by lambsbottom 12 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
So wife and kids went to meeting while I stayed home because I am on a religious cleanse. I feel really sad and lonely but I know that it is for the best.
On a side note, doe anyone here still agree with JW doctrines? Trinity being false? Hellfire being false? Jehovah being a good thing in the OT & NT? I find it hard to distance myself from the Org when I agree with so much of what they call "core doctrine".
Grrrr....
All of the JW doctrines are totally made-up fairy tales. There is no 'Jehovah' to begin with......it's all fictional. A comfortable belief system to distract people from the fact that when you're dead, you're dead. This life is all there is. Make the most of it.
If you need to unravel deeply ingrained beliefs from a very good and careful source, you need to read Crisis of Conscience, for a start. You can download this book as a pdf for free or get it at a library or I think they sell it on Amazon. Disproving WT doctrines is so essential for someone like yourself. Lots of people who consider themselves Christians, do not believe in Hell, for a starter. And you do not have to give up your faith in God to leave the Watchtower. There are rational Christians. Don't worry, your on your way.
@Paris:
I've read CoC and have been awake for a couple years. I just have a hard time believing all this pagan mixed with Bible teachings. Dont get me wrong, WT teachings can get just as bad. Any idea on where to find sane Christians?
The Christadelphians. But I think anyone looking for a pure religion is following a pipe dream. As an aside, could you make a list of the core doctrines as you see them? I have yet to see such a list.
Lambsbottom -- Just because the wt prints something and calls it doctrine doesn't mean they invented it!
I have never, in my entire life, ever believed in hellfire. I still believe there is no physical "hell" with satan and demons and all that, but then I never did! So believing something that is a wt doctrine is surely no reason to stick close to the cult. I never understood the trinity concept either, so ditto on that.
And "jehovah" truly was never used in the NT, so the wt is falsifying the bible by claiming that it was.
Hang in there! You are indeed on the right path and IT WILL GET EASIER!! The longer you are away from mind control, the more readily you will see the real truth about "The Truth".
Paris: Welcome to the forum. Are you an ex-JW? Some people on this forum have never been JW's and we welcome their sensible perspective. We hope to hear more from you.
lambsbottom: Take it easy. If you want to attend a Christian religious service and have never attended one, you might wish to start with the Methodist Church, as it may be the least offensive in terms of being middle-of-the-road. Personally, I love the Episcopal Church, but it might be a bit much for someone just exiting Watchtower indoctrination because it is ritualistic, much like the Roman Catholic service.
For now, keep reading and researching. If you have a college nearby and want to take some courses in Religion or related topics, that might also give you a good start. I took NewTestament and Old Testament survey courses, and courses entitled Introduction to the Study of Religion and Psychology of Religion. Your mind will open gradually and you will shrug off the brainwashing little by little as you go along.
Best wishes with your new life of freedom and free thinking!
Mum - yes I am an ex-jw, ex-pioneer
lambsbottom- I hesitate to point to any particular church. There are moderate churches with reasonable humanists who concentrate on helping others. There is hope and positive action going on, contrary to what the WT will tell you. Millenium Project for one. See You Tube for what this project is doing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfc75qPRj2Q changing Africa one village at a time. Also for hope to answer atheists, read Answering the new Atheism, Dismantling Dawkins' Case Against God by Scott Hahn and Benjamin Wiker. Education is always helpful for clear thinking. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEYLuajObY4
Hi lambsbottom, How has the WTBTS made your life better? Slave for the WTBTS now distributing propaganda and donate your money to the building fund now. In the future you will live on paradise earth if you survive Armageddon. Sounds like a pipe dream to me as well as you won't be living and enjoying life now.
Show me 1 conditional loving JW and I will show you 10 unconditional loving non-JWs, who are having a lot more fun living life now.
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
Robert
If you start studying up on other Christian religions, you will find that they all have solid doctrine. Reading the New Catholic Encylopedia, I found their doctrine to be significantly more strongly researched and better presented than say the Insight book.
What I also found is that the reason each religion has different doctrine is that each accepts different Scriptures as literal or figurative. The Bible is not a consistent book with doctrine in it. You cannot go to a chapter and study up on the doctrine of the Nature of God, or the doctrine of what happens at death. Each sect comes up with its own interpretation by analysing verses scattered throughout both the Old and New Testament, accounting for the vast differences in teachings. Boiled down, it means the Bible can say whatever you want it to.
