What religions did you seek since leaving? Or not? (page 3)

Now What?

I started out just looking around to see what the real deal was with some of these religions, since the wt had given us extreamly biased info about them. I first looked at the big fish and their cut on spirituality/spiritual practices like Christ, Mohammed, Budda, Taoism, Wicca, Chicken Soup for the Soul, etc (well ok maybe not the last one, but it helped me to see what I thought was 'spiritual' or not).

I decided on a top 3 that seemed to fit my conclusion about the world that I live in: Christ, Taoism and Wicca. I took some time to try out some of the basics of each to get a general feel and found uplifting things in each. However, love, peace and natural harmony seemed to be at the heart of all 3 and I find that meshes with my own worldview. The one that seemed to be 'naturally me' was Christ's with a little Tao here and there. Nothing against Wicca, it just didn't feel as natural to me, although I do like many of the principles of love and harmony within Wicca.

So then I set about checking out various Christian denominations. Wow! There are a TON of them. It's like going to one of those all-you-can-eat buffets. Anyways, most seemed to have very nice people but theologocally lacking in something I was looking for. For me, Christ comes first (meaning the principles of love thy neighbor, etc), then the acceptance of the scientific reality, works of charity and mercy, the 'free-to-be-me' attitude (I refuse to wear a tie again, unless absolutely necessary), and then somewhere down the line perhaps the Bible.

It was tough to find one, so I decided to back to college and study religious thought and theology. I picked both non-denom protestant and Catholic universities to get both sides of the coin. Still learning, but discovering that the Catholic Church is nothing like what I thought it was, or even what many cradle catholics think it is. I can be both an evolutionist and a catholic if I want! That's cool to me.

So, still investigating, but that's where I am in my seeking since walking away from the jw.

**PS: Sorry for such a long post.

edited for spelling *sigh

lola28

I am still in but when I leave I can assure you that will be it for me. I will never join another religion again. Ever.

lola

MsMcDucket

At this very moment:
I have nothing to do with any religion, I can't, ... I just can't.

That's me! I don't where to go or what to do? I still believe in Jehovah, but now, I'm having doubts about his name??? Is Jehovah really God's name? If he wanted his name to be known, he's all-powerful, omnipotent... I know that he has the power to make sure that his name is used correctly. So, did he want his name known? We, definitely, know that his son was Jesus. Right???

I'm so confused!

Mysterious

I looked into mainstream Christianity. I had many discussions with a friend of mine from my high school. She tried to convince me to attend an evangelical church; however, ultimately being in the JWs had ruined my ability to believe in any other form of Christianity. She couldnt convince me about the trinity or about speaking in tongues (something her mother firmly believed she could do).

After that I studied many forms of paganism including Wicca, and attended several pagan and Wiccan rituals. However I eventually found that while I needed that sort of ritualistic meaning in my life the very precepts were somewhat ridiculous and I felt like a small child "playing" at god.

Since then I study any and all religious material objectively. No faith based creed has managed to 'convince' me of anything that cant be proven with logic, reason and science. Right now I consider myself an atheist but believe in the importance of things such as personal growth and meditation.

dezpbem

MsMcDucket said

I still believe in Jehovah, but now, I'm having doubts about his name??? Is Jehovah really God's name? If he wanted his name to be known, he's all-powerful, omnipotent... I know that he has the power to make sure that his name is used correctly. So, did he want his name known? We, definitely, know that his son was Jesus. Right???

I started a different thread on this. It deserves it's own. Good questions.

Cygnus

Yes, I looked into the Church of God (Abrahamic Faith). I emailed Anthony Buzzard and he put me in touch with Frank Toth. Frank served at Toronto and Brooklyn Bethel for over 40 years. He even roomed right next to Ray Franz. Frank, at the time, lessee this was 1997, was pastor of one of their churches in Canada, about 45 minutes from where I lived. He took me in, spent a lot of time with me, and then one weekend Anthony and his wife and daughter came to visit and I got to spend a lot of time with them. I was attracted to their faith because they were non-trinitarian, they actually studied the Bible and had what looked like a reasonable christology/theology, were very Kingdom-oriented (as Anthony likes to say, that was Jesus' favorite topic to speak about), they were soul-sleepers and believed the christian's hope was the land/the earth, not heaven. And they had no dogma or restrictions on holidays, politics, and certainly no shunning!

Very good people, very nice church, had my first "communion" there.

Then by the next year I realized that when I drained out the dirty bath water of JWism, there was never any baby in the tub after all. So, apart from the meditation and dabbling in satanism except to learn and understand it, you can count me in Tetra's position. I define myself as an agnostic that doesn't care whether any gods exist, and I do things my way, which is not amoral, it just is.

free2beme

Wicca, Huna, and other Pagan faiths. Tend to be more Wiccan then any other.

Soledad

During the first year I was out I went to a Sunday service at Marble Collegiate Church.

Nice, but I didn't feel compelled to return.

Then I spent some time researching Catholicism and attended a few RCIA sessions. Maybe I'm strange but somehow being in a RC church with all it's plaster images and candles and pews and whispered chanting felt very comforting and I still feel that way when I walk into a RC church. But I reject 99.9% of Catholic doctrine so I couldn't proceed with the RCIA in good conscience. Why should I?

I also visited some Jewish and Muslim friends and learned about their beliefs. Again, very nice but not too compelling.

So I guess I'm everywhere and nowhere in particular.

caligirl

I certainly wanted nothing at all to do with any religion for a long time. After being totally out for about 8 years now, I have only just started attending an Evangelical Free church, but I do not wish to be a card carrying member of ANY church. I will go as long I enjoy it, or as they keep saying that I am responsible for making my own decisions and that they in no way claim that they are all correct in everything and to use the bible as my ultimate authority, not them.

Seeker4

None. I'd had my fill of religion. Still do...

S4

What religions did you seek since leaving? Or not?

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