Human Perspective

by hamilcarr 35 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  slimboyfat

  hamilcarr I just noticed you say on your profile you are an "ex-atheist". How remiss of me, I had no idea. Can you share how this happened?

  I would perhaps call myself a reluctant unenthusiastic weak atheist and Jehovah's Witness. If you have discovered good reason to believe please do share it. This is not a game we're playing here.

  I grew up with Jehovah. He was my friend. I feared him, respected him, loved him, felt protected by him. I miss him now I sent him away. He may have been a 'black thunderer from the hills', but I always trusted him to do what was right.

  Now I have no trust that right will anywhere or ever be done. Life is such as it is and that's it. Pretty grim.
• 

  sweetstuff

  grew up with Jehovah. He was my friend. I feared him, respected him, loved him, felt protected by him. I miss him now I sent him away. He may have been a 'black thunderer from the hills', but I always trusted him to do what was right.

  Now I have no trust that right will anywhere or ever be done. Life is such as it is and that's it. Pretty grim.

  Perhaps you shouldn't be looking for a divinity to make things "right" and rather to humanity to right their own wrongs. In the last century huge leaps in human rights show that we as human beings do have the ability to correct ourselves and become something greater than selfish individuals bent on our own desires as primary, however, that requires taking personal responsibility instead of throwing responsibility on some divinity we believe/hope/pray actually exists.

  Throw out a "god" to save us and it becomes our responsibility to save ourselves and each other. Something that is not impossible but not probable as long as we cling to the idea of having someone else take responsibility.
• 

  hamilcarr

  hamilcarr I just noticed you say on your profile you are an "ex-atheist". How remiss of me, I had no idea. Can you share how this happened?

  I think the theist/atheist debate is typically Anglo-Saxon. It excited me eacht time I went to the US or UK, it leaves me cold at home. Both my theist and atheist past are remnants of (in)direct US influence. IMO, Contemporary continental Europe is posttheist. Like most of my peers, my interests have moved from the supranatural to the natural ;-).
• 

  slimboyfat

  I think the theist/atheist debate is typically Anglo-Saxon. It excited me eacht time I went to the US or UK, it leaves me cold at home. Both my theist and atheist past are remnants of (in)direct US influence. IMO, Contemporary continental Europe is posttheist. Like most of my peers, my interests have moved from the supranatural to the natural ;-).

  Looking at your posts one might be forgiven for thinking you are still interested. Someone who goes to the bother of using the term "post"-anything might not be so "over" it as they insist. Having said that I agree with what you say, I just think it is not so easy to live up to given our histories.
• 

  hamilcarr

  Looking at your posts one might be forgiven for thinking you are still interested. Someone who goes to the bother of using the term "post"-anything might not be so "over" it as they insist. Having said that I agree with what you say, I just think it is not so easy to live up to given our histories.

  I'd even add: everyone who's conscious of his "post-" identity is not "over" "it", if you see what I mean.

  I've been, like you, too JW to just get over it in one year.
• 

  slimboyfat

  In one year? I have been struggling with it for 8 years - still going to meetings sometimes however. I don't think we'll ever get over it hamilcarr. Maybe in time we will learn to live with our baggage... I could be wrong though.