Xavi Smith

Experienced Professional | Transitioning from Tech to Education

Tag: cults

  • When I first realized that I might’ve been raised in a cult, I immediately wondered, “How can I be the only one in my family to see this?” I was the fourth generation in my family to be stuck in this cult, and only a few had decided to ever leave.

    Almost three years later, I know that I’m just a pattern breaker. And that’s an extremely difficult role to play. It means being ostracized by people who claimed to love you. It means accepting new truths and new information, no matter how much it completely shatters your sense of reality.

    Religion was ultimately an empty sense of security. I thought I knew why humans existed, what my purpose was, and what happened after death. And now I don’t. And interestingly, it’s actually super freeing to not know the answers. Because I’d rather have questions that I can’t answer, than answers I can’t question.

  • Four Corners Reports on Pattern of Abuse Cover Up within Jehovah’s Witnesses Religion

    As some of you may know, I was raised a Jehovah’s Witness. In 2019, I decided to leave this organization after finding serious abuse cover up and coming across factual information that disproves the religion’s doctrine.

    One of the stories this report touches on is of a young man that committed suicide after being disfellowshipped for being gay. The young man turns out to be a nephew of one of the leaders of this organization, Stephen Lett. This is an issue that hits particularly close to home since my own coming out.

    All in all, it’s a scathing report. It reveals the Jehovah’s Witness religion (contrary to what its members believe) to be a man-made and human-led organization with policies and procedures that create a ripe breeding ground for all types of abuse.

    I’ve never been happier to have distanced myself from this toxic organization. The leadership’s dogmatic and arrogant attitude has led to the ruin of countless lives without even an apology from the organization. Although thankfully, some victims have won cases against the organization resulting in a settlement.

    Whether you’ve ever been a Jehovah’s Witness or not, I recommend you watch the video.