After the cult how many reject faith in anything?

by Seraphim23 136 Replies latest jw friends

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  Seraphim23

  I find it fascinating just how many atheists seem to be on this site. Now it may be that their numbers are less that the loudness of their voice suggests, but I am trying to get a handle on the numbers if possible. I’m also interested in how many retain faith after the cult and why? Speaking as a Christian who has done a great deal of thinking and belief revision over the years as evidence of one sort or another penetrates my mind, I can recognise that maintaining any faith is not easy in the 21 st century within a modern developed country, America notwithstanding. As people I don’t have any problem with atheists as my dad identifies as one, despite being married to my mother a JW. I tend to have far more issues with fellow Christians actually because of being gay, less I over complicate the issue. For the record my dad is really agnostic because he is open to the possibility of God or the supernatural if evidence presents itself to him. I don’t want to get into a debate over the problematic definition of atheism as opposed to agnosticism though. I just want to get into the why and wherefores.

  In my own journey I started out a JW then left at 19 after a breakdown. Came to terms with my sexuality and psychic gifts for want of a better description and then got to grips with evolution. I accepted that as true and moved on to philosophy and science in general. After all this I still see good reasons for a God although never proof, as that strictly speaking is only relevant to mathematics. Such may be a small point to some but to me it is a highly relevant one. My psychic gifts don’t give good direct evidence for God in my mind interestingly enough, but that would be a deep subject to get into but they certainly help to convince me that there is more to reality than science and so on. My own reason for still having a faith despite the abuses of religion is largely a philosophical one, along with some evidence I cannot honestly dismiss. Obviously I don’t expect any consensus on any of this, as there hasn’t been one since human beings evolved but I would be interested in other people’s views and own reasons for maintaining or rejecting faith or atheism.
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  Xanthippe

  When I went to the pioneer school a very long time ago there was a chapter in the book on faith. I was very interested because I had always struggled with the concept. After the chapter had been discussed we broke for coffee and I said to the person sitting next to me, 'so we believe because we want to believe?' I was only nineteen but that is how the discussion came over to me. I was being deadly serious. Do you know what she said, she jokingly called me an apostate!

  So I don't believe in anything without evidence anymore. There has to be some evidence to make me look at anything. I still don't understand the concept of faith I'm afraid.
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  cofty

  I was a christian for 9 years after leaving the borg.

  It was primarily the problem of evil that convinced me that faith in god was a delusion.

  I have identified myself as an atheist for the past 7 years.
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  cantleave

  I have no belief in gods or spirits. I see no evidence for their existence.
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  AndDontCallMeShirley

  "Shake off all the fears of servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear." - Thomas Jefferson

  Maybe it is not so much that ex-JWs (or any other religious person) loses faith, but that they simply are unwilling to put faith in things that are questionable or outrightly absurd.

  Alluding to Jefferson's quote above, if god exists and is who he claims he is, I'd have to agree he'd have more respect for someone that based their conclusions on provable science rather than on blind faith. If that bothers God, then I'm not sure I'd be too concerned personally whether he likes me or not.
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  Qcmbr

  I've got a place for religious style faith ( hope) in humanity but an abhorrence for faith as a means to find knowledge. The historical and cultural multiplicity of faith based religions is all the evidence I need that faith makes people very certain about provably false assertions, so certain that they will reject all information that disagrees with the object of their faith. Faith also allows gross immorality imo.

  so ... atheist.
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  Seraphim23

  Interesting and I have sympathy (in the non-patronising way) with all the views so far expressed. The problem of evil is one I have particular empathy with. So five atheist comments so far but not one theist or even spiritual comment yet, fascinating!
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  Simon

  I don't think it's possible to research religion thoroughly and still believe in it and be completely sane.

  Pick one.
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  BobFlanagan007

  I'm most definately an atheist simply because having finally 100% gotten over my JW indoctrination (took me 12 years) I decided to educate myself about the facts regarding 3 things:

  01 - The scienctific understanding of the natural world

  02 - The history and doctrines of the Watchtower Society

  03 - Christian doctrine in general, though mostly evidence regarding the existence of Jesus and the supposed divine inspiration of the Bible

  Within maybe 12 months I'd found there's more than enough evidence to prove evolution to be a fact, there is no tangible evidence that the Biblical Jesus ever existed and that the Bible is no more than an arbitrarily compiled collection of unattributed mystical writings of which all the original manuscripts are long lost.

  I feel kind of bitter that I wasted so many years of my life as a Christian, a JW and an ex-JW believing something that was patently untrue (doubly so when you look at certain JW doctrine)
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  sspo

  After being Catholic for 22years and JW for 32y i have come to conclusion that religion is just a fantasy and a racket.

  There is no evidence of "God" in being involved with humanity or with individuals. No evidence of a "soul" going some place after we die.

  If there is a God let him speak to us not thru many "holy books" with its 1000's of interpretation but by talking to us directly.