Are you Ex's still Christian?

by joel 63 Replies latest jw friends

  • amicus
    amicus

    "Nothing in man is more serious than his sense of humor; it is the sign that he wants all the truth."-Mark Van Doren
    Joel,
    What part of LA do you hail from? I was born in Burbank, and spent many days at either Topanga, Malibu, or Zuma.

  • joel
    joel

    lol Java!!

    And so true amicus...I was born in San Diego...I'm in the SF Valley now...and hangout/surf at the beaches you mentioned...cowabunga dude!

    Pax,
    joel

  • amicus
    amicus

    Joel,
    I just spent a week visiting the Valley in November. Both my brothers have lived in S.D., so I've logged time there too.
    Ride that wave, bro.
    P.S. It's hard to find good tie dye since the Dead stopped touring.

  • mommy
    mommy

    Larc,
    I want to let you know I appreciate what you have written.
    wendy

  • larc
    larc

    Thank you mommy,

    I was very hesitant to post on this subject, because I sense that although some have similiar opinions, the majority differ substantialy from my view. I stated my case pretty strongly, but I don't want you to think that I want to discredit anyone else or promote any idea. I didn't come here for that, and I think that my beliefs are pretty much irrelevent.

    For me, the main point of the forum is to help each other out where we can and have a little humor along the way as well.

  • thinkers wife
    thinkers wife

    I have appreciated this thread so much, because it has afforded us the opportunity to know each other better.
    I too am of the mind that I never want to force my beliefs on others. But it is oh so interesting to hear about others! And who knows but that by hearing we could learn something.
    One of my big problems with the Witnesses is that there is no room for thinking and hearing and comparing. This is a serious lack. For we can grow just by having the luxury of allowing our minds to be open.
    Larc,
    I very much appreciated your opening up. And I think it takes a big person to admit that they don't really know. Much bigger than someone who spouts off canned teachings.
    Many of your thoughts were similiar to my husband's and mine. But even if they weren't, I would still find it intriguing.
    TW

  • Carmel
    Carmel

    Carmel...exjw, post agnostic, Baha'i

  • joel
    joel

    thinkers wife-

    Your comments about gettin' to know each other better, by knowin' the information everyone was kind enough to let on about themselves...is so true.
    As a newer one here...it benefits me greatly in knowing the types of people I am posting to....so...thanx are in order to everyone that opened up.

    Also...I learned that there is much more diversity here in this regard...than at another site I frequent...that more have retained a belief in a personal God...even if they admit to being in a seeker-mode now in their post-JW life.

    Plus the respect that was shown in the posts was great!

    It all makes for a nice group here!

    Pax,
    joel

  • braincleaned
    braincleaned

    I'm going to repeat what I have said in another thread:

    As per one of my notes, my biggest fear is my, our, natural tendency for confirmation bias. And my biggest frustration is that so many don't even acknowledge they have it -- not mentioning those who don't even know what it is. Did I say frustrating?
    But why should I care? After all, even if one wants to believe in fairies and chocolate covered mountains, who the hell am I to deny them their "truth?" Who cares what quest I have, how dare I intrude and shove my perspective of reality in their face? Right?

    Of course, it would be ridiculous to claim as a fact that God doesn't exist. Even as a convinced atheist I would never say that.
    However - there is strong evidence that the Abrahamic God of the three main religions, does not exist. Why? Because of the written scriptures from where his existence originates. Accurate scientific and archeological knowledge has chipped away to the so-called truths of the Bible. It's validity on the very origins of life, the flood*, the miracles that conveniently have never happened in our recorded times, the absurd and cruel morality of the Mosaic Law that condones genocide, slavery, and the stoning of almost anyone, even a rebellious teen (ack!), etc...

    Bottom line, the Bible is a great book - but not trustworthy as Truth as it lacks basic logic and true morality. Hence, the biblical claims that there is such a God makes his existence very improbable.

    Granted, nobody can "choose" to believe one way or another. However, we can "choose" our sources. Consequently, what we believe can then be influenced by the choice of our sources. I find it sad that such a huge chunk of the world's demography find it normal to trust the Bible. Ironically, NOBODY would trust scientific or medical books that are 2,000 years old. Anyone would find that preposterous.

    Personally, I have already dismissed the Abrahamic god as a possibility.

    * Concerning tales like the flood and other stories, some say we shouldn't take the Bible literally, like some religions do in pure denial of hard evidence (ex. JW). I agree. But then why take the existence of an all-knowing, all-powerful deity literally? How does that make any more sense? Not take the stories literally, except for the main character. Where's the logic there? It's like saying that it's ridiculous to take "Jack and the Beanstalk" literally, as a true story -- but guess what? The giant REALLY exists on a cloud above!

    Logic fails in this world, still crippled with references and superstitions of old. And I would like to encourage those who leave the JWs for another religion to analyse why they do so, in flagrant contridiction with logic. It it because they got used to the security blanket of faith? I think yes in most cases...

  • braincleaned
    braincleaned

    //I still consider myself a christian.How could you not. I think some people, when they say that they are Atheists, are looking for attention.//

    Charlie, you obviously don't know Atheists, nor the logic and reason they hold on to. Please read my comment above.

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