What Do You Eat For Brakfast?

by Carmel 24 Replies latest jw friends

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  Carmel

  No attempt her at subtrafuge, just thought I'd kick off a subject with an anology.

  When I eat breakfast, I usually have one of three things, something with eggs, something sweet or just the coffee! How much of what I injest for the start of my day is controlled by the culture I live in and the habits I have come to consider "normal"? Virtually everything!

  What do I injest for the nutrition of my mind and spirit? Much the same thing! Generally speaking, most people even those in the "enlightened" west, confine their reading to a very narrow band width of literature.

  It strikes me that having had the common experiance of growing up in a JW family and subculture, my ideas of what I should and should not read was artificially constrained. (Rather major understatement as some of you would heartily attest) When I left the constraints of the KH and all its attendant control mechanisms, I began tasting the full variety of human thought, its methods of fellowship, devotion and inguiry.

  One thing I learned early on was the many misconceptions about the world of religion and of the mtaphysical and mystical inculcated into me as a child and youth.

  I'm wondering if any of you who are experiancing the release from this bondage are aware of how much of limitations are still in place? Do you still have the same thing for breakfast?

  carmel
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  RedhorseWoman

  My problem is that I simply don't have sufficient time to read everything I want to.

  I know I subscribe to way too many magazines, but there's always something out there that I find intriguing. And books....well, I keep the mailman busy with stuff from Amazon and my book clubs.

  I guess I'm making up for lost time. I want to sample a little bit of everything.
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  Frenchy

  I still eat grits.

  -Seen it all, done it all, can't remember most of it-
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  circare

  Excuse my ignorance please - but what are grits?
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  Pathofthorns

  An interesting topic. The thing is, most of us would not be here if something in our personalities had not moved us to go outside what had been prescribed "food" for us.

  There are several ways of looking at things, and the more one does, the more humble one gets when he realizes that one way of looking at things is not necessarily the only or right way.

  Many Witnesses somehow think that the Society has researched everything in detail (ie. the beliefs of other religions). The truth of the matter is why would they, except to find fault and flaws in them (the very thing we are not to do to our own religion). The reality is that people who write what is in the publications for the Society have only really known Jehovah's Witnesses and our critical views of everyone else.

  I do not believe everyone is "out to get Jehovah's Witnesses" or there is some world-wide agenda to wipe us out or that we are somehow these major players in a universal "chess game". The reality is that we are merely a speck on the world scene and to limit ourselves to what we see in our own "fish bowl" is simply imprisoning our minds to foolish and ignorant thinking.

  If there is anything the history of religion has taught us, it is the dangers of letting others do our thinking for us.

  Path
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  Seven

  I'm wondering if any of you who are experiencing the release from this bondage are aware of how much of limitations are still in place?

  Carmel-How about every aspect of my life? Is that a little too much? It is impossible to ever be totally free of it's influence. How many years have you been on the outside and you're still here talking about it-for whatever reason you need too. We all do. That's not release from bondage-that sounds like therapy to me. We can all go on with our lives but the scar tissue will always be there
  to some degree or other.

  Frenchy-I like my grits with a pat of butter and maple syrup.
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  Dubby

  Right now, I'm sipping a mocha. Usually it's that or black coffee. It used to be the daily text and coffee.

  After shifting from WT food to "worldly" food, I can't get enough of Grisham, Martini, Patterson, Crichton, and many research books debunking WT doctrine. Somehow I'm entrigued with lawyer stories. Could it be because of a legalistic religious life? Since this shift, I have rarely looked at other religious material, or the Bible. Before this shift, I read nothing but the local newspaper and WT literature.

  I've been in therapy(internet message boards)for about three years now. At one point, after reading almost everything about JW's on the net, and several books, I thought I was done. I'm still here, evidently not having worked out all my concerns about the WTBTS. You're right 7, lots of scar tissue. Also, it's just way interesting talking to others with similar concerns and religious background.

  "Enjoy God's creation, ride a dirt bike!"
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  Pathofthorns

  I've said the same, that we will carry our scars to our graves. Perhaps one day I can accept them better and wear them with pride for having stood for something.

  I wonder for those who feel no loss, those who have no "scars". As great a gift freedom is, it has come at a high price for many of us.

  Path
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  RedhorseWoman

  Grits. Had some really horrible grits at an assembly once....they tasted like someone predigested them, then burnt them.

  Once at a hotel while at a computer convention, however, they served grits with honey. They were WONDERFUL.

  We don't generally get grits here. We do have Jonnycakes, though....same ingredients....different style.
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  SolidSender

  Path - to take your thoughts a step or two further if i may - If God doesn't care about the WTBTS why should you or anyone else?-SolidSender
  PS - if somebody out there thinks that God cares about the WTBTS i would be most interested to hear why you think this is so.