out the things that I've been finding out. Like I made a video the other day and I literally broke down in tears. That's how livid I was. At something I had seen. Like evidence of wrongdoing. that's carried on by this organization and that's overlooked but courts are starting to change the tide and get involved and set matters right so next episode how about that next episode I'll talk about the number one issue that I have with that organization slash religion slash cult has nothing to do with God Has everything to do with men and men wanting to rule others. So I hope that you have enjoyed episode one. I hope you've learned a little about me. Again, find me on social media. Most of them are my handles on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, XJDub. E-X-J-D-U-B-X-J-Dub. My name is Mitch, and I put that on there. Mitch-X-J-Dub. I try to make it as easy as possible for you to find me across all platforms, but I invite you to go on TikTok especially. Look me up. And you will see videos from the beginning when I started video journaling. And you can just look from the beginning. While I took the stance I did, and then I'm just dropping different photos and videos of evidence of why I chose to make the decision that I did. So I hope you enjoyed this first episode. first of many like I said from time to time I will be having guests on here to talk with me and they can share their insight as well so much information that I want to put out there like this is just the beginning I am on a mission to expose that organization for all the dirt and crookedness that they do behind the scenes. I am here to expose it boldly. So, with that being said, thank you for being here. Please leave me a comment, send me an email. If you have any questions or input, my email is xjw1 at gmail.com So E-X-J-D-U-B number one at gmail.com. All right. You all take care. Make it a great day.