by Skipper254 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
JWs who research and reason their way out of the cult are uniquely well-informed. If you apply the same skills to all religious belief and superstitions that you did to the teachings of the cult it is likely you will end up with no belief in the god of christian theism.
Faith is not a way to determine what is true about the world. You need to choose between faith-based and evidence-based thinking.
Diving deeper into the Bible caused me finally give up the idea that the bible is the word of god, I still think the bible a book that offer's insight into human nature and psychology, shadow projections, conflicts with the ego and self. I learned not to take the bible as literally word for word as that would be a very big mistake. And lets not forget all discovered gnostic early Christian writings describing Jehovah as a disobedient son of Sophia(wisdom), who created mankind to enslave him into total obedience to satisfy his megalomania and give him constant praise.
I think the search for meaning and truth should be never ending, and definitely not with teachings of some religion that claims to have all the answers. Studies show fundamentalism leads to brain shrinkage and that ain't no joke.
I have often said that BAPTISM is the first step in becoming an XJW, but I think the first step in any person becoming an atheist is listening to a theologian of any persuasion and coming to the conclusion "This is bullshit."
Best book on reasons why God does indeed exist. By Lee Strobel titled The Case for Faith.
I don't feel that the GB has caused people who leave to lose faith in God or spiritual things. The thing I have noticed about this is that once a person gets a chance to think for themselves and fully figure out what is right for them, they end up going down different paths. The most import part is that finally, a person is able to think for themselves, and ask questions. Once those are answered, they will then decide what to do. As far as most becoming Atheist I do not believe this.
Pew Research Center, 2014 Religious Landscape Study (NB: margin of error nearly +/- 7.5 percentage points):
Among those raised as Jehovah's Witnesses, now:
- 34% still identify themselves with their childhood religion,
- 31% belong to other religions, and
- 35% are religious "Nones" (unaffiliated) - the highest rate among Christian denominations.
Similar rates were observed in 2007:
https://www.pewforum.org/2008/02/01/chapter-2-changes-in-americans-religious-affiliation/
There was a poll done on Twitter and the majority of those in that poll were atheist/agnostic as well.
I agree with what nicholau said. Those bastards don't get credit for my atheism. That was my struggle to research all types of belief and the bible and to look for evidence. That was all me. I had to break down the JW beliefs and it was painful and difficult and then I started looking at the book so much is based on and it too fell apart. I didn't want that but I did want a more evidence based life even if it hurt to let go of some magical thinking. That was all me. Nobody else sat there with me through that, not even my wife. She had to run her own race too. We ended at the same finish line but ran separately.
I guess, like nicholau, I received some help on here but my research consisted of many things. I fought against the possibility of atheism until I could no longer ignore it.
My journey was exactly the same as yours, Dubstepped Sir, except wifey is not quite on the same page, she is still at the " I would like to believe there is a god" stage, not so far behind us two, but a step or two to go.
The G. B. can only take credit for finally pushing me to investigate everything, it was the September 2007 Question Box in the Kingdom Ministry that did it, they told JW's that the G.B would do their thinking for them.
That made me blow my stack, see the Mind Control, and wonder why, if they in any way had some kind of truth, would they need to do that ?
I left for good in early 2008.
SKIPPER:
You may have a point there.
My bad experience with the Witness religion has cured me of any desire to belong to any religion or group. I’m done with it all.
i have enough difficulty dealing with reality. no interest whatsoever with fantasy or people who worship it.
