Well, there's the verse in Hebrews that talks the root of bitterness, and many being defiled by it should it take hold. Other than that I do not know the true meaning of the verse and will not pretend to. I think cultists (my former self included) like to lump those who would tell us the ugly truth about our cult into demeaning categories. Bitter was always a good one. Truth too hard to take? No problem, label the messenger bitter and ignore everything they have to say. Can't take the fact that you are not as right as you thought you were? No problem, label the messenger a "basher" and ignore the message as you claim another inch or two of downward movement into the sand.
bitterness of soul seems to be a "biblical" concept.
does "bitterness" make one..
1. wrong. false conclusion, your logic is flawed, only because.. you are... bitter..
2. possessed.
3. etc.
"why would I want to spend time with such a bunch of BITTER people.."
well.. maybe.. because that is all that is or are, around..
must have been the automatic spell check. I wrote "bitter".. it spelled "bigger"..
How is bitter being defined? Who is defining it? Is bitterness being defined by someone still in denial?
No, being bitter doesn't mean ones conclusions are wrong or their logic is flawed. Of course not, it usually means someone is processing an injustice, working it out, dealing with their emotions, and BEING HUMAN!!
People who were at one time conditioned to deaden and deny their emotions...may need to be vocal and learn to process. What better way than with those who have experienced the same thing under the same bizarre set of restrictions and legalism? It may even be healthy and truly helpful!
But, of course, if one is still entrenched in that same emotionally stifling world view and mind set....then they are probably not really qualified to even define an emotion.
I remember what I thought passed as bitterness, or love, mercy, sympathy, empathy, kindness, care, concern, hope, joy, and the rest in TWI. It was fairly warped and the TWI mindset was not a good way to get in touch or deal with genuine emotion.
1. having a harsh, disagreeably acrid taste, like that of aspirin, quinine, wormwood, or aloes.
2. producing one of the four basic taste sensations; not sour, sweet, or salt.
3. hard to bear; grievous; distressful: a bitter sorrow.
4. causing pain; piercing; stinging: a bitter chill.
5. characterized by intense antagonism or hostility: bitter hatred.
6. hard to admit or accept: a bitter lesson.
7. resentful or cynical: bitter words.
–noun
8. that which is bitter; bitterness: Learn to take the bitter with the sweet.
9. British . a very dry ale having a strong taste of hops.
–verb (used with object)
10. to make bitter: herbs employed to bitter vermouth.
–adverb
11. extremely; very; exceedingly: a bitter cold night.
definitions 3, 5, and 7 seem the most applicable......but i think the reason for the bitterness is critical. ....reflecting on my state of mind when i posted some rants - i'd classify them as being fueled by # 3 and 5 - the sentiment in my posts was very hateful and antagonistic toward an aspect of vp or TWI and i imagine hard to bear by some..
...and while the intensity of resentfulness may have died down - i do have some cynicism toward organized religion now [ # 7].
i also think the # 6 bitterness still hounds folks who are in denial over what vp and TWI were all about.....that's probably an initial phase we all go thru when we get to see the underbelly of the beast - perhaps for the first time, in all its ineffable "greatness" and effulgent "glory".
....and maybe that denial is a natural buffer to damper the blow of the shock to your belief system - but at some point i think the bitteness usually alters its role and becomes something like an anti-venom in treating the poisons introduced by the snakebites [please refer to the aforementioned "underbelly of the beast"]..
...but i think a worst case scenario of # 6 bitterness is when the person stays at the denial stage and doesn't move on....and by moving on i mean the person accepts the fact that they were betrayed...ripped off....hurt.... failed to see thru the facade....whatever.... and can now pick up the pieces, start to make sense of what happened, develop ways to prevent such failures in the future..... and pursues new interests while enjoying life.
of course this is just my opinion and i could be wrong
Since I first faced the "root of bitterness" warning, I have done my best to avoid it. Don't really know what it is or how it gets there, but bitter foods make a person shudder, and I always hope bitter thoughts and actions would make me shudder as well. I think bitter is opposite of sweet -- and that sweet in the Holy Spirit way is not a saccharine sweetness meaninglessness nor a syruppy over the top sweetness of cavity-creating sugar stuffs, but the natural sweetness of ripe fruit that is such a delight to enjoy.
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So_crates
Or you hit a glitch.
SoCrates
May I refer you to the definition of Cynic in Ambrose Bierce's Devil's Dictionary? It also applies to "bitterness":
CYNIC, n. A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be.
SoCrates
Or maybe you share a common experience with them which you have trouble getting others (the non-bitter people) to understand.
SoCrates
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OldSkool
Well, there's the verse in Hebrews that talks the root of bitterness, and many being defiled by it should it take hold. Other than that I do not know the true meaning of the verse and will not pretend to. I think cultists (my former self included) like to lump those who would tell us the ugly truth about our cult into demeaning categories. Bitter was always a good one. Truth too hard to take? No problem, label the messenger bitter and ignore everything they have to say. Can't take the fact that you are not as right as you thought you were? No problem, label the messenger a "basher" and ignore the message as you claim another inch or two of downward movement into the sand.
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waysider
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geisha779
How is bitter being defined? Who is defining it? Is bitterness being defined by someone still in denial?
No, being bitter doesn't mean ones conclusions are wrong or their logic is flawed. Of course not, it usually means someone is processing an injustice, working it out, dealing with their emotions, and BEING HUMAN!!
People who were at one time conditioned to deaden and deny their emotions...may need to be vocal and learn to process. What better way than with those who have experienced the same thing under the same bizarre set of restrictions and legalism? It may even be healthy and truly helpful!
But, of course, if one is still entrenched in that same emotionally stifling world view and mind set....then they are probably not really qualified to even define an emotion.
I remember what I thought passed as bitterness, or love, mercy, sympathy, empathy, kindness, care, concern, hope, joy, and the rest in TWI. It was fairly warped and the TWI mindset was not a good way to get in touch or deal with genuine emotion.
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Broken Arrow
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T-Bone
from the online dictionary:
http://dictionary.re...m/browse/bitter
definitions 3, 5, and 7 seem the most applicable......but i think the reason for the bitterness is critical. ....reflecting on my state of mind when i posted some rants - i'd classify them as being fueled by # 3 and 5 - the sentiment in my posts was very hateful and antagonistic toward an aspect of vp or TWI and i imagine hard to bear by some..
...and while the intensity of resentfulness may have died down - i do have some cynicism toward organized religion now [ # 7].
i also think the # 6 bitterness still hounds folks who are in denial over what vp and TWI were all about.....that's probably an initial phase we all go thru when we get to see the underbelly of the beast - perhaps for the first time, in all its ineffable "greatness" and effulgent "glory".
....and maybe that denial is a natural buffer to damper the blow of the shock to your belief system - but at some point i think the bitteness usually alters its role and becomes something like an anti-venom in treating the poisons introduced by the snakebites [please refer to the aforementioned "underbelly of the beast"]..
...but i think a worst case scenario of # 6 bitterness is when the person stays at the denial stage and doesn't move on....and by moving on i mean the person accepts the fact that they were betrayed...ripped off....hurt.... failed to see thru the facade....whatever.... and can now pick up the pieces, start to make sense of what happened, develop ways to prevent such failures in the future..... and pursues new interests while enjoying life.
of course this is just my opinion and i could be wrong
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Kit Sober
Since I first faced the "root of bitterness" warning, I have done my best to avoid it. Don't really know what it is or how it gets there, but bitter foods make a person shudder, and I always hope bitter thoughts and actions would make me shudder as well. I think bitter is opposite of sweet -- and that sweet in the Holy Spirit way is not a saccharine sweetness meaninglessness nor a syruppy over the top sweetness of cavity-creating sugar stuffs, but the natural sweetness of ripe fruit that is such a delight to enjoy.
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