No, John, I am not religious at all now. I was raised a Catholic; went to Catholic School. Left Catholicism thoroughly disillusioned at age 14. Met Jehovah's Witnesses at age 17 and went down for the count. I was d'fd and faded back and forth until finally in February, 2005 I found this website and never and don't want to go back to JW's. I never had access to the internet previously. If I had, I would have found out the truth about them before and saved myself a lot of heartache. I am not religious and have no interest in religion now. Any religion repulses me. I don't know if there is a god or not. If there is, he can find me this time. I looked for him long enough.
Still religeous?
by John Doe 27 Replies latest jw friends
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John Doe
I've found all of your responses interesting. Maybe it's just me, but it seems to me as if people who've been Witnesses are more jaded to the idea of religeon than are others.
Me, I think the idea of a personal God is a bit narcissistic (spelling?). I really relate to the passage in Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat" where he talks about how Nature is flatly indifferent. I believe the Universe is flatly indifferent to individuals. It neither seeks to hinder us nor aid us. We are a product of our surroundings to a large extent, but we make our own happiness.
Most religeons are concerned with a place better than here--that we're enduring a short while for the sake of an eternity of happiness. I think we should concentrate on the here and now, appreciate the good things we have and work to make them better. I have a strong "carpe diem" aspect to my thinking.
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kid-A
The overwhelming majority of people I know that have left the WTS are now either agnostic or atheist (including myself). I believe the exposure during early childhood (to those born into it) to such a terrifying, wrathful, vengeful god, the entire concept of "christianity" whereby we are automatically guilty of sin simply by being born human and that god in his infinite wisdom had decided to let the devil cause untold horror and suffering on the earth because jehovah had to defend his ego against satans "challenge" just made no sense whatsoever to a rational mind. The question before me was, how can I worship a god that by all measures is morally and ethically inferior to me? I would not let my children die to prove a point nor would I tolerate such behaviour from anybody else. For these and many many other reasons, I think most of the ex-JWs I know, are now totally non-religious, but hey, thats just my immediate circle. Why throw away one pair of psychological crutches just to go find another?
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slimboyfat
The overwhelming majority of people I know that have left the WTS are now either agnostic or atheist (including myself).
I would agree with that. But somehow the ex-Witness born-again nuts are the ones who make all the noise.
We are the silent majority (to coin that awful phrase).
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kid-A
Yes I would certainly agree about a subpopulation of ex-jws becoming fanatic upon leaving. I wonder why that is. My guess would be 1) still suffering from extreme god-guilt instilled by the WTS indoctrination, 2) a "religious identity" has become inextricably linked with their sense of self-worth hence the need to continue the same persona under a new religious brand-name, 3) in some sad way, they hope to use the 'new' religious message to get back the family they have lost to the WTS? I find it sad to see ex-jws continuing in some other form of religious fanatacism after having been liberated from the WTS.
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Dustin
I'm not any religion right now. I despise Christianity in all forms. I doubt I will ever belong to any religion again. That being said I am currently exploring Wicca, and find it to be very interesting and quite possibly it may be something I do in the future. That's a tough decision though. I really have no belief in God anymore and if Jehovah is God, well I hate him so I'm screwed anyway. I just don't feel a need to worship anything anymore.
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Jim_TX
Not religious... but spiritual.
Regards,
Jim TX
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lv4fer
Yes I am a Christian. I occasionally attend a Non-Denominational Christian church. I like the pastor and most of what he has to say. I don't think any one group has everything all right. Im ok with someone disagreeing with me and what I think the bible teaches. There are so many different thoughts who is right? I think it is most important to accept Jesus as your savior and after that all other beliefs that separate Christians are really trivial. When he comes I don't think first on his list is what Church did you belong to. I don't think he even cares if you go to church. He just wants you to believe in him and live your life accordingly.