Did you have a relationship with... (page 3)

Galileo

First off, I love and totally agree with Giordano's answer. I relate to the sentiment at least, if not the specifics. Never been a fisherman myself.

Second, no, I didn't. I always felt like I was missing something in that regard, the same way I felt like I was missing all the "joy" of participating in field service. I always thought that I would get it eventually, probably the same way that some Buddhist monks believe that if they meditate long enough they will eventually be able to levitate. I now realize that having a relationship with an invisible being that does not offer any evidence to support his own existence is no more logical.

Sam Whiskey

So a Universe with 3 Trillion galaxies and planet earth is NOT enough evidence? Did you ever meet Abraham Lincoln? No? How do you know that he existed? A book told you that he existed and was one of America's presidents? How do you know that for sure, you never met him....

Have you ever even met your great, great, great Grand dad? How do you know he existed? How do you know for sure he was your great, great, great Grand dad?

streets76

Ho boy...

Mad Sweeney

There's really two parts to this:

1. Did I feel/think I had a relationship with Jehovah?

2. Did I REALLY have a relationship with Jehovah?

To answer 1, I thought I did but never really FELT much. People in churches say they FEEL God's power, they FEEL God's hand in their lives. JWs have to make reality twist and bend in order to CREATE those feelings. You all remember those "experiences" we were often told about how some pioneer was flat broke, then found bags of groceries on her doorstep along with gas money, THANK JEHOVAH! And so we BELIEVED it and TRIED to twist the reality of our own experiences into feeling it if and when we could, which rarely if ever happened.

Which brings up the answer to number 2: NO. It is entirely a facade. Jehovah is the front man for a publishing corporation. The guy who takes the blame when the men screw up but who is evidently willing to share the credit when the men happen to succeed at something. When a borganization creates its own god, that god can be whatever is best for business. In WT world, that god isn't really good for the individual; he's way too corporate-minded.

stapler99

No, I do not understand how such a relationship can exist. Believers may say they love God, but that is a pattern of behaviour which aligns them with other believers. It does not have to be meaningful.

Galileo

So a Universe with 3 Trillion galaxies and planet earth is NOT enough evidence?

No it isn't.

How do you know that he existed? A book told you that he existed and was one of America's presidents? How do you know that for sure, you never met him....
Have you ever even met your great, great, great Grand dad? How do you know he existed? How do you know for sure he was your great, great, great Grand dad?

This is a variation on the "How do you know Iceland exists" logical fallacy. The existence of Iceland or Abraham Lincoln is established by so much evidence that it would take a truly astonishing explanation and mountains of evidence as to how it's possible that those things actually don't exist. Invisible all powerful beings are not supported by the same degree of evidence. The same line of reasoning could be used to establish the existence of bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster, or unicorns: "So what that you've never seen Bigfoot riding a unicorn. You've never been to Iceland and you believe that exists!"

mentallyfree31

I would say aloud that i did have a relationship with him. But every single time I prayed, it was very awkward. There was always that feeling lurking in there somewhere that said "Who the hell are you talking to?". About 8 or 9 years I kinda gave up on surviving Armageddon. If doing the things in the WT was what was required, then I knew that I would not make it. I was still a super active JW for all outside appearances (until about 3 years ago).

:-)

-MF31-

KristiKay

Thank you Clarity!

factfinder

I thought I had a relationship with God at some time. But prayer to me was always so formal...I think the first years I was a JW I thought perhaps Jehovah was really listening to me and cared about me.

Something happenned that made me realize that Jehovah is not really involved in the congregation's affairs. An elder who I became close to and who was having a BS with me was being lied about by other elders in the cong who disliked him. Seems a power struggle was going on. My friend was on the side of the C.O. Anyway, long story short- the power hungry elders succeeded in getting my friend deleted as an elder. They also took me off of the TMS and would not allow me to aux pio because I was on my friends side and knew of the wrongdoing and spoke out against it. Prior to this I prayed to Jehovah that he MUST prevent this wrongdoing from happening. My faith was almost completly destroyed when those elders got away with it. The elder who was my friend was so disheartened he and his wife moved down to Florida. From then on I had serious doubts that God even listened to me.

When my beloved Mom was given a stroke by that hellhole hospital Deborah and later died I felt that God had betrayed me. I have been very angry at him since and do not feel he is worthy of worship. I am not sure even what I believe about him any more. Perhaps there is a Creator who is nothing like the bible god? But I cannot get over my anger at Jehovah even 11 years later. But I have gone off subject. Thank you for anyone who read this and let me get it off my chest.

I never felt a real emotional relationship with God, no.

wasblind

I could never make all of my meetings due to my work schedule

and sometimes I would not get the required hours on my field service report

for the month, so according to the JW's I wasn't doin' enough

that meant I didn't have a relationship with Jehovah.

Did you have a relationship with...

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