Seeking support ... Where can a Christian go

by Sevan 83 Replies latest jw friends

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  Sevan

  Hey all,

  So I recently posted for the first time and introduced myself.

  I have been spending time reading various posts. Some informative, some not so much.

  Since I've been reading on here, I've read a lot from Atheists. I wanted to see why Atheists felt the way they did? What was their reasoning and arguments?

  I have always found people's different beliefs and opinions enthralling from a human psychology and sociology standpoint. This is why I enjoy reading viewpoints from people of different political parties and talking to people of different belief systems as well. All very interesting. I enjoy respectful discussion and debate.

  However, that said, I have not found the Atheist vs Believer debates on this site to be respectful or particularly helpful. In fact, I have found this site overall to be extremely hostile toward believers. There are posts that imply and others that directly state that believers are delusional, illogical, irrational and lacking intelligence.

  Now I have not come here to be converted to any particular way of thinking. I have come here for support after just leaving a very controlling and close-minded religion that greatly impacted my life over the last 20 years. I am not here to be converted to Atheism, nor am I here to convert anyone to Theism. I am simply looking for a little support and friendship.

  Frankly, there is nothing that could convert me to Atheism, so it is honestly a waste of time. I was a believer long before encountering the Jehovah's Witnesses and I will be a believer for the rest of my life. I have already thought long and deeply on all my reasons for faith over decades of time. Losing my religion does not also entail a loss of faith in God. Furthermore, I have found the arguments in favor of Atheism lacking and unconvincing. Now do I think that there are many things we humans do not understand about the universe and God? Of course. But the default to not having all the answers is not an absence of faith for me personally.

  Considering all the above, since it is clear that Atheists and agnostics have essentially taken over this site and are hostile toward believers, where can a believer, even someone who still considers themselves a Christian, go for moral support?
• 

  dubstepped

  You might find Beroean Pickets to be good for you. I went there a lot when I first left and still believed in God and the Bible. I haven't been there in a while though. There is a lot of detailed information there and there was some community built around it. Here's the site:

  Beroean Pickets
• 

  zeb

  Talk to ..me. Any time.

  warm regards.
  
• 

  Sevan

  Thank you. I appreciate that dubstepped.
• 

  Simon

  It sounds like you "see" only one side of things - that atheists are disrespectful.

  Often though, we are no more disrespectful than theists are. In fact, I personally find some of the theist claims bordering in inhuman and the thrown in "god bless you" and "jesus loves you" is, I think, often deliberately designed to antagonize people who don't believe any of that stuff.

  But religious people are selfish - they see the world from their beliefs and want everything to cater for their fantasies.
• 

  scratchme1010

  I am not here to be converted to Atheism, nor am I here to convert anyone to Theism. I am simply looking for a little support and friendship.
  

  Hello. I am not going to share my believes or non-believes. So as a person who may or may not be a believer, I can give you support and I hope you don't judge what I share as an attack to one way of thinking or another. I can say that what I know about atheists is that they have absolutely no interest in converting people. Believer, on the other hand, tend to proselytize and gain converts, furthermore, try to make atheism fit into their mentality that atheism is some kind of organization or denomination. Have you ever seen an atheist temple? Literature trying to gain converts to atheism? Atheists are not organized and are not a group of the same crop, so there isn't such thing as "converting" people to atheism.

  Believers do love to preach, convert and "share their wonderful experiences" with others, many times try to force them on others. Many belong to religious organizations with strict rules and guided by some kind of leadership.
  

  So my first suggestion to you is that if you have any interest in being a believer, please be aware that classifying people as "believers" or "atheists" is just faulty. "believers" put every single person who has any sort of believe in some god together, from religious cults to every single denomination. Are you going to say that you can just bundle up all people who has a belief in a higher power exactly the same and put them in the same pile that fits them all?

  On the other hand, if you want to "explore" atheism, know that there isn't a place to look for it or study it; it is not a religion, nor a belief, nor an organization, nor something that should be processed the same way that people who have a belief in some god handles their belief system.

  Now, based on what I have read, I do not see any "hostility" towards believers. Please understand that many religious people come to forums and places like this looking for reassurance of what they believe, and convinced of things like "Jesus is the way". When those people get hit on the face with the fact that there is a wealth of believe and non-believes, and that their way is not necessarily the right way for everyone, many play the victim card and claim hostility, prosecution, attacks. The second that their believes are challenged they tend to be quite reactive. Atheist, many are fed up with having to put up with such attitudes from believers.

  Something interesting is that apparently you seem to see a problem when there are more atheists than believers. Why? How is that a threat to the support you may need? You can get support from atheist, just don't expect them to say to you to "trust god" or "leave it on Jehovah's hands" or "god has a plan", which is what many believers rely on. They may suggest you to look for professional help instead. That is support, maybe not the one you'd prefer to hear about.
  
• 

  DesirousOfChange

  Now, based on what I have read, I do not see any "hostility" towards believers.

  I'd have to say that it at least borders on "hostility" toward believers when the believers come here proselytizing (damn near "demanding") that everyone accept and conform to their preconceived beliefs. If you're going to try to shove your beliefs down someone else's throat, maybe you should be prepared for a fight (or at least mild scuffle).

  Personally, I've traveled this path long enough to have convinced myself that I was wrong about JWs. They are NOT the one true religion. They do NOT speak for God. They are not directed by the Holy Spirit or any other divine force. But I think that is very different from having been convinced about the existence or non-existence of a Divine Being. I'd prefer to believe, but I seem to be coming up short on evidence as I continue my search. Time will tell.

  Good luck,

  Doc
  
• 

  Sevan

  Thank you for your responses.

  I will say this, reading the viewpoints of Atheists and watching their videos has made me more understanding of why people are Atheists.

  I don't have a problem at all with the majority of posters being Atheist. I respect everyone's right to believe as they choose. I dislike being told that I am irrational or stupid for believing in God. I happen to have an IQ in the top 1% of the world population and I am very academically accomplished and well-educated. I am in fact a very rational, logical person.

  Everyone has different life experiences and everyone has taken in different sets of information. The life experiences and information I've taken in have led to a belief in God. I fully respect that other people's life experiences and information that they've taken in may lead to a lack of belief in God. I don't demean those that have different beliefs as I do either in my heart or words. I am simply hoping for the same consideration.
• 

  Sevan

  Also, I understand why Atheists have a problem with the Abrahamic God and the idea of destruction for non-believers.

  To this I very much empathize. At this point, I cannot claim any answers. I just woke up from the dream/nightmare that is being a JW. So much of what I thought I truly believed just went up in smoke. It had no real foundation, but was based on manipulation and lies.

  What I am left with is a belief in Jesus, a belief in a Creator and many of the higher principles in the Bible, like love, patience and humility.

  There are many things that I still don't understand and question in the Bible. But I also realize that I only know a tiny fraction of what is to be known in this universe and there could be very good reasons for what is written that I simply don't understand.

  I have an issue with a lot of the misogyny in the Bible, mainly in the OT, but also in Paul's writings. I have a hard time with the stoning people to death and the many other passages that come across as barbaric. Some passages, like the creation account, at least on the surface, appear scientifically inaccurate. I don't fully understand the condemnation of homosexuality since I really empathize with the fact that homosexuals cannot change to being heterosexuals and also desire companionship and children.

  That said, I am just an imperfect human, viewing the world in my own imperfect and limited way. Maybe all these things have a legitimate explanation that I am not seeing. For now, I am just going to try to be a loving and kind person as I journey in life toward a more complete understanding of both God and humanity.

  All that said, I think God has a right as our creator to judge his creation however he sees fit. If that means eternal death for me, so be it. I am not owed eternal life by God.

  However, I do not think I have that same right to judge others. Judging others is promoted in the JW religion, but that is one of the main things about the religion that I reject. I think it is a fallacy to say that your religion or politics or sexuality, etc etc, somehow make you superior than others. Because all those things only make up a small fraction of the sum total of a person's being. Because everyone's views are colored by their life-experiences and information at that singular point in time.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
• 

  smiddy

  Sevan ,

  I have no problem with you or anyone else on this site believing in God , a GOD , or an Almighty God, truly.

  Another way of putting it is ,if you have a spiritual sense that tells you their is more to this life than just the physical experience , I can accept that.

  However if peoples belief in GOD is solely based on some ancient writings of hundreds or thousands of years ago , then they should not object when someone challenges those claims ,and points out problems with those texts .

  This is a discussion forum ,a forum that has different views from a-z , if you are just looking for a forum that validates your own viewpoint , then maybe your in the wrong place . I hope that is not so.

  We need people with different viewpoints , that`s how we all learn from one another.How we grow as individuals.

  I grew up as a kid believing the Bible was the word of God ,parents were not religious , but sent us kids to Sunday School .As I became a teen ,went my own way and did what I wanted too ,and by my late teens I wanted to know where my life was going , and what was the purpose of life.Spiritually /emotionally I was a mess. And then along came JW`s .The rest is history.

  33 years later I found I left because of doubts , etc, etc, etc.

  About 13 years ago I found this site , and what a blessing it has been , I have learnt more here than I could have if I did a degree in religion in a University .

  My journey from a believer to an atheist is what I have learnt about the Bible /Canon/books/ dozens of those left out of the Cannon / Books mentioned in the Bible that are not included in the current bible and so much more.

  Not to mention the extraordinary amount of contradictions in the current Bible that is ignored by believers as if they didn`t exist .

  The majority of people here are not going to call you stupid or ignorant , of course some will as they probably do me now and again ,( not too much I hope )

  I just hope you are not too over-sensitive that puts you off contributing here

  smiddy