I have a lot of friends in my life. Some are real close and some are casual friends. In all, I still enjoy my connection with them and I enjoy the time I get to spend with them. One time a few years ago, I was talking to a old friend I had not seen in awhile. He was kind of offish, and I asked why. He said, "well such-in-such (who was mutual friend) was upset with something I did, and said he was going to bad mouth me to you and we would no longer be friends." I was irritated at this and told him, "never think another friend can change my opinion of another, just because they have a problem. What ever friendship is between us, is just that between us." He smiled and we shock hands, and went back to a close relationship. This reminded me of something, and taught me a interesting lesson.
When Witnesses disfellowship people. They make the statement that the people are no longer in God's favor. They say that God has forsaken them and left them to perish with the world at Armageddon. I always found such statements hurtful, and I remember the pain in the eyes of the individuals. I remember the families acting as if the people had died, and mourned them like a death in the family. The elders would go along and say this to 100's of people yearly, and yet what were they really doing?
In my personal convictions now, I do not see what ever God is out there as forsakening anyone. I do not see a man sitting on a thrown in some heavenly palace, smiling over the fact that his worldly organization kicking people out for things they had weaknesses on. In fact, I see God as more of the energy of life, and it rewards for love and punishes for hate. So when I see these men sitting in the judicial committee and saying, "I think this person needs to be disfellowshipped for committing fornication." They are just people in a darkened room, trying to find a light switch that does not exist. They are not doing anything that brings joy to people, and thus I question what they think "spiritual guidance" is to be. As many know, I was a elder for a short time before I left the religion, so I know what took place in back rooms and meetings.
So I wonder something, if God is out there ... the Christian God, or any other. Do you think he would want someone talking to his friends, the people that get life from him, and saying, "we have a problem with you and thus we are going to turn God from you?" Well I do not have to think to hard on this, for I had a learning example to go by. When my friend told me what happened, I was hurt for him, but I was angry for the other friend for doing this. It strengthened my friendship with one who thought it was gone, and weakened my friendship with another who thought it was theirs to control. It helped me to see what true friendship was, and how people should only treat each other with love and never think they are more important then another.
Thus the lesson I learned, if a God is really out there, and honestly that is a huge "?" for me. I would feel a comfort in knowing that the emotions I feel on matters, would be equal if not stronger in the creator of life.
Just something to think about
Dragon