If You Never Were a JW What Religion Would You Have Been?

by minimus 18 Replies latest jw friends

  • hillary_step
    hillary_step

    Coming from a heavy Communist background, if I had followed my genes I would probably have remained agnostic. As a young man I admired, and still very much admire, the work of Medicins Sans Frontieres and would easily have devoted my life to their cause. As it is, I followed the path to Paradise paved with Watchtower magazines, which like all paper dreams eventually gave way under the weight of truth.

    Reminds me of a song by Pete Sinfield :

    how many times, swan
    we got cold,
    you uncorked your wine.
    how far we drove drunk
    on a car of paper charms....

    http://www.msf.org/

    HS

  • outnfree
    outnfree

    Probably just what I am now: confused! lol

    Raised Protestant, I disbelieved the Trinity, which made me reject being confirmed Lutheran. I went searching, too, like Blondie. I genuinely LIKED Jesus, so I didn't consider anything out of the Judeo-Christian parameter, however. Then I found the JWs, who appealed to me because they were [ahem!] Christian without being Trinitarians. I believed almost everything they taught me at 17. And that stayed with me so that when I had kids, I decided to become a Witness to save them from destruction at Armageddon.

    After I decided to leave, I shopped around a bit again, and found a non-denominational church quite comforting--until I got more involved... Once I did, all sorts of warning signals went off that I was just being suckered into some other group's agenda. So I left, but with fond memories of the people and their place in helping me with my exit from JWism.

    Thus: confused is what I was at 14, confused is what I was at 44! lol

    The more things change the more they stay the same?

    out

  • drwtsn32
    drwtsn32

    Way before I left the JW's, I had known that I would not have been religious if I wasn't raised a JW. So my answer is: no religion. I would have been either atheist or agnostic.

  • LyinEyes
    LyinEyes

    I was baptized as a baby Catholic, all of my Dad's family are catholic. I imagine we would have stayed Catholic if not for that knock on the door,,,,,,,,,,,,damn JW's. My mom and dad moved away from the family and we were living in Houston, Texas, and as far as I know they didnt go to church but did do holidays.

    I know a little about how my Catholic family worshipped and it always seemed so easy compared to being a JW.

    They went to mass on Wed, and twice to church on Sundays, and alot of my cousins wore pants,,,,,,,ahhhhh the horrors of that can you imagine.....lol. But if some of them got in trouble they went to confession, it was over , it was done and they never had the quilty conscience or felt overburdened. Now I will say, my Catholic family was from a small town, very rural and it may have been alot more laid back than some bigger city churches of Catholics. My grandmother was a very faithful Catholic and never was overboard in it. She was the most saintly person I ever knew, she was so much what I imagine a female Jesus would be, she never cursed, she never lost her temper except one or two times when it was justified, she was a hard worker, she loved the Bible even thou she couldnt read, she loved to be read to, she would just hold it . She had her prayer beads, that I thought were beautiful. I would lay my head on her lap and she would have them in her pocket and she would hold them as she did her prayers, and I could hear her mumbling the prayers as I laid on her soft lap, she would look down on me a smile and I never felt so safe. My dad was always witnesses to her and she always listened and just believed that God would take care of everyone, didnt matter what religion you were, as long as you loved GOd and tried to be the best you could be.

    After all the years of my dad witnessing to her, she died still believing she was going to Heaven to be with my grandfather and all of her relatives that she was sure were waiting on her. She had a strong faith and even my dad who could charm alot of folks out in service , her faith in what she believed was strong.

    I miss her sooooooo much and would love to talk to her now about me leaving the JW's, I have talked to my aunts and they are so happy for me, my uncles too. THey look at me now and see a big differnce in me , even thou I havent seen them much thru the JW years, until lately.

    But if I lived down home where they are all at I would be sitting right next to them all at the Catholic church,,,,,,,,,,,not so much because I believe everything the Catholics say, but because I love them and boy,,,,,,,,,,,,,,wouldnt it be funny to hear what my Dad would say about all of that........he wouldnt say anything to them, but it would burn him up. I might just have to go to church with them next Xmas so he will hear about it............... Am I just evil or what.........LOL.

  • Lady Lee
    Lady Lee

    My mother was raised Catholic. I think my father was Salvation Army but I could be wrong. Neither practiced and my mother was totally against Catholic beliefs.

    I was, for some odd reason, baptized in the United Church. Neither of my parents went but I think my mother did it so I would have a name and the vestiges of the Catholic belief that a child must be baptized.

    When I was 7-8 I had a friend who went to church, possibly United, and I used to go with her. I was the only one in the family who went and remember getting dressed up in my Sunday best and going off to church with her and her family.

    I also remeber around the same age going to different churches, always on my own. I tried a Baptist church but found that weird and tried a Pentocostal church - really weird. Due to my mothers beliefs about the Catholic church I never tried that one.

    We moved a couple of times and I sort of lost touch with my friend but continued to go to church all alone and try different ones out. Tried an Anglican and I think Methodist too.

    After my mother left I recall getting dressed and going to church on the bus by myself. I am amazed that I was allowed to do this but no one stopped me and I was given money for the collection plate, although I guiltily didn't always hand it in.

    When I was 11 I went to live with my mother who had started studying with the JWs. My grandmother, who was already baptized was living with us along with my 3 uncles and aunt (all teens and all baptized)

    I didn't step inside a church for another 40 years. And then it was an Anglican.

    But back to the main question. I don't know. I know I was searching for something. I was being abused at home. I felt unloved and full of guilt. Who knows I might still be wandering from one to the other looking for some sense of belonging and acceptance that I didn't get at home

  • minimus
    minimus

    I've always told the brothers that if I was contacted thru house-to-house, I would have been listed as a "DO NOT CALL". I would have kicked out these pests a long time ago.

  • Double Edge
    Double Edge
    she always listened and just believed that God would take care of everyone, didnt matter what religion you were, as long as you loved GOd and tried to be the best you could be.

    sounds like the "Church of Common Sense".... you're right, she was a saint.

  • Vash_The_Stampede_13
    Vash_The_Stampede_13

    I would have been Mormon, it was a family thing and my dad liked it a lot. I really like Catholics though and Greek Orthodox. For now I’m just going to go church hopping.

  • minimus
    minimus

    Vash, why do you really like Catholics and Orthodox???

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