Do You Look Down on "Religious" People Now That You're No Longer a JW?

by minimus 64 Replies latest jw friends

  • minimus
    minimus

    I try to respect everyne's opinions on religion but I find myself thinking, "What's wrong with these people?"

  • Evesapple
    Evesapple

    First of all Minimus I would like to say, you have the best topics, I think I respond to yours more than any others....

    In answer to your question, after being DF'd almost 10 years ago, I couldn't stand being around religeous people, there was one guy that tried going out with me that kept trying to get me to come to his church, even gave me a brochure with a note attached about how I needed to find Jesus...that I can't deal with. I don't look down on people like that, but I do wonder why they are so religeous, like are they trying to fill some void, are they lost and crippled souls using religeon as the crutch? I have a Jewish girlfriend that became Orthodox, in view of her background and how she grew up, somewhat of a radical and an extremist...I can't take her religeousness (is that a word?) seriously.

  • minimus
    minimus

    Thank you, Eves for the wonderful compliment.

  • BrendaCloutier
    BrendaCloutier

    Like a previous post, for quite a while I had a difficult time with the religious folk in general.

    Nowadays, it's only the fundy whaco thumpers I have problems with. Especially if (when) they start thumping on me.

    Hugs

    Bren

  • JT
    JT

    NOT really, for many i actually feel pity for them-- as i listen to them struggle to find "any old answer" to lifes difficult questions

    instead of i don't don't have the foggiest idea.----------- belief systems attempt to provide some comforting answer to folks and depending on which group can come up with the best answer ----folks will follow that group

    case in point -a sitution came up at work where a number of folks were killed in an accident except a small child and everyone was proclaiming

    "GOD WAS LOOKING OUT FOR THAT CHILD"

    problem is by that line of reasoning, the folks who died--- got cut short-

    of course then this is where belief systems must come up with another explanation as to why god was not looking out for them and of course they varying based on the belief system

    for some it was "WELL IT WAS THIER TIME"

    "OTHERS said-- well they are in Heaven,

    (Now how they knew these folks all made it to heaven i have no idea- suppose some went to Hell- )smile-

    now of course one needs a belief system to define what Hell is and the list goes on and on

    so i don;t look down upon them for they all share the same common thread:

    "We got the hook up to god over here and you all don't- in fact if you don't beleive as i do my god is going to kill you, burn you, bring you back after death as a "mule" instead of a race horse"

    to me anyone who think that god has whispered into their ear and now they must tell others what he said, for me i wonder why couldn't god just do it himself and save the time and confusion we see as a result of the need for all the INTERPETATION that is required to figure out what he actually said- smile

  • franklin J
    franklin J

    good question, Min ( nice to know you still "have it" after ALL YOUR POSTS)

    I am ashamed to admit that I sometimes do. Not derogatorily; I respect their faith. And more importantly; their freedom to choose whatever faith they want and especially to express it freely.

    I suppose my feeling toward them is with a more tolerant nod; much the way I tolerate my childrens childish behaviour sometimes.

  • BrendaCloutier
    BrendaCloutier
    I suppose my feeling toward them is with a more tolerant nod; much the way I tolerate my childrens childish behaviour sometimes.

    Well said, Franklin.

    Those I respect the most are those who walk the walk without the talk. There are even a few JW's out there in the workplace who earn respect for this. Kevan works with one. They agree to disagree and stay off religion, and work well together.

    They hypocrits, although they may be nice folk, are the ones that get me riled a bit.

    Hugs

    Bren

  • Wolfgirl
    Wolfgirl

    I try not to look down on anyone. I am agnostic, but it doesn't mean that I don't respect that others have their own thoughts and beliefs. I don't appreciate having them shoved in my face, though.

  • Billygoat
    Billygoat

    I consider myself "spiritual" and sometimes "religious". They are two different things to me. Yes, I attend a Bible-based church every Sunday and I'm actively involved there. But I don't think anyone would consider me a wacko-bible-thumper. I know that there are those out there and they give religion (and God!) a bad name. It's frustrating because it clouds the view of what God really wants of us as humans...they don't understand the concept of spirituality. It has nothing to do with what building you go to on Sunday morning.

    I do wish that the people here that are not church-goers would ease up a bit on being judgemental towards church-goers. We all came from a very judgemental background...I'd like to think that we're mature enough to leave that behind as well. But more often than not, I see exJWs that are just as rabid about their being ex's as they were about being Watchtower peddlers. They've jumped from one lily pad to another, thinking they are in a different world. But they're not. They're in the same pond.

  • undercover
    undercover

    Even though I would probably classify myself as agnostic these days, I have less animosty towards religious people now than when I was a JW. When I was a JW, I used to wonder how people could remain in a religion(that was non-JW) that was obviously wrong. Were they stupid, ignorant or too arrogant to admit they were wrong? It really was a loathing of anyone who believed different (just as we were taught to believe). Now that I'm out, I see that I was wrong and that I was fooled. It makes me look at other religious types as similar. They've been fooled and haven't caught on yet. Some never will.

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