Question for ex-JWs who are Christians

whyizit

I noticed that many who post here have kind of thrown the "baby out with the bathwater", when it comes to the Bible and God.

I understand that there is a fine line between love and hate. Maybe they blame God for the deception. Maybe they don't trust anything to do with God any more.

For those who went on to become Bible-believing Christians, could you help me to better understand the experience? Were you angry with God at first? What caused you to be able to trust and believe in God once again? How long did it take? Which Bible verses really spoke to you?

Anything you care to share about leaving the WTS and coming to Christ would be of great interest to me.

Thanks!

Whyizit

Butters

I have personally gone on to believe in the real God, who is a loving caring spirit of the universe that doesn't write books. It is the character and essence in each of the individuals I cross paths with that love each other. The real Satan is the character and person I cross paths with that seems to support war, fighting, political confusion, starving third world countries, driving golf carts and hitting golf balls, etc. It took me a while to find out that the WT was just another group confused by the inherently pragmatic and tactless social skills of human ethics and etymology.

daystar

You're not referring to me in two ways:

I'm not a Christian
I don't blame God for the deception, but the WBTS

However, I want to make it clear that not all "threw the baby out with the bathwater" as you say. I rejected Christianity and the mainstream Christian view of God based upon years of study and meditation. The Kabbalistic view of YHVH, as I understand it, seems much more realistic in my view, without overly anthropomorphising.

In other words, the exoteric Judeo-Christian paradigm seemed shallow and idealized, whereas the esoteric appealed much more to the intellect and allowed for much more of an individualized experience. YMMV.

bigmouth

Yep, that thing wot daystar said. ;)

As a JW I could not get a handle on this 'love' for Jehovah and Jesus. I know many that would wax lyrical about their relationship with them, yet I just didn't feel it.

Jehovah was contrary and distant to me like my step-father, present but not very interested. Jesus was a bit more real but just seemed like a really nice guy.

For me, the baby never even got as far as the bath.
Pete

Sunspot

1)Were you angry with God at first? 2)What caused you to be able to trust and believe in God once again? 3)How long did it take? 4)Which Bible verses really spoke to you?

1) I was VERY upset at first.....realizing that I had been purposely deceived by MEN and had made a mess of my life because of it. I can't really say I was upset with God, but I WAS extremely disappointed in HIM and with MYSELF for being a fool for so many years. It was a very tough time.

2) I never actually stopped believing, but I was very cautious when reading anything online and was quite skeptical about everything....right down to things like heaven vs a paradise earth, etc. I had to have everything verified and re-read to get a better understanding. I was NOT about to listen to MEN all over again.

3) Probably a few months to recover from the distress and pain of being duped (NOBODY likes being lied to) and then going on boards where posters were debating their JW-exJW-Christian beliefs where I gained so much information and where I could ask questions. I learned more in only a few months---than I did in 30 years as a JW. There are SO MANY SCRIPTURES that deal with and refer to Jesus that the WTS never mentions or teaches JWs about.

4) My favorite that helped me through some rough spots (I DAed myself) was at Romans 8:38-39 that I had read before but now had an entirely new meaning for me. I'll let you look it up and read it for yourself cuz hubby is wanting to go watch a movie now and I can't take the time to type it all out for you! I think you'll enjoy it though....

Hope to be back later on tonight to check this thread...

It's a crime what the WTS does to nice TRULY honest-hearted people by deliberately tricking them into thinking they are "God's chosen" and that they "speak for God." It's more than a rude awakening when you realize you've been "had".

hugs,

Annie

parakeet

whyizit: "I noticed that many who post here have kind of thrown the "baby out with the bathwater", when it comes to the Bible and God. I understand that there is a fine line between love and hate. Maybe they blame God for the deception. Maybe they don't trust anything to do with God any more."

I threw out the bathwater because there was no baby in it. Your comments imply atheists/agnostics still believe in God but deny him/her/it because they're angry. I can assure you that, in my case at least, my conclusions were reached after much reading and study about world religions. I neither read nor heard anything that convinced me of the existence of a supreme deity. Please don't assume atheists/agnostics reject the idea of God/Bible because of anger or lack of trust.

fjtoth

I left JWs because I believed in the compassionate God of Christianity and because I was convinced that his love, mercy and kindness were missing from the policies and purpose of the Watchtower Society. I did not throw out a lovely and cuddly baby. I rid from my life a spoiled brat that was more and more turning into a hideous monster.

Frank

AK - Jeff

For those who went on to become Bible-believing Christians, could you help me to better understand the experience? Were you angry with God at first? What caused you to be able to trust and believe in God once again? How long did it take? Which Bible verses really spoke to you?

Were you angry with God at first? Nope - never. Why would I get angry at God for what a bunch of hypocrites in Brooklyn said and did, and myself for believing them.

What caused you to be able to trust and believe in God once again? Knowing that this is why I became a witness to begin with - they just didn't have it right.

How long did it take? It took me about three years to get over being angry with the WTS - though I still backslide occasionally. I just don't see that anger is healthy and so I am making an effort to put it in back of me from that perspective. I still do all I can to undercut the bastards though, since I do believe it to be a sick cult and dangerous.

Which Bible verses really spoke to you? John 14:6 is my touchtone now.

Jeff

fjtoth

whyizit

Thanks Sunspot! That helped. Love that verse as well.

fjtoth - great insight. Thanks for sharing that.

AK-Jeff- Thank you for posting and for keeping in line with the topic. I really appreciate it.

I am looking forward to others who will stick to the topic. I am very interested in finding out how you kept your relationship with God, inspite of the WTS.

* * May I ask one thing of those who are here to answer the questions asked, and who are ex-JW Christians? Could you please, no matter how tempting it might be to answer back, ignore the posts that are NOT sticking to the topic? It is my hope that this will be a peaceful discussion and not a debate between Agnostics-vs.-Christians.

I know that there are many former JWs who love God and have embraced Christianity. I just wondered if it was difficult for them at first? Thanks for your replies.

Whyizit

Question for ex-JWs who are Christians

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