What comforts you when you no longer believe in a ressurrection ?

by EdenOne 46 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Island Man

  The dead do not suffer and they do not miss out on anything - because they are not aware of not having the joys of the living. They are conscious of nothing at all (that much the bible got right). So there is no reason to fear being dead; or think that you will be missing out on life when you die. It is the living that suffer from death. It is the living that experience the deprivation of death.

  I was dead once before. I was dead for countless eons longer than I have been alive. It was the time before I was conceived. That death didn't trouble me the least bit. It didn't do me the slightest bit of harm.

  Live and enjoy life to the fullest while you have it and know that you truly will not be missing out on anything when you die because the unconscious dead cannot experience deprivation.
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  EdenOne

  I think that trading off the enjoyment of our current life for the unlikeliness of a future one is an awfully bad deal.

  Eden
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  Rattigan350

  Was the resurrection ever comforting?

  When we were born it was a natural process. We control our lives. But with a resurrection, it is a case of a superior spirit now controls us to where he brought us back o life. That brings the question of why we needed to die.
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  THE GLADIATOR

  Eden one; sorry to hear that you have lost someone you care about.

  Island Man summed it up very nicely. Well done.

  When I am dead I want it to be what it says on the tin.

  Dead means dead.
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  Freesoul

  When we left this religion all our beliefs vanished with it, we all then have to start again and make our own reality and beliefs, it took me a long time to even have a belief, what I know for sure, the propaganda that we got from this religion is that they were the only ones in the world that are happy and that have any hope for the future.

  I recently had the experience of one of my JW relatives pass away from a long term illness, I saw the emptiness in her eyes and the despair in her family, the hope of a resurrection in a new world is only words and they just parrot these words but there is no solace in this words.

  You get more spirituality, and peace of mind in the main stream religions than you get in there, at least main stream religions believe that you die, to go back into the loving hands of god, rather than turning into dust and have to wait for a resurrection in the future.

  The mantra I went with after I left was, God has given me life, I have not control what happens after that, I answer to God and God alone not a religion,

  We are all human and make plenty of mistakes in life but I try to life my life to the best of my ability and without regret and not for something that might happen in the future. I am grateful for every day, I find solace is this.
  

  I hope this helps.

  Take care
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  FayeDunaway

  Beautifully put, free soul.

  I have experienced a connection with someone who was dead, I don't want to go into details here, but I do believe in life after death. It was unexpected and I am not crazy. I think sometimes the dead linger for a while, especially if they are concerned about something and can't let go.

  I don't think we need to dwell on it much, just try to give more than you take in this life. Ease suffering if possible.
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  OUTLAW

  What comforts you when you no longer believe in a ressurrection ?

  
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  flipper

  EDEN- Good points you bring out. The thing that's helped me is to realize that because this life is quite possibly the ONLY life we will have is to approach my life with positive enthusiasm for my interests and hobbies and relationships so I can continue enjoying them in the here and now and treasure and value them. Because once they're gone- they're gone.

  Also not having any fear of an imaginary " Armageddon " has worked wonders for my confidence and self worth . I can pursue life with no fear and guilt. My 2 cents. I'm sorry for your loss . Take care, Peace out, Mr. Flipper
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  Pete Zahut

  The WTBTS planted the notion in my mind back when I was a child, that I should want to live forever and that living forever was the only way life could have a purpose. My feeling now is that a limited lifespan makes life more valuable than one that goes on and on and on, the same way a rare coin is more valuable than those whose supply is unlimited.
  

  I don't want to die in pain or prematurely but I also feel that living forever, even as a perfect person, might be a nightmare. Maybe wanting to live forever is just being greedy. Just because I was randomly conceived all those years ago, doesn't mean I should expect to go on forever and ever. If my parents would have had sex 10 minutes sooner or 10 minutes later, I might not be here. Another girl or boy sperm may have made it to the egg instead of the one that made me. To think that it should go on and on is not something that I would have expected without having had that idea put in my head. Not wanting to die would makes people accept any alternative concept, no matter how unprovable it is, as a way to console their apprehension about the unknown.
  

  I now have so much more peace knowing that when I die one day it will be because that's the way it is on this planet rather than because I will be destroyed by God for not spreading Watchtower literature enough throughout my life or not reaching out for enough responsibilities in the congregation or because I disagreed with some religious groups explanation of the Bible. If it turns out there is some sort of afterlife/ reward, I don't see any reason why I shouldn't be a part of it.
  
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  Crazyguy

  I have been studying ancient religions for the last couple of years and to find out that the idea of a resurrection in to a paradise, judging of one's heart condition, going to heaven, having a spirit, etc. all came from Egypt and these beliefs one can confirm by reading their Book of the Dead. This is just crazy that these beliefs were just carried over and today many thousands of years later we believed this same nonsense. Just goes to show how ignorant humans are.