by lookingnow22 82 Replies latest jw friends
FARAON
http://members.tripod.com/~nomorescams/links.htm
I still had my doubts about Jahovah after having left the Watchtower for about a year. I then came across a book by Judge Joseph Wheless called "Is It God's Word?" which can be freely downloaded at http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_wheless/is_it_gods_word/
The rest is history.
#########I WENT TO THE SITE VERY INTERESTING INDEED
JAMES
I will answer this question straight.
I not only felt like it. I did it.
I believe that the only paradise we have is "now" here on earth.
But, having said that, I do believe we each have a unique spiritual side to our nature that has nothing to do with "God".
Having said that, I pose one question....Who made God? Man? Because he could not accept that we are here alone?
So, did God make man, or man make God?
La Donna Ana
HI Looking: I was a Christian before becoming a JW. When I left the JWs after 25 years, I was determined not to let the WTS beat Jesus Christ out of me, or cause me to lose my sanity. I have made a point of taking back my life.
That said, I have made a number of posts on H20 and I believe some on this forum that express anger toward God, and question his ways, question whether the Bible is fully from God or mostly a work of humans.
I have been away from the WTS informally for 9 years, and formally DA'd (I think) for almost 6 years. In that time I have gone through a whole series of changes in views and emotional ups and downs regarding God, prayer, the Bible and Christianity.
Shortly after I left the JWs, I was very involved in ex-JW activities for about 2 years. Then, I went through a period where I didn't give a damn, and stayed totally away form anything that even smelled of religion, no prayer, no Bible, no nothing. Then, I got curious again about the ex-JW world, and started posting my Justice Series on H20 about pedophiles and other things, and before long, I was back in the thick of it all again.
This time though, with Silent Lambs stepping forward, I am finding a sense of mission to assist in getting at least this issue into the spotlight, and bring the WTS to accountability. But, also, I feel more confortable now in being there for those who are just leaving the WTS and are searching for other ex-JWs to get a sense of balance, a frame of reference in their lives.
I do not accept all that is said about God or in the Bible. It is clear to me that science has shown human were here long before the Bible can chronicla, and that evolution is well demonstrated. Scientific evaluation shows that such things as the Flood of Noah could not have happened, and at best was a small local event.
But, I have not yet considered leaving God, or becoming agnostic or atheist. If I were to do so, I would go as far as agnosticism because it is the less arrogant approach, and the most wise.
Amazing
We can never leave God. This world is one of the arenas he owns. We are all gladiators and we can't leave. Beyond this arena is another. I just put up a good fight and accept that wherever there is life there is God looking right at me.
Faraon
Just to answer your questions..
Larger Mosques provide seperate areas for females to pray. In our city we have 2 local mosques where women are not permitted!When I lived in the middle east with my in-laws I rarely saw any males praying in the house but my M.I.L. was up at 5am every morning prostrating herself and several times during the day.
Women never take the lead.
Head covering required especially in mosques.
Another thing I found strange is in regard to cleanliness. After ablutions and ritual swilling and cleansing a Moslem is fit to pray but if a man touches a woman (such as a handshake) he is unclean and must start the ritual all over again.I found this out when a visitor called at the house and I went to welcome him and proferred my hand only to receive quite a snub!
I just asked my husband why and he now thinks I am considering conversion.Forget it!!!
Free
Hi I'm new
I don't believe in God as I used to any more, the God of the bible. I do believe there is some higher form, but as yet haven't figured it out.
NeedTime (diligently searching for the answers)
Need Time I like your comment “I don't believe in God as I used to any more, the God of the bible. I do believe there is some higher form, but as yet haven't figured it out”. I’ve been looking myself for a while now, haven’t found any answers, but am enjoying the journey.
I do know that I don’t want to have anything to do with any Abrahamic based religion.
Good topic. To answer the original question, I was atheistic/agnostic for a long time after leaving "the Lie." I figured either God hated me, or there was no God.
Many years afterwards, I was led back to traditional Christianity in the Episcopal Church, and particularly to the sacrament of Communion.
However, I believe that the God I know is bigger than the church or the Bible--every lovely thought, every helpful deed, every kind word and loving action is Him at work in us--whether we are Christian or whatever. Matthew 25 tells me that love, not correct belief, is the criterion for admission to Heaven.
C.S. Lewis is my recommendation for a thoughtful discussion of Christian beliefs for anyone interested.
BTW, being as I am a gay man, returning to traditional Christian belief has not been a light and easy thing. I could have chosen many other ways that would have been easier. But I was led and drawn here.
Bill
"If we all loved one another as much as we say we love God, I reckon there wouldn't be as much meanness in the world as there is."--from the movie Resurrection (1979)
Hi Comf,
You said that my brother still didn't get it, and I have to agree with you. He is full of anger. He has been out since 1978, and I have only been disenchanted for 6 years. A lot of years in between for his anger to fester, since no one in the family would have anything to do with him, until I called him in 1995. Now all is well with us. His wife died a few hours after giving birth to a stillborn baby in 1977, and he truly went into shock, in many ways, especially mentally, and has never really recovered. The tragedy is that she could have been saved by a blood transfusion. I think his anger and rage at the WTS is understandable, and it also led to his militant atheism. I cut him a lot of slack. He has two grown daughters, and the rest of the family supportive of him, and has had a few loving relationships during the years, so he hasn't had a terrible life. But he still mourns his dead wife, and son.
I started out thinking that God exists but I just wasn't good enough to please him. This caused alot of painful feelings. As time passed, I began to realize that this person called God was not the type of being I would wish to worship anyway, as he was arbitrary and very much a "killer" God in my mind.
These days I wax and wane between Agnosticism and Athiestic beliefs. I'm still waiting to see some sign that there's a being out there who truly created us and gives a darn what happens to his creation. Haven't seen any sign of it, so far!
RCat
