Is it all downhill after leaving JW's?
by lynnmelo 70 Replies latest jw friends
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Golf
NOPE! Life is what YOU make it.
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lynnmelo
Hi, Dave. Thanks for your comments. These caught my attention:
"So, are the Mormons, Muslims, Jews and the KKK less wrong or is it the total non-believer that is? Do you have an opinion about this on your own or do you need to ask the person studying with you?"
I get your point. Indeed, this is one of the things that I became upset about with my book study leader. It seems as if no true distinction is drawn between truly evil people (e.g., Hitler, Ted Bundy, etc.) and those who are just "normal" (i.e., people who don't necessarily practice a religion but do not hurt others). She brought out that scripture about the resurrection of the "righteous and the unrighteous." It didn't seem just to me that some evil people might be given a second chance via resurrection while just "normal" people living during Armageddon will be destroyed. That's just too much of a roulette wheel approach to me. I just had a difficult time buying it. To me, there's a distinct different between someone like Hitler who had others tortured and murdered by the millions and my neighbor next door who is a nice lady but doesn't follow any specific religion. When I brought this up, though, she pointed to the "days of Noah" when the people were doing normal everyday things (eating, drinking, getting married, etc.); she compared that to these days. I still find this difficult to accept, though.
Tetra, your post was one of the best laughs I've had all day!
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AlmostAtheist
>> I'll be very honest and say that I was hoping that I would discover that the JW's were wrong about some things, including the so-called "apostate" sites
Lynn,
When I was a JW, what I heard about apostates is that they are liars.
I didn't find that to be the case. They may not agree with the Watchtower. Some have rejected the Bible entirely. Some have rejected the idea of God entirely. But I haven't seen many lies. To the contrary, I've met people so honest that when they decide they are wrong about something, they change their mind on it.
What lies have you read on this site?
Dave
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lynnmelo
Hi, Bryan. I'm not intending to judge anyone. I'm actually just reporting my impressions. If/when I'm on here longer, I may find that these initial impressions are inaccurate.
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lynnmelo
Hi, again, Dave. I think you may have misinterpreted my post. I didn't call anyone a liar.
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freedomlover
this is one of the things that I became upset about with my book study leader
can you enlighten us any further? are you studying with the JW's or are you already baptized and involved? edit - sorry if you've already brought this history up and I just missed it somewhere
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AlmostAtheist
Hi, again, Dave. I think you may have misinterpreted my post. I didn't call anyone a liar.
Hey Lynn, No, you didn't. You have been more than civil and it has largely contributed to how well your threads have gone. But you mentioned that you had hoped the apostate sites were not what the JW's say they are, and the predominant thing I remember hearing from JW's (while I still was one) is that apostates are liars. So I wondered if you were finding what the JW's said about apostate sites to be true, or not? I guess I should have asked what the JW's have told YOU apostate sites were like. What were you told to expect? And are you seeing what you were told to expect? Dave
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GentlyFeral
lynnmelo,
I was hoping to find that people really didn't need the JW's "spiritual food" to remain true to God. ... A couple of the threads are particularly disturbing. I've read a thread in which someone is trying to prove that the Bible is all bunk (by pointing out ostensible contradictions).
But this isn't necessarily "going downhill."
As a matter of fact, the first thing I did when I realized that I had to leave the JW's was to ask myself, "What keeps unbelievers honest?" I began reading everything I could understand about ethics and other people's religions. (You might consider starting where I did, with Peace and Justice in the Scriptures of the World's Religions; a great little survey on ethics outside the WT.)
There's no ironclad Law of Ethical Disintegration when you step out into the world. Most people who leave any high-control religious group find they have to quarantine the Bible and possibly religion itself until they can leach the cult poison out of it. This is what happened to me. In questioning the JW beliefs, I had to question the Bible. Very little of it stood up under the tests I put it to; in fact, virtually nothing was left standing but the Golden Rule.
So I made a serious, honest effort to be an atheist. I had almost accomplished it when I swear I heard God laughing, as one might laugh at the philosophical efforts of a small child. Not because she's ignorant, but because it's cute.
I've also read a thread in which the poster asked others to share the most important thing in their lives since they left the JW's; the last time I checked this thread, no one mentioned God.
I don't see this as any reason to worry. You're talking about the Creator of the Universe, of Love, of everything that matters; all the power is on his side. Can't he take care of himself? How can he possibly need anyone's adoration?He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.– Matthew 5:45
Not everyone who is able to rebuild his conscience from the ground up needs to be a theist. Buddha absolutely refused to state whether God existed or not; he said it had nothing to do with the relief of spiritual suffering.
And forgive me for saying so, but one of the most irritating things in life is to be nibbled at by people who think I know better than I do what is most important to me.
Best of luck on your own spiritual adventures.
gently feral
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lynnmelo
Hi, Dave. You asked, "So I wondered if you were finding what the JW's said about apostate sites to be true, or not?"
Actually, I don't remember being told any specifics about apostate sites. I just got the general impression that they were bad news, that they could hinder one's spirituality.