Describe your Spirituality after Leaving JW's please

by esw1966 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Athanasius

  The first three years after leaving the Watchtower I didn't attend any religious services. I spent my time working and completing my education. Time was also spent meditating and reflecting on myself and my spirituality. I prefer being part of a community to being a hermit. So I began my spiritual journey, during which I visited the Bible Students, the Unitarians, the Church of Religious Science, just to name a few, before becoming an Episcopalian. What appealed to me about Anglo-Catholicism was the emphasis on Scripture, Tradition, and Reason. Reason is something you don't find in the Watchtower. The Episcopal Church isn't perfect, in fact it has some serious problems and divisions at present. But for now it is my spiritual home.

  However, each one has to make their own decision regarding spirituality. What works for one might not work for another. The important thing is to use your new found freedom to make the decision that is right for you.
• 

  evergreen

  Hi esw1966,
  
  I have been in and out for some years now and like you been searching. Although i have been searching on and off the last few years, it has been the last 6 months i have been really been serious about it. The way i am doing it is firstly starting of with the correct pronunciation of Gods name- which i feel is "yahweh". This rendering is probably the most accurate.
  
  
  Also, Jesus proper name in hebrew is probably (yahshua or yahushua, yeshua). Which you will probaly know means "Yah(weh) is salvation" Basically i tap in these name into the computer and see what i come up with.
  
  
  I usually end up looking at denominations who will only use these name or part thereof but practice the moaic law (without the sacrifices of course). For a while i was convinced that they were onto something untill i read the book of Romans and realised that it is through Gods Grace and not works of the law that lead to salvation.
  
  
  At the moment i am studying the new testament a chapter a day and find great comfort in doing this. For me it is like a plum line that helps me sort out what faith is more accurate to the teachings of the bible. I personally feel i will eventually find a denomination that i feel has the truth. In the mean time however i pray by addressing God as "my Father in heaven",(through the name of Yahshua) the same way Jesus (yahshua) did throughout all his prayers in the NT- It is much more intimate and that way i am definately not offending him by calling him a name that may not be correct (although occasionally i will use Yahweh). I also ask that his holy sprit leads me into the truth.( mentioned in the book of Romans)
  
  
  Hopefully your search will lead you to what you are looking for.
  
  
  Remember mat 7:7. keep asking..keep knocking..keep searching etc
  
  
  I believe this to be the case as i have found more truths about the bible in the last 6 months than i ever had in the previous years.
  
  
  Ps dont give up in you search! Best wishes
  
  
  Evergreen
• 

  ann in Texas

  My spiritual journey has not taken very much direction. In fact, I have not made any attempts to look.

  On another note, since I have quit, my personality has changed drastically. I guess that is expected, but it can be a bit scary sometimes.
• 

  Carmel

  I'll presume that the assumption that "religion" and "spiritual journey" have something in common for the sake of answering your question. After leaving the JWs at the tender age of 14, I attended every denomination of Christianity I could find. Unfulfilled, I began reading while in college about other faiths. Never attended their synogogs or temples or mosques, but looked at them from what most seekers do, very superficially! Looking at any religion based on what it has evolved into over sever hundreds, even thousands of years is like looking in the out house to see what food is! Gross analogy, but just the same, nothing I found in any of the contemporary expressions of any of the world religions was very paletable. I considered myself to be agnostic, secular humanist for neigh on to a two decades. Having given up on relgion, I thought I could find fulfillment in politics. What a joke! It wasn't until I moved to Alaska and was challenged to look at religions from a completely new perspective that I associated once again with a faith. The Baha'i Faith had a cosmology that fit with my science background and my formal and informal education in human nature plus it had a frame work of involvement that was not a burden. I was free to be a wall flower or be as active as I chose without pressure to do more. I could get out of it what ever I wanted to put into it. Simple formulae. Kind of like making investment decisions... ew... bad analogy since I eventually invested in tech stocks in the late 90's!!!

  My "spiritual" quest continues. It is a continuous effort to move out of my "comfort zone" and become someone I aspire to become in a world that is in flux and one that does not necessarily reward the unconventional. Even my fellow Baha'is have trouble contending with my streak of skepticism at times. I challenge every sacred cow, every culturally aquired assumption. I still dislike the word "spiritual" as I can't really honestly get my mind around it in concrete terms.. I like cause and effect relationships, and the metaphysical world (and I am unabashedly convinced of its reality) doesn't play by the same rules as the contingent world.

  So, there you have it.

  carmel (writing as the fireworks scares the crap out of my dog and cat)
• 

  catbert

  I think what it all boils down to is the saying "there are no athiests in foxholes".
  
  The present state (and previous state going way back) of humans demands a fate higher than that of the monkeys and apes. Our larger brains allow us to understand and hate the finality of death. We cannot accept it, and have not been able to for quite some time now.
• 

  Wasanelder Once

  My spirituality is about 5'11, 165 lbs and in good shape. Thanks for asking

  W.Once
• 

  LyinEyes

  When I first left JW, I thought I had to find a replacement religion right away, who do I pray to now!! I was in a panic.

  Then someone told me to put the Bible down and focus on myself for awhile.

  It has been three years later and I still have not picked up a Bible, nor do I want to .

  I have prayed when I needed to, to whom I am not sure but I wanted to and I did.

  I still can't tell you if I believe in God, or some higher power, or heaven or hell. I just don't have a clue.

  I guess you can say I am opened minded to the possibilities of anything right now, wishing that it was true that we all are going to meet up in heaven one day. But honestly after getting burned by JW lies, somethings do seem too good to be true. So I just don't think too much on it right now.
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  Carmel

  Dear lyin, you're in good company! Many the folk that have been innoculated against anything resembling religion by the Publishing Company masqurading as a relgion!

  carmelbbbbbbb