Great discussion Little Toe - thanks.
I was just reading the following last night and it goes to some attempt to explain where I am currently at (and I say currently, because basically I take the stance that I know what I know in this moment and I am completely prepared that what I know will not serve me in the next moment):
"As healing is opposed to suffering, so it is central to our pursuit of happiness. All religion, philosophy and science are human inventions and a product of this perennial search".
By way of my thinking and feeling, I take the view that everything is born of an unfathomable source (call it god, Jehovah, the universe - I don't care) and so there is no right or wrong. How can you say science is wrong if we were created/evolved with brains to think and explore? And how can you say emotions are wrong (and religion is largely emotionally based) if we all have emotions? Some people tend to get confused especially with the emotions trust, hope and blind faith (denial).
Most people are very very uncomfortable with not knowing. So all their "I'm right, you're wrong" is really just the fear of the unkown. That void can be very scary. I think the more we become comfortable with uncomfortable feelings, the easier it becomes. For some, coming out of the JW's - or any other strong belief system (family, culture, society etc) - either gets them used to the feeling of disintegration and letting go or sends them deeper into wanting to feel safe by "knowing", so often they just replace one strong belief system with an opposing belief system.
I do agree though that the JW's seem to have a special talent for doing it with both science and religion. Then again, I think we are all guilty of picking and choosing what suits us. However, I have come to the conclusion this is not a bad thing, being true to yourself is finding what serves you best. What is unhealthy is thinking that what serves you is the only answer for everyone else and/or holding onto something with pig-headed attachment once something no longer healthily serves you. What is truth today may not be a truth tomorrow. Holding it out as truth because your ego and pride is too hard to swallow makes it a lie - I don't care how much of a truth it originally was.
It is not easy to be balanced and find harmony - each and every one of us are complex individuals. And there are billions of us all trying to find ourselves and each other!
I am much more interested in understanding how the physical, mental and emotional all work in harmony. Most people tend to focus just on one or two aspects at any given time - some throughout their whole life.
I can have strong opinions and can also call someone an idiot or moronic (but generally it is just done in jest - which others may not appreciate). I tend to look at the individual and see whether or not they are living from a healthy place, mentally, emotionally and physically. And I take the person before me, in that moment. If someone before me is in an unhealthy place that doesn't bother me - I still go there myself (though not nearly as often). What bothers me is if they have taken up residence in that unhealthy place and are now inflicting that unhealthy behaviour on others. There is a vast difference. Basically I don't care what someone believes, it is not hard to find balanced scientists who are more happy and productive than a lot of religionists. And it is not hard to find a lot of spiritual people who are more happy and healthy than a lot of tech heads.
I am just enjoying the journey and the freedom to learn what I want, from whom I want and the freedom to pick and choose what I want to believe. I don't really dismiss much, I tend to look at something and if I don't believe it - I just put it on the shelf. I may re-visit it another time and decide now it does serve me - or I may never look at it again.