Debby Rancourt’s Story: Victorian Age Morality
Me and Jehovah’s Witnesses
The highest position I reached in the organization is Auxiliary Pioneer.
I am faded and have been so for 2 years.
Auxiliary Pioneer
I was an Auxiliary Pioneer for a short or intermittent period.
Baptized Publisher
I was baptized in 1989 when I was 15 to 17 years of age. Looking back, I think I was very naive to be baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness. If I could do it all over again, I would not get baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness.
I was an unbaptized publisher for 6 years before I got baptized.
To Shun
I have shunned the following person(s): my parent(s), my sibling(s), my cousin(s).
Parent
My parent was disfellowshipped. I shunned my parent for 4 years. My parent disagrees with being shunned. My parent is reinstated now as a Jehovah’s Witness.
Cousin
My cousin was disfellowshipped.
I shunned my cousin for more than 20 years.
I don’t know if my cousin agrees or disagrees with being shunned.
My cousin is not working towards reinstatement as a Jehovah’s Witness.
I am currently not shunning my cousin.
To Be Shunned
I think long-term shunning has a bad effect on a person’s emotional, mental and/or physical well-being. I am being shunned by Parent(s), Child(ren), Aunt(s), Cousin(s), Congregation Friend(s).
I disagree with Jehovah’s Witnesses’ practice of shunning.
Jehovah’s Witnesses’ practice of shunning has given me anxiety or depression.
I would like Jehovah’s Witnesses to end shunning.
Final Comments
I have no idea how to navigate my own life at 48 years old! I am emotionally, mentally, & secularly challenged!
I was brought up with a strict Victorian Age morality, that also excluded extra-curricular/programs, higher education, choosing a career, even including counsellors, that could help me cope with the modern age. I was not even allowed to make any significant friends outside of the very inclusive brand of people that were deemed “good association” within congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses, wherever I lived or visited.
My only two choices in life were to be a submissive wife and to hopefully have a family and be a selfless lifelong zealous volunteer for a religious cult!
No doubt you have heard of the child sex/abuse scandals that are now ever present in the news worldwide. Although I am fortunate to have not had those experiences, I do know that the level of inclusion, secrecy, and alternate judicial system within the Jehovah’s Witnesses doctrine IS incredibly subversive to individuals and families, and should be explored by all nations’ judiciary system that they operate in.
I believed I belonged to a religion that was divinely true and our laws were better than basic human rights! I was completely misled!
Any corporation, organization, or group claiming to be beneficial to people in any nation/country should uphold the laws they operate in, and be prosecuted if they don’t. This is basic Human Rights!
Thanks for reading,
Debby Rancourt
