Since I posted recently about tolerance and acceptance, I've had requests to explain the way I feel/think. Basically, this is the abridged version-
Paganism is not a cut-and-dried kind of faith- I'm not really sure it's even a faith, more of a lifestyle. My way is simply to live in harmony with the earth and all the creatures on it. Similar to Buddhism in a lot of ways.
I am an eclectic pagan, so I have adopted things from many other ways into my own personal faith/behaviour base. Even from christianity, though I don't believe Jesus was divine, just enlightened.
I believe that god didn't make man in his image, but that man has made god into his own image- ie: the god that men believe in is angry, vengeful, petty, jealous, etc... because that is the way mankind is. Jehovah especially fits that description. And since humans feel the need to feel superior to others, they all claim to have the only one true faith.
I don't believe in an almighty god- I believe in the duality of nature (both male and female needed for procreation in most cases), so I give respect to both genders, though I don't 'worship' them (or anything really). I've seen and experienced the powers of earth, air, fire and water, so I acknowledge them as well.
I do believe in reincarnation and Karma- that when we die, our spirit or essence returns to the Cosmic whole, and all we have been and learned in that life is transferred into the Cosmic 'database'. I believe that how we live and behave counts toward our eventual spiritual evolution. Some of us are very old souls who have lived several, even countless, lifetimes and are getting ready to move into a more spiritual existence- total enlightenment. However, one's journey into enlightenment can be a long one- mistakes you make, or evils you do, in one lifetime will prolong your physical existence, because in order to progress, you have to balance the Karmic scales as well. That requires another lifetime, or lifetimes, atoning for those ills, learning the lesson.
Since I left the BOrg at 17 in 1975, I have investigated MANY options- everything from hard core Catholicism and born-again Christianity to L. Ron Hubbard's Scientology. It was really hard for me to find something I was comfortable with. Not that I NEEDED something, but I've always had strong spiritual leanings- I was really into mythology and archaeology as a JW kid (probably the biggest influence in my leaving), and I saw a lot of sense, as well as the nonsense, in the OLD ways.
Now, I borrow from everywhere the things I like, leave the things I don't, and I am at peace with myself and the world I live in. I've taken NOTHING from the JW's. IMO, their beliefs are totally unrealistic and just plain nonsense!