by Seeker4 21 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I see what you mean S4 the WT makes me run from things considered "spiritual" by them. On the other hand I also avoid other "spiritual" realms of thought at the same time although having an understanding of what some might be.
I consider religious spirituality can be a plague for me, maybe issues of WT exploitation still linger, but labeling calm or compassionate thoughts as "spiritual" I can understand.
HCM
Funny how the more liberal spiritual practices allow a student to find true spirituality in anything they choose. How beautiful to feel a sense of connectedness to the creator and all life by simply walking on a beach, hiking through a forest, or gazing up at a star-filled sky? I don't know about anyone else, but for me, I get sooo much more out of these activities than banging on doors and aruing with people. Does it really make a person feel spiritual to constantly assert "I'm right, You're wrong?" I'd rather feel lovable myself. Peace, Loli
Hi Loli,
I agree with you. I often find myself just gazing up at a full moon and thanking God for the beauty of it. Lilly
Yes, this is one of my big peeves with the society too. It downplays ANY activity other than field service. I've lived by:
Col 3:23 (CEV) Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master.
To declare some activities "secular" and others "spiritual" is gnostic.
I agree that performance based religions are highly superficial and shallow in terms of their ideal of spirituality.
I think Ray Franz in CoC makes it very succinct that performance is not spirituality and that the witnesses misuse the scripture about faith without 'works' being dead.
DB74
Two I can think of right off are long distance trail running and fly fishing.
Yeah, but I'm sure if you were to write the WTS about both of them, they would reply with something like, "Over a period of time, you must consider all of the dangers of trail running. What if you were to fall off the trail in the wilderness? Isn't it likely you could sprain your ankle? Certainly a true Christian would never put his life in such danger! And regarding fishing - Who was it that put the fish into the stream in the first place? As a Christian, are you truly honoring the life-giver by taking the lives of God's creatures? Surely we would never want to cause harm to one of God's creations."
"performance based religions" - what a great phrase!
Jourles, I enjoyed your comment. Dead on. I remember at one elder's school a CO going on about how material things can be such a danger, and his example was a brother who had an ATV and tipped it over and broke his leg, thereby limiting his service. The borther was condemned for owning the ATV! That's exactly the JW attitude I'm talking about that so limits what being spiritual is all about.
Maybe I should also note that I've radically changed my definition of spirituality since leaving the JWs. I used to think of it totally as one's relationship with God. Now that I no longer believe in a god, I see spirituality as one's relationship to the earth, the natural world and fellow humans. Done with the right frame of mind, working on a car engine, building a cabinet, swimming a river, designing a building, or making love can all be a way of connecting with life and the world we live in. I'd say that's more a taoist view of spirituality than a Christian one.
S4
Seeker4,
I read your profile and must say that I don't know how you can say that you do not believe in "any" of it after all that you have seen in life.
Much of the JW teaching is perfectly good, but the heresy is the thing that doesn't set well with many, such as myself.
From the looks of things I think you should take another good look at the gal sitting next to you in the photo and reconsider whether or not you really do not believe in "any" of what you were taught. She's enough to make any man to believe at least a little, right ?
Those of us who lived near Bethel or one of the Watchtower farms could volunteer to work there sometimes. We could clean windows, make tomato sauce, or even pick potatos. These were considered "spiritual" activities.
I can't believe I was so stupid.
W
I find practicing my akido/iaito katas to be very spiritual.
I'm sure the elders would love watching me practice kill cuts with my 600 year old samurai sword
