How many have left the WTS and joined another church/group? (page 2)

Gadget

I don't think I could join another church/group but I do have some strong feelings. At the minute I am more inclined to follow these as a self-practicioner rather than get involved in another group.

Gordy

After 30 years as a JW, I left in August 1999. After learning the truth about the WT and spending 2 years checking it all out. Even though it meant being cut off from my wife and daughters.

In March 2000 I became a Christian and now attend a Pentecostal church. There has never been any pressure on me to accept what they say as being the "truth" etc. The only advice I received was to read the Bible and ask God to guide me. You can discuss and question and no one says that you have to believe what they say. I've seen the Pastor admit he had said something wrong in a sermon the week before and had made mistakes in dealing with some things. There is a sense of freedom that I never found in a Kingdom Hall. No one jumps on you if you didn't attend a meeting.

The love and support I have had has been tremendous. I have seen genuine Christian love in action towards not only those who attend the church but also to those outside. I have learnt what the real Christian teachings are as opposed to what the WT told me they are.

My son (then 25) followed me 6 months later. The change in him has been tremendous. Before as a JW he rarely spoke about his "faith" as a JW outside the Kingdom Hall. Now I can't shut him up he takes every advantage to speak about God and Christ. Now we both disect the Pastors talks, when as JW's we were glad to get out the KH as soon as possible after a meeting. We attend a house group were about 10 of us discuss the Bible, no other book used. Discussing scriptures what do they mean, how can they help us etc. no one reading paragraphs from some book.

Having said that my son and T, both having been JW's for so long are suspicous of peoples motives and seem to have developed an inbuilt sense when someone is gong along the same lines as the WT. When they start saying "I" want you to believe this because "I" say its true. When they start making rules etc. based on what they say is right. We've met a few like that.

All in all I would say that since becoming a Christian I have been happier spiritually, than I was as a JW.

anglise

Having seen how easy it is to manipulate and control using a "holy " book as a basis I dont feel inclined to trust any religion again.

If workshop/instruction manuals were as diffucult to understand and interpret as the supposed guidelines for eternal life from our creator nothing would ever be repaired.

Having said that I would love someone to be able to prove me wrong. A belief in a higher being with ultimate control and care would be comforting.

Anglise

Special K

Ditto.. Rocket Man.. J.W.'s just. BURNT ME OUT!!!

No religious affiliations for me, at this time.

sincerely

special k

jwbot

I will not now, or ever join a religion. I do not beleive in religion or the idea. I do however, agree people can be spiritual without a church-its the idea of a rule-governed church I strongly disagree with. I can make decision on my own, and I do not need to consult a church leader or book for what to do next.

CruithneLaLuna

At first after I left the JWs, I spent some time reading and studying, completely on my own. I.e. I would borrow books from the library, or buy them if they could not be borrowed, and read them. I did not respond to any encouragements to form a relationship with the authors or purveyors of the books, or to get involved with a teaching program.

Since many of the JWs' criticisms of other religions "hit home" for me, i.e. I felt they had considerable validity, and I had become a JW because I felt they were different, i.e. not corrupt as I saw religion in general to be, after I left the Witnesses it seemed there was nowhere else to go. Indeed, even now as I look at the histories of all reliions, i.e. people who have professed religious and spiritual beliefs of all stripes, I see much that I find disturbing, and that I wish to try to avoid being a part of, or found supporting in any way.

However, in my studies I drifted toward the esoteric, which isn't too surprising since I had begun to be interested in such things before I became a JW. By "esoteric" I mean pretty much everything that the JWs classify as "spiritism."

Eventually, I fell in with a friend who convinced me to try attending her spiritual groups, which consisted of an interfaith community church, a Spiritualist church, and an interfaith spiritual networking group (mettings held in someone's home, like a "book study" only using different books, and more free-wheeling and participatory). I found all three interesting, the two interfaith groups particularly so. These were people whose approaches to spirituality seemed generally harmonious with my own. (I found that I was neither repelled by nor attracted to Spiritualism.)

After a short time, my circumstances changed, and I was forced to move. Around this time, someone posted a link to the beliefnet.com spirituality quiz, that's designed to help one identify which religious groups are most harmonious with one's own beliefs. Interestingly, the "beliefs" (concepts that I considered most likely to be true, and/or most conducive to my spiritual growth) that I had developed by this time, to my surprise, aligned most closely with those of the neo-Pagan Druids. I then followed another link that was offered by an acquaintance, which enabled me to look up and contact the nearest Druid Grove ("church"), with which I have been associated ever since.

I don't consider myself having "joined another religion." Initiation as a Druid has been offered; I am not sure I am ready to accept it. Of course, Druids can become non-Druids if they wish, with no particular onus attached. I have detected no controllingness related to the group with which I am affiliated. It is also quite possible (and common) to be Druid and something else. There are people who consider themselves Christian Druids, and others who borrow eclectically from other traditions besides Druidry to formulate their own personal spiritual path. I feel that I fall into the last category.

Cruithne

Dansk

I'm back with my first love - BUDDHISM.

Dansk

Carmel

Each of us have the JUU experiance in common, however, how that shapes our outlook and mindsets about many things varies with each person. Luckily, after leaving the Borg, I spent several years studiing biological and physical science and the humanities. What that did for me was to help me get out of the mindset of condeming all sets of a class based on the atributes of one or two samples of that class. Hence, I've been able to look at religion more objectively and realize that not all religion is "thought police" or that it is all based on one group trying to control other people.

It did take me nearly 18 years after I left to be able to even consider the validity of a religion but then it was worth the wait. Now I find my view of religion much more accomodating and inclusive, 180 degress from where I was as a dubby.

carmel

Gadget

someone posted a link to the beliefnet.com spirituality quiz, that's designed to help one identify which religious groups are most harmonious with one's own beliefs

I've just tried this quiz and one of the answers it come up with was Jehovahs Witness!!!!!!!!!!

TresHappy

Visit a Wesleyan Church!!

How many have left the WTS and joined another church/group?

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