Posts by LongHairGal

47

Does becoming (or remaining) one of Jehovah's Witnesses result in Poverty? Pew Research results differ from Watchtower claims.

by Balaamsass2 in

"raised in the truth" during the 50s, 60s,and 70s i repeatedly read and heard from the platform how reading the magazines weekly "was the equivalent of a college education" and how many had turned their family economic situation around by being "trustworthy" and giving up expensive bad habits most "worldly people" had.

sounded good.. what is the reality?

how does avoiding higher education, and then spending up to 20 hours a week getting ready for, commuting, and then participating in meetings and field service affect family finances?.

LongHairGal

DISGRUNTLED FOOL:

I am glad you took the very wise advice of that older gentleman in the 1970s.

He warned you not to listen to talk of “gloom and doom” and that the JW religion was saying this in the ‘40s”.. He was most correct to say: “if you don’t look out for yourself, they certainly aren’t going to”.

I know this all from personal experience. They thought they would ‘punish’ me 🙄 with shunning in the late ‘70s and later because I would not quit my full-time job to do housecleaning and the ministry.. Thankfully, I never listened and worked until retirement.

When they removed the hour reporting at the annual meeting of 2023, I felt validated (not that I needed it because I always felt I did the intelligent thing).. The result is that many thousands of Witnesses who knocked themselves out for decades - ended up unprepared for their retirement!.. What a slap in the face!.. The End of the World didn’t come in time as they were led to believe!.. They hoped Covid was finally it.. Surely, they would have ALL made a different choice if they knew how it would turn out!

22

The Meaning of ETC

by titch in

folks: i don't mean to be a "forum grammar policeman", but there is something that i've noticed a few times.

i've noticed that a few---not all---but some, members of the forum who use the abbreviation "ect" when they want to use the abbreviation of "etc.

" for your education today, the term "etc" is the abbreviation for the latin term "et cetera.

LongHairGal

TITCH:

I know how you feel.

This is the result of dumbed down school curriculums in the U.S. several decades ago. So, now you see all sorts of mistakes like the one you mentioned. I’ve seen college educated people who cannot spell to save their lives and don’t know grammar rules. You even have lazy individuals who don’t care and some write and don’t bother capitalizing anything.

But, if this is bad for ‘worldly’ people who supposedly have education, how much worse is it for homeschooled and poorly educated JWs?

67

Thoughts on annual meeting “new light”

by FFGhost in

so, i finally saw the annual meeting video part 2.. this is the one with the “new light” on who might survive armageddon, vs. those who do not.. in summary, for those of you fortunate enough not to have to sit through it, it’s something like this:.

old light: once the “great tribulation” starts, that’s it for non-jws.

the “door of the ark” is closed.

LongHairGal

FF GHOST:

Yes, how many countless Witnesses made life-altering decisions based on teachings that have now been thrown out the window!
The beliefs about who is saved and when are always subject to change anyway and I never paid much mind. But, the big one about the service hour reporting being done away with is major.

I was judged on this years ago!! I am forever grateful I never listened to anybody there and kept my job until I Retired. Maybe I can credit my so-called worldly upbringing!

So what if the JWs hated me? I wouldn’t want to be around any of these people now. They must be in panic/desperation mode.👎

8

Jehovah's Witnesses Sinner's Prayer

by NotFormer in

i've noted before certain similarities between jws and independent fundamentalist baptists, such as door to door work.

the ifbs call it "soul winning".

the goal is usually to give a quick tour of a few bible verses, get the householder to "repeat after me" a formulaic prayer confessing faith in jesus.

LongHairGal

NOT FORMER:

That would be interesting to see because Jehovah’s Witnesses are a works-based religion! No Christlike Grace for them! Besides, theirs is a superficial works and not real charity anyway.

You are only as good as the last good thing that you did that benefits them. Or, how many HOURS you got! Ooops! You don’t need hours anymore. Well, what are they to do now?🤷🏻‍♀️

Personally I think salvation should be faith with at least a few works that are real charity to benefit the community. Not ‘free bible studies’ - which are really their publications’ studies.

66

My decision.

by MissDaSilva in

jw
friends

i’ve decided to disassociate from the jw organisation.

i cannot be part of a community that blatantly rejects the sacrifice of jesus in that demonic memorial ritual.

amazing what information you find when you start researching.. i’m writing my letter and posting it to the kingdom hall this morning.

LongHairGal

TONUS OH:

I couldn’t do PIMO either. Instead, I abruptly stopped going.

The timing was right because of personal family reasons.. I then made a meeting here and there and the memorial for a couple of years and then stopped because I couldn’t stand even being in the same room with these people for a short time!

47

Does becoming (or remaining) one of Jehovah's Witnesses result in Poverty? Pew Research results differ from Watchtower claims.

by Balaamsass2 in

"raised in the truth" during the 50s, 60s,and 70s i repeatedly read and heard from the platform how reading the magazines weekly "was the equivalent of a college education" and how many had turned their family economic situation around by being "trustworthy" and giving up expensive bad habits most "worldly people" had.

sounded good.. what is the reality?

how does avoiding higher education, and then spending up to 20 hours a week getting ready for, commuting, and then participating in meetings and field service affect family finances?.

LongHairGal

ROAD TO NOWHERE:

And who would the ‘someone else’ be who would ‘grudgingly’ provide ‘charity’??

You are not referring to the fewer and fewer responsible rank & file people left in the religion, are you?? This is a stupid delusion and urban legend that too many Jehovah’s Witnesses hold to.. It is bad enough that JWs in decades past thought this when the congregations were brimming and full of people! That is not the case anymore.

Besides, it isn’t like 30 years ago when the JWs bought somebody a bag of groceries until they got on their feet again.. No, these people are senior citizens and AREN’T getting back on their feet again.. They aren’t getting a job tomorrow. They will be expecting charity and handouts the rest of their lives!!!

This is the actual outcome for many thousands of JWs who were in the ministry for decades and didn’t get actual jobs in their Youth like the REST of society traditionally does!!.. This is because of following the (now expired) teachings of a religion!

It is absurd wishful thinking for any JWs or even ex-JWs to imagine any of their ‘friends’ or associates are going to provide for them in their old age!

This is the result of indulging in fantasies all their lives instead of healthy realistic thinking.

47

Does becoming (or remaining) one of Jehovah's Witnesses result in Poverty? Pew Research results differ from Watchtower claims.

by Balaamsass2 in

"raised in the truth" during the 50s, 60s,and 70s i repeatedly read and heard from the platform how reading the magazines weekly "was the equivalent of a college education" and how many had turned their family economic situation around by being "trustworthy" and giving up expensive bad habits most "worldly people" had.

sounded good.. what is the reality?

how does avoiding higher education, and then spending up to 20 hours a week getting ready for, commuting, and then participating in meetings and field service affect family finances?.

LongHairGal

BALAAMSASS2:

I feel it is important to mention the change at the recent annual meeting of doing away with reporting hours for the R&F.. This ‘reporting of hours’ IS the reason why too many Jehovah’s Witnesses are in the state they are in!!! ..They were ‘scared’ into going out in the ministry full time or almost full time.. Armageddon was coming sooon!... Meanwhile, they should have had careers and paid into retirement.

But, the wonderful religion threw this hundred year old teaching out the window!!!! Poof! Thousands of Witnesses knocked themselves out for decades, lived on the edge and NOW are in senior years and in trouble!

I got knocked for working full-time years ago... But, I paid no mind and Retired when the time came.

After being ‘Faded’ all these years what do I read about but this latest change! ..How did I feel???.. I felt validated and SO glad I never listened.. But, I was angry at what could have happened to me if I caved in to all the pressure when I was young from older busybodies with cushy lives - most of whom are dead by now.

I have nothing but contempt for this awful religion and cannot believe anybody informed still goes there now in 2024!

37

My grandmother called my mother

by Anony Mous in

so, i’m just posting this as a warning to lurking jws.

if you’re still on the fence, here is a story.. my grandmother, now in her 80s hasn’t talked to anyone in the family for over 20 years ever since my mother was the last one of her children that left ‘the truth’, she had sent my mother a card to never talk to her again.

so here we are 21 years later, she gets a call out of the blue that she needed help, she hadn’t been able to get into her kitchen.

LongHairGal

BALAAMSASS2:

It’s a good thing I’m ‘Faded’ from the religion many years.

I would never tolerate the predatory behavior you describe in addition to elders privately approaching people with an envelope asking for money for people there who never worked!.. I’d have to be out of my mind to set foot in a congregation!

37

My grandmother called my mother

by Anony Mous in

so, i’m just posting this as a warning to lurking jws.

if you’re still on the fence, here is a story.. my grandmother, now in her 80s hasn’t talked to anyone in the family for over 20 years ever since my mother was the last one of her children that left ‘the truth’, she had sent my mother a card to never talk to her again.

so here we are 21 years later, she gets a call out of the blue that she needed help, she hadn’t been able to get into her kitchen.

LongHairGal

TONUS OH:

Yes, shunning is evil and the consequences horrific. These elderly Witnesses who shunned their flesh and blood for decades now find themselves helpless and at the mercy of anybody who is around them! Let’s hope that person is not an opportunist!

I’m sure when they were younger and in the prime of life they felt confident in the religion’s teachings when they decided to shun their children who were DFd or just didn’t want the religion. They may have been cheered on by their friends in the hall. Problem is: where are these friends now? They may have passed away or moved out of the area.

All in all, very sad.

36

Why are the 2 newly appointed Governing Body Members from Bethel, when there are anointed ones all over the world? they could have used.

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

library.

books & brochures.

enjoy life forever!—an interactive bible course.

LongHairGal

NOTFORMER & THOMASMORE:

You both might be right.

But, I think these recent changes so close together are a reaction to too much recent bad publicity and the hemorrhaging of too many people from the religion.. It might just have been a matter the timing not being quite right that changes proposed years ago by anybody were rejected.