Do you atheists resent the believers on here and do you believers resent the atheists? (page 4)

jaguarbass

A year ago, I said I was an agnostic.

Today I say I am a believer.

I truly think we are all agnostics but I am taking a leap of faith just like the atheist and putting my money on Jesus.

The pay off potential is much better, I think the smart money is on Jesus.

I dont resent the atheist I am impressed by the great amount of faith they have.

God only gave me enough faith to believe in him.

I dont have enough faith to be an atheist.

But I tried, I've read Dawkins, Darwin, Sagin, the portable atheist. I try to read both sides.

Both sides are very similar the only thing difference is the conclusions.

From another portion of my brain, life is a journey, my journey has gone from the darkenss of atheism to the light

of Jesus and God, I believe each person has to work out his own salvation. How could I resent an athesit for being on the

same road, the same path the same journey that I am on.

Atheist and believers are the same coin just different sides.

And according to the bible God is the one who gives out faith and he didnt give me enough

faith to be an atheist so he cant be pissed off with me for choosing God.

So either way I'm good to go.

I dont go to meetings, and I dont send anyone money.

Lozhasleft

As a JW I always had to be the one who was "right", so I am very relieved that now I don't have to insist on being right anymore!

Yea I can identify with this...and it didnt allow for any alternatives did it? Thats why I think I enjoy listening to others' beliefs or lack of them with an open and reasonable mind these days, and I feel no compunction to insist they accept mine. Since we're all unique individuals we should be allowed to think and believe on that basis. The 'I'm right and everyone else is wrong' mindset is surely much of the cause of wars in our time. It also breeds forbidding our re-evaluating of our views and beliefs that we've experienced in the org which is so restrictive and damning. I dont think control and power have any place in this area of peoples' lives.

Thanks for all your thoughtful responses.

Loz x

AGuest

If a believer or non-believer strongly states their thoughts in a forum that doesn't really call for such thoughts, they will be bombarded with thoughts.

Interesting, ummmm... thought... if you're speaking of this particular forum (may you all have peace!). Because I "thought" one had freedom TO think, here, as well as express such, well, thoughts. I could be wrong, though (haven't read the rules in awhile, so...).

The truth is that people resent either what they don't know... don't understand... or fear (which is usually the same thing as the other two), for whatever reason. Over the years I've seen/heard many make claims that they "no longer live in fear"... and yet "attack" someone else's beliefs, knowledge, and/or understanding when it doesn't necessarily comport with theirs. I've pondered such reaction... even asked my Lord about them... and have learned that they originate from some level of fear, most often that they... or others... might be persuaded to believe what the person they're opposing believes, knows, or understands. Fear is an ugly thing, though... and is one of the main causes of the world's problems. People fear what is different from what they believe, know, and/or understand.

My position? If you're TRULY an atheist, you have nothing to fear because there is no one TO fear. If you're TRULY a believer (in God), you have nothing to fear because if God is for you who can be against you? If you're not sure... well, I would say that that's only "human"... and that "it" ain't over, yet, so you've still got time to look into things and decide. But it should be YOU who decides... and not someone else deciding FOR you (unless, of course, you're a minor, in which case, you may have to "fake it" until you can "make it").

I bid you all peace!

A slave of Christ,

SA

guanaco

What I really dislike is the people who feel offended when someone criticize some aspect of his/her religion.

I felt that when I was a convinced JW and I much regret .

ziddina

"We all left an organization that gave us no choice; dictated how we should think and feel.

It would seem ridiculous to turn around and do the same to others here and elsewhere..."

What Blondie so eloquently said...

In a related vein, I suspect that the restrictions of the (B)organization were a MAJOR factor in causing people to exit....

And again, as Blondie said... If we fled an organization because the (B)org's control rankled, we would hardly drag that along with us, once we were free...

That would be like wearing the ol' "Ball-and-chain" after the sentence was commuted...

Zid

A.Fenderson

This site is great in that we can (mostly) all agree on one thing--that the WTS/JW religion has in some way or another negatively impacted our lives and/or that we want to help others escape from this type of abuse--while at the same time we have differences that we can calmly and kindly discuss without the conversations declining into shouting matches, name-calling, or argumentum ad Hitlerum.

And on that note...

I truly think we are all agnostic...

Very true, and very important.

...but I am taking a leap of faith just like the atheist and putting my money on Jesus.

This equivocation of the term "faith" seems potentially dangerous to me, as it leads to imprecise thinking and glosses over the very important epistemological differences between having a belief in the existence of something of which one has no empirical evidence verses choosing not to believe in the same.

@jaguarbass: in what ways do you feel the "faith" that (some? all?) atheists have is similar, and in what ways different, to the faith that theists exhibit?

My position? If you're TRULY an atheist, you have nothing to fear because there is no one TO fear.

Excepting those religious extremists whose motto is "death to the infidel!" :-)

ziddina

(heh, heh... I found "smiiii - leeeeeys"! That WORK!!)

I agree totally with "AGuest", too... If you've found - to your own satisfaction - that there is no god, then there's nothing to fear - no harsh, judgmental Yahweh or Nemesis coming after you for real or imagined infractions...

If you've found - to your own satisfaction - that there is a "loving" god, then there's nothing to fear - no harsh, judgmental Yahweh coming after you for real or imagined infractions...

As A Guest said...

Life is gooooood..... Zid

darkl1ght3r

Not at all... In a weird sort of way I kinda admire those who came out of the cult with their faith in God intact, even though I don't share that faith. I'm not sure why I feel that way. But regardless, it's a very personal journey, we all take the path that makes the most sense to us. I enjoy discussing and debating with believers. It helps me sort out my own thoughts, and helps me look at things from another perspective.

I think that's one of the more tragic things that the Watchtower stole from us: Our freedom to learn from those that we disagree with.

palmtree67

No resentment on my part.

I beleive the interaction between the two camps on this forum is MOST beneficial. I have learned alot from both and appreciate the thoughts and ideas of both.

The most important thing I've learned here:

The TRUTH can stand up to any kind of questioning.

flipper

Good thread Lozha ! I consider myself a " secular humanist " - Probably agnostic , but perhaps atheist - I'm still open on that one. But I love all my JWDers here as like Darklighter said it's important to get a well rounded view from MANY alternative views. We do have more FREEDOM to discuss things openly now being out of the JW organization so it's something to grow from and benefit from

Do you atheists resent the believers on here and do you believers resent the atheists?

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