Posts by LongHairGal

7

Isn’t It A Materialistic, Even Selfish Hope

by BluesBrother in

as witnesses we always looked forward to the new world but the talks were more about the incoming king and man’s freedom from oppression.

although we looked forward to the good things ,we recognised that initially things may be hard .

we would have to cope with physical work , and lack of many things we were used to today.

LongHairGal

FEDUPJW:

I’m glad you asked that JW if he would still be running the ‘hamster wheel’ if there were no paradise, etc. The true answer is No, he probably would not be.

Neither would the majority of Witnesses, I would wager. After all, the whole premise of the religion all along was the promise of some maybe never having to see death after Armageddon wiped everybody else out - and then living in the ‘new earth’/‘paradise’ with promise of resurrection, etc. This is the carrot on the stick that a significant amount of people were attracted to.

The fact that the recent Covid pandemic of the last two+ years did not bring about the End of this ‘system of things’, has been a major disappointment to many of the older JWs.. Many of them have been living on the edge and never planned properly (or even at all) for their retirement - and they made sure they knocked anybody who did! They were told they ‘didn’t need’ careers or retirement planning since Armageddon was going to solve that problem. Now they are worried and angry in some cases.

The whole religion’s claim to fame is its promise of a paradise life here on earth. If it didn’t have that it would resemble the other religions that teach about a heavenly afterlife. Wouldn’t it be a shame for all those JWs who ‘sacrificed’ for years if ‘new light’ were to take that promise away!

34

Judgment Day

by Fisherman in

a specific “day,” or period, when particular groups, nations, or mankind in general are called to account by god.

.

“i solemnly charge you before god and christ jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead,”- 2 tim 4:1. seems like sins are not paid by dying or the ransom if there is a judgment in-spite of it.

LongHairGal

PUNKOFNICE:

I tend to agree with much of what you say.

Theologians have been arguing these things for centuries. Some people today imagine they have a special insight that nobody in the past had.🙄. Some are obsessed and will be arguing this the rest of their lives. I agree with you that there is ‘life out there’ and this is a waste of time.

Whether there is a judgement day or not, I think all any of us can do is be the best person we can be.. What I DON’T believe is that there is ‘salvation’ having anything to do with rituals or repeating prayers or chants over and over, never-ending study of so-called ‘sacred’ writings, abasing yourself, abstinence from whatever (unless it’s criminal behavior and harming others), doing or not doing certain things public or private, going to a certain place, wearing or not wearing a certain type of clothing, eating or not eating certain types of foods, etc. ad nauseam.

Some might insist on believing these things. Let them.

27

Jehovah's New Light

by Vanderhoven7 in

what new light from jehovah did you find hard to swallow?.

the conversations in the attached video are enlightening.

the graphic is hilarious.. https://youtu.be/byj3zrpbuvg.

LongHairGal

SMIDDY3:

I know what you mean about it sometimes taking a few years for things to ‘sink in’. When people thought about the 1995 Generation change they realized the implications and either were compelled to leave OR change their habits.

I came in a few years after the 1975 fiasco. Nobody mentioned this while I was studying or I might’ve had second thoughts about joining the Witnesses.

What the 1975 article taught was directly opposed to the practical working person I was. That’s why those idiots all hated me because I wouldn’t quit my job and take up the (expected) housecleaning/pioneering and doing favors for Users and affluent old ladies like some SUCKER... Well, the old ladies all passed away!.. Any single woman who never got married/had a career - conned into doing favors like a chump, minding everybody else’s business (instead of her own) has found herself needy in her senior years!.. I cringe when I think about this because this is what the religion tried to do to me. Thankfully, I resisted. Can you imagine? They certainly wouldn’t be supporting me.

27

Jehovah's New Light

by Vanderhoven7 in

what new light from jehovah did you find hard to swallow?.

the conversations in the attached video are enlightening.

the graphic is hilarious.. https://youtu.be/byj3zrpbuvg.

LongHairGal

VANDERHOVEN7:

One wouldn’t be the 1995 changed teaching on Generation, would it?.. This preceded the pathetic joke teaching of ‘Overlapping Generation’ which came some years later. Although by this time I was already Out.

It was sheer self-control that stopped me from literally walking out the kingdom hall door when they were studying this article about Generation in 1995. I got hold of myself but knew my time in the Witness religion was over.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who thought this because MANY left the religion in the several years after this 1995 thing... And those JWs who were wise saw the wake-up call and made important changes in their lives - like getting a decent job before it was too late that would provide for their future.

20

For Born-Ins - If You Were 18 Again, What 7 Things Would You do Differently?

by Sea Breeze in

jw
friends

here's mine:.

1. go immediately to college and study construction management.

2. set up an ira and start contributing every year.

LongHairGal

NEW BOY:

I couldn’t help but comment on your post.

It is very wise what you say about this being a game of ‘what if’. We have all played this game, even people who were never in the Witness religion.

While it is true that the JW religion has stifled many born-ins, it’s good to have a proper perspective of things. None of us can know what our lives would have really been like if we took a different road. You yourself made the point that if you had ended up being sent to Vietnam, there would have been a good chance you wouldn’t be here now writing your post.

Some years back on the forum somebody made a comment that some JWs act like they would have been very successful if they were never in the religion, but in reality they might have a hard time at a minimum wage job. (Those weren’t the exact words but you get the gist.) ..Another person once commented that somebody could have had a tragic end if they led another life. Who can know?

So, we can all speculate or romanticize and feel regret about the choices we made. But the fact is, none of us can know what would have happened if we took that different road. We are here now and can only look forward with a positive attitude!

38

Which of you readers are being shunned by their relatives / friends ?

by stan livedeath in

a simple " me" if you dont want to say more--or a short explanation about who is shunning you and how long has this been going on.. i'll set the ball rolling: my daughter--her husband and children; my younger son --no contact from them for 40 years...because i left their religion.. (edit--i just noticed the typo in the header--if should be of ).

LongHairGal

FOOLEDNOMORE:

You said it right. It’s a schoolyard mentality. And you don’t have to be disfellowshipped to be shunned. Just be slightly unpopular for whatever reason Or gossiped about by the ‘right’ people and you get the treatment you got.

I wonder if any of your shunners were among those pestering your family for money? They got colossal nerve if they were! As a side point, Witnesses who shun their children have No business looking them up for a$$istance when they are old. Likewise, anybody who shunned responsible working people.

Aren’t you glad you’re out? I’m so glad I’ll never have to deal with these people and their games again.

38

Which of you readers are being shunned by their relatives / friends ?

by stan livedeath in

a simple " me" if you dont want to say more--or a short explanation about who is shunning you and how long has this been going on.. i'll set the ball rolling: my daughter--her husband and children; my younger son --no contact from them for 40 years...because i left their religion.. (edit--i just noticed the typo in the header--if should be of ).

LongHairGal

PHIZZY:

Thanks!😉

I just want to say that I do realize that this does not apply to those suffering from family shunning or kids being thrown out of the home, etc. My heart goes out to them! I wish there would be laws against this.

But, in my case, I didn’t recognize the staring woman at first.. I might have smiled anyway. Much of what JWs do is all about show and optics and how it would look to the other fools they seek approval from in the hall. But outside, if there’s no audience to appreciate their ‘act’, whether other JWs or the intended victim, what’s the point? What is left for the frustrated JW to do? ..Are they going to go up to the shunned person in the store who has no idea who they are and introduce themselves? 🤣

What lengths will they go to in order to attempt to feel relevant and try desperately to ‘get at’ or hurt the feelings of someone who has moved on and doesn’t care? It’s absurd.

38

Which of you readers are being shunned by their relatives / friends ?

by stan livedeath in

a simple " me" if you dont want to say more--or a short explanation about who is shunning you and how long has this been going on.. i'll set the ball rolling: my daughter--her husband and children; my younger son --no contact from them for 40 years...because i left their religion.. (edit--i just noticed the typo in the header--if should be of ).

LongHairGal

It’s sad to read stories here about ex-Witnesses who are shunned by family members. This is the biggest tragedy of all.

In my case, I was only shunned by people who weren’t my flesh and blood so I couldn’t care less.. I remember one experience some years back when I was still working. A woman was staring at me in a deli. I politely smiled at her not realizing at first that she was someone from a neighboring hall. While it’s possible she didn’t know at first why my face was familiar, I tend to think she DID know. Most people would say: “don’t I know you from somewhere?” This is why I suspect her silence was JW induced.

It’s really all so absurd when I think about it. Here, time has marched on. In addition to being retired now, I have new interests and new friends.. All these shunners have to realize that time marches on for them too and that person they don’t want to say hello to in the store might not even recognize them!🤣. Remember, the shunning routine doesn’t work without an audience to appreciate it.

All their self-righteous Witness posturing was a waste.

38

Which of you readers are being shunned by their relatives / friends ?

by stan livedeath in

a simple " me" if you dont want to say more--or a short explanation about who is shunning you and how long has this been going on.. i'll set the ball rolling: my daughter--her husband and children; my younger son --no contact from them for 40 years...because i left their religion.. (edit--i just noticed the typo in the header--if should be of ).

LongHairGal

I am pretty much a 22 year ‘Fader’.

I never had family in the JW religion and very few friends or even people I liked. I was soft-shunned while I was active in the religion because I had a full-time job. Maybe some elderly were friendly towards me. Over the years when I was in stores I may have encountered JWs here and there.

The responses I got varied from people saying hello to uncomfortable smiles or pretending not to see me. I was used to this sort of thing. In fact, I accept that these people didn’t like me because I didn’t ‘fit in’ because I worked and didn’t ‘pioneer’ or do favors for Users. What I would NOT accept, however, is any of them coming near me Now asking for money! ..There’s a price to be paid for having policies like they have.

18

My prediction coming true

by Foolednomore in

jw
friends

while back, not here on this net i don't remember.

i predicted that watchtower would allow you to buy your way into the kingdumb.

does anyone find this interesting?.

LongHairGal

FOOLEDNOMORE:

This sounds very similar to the Church’s past practice of people buying indulgences. I was raised Catholic, by the way.

But, I’m not surprised.. I always felt (even during the time I was active in the JWs) that their constant criticism/ridicule of the Catholic Church was just plain old envy.. I remember it was a total turnoff to a visiting lady when this was done from the platform.. She felt that ‘knocking other religions’ was in poor taste.

It’s entirely possible the future JW religion might resemble a little bit of what you said combined with televangelism.