dealing with religion after leaving the witnesses

by joker 29 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Schnufti

  The thought that I and all my relatives will get old and die without any return is hard for me. Also that mankind will be gone one day and that the earth will no longer exist. And I didn't like the idea that there is no god I can thank for all these beautiful things in nature.

  But I just don't want to force myself anymore to believe something I'm not convinced of. I suppressed logical reasoning for all my life, now it's time I base my beliefs on that. As far as I have researched (I have only started) I'd consider myself as agnostic. I think that religion came up because it gives hope. It is a comforting idea that we don't stop existing one day, that there is someone that is able to help us and that bad happenings make sense.

  I'm getting used to the concept that we all have the same ending. We are extremely lucky to know what life is like. Someday there will be just silence and the earth with its mankind will be gone and noone will remember us. That is depressing on the one hand, but on the other hand I like people more than before. I'm more motivated to be kind and supportive to strangers. My new spirituality is possibly the idea that we are all in the same boat.
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  LisaRose

  seriously makes me believe that everything I see/do/say is wrong. And it is like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde it just come out. It’s really quite a big drag that keeps me from moving forward in a positive way.

  That's the cult mind control kicking in. The JWs have implanted the idea that only they have "the truth" and everything else is wrong and evil, and that doesn't automatically go away because you now realize they were wrong, and even though you know intellectually that it's not logical. It does get better with time and as you expose yourself to different beliefs systems and as you learn more about cults work. I highly recommend the book Combating Cult Mind Control by Steve Hassan.

  But for myself there is a certain part of my personality that needs a spiritual belief not like the witnesses in any way, but something to meditate on, and contemplate.

  That's understandable and I think a lot of people feel that way. There is certainly nothing wrong with seeking the spiritual. For some people that is a religion and if that is your inclination there are some better churches out there. I like the United Church of Christ (the United part is important, there is a Church of Christ also that is not at all the same). They have no doctrine, which works if you aren't ready to declare a belief in traditional church ideology. They are quite liberal, so not for those who are against homosexuality, for example, but they are very warm and welcoming and do a lot of charitable work which I like. There are other good churches out there, you just have to look and keep an open mind and find one that works for you. Everything is going to seem weird and different at first, you just have to give it a chance. The JW's study with people for at least six months before they get baptized, because they know it takes time for people to adjust to their way of thinking, and it takes just as long on the other end, if not longer.

  In the end I chose to just go it alone, as I just couldn't believe in the God of the bible anymore. I still feel spiritual, it's just that it is a more loosely defined spirituality. If I had to name it I guess I am a humanist, but I don't care much for labels.

  I am sure you will figure out where you need to be also, I wish you well on your spiritual journey.

  
  

  
  

  
  
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  LongHairGal

  SCHNUFTI:

  Your post is good and that is pretty much how I think. I also feel religion was invented because it gives hope but I also think it was to control the ignorant masses.

  I especially agree with your last two sentences.
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  Heartsafire

  The residual effects of WT brainwashing were hardest when I was first waking up. I even felt guilty reading different translations of the bible.

  I think attending various churches is a great way to explore your "spiritual" side and to find people to connect with. A lot of churches have live feeds to their sermons if you're not in the mood to attend in person.
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  TrueNoir

  I'll be honest here but everyone seems to be bent on the idea that you need to identify as "some" religion. Catholic, JW, Muslium, ect ect ect so many different religions to pick from. But what does the bible say Mark 9:38 "John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” " And how does Jesus respond? mark 9:39 "But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. " So lets put this into perspective the apostles are telling Jesus this person isn't in the same group or "church" or "religion" as they are in and they are asking him if they should stop him but Jesus tells them no cause its not what religion you identify as its whether or not you believe in Jehovah or Jesus. As long as your following what the bible is telling you. And honestly many people are under the misconception that they themselves need someone to translate the bible like the leader of some religion. But keep in mind how did Jehovah's witnesses get started? Russel started it using the bible works from 7th day Adventists and other religions then used the bible to come up with his own theory's on what should or shouldn't be the correct doctrine. You should be reading it for yourself then determining what you will believe and what they translate to you. That's actually how I decided that being a JW wasn't my cup of tea while my parents are still very much into it. I looked at scriptures and the way they are wording things to mean and then used the Greek lexicon to break down the original scriptures from the King James version and everything becomes really clear and simple after you get the definitions of what words mean. Makes it really easy to tell whether something is just pure symbolic or not. Also really helps when your trying to figure out what is twisted doctrine and what's real. So don't go off the deep end do what you should have from the beginning read the bible learn from it then go about your life. I could run through tons of things ive researched myself but honestly the only right way to do it is do it yourself and not be told what to do. Yes its more work because people go to a church so they don't have to read things and research but that is the only way you will know what your learning is the real truth or not.
  
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  nicolaou

  So TrueNoir, from your personal study of the Bible would you conclude (as Jehovah’s Witnesses have), that the resurrection of Jesus was a historical event and that the human race is a created and not an evolved species?

  Are these tenets part of the "real truth" you allude to?
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  TrueNoir

  Well unless your going to just go and believe that the bible was created by man and science is the only thing you choose to believe in then you can pick your posion either atheist or to believe in something.
  
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  nicolaou

  You avoided my question TrueNoir. Do you believe, as JWs do, that the creation and resurrection are historically true?

  You see, if we're truly honest with ourselves we cannot choose our beliefs we are forced to them by the evidence. Integrity and honesty force us to accept as true even those things we abhor.

  I can't choose to believe that all children are well fed and tucked into a clean bed at night by parents who love them because, sadly, the facts force me to acknowledge that that isn't true.

  What kind of person repeats things that cannot be true?
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  Ucantnome

  Nic I believe JW believe that Jesus was resurrected as a spirit so why could that not be historically true
  
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  TrueNoir

  If we look at things based off of evolution if we came out of evolved monkeys why has that evolution process stopped then. Scientists still have not been able to create life from nothing as well because that's basically what evolution says. The bible has been around for a very long time and many things out of the bible can be proven historically such as places and such. Also I personally have had prayers answered though that was before I identified as a JW which for me makes me believe that the bible is real. But I can understand that people who leave the JW cult would rather go off the deep end and would rather believe that nothing exists in terms of god or creation because they've been made a fool out of by the religion that they followed. Pretty sure people who leave another form of religion to JW think much of the same thing of that religion they left for. But by going off and identifying as atheist instead all your really doing too is justifying what JW say happens to people when they leave the religion. And your allowing a religion to steal your personal spirituality. And in the event that the bible is true you've turned your back on god. I mean if your okay with that it is your free choice that allows you to believe in nothing as well. Just like the bible says everyone gets judged individually its not a "group" or "religion" which will allow you to be "saved" or not. And also just like the bible says its undeserved kindness to get everlasting life so you could never do enough to deserve a reward like that. The last is first and the first is last meaning no rank and file gets priority in terms of judgement. But yeah if you want to fly off the handle and believe that you evolved from a monkey and you just evolved and gained the ability to speak and communicate even though the actual scientific proof of current day monkey's evolving into humans don't exist its totally up to you. But I won't give JW satisfaction to say that I'm not a spiritual person or justify anything that they've said about me. And I'd rather still believe that gods still there and I can read the bible myself and keep learning. But I do not sit here and worrying about "the end coming" cause the bible says no one will know the time or the place. So I will continue to be the good person I am following what the bible says but not be some fanatic or feel the need to join a religion and listen to some priest or elder or leader try to tell me what I can already read for myself.