Asking a question with no answer is better than having to answer a question you cannot answer. Does that make sense?
It is late so after reading that sentence three times, yes it does make sense
I left the JWs because I found so much conflict between what they teach and what the bible says. I wanted to serve God the right way. In the few years since my fade, I've bounced between intensive bible study, visiting other churches, and most of all, trying to understand why God allows all the suffering we see on earth. I don't believe the bible is inspired anymore.
My journey has taken me somewhere completely different than where I envisioned it would. Right now, I am not sure that God exists, but if he does, I am convinced that he has no strict requirement that humans worship him in a specific way. How could he?? We don't have an inborn knowledge that God is out there - we're taught he is. Depending on your country of birth, God could be One, or millions, or a trinity, or whatever. You could spend your entire life studying the subject in depth, and still not know.
If God wanted us to worship him in one specific way, it would be 'inborn' in us somehow, like a 'spiritual conscience', sort of. We'd simply know the right way to worship him. But, we don't.
Right now I'm torn between believing that we can worship God any way we want (ie, he doesn't care, as long as we pay attention to him), or believing that he doesn't care if we worship at all. Or becoming an athiest. I can't quite go there yet. But it's a journey, and I can change my mind at any time. And so can you!
A lot of interesting and important points raised, like you i went looking for God again after leaving the Witnesses and i've arrived somewhere i didn't think i had within me. Atheism, its something i find myself considering more and more often. As someone said in this thread, maybe i am an atheist and i just can't accept it right now. While i sometimes hate the fact i am faced with this choice, i wouldnt give up my ability to choose for the world. I have a choice in this for the first time with no safety net the decision is actually at some point going to be mine to make properly when i am ready.
Good question. The answers are yes, yes and yes.
Atheism is not a belief, it's simply acknowledging that one doesn't think there's enough evidence to believe (in a sky-daddy as defined or created by various cultures).
I've often compared it to belief in Santa Claus. Once you lose that belief, are you now a "believer" that there is no Santa Claus? Or have you just reached what you believe to be a rational conclusion (of non-belief)?
I'm glad it allows for me to be open-minded. That was one of my worries, although believing in God i suppose makes me closed-minded in many regards, rightly or wrongly. (Sky-Daddy lol, i love that).
Santa and God...i've never compared them but i am going to go away from my Computer tonight doing just that - honestly, i mean that respectfully. As a child i believed in the magic Santa did and i even saw 'results'. Is God so different from Santa? I suppose i'm just going to have to stop being a wimp and honestly face the subject.Atheism allows for an open mind. It allows for ANY and ALL possibilities! including the possibility of an as yet unknown God and spirituality and whatever is good in any religion. It is not deluded though. It is "awareness".
Cog
Got it that makes it all a bit easier because it kinda felt like closing the door and bolting it shut 'forever'. Maybe i'll be one of the guys falling into the cracks of the earth inside a Watchtower Magazine someday