Posts by LongHairGal

27

Letter read cong is now an association

by Yomama in

jw
friends

what does that mean?.

LongHairGal

ALIVE:

This is the first place I read about this change of terminology...How can anybody keep up with this?

I also believe the cost of leaving is great for many JWs:..they are shunned. Doesn’t matter if they didn’t do anything morally wrong in a scriptural sense.

It must be particularly hurtful for people who were popular and in the thick of things with a great social life and many friends - only to see it dry up overnight. That’s why anybody planning their exit has to prepare with new acquaintances and contacts beforehand!

I guess I was fortunate in the sense that I was not popular and had few friends in the religion since I worked full-time..I was already an ‘outcast’ in their eyes - so it didn’t matter all that much when I ‘Faded’.

17

Do You Ever Wonder Where Are They Now?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i remember so many witnesses who were pretty liberal minded.

i knew some that were the ones someone would talk to to get a “balanced “ perspective.

they were not hardliners.

LongHairGal

MINIMUS:

I remember one or two back in the day who I was able to have an intelligent practical conversation with. They tended, though, to keep certain conversation pretty much to themselves or select company.

These were older JWs and were among the few who didn’t push ‘poverty and pioneering’. They realized I had to work to support myself. They ALREADY earned their living/pension so they were sympathetic and told me to do my ‘best’.

Sadly, most of these people of the Greatest Generation have passed away.

36

''Faith in Action'' video....Jesus Disciples depicted with ''field service bags'' and preaching with ''Scrolls''

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

here is a screenshot from a video on jw.org.

go to videos, our organization, history .

jehovah's witnesses—faith in action, part 1: out of darkness.

LongHairGal

DESIROUS OF CHANGE:

You are so right! It made me furious when some idiot would refer to a picture in a book or magazine as though it were from the First Century.

Nobody had video recorders or cameras back then so why the stupidity about this??? ..This is simply modern-day artwork depicting somebody’s OPINION and what they want brainwashed R&F to believe actually happened centuries ago. The Bible says something else.

52

Collapse of JW Org - Possibly on the Horizon?

by JWTom in

this topics get a great deal of discussion here.

what i find interesting is even some of my pimi family is embracing the reality that all is not well with jw.org and that many current jws are just going through the motions due to not having a good way out of the org.

wondering what could realistically lead to the collapse of jw.org in the not distant future?

LongHairGal

BLUES BROTHERS:

Yes, we have seen so many topics about the JW religion collapsing..but yet it’s still here.

I have been Out for about twenty years but I never actually believed it was going to totally collapse. But, I do think their glory days are over.

With all the changes I have heard about in the last two decades: the Zoom meetings, selling off of halls, kicking out bethelites, constantly asking for $, TV exposes about the scandals, I don’t believe it is viewed the same way it was years ago. The diehards may still be there but I suspect most stay for social reasons and it’s really too late to start over. The Sunk Cost theory probably figures into it.

The problem IS many of the diehards are the faithful elderly and sad to say they are passing away. I think in time the religion will just be a small group and a shadow of its former self.

7

Pioneers privilige

by justice34 in

organization and congregation seems to give so much attention to the pioneers and the hours.

encouraging the members to get even the 30h at the month of c/o visit even if they don't complete the minimum of the hours.

why do they give so much praise and attention to pioneers?

LongHairGal

JUSTICE34:

Back when I was in years ago, there was an aggressive push to get everybody to pioneer. Didn’t matter who you were, they pushed it relentlessly.

They fawned all over pioneers and they got invited to special gatherings and dinners. If you weren’t pioneering you were made to feel guilty..But, I could not let this affect me because I HAD to work. I saw some younger people my age who pioneered and lived on the ‘edge’ with various cleaning jobs..They and some older types (affluent ladies with a non-JW husband who let them do their thing) would try to tell me what ‘blessings’ they receive and that I should ‘pray real hard for faith’, etc..It still never moved me to do anything so rash as to quit my decent full time job to pioneer!

In time I noticed I was avoided and not invited anywhere much. I also heard the remarks and hints about ‘materialism’ and ‘lack of faith’. I just plugged along and stayed on the fringes of the congregation.

Now..all these years later: I am Retired but would have been Out of Luck if I had listened..The younger pioneer couples (who would also be Baby Boomers) some might be doing ‘okay’ because at some point years ago they wised up (probably needing medical benefits) and one of them got an office job. Good for them if they did.

But, those older affluent retirees (the Greatest Generation) who were pushing pioneering and poverty for younger people there - have passed away and not even around to help anybody gullible enough to have listened!

131

Final Prediction on Election

by minimus in

jw
friends

who wins?

who loses?

president/ senate/ house of representatives .

LongHairGal

WING COMMANDER:

I agree with you. Even if Trump wins..the problem has not gone away and will just be postponed until another four years when the latest bumper crop of pathetic people reach voting age!

Yes, it is very sad for the future in the USA in my opinion. If the Dems win, we can only hope the campaign promises were lies or exaggerations to entice the fools to vote for Biden. All we can do is keep our fingers crossed!

22

But you told us about those dates.

by Lost in the fog in

you couldn't make it up!

saw this wt quote on a friend's page.

it is from the awake magazine of 1993, march 22nd apparently.

LongHairGal

PHIZZY:

I heard a remark about ‘people serving for a date’ back when I was new in the late ‘70s. When I asked somebody what was meant I was told it referred to people who were no longer around because of 1975. I was led to believe I shouldn’t concern myself about it.

Nobody told me about this 1975 fiasco and it might have made a difference in me getting involved with the JWs! .. I know what you mean about people who have no Pension because they were told they should be in the full time ministry!! ..I was disliked/shunned/not invited because I refused to quit my job and do like they did.

Meanwhile, all the older people (who would now be in late 80s-early to mid 90s) were collecting THEIR pensions. But, yet poverty was preached to Baby Boomers because the End was supposedly so close. Thankfully I did not listen.

3

Halloween!

by frozen2018 in

jw
friends

most years i don't get many kids at my house.

i think its because my staircase is too steep and long but i'd always get a few.

this year, because of the panic, i left my treats in a big pot by the sidewalk with a sign that says, "help yourself!

LongHairGal

FROZEN & BIAHI:

Some people think Halloween is a nuisance. I think it is mostly for small children and I think it’s nice if people leave a pail of candies for the kiddies.

In recent years I have only seen young children accompanied by an adult. The children are all excited about dressing up in a costume. I remember when us children were young and were happy about the costumes and going door to door getting goodies. (Can you tell I wasn’t raised a JW?..😊).

But, when we got home our mom made us dump everything on the table. Any loose candy not wrapped went in the garbage. I’m sorry for JWs who didn’t have holidays and felt deprived as children. I would try to get into the spirit a little now although I know some ex-JWs aren’t into it and that’s okay too.

I’m not really into Halloween but like the Fall season.. I really love Thanksgiving and Christmas with all the food, decorations and festivities.. When I ‘faded’ from the religion I made sure to make up for the years I needlessly isolated myself like some nut..And ironically what a fool I was since the JWs hardly even bothered with me! Meanwhile I could have spent time with relatives (the only people who cared) and all that good food!

14

Is Watchtower meant to be an actual shelter from reality

by ToyFish in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yciaw0m2-nqi'm a former member that has been out for the past few months and have been doing a lot of personal research.

i've been having mixed feelings about the gb whether or not their intentions are good or not.

the fact they have a protocol of moral lying through "theocratic warfare" very much turned me off from having anything to do with the org.

LongHairGal

LOST IN THE FOG:

I also thought it was absurd when JWs would say they were waiting to do whatever they desired in the ‘new system’ instead of now.

With regard to traveling: besides those wanting to see natural beauty like the Grand Canyon, there are those interested in seeing other cultures and historical sites, etc. But, if the worldwide ‘Armageddon’ they are waiting for comes, these cultures and historical sites might very well be destroyed. What then would there be to see?

This is just part of the stupidity of believing you should disregard your present life and let it run through your hands like sand in an hourglass - because you are conned into believing you are going to get another one!

24

The Myth of being "Spirit Appointed"

by BluesBrother in

back in the first century we read that the apostles would "lay their hands" on someone and the holy spirit would be imparted to that one.

appointments of older men were made in this way - at that time.

in modern times the wts has claimed that their own elders ,min.

LongHairGal

LOST IN THE FOG:

I never believed that ANYBODY was appointed by ‘holy spirit’.

In the later days of my being a JW, I did see that they were trying to elevate the elders ever higher. Nauseating. Nobody there ever got any special attention from Me!