Posts by LongHairGal

6

"Look at the Artwork!"

by FadeToBlack in

from the back cover of the july 15th, 2013 study edition.. "look at the artwork!".

how many times have you said that to yourself or to others when you opened a new issue of this magazine?

i didn't use the same wording, but needless to say, i was stunned.

LongHairGal

JOURNEYMAN:

What you said brought back memories of when I attended book studies years ago!

Some individual would raise their hand and make a comment gushing over some picture (artwork really) in the book.. They acted as though it were an actual photograph from the First century and was a real depiction of some event in the scriptures.

To my knowledge they didn’t have cameras or videos back then.🤔 Everything appearing in the books and magazines was and is purely the imagination of people in the art department in the religion.

I just could not get over the gullibility and suspension of reality that goes on in the minds of JWs to be acting like this is real.

31

Predict JW life in future

by ExBethelitenowPIMA in

a sister said the other day at the ministry group “”what is all this talk that the end is still some way off” she said she has been waiting for decades and she was told there is no way it would take this long.

some others said in an annoyed kind of way yes they would have made different decisions decades ago if they knew the end still would not have come by 2023.. how will the majority react in a few more decades time when the end still hasn’t come?.

why all that talk of sense of urgency decades ago?.

LongHairGal

TRUTHLOVER123:

Congratulations for being one of the Witnesses who ‘woke up’ after the 1975 fiasco! You didn’t even wait ‘til the end of the year! You sound like you did well. I wonder if you still stayed in the religion?

From what I heard, everyone back then must have been ‘under a spell’ to do what they did (leaving jobs, etc.) Yet, there was never an apology from the religion. Who knows how many thousands of people never recovered?

I came into the religion in the late ‘70s and hardly any talk about 1975 except to say that ‘some were serving for a date’. I also heard a joke about some woman referred to as a ‘Seventy-fiver’. I started off on the wrong foot because I had a full-time job that I refused to quit. They thought I was supposed to take up housecleaning and pioneer. I couldn’t see the sense of it - especially since I saw older people there collecting pensions. They were obviously in the workforce!

Anyway, I was viewed as a ‘low hour publisher’ as I worked full-time. I stood out as a working woman while others seemed like ‘Stepford Wives’ out of the 1950s. I was on the fringes of the congregation and had few friends and wasn’t invited much. That’s okay as it was all worth it because I Retired when the time came!

Most of the older critics have passed away and the ones my age who pioneered and didn’t even get smart after the ‘1995 Generation teaching’ are struggling today!!!

29

Been years since Ive gone - should I bother with a letter?

by BeaverEater in

jw
friends

sig other is half assed still in, one family member is in... its been years... wondering if i should just let it be or just call up hq and say i resign... i will be pissed if they announce shit at the kh, though i dont even remember the last one i went to... lol.

for me, its none of anyone elses business... thoughts?.

LongHairGal

I agree with those on here who feel No need to write a letter after they’re done with the Witness religion! ..When I did my ‘Fade’ from the religion I just wanted Out. I didn’t want any drama with stupid people.

However, if somebody wants to write a Disassociation letter (especially one of those looong ones), please be aware that your letter will not be read in full.. Maybe the first paragraph will get read (in the back room in private) until they get the point that you don’t believe it anymore.. Their faith is so flimsy that they don’t dare read the rest.. All your very valid reasons will not even be heard.

Unless you told your friends privately before you sent the letter, the congregation will never learn the reasons why you left. Your name will just be announced…

But, if anybody wants to write their letter because it makes them feel better to ‘tell the religion off’, go right ahead. There is no right or wrong.

31

Predict JW life in future

by ExBethelitenowPIMA in

a sister said the other day at the ministry group “”what is all this talk that the end is still some way off” she said she has been waiting for decades and she was told there is no way it would take this long.

some others said in an annoyed kind of way yes they would have made different decisions decades ago if they knew the end still would not have come by 2023.. how will the majority react in a few more decades time when the end still hasn’t come?.

why all that talk of sense of urgency decades ago?.

LongHairGal

THOMAS MORE:

It’s true that some people procrastinate and/or don’t plan for retirement.

The thing is: if the people are non-Witnesses and just worked over the years, they’d still get Social Security because it was taken out of their paychecks! It may not be enough as they would need other investments (401k etc.)…But Witnesses barely in the workforce would get pathetically low or next to nothing!

I also remember hearing the ‘lack of faith’ crap.. But, it was some hypocritical older Witnesses collecting pensions, married women with ‘worldly’ husbands, etc. - along with a few self-righteous ‘pio-sneers’.. They scorned me and wouldn’t be caught dead in a full-time job.. I am eternally grateful now I never listened to these goddamned people!

As for the pioneers who felt so ‘special’ and got invited to dinners back then: if they can’t make it now.. they better track down their ‘spiritual’ friends and ask them for money or handouts!.. I’m glad they don’t have my phone number.

5

Unwitnessing

by Biahi in

i “unwitnessed” at work yesterday.

in case anyone doesn’t know, i retired last year from the post office.

after being home for 5 months, i got bored, so i went back to work where my husband works.

LongHairGal

BIAHI:

At about 6 yesterday evening, I heard a knock at my door.

Without opening I asked loudly, ‘who is it?’ They answered they were missionaries.. I said loudly, ‘I’m not interested!’ They asked: ‘do you know anybody who might be?’ I answered: ‘I can’t speak for other people but I’m not interested. Have a nice day!’

When I looked out my window I saw two young guys with black backpacks. I can’t imagine they were JWs because I don’t recall them carrying backpacks and I don’t think they would have called themselves missionaries. If they were JWs I might have enjoyed asking them some questions and watched them struggle to answer!

33

The (Shunned) Woman at the Well

by Sea Breeze in

i always found the account of the "woman at the well" to be particulary interesting.

this unknown shunned woman of ill-repute was specifically sought out and chosen by jesus.

why?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el7dzonv3iy&ab_channel=michaelpapale.

LongHairGal

JHINE:

I agree with you that Jesus preaching to this ‘woman at the well’ was to show he viewed women better than the society around him viewed them.

This woman went to the well when she did because of how she was viewed in her society because of her lifestyle and perhaps to avoid insults by other older women. They lived in a time where people were extreme and had to dress a certain way according to their station in life, etc.

People can speculate all they want about what she may or may not have been thinking, but I believe she was probably treated and/or viewed badly and went out and about when she was less likely to encounter unpleasant people - and wanted to be left in peace. I would have probably done the same thing.

31

Predict JW life in future

by ExBethelitenowPIMA in

a sister said the other day at the ministry group “”what is all this talk that the end is still some way off” she said she has been waiting for decades and she was told there is no way it would take this long.

some others said in an annoyed kind of way yes they would have made different decisions decades ago if they knew the end still would not have come by 2023.. how will the majority react in a few more decades time when the end still hasn’t come?.

why all that talk of sense of urgency decades ago?.

LongHairGal

EXBETHELITENOWPIMA:

It’s too bad that so many JWs sitting in that religion are not even really true believers ..as by your own admission!

They have lost so many people (not that I’m lamenting)..and on top of that what they have there aren’t even genuine. They are just there taking up space and warming a seat. You say ‘you have a little bit of hope’? You could have that little bit of hope and be out and free instead of tolerating all the hypocrisy and everything else!

I have to assume that family or something else is keeping you captive there. For me, after the 1995 thing I made my exit.. This ended my mistake of getting involved with Jehovah’s Witnesses and I am ever grateful now that I swam against the tide and followed my gut.

31

Predict JW life in future

by ExBethelitenowPIMA in

a sister said the other day at the ministry group “”what is all this talk that the end is still some way off” she said she has been waiting for decades and she was told there is no way it would take this long.

some others said in an annoyed kind of way yes they would have made different decisions decades ago if they knew the end still would not have come by 2023.. how will the majority react in a few more decades time when the end still hasn’t come?.

why all that talk of sense of urgency decades ago?.

LongHairGal

FEDUPJW:

Nope. As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t make you a bad person.

But, unfortunately, many JWs would hate us for saying it anyway.. They want to have selective memory loss about all the bad things said (by them and the religion) about people with careers, etc. and still imagine they are deserving of charity or handouts from those people!

During my ‘Fade’, I told all the JWs I know how I feel about things.. I got an angry response from one of them. Mind you, this was an acquaintance who loved titles, impressed with pioneers, etc. On more than one occasion years ago, I was questioned in a critical way why I worked full-time. Now, I’m grateful I did. 😮 👍🏻

So, I know what sort of attitudes are there among the JWs. In plain English, if me or you were still there, they would have the audacity to expect handouts from us!!! It wouldn’t matter how irresponsible these people were for not planning!.. This is how things are in the JW religion.

31

Predict JW life in future

by ExBethelitenowPIMA in

a sister said the other day at the ministry group “”what is all this talk that the end is still some way off” she said she has been waiting for decades and she was told there is no way it would take this long.

some others said in an annoyed kind of way yes they would have made different decisions decades ago if they knew the end still would not have come by 2023.. how will the majority react in a few more decades time when the end still hasn’t come?.

why all that talk of sense of urgency decades ago?.

LongHairGal

EXBETHELITENOWPIMA:

Yes, I understand JWs “who would have made different decisions if they knew the end still would not have come by 2023.”

I assume these Witnesses you mentioned are younger and were either not around or not old enough in 1995 when that teaching on Generation came out. That was the last straw for me and I began my ‘Fade’ from the religion.. But, at least I was already in the workforce.

For JWs who had an ounce of sense, this was a huge wake-up call to get a decent job and plan for their retirement. The year 1995 was almost thirty years ago and sufficient time has passed to have gotten that job and planned!!

If any Witnesses ignored this and stayed in sleep mode daydreaming and didn’t plan accordingly, it’s hard to feel sympathy. I hope the ones you said sounded ‘annoyed’ aren’t in this category.. Because if they are older people, that ship has sailed.

32

Is the ministry really taken seriously by most JWs?

by XBEHERE in

jw
friends

what say you?.

LongHairGal

HIDDLESWIFE:

I seem to remember this mentality in the religion back in the ‘80s or so. I do believe some of those younger Witnesses wanted to be famous for their marathon f.s. hours and how ‘spiritual’ they looked to everybody.🙄

This is when I got the most grief and condemnation because I was not in the full time ministry with all the people that were around my age. They all felt they were ‘better’ than me and wouldn’t be caught dead in a full time job like I had. That was a no no. Yes, those were ‘lonely’ days being on the fringes of the JW religion. But, I have no regrets now because I Retired.. As for some of those other JWs who are also older: I heard through the grapevine that life is tough. Would they ever admit this to me? I doubt it. They might insist they have been ‘blessed’. Well, as long as they can pay their bills (without looking for handouts as has been rumored).. good for them.