u/Puzzleheaded-Cap357

So let’s say that I get in a situation with the elders, and I mention stuff from the elders book. Is there gonna be any kind of punishment or anything they can do about it?

I read the book and I don’t remember there being any specifics on what to do if someone has access to the book that is not an elder, has that happened to you guys as elders or have you tell them that you have read the book without being an elder? Just curious

Watching Geoffrey Jackson at the ARC made me even more sure I’m POMO
I finally sat down and watched Geoffrey Jackson’s testimony at the Australian Royal Commission, and honestly… it just confirmed everything for me. I didn’t expect it to hit this hard, but the contradictions and the tone were too much to ignore.
Here are the things that stood out the most:

“I don’t know” / “not my field” / constant uncertainty
He repeatedly distanced himself with phrases like:
“I don’t know…”
“That’s not my area…”
“I believe…”
“I’m not sure…”
“I would need to check…”
This is a Governing Body member. Decades as an elder. These aren’t minor details—these are core organizational practices. The level of uncertainty just doesn’t add up and feels more like deflection than genuine lack of knowledge.

Inactive/faded members
He said that if someone fades and doesn’t want to return, they’re not subject to the organization’s rules.
But we all know what actually happens: if you’re known to no longer want to be a Jehovah’s Witness, you can still be disfellowshipped—even in absentia, even if you don’t show up. The reality doesn’t match the claim.

“Presumptuous” to say they’re the only channel?
Under oath, he said it would be presumptuous to claim they are the only channel God is using.
But internally, we were all taught that the Governing Body is the only channel. That’s not a minor detail—that’s central doctrine.
So which is it?

Corporal punishment
He stated they don’t accept or promote it.
But many of us grew up hearing about “the rod,” and we weren’t just hearing about it—we were physically punished. Publications and teachings clearly encouraged that kind of discipline. That’s not abstract—that’s lived experience.

CSA – apology vs. reality
He suggested they would consider apologizing to victims of child sexual abuse.
But in practice, that hasn’t really been reflected in any meaningful way.

CSA – “apostate lies” issue
When asked whether people who raise awareness or investigate CSA within the organization would be accused of spreading “apostate lies,” the implication seemed more neutral.
But we all know the reality: bring this up, and you risk being labeled an apostate almost immediately. That shuts down any honest conversation.

The oath… this is what really got me
He swore on the Bible to tell “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”
We were raised to always tell the truth—at school, at work, in preaching—even under pressure. That was a core value.
And yet, watching that testimony… it didn’t feel like that standard was upheld.

That’s what hit me the hardest. Not just the contradictions, but the double standard.
We were expected to stand firm for “the truth” no matter the cost, and we did!
But when the pressure was on at the highest level… it didn’t look the same.
That was honestly disappointing.
Is there anything I missed that you guys think is relevant?

I guess this question is more for PIMOs or those who are still officially JW, are you guys posting anything on Mother’s Day? I really wanna post something and I think I will, but I wanted to know what you guys think would happen with all the JWs I have on instagram.

I am not doing it because I want to annoy them, it is because of my mom, but if it comes to brothers telling me that’s wrong or something like that, I wanna use what Lett said about clinking glasses, I think that applies to this same thing, right?

Have they changed their perspective on Mother’s Day officially?

I finally opened up to my fiancée about being PIMO. What I thought would be a risky conversation turned into a 4-hour deep talk.

I told her how the blood changes and lack of accountability made me question everything, especially how the governing body isn’t inspired but expects full obedience. I said I still believe in God and the Bible, but I don’t feel this organization is where I can live that out anymore.

I got pretty emotional… and then she surprised me.

She admitted she’s been feeling almost the same way, frustrated with hypocrisy, authority, and how things are handled, as well as doctrinal errors and the way things are handled. She even told me she would accept blood and other things that she told me don’t make sense and are just made up rules with no bible basis.

She doesn’t think anyone should have that kind of control if they’re not inspired. She’s barely attending meetings and questioning everything. She’s not on Reddit, doesn’t know what “PIMO” is, she got there on her own.

So now we’re basically on the same page… except she’s stuck on one thing:
She’s not 100% sure if this means it’s the wrong religion, or if it’s just a “test” from God. But she told me she has been wondering for the past weeks if she should keep attending meetings or not, and she thinks eh answer is most likely gonna be a no.

We also both admitted we were scared the other might go to the elders, so we stayed quiet until now. For family reasons, we’re leaning toward fading, not officially leaving.

Question:
How do I help her take that last step without pushing too hard?
What helped your partner “wake up”? I think she is almost there, I mean she basically just told me that she doesn’t believe in the GB and that this is gods directed org, but I don’t want to push her, I want to give her some more stuff that will make her get to her own decision.

Pretty much what the title says. I’m currently PIMO and in the process of fading.

My fiancée isn’t really PIMI—she misses a lot of meetings and has been critical of elders and certain JW procedures in the past. I know where I stand, but I’m not planning to tell her everything at once or outright say that I no longer believe. I want to test the waters first and see where she’s at and how much she still believes.

Part of me hopes we’re both on the same page and just afraid to say it out loud to each other.

At the same time, I don’t think it’s healthy for either of us to be in a relationship where we can’t be honest about what we believe (or don’t believe). I know her well, and I feel like I have a good chance of at least getting her to think more deeply about things.

I also don’t think she would go to the elders. We’ve already done things that could have led to a judicial committee, and she’s said she doesn’t care about telling them because she doesn’t think they should have that kind of power over us. That’s part of why I feel like she might already be leaning toward a PIMO mindset.

I’m curious—what were your experiences? How did you figure out whether your partner was PIMO or not?