History repeated: pre-1975 trend of selling homes to ‘downsize’

by LongHairGal 34 Replies latest jw friends

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  LongHairGal

  I saw this thread on Reddit. I think the reason for this is that the 1975 fiasco is never mentioned in the JW religion. Nobody mentioned it to me when I came in the years after.

  The problem with this is that all the sad stories were never told (or hushed up) of people who sold off homes, etc. to live off the money and pioneer..only to have to start all over again when that year ended in a whisper!!

  This scenario apparently has happened yet again in the last decade or so with some people doing the exact same thing.. I even heard of some who dropped out of the workforce before their actual retirement age..to go live in exotic locales. The last I heard their money ran out because Armageddon hadn’t come yet. These people are well over sixty! Now, there are yet more needy types in congregations with their hands out.

  Maybe this mistake would be less likely to happen if the 1975 fiasco wasn’t kept such a deep dark secret from the ‘flock’.
• 

  Simon

  Yikes! The economy is bad enough now if you're working and earning, but if you've jumped out of the property market and spent the money, you're going to really struggle as inflation bites harder and prices go up and up. The supply side price rises haven't really been digested by the system yet - food and energy prices could easily double or triple in the coming year.
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  LongHairGal

  Yes, it’s pretty bad, Simon.

  But, I think it’s far worse when an older person makes this mistake because they can almost never earn the money back. I guess there’s no Fool like an old fool.
• 

  Foolednomore

  There was a KM that encouraged and gave examples of how one's sold their property pre 75 to pioneer. I'm glad my parents had the business sense not to fall for that crap or I would be in a real poor house. And yet people to this day with their head up their dark area, still give money and control to Watchtower.!?!
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  LongHairGal

  FOOLEDNOMORE:

  I’m glad your parents never fell for the pre-1975 stupidity!.. But, sadly, some JWs did fall for it.. I came in the later ‘70s with my full-time job and was oblivious to all this.

  I had private conversations with a few wise JWs and we were all in agreement that you can’t give up everything. You need something to live on. For the most part, the older JWs back in my congregation were sound in mind and would have never acted foolishly. These people are all passed away now and the demographics of the religion are now made up of mostly less-affluent people including some ‘needy’ types who made unwise self-sacrifices..There are far too many people in the religion now looking for charity!

  This is the ‘fruitage’ of decades of policies of ‘no college’, ‘no career’, ‘don’t own anything’ and ‘don’t plan for the future because Armageddon will be here’..along with other dangerously stupid trends.

  The sickest irony is that the types of people who criticized me for my full-time job then would hate me Now because I wouldn’t give them any handouts.
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  waton

  Once 1975 was coming onto the horizon in 1968, at least 5 in our circle of friends build houses instead of selling, and then pioneered. It was cheaper to build then to pay rent for the "time left"-- right--. Brooklyn was actively buying too btw.

  Even wt's false prophecies are profitable if seen clearly.
• 

  ozziepost

  I’ve been out in freedom-land these past twenty-five years, but looking occasionally at those JW Broadcasting ‘shows’ I see the same urgency is still being put out. I saw Stephen Lett (could he really be the leader of a large number of people? Looks very clownish to me.) pronouncing this is the final part of the final days. I’m horrified that such a person is leading my nearest and dearest.

  These GB and others who are leading are obviously quite out of touch with reality.
• 

  PimoElder

  Here in the UK there are many ex bethelites and those who volunteered building the need bethel who can fit everything they own into a car and are now a burden on others

  dont Worry it’s just around the corner 😮‍💨
• 

  Gorb

  I remember a CO at a circuit meeting in the 90's, who stated "those of you who are complaining about not having a good job and income because of wrong choices in 1975, you did it your self! Don't blame the society!", he said.

  When you think about it, he was right. We make our choices, good and wrong.

  Don't blame others.

  G.
• 

  PimoElder

  Gorb I remember a CO at a circuit meeting in the 90's, who stated "those of you who are complaining about not having a good job and income because of wrong choices in 1975, you did it your self! Don't blame the society!", he said.
  When you think about it, he was right. We make our choices, good and wrong.
  Don't blame others.
  

  Good point. This is why I am only physically in. It’s my fault if I waste my life believing a bunch of lies.

  I like being in for the good things but always remain agnostic either way.

  If there is an intelligent designer and the Bible is right then I will jump that side of the fence if for example the great tribulation starts.

  If the missing link is ever found or there is found a half monkey half human skull then I will jump that side of the fence.

  Right now Im staying in for the gossip 🤣🤣🤣

  you have to admit it’s a great soap opera watching the fat old men get fatter and older and we get further away from 1914.

  these are all overlappers so what will they come up with next? Overlapping the overlappers😮‍💨

  the bunker video will not age well. I remember talking to someone who thought the fat old men were telling us that it’s going to be very soon now. I asked them what if it’s not what happens if nothing happens over the next few years? “Oh they wouldn’t do that to us” was her reply