The concept of God is fading away

by fade_away 13 Replies latest jw experiences

  • fade_away
    fade_away

    If you guys look at my first post, you'll notice I said "I still believe in God" even after losing my faith in the WT. Well, it's been 4 months since I wrote that and now I'm not so sure I still believe. In fact I'm mostly convinced he doesn't exist. Ever since I left a year ago I've been doing a lot of reading and watching a lot of videos on youtube about the existence of God. I've seen more proof that he is not real than I have seen proof that he is. I'm an agnostic because despite everything science has taught us, the universe and all life on this planet, from the microscopic to the enormous...all their functions complexities and intelligence, every single thing in the cosmos that maintain a perfect balance in the universe, not to mention the complex human body and human brain...this all leads me to think that there had to be an intelligent being that engineered all this. There just HAD to be! But I've come to the conclusion that whoever or whatever created us doesn't exist anymore or doesn't care about us.

    Now that I have Netflix, I've been watching documentary after documentary about science and religion. I've seen the science behind earthquakes and how they have been happening since the beginning of time. In fact it's been documented that stronger and more frequent earthquakes happened early in human history, due to the fact that the earth was still young and was still growing and forming under the crust, and still is today. I got to see how perfectly natural and necessary it is for the ground to shake and for volcanoes to errupt. While watching that, earthquakes, volcanoes and other natural disasters suddenly didn't feel like "signs of the end". They've always happened with the same frequency. They feel more devastating now simply because global population has grown immensely and unfortunately we are caught in the wake of a planet doing what it has ALWAYS done. They feel more frequent simply because we have instant access to the media at the click of a button. As for hurricanes becoming stronger, that's true. But it's not because of magical signs. Again, global population affects the weather.

    I visited the site godisimaginary.com and I also watched "The Gospel of Judas", "The God that Wasn't There", "The Dark Ages" and "The Athiest Tapes". These documentaries revealed so much about history that I never knew before! History that the WT doesn't teach. History that can make us question the existence of God and the validity of the Bible. Do you guys know of anymore literature or movies that question these things? I'm interested in science and religion as a genre.

  • moshe
    moshe

    Thank you for your candor on this subject. I have a feeling that many people who make their living off of preaching religion, don't really believe it, either. But at the age of 50 they want their retirement like the rest of us- so no rocking the boat and getting de-frocked as a pastor.

  • Mad Sweeney
    Mad Sweeney

    I am in about the same spot, fade_away. I am certain there is no god like the theist's view of god. I haven't ruled out the possibility of some sort of a universal consciousness but I'll even admit that it's because I find Taoist-like philosophy a peaceful and practical way to live and not because of any evidence.

  • onemore
    onemore

    Fade Away,

    Check out this website: www.biologos.org

    You might find their approach to certain biblical topics a bit unconventional but reasonable.

    I also recommend reading N.T Wright's: Scripture and the Authority of God: How to Read the Bible Today. http://www.amazon.com/Scripture-Authority-God-Bible-Today/dp/0062011952/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1313940028&sr=8-12

    My 2cents....

    Onemore

  • FollowedMyHeart
    FollowedMyHeart

    fade_away, a few months ago I was in the same place you are now. I didn't believe there was a loving god that took a personal interest in us, but how could the wondrous world around us exist without a creator? So far, I have found three books particularly interesting and they have helped me answer many of my questions. They are: The "God" Part of the Brain by Matthew Alper, Richard Dawkins' The Greatest Show on Earth, and Why Evolution is True by Jerry A. Coyne. You, too, may find these helpful in your journey. All the best to you.

    FM

  • Ding
    Ding

    On the other side of the argument, have you read any of Lee Strobel's books -- The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, The Case for a Creator?

    If so, did you think he made any good points?

  • fade_away
    fade_away

    Thanks so far guys for your recommendations. Followedmyheart, those sound interesting. I haven't read Lee Strobel's books though. It'll take more than a lifetime to read everything, but I'll try.

  • donny
    donny

    Fade_away it sounds like you wrote my experience leaving the "truth". I too, at first, was still a believer and went about visiting several different churches trying to find where "he" could be found. What I found was situations that were "different but the same" in that I was expected to take certain things as gospel truth. As time went on I also began reading and studying science and history and soon came to the conclusion that I just do not know and have left it at that.

  • steve2
    steve2

    Richard Dawkins is as blunt and searing as they come. If you've got the stomach for in your face essays, his writing s an excellent antidote to the human need to believe in a god. His book The God Delusion is a blast that will open your eyes to the intellectual myopia of those who believe in God. He even has a few pages devoted to one of the Watchtower tracts on creation.

  • rebel8
    rebel8

    Do you guys know of anymore literature or movies that question these things?

    Carl Sagan's Demon Haunted World or Broca's Brain.

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit