Muddy Waters

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Posts by Muddy Waters

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  9

  I attended my 2nd exjw meetup and it was brilliant

  by UnshackleTheChains in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i decided to attend my 2nd scottish exjw meetup and what a blast.

  so many experiences.

  it was incredibly engaging to actually meet people in the flesh and hearing their personal stories.. the damage the watchtower organisation causes to peoples lives is absolutely disgusting.

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  Muddy Waters

  It sounds like HimselfIAm is channeling Yoda and Luke Skywalker with the help of a new age sage perhaps....
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  8

  After watching "the last man on earth" I've been thinking about the paradise

  by purrpurr in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if you haven't seen will forte's "the last man on earth" on amazon prime, do as its really funny.

  the setting of the story is that 2 years prior a virus has killed all humans except one.... amongst the high jinks are the struggles he has with things like; getting water from the water system when the areas water supply is no longer being maintained, ditto sewerage, not having ready access to fresh foods that require industry like butter and cheese, not having access to medical help, being unable to communicate with anyone outside of shouting distance, having no electricity / electronic appliances.. it's got me thinking, all the wt's illustrations show the time when armageddon is over as being really joyful and there being plenty for everyone.

  but in fact that would just not be the case, especially since most jw's have no survival skills or expert knowledge of any kind.. jws just don't think about this, how are all those couples who are waiting untill the new system to have kids, going to have kids in a survival setting?

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  Muddy Waters

  omg, we love that show! — It was shockingly crude to us at first, we not being used to that sort of humour (haha, still so innocent or naive at times)! 😄🙃😄

  But it is really eye opening about survival when all our modern conveniences are gone and how one would deal with the actual realities of such a disaster.

  Not to mention how morality (and ethics) fits with or rises from our situation and environment ...

  This show is quite thoughtful and desperately sad at times yet hilarious most of the other times...

  (We have been watching it on Netflix.)
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  10

  Highlights from Leaked Bethel Videos - part 3, Family Day

  by neat blue dog in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  then there was family day which had an enormous turnout, with guests getting live entertainment, dancing and a dj.

  they said that next time they'll cut back and not invite guests.. .

  .

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  Muddy Waters

  I don’t get it... is this a Family Day celebration or appreciation day for Bethelites, or is to celebrate the “world’s” Family Day..? Is this for JWs only, or for Bethelites only or what the heck..?

  What are we seeing here?
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  6

  The twisting and manipulations of the scriptures used by the WTBTS

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the watchtower society has always been headed by narcissistic control freaks.

  scriptures as a front for their human agendas ( have the power so they can control its members ).

  they twist and manipulate scriptures to fit it in with their ideas and controlling ways.

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  Muddy Waters

  Oh they know how to twist scriptures, all right, even to mean the complete opposite!

  Examples:

  1). Bible: “Do not put your trust in nobles, nor in the son of earthling man, in whom there is no salvation.” (Psalms 146)
  

  WT interpretation: “... except for us, of course. You must trust ONLY us.”

  2). Bible: “In every nation, the man that fears God and works righteousness is acceptable to Him.” (Acts)

  WT interpretation: “... as long as he is one of us!” (a Jehovah’s Witness).

  3). Bible: (paraphrasing) “... if you see someone hungry or thirsty, or in need of clothing or shelter, you must help them and not simply say, “Go in peace, stay warm and well fed.” (Matthew)

  WT interpretation: this refers *only* to SPIRITUAL HELP and not to any actual physical help regarding a person’s practical needs, lest they become ‘rice Christians’ seeking to take advantage of our mercy and kindness (selfish, unappreciative swine that hurt people obviously must be...!)

  (oh, but they can sometimes help people in *extreme* circumstances or natural disasters, as long as it is organized and guided appropriately, with many rules and regulations and caveats and ‘Letters to the Bodies of Elders’ and limits and decrees and what-nots about all the proper ways to do this... while always keeping the caveat above in mind, that is, to not make any rice christians.)

  🙄😠

  ... oh, I know there are oodles more scriptures that they twist and turn and double back on... I could go on and on...
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  16

  The secret fears - did you have any?

  by days of future passed in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i think many jw's have secret fears in common, but don't often voice them.

  it's too bad because then they might wonder why?.

  for instance, one day at work while i was talking to one of the witness ladies, (on her belief of some bible proof of the last days) she suddenly lowered her voice.

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  Muddy Waters

  Geez... the fear, the constant worry that you will be, and remain, faithful ... so many tests and temptations and trials everywhere.... so many dangers to our “faith”... and then our secret sins and — gasp — “The Unforgiveable Sin”... !!

  Oy, my gods. One always “knew” they weren’t quite ever doing enough...

  It is hard to contemplate and remember that mindset now... so pervasive and consuming... you ALWAYS felt GUILTY about some damn thing you did or didn’t do....

  And then if making it through the Great Tribulation wasn’t enough, you had to worry about another Great Test all over again 1,000 years into our future.....
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  81

  Roll Call for the benefit of Newbies and Lurkers. In One Sentence tell why you left the Org.

  by Wasanelder Once in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  roll call for the benefit of newbies and lurkers.

  in one sentence tell why you left the org.

  not 2 sentences.

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  Muddy Waters

  I was going to give my “wordly” grandchildren the book, My Book of Bible Stories, when I suddenly saw it through their little eyes, and it was a terrible thing to see: all the bloodshed, tears, horror, destruction, and pain and it made me wonder what sort of person or men could approve or put out such a book for little children.... and it all fell apart from there, like a house of cards tumbling down...

  I posted about this just before the Caleb and Sophie videos and new bible story book came out for children, and I’ve always wondered if somebody at WT read my posts .... but perhaps that is giving them (or myself) too much credit ....
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  65

  Lloyd Evans' New Book - Is It Really Necessary?

  by pale.emperor in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so lloyd evans will shortly be releasing his new book how to leave the jehovah's witnesses.

  i do enjoy his rebuttals and the stuff he manages to get hold of and leak.

  but i'm struggling to understand what he could possibly write to merit a whole book.. all info on how to leave is right here on this forum.

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  Muddy Waters

  I appreciate very much Lloyd’s videos and comments on jwDotBorg doings and didoes.

  At first I was very put off by the man due to many things already mentioned here, but I am hoping that he is “living and learning” through these experiences...

  I also think he is showing great promise through his journey out of the bOrg, becoming more aware and less narcissistic —being the best parent he can be to their little girl will be a great opening and humbling experience as well... as kids have no respect or awareness for ego, haha, and can help keep us grounded.

  He had much of the JW elder in him, and that’s a hard one to shed, but his energy and love of life and sense of humour can go far if he can keep himself reasonably humble, or grounded, and not let his fan club go to his head.

  Keep up up the good work, Mr. Evans, you are progressing well on the path of life...

  May we all walk gently and with best of love and intent on our own journey through this experience of existence....

  
  
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  7

  Questions For Jehovah's Witnesses

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  here are some tough questions designed to determine honesty of the witnesses you meet.. 1. is post secondary education currently discouraged by your religion?

  2. does your religion teach, that with rare exceptions, only baptised jws will survive armageddon?.

  do you believe jehovah will completely destroy billions of people at armageddon?.

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  Muddy Waters

  These are GREAT questions! Thank you.
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  30

  Female Perspective about WTS, marital relationship & control

  by Muddy Waters in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  despite my user name, am female.

  i was not born-in, began studying when i was around 20, am 50 damn years old now and have spent almost the last 30 years in that stupid religion.

  but here are some observations, make of them what you will.

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  Muddy Waters

  Hi everybody.... looking over my old post about my previous JW “personality” and perspective, and am now SO GLAD AND REFRESHED to be out and FAR AWAY from that horrible, smug, self-righteous JW mindset/headspace.

  I can’t believe how superior you become in your own mind and how discompassionate you feel toward other people when you believe you have the ultimate “truth” and the only correct (“accurate”) knowledge. It makes me feel like I can understand other extremist groups like ISIS or Nazism, etc., and how they can be so unbending and self-righteous in their beliefs. It makes me wish that there is no religion at all any more, as I now see religion to be a system which divides and separates us from connecting with each other.

  Am happy to update and report that husband and I are happier than ever, exploring the freedom to be ourselves, to become the real, wonderful, AUTHENTIC people we were born to be, and loving every moment of this precious intellectual freedom.

  💕🤗💕
  
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  76

  In one sentence, can you pinpoint a single event that woke you up?

  by Brian J in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  my turning point: serving on a child abuse judicial case.

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  Muddy Waters

  There were moments of questioning and doubts:

  - 1995 generation change,

  - the (shocking!) allowance of blood fractions - whatever happened to “he who is faithful in what is least is also faithful in much”??

  - the ridiculous Revelation Climax book, which, for some absurd reason we studied repeatedly!! and its heavenly trumpet blasts being convention resolutions from the 1920’s which nobody even remembers anymore

  - various doctrinal issues that didn’t feel right (example, it felt like our door-to-door ministry was actually condemning people to death if they ignored our message, since they would have a better chance of paradise if they did not know or hear about the “good news”!!)

  ...

  *** But the thing which FINALLY tore the blinders off was “MY BOOK OF BIBLE STORIES”

  - I was going to give a copy to our dear little grandchildren, who couldn’t even read yet, and then I began looking at the pictures.....

  It made me wonder what kind of men would put out such a terrible and frightening, graphic book for little children... and then I realized that it was, yes, approved by the governing body, most of whom did not even have children!! It made me realize that they were just making it all up as they go, that they were clueless and did not have any “holy spirit” at all....