by faundy 42 Replies latest jw friends
Believe nothing (be flexible, question everything)
no matter where you read it or who has said it, not even if I have said it,
(pretty much all external data not directly observed) unless it agrees with
your own reason and your own common sense. (but even then be open to question, its ok to change your mind.)
-Buddha (I don't know if he actually said that, but I think its still valid)
Religion is different for everyone. My suggestion is to just go to different churches, see what the experience is like for you. You'll know when you find "the one", if there is one. I looked at and attended several different churches after I left the JW's. It only confirmed that religion is not for me.
I like what darkuncle said -
How would you feel about taking a yoga class? Tai chi? Meditation? Going to a large catherdral during the day when its mostly empty might feel nice, but so would going to a park and whatching kids play, squirels jump around, birds flit about. Are there Japanese or other formal gardens where you are at? Go check out a medical herb garden, or an Elizabethan or other time period garden.
I don't get out in nature as much as I like to lately, but nature is my thing. What's yours? Museums of history or art? Or just sitting in a transit terminal people whatching?
How about create your own church, just for you? The yoga or meditation class would help with that. Look inside yourself, whether you know it or not, you have everything you need already there, you just need to explore it-reawaken it.
Nature is my thing as well. I do practice meditation too. Sitting in an art Museum is a great experience too. Admiring the beauty all around me, watching the people there.
You said -
I just think that if God exists, there must be somewhere He endorses as somewhere to get closer to him.
Like I said, and from what you've read here, that is different for everyone. You need to seek out for yourself where you can get closer to him. It just might not be a church.
BB
somewhere to get closer to him.
Mouthy dont get her encouragement from Cable darling !!!!I just listen to all sides... But to get close to God do as scripture says GO INTO YOUR ROOM IN PRIVATE & PRAY TO HIM THERE HE IS EVERYWHERE!
I personally would check out judaism....they seem to be tolerant as long as you follow the noahide? laws....And they are a pretty philisophical, thinking bunch.
You are facing some tough and important decisions. Whether God exists is a big question. I encourage you to take some time to answer it. I found it helpful to break it down into smaller questions. It might be helpful to first consider if it is likely that the God of the Bible exists and if the Bible is reliable. There are a lot of great books on the subject. It is also helpful to learn about the history of the first few centuries of Christianity, even reading apocryphal books can help one to learn about the diversity of opinions that existed. It's worth considering if the Bible contains contradictions. I spent most of my life assuming that it didn't, so I went to great lengths to reconcile confusing passages. Once I allowed myself to consider that there might be contradictions, I gained a whole new perspective. I also feel that if you want a relationship with the god of the Bible, you have to deal with the atrocities and genocide of the Old Testament. You might decide that isn't the kind of god you want to worship. These are difficult issues, but they don't go away if you find a church you like. It's probably better to deal with them before you join something that could have a negative influence on you. I wish you well in your search.
First, I don't think one should join a religion for the sake of joining a religion. If you have a set of beliefs, then you should find a group that also believes those beliefs.
If you just want acceptance for who up are" then Unitarian Universalist would be one.
First, I don't think one should join a religion for the sake of joining a religion. If you have a set of beliefs, then you should find a group that also believes those beliefs.
I don't think Faundy has indicated even once that she wants to join religion for the sake of joining. I understand how she is feeling, I think. I feel the same way. I miss my community that I grew up knowing. I miss the feeling of belonging. I miss feeling close to God, because as a Witness I did feel connected to God. I haven't gone and joined anywhere because I think it would really hurt my family. And because I don't want to join anywhere just for the sake of joining either. But there is a lot lost by not being a part of the JW's anymore, especially if you were raised in it and knew it your entire life. It's about community and a network and feeling connected.
I hope I'm on the right track, Faundy, and am not trying to speak for you. I hope you find peace and satisfaction. I know where you are coming from. I know it's hard and confusing and dissatisfying. Keep searching and do what is right for YOU. Many posting here sound, to me, like they have already searched and searched and this is what they have come up with - they are trying to protect those of us who still feel the need to search because we haven't yet. I don't think it quite works like that. I think humans need to find out for themselves, at any cost.
I hope you find what you are looking for.
My personal feeling that evolution is not a convincing enough argument for me. The world is far too complex. Humans are far too advanced. And even if evolution were true, it had to start with something. I'm not one for the big bang theory.
I think I can understand your position, and part of me agrees with you. You must admit though that this is simply an "Argument from Personal Incredulity"... You can't think of a way, or are not sufficiently convinced by what evidence you have been presented with, and so you do not believe. This is perfectly understandable, and we all do it all the time, but obviously it is not a good argument for convincing someone ELSE of the validity of your position, especially if they have spent far more time than you doing research. (This is not me, by any means. My biological education is limited, and my beliefs are very conflicted) What about all the biologists who DO believe that evolution is capable of explaining the vast complexity of life? It just seems to me that the more people learn about biology, the more crystal clear evolution becomes as a reasonable and likely explanation, and that many people who reject evolution out of hand vastly misunderstand basic Darwinian theory. It seems the only time I see a scientist or biologist spend their life studying these things and see only more proof for god is when they have a deeply engrained belief in god preexisting their scientific studies. How often does an agnostic, open minded skeptic ACTUALLY find god over the course of their education? [inkling]
There's a good many of us who have found what they were looking for in the Calvanist churches (Reformed Baptist or Presbyterian). A great book to read about it that's pretty simple is: "Chosen by God" by R.C. Sproul.
Although I personally do attend a church, (RC, to be exact), I don't believe it is necessary to have a relationship with God, or any "higher" power. Sprituality starts within onself. No building or organization has all of the answers. That was the big lie we fell for while in the Borg. Don't expect it elsewhere. If/when you decide you have a need for some "spiritually" oriented fellowship, a church isn't a bad place to have that, just keep in mind, it is not the only place. You can do other things too...get involved in a charity, yoga, whatever. Just continue to educate yourself, (don't rule out science either), and most importantly, BE PATIENT! Don't rush into any belief system, (you'll find you might rush out just as quickly...)
j
