Posts by Muddy Waters

37

My Mom Is Finally Seeing The Light!

by minimus in

jw
friends

i am very happy that my dear old mom is finally seeing the truth about the "truth".

what hit her like a ton of bricks is the latest wt.

study article that exalts the governing body and pretty much negates everything the bible students and russell, the founder of the watchtower, ever said was truth!.

Muddy Waters

If she has a lot of years invested in the WTBTS, this could be hard going for her as well. All her friends are there, and more family members?

So be gentle. She may not want to leave the congregation, especially if it has been giving her a lot of support. Bug good to see she is seeing beyond their bull-pucky. Just go slow. Walk gently, make sure she has a lot of support and love.

(((((( ))))))

11

Could RUTHERFORD be the magic key to open blind minds?

by Muddy Waters in

so, according to the new light, as presented at the agm (annual general meeting) last year in october 2012, (and being studied from the july 15/2013 wt in this month of september), whereby the faithful & discrete slave (fds) is now designated to mean the governing body only (and only when they come together as a group!!

haha, what rubbish!

) -- this is what i'm understanding:.

Muddy Waters

Yes, you all make some good points. Sigh. Just.... dang. I mean, Rutherford. Rutherford, of all people! JWs are supposed to accept that out of ALL the people on the earth, Jesus chose him. I just keep shaking my head. My mind boggles.

11

Could RUTHERFORD be the magic key to open blind minds?

by Muddy Waters in

so, according to the new light, as presented at the agm (annual general meeting) last year in october 2012, (and being studied from the july 15/2013 wt in this month of september), whereby the faithful & discrete slave (fds) is now designated to mean the governing body only (and only when they come together as a group!!

haha, what rubbish!

) -- this is what i'm understanding:.

Muddy Waters

So, according to the new light, as presented at the AGM (Annual General Meeting) last year in October 2012, (and being studied from the July 15/2013 WT in this month of September), whereby the Faithful & Discrete Slave (FDS) is now designated to mean the Governing Body only (and only when they come together as a group!! haha, what rubbish!) -- this is what I'm understanding:

- Jesus arrived (invisibly, hahaha, more joke!) in 1914 and went about on an inspection of alllll the religions on the earth.

- After four years of invisibly inspecting allll the religions on the earth, he finally designated and found one person on the earth whom he could approve. This person is now known as the very first Faithful & Discrete Slave. BEHOLD! That person is...

*drum roll*

Judge Rutherford!!

Charles Taze Russell, who founded the movement in the first place, (and I understand if you're thinking I'm speaking of a bowel movement) is not considered to be part of the FDS. He was only a fore-runner, a prophetic type (or anti-type or pattern or whatever the heck it is) of the PREPATORY work (which John the Baptist/Baptizer did to prepare the way for Jesus) and the groundwork which was then built upon/destroyed/totally demolished and changed by Rutherford.

HOW can JWs buy this?? How can they think that this makes any sense???

It seems to me that with RUTHERFORD being the VERY FIRST MAN ON THE EARTH TO BE APPROVED BY GOD/CHRIST JESUS, etc., as deserving the designation "Faithful & Discrete Slave", his life and actions should be worth examining! Especially in great, lovely, oh-so-revealing-detail. Maybe THIS would wake up some of those sleeping JWs!!

If only they really KNEW Rutherford's past and his didoes and doings and all about his mansions and cadillacs and body-guards and alcoholism and abuse of Bethel members and his rants and raves and constant ad-hominem attacks against everything and everyone that disagreed with him, and if they knew about his wealth and pomposity and devious methods to take control of the WTBTS which totally contra-indicated everything Russell wanted to happen in the will he wrote, including who should follow him after his death... if JWs could somehow SEE or find out about just this ONE MAN, without even having to go into all the JW history and changes and false prophecies and duplicity and lies and cover-ups, and scandals and pedophilia cover-ups, and secret UN membership, etc., ad infinitum, would that not help wake a few people up??

All we have to do now, it seems, is get the ball rolling about RUTHERFORD, since he is now (according to the new light!) the VERY FIRST person to be chosen by Christ as the FDS!! (even though the GB are somehow not yet appointed over all Jesus' belongings, they are the ones said to be chosen to "feed the sheep!")

88

If the big change at the AGM meeting is dropping the literal 144,000...

by slimboyfat in

the best conjecture seems to be that the gb are going to drop the literal 144,000 teaching, especially in view of the december watchtower that pointedly does not mention the 144,000 number.

if they are dropping the literal 144,000 number, but still claim that only a small number are anointed, and can partake, and that only a few are left on earth, then it is fair to ask what has really changed?

they are simply clearing up the embarrassing situation that there were obviously more than 144,000 "anointed" believers from 36 ad until now, and that the number of partakers has been increasing in recent years.

Muddy Waters

Wow, such cool thoughts. Love this. Thank you. Marking.

32

How Many Enjoy Celebrating Holidays? Birthdays?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i admit that i do enjoy it, especially with my grandkids.

birthdays, too.. i believe we missed out on a lot of fun and normal activities because we were witnesses..

Muddy Waters

We haven't done anything yet, though a friend bought us a gift for our DOG and sang Happy Birthday to him while I stood there like an idiot.... (Our friend loves our dog, lol, and our dogs play great together....)

I don't know if we can yet get past the guilt and "materialistic aspect" of certain holidays or not! They sure do look like a lot of fun, though...

I've been thinking about Halloween lately, and how that seems like it might be fun!

22

Interesting quote from July 15, 2013 Watchtower

by Rufus T. Firefly in

the article who really is the faithful and discreet slave in the july 15, 2013, watchtower contains a curious comment.

in paragraph 10 it is stated: "in recent decades, that slave has been closely identified with the governing body of jehovah's witnesses.".

can anyone tell me who in recent decades has closely identified that slave with the gb?

Muddy Waters

*marking*

Love everybody's comments. Oooh, very tempting to go the Sept. meetings!!

42

share your reaction after reading CoC and ISoCF

by suavojr in

jw
friends

after reading coc and isocf i cried, i was in shock, disillusioned, angry, and afraid... anyone wants to share their experience?.

i would like to see what you think about these questions when compared with your account.. why people from different backgrounds feel similar reactions?

(cannot be a conpiracy).

Muddy Waters

I too, read CoC with tears pouring down my face. It was shocking. Made me feel sick, nauseous inside. Heartbroken. Angry.

I also had observations such as, "where is the anger? Where is the hate and vitriol that I would expect from reading an apostate book? Where are the attacks, insults, sly cunning and deceit?" So at first I read very carefully, sure that somewhere in his words were the smooth whisperings of a satanic viper subtly attempting to attack my faith. Yet his words were not that way. Ray Franz presented FACTS. He presented evidence, letters, correspondence, WT articles... and all in a spirit of deep humbleness, despite his personal pain.

At first I didn't want to believe. I made excuses. I thought maybe the GB had become apostate, but that Jehovah would correct things in time because this was still gods organization. But of course, it gradually filtered in that God, as presented in the bible, never had a Christian organization the way the WTS presents it. It took a while for that point to get hammered home to me, as I was a totally indoctrinated dub!

There was also much cognitive dissonance, trying to absorb the things he was saying. It felt like an optical illusion, where you see a thing from the WT/JW perspective, and then a sudden shift to see it as he was describing it. Very strange at first and disconcerting! There was a lot of confusion and disillusion. But people on these lovely supportive ex-JW forums helped immensely and told me to just take my time, keep reading and researching, which I did almost non-stop!!

Ayway, the long and the short of it is that I can now never believe in any religious system! I AM FREE!!!!

50

Well I gotta go......

by punkofnice in

jw
friends

...i might drop in every now and then but i hope you all enjoy life, escape the watchtower(r) and live prosperous lives.. i can't say i contribute much here anyway (and i'm not attention seeking).. i'm just going to get on with life away from the constant reminder of the mistakes i made being a jw zombie drone.. i guess i'm just going to fade.......rather quickly.. of course i didn't need to make any posts here to disappear but i thought it'd be polite and very british to bid you all a fond farewell.. see you all sometime.....maybe.....maybe not.....maybe....... bye!.

ps.

don't pm me as i won't be checking the pms.. .

Muddy Waters

You know, when I first began posting here, I remember how shocked I was at your avatar, LOL. Some of your words were so terrifying to me, so "apostate"!!
Yet your words were also filled with thoughtfulness, sincerity, intelligence, satire, keen observations, clear thinking, occasional anger & angst, and all your words and insights were very very helpful to me!!

It helped break down the WT walls, to see people like you who were once ELDERS in the congregations, revealing the dark cavernous underbelly of the WTS and its hidden teeth (now not so hidden!) and its duplicity and inner workings, lies, scandals and hypocrisy. They are no better than any other man-led belief system (and in may ways, much worse!) and your posts and your pain and your journey away from it all has been cathartic and healing. I salute you, brother, and wish I could shake your hand as you carry onward and leave the WT shit behind.

Imagine that, too... a sincere smile & handshake. :)

And heck, why not.. even a hug.

- Luvs, Muds

33

Fading ... Do You Owe Witness Friends An Explanation?

by What Now? in

i'm curious about what you all think on this subject.

when my husband and i became irregular about a year ago, and then inactive around 5 months ago, i felt that it would be hypocritical to take advantage of the social side of the witness community if we weren`t going to meetings or in service.

we stopped entertaining (which we did quite regularly - theme parties, card parties, movie nights, big turkey dinners, breakfasts on holidays etc), and i slowly stopped accepting invitations for get togethers, playdates etc.

Muddy Waters

Yes, if they weren't under CULT MIND CONTROL I could see maybe giving an explanantion. But even at that, people get busy, drift away. They do other things, then drift together again, and away they go again. Like ebbs and flows of the sea. People flow around you and occasionally touch you... Some stay and you lap their gentle vibes of friendship and return waves and ripples of friendship and goodwill to them.

And others are a surging storm you can't wait to run away from and some people are like pools which draw you in... there are calm waters and deep waters and shallow waters... and there are glazed-over frosted icicles that threaten to break if you should breathe on them....

Haha. Howz that for "illustration". ! :)

165

Board of bitterness

by 1009 in

i always was a critical jw, now df and agnost.

but still this religion fascinates me.

in my eyes most jw are very sincere, but dumb sheep.. this board is filled with ex-jw.

Muddy Waters

1009, you speak with muddy marbles in your mouth. You don't seem to "get it".

Have you read Crisis of Conscience by Ray Franz? He was a member of the GB for 8-9 years. When you read that book, the lies, deceit, and duplicity of the WTS is laid bare. Highly recommended.