Posts by Muddy Waters

71

What went through your mind when you saw this Picture?

by John Aquila in

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Muddy Waters

*bumping* for a good laugh to start the day (or to have in the middle of the day) or to complete your day, lol, depending what time zone you are in. :)

LOVE the comments and every one's sense of humour! Bless you all. :)

(I don't mean bless in the religious sense. So DONE with that! But you are all blessings to me, thank you. :)

13

Just realized this recently - as a JW, I never "owned" any of my accomplishments or talents & abilities....

by Muddy Waters in

just realized this recently - as a jw, i never "owned" any of my accomplishments or talents & abilities....we were always told how we are nothing, just specks of dust, grasshoppers, worms.... lowly, despicable sinners in need of redemption, born into sin & misery, constantly facing temptations that we could never handle on our own but only with "jehovah's help"... so we were continually marginalized, all our abilities and talents... they would even quote scriptures that said things like "why should we boast as if we didn't receive these abilities..?

"it was a weird mentally psychotic dichotomy -- being told we were worthless sinners, undeserving of god's kindness -- and on the other hand being the only ones who would survive the great day of jehovah the almighty god at armageddon.

(well, probably, maybe, if we did enough and *kept* doing enough...)so we didn't "own" any of our abilities and accomplishments.

Muddy Waters

Another thing -- because I realize that these abilities, talents, accomplishments, etc., are *mine*, it makes me more aware of how precious they are.

It's like how now, when we know that the religion is a lie, and we do not have all the answers, it makes us *more humble*. We are ever more interested in other people's ideas, philosophies and ways of coping or dealing with the ups and downs of life. We begin to connect with other people. And we value and appreciate OTHER people's accomplishments and talents and hard work more, too.

The "world" recognizes this, in the respect given to people who are experts in their field, or who have various degrees and education, etc.

I am finally realizing this too. (I might be a little slow, lol ...God, it takes a looooong time for mind control to wear off and to rejoin humanity!!)

13

Just realized this recently - as a JW, I never "owned" any of my accomplishments or talents & abilities....

by Muddy Waters in

just realized this recently - as a jw, i never "owned" any of my accomplishments or talents & abilities....we were always told how we are nothing, just specks of dust, grasshoppers, worms.... lowly, despicable sinners in need of redemption, born into sin & misery, constantly facing temptations that we could never handle on our own but only with "jehovah's help"... so we were continually marginalized, all our abilities and talents... they would even quote scriptures that said things like "why should we boast as if we didn't receive these abilities..?

"it was a weird mentally psychotic dichotomy -- being told we were worthless sinners, undeserving of god's kindness -- and on the other hand being the only ones who would survive the great day of jehovah the almighty god at armageddon.

(well, probably, maybe, if we did enough and *kept* doing enough...)so we didn't "own" any of our abilities and accomplishments.

Muddy Waters

Just realized this recently - as a JW, I never "owned" any of my accomplishments or talents & abilities....

We were always told how we are nothing, just specks of dust, grasshoppers, worms.... lowly, despicable sinners in need of redemption, born into sin & misery, constantly facing temptations that we could never handle on our own but only with "Jehovah's help"...

So we were continually marginalized, all our abilities and talents... they would even quote scriptures that said things like "why should we boast as if we didn't receive these abilities..?"

It was a weird mentally psychotic dichotomy -- being told we were worthless sinners, undeserving of God's kindness -- and on the other hand being the ONLY ONES who would survive the great day of Jehovah the Almighty God at Armageddon. (well, probably, maybe, if we did enough and *kept* doing enough...)

So we didn't "own" any of our abilities and accomplishments. If we were good at something, it was because of a special blessing or gift from Jehovah. We were never to "think more of ourselves than necessary".

FINALLY, at over 50 years of age, I am finally recognizing that all the difficult or challenging things I have accomplished or done, was because I did it. I had the ability.
(Yes, there may be a possibility that there is a divine person out there somewhere who bestows blessings, but the universe seems more and more impersonal and random. I am leaning more and more toward atheism every day.... So many things don't make sense.)

As a JW, I had the assurance that I had practically ALL the answers to every perplexing question and full confidence in those answers. Any questions unanswered were not important, they would all be answered in due time or "in the new system".

I marginalized so many things.... and now I realize they were important!!! This was *MY LIFE* -- but my talents and time and all my abilities were to somehow bring glory to God now in some way (in the ministry) or in some future far away (paradise). A person was living a life deferred.

I see the things I have done and accomplished, and some were very hard & difficult, yet all glory went to Jehovah -- I was nothing. Just a worm, plodding along, doing what I was supposed to do.

...

So... the thing is.... is that now I realize just how "on our own" we really are. All our talents and abilities are OURS. We are gifted (whether by a god or a universe, or heritage of genetics, or pairings of various particles and quantum things, who the heck knows...) and we stand on our OWN.

And we can actually feel PROUD of our abilities and talents. We can OWN them. We are unique and wonderful, amazing individuals.

52

The Deep Things of Jehovah(tm). What are they?

by punkofnice in

i just wondered.

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Muddy Waters

Good question. Once upon a time there were types and anti-types and learning what things symbolized.... (temple, the curtain, most holy of holies, palm branches, ark with doves and/or special candle holders.... covenants, prophecies... beasts and dreams... numbers and significances of... New Jerusalem and Jerusalem above and whatever the hell.... and on & on it went, ad nauseum, to the nth degree..... )

52

New Field Service Report

by cognac in

jw
friends

has anyone seen this?

when did that happen?.

http://www.jw-archive.org/post/137681838624/new-service-report-jwinspirational.

Muddy Waters

It's all about placing their (mostly visual now) propaganda and counting your time. Then, lastly, counting all or any "bible studies" .

And that's it! No more listing of physical literature placed, whether books, tracts, or magazines and how many... (I almost said 'bibles' but remembered that their previous field service report form never had a column for bibles either!)

This form seems like a survey in a way, yet with the goal of promoting their website and visual presentations.

40

How do you feel about the expression "The Truth"?

by stuckinarut2 in

jw
friends

it's amazing how the expression "the truth" has become such an ingrained term used by witnesses.. "we have 'the truth'".

"is he 'in the truth'?".

most here have found out so many facts about the organisation, and felt the effects of being "gut-punched" as we realised these facts.. so how do you feel about the expression "the truth" now?.

Muddy Waters

Haha, dbq. Or if you do express it, you put little "finger quotes" around it. But then there are those that dislike finger quotes too.

Ach ti liben.....

Reminds me of the song:

".... na na na na...

I learnt my lesson well... (na na na na)

that you can't please everyone,

so ya -- gotta please yourself..." **

...

** 'course, Jeh's got something to say about that too!

... bah!

....

If there is a god, may God damn the Watchtower...

- Muddy

43

It amazes me...

by punkofnice in

..to think about how the congregations actually function....even down to the individual level.. the biggest bully on the boe (or his wife), controls the show.. ones within the congregation are treated like they're dirt and still they return.

stockholm syndrome?.

i've heard ones say that 'jehovah(tm) will sort it all out.

Muddy Waters

Haha, Punk, you gave me a laugh. Thinking of her in those terms! hee hee hee

Hahahahaha!! LOL. Bwhahahaha! "... battle axe.... cow....!" Lmao.

I'd have never dared to think of anyone like that. Such sacrilege! Speaking abusively of glorious ones (or their wives!!) hahahaha.

I feel so naughty now, lol.

And the younger, idealistic, brainwashed, hurt young "sister" I was at the time, thanks you, too. :)

40

How do you feel about the expression "The Truth"?

by stuckinarut2 in

jw
friends

it's amazing how the expression "the truth" has become such an ingrained term used by witnesses.. "we have 'the truth'".

"is he 'in the truth'?".

most here have found out so many facts about the organisation, and felt the effects of being "gut-punched" as we realised these facts.. so how do you feel about the expression "the truth" now?.

Muddy Waters

(Posting this from the other thread..)

I wouldn't be so hard on people who still use the term, "the truth", especially people who were born into this religion. It is very ingrained. And to them, "the truth" means the JW religion, not necessarily the TRUTH.

I was talking with a friend recently, she's DF'd, knows more than me about all the lies and subterfuge, yet when we talk, she'll still say things like, "Remember Brother so-and-so..? He left the truth, too." She was raised in the religion, and knows absolutely that is not in any way, shape, or form, "the truth", but to her, it is simply another way of referring to this religion/cult.

She gets impatient with me when I mention her use of this expression. "Well, of course I know that it isn't "the truth - it's just another term for that f'd up religion!"

So while that term grates on my nerves, too, I understand it takes a long time, if ever, to eradicate.

39

How do you feel about the expression "The Truth"?

by stuckinarut2 in

jw
friends

it's amazing how the expression "the truth" has become such an ingrained term used by witnesses.. "we have 'the truth'".

"is he 'in the truth'?".

most here have found out so many facts about the organisation, and felt the effects of being "gut-punched" as we realised these facts.. so how do you feel about the expression "the truth" now?.

Muddy Waters

I wouldn't be so hard on people who still use the term, "the truth", especially people who were born into this religion. It is very ingrained. And to them, "the truth" means the JW religion, not necessarily the TRUTH.

I was talking with a friend recently, she's DF'd, knows more than me about all the lies and subterfuge, yet when we talk, she'll still say things like, "Remember Brother so-and-so..? He left the truth, too." She was raised in the religion, and knows absolutely that is not in any way, shape, or form, "the truth", but to her, it is simply another way of referring to this religion/cult.

She gets impatient with me when I mention her use of this expression. "Well, of course I know that it isn't "the truth - it's just another term for that f'd up religion!"

So while that term grates on my nerves, too, I understand it takes a long time, if ever, to eradicate.

11

Surgery/Infection/Pain

by compound complex in

jw
friends

dear fellow posters and friends:.

a friend had been making excellent recovery after hospitalization and rehab.

then, some 6 weeks later, while an infection set in, he had to return to hospital.

Muddy Waters

"... was wondering if you or yours have ever had what appeared to be a good recovery, only to be followed by an unexpected reversal of progress and consequent decline."

Yes, this happened to one of my uncles, he was doing fine but then got some kind of staph infection.

An acquaintance also had this happen, appeared to be fine, then suddenly not. Had an instrument left inside her body.