True Story of Being Disfellowshipped by the Jehovah's Witnesses

I grew-up in McDonough, GA, a family of four boys and my parents. Growing-up, I never saw myself as different from anyone else, but in all reality I was quite different. My family were Jehovah’s Witnesses, which determined how we lived our lives.

As a young man, I was known as the stalwart one. Everyone in the congregation would tell their children, “Look at Clint, he’s a great example for you.” I was an obedient kid. I studied hard looking for truth and lived a good life. I stayed away from drugs, alcohol, smoking, girls, etc. – keeping in line with my faith. I was an early morning witness, doing fieldwork, and even speaking to thousands of people about the church. During my adolescent years I volunteered close to seventy hours a month.

While serving on a mission in North Dakota, I learned of the tragedy that struck the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. I think a lot of people, including myself, started to re-examine their faith after 9-11. The effects of 9-11 were felt everywhere in the country, but I believe they had a strong impact on my life and the lives of other Jehovah Witnesses. As members, we saw the tragedy of 9-11 as a sign of the coming Armageddon, where there would be a final collapse of the "system" after a time of upheaval called the great tribulation.

Overwhelmed with guilt after being intimate with a girl I liked, I called my brother Ashley who came to North Dakota to get me, and together we returned home to GA. It's considered a sin to have sex out of marriage. After returning home to Georgia, I met another girl who I really liked and wanted a relationship with, we were intimate and again the guilt overtook me, so I confessed to the elders at my congregation. After confessing to the elders, they had a two-week deliberation period to decide my standing in the church and they decided to Disfellowship me.

Telling my parents that I had been disfellowshipped was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. I think I can say I was more sad than I was nervous, knowing that I had disappointed my parents and my family. It’s important for non-Jehovah Witnesses to understand that once you are disfellowshipped, you can no longer spend quality time with family or friends who are Jehovah's Witnesses. There are no dinners together, no family outings, etc.; I would forever be shunned by them.

Thinking back on the experience, I remember feeling numb as my mom cried and called me selfish. There wasn’t anything I could say or do to help the situation. You have to remember that I had been the “good kid.” I was the one they were so proud of, and now I had disappointed them beyond even what I could conceive. Adding to their shame, when someone is disfellowshipped, it is announced to the entire congregation during the service.

After I was disfellowshipped, I somewhat spiraled out of control. I was so confused that I didn’t know what to believe anymore. I started researching not only my own religion, but other religions as well, learning as much as I could about life and spirituality. As I studied, I came to realize that all doctrines aren’t black and white, which is what I had been told my whole life. I began to see that there are many gray areas and many churches see doctrines differently. I started a Youtube channel where I discuss various Jehovah's Witness doctrine and other topics. This is one way that I try to cope and heal from my experience and the loss of my family and lifelong friends

- Clint Bussey

True Story of a Polygamous Church Wife

I was born in Englehart, Ontario Canada, but raised in Owen Sound, a small city on Georgian Bay, about 250 miles south.

In my mid-teens, I was forced into the Church of Jesus Christ (Restored) by my manipulative and domineering mother. My mother, an unstable religious fanatic, drugged and manipulated me into “marrying” a charismatic preacher more than twice my age. His name was Stan King.

In the early seventies Stan broke from The Reorganised Church of Latter Day Saints, which broke away from mainstream Mormonism in the mid 1960's – he then established his own fundamentalist Mormon sect. His followers called him The Prophet.

One of the basic doctrines which the new group re-embraced was the belief in polygamy.
One of his entitlements as “Prophet” was the privilege of having plural wives:

When I moved in with King at his farmhouse I joined his legal wife, and two other “church wives”, one of whom was only 14 years old. Stan had a fondness for group sex, and as time passed he bedded three more “wives” ranging in age from 10 to 17.

I spent over forty years in the Cult and endured physical, mental and emotional abuse throughout those years. I provided two sons to the original Prophet and was eventually “transferred” against my will to the second Prophet and because of my resistance I was placed under house arrest and confinement for nearly eight years.

Fearing for my life after yet another savage beating, I finally and quickly escaped the Cult in March, 2008 and managed to convince my oldest son to escape with me. I stepped out into a new and foreign world, one which I had been brainwashed into believing was a dark and evil place which would destroy me. I have found the opposite, and many times the kindness of strangers has amazed me.

Having secured two jobs and settling into a happier life, I met John Christie six months after my escape. We have been married since October 2009, we live in Owen Sound, Ontario Canada. and now spend our time trying to make a difference on the issue of polygamy in society.

Our book, “Property, The True Story of a Polygamous Church Wife” is intended to bring increased awareness of polygamy as the global seeping scourge they believe it to be.

- Carol Christie

Handle or Disconnect - A personal story about Scientology's take on shunning

I became interested in Scientology in 1987. I moved to a new city and was employed by a Scientologist who insisted I take Scientology courses, which I did and continued to do so for many years. After over 20 years as a dedicated Scientologist, a volunteer and major fundraising for the Church of Scientology I was expelled.

The reason? I dared to read the 2009 St.Petersburg Times Special Reports where former top members had left the church and spoke out about the abuses happening within the upper echelons of management. I also met with several of these former top members in person.

During this time my daughter Kara and step daughter Cara, both Scientologists, were told they could no longer speak to me ever again because of my actions or they too would be expelled. Both my daughters, out of fear of losing their "spiritual eternity" decided to disconnect from me.

The Church of Scientology has a policy called "Handle or Disconnect" – which means if you can't "handle" the person who is in disagreement with the church or it's policies to a point where they are happy with things again or at least are no longer antagonistic towards the church, then the only other solution is to disconnect from that person. Cut them out of your life for good.

I can never explain in words how painful this has been, as I love my daughters very much. But they both have their “eternity” at stake and that is more important to them than anything else. They both believe that they are in the only church that can save the planet and mankind. In their hearts they believe they are doing the most valuable thing to help this world, which I too believed for 20 years.

I have tried to contact both my daughters on many occasions and have only been met with silence.

Disconnection is an insidious and painful practice that must be stopped. Scientology holds this fear over the heads of any member that asks questions or wants to leave. There are tens of thousands of people in the world that have been affected by disconnection.

As an activist I try to tell my story so that others can understand the manipulation that takes place inside Scientology. I was interviewed by the St.Petersburg Times where I explain how in depth my fundraising efforts were for the Church of Scientology. I raised millions of dollars for them.

My dear friend Claire and I have put together a website called Stop Disconnection.

I hope this site helps with any questions you may have about some of Scientology's destructive policies that literally destroy families.

- Cindy Plahuta

TAKE THE CULT SUSCEPTIBILITY QUIZ

THE CULT SUSCEPTIBILITY QUIZ
by Paul R. Martin, Ph.D.

ANSWER TRUE OR FALSE:

• 1. I am lonely a good part of the time.
• 2. I tend to be a follower more than a leader.
• 3. I am not very satisfied with my church.
• 4. Somehow, I feel my idealism and purpose in life hasn’t been properly tapped or challenged.
• 5. I’ve been having some personal problems I can’t seem to solve.
• 6. The cult issue is not much of a problem in this society.
• 7. There are about 10-20 cults in the U.S.
• 8. I could spot a cult with little effort.
• 9. Most cultists wear unusual clothing or uniforms.

10. Most cults recruit on the street by selling flowers, books or requesting a donation.
11. There are very few cultic problems within evangelical Christianity.
12. All cults teach non-Christian or heretical doctrine.
13. I’m not the type of person who joins a cult.
14. Most people who join cults are weird. They have “problems.”
15. Truly dedicated, Spirit-led Christians would never join a cult.
16. People are in cults because of spiritual problems.
17. Those who are “saved” don’t join cults.
18. Cultism has little to do with totalitarianism, or problems of addiction.
19. People who join cults know what they are doing.
20. Groups that preach the gospel and are winning many to Christ cannot be cultic.

CULT QUIZ ANSWERS

Word of Faith Fellowship - Waiver and Release Form

Before becoming an official member of the WOFF family, you need to sign a legal contract that renders the church completely blameless for anything that may happen to you during the course of your involvement with them.

There is even a statement that says, "I understand that in some spiritual atmospheres there may be some mind control involved…"

Quite incredible.

WOFF - Waiver and Release form