conscious of my spiritual need, what next?

by stillhurts 26 Replies latest jw friends

  • stillhurts
    stillhurts

    So once you leave, what next? Have you found anything from a spiritual standpoint that brings you happiness and satisfaction?

    Have you been so scarred by the teaching that "all religions are wrong", that you can't see the truth anywhere?

    Have you been able to overturn deeply held doctrinal beliefs and been able to accept teachings that are common to christendom, such as the divinity of Christ, antichrist, the rapture, heaven and hell, Modern day Israel as the chosen people, etc?

    I am still conscious of my need for spiritual things. I love God and his word. But now that I'm out I don't know where to go next. Everything seems like poison. How did you fair? I want to be happy again, I want to know what's next.

    thank you!

    Stillhurts

  • TheSophist
    TheSophist

    Don't feel rushed to start searching for a new group. Start an independent study of the bible and prove to yourself what the bible teaches. It was easiest for me to study what interested me most. Then visit all the religious groups you please but be aware cult mind control tactics. What you really need is time. There are so many places that are not "tainted" or "evil".

    Oddly enough, I was able to do things like study word usage in the NWT to prove to myself that God is in fact a holy trinity. Which in my opinion is the the key to unlocking everything because it gives you the true identity of Jesus. Which is why the WTB$ hates the trinity so vehemently.

    Give yourself the time you need and use the web to find things that interest you (question everything though.)

    Best of Luck no matter what!

  • 00DAD
    00DAD

    Welcome to the board!

    Great questions, really great questions.

    It's only natural after waking up and learning the truth about "The Truth" (TTATT) that you feel lost and confused.

    Someone once said on here that the WTBTS is good at creating athiests. After all, we were convinced that all other religions are false, once we learn that JWs are false too, what's left?

    But that once again if a false dilemma.

    Ultimately we all need to figure it out for ourselves.

    I know for me it took about a year to rexamine my beliefs. It was a long and sometimes painful process. I felt like I had to pick up each and everything I thought I knew and re-examine it to see if I still believed. It was pretty amazing how much ended up in the ash heap.

    When I was done I realized that I pretty much only still believed the things that I believed before I became a JW! So after more than two decades "studying the Bible" I hadn't really learned anything! Or had I?

    I learned that I had to rely on myself and that I could not trust anyone else to be the source of my "spiritual enlightenment."

    “Cherish those who seek the truth but beware of those who find it.” – Voltaire

    I learned that discussion and debate are good. I learned that there are a great many people that are wonderful, happy people living fulfilling, meaningful lives and they are NOT JWs!

    I learned that I can make friends that love me for WHO I am and not for WHAT I (pretend to) believe.

    I learned that I am going to be OK, and so will you.

    00DAD

    PS - Now it STILLHURTS, but it won't forever ...

  • Brother of the Hawk
    Brother of the Hawk

    First thing is breathe. Everything will be okay. My wife & I just went thru what you're going thru now. We commend you for recognizing things for the way they are and your spiritual need. We are conscious of our spiritual need also, but we realize that our food & minds have been poisoned for 40+ years. What we found helpful is to go back to the bible. Get yourself several translations. We found 2 Th 2: 1-12, Luke 21: 7-9, Eph 2: 8-9 [Good for showing that the preaching the way WTBT$ does it, is not in harmony with Paul's writings] to all to be helpful.

    Don't rush to find another religion. According to the bible, the only place we can go to, is back to Jesus Christ. He's the mediator, he's our shepherd, he's the one that died for all of us, not the WTBT$ or GB. ALL power and authority was given to Christ. We have more scriptures to back that up, if you would like to read them, let us know and we will post more on here.

    The biggest thing with being in this position now, is that you have to re-train, re-learn, yourself & mind over and clear the WTBT$ cobwebs out. Start learning everything you can. We started with the actual name of God. You might find this a good starting place : http://www.catholic.com/quickquestions/is-gods-name-yahweh-or-jehovah

    After you read this, ask yourself this, "If the WTBT$ has gone to great lengths to destroy and expose all of Catholism's teachings as lies and untruths why has it elected to keep this lie? Please read Isa 14:14 for your answer.

    Even the WTBT$ admitted that Jehovah was not the real name of God: 1980 WT 2/1 pgs 11-13

    The

    DivineNameinLater

    Times

    THAT the divine name was used in early history is beyond question. But what about later times? Why have certain Bible translations omitted the name? And what is its meaning and significance to us?

    THE

    NAME“JEHOVAH”BECOMESWIDELY

    KNOWN

    Interestingly, Raymundus Martini, a Spanish monk of the Dominican order, first rendered the divine name as “Jehova.” This form appeared in his book PugeoFidei, published in 1270 C.E.—over 700 years ago.

    In time, as reform movements developed both inside and outside the Catholic Church, the Bible was made available to the people in general, and the name “Jehovah” became more widely known. In 1611 C.E. the King James or Authorized Version of the Bible was published. It uses the name Jehovah four times. (Ex. 6:3; Ps. 83:18; Isa. 12:2; 26:4) Since then, the Bible has been translated many, many times. Some translations follow the example of the AuthorizedVersion and include the divine name only a few times.

    In this category is AnAmericanTranslation (by Smith and Goodspeed) with a slight variation of using “Yahweh” instead of “Jehovah.” Yet, one may ask: “Why have the translators done this? If using ‘Jehovah’ or ‘Yahweh’ is wrong, why put it in at all? If right, why not be consistent and use it every time it appears in the Bible text?”

    Against the preceding historical and factual background, let us now examine what the translators say in answer.

    THE

    TRANSLATORS’

    ANSWER

    Says the Preface of AnAmericanTranslation:“In this translation we have followed the orthodox Jewish tradition and substituted ‘the Lord’ for the name ‘Yahweh.’ ” But by following “the orthodox Jewish tradition,” did the translators realize how harmful it can be to ignore God’s clear determination that his ‘name be declared in all the earth’? Moreover, Jesus condemned man-made tradition that would invalidate God’s word.—Ex. 9:16; Mark 7:5-9.

    The Preface of the RevisedStandardVersion states: “The present revision returns to the procedure of the King James Version, which follows . . . thelongestablishedpracticeinthereadingoftheHebrewscripturesinthesynagogue.... For two reasons the Committee has returned to the more familiar usage of the King James Version: (1) The word ‘Jehovah’ does not accurately represent any form of the Name ever used in Hebrew; and (2) the use of any proper name for the one and only God, as though there were other gods from whom he had to be distinguished, wasdiscontinuedinJudaismbeforetheChristianera and is entirely inappropriate for the universal faith of the Christian Church.” (Italics ours.)

    The translators made a great mistake in following the example of the KingJamesVersion and Jewish tradition. Did they really think it was God’s will that his name should be kept in the background? IsthedivinenamesomethingtobeashamedofsothatitshouldbeleftoutoftheBible?

    Peace be with you and just remember we're all in this together and you don't need another man-made religion to help you find God or Jesus.

    Affectionately Brother of the Hawk

  • Phizzy
    Phizzy

    I was a born-in, and in for nearly six decades, so you can imagine the big hole that was in my life when I first left the WT. I was where you are now in the early days of leaving.

    The one thing I was detrermined to do, well two things really, but inter-connected, was, rather, were, not to jump out of the frying pan........ and not to be fooled and mis-led again.

    I too loved what I considered to be "spiritual things", I had a love for God , my concept of God, as being LOVE Himself, not the WT god, and I had a love for the Bible.

    I started out by examining the various sects and churches of Christendom, I soon discovered that all organised religions like that had the commonality of being for the benefit of the leaders in the main. Even small House churches were subject to someone within them trying to impose their belief and interpretation on the others.

    I realised that no organised religion really had anything of value to offer, nice companions, friends even, but nothing that could not be gained elsewhere.

    I then examined the Bible as to whether it really is the word of God, and my conclusion was a definite, no, it is not. I strill love much of what is in there, and I still study about it and its writers, but I am in no illusion as to what it is.

    I then examined the evidence for God. I shall say no more, I just urge you to do the same.

    So, where does that leave me, and the big hole in my life ? I find that truly "spiritual" things have nothing to do with belief, belief is trusting that something is true with no evidence. The truly spiritual, the things that lift me, make me cry at their beauty, make me feel ecstatic, do not come from any "god", they are here in the real world, mainly by chance, often because someone has kindly given much of themselves that those things should be here.

    Music, Poetry, Literature, Art, Puppies, Babies, Fresh Air,Stars and the Cosmos the list is endless, add to that the sheer joy I get from learning, gaining knowledge, I have a life full of the spiritual, without a god in sight.

    I am happy.

    Find your own path, and walk it, confident that no man is fooling and misleading you, do not just believe what I or others say, test it all out most rigorously, or you will walk as others wish you to walk, and where they wish you to go, be truly free, be yourself.

  • zed is dead
    zed is dead

    When you leave, you have to reevaluate everything that you ever thought was true. I started with "Is the sky really blue?"

    You need to ascertain whether you have a spiritual need, or if you are just trying to fill the huge void that losing your religion left you with. It will take a while for you to figure out the answer. Just listen to yourself.

    zed

  • Wholly
    Wholly

    Hello Stillhurts,

    I think I understand how you are feeling. I have felt the same way on a large scale for a very long time.

    Prayerfully ask to be led wherever God himself wants you to go if you really want to know him and his purpose for you. Be open minded, curious and diligent in research, make no instant conclusions but pray for constant guidance.

    I am following this course and so far it has eliminated the heavy burden of doubt I've carried for decades. In its place I have the warm, full knowing that I am a child of God and am being led to the scattered remnants of truth of God's word through his "Word". My faith is getting stronger as the true foundation of accurate knowledge is being laid, through the Holy Spirt and my willingess to endure to the end.

    There must be a complete heart connection to the Holy Spirt in order to find the Almighty God through his Son and grow peace in your life.

    I could be completely wrong but it does feel right and has been a source of comfort for me since I've been struggling to balance my love for God and the realization that I can be fooled by man's (and wicked spiritual creature's) need to lead.

  • Pterist
    Pterist

    What was Jesus's answer to Thomas ? John 14

    Did not Jesus become a LIFE GIVING SPIRIT ? 1 Corinthians 15:45...

    So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.....

    Live your life with HIM ! It's a way of life 24/7 !

  • Phizzy
    Phizzy

    "To search for truth is a good thing, but beware of the man who claims to have found it ".

  • dazed but not confused
    dazed but not confused

    I was born in and baptized at 13. I left when I was 27. I searched and studied more than I did when I was IN. About a year after I left I found that I couldn’t believe in ANY god. There is just not enough evidence for me to believe in what amounts to stories and fantasy.

    You have to find your own way and believe me, the first year is rough. Undoing all the brainwashing we endured all those years is tough. Good luck with your awakening. Many here on JWN are still spiritual, some Christians and some atheists or agnostics. I went from JW to angry with god, then angry with the WTBTS to agnostic and finally fully atheist. I have never had more peace of mind in my life than I do now. It’s a great feeling being free. Good luck with your journey.

    And Welcome...

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit