Why is it so hard for Ex-JWs to make that "final step" and give up Christianity? (page 6)

sabastious

In all situations my prayers were answered.

So you are saying that all people who pray to God get their prayers answered? Could a science experiment prove this? Does just praying to Jehovah reep answers?

-Sab

I, too, think that true Christians are undeterred by the harshest and cruelest of conditions for the reason that they have entered into a union with Jesus and the Father with all their heart. Comfort or security are not expected in the world but God does grant that peace that passes all understanding. There is physical and psychological suffering that only God could help one endure in the spirit of love.

That said, I also believe that the most mind-bending and cruel experiences Christians suffer are at the hands of fellow worshippers-- even family and former friend and mentors. Jesus warned us that this would happen to us. The apostles themselves came persecuted a man who was a believer in Jesus --but he wasn't following with THEM. Jesus told his apostles not to forbid this man. Apparently Jesus allows us to follow Him when the larger church rejects us for not following them. Jesus gave this faithful man the benefit of the doubt "for there is no one who will do a Miracle in my name and be able rashly to reproach me." Being Called Out, being Church, isn't determined only by what you are called out of. It is determined by knowing Who has called you.

Thanks and blessings to you as well.

steve2

The best evidence for God was having all your prayers answered??? Talk about ÿe of little faith" - needing to keep on receiving the cream in order to believe in the cow! I hope God doesn't "test ÿou to the limit by not answering one of your prayers. BTW a damn pity that this God who has answered all your prayers has ignored those of hundreds of thousands clearly in need such as the Haitians.

not a captive

Sab asked Sam "Does just praying to Jehovah reap answers?"

There was a time about 30 years ago that God wasn't answering my prayers. I had never read the Bible and so missed this interesting observation at James 4:2,3 that addressed troubled souls like myself with a two-track mind: " You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend it on your pleasures." I know some Christians say he always gives an answer. Well, just for clarification here, let's refer back to James who says it does depend on a few things. In my case I learned that God does not answer prayer that helps build the wall that keeps Him out.

My first problem in praying to God was my motives were primarily self-centered. I had no thought that prayer was a two-way conversation that involved knowing anything about things on His mind. An Irish Catholic upbringing just provided a dim silouette of Him and I only knew the selection of prayers that a rosary enumerated. So this desperation of my latter twenties found me in a dark spiritual state. I felt like the heavens were brass. He didn't just didn't respond.

Believe me I strained to hear a word from Him. I lived far away from civilization. I had two baby girls and my husband was working in the logging woods for days at a time while I was trying to get God's attention. It was winter time and while there was plenty of firewood and food enough, we also didn't have any utilities and no telephone either. I cooked on a wood stove and laundry was a bit of a nightmare.The nearest thing to technology was a windup alarm clock that I had to reset nightly always making a slight adjustment in the setting to make up for the few minutes that lagged over each day.

I began to talk to God about my troubles in a new way--and I tried to read the Bible, too. Later on I figured out that praying to God on the same subject. over the course of that winter was like reworking a piece of writing over and over and over again because I struggled to know what I was really trying to say. When we write out our thoughts for instance, we may realize that we are not getting to the real meat of the matter (a reason I am so grateful for this forum of no-holds-barred-yet-respectful dialogue). So we try again. Even if GOD knows what the matter is already (and He does of course) it is so very important for US to know what the matter really is too.

AS a child I viewed prayer to God as similar to rubbing a geni out of my magic lamp. I misunderstood prayer and squandered the opportunity to learn anything about this lovely Giver. I was like a co-worker I had later who asked me for a loan in a time of his desperate need. I did indeed scrape up money for him. But somehow the ease with which his problem was solved gave rise to more requests for frivolous loans like week-end beer purchases and rescue from general dereliction--and no appreciation in the form of repayment. There was no happy end to this situation.

Now God was a more provident Helper to me than I was to my co-worker who, over the course of a year, lost his job and all his friends. God gave me a happier ending. It is a miracle that He could get anything through to me. But eventually He did. But His persistent, pointed silence was impressive--until I was ready to hear Him and not my own voice. T

Since personal testimony has limited value, I'll quit now. Knowing how generous God was in dealing with me then eventually helped me when I fell prey to the Witnesses later on. I hope the little bit I have shared might encourage others to re-examine the nature of prayers unanswered--and encourage them to rewrite their own and resubmit them to God.

shopaholic

Because they don't have to give it up.

Personally, I'm not christian. But if someone wants to be christian because it gives them some purpose in life or moral guidelines to follow...so be it. When you think about the person known as Christ, real or not, the underlying principles of his life are rooted in love and generosity.

Now, I don't believe you have to be Christian to understand or display similar acts. But if that's the path one choses, so be it. Its religion that has messed up Christ. Christians are not following Christ, they are following his followers and their interpretations of what Christ did and meant. If he were real, I'm sure he'd be a very nice person to meet for coffee.

2112

I would ask why do they have to? While I am still 'searching" and on many issues have began to question the existance of a higher power, I still, at this time, like to believe that there is one. I am not a doom and gloom person by any means but I do look around and think that if this is all there is, then what is the point.

I would like to know for a fact one way or another if there is a god, but I guess that would take the fun out of life.

xmkx

Personally I think that while the JWs try very hard (harder than most) to follow the Bible, the Society does not - after all, if they go a little off course, they can simply rewrite and republish, as they have proven with the NWT itself.

I'm going to a Christian college right now and I must say it has been quite a blessing for certain things I wasn't clear about - like how Christians argue the infallibility of the Bible, its historical accuracy, the existence of Jesus, etc.

There ARE historical, non-Christian accounts about a man that is believed to be Jesus. While none of them specifically call him Jesus Christ (which is understandable considering what this translates in to), they do make specific references to a man who went around with a bunch of disciples preaching and was rumored to raise the dead and later there are references to 1st century Christians beliefs about him rising from the dead (so while we do not have any 1st century Christian texts we can at least confirm their existence and beliefs).

The Bible also has to be taken in to context just like any other ancient culture's texts. We have to take in to account that they did not have the scientific knowledge we do, they probably mixed in at least some myths and lore with their historical facts, the Old Testament itself was an oral tradition for a long time before it was ever written (which made it highly likely to change), etc.

What's so amazing about Judaism, Christianity, and the Bible is that they were the first to point to a single, personally knowable, all powerful god that was above nature and actually loved and exalted humanity. Also the Bible is one of the first attempts in history to record a cohesive history in which present events are explained by taking a look at past events. No other culture was as concerned about its history, most choosing to record current events rather than past ones. None of them considered the past as having such a profound effect on the present.

At its very worst, the Bible is nothing more than a very culturally influenced historical document, not an attempt at fraud.

PaulJ

@thetrueone great post, very very true. It also supports why 93% of National Academy of Sciences members are either agnostic or atheist.

moshe

When I did a chronological study of Jesus' teachings it became obvious to me that Jesus was the original inventor of "new light", at least that was my take on all the changes. Trusting your own inner voice is hard and being a non-Christian is an unpopular course for most people.. However,

I do see more of those fish symbols with the slash line through them on car bumpers than in the past.

DoubleVision

Dandingus you pretty much summed it up for me. The emptiness afterwards is a killer for some of us that have this type of belief system and have no family to lean on. And add to that your spouse is still a JW. You feel like you want no part of it but you still are through your spouse.

DV

Why is it so hard for Ex-JWs to make that "final step" and give up Christianity?

Share this