Muddy Waters

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Posts by Muddy Waters

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  25

  The new brchoure

  by Sabin in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the gestapo body, brought out a brochure, i believe it was called return to jehovah.

  in it they gave 3 reasons why some-one left the borganization.

  if i remember 1 was because the person is angry at some one in the cong, or something along those lines.

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  Muddy Waters

  Thankee, possum. That brochure got me rather riled up!!
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  25

  The new brchoure

  by Sabin in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the gestapo body, brought out a brochure, i believe it was called return to jehovah.

  in it they gave 3 reasons why some-one left the borganization.

  if i remember 1 was because the person is angry at some one in the cong, or something along those lines.

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  Muddy Waters

  Thank you for that link, wannabefree.

  This brochure is awful. Horrible. Disgusting. I could see its insidious pull for a person who is lonely or missing their family -- it's all geared to your EMOTIONS --- and they try to make you feel like THEY are your true family.

  The brochure is full of talk & experiences about "coming home", etc, and lots of touchy feely stuff. Beware! It is clever and tricky, trying to pull at your heart, the same way they say Satan tries to get you by appealing to your heart! You remember that treacherous heart? (from scripture in Jeremiah) -- that ole' tricky heart that deceives us and lies to us and can't be trusted? Yes that's the one, that's the same treacherous heart the GB has no qualms about tweaking & playing with and using our emotions!!

  Oh they are very skilled at using all kinds of tactics & psychological tools to keep their members controlled through guilt, fear, obligation, loneliness, anxiety....

  ... That brochure is a mind sifter all right! Those bastards, they know their shunning policy is one of their best weapons against a person who has woken up and become free from their control - they know they can hurt you by taking your family away from you. And so they beg you to come back, the smiling-faced, soft-spoken abusers that they are -- "look and see how nice we are -- can't you see how much we miss you? Can't you feel Jehovah's love? Why would you not ever FEEL like returning? And coming HOME? To be welcomed back into this loving fold and into Jehovah's (read: the governing body's dictates & rules) family of loving kindness....?" Ugh.

  But let's say a person really does go back, stumbling into the horrible Kingdom Hall with their hearts bursting from lonliness and heartbreak, missing their families so damn much, while their families sit there so self-righteously and so blinded by their trust in the evil shunning command. They can't see how hateful it is and how manipulative it is.

  And so you are back. And you get all the questions, gossip, stares, judgements, and personal boundary intrusions. And going to all the endless repetitious meetings, and all the time spent getting ready for the meetings. And wearing 1950-prescribed clothing styles. And having all your literature choices, music choices, book choices, recreation choices, holiday choices, educational choices, etc., being all replaced by their agenda. Remember?

  And then they will start expecting things from you. They will ask "innocent" yet probing questions to keep tabs on your spiritual status: ".... Are you going out in field service tomorrow?" (Oh shit, after being "inactive", don't you know you have to APPLY for "re-activation", but only after being at meetings faithfully for at least 6 months, as per Jesus' instructions at ..... uh.... verse, um.... In the book of ..... well anyway. 6 months at least, as per the elder's secret handbook or secret branch correspondence book or some secret reference in a letter to the Body of Elders.... all equivalent to the bible anyway!)

  And so you slog for them, week after week, meeting after meeting.... Ugh, I can't go on. Would you?? Why?? Only for your family & because you love them so damn much?? Yep, that's what they're banking on, and is pretty much the whole gist of their brochure.
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  23

  "Don't think too much...."

  by Tornintwo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a couple of middle aged jw sisters dropped round unannounced the other day, they were only being kind i suppose, after some awkward silences i voiced a couple of my issues with the religion, (the safe ones), sort of an explanation as to why i'm no longer attending, namely: everyone else will die, lack of support for young ones, mistreatment/judgementalism by prominent ones who get away with it because 'they're imperfect and we have to wait on jehovah' etc.

  well, after sympathizing and telling me horror stories about awful elders and their own kids' issues in the past (how some left the truth, had bitter divorces from fellow witnesses etc) they then begged me to 'come back to jehovah', 'he misses me' apparently.

  finally, the more pushy one summed it up with 'you're thinking too much, it's not good for you', 'some issues you just have to put in a drawer and forget about....'.. hmm nice reasoning sisters, theocratic school training at its finest!

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  Muddy Waters

  Yes, I have heard those expressions too: "put it in a drawer...", "... leave it for Jehovah...", "... Put it on the shelf for now..."

  All this talk and blather about trusting the organization. Well, people trusted Moses too & he didn't even make it to the promised land (stupid rock anyway!)

  Solomon also turned out to be, well, not the one to follow after all. The wisest man in the world turned away from his God, Jehovah.

  Satan, once an esteemed child of God, well. Look at how that went.

  Yet we are to blindly and willingly and trustingly surrender our thinking and decision making to 7 imperfect men in New York who say they alone have the only pipeline to God today.

  Let me just put THAT thought on a shelf. And in a drawer. Far away.
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  26

  Does this sound like a man who is inspired by God?

  by Coded Logic in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  absolutely disgusting!.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqzc2m8_mba.

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  Muddy Waters

  Ugh. So he starts off by saying that a woman is not designed for headship because her cranium is smaller than a man's, thus she is not capable to take the lead. Then, at the end, he says that often times the woman is smarter than her husband and she must work hard to ensure she not use her mind against his.

  Also, if she tries to "out-man" her man, this is like being a homosexual.

  And now my brain hurts.
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  4

  Ironic Day Text from Mon., Nov. 23/15 about helping others....

  by Muddy Waters in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  we've had a few threads these past couple days about how the wt does not take care of its own, how there's no love in the congregations, how they do no charitable works (supposedly because they don't want to produce "rice christians"), and how they believe that in these last days, the literature is the most important thing people need today, this wonderful life-saving spiritual food.... right?

  well, take a look at this recent day text:.

  - from examining the scriptures daily - monday, november 23, 2015 - .

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  Muddy Waters

  We've had a few threads these past couple days about how the WT does not take care of its own, how there's no love in the congregations, how they do no charitable works (supposedly because they don't want to produce "rice Christians"), and how they believe that in these last days, the literature is the most important thing people need today, this wonderful life-saving spiritual food.... Right?

  Well, take a look at this recent day text:

  - from EXAMINING THE SCRIPTURES DAILY - Monday, November 23, 2015 -

  "Select for yourselves seven reputable men . . . that we may appoint them over this necessary matter.".—Acts 6:3. The apostles’ response to the report that certain “widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution” of food illustrates that the congregation can help to care for needy members. (Acts 6:1-5)

  Paul gave Timothy instructions outlining the circumstances under which Christian widows would qualify for material assistance from the congregation. (1 Tim. 5:3-16) The inspired Bible writer James likewise acknowledged the Christian obligation to look after orphans, widows, and others in cases of tribulation or need. (Jas. 1:27; 2:15-17) The apostle John too reasoned: “Whoever has the material possessions of this world and sees his brother in need and yet refuses to show him compassion, in what way does the love of God remain in him?” (1 John 3:17) If individual Christians have such obligations toward the needy, is that not also true of the congregations? w14 3/15 3:13, 14

  ...

  Hmph. Hypocrites, much??
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  24

  Churches helping neighbors instead of JW"s

  by life is to short in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  last week where i live we had the worst wind storm in the history of our area.

  we had gust of 71 miles an hour from 3 in the afternoon till 8 at night.

  it was like a hurricane at times the wind did sound like a freight train.

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  Muddy Waters

  Yes, and in the parable of the Good Samaritan who helped the man who was beaten and lying in the road -- if a Jehovah's Witness came across such a man, they would leave a tract or brochure beside him, while stepping over and around him to pass on by.
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  19

  Personal thoughts and evaluations upon the Jehovah's Witnesses Organization

  by Finkelstein in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  from my own personal feelings about the jws when i was involved and i was brought up in the is religious practice from birth, was one of feeling of being lied to, exploited and manipulated to a certain extent.

  reflectively though i could see some wholesome social behavior direction being propagated not surprising nevertheless since this faith is based from christianity at its core.. where and how the wts/jws got bit corrupted i believe is that this organization has always had a publishing house and its core operation and supporting finances were mostly from that endeavoring operation.

  this also included creating doctrines which were to support and enhance the proliferation of those published works.

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  Muddy Waters

  Interesting about the sales meetings and pitches... This is one of things which helped wake me up (the biggest thing which finally woke me up was that evil publication, My Book of Bible Stories, which I almost gave to my little grandchildren, when I suddenly and thankfully, saw those awful, nightmarish pictures through their little eyes!)

  But getting back to the sales meeting thing -- my husband and I were (very briefly) involved in an MLM and the similarities between their meetings and the JW meetings were astounding. All you had to do was change the product.

  Sales pitches, testimonials, hyped up information, exclusive special sales force people and levels.... and the whole way-of-life thinking, taking every opportunity to share your message / product with everyone you meet.... keeping records, noting personal preferences or objects of people to use as part of your sales pitch.... the big wigs at the top.... the pressure to advance and do more, more more.... The tendency to look down on outsiders for not having the same wonderful, superior experience (or product) ...
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  30

  70 inch t.v.'s on stage

  by dbq407 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so the other night we had a resolution to purchase two 70 inch t.v.

  's to hang on either side of the stage.

  and also a smaller t.v.

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  Muddy Waters

  Wow.... truly mind boggling.

  Could it be that the powers-that-be felt that the giant projector screen up there in the MIDDLE of the stage was too reminiscent of the 1984 movie or famous Super Bowl commercial?

  With giant screens placed BESIDE the stage vs. in the *middle* don't you know it makes all the difference...? Now it's nothing like that silly big brother/Orwell 1984 thing. Whew.

  ...

  (In case anybody doesn't realize, yes, this post is heavy sarcasm....)
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  46

  Correlation decline JW numbers and JW broadcasting?

  by Gorbatchov in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i read some impressive figures here about the decline of the jw numbers in 2015.. could there be a correlation between this decline and the start of jw broadcasting?.

  hence, that there would be an negative impact because the gb is standing so nearby, you can experience the idiot reasoning of their doctrines sitting in your own living room?.

  the lett effect?

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  Muddy Waters

  JW Rogue, what is the "infamous David Splane episode"...?
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  19

  2015-11/3/BOE! New Literature Delivery Schedule!

  by Atlantis in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  .. re: new schedule for delivery of magazines and literature .

  .click the green download button.. http://wwwb.fileflyer.com/view/tz1mdat.

  .. .. wtunderground!.

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  Muddy Waters

  They sure are emphasizing cost and that this is going to be saving costs.

  And that they do not want any "wasting of our precious literature."