Posts by LongHairGal

25

The Dangers of Independent Thinking

by daystar in

"the dangers of independent thinking".

reading mary's thread regarding the july 15th wt, i began to really consider what the wbts' problem is with "independent thinking".. what exactly is "independent thinking" and what about its opposite, "dependent thinking"?

i think the following excerpt from an article here does a good job of defining them.

LongHairGal

HOSER:

Without meaning to, that old elder made the Witness religion look bad when he said: “independent thinkers think their way out of the ‘truth’”.

If somebody is able to think their way out of any so-called ‘truth’, it must’ve been pretty flimsy to start with!

In my case, I didn’t really have to think too hard about anything. It was a gut punch feeling at a Sunday meeting when a WT article was being read and discussed. So, in the end unchristian treatment topped by a changed major teaching (1995) did it for me.

25

The Dangers of Independent Thinking

by daystar in

"the dangers of independent thinking".

reading mary's thread regarding the july 15th wt, i began to really consider what the wbts' problem is with "independent thinking".. what exactly is "independent thinking" and what about its opposite, "dependent thinking"?

i think the following excerpt from an article here does a good job of defining them.

LongHairGal

HEREIAM60:

Good story. You mentioned that pioneer brother became ‘pushy and intrusive into your personal life’. He also suggested you ‘changing employment so as to be free for all meetings and field service’🤣.. And then gasping at the thought you wanted to be independent, was so absurd. This was all so similar to my story when I got involved with the Witnesses decades ago.

Looking at it all today as somebody long Out, I realize just how ridiculous the JWs suggestions were back then: so out of touch with reality.. Anybody looking for employment like that wouldn’t be able to get it much less keep a job! But, the Witnesses weren’t looking out for my welfare! I had to do that myself and so I just ignored anything they said pertaining to my employment, which was none of their business anyway!

22

The abuse of JW org

by wozza in

awhile ago i said on here i would like to show how wrong the jehovahs witness organisation is , in that they will not accept the testimony of a victim of sexual crime where the victim has no other witnesses to the crime.

i faced this with helping my ex wife for about 15 years in exposing her father , an elder, to the jw org.

his raping of her over years and they believed him.. so therefore the perpetrator knowing of the organisations stance can easily deny and therefore be free to pretend to serve as an innocent jw still mixing with the congregation ,and also i have witnessed an accused perpetrator of child molestation witnessing at my next door neighbors house in field service with a child of another family even though the elders knew of the accusations against him.

LongHairGal

STEPHANE LALIBERTE:

You say you accept DNA evidence as a witness. But, what if a child was molested maybe more than once but there is No DNA evidence?.. Maybe they didn’t know any better to speak up quickly about it. Where does this leave this poor victim??

Nah, the Witness religion’s 2-Witness rule with regard to child molestation or rape is just a tactic to keep guilty perpetrators from being prosecuted and punished. That is what I think.

37

News of fires out of control in California

by ballistic in

jw
friends

hope everyone near to the region affected in california is ok. it's shocking to hear of the destruction.

these affected areas are some of the places i visited when i came on a tour of the us.

malibu, santa barbera, la, santa monica, hollywood and so on..

LongHairGal

SIMON:

You are right and the sad conclusion many angry people came to is that something is wrong with the leadership in the state.

Of course, some fools in denial will try to make it about DT - meanwhile Biden is still president.🙄

This was all an unfortunate ‘perfect storm’ of bad choices. What I wonder is because so many wealthy famous people lost their homes maybe they will be more vocal in their outcries.

25

The Dangers of Independent Thinking

by daystar in

"the dangers of independent thinking".

reading mary's thread regarding the july 15th wt, i began to really consider what the wbts' problem is with "independent thinking".. what exactly is "independent thinking" and what about its opposite, "dependent thinking"?

i think the following excerpt from an article here does a good job of defining them.

LongHairGal

TONUS OH:

In the beginning of my awakening after my disillusionment in the Jehovah’s Witnesses and learning the Truth about the Truth, I read mountains of information. I was particularly struck by that bit about how ‘unity was more important than accuracy’ and that any ‘change had to come from the top’ or words to that effect.

I was very angry when I learned this. These egotistical men were and are all about getting a following and keeping it. I realize so many people gave up so much and made this all-consuming false religion their whole life. Many were born into it. I am grateful I wasn’t and that it was just a wrong stop on my journey and a life lesson learned.. I’m Glad that I worked at a job in the so-called ‘world’ and that I am long Out of the JWs.

8

YouTube advice on “Types of People to Avoid”

by LongHairGal in

jw
friends

i was doing some heavy duty binge watching on youtube.. there are lots of helpful topics including ‘how to declutter your home’, ‘things you shouldn’t tell people’ and several videos on ‘types of people you shouldn’t have in your life as well as types of behavior you shouldn’t tolerate’ (especially after a certain age).. what i got out of it (most i already knew but was nice to see it mentioned):.. first, you should live life authentically, especially at an older age.

you should be free of other people’s opinions, judgments and expectations of you.

you should be free of this as you have accumulated enough wisdom in life to know what serves you and that other people’s opinions do not define you; you should not be guilt tripped into doing favors or being exploited (financially or time wise) by anybody manipulative or irresponsible, etc… walking away is not ‘selfishness’ but ‘self care’.. it was mentioned in all of them to remove people from your life who are critical and fall into these negative categories whether they be family or other.. (the name of jehovah’s witnesses was nowhere mentioned - but i was struck by the fact that all these negative things appear in spades in the jw religion (and probably in some other religions as well).. watching all of this just reinforced what i knew for many years: ..the best thing i did was to ‘fade’ from the religion and get out of that environment!.

LongHairGal

I QUIT:

Most definitely you have to learn how to say No. This is essential and a person’s first line of defense. Of course, it can also pertain to things you do or don’t believe in any longer.

But when people can’t say No, any boundaries they have will be gone. This is why cults and high control groups try to wear people down.. In the Witnesses, people who can’t say No are pushovers who end up exploited in every way and end up doing things they don’t want to do.

Part of this trap of not saying ‘No’ has to do with wanting to be ‘viewed favorably’ by judgmental Users in the congregation👎.. I could not afford to concern myself with what these people thought because I had to work. So, I said ‘No’, and I did so with other nervy requests!

People should practice saying ‘No’ in front of a mirror and then use it in real life.

17

Footage from Recently Converted Kingdom Hall to a Mosque

by raymond frantz in

https://youtu.be/kjqwfeuhpji?si=6ahbituygdyiq3za.

when jehovah’s witnesses dedicate their kingdom halls, they often refer to the example of solomon dedicating the temple in jerusalem.

it’s a solemn moment.

LongHairGal

NATHAN NATAS:

Yes, that is a sad and brutal fact that gullible Witnesses paid for these buildings that now got sold - and they didn’t get any of the money back.

It might hurt less if Jehovah’s Witnesses had social programs to help their poor people but they don’t. And, I agree with you that people who donated might have imagined they were getting ‘everlasting life’.

The Catholic Church had the selling of indulgences. But, I am not implying that today’s Catholic Church is anywhere near as bad as the JW religion.. I am not religious anymore but I was raised Catholic and at least I didn’t have a bullseye target painted on me like when I got involved with the JWs!! 👎 The JWs were and are heavy duty into exploitation and maybe my Catholic upbringing saved me from falling for it. Who knows?

85

Reddit thread - ‘Organization Finally Suggesting to Plan for Retirement’

by LongHairGal in

jw
friends

this information is supposed to be in the upcoming march wt.

(i don’t go on jw dot org).

it would sound like they are hinting at a change in thinking.. in my opinion, any such change would be yet another slap in the face to faithful pimis along with those other recent changes.. there are so many heartfelt responses on that thread and a lot of justified anger.. don’t know what to say except that i’m so glad i never listened to the religion all those years ago.

LongHairGal

DAGNEY:

You said: “He quit that job to appease the congregation”.

This is the terrible trap that almost all Jehovah’s Witnesses fell into: trying to appease the congregation (Brother and Sister Jealous)... I’ll get down on my knees thankful to God I never did that.

Even though I didn’t like being shunned and excluded from invitations, my fear of having no $$ trumped anything any of those idiots thought about me. Meanwhile, many of those older affluent JWs pushing poverty for some young person had already earned their living!! These older JWs are gone today in 2025 and not even around to help anybody they misled all those years ago!

So, there is no justice here.

I’m sorry I never had the chance to tell those Witnesses off but will content myself with the fact I never paid attention to anything the religion said… I do take particular pleasure now in telling this to some older JWs I might run into.. I get mixed reactions: some commend me for doing the right thing and others are a tad resentful because either they are sorry they didn’t and also because they cannot admit the religion was wrong! ..That is their problem.

85

Reddit thread - ‘Organization Finally Suggesting to Plan for Retirement’

by LongHairGal in

jw
friends

this information is supposed to be in the upcoming march wt.

(i don’t go on jw dot org).

it would sound like they are hinting at a change in thinking.. in my opinion, any such change would be yet another slap in the face to faithful pimis along with those other recent changes.. there are so many heartfelt responses on that thread and a lot of justified anger.. don’t know what to say except that i’m so glad i never listened to the religion all those years ago.

LongHairGal

HOSER:

’Treated badly in the congregation’, can be an understatement. It also varied, I think, if you were a man. You got less grief over that full-time job than I did.

But, it happened and it was worth every penny in the end that I got ‘shunned’ and not invited to those special dinners! No regrets (any more than all those older JWs had who were collecting their pensions).

Now, all those people who knocked me years ago can deal with the consequences of listening to fools and hypocrites. I’m not interested and don’t have any pity.

85

Reddit thread - ‘Organization Finally Suggesting to Plan for Retirement’

by LongHairGal in

jw
friends

this information is supposed to be in the upcoming march wt.

(i don’t go on jw dot org).

it would sound like they are hinting at a change in thinking.. in my opinion, any such change would be yet another slap in the face to faithful pimis along with those other recent changes.. there are so many heartfelt responses on that thread and a lot of justified anger.. don’t know what to say except that i’m so glad i never listened to the religion all those years ago.

LongHairGal

ELDERBERRY:

Yes, those old-time Witnesses should be turning in their graves because of all these changes.

I was just watching a YouTube by some ex-JW about the ‘Great Disappointment’. I wonder if things are going to start unraveling among some of those disappointed older JWs there?.. One thing I am Glad of is that I got out ages ago. I am grateful for each day and happy with simple things and the few nice people I know.. I am sure many older JWs are broke (because of no career) and ailing.. I would find it unbearable to be around any of these people so anxious for the End to come!