FOLLOW ME ON
Daily Notifications
Sign up for free emails to receive the feature story every morning in your inbox at tonyortega.substack.com

Categories

Leaving the NBA for Jehovah’s Witnesses and more, on the Cult Awareness Podcast

[Darren Collison]

Darren Collison ditched his NBA career right when he had a chance to cash in on free agency. Why? He says it’s because he wants to dedicate his life to his work as a Jehovah’s Witness.

Our ex-JW host, TV actor Jerry Minor, discusses that decision, as well as some key ideas about JW shunning in our new edition of the Cult Awareness Podcast.

You’ll also notice that with this second episode, we’re slipping into a regular format of about 40 minutes in length. Have a listen and then let us know what you think. We would also love to get your questions about the subjects we cover.

 

Advertisement

 
——————–

Posted by Tony Ortega on July 17, 2019 at 21:00

E-mail tips and story ideas to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We post behind-the-scenes updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.

Tony Ortega is a journalist who was formerly the editor of The Village Voice. He’s written about Scientology since 1995, and in May 2015 released a book about Scientology’s harassment of Paulette Cooper titled ‘The Unbreakable Miss Lovely,’ and more recently a compilation of his stories, ‘Battlefield Scientology.’ He continues to monitor breaking developments in the Scientology world, as well as other subjects such as Jehovah’s Witnesses. You can reach him by sending him a message at tonyo94 AT gmail.com (Drop him a line if you’d like to get an e-mail whenever a new story is posted.)

 

Amber Scorah talks to Lloyd Evans about her ex-JW testament, ‘Leaving the Witness’

[Amber Scorah]

Lloyd Evans talks to Amber Scorah, whose book about leaving JW, “Leaving the Witness,” is getting major media treatment. Not only is she with a major publisher, but she’s getting interviews at places like The Daily Show and NPR. Nevertheless, it’s still good to see her talk with someone who deals with this subject day in and day out like Lloyd.

Continue reading Amber Scorah talks to Lloyd Evans about her ex-JW testament, ‘Leaving the Witness’

Jehovah’s Witness elder faces trial on sexual assault of 4 minors: What did Watchtower know?

[Roderick Watkins]

At JWSurvey, Ex-JW activist Mark O’Donnell digs into an upcoming trial of a former Jehovah’s Witnesses elder in Arkansas who is accused of the sexual assault of at least four minor victims.

Roderick G. Watkins, 56, goes to trial in July after being arrested last November. All four of his known victims, aged 6 to 16, were met through his involvement in Kingdom Halls in Arkansas.

O’Donnell has a redacted police report and more details at JWSurvey, and he asks the key question: How well was Watkins’ predation known in the organization, and how did the allegations finally get to the police?

There’s fascinating material dug up by Mark in this thorough piece.

 

Advertisement
——————–

Posted by Tony Ortega on June 2, 2019 at 13:00

E-mail tips and story ideas to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We post behind-the-scenes updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.

Tony Ortega is a journalist who was formerly the editor of The Village Voice. He’s written about Scientology since 1995, and in May 2015 released a book about Scientology’s harassment of Paulette Cooper titled ‘The Unbreakable Miss Lovely,’ and more recently a compilation of his stories, ‘Battlefield Scientology.’ He continues to monitor breaking developments in the Scientology world, as well as other subjects such as Jehovah’s Witnesses. You can reach him by sending him a message at tonyo94 AT gmail.com (Drop him a line if you’d like to get an e-mail whenever a new story is posted.)

 

Here’s the judge who just fed an anonymous critic to JW’s Watchtower on a platter

[Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim]

It’s a happy headline at the San Francisco Chronicle: “Jehovah’s Witness who posted criticisms on Reddit can remain anonymous, judge rules.” But dig into the story and you find that the result is actually almost opposite of that headline, and it also reflects a judge who truly doesn’t understand who she’s dealing with.

Continue reading Here’s the judge who just fed an anonymous critic to JW’s Watchtower on a platter

Targets of a Jehovah’s Witnesses inquisition reflect on their purge

[Nestor and Toni Kuilan]

Lloyd Evans has a new video, his interview with Nestor and Toni Kuilan, to talk about their book about their targeting as they left the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization. Here’s Lloyd’s description:

Continue reading Targets of a Jehovah’s Witnesses inquisition reflect on their purge

Jehovah’s Witnesses: The ‘spiritual divorce’ goons are at the door again

[Larson caught on camera]

Why would strange men be looking for Brandon Fiquett — men he’s never met from a Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation he’s never attended?

Why? Because Watchtower.

For months, Tacoma, Washington Allstate insurance salesman Erik Larson has been coming to Brandon’s home, interrupting his private life, demanding that he attend a “judicial committee.”

Larson and his associate were caught on video both morning and night, seeking a disfellowshipping of Brandon, presumably to release his ex-wife and give her what Jehovah’s Witnesses call a “scriptural divorce.”

That’s right, they have their own kind of divorce and do not recognize a legal divorce unless one of the parties admits to adultery, or is charged using their “two witness rule.”

Advertisement

Because these men did not have an admission of anything from Brandon or his ex-wife, they found his home location, and that he was living with his fiancee and her minor son.

This man Larson finally came to Brandon’s door during dinner one night, and attempted to question him about his sexual life in front of his fiancee’s minor son.

These men have no boundaries.

After that, Brandon received yet another call from Erik Larson informing him that he had been disfellowshipped. All this after Brandon contacted the police and warned Larson to stay away from him and his family.

Intimidating families in the name of Jehovah. With Erik Larson, you’re in good hands.

— Mark O’Donnell

 
——————–

Posted by Tony Ortega on Apri1 30, 2019 at 13:30

E-mail tips and story ideas to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We post behind-the-scenes updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.

Tony Ortega is a journalist who was formerly the editor of The Village Voice. He’s written about Scientology since 1995, and in May 2015 released a book about Scientology’s harassment of Paulette Cooper titled ‘The Unbreakable Miss Lovely,’ and more recently a compilation of his stories, ‘Battlefield Scientology.’ He continues to monitor breaking developments in the Scientology world, as well as other subjects such as Jehovah’s Witnesses. You can reach him by sending him a message at tonyo94 AT gmail.com (Drop him a line if you’d like to get an e-mail whenever a new story is posted.)

 

Atlantic magazine subjects talk about sudden interest from Jehovah’s Witnesses elders

[Lloyd Evans, Kimmy and Mark O’Donnell]

Ever since they appeared last month in an Atlantic magazine feature about the cover up of child abuse in the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization, Mark and Kimmy O’Donnell say they’ve been subjected to some strange and aggressive tactics by elders of the local congregation in Baltimore.

Continue reading Atlantic magazine subjects talk about sudden interest from Jehovah’s Witnesses elders

‘There are bad men in America’: An ex-JW activist explains his work to a 5-year-old

 
In an airport waiting to fly to the US, ex-JW activist Lloyd Evans shares with his followers the story of how he answered when his nearly 5-year-old daughter asked, “Daddy, what do you do for work?”

Continue reading ‘There are bad men in America’: An ex-JW activist explains his work to a 5-year-old

Jehovah’s Witnesses try to intimidate Mark O’Donnell, and it doesn’t go well for them

[Elders visit the O’Donnells after their Atlantic magazine appearance]

Mark O’Donnell (a/k/a ex-JW activist John Redwood) and his wife Kimmy were featured in a major Atlantic magazine piece last month about the coverup of child abuse in the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization. And now, the organization has struck back. Here’s what Mark posted about it today on Facebook…

Continue reading Jehovah’s Witnesses try to intimidate Mark O’Donnell, and it doesn’t go well for them

Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Lord’s Evening Meal: Lloyd Evans asks, should you go?

 
Yesterday we asked ex-JW activist Lloyd Evans some dumb questions about the Lord’s Evening Meal, or The Memorial, that will be taking place tomorrow. Now, he’s put together a video for his audience about the annual event.

Continue reading Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Lord’s Evening Meal: Lloyd Evans asks, should you go?