Posts by LongHairGal

39

Red Flags identifying Jehovah's Witnesses as a Cult

by Vanderhoven7 in

what are some of the red flags that should alert people to the fact that jehovah's witnesses are a high control and damaging religion?.

one that comes to mind is.

1. one cannot leave jehovah's witnesses with one's reputation intact.

LongHairGal

CARLA:

Everything you said is true. I will add something else. I was not raised a JW, so at least I have pleasant memories from childhood with the Holidays and other normal things that people do.

But, when I got involved with the Witnesses years later, they wanted me to stop associating with my family and relatives. They also wanted me to get rid of ‘worldly’ friends. They said I would get ‘better’ friends there. Not true.. I made conditional acquaintances as far as I was concerned! The religion also tried (in vain) to get me to quit my full time job. I would not be retired if I had listened to these people!!!

I am sure your husband will not admit to you that there are many ‘needy’ in the religion because they fell for pressure to not get careers or plan for retirement because ‘Armageddon’ was coming to save them. Problem is they reached retirement age first.

68

1975 selling of houses

by Paul Bonanno in

jw
friends

as 1975 was approaching, many witnesses sold their property.

do you know about specific cases that are willing to share their experience of doing so?.

LongHairGal

ROAD TO NOWHERE:

I also couldn’t stand any of the bragging there and holding up certain people as ‘examples’ we should follow.

While I understand what you said about these business men, my pet peeve was pioneers being held up as examples. I wasn’t about to follow the example of people who lived on the edge.

As far as the CO bragging and having his meals paid for by other people: I never really cared for circuit overseers. To me all they did was parrot the party line and push pioneering. They had a general negative attitude towards people like me who had a full time job.

So, when they would ask who was going to host or feed the CO, I always felt they had to be joking.. This guy could go eat at a fast food place and order a No. 9 with fries for all I cared!

68

1975 selling of houses

by Paul Bonanno in

jw
friends

as 1975 was approaching, many witnesses sold their property.

do you know about specific cases that are willing to share their experience of doing so?.

LongHairGal

WANNAEXIT:

I wonder if most of the ones who made remarks about ‘weak Christians’ were living a comfortable life and made no sacrifices.

I imagine people who sold everything and then had to start over would be too preoccupied and stressed out with trying to make a living to be bothered criticizing anybody. But, you never know. I wasn’t in the religion at the time. But, I dealt with the 1995 Generation teaching. I planned my ‘Fade’ when I heard this nonsense.

The people who lived through and stayed after 1975 - if they were older they probably passed away. Anybody younger who stayed is at retirement age now. They had all the time in the world to make a living and plan for retirement so let’s hope they did. I imagine this was a major life lesson learned.

I’m not totally comparing the 1995 Generation teaching to the 1975 thing because that didn’t involve people selling their homes, etc. and living off the proceeds til the money ran out!.. But, what I am saying is that the religion lost all credibility as far as I was concerned and that’s basically why I left. I’m not interested in anybody’s opinion who thought I was a ‘weak’ Christian for that and not succumbing to pressure to quit my job years earlier.. I wouldn’t be retired if I listened to these people.

15

Dirt floors in Africa, Ultra modern Towers in Indonesia

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

matthew 19:21. jesus said to him, “if you will to be perfect, go away, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me.”.

jw family tanzania - bukombe kingdom hall.

nothing like attending your local kingdom hall in africa with dirt floors, tarps as a roof, brutal heat with no air-conditioning, and small wooden benches to sit on after a hard days work.. does the society help this congregation in africa with a suitable kingdom hall that would have the local members more comfortable with these unbearable conditions?.

LongHairGal

RULES & REGULATIONS:

Yes, they got rid of ‘old timers’ and are probably not done cutting corners, etc. I am sure many are asking that same question about this expensive new project. I wonder if it will be used for a purpose other than what was said?

I don’t think they truly believe the ‘End’ is right around the corner.

52

List of Things We Were NOT Allowed To Do as JW's

by Sea Breeze in

jw
friends

here's my list of jw no-no's as i recall: .

1. no giving or accepting valentine candy for students.

2. no going to home coming football games.

LongHairGal

SEA BREEZE:

I read all the rest of the posts on this thread.

I agree that these things are ridiculous and over the line.. But, I have to say: most of the problem is because Witnesses cannot keep their mouths shut, in my opinion.

They blab their business to everybody (not wise) and go up to elders (who are nobody) and ask their opinion and/or ‘confess’ to them about their bedroom practices and what goes on between a husband and wife!!! This is absurd and just goes to show that being in this religion makes intelligent people take leave of their senses and breaks down the boundaries that normal people should have. They have no backbone anymore and have truly checked their brains at the door. Sorry to have to say this.

Most of the things on the lists mentioned come under the ‘None of your goddamned Business’ category.. Again, I’m Glad I’m not there anymore to have to fend off this sickening nonsense as well as other garbage.

68

1975 selling of houses

by Paul Bonanno in

jw
friends

as 1975 was approaching, many witnesses sold their property.

do you know about specific cases that are willing to share their experience of doing so?.

LongHairGal

WANNAEXIT:

It would be nice to believe that when 1975 came and went without a whisper..that most intelligent people would have walked away from the Witness religion.

This is regardless of whether or not they made crazy decisions like selling their houses, etc. This ‘event’ or non-event should have told them right then and there that it’s all a crock of shit.. They should have reacted the way I DID when I heard the 1995 Generation teaching: I planned my ‘Fade’. I was DONE with it and have been Out many years.

I’m sure most of the people who sold everything back then probably never totally recovered. If they were young, maybe.. But, if they walked away from the awful religion at least they would have been free of mind games and manipulation and lived out the rest of their lives as normal human beings.

68

1975 selling of houses

by Paul Bonanno in

jw
friends

as 1975 was approaching, many witnesses sold their property.

do you know about specific cases that are willing to share their experience of doing so?.

LongHairGal

FOOLEDNOMORE:

I may not have been in pre-1975 to hear the ‘spiritually weak’ remarks that I’m sure everybody who didn’t jump on the bandwagon heard. (If you ask me, those remarks are really about ‘misery loves company’.) But, I heard those idiot remarks years later when I came in and refused to quit my full-time job!.. That’s precisely why I’d tell people there asking for money NOW to ‘pound sand’ as your father so nicely put it.

BETH SARIM:

I also heard the remark about ‘putting too much stock in 1975’ over the years by some older JWs. Very much denial.

68

1975 selling of houses

by Paul Bonanno in

jw
friends

as 1975 was approaching, many witnesses sold their property.

do you know about specific cases that are willing to share their experience of doing so?.

LongHairGal

The problem with the religion’s 1975 fiasco is they try to hide this from newer people that come into the JW religion. I certainly would have had second thoughts if I knew about this.

When I came in several years after that - not a word was said about it. I only heard about it in a car group when a derogatory remark was made about someone who no longer came.

With regard to selling houses, quitting jobs prematurely and other stupidity, this has been repeated in the recent decade+ by clueless Witnesses who may not have been aware of what happened pre-1975.. Now you have yet MORE people in congregations who are looking for handouts.

11

How About.....YOU Doing the Shunning?

by titch in

hello, folks: about a month ago, stan livedeath started a post about.

how many of the readers here on the site have been or are now being shunned by friends/relatives?

well, let's turn that around a little bit: how many of the readers here have purposely shunned a witness, when they encountered them?

LongHairGal

TITCH:

I don’t know if this is so much about YOU shunning a Witness…OR avoiding the awkward situation when this person finally saw you. Maybe you were making sure HE didn’t have the satisfaction (if you want to call it that) of shunning you. Maybe it would be true shunning if you thought to yourself: ‘oh that’s brother so and so who is disfellowshipped so I have to make it a point to ignore him’.🙄

I’m a long time ‘Fader’ and I don’t believe in going out of my way to avoid JWs in stores. At this point after so many years we might not even recognize each other. The only people I avoid are crazies or if I sense trouble.

14

New rules for inactive ones?

by Lynnie in

have the rules changed as far as disfellowshipping inactive ones when it's clear they are engaged in "wrongdoing?".

i have a cousin in seattle who was disfellowshipped about 3 years ago or so and then went through the process of being reinstated (took only 6 months) and then proceeded to fade and do nothing regarding the jw's .

fast forward to today and now she's had a baby out of wedlock and the uber jw elder father and mother are all on board somehow.

LongHairGal

FOOLEDNOMORE:

Unfortunately, money is the attraction, as always. You and your family must look like a ‘dynasty’ to them!.. If you were a poor, broke slob they’d never be pursuing you. They also would never pursue a single woman they’d never so much as get the time of day from.

Then, some guy shows an unwelcome interest in your sister. I guess he hoped to marry into a family where there is money 🤣. Too many people would want to do that, sadly.

HELLOTHERE:

Maybe some elders are calling it quits because they can’t bring themselves to stick their noses into people’s lives. The religion is much too intrusive and has waay overstepped their boundaries. I would never tolerate this and this is one of the main reasons I’m Glad I left ages ago.