This looks like a good place to introduce myself (page 2)

Thank you , snowbird, Confession and Awake&Watching for your compliments. I'm a writer, and amateur one, but I write a blog every day on Live Journal. I also write fictional stories, including fanfiction that is available to read on several internet sites and have many thousands of readers. I still hope someday to become a professional writer.

In my blog, I often address religious, political and social topics, and sometimes I just write humorous editorials. But, it's honed my writing skills over the years.

Witness 007, I'm sorry to hear that. I worked for an elder once and was fired because I threatened to report him to the state labor authorities for refusing to pay his Witness employees during training. He also called me a "bitch" and a few other choice things when he confronted me alone. I was terrified. I was 23 when that happened and very naive. When I reported the incident to a circuit overseer, he just sighed and asked me to forgive the elder. Nothing was done as far as I know, except maybe a little wrist slapping in private. Unfortunately, I have more than one story of this sort, but I dislike dwelling on things I've put behind me. I'm not in a position to be taken advantage of anymore and I only mention these things to let you know I completely understand what it feels like to be abused by someone you've been trained to trust implicitly.

Chalam/Stephen, I appreciate your thoughts. I admit I am somewhat attracted to Unitarianism because of their rational and humanistic stance on many subjects, but I'm still sorting out exactly what I believe in terms of religious doctrine. I have not joined that church or any other, because I still have some ways to go before I can do that without reserve or fear. Unitarians are rationalists and don't believe in anything much that is supernatural, and thats where we differ.

I do believe in the supernatural and in the spiritual realm. I don't feel that mere humans can ever totally define the superhuman beings that inhabit that realm as they are not like us in body or mind, but only in emotions, hence we only grasp at trying to understand the complexity of their nature. That does not preclude God being anything else or anyone else he chooses to be. For me, if one is omnipotent, one can be anything beyond or encompassed in human understanding. We will never fully understand the nature of God with our limited human senses and minds, but we can know Christ and that is enough.

The JW tendency to over analyze and explain away the complexity of God is something I've always been uncomfortable with. God cannot be fully explained in human terms and should not be. Trying to make him conform to human understanding seems to me to belittle his divine nature.

I'm pretty gunshy about joining anything again after 33 years of WTS brainwashing. I'm scared it will happen again, frankly. I really feel that since I was susceptible to that once, I might be again.

If I choose to go with organized religion, it will have to be ecumenical in that there will be no attacking sincere people of other faiths. I'm no longer interested in anyone that claims to be the "one true faith" again or in endless "proofs" of religious doctrine. Claims of being "correct" are not what matters, reflecting the love of Christ is. NO human being is "right" or "good" or perfect. Relieved now of the burden of feeling I have to work my way into God's love, I can accept that God loves us all and is merciful to all, and returns love to those who love him and even those who do not in many ways, because he doesn't need us, we need him, whether we know it or not.

As a Witness, I learned to fear God in the wrong way, and now I wish to focus on his love and I do not feel condemned every minute of every day now. There was a point in my life were I felt literally suicidal because I felt I would never be good enough to be loved by God and that was constantly reinforced by Witness teaching. I felt I could never do enough, study enough, be pure enough or sacrifice enough. I don't know how many other experience this as a JW, but that's how it affected me. The love and acceptance I craved I never felt worthy of because I could not do enough. I don't know how much of that was me, and how much WTS belief, but I do know that I no longer feel that way since having those ideas constantly reinforced.

I feel I share your devotion and enthusiasm for Christ. I feel closer to him now that I was as a Witness, and I pray daily to the Father through our lord Jesus for wisdom, understanding and spirit. Ironically, I speak more about God and Christ and the Bible now than I ever did as a Witness! Relieved of the compulsion to "count time" I do it freely, happily and spontaneously. And only to those who wish to hear! I never feel like I'm annoying people now. Even my atheist friends feel comfortable talking about God and religion with me. *G*

I listen to a non-denominational Bible discussion televised daily on occasion, though and enjoy it. I was actually shocked, as I'm sure many who used to be active Witnesses are, to discover that those in other faiths have an insightful and loving knowledge of God's word. You're taught for so long that only JWs understand the Bible, but did you ever listen to what anyone else had to say? Of course not, you're warned not to!

I started to understand through my extensive reading that the WTS glean their information from many scholars from many other denominations, then villainize the faiths these people profess! Why do they rely on their scholarly references so much, sometimes twisting them to suit themselves or cherry picking paragraphs from them when they believe these people are condemned as "Babylon The Great"? I found a book by a rabbi that they copy in one of their books on creation nearly word for word in some places. What a shock it gave me at the time! He was only given a passing nod as source information. Did they never think that someone would go read the whole book? Well, I did. Many of the sources they quote aren't used in context, and used to make a point the original author never dreamed of! That's the most terrible yellow journalism imaginable!

But, now my close friends now are people of many faiths, including a Presbyterian, a Neo Pagan who is a former newpaper journalist, a Ba'Hai couple from England, a Lutheran minister, A Buddhist artial artist and chi master, an ex Mormon, a couple of atheists and a good many agnostics.

I enjoy all of them and feel free of the burden of avoiding lovely and interesting people from all walks of life.

middleman

Welcome...

independent_tre

Such clarity, humour and beauty in writing. I wish I could express myself that well!

This little 'nugget' will stick with me though, while, I too, am trying to find a spiritual outlet:

too much ritual and rules and not enough Jesus

No truer words have ever been written regarding so many religions. Thanks so much for joining and posting!!!

BabaYaga

Bravo! A good read, and welcome, MindMelda!

no more kool aid

Welcome!

This looks like a good place to introduce myself

Share this