My Conclusion After Research

by Disassociated Lady 2 16 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Disassociated Lady 2

  Since leaving the JWs I have looked into many beliefs and have come to this conclusion.

  Paganism has a high regard for women, as they worship Goddesses and respect the female for the ability to give birth to new life.

  Christianity puts females in second place to males and blames women for male temptations which goes back to Eve eating the fruit and tempting Adam with it. They also created a Devil with the appearance of the Pagan God Pan and built churches on Pagan worship sites so that people would still go there to worship, but within a Christian building.

  I have come to the conclusion that Paganism versus Christianity is about a battle of the sexes.

  The fear of demonic forces is taught by religions to deter you from straying. The horror films that are presented about the occult are also designed to instill fear into its viewers. The reason for this is when you do find out the truth of what religion is about, which is mainly power over people, you no longer need it and these organizations lose their power over you.

  In all my research and attending different churches and organizations, the only demonic forces (if you can call them that) I have experienced are from people themselves and you will meet some in all organizations and belief systems.

  The word FEAR can stand for False Expectation Appearing Real. Your mind shapes your life much more than you realize, if you think you are cursed then you may as well be!!

  I would be very interested to hear what you have learnt since leaving the JWs :-) x
  
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  Wasanelder Once

  I leaned algebra and it was liberating! I missed it somewhere along the line.
  
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  Half banana

  Since leaving the JW org I also realised that any individual or group who hold power over others will fight tooth and nail to hold on to that power irrespective of the moral legitimacy to do so. I have also learned to be true that as the saying goes; power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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  DJS

  DL2,

  You are correct about religions' roles in subjugating women. One of the primary ways theyve accomplished this is to infantalize men and blame shift their own lack of control onto women. It is still alive and well in Islam and various Xtian groups. Hinduism and other religions also seek to control women, especially their sexuality/sensuality because their poor little men just can't help their poor little selves.

  And it has caused great harm to women for centuries.

  Very soon after my exit from the DarkTower I had a brief and unusual relationship with a young woman who was part Buddhist, part Pagan and part Wiccan princess. She helped to educate me about a lot of things I knew only on the surface and help the DarkLords de-programming process wherein anything labeled "Pagan" meant the devil.

  I followed her to the Buddhist temple and other places I can't write about on this site. She was Way, way fun. Bat-shit crazy, but over the top fun. And one of the least judgmental, most accepting individuals I've known. I'm glad I met her: I'm also glad her husband didn't kill me.

  I came to greatly respect the Pagan world that pre-dated all the world's major religions. I still have several books she gave me on the subject.
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  jonahstourguide

  Well, Disassociated Lady 2.

  Brilliantly put. I am a single white male of the species and am still in the org and am coming to exactly the same conclusions. It suffices to say that your penultimate sentence sums up my research perfectly.

  Thank you for the succinct summary.

  also, over many years I have met beautiful people from all walks of life but sadly, so many religious folk were and still are so judgemental and self righteous.
  

  jtg

  P.S. This, by the way, this is my second time around with the org and religion in general and I needed to do it to investigate if there is 'truth'. My conclusion also leads me to identify that the bible is the best violin ever produced, beats Stradivarius hands down.
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  Crazyguy

  Woman back in the day were highly regarded and so were the female gods. It would be great if a person could go back to doing the pagan right and rituals of ancient Egypt. I think the whole process was about the sanctity of life, death and re-birth in to one children. It was also about the bond of nature and how it's seasonal process was appreciated .
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  Half banana

  Diss lady2, to adopt "pagan" beliefs is not that simple because it only implies believing folk tales. By no means is it the case that paganism places women on an equal footing with men. Most pagan ideas accept the male principle as being above the female. Try not to get carried away with idealistic assumptions like we did with the JW rubbish!

  The ancient Egyptian religion is based on an unsubstantiated claim that all humans are always alive...a comforting thought but without the slightest evidence for its truthfulness. (As it happens I was just reading the Egyptian Book of the Dead this morning).

  Religious belief, pagan or otherwise, is an attempt at an EXPLANATION for illiterate people in past times who had no chance of knowing the truth about the universe.

  Nowadays we know about life, death and the universe.

  .................................Why worship anything at all?
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  Disassociated Lady 2

  In reply to "half-banana" saying "why worship anything at all" humans seem to have an inbuilt need to worship, if not Gods they put other people on pedestals until they come tumbling down.

  None of us need a religion or organization to tell us how to worship, we know right from wrong and are all different and see things in our unique way. The important relationship is just between the almighty spirit (whatever you wish to call it) and yourself.

  No one has the right to interfere in that. As long as you are not harming anyone else and living a good life, that's all you need. :-) x
  
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  konceptual99

  Since mentally freeing myself of JW teachings I have learnt that there is zero reason to believe in any kind of supernatural force and that respect for others and the environment around us is enhanced by this understanding. Why? Because you are forced to focus on human qualities, appreciate this life is all we have and that no one other than ourselves can make a positive difference to the world and the people around us.
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  DJS

  DL2,

  The DarkLords used to use that line, that humans need to worship something or have a spiritual need that had to be met. I can't speak for any other human other than myself, but I missed that gene.

  I've never understood deifying people or putting them on pedestals. I don't believe the concept of god was ever a part of my consciousness. I was an x-tian and a dub solely because I was a born in and was enculturated into it.

  Since leaving the cult I've not had one second where I thought I needed something 'spiritual' in my life. I don't understand the concept to be truthful, and I find it an un-evolved way of thinking and feeling. But that's me.

  If you want to consider the beauty of nature, the wonders of the universe, great architecture, great art and wine and my GF's rear end as being 'spiritual', then I'm all over it.