LongHairGal

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Posts by LongHairGal

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  36

  DISFELLOWSHIPPING, How bad is it really?

  by pistolpete in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i found this experience on reddit today.

  disfellowshipping never really bothered me.

  i always thought it was just another way of getting rid of members that weren't welcome anymore.. but i've changed my mind.

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  LongHairGal

  PISTOLPETE:

  I read this experience on Reddit. I happen to know of two instances where JW children were compelled to move out of their homes. In one instance, the teenager was ordered out of his home. In the other instance, I believe the girl wanted out. From what I know, both these people turned into happy successful adults who never went back to the religion.

  In other instances where JW children who don’t want the religion end up out of their homes, I am sure in some instances they end up receiving charity for a time from churches of Christendom who actually HAVE programs to help the needy like soup kitchens, etc.! This is in sharp contrast to the JWs who have nothing of the sort last I heard. (Anybody who knows differently please correct me.). And BTW those food boxes last year were a government distribution given to many organizations..so they can’t claim that.

  Anyway, the whole gist of it is that disfellowshipping and ousting of a minor child with no way to fend for themselves is a cruel tragedy!
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  29

  Do You Know Of Anyone That Has Seen A Therapist Because Of Being A Witness?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i really don’t know of many people who got into therapy because of their jw dealings but i would think that if someone remains depressed or severely affected by their past witness life, it’s not a bad idea to speak to someone to get you on the right path.

  i think this site has been very therapeutic for many over the years..

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  LongHairGal

  MINIMUS:

  Yes, I know of more than one ex-JW who needed therapy because of bad experiences in the religion. I never did go for therapy but I suppose it wouldn’t have hurt if I did initially. But, I managed anyway.

  I’m so glad I re-established contact with family and other relatives before it was too late. This was priceless to me and I didn’t care much about anything else. I was still working and glad I wasn’t stupid enough to quit my job!

  Everybody has different experiences in the JW religion and they have different issues.

  What did help me were forums like this and the book Crisis of Conscience.
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  20

  So telling that there are no little children

  by eyeslice in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  watching in on my wife's zoom meeting last night, there was an item about discipline is love.

  they played a 'caleb' animated cartoon and then the instructions were 'if possible, ask selected young children' several questions.. it seems however, that there are no children in my wife's current congregation so the questions were all answered by retired brothers and sisters.

  the congregation mainly consists of elderly people (like us) and the few of childbearing age seem not interested in having children.

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  LongHairGal

  EYESLICE:

  I remember back when I was in the religion there were at least a handful of children in the congregation. There was always that one coached child who would raise their hand to answer a question.

  I remember being amused when once there was an embarrassing topic that touched on immortality. A kid about twelve had his hand up to give an answer. NO adult commented 🤣.

  But today the religion has dwindled so much and there aren’t many children there at all. Pity the poor child who is. I’m glad I wasn’t raised in that religion.
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  36

  DISFELLOWSHIPPING, How bad is it really?

  by pistolpete in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i found this experience on reddit today.

  disfellowshipping never really bothered me.

  i always thought it was just another way of getting rid of members that weren't welcome anymore.. but i've changed my mind.

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  LongHairGal

  JHINE & PISTOLPETE:

  You got a totally wrong impression. I certainly did NOT mean that people should have children for the purpose of taking care of them in their old age! 🙄 I’m sorry you didn’t comprehend the point I was trying to make.

  Shunning is a tragedy and it is unnatural. It is opposite of human nature where a parent loves their children. Generally speaking, most people care about their elderly parents. Whether or not they can actually ‘take care of them’ depends on finances and circumstances. But, at the very LEAST, they would be in contact with each other..However, in the JW religion, attitudes are unnatural and some misguided people there think otherwise.

  JWs are notorious for the idea that somebody else there is going to ‘care for them’. (This attitude also extends to JWs who study with needy people and make the claim that it is a ‘brotherhood’ and they will be ‘taken care of’ as well as people not getting a decent job and preparing for their future who also believe this.). Meanwhile, the JW religion is not a charity and gives NOTHING to anyone..The answer to this problem is to privately go around with an envelope and corner people for money.

  Not trying to derail the thread about disfellowshipping, but that’s the point I was trying to make. Not the wrong assumption that people should have children to take care of them later on.. Really! I doubt most delighted new parents of a baby would be thinking this!

  I hope nobody else got this wrong impression.
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  36

  DISFELLOWSHIPPING, How bad is it really?

  by pistolpete in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i found this experience on reddit today.

  disfellowshipping never really bothered me.

  i always thought it was just another way of getting rid of members that weren't welcome anymore.. but i've changed my mind.

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  LongHairGal

  HOSER:

  I’m glad things turned out well for this kid.

  As for the older couple you mention that shunned all three of their disfellowshipped kids..what can you say? This is a tragedy. It also serves them right that the congregation wouldn’t ‘take care of them’ when they got old. This is too much to ask of a congregation anyway (and I always felt JWs were a little deluded about this).

  But, people who decide to shun their children probably do this when they are somewhat younger and on their arrogant high horse - listening to advice from idiots in the congregation...They aren’t thinking of the big picture..and that THEY are going to get OLD someday. JWs don’t plan for the future as it is. But, to unwisely shun their children and imagine that strangers are going to take care of them (in a religion that pushes poverty no less) is absurd to the next level. Also, who knows what would happen if they were to look up their shunned children they haven’t seen in 30 years. What kind of a response would they get?

  I’m so glad I was not raised in this religion and thankfully have no relatives there.
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  10

  Bethelout?

  by road to nowhere in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the sunday speaker was one of those very smooth younger ones with the "look".

  store bought haircut and a very pretty wife ( the kind that makeup isn't needed, side point).. i tongue tied a comment to my wife about maybe he was a bethelite who was reassigned and said bethelout by mistake.

  i like the word.

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  LongHairGal

  OVERRATED:

  I got the same impression you did back when I was in.

  But, nowadays they better get over themselves and have a list of telephone numbers handy and a plan of what they are going to do in the event bethel decides to let more people go.

  It’s happened enough times and I don’t think anybody there is ‘fire proof’ no matter how much they think they are valued. I’m just glad I’m not in any hall/congregation to have somebody come up to me with an envelope asking for money for them or anybody else there who never wanted to work 👎🏻 and who had the audacity to make remarks about responsible working people.
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  15

  Jehovah’s Witnesses That Acted Like Humans

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when you look back , did your witness associates act like normal human beings?

  did any of them ever show compassion and feelings for a disfellowshipped person?.

  any elders ever try to be kind to you, not “kind” as watchtower organization dictates, but truly kind and caring for you if you were experiencing difficulties?

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  LongHairGal

  ASP59:

  I ALSO pointed out the lack of love in the congregation about the same timeframe.

  Of course there was ‘love’. 🙄 It was just shown among people in certain cliques (elders’ families or pioneers). It was almost NEVER shown to somebody like myself: a single woman who worked full time. They had serious issues about me. Another woman in the hall with a professional job was treated in a similar fashion.

  One thing I have to say is that we are both Retired. Even though I have not spoken to them in years (they are still in)..I’m sure they would admit it was well worth it that we stayed with our jobs ‘til the end because these small-minded people surely were NOT supporting us!
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  10

  Bethelout?

  by road to nowhere in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the sunday speaker was one of those very smooth younger ones with the "look".

  store bought haircut and a very pretty wife ( the kind that makeup isn't needed, side point).. i tongue tied a comment to my wife about maybe he was a bethelite who was reassigned and said bethelout by mistake.

  i like the word.

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  LongHairGal

  FF GHOST:

  You might be right. Reading about types in the newest incarnation of the religion who appear to be bucking for celebrity status makes me absolutely nauseous. Reminds me of TV evangelists.

  I’m so glad I got the hell out of there years ago as I could not sit there for any of this!
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  40

  Will You Still Wear A Mask Even If You Don’t Have To?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it seems that some people just aren’t ready to put those masks aside even if they are fully vaccinated!

  some can’t help but think their brains aren’t ready for “normal”..

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  LongHairGal

  MINIMUS:

  I will always keep one mask stuffed in my bag and a few in my car..just in case.

  Let’s hope somebody ELSE doesn’t release any more germs into the environment!
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  27

  Do local JWs want in-person meetings back in your congregation?

  by JWTom in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i realize many here think that in-person meetings will return as soon as things are safe with covid.

  but many acknowledge it will likely be 2022 or later when this happens.. surprisingly, many pimi jws in our congregation are not shy about saying they are fine with zoom meetings forever and do not want to go back to in-person meetings.

  many speculate similar thoughts that are on this site....such as a combination of in-person and zoom meetings.

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  LongHairGal

  VIDIOT:

  Some (but not all) JWs want the hall meetings to resume.

  Most of their social life is centered there so they miss in-person meetings. A few others are in a bad way or greatly inconvenienced because of the halls being closed. These are the ‘needy’ types looking for handouts who discreetly got ca$h from certain people there. Lots of phone calls to be made now!