I agree with the suggestions of few posters like Talesin, to replace the need for community and the impulse to help others by volunteering first. They'll immediately feel they're making a positive impact and then they can slowly study up on different religions to sort that out.
Question for the Athiests/Agnostics
by jwfacts 40 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Gayle
Life's a trip! If I take a detour, with promises that it is better and short,,but find the detour is deadly, destructive, longer, more costly, and that the service attendants are conniving and extremely expensive, just want money and me to do work for them and not helpful at all,,then, I can return back and I can tell any and all, "don't go down that road because . . . . . etc etc". That all I have to do. I don't need to tell them to follow me or someone else, just don't go down that particular treacherous road. They have to figure out their own path, research maps, fliers, etc, where they want to go. They'll be better off.
If we rescue someone that has fallen in a deep hole, we help them. We don't have to say now, let me guide you the rest of your life; just encourage them to be more careful.
To some, I tell them my doctrines I try live by are just love, joy and peace. In that way, I work out my day best.
SBC, thank you,,I appreciated that quote from Ingersoll. Very good.
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Paralipomenon
I would suggets Bahai.
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Velour
...there is no way they will give up belief in God and the Bible
I'd encourage them to question everything. If they're questioning the authority of the GB, why stop there? Go further and question the bible that these old guys say their authority comes from. Question the god they say exists. And if a person isn't willing to question that far I'd have to ask,"why not? What fears are they holding on to?" Truth will always be truth- such is the nature of truth. The GB didn't pass the truth test after we flipped them over and saw the other side and we left them. So, I think ANYTHING, even the bible and god, should be left if they don't pass the truth test. So test them out, see and understand what's on the other side
social aspects of the church
As everyone else has already mentioned, there are plenty of social and volunteer groups to be a part of without religion. In this day and age it's not hard to find a cause you care about that you can join in supporting, or a hobby group where you can meet like minded people. These things can satisfy social needs. If someone just HAS to go to church specifically, I'm sure I'd be the last person they would talk to about which one to attend. I would try hard not to facepalm if someone tried to say they go to church only for social reasons, especially if they've never tried to join a cause or a hobby group. I'm sure someone who HAS to go to church specifically is looking for more than just friends.
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wobble
Great thread JWF, I have noticed with a number that have left JW's they seem to feel there is a void in their life, they see it as a god-shaped hole, that they need to fill.
It was never a problem for me, I already had other activities, and true friends who had never been JW's, but some, like my own wife, find it hard that all their friends, and of course many relatives, are now strangers to us.
I think, especially for those who have the god gene, it is an early reaction to try to find a church that suits, but they make it harder for themselves to do that by hanging on to JW ideas like the Trinity is "false". When I was in the stage of still believing in a god, I examined the trinity, as the doctrine is understood by Christians , and could find no way to disprove it from a christian perspective.
Jehovah's Witnesses are woefully un-educated, it is a ploy of the WT to exert control, how can you make proper decisions that will lead to your happinesss if you do not educate yourself on matters ?
I would suggest to such ones that they read the excellent books mentioned on the thread for XJw's about suitable books, and then they may find, as I did, that they don't need, or want, a religion, a church or a god.
I have never been happier than I am now, free from all bullshit.
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bigmac
if it feels good---do it
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sizemik
I find it thoroughly intiguing jwfacts . . .
That you would direct a question to atheists/agnostics, in which you would ask them to recommend a religion. I realise the question is more comprehensive than that . . . and this is by no means a criticism. In fact it is very searching in the way you have framed it.
I am more agnostic than atheist. Personally, I could never in good conscience recommend a church or religion . . . in spite of the fact it may well suit the recipients needs better than any other suggestion I might make. My attempts would probably focus on trying to dispel fear of the unknown, as I believe this is a major motivating force, albeit subconscious in many, when seeking a religious ideology. Perhaps portraying the prospect of "clearing the table" as desirable, in a spiritual sense, when re-addressing one's search for truth.
The social needs of humans are common to us all, and the suggestions of previous posters could accompany such encouragement, even providing an aid, by seeking out the thoughts of others, in addressing the spiritual need mentioned above.
But recommend a religion or church . . . never.
EDIT: SBC . . . Ingersoll's quote
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Curtains
sizemike, atheists are free thinkers so our recommendations can be quite objective (joking)
Unitarians and quakers have been recommended by atheists here and indeed those religions welcome atheists.
I would recommend a philosophical path or a literary path. Seneca is a marvellous guy to grapple with. Incidently he was a contemporary of Jesus Christ, so it would be quite interesting to compare his writings with what is attributed to Jesus Christ and when we do this we find many similarities but also lots of differences. He was a stoic and often entered discussions with epicureans. He tutored nero and from the shadows ruled Rome on Nero's behalf along with another guy. Eventaully Nero cut himself loose from Seneca and we can guess why. Seneca was eventually forced to commit suicide. Many of his writings are available online.
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sizemik
Curtains . . . by accident or design, you completely misrepresent my point for all your free thinking . . . but OK . . . go ahead
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Curtains
sizemik, I'm not aware of representing your point at all