The Video on Apostates in the Congregation and how to deal with them at the 18 minute mark.
So by now, a lot of us have seen a clip from the "apostate" video from the 2025 convention.
I’ve got a lot of thoughts about it. On a somewhat positive note,
it really does seem like the Governing Body has been in panic mode for
the last few years—basically since Covid. Between the conventions and JW
Broadcasting, there's been an intense focus on the “apostate”
narrative. It feels like pure damage control in response to the growing
number of people waking up, thanks to the internet and increased
exposure to critical information.
The sad and honestly disturbing part is that this video will work
on a lot of PIMIs. It’s going to deepen their fear and disgust of
anything “outside.” For many of us, the video hits close to home—it’s
eerily reminiscent of conversations we've had with friends or family.
And if it made us think back to those interactions, you can bet it’ll do
the same for the people who were on the other side of those
conversations.
One thing I found really interesting: they didn’t actually straw
man the "apostate." Now, don’t get me wrong—they still didn’t engage
with any real criticisms (like the 607 BCE doctrine, the Australian
Royal Commission, the UN NGO affiliation, etc.).
But the “apostate’s”
reasoning was surprisingly grounded. He said things like “I’m keeping an
open mind and finding answers to my questions,” and “How do you know
it’s garbage if you haven’t even read it?”
And here’s what’s wild: the PIMI character had no actual
arguments. He just shut the conversation down and threatened to report
the guy. That’s the message being drilled in—shut it down, don't think,
and definitely don’t listen. They even compared the “apostate” to Satan
tempting Jesus in the wilderness. Still the same old fear-based control
tactics.
But to end on a more hopeful note: I truly believe this might
backfire for some. For anyone with even a flicker of critical thinking
or lingering doubts, this kind of thing could touch a nerve. It’s the
sort of video that would have made me deeply uncomfortable in the final
stretch before I woke up—even if I couldn’t yet verbalize why.
Hopefully, someone out there will see it and think, “Hang on… that guy
had a point.”
