Where Do I Go Now?

by individual 28 Replies latest jw friends

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  individual

  Where do I go now?

  With all the problems in the 'truth' and all the things that we know are wrong with it there seems to be aspects of their theology (i.e the sequences of the world powers, statue in Daniel, the promise of world restoration again found in Daniel) that to me still make sense.

  Although I cannot follow a religion that believes in the destruction of all humanity barring those that respond to their own preaching work I still believe in a Creator and cannot accept the teachings of other religions that have no purpose for the earth and believe that mankinds only destiny is in heaven.

  My mind keeps telling me that if God was behind a religion it would be so much better than that of the JWs. Not only would the religion have an accurate belief but also would not be so harsh and judgemental, but instead would be one of love.

  I havent been to a meeting now since last November but I find myself in a quandry all the time, forever battling with the desire to serve God. The problem with this is that no other religion in my mind matches up with their basic beliefs in the world restoration and their understanding of the sequence of world powers in bible prophecy.

  I spent 25 years under this religion and it is very hard to see the bible or life in a different way. I keep reminding myself that their ban on birthdays for example is stupid, why would God be upset because someone reached 5 years old and you said 'happy birthday, well done!'. I also didn't like the way they rely on money more than God and the way they bully the rank and file, it reminds me of the warning about the evil slave class which is the faithful and discreet slave having gone bad. The scripture says that they bully their fellows, which cannot be apostates because they are outside of the congregation. They are no longer the fellows of those still in the 'truth'. That scripture in Matthew 24 was quite a clear warning to me at the time that they could go bad.

  As well as feeling that they have gone bad, I also feel that some of the theology from the bible was correct, is there any truth out there in this world?

  Where do I go from here?? The one thing that I was looking for was a religion with a similar belief system, that the world would be put right and that religion would have love amongst itself and would also rely completely on God and Jesus. So where is it? Does it exist? Is it just futile to search for such a religion? Or has God not yet brought it into the world yet? It has been suggested that I go to other churches to sample their beliefs yet I feel that would be hypocritical of me because their theologies are so far removed from anything I could accept.

  The only comfort I get is from Matthew 25 where Jesus said that he would give talents of different values to different ones, he describes these ones as good and faithful slaves but he indicates that there is more than one good and faithful slave which indicates to me that he gave different levels of truth to different slave groups. He expected more from those that he gave more 'truth' to and the warning in Matthew 24:48-51 would apply to those that had let him down.He indicated that those who let him down would say - 'the master was delaying and would start to bully their fellow slaves'. If he gave 'truth' to different groups, which I am absolutely certain was what he meant by that scripture, then there would be other religions out there with some truth in them.

  Although I have twinges towards the 'truth' (because of spending so much time in there) I feel that they have let Christ down so where do I go now???
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  StifflersErSlayersBrother

  Just lettin you know, im in the same boat as you bud. But thanx for sharing those scripts and points of view. Makes me think alot easier myself.
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  StifflersErSlayersBrother

  Lightning has just struck my brain...
  I dont know why i didnt mention this before indi. But me and you, and most other ppl in our shoes, are going through the same thing. We are looking for an organization to help us understand. Perhaps thats not the case. Perhaps we need to look inside ourselves for our beliefs and be ourselves because of them. Not what some org. tells us to be.
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  Ranchette

  I've been exactly where you guys are now.It's a very uncomfortable place to be and it causes much anxiety.
  I came to two conclusions that helped relieve that anxiety and give me comfortable breathing room.
  The first one is this:I once believed with all my heart that we had the true religion,now I'm just as convienced that they don't have the truth or a monopoly on God.If you still belive in the Bible,Jesus freed people from oppressive religion, then they went right back and started it up again after his death.I don't have to be in a religion to be acceptable to God.
  My second conclusion is this:God does not expect us to have all the answers.If he did he would make it very clear.
  It's hard at first because of all our years of training but things will get better.
  Ranchette
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  Liquidizer

  Where should we go after having left the JW's? Nowhere is my answer. If we have come to God through Jesus and are already in his flock SPRITUALLY speaking, we are where we should, to my mind. To me it is not important in which religious group or church we belong to but what we truly are as persons. I think there is no only chosen religion or group of people. In fact God doesnt need any manmade institutions nor organisations or whatever because He has his word the Bible and the holy spirit. With the help of these He can prompt anyone to do his will. Besides, Jesus spoke about his congregation as a SPIRITUAL one without the limitations of the organised religion. The most important goal of a christian is to become a discreet and faithful slave to our Lord. Of course who is to be found a DFS can only be known after the death of that kind of person. I think that it is ultimately Jesus' job to decide who is a DFS and who is not. This doesnt have to mean that everybody must go to heaven. This planet will be populated by those people who didnt for some reason accept or were not given the heavenly call. But who these people exactly are is something that only God can decide. It is still possible that God gives to some of us preknowledge of our destination, but if He hasnt He may do it in a later time. Meanwhile we must try to live according to the Bible the best way we can and build our relationship with God through Jesus by using the Bible and by asking the guidance of the holy spirit. Just try to rely on God, not manmade religious systems or organisations or churches even though you can attend to any of then for a spiritual companionship or support or whatever reason there might be. Do not despair. Rely on God. He will show you your way.

  L.
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  Tina

  Hi individual,
  I too thought that after leaving. But the answer for me wasn't where do I go? Why must we 'go' somewhere? WHy can't we just 'be'?
  Being in the sense of re-connecting to yourself and loved ones. Re-connecting to your community by exploring it and contributing to it positively. Volunteerism is a great way to 'be'. Helping others can be rewarding and wasn't that what jesus message was all about anyway?
  If you take a pro-active stance on 'being',you can find peace and serenity with yourself and the world around you.
  And you find out you have 'arrived' by just 'being'.
  Just my thoughts,Tina
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  bikerchic

  Hi Individual,

  I too am struggling with the same things. So much of what I always thought was true seems to be tarnished by the evil dealings of the Elders whom I was lead to believe Jehovah chose to do his biddings and shepard the flock here on earth. Well why would he choose such corrupt men and why not clean out the congergation from the top ranks down. I just don't get it, it must not be the true religion if "God" isn't directing it. I'm tired of the lies and the gossiping ect...
  As far as what the Bible says about the end of the world ie Armegedon and only those few faithful will survive, be resurected ect...why would those of us who were stumbled by corrupt men Jah has appointed to shepard the congergation be innocently destroyed? Hey at least we had the balls to get out and away from the badness in the congergation. But now what? I donno, still searching my heart, still wondering what it's all about, the injustice of it all is overwhelming to me at times.
  This helps to come here and at least sound off, hope I don't get too noisey! :o\

  Life is like a 10 speed bike. We all have gears we never use.
  C. Schultz
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  individual

  Thank you for all your comments so far, it helps to know that people understand.

  And to Bikerchic - welcome to the board and thank you for your first post. There is certainly a long road ahead of us. Nice to know we are not on our own...

  By the way, why this thread doubled up - I have no idea....
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  joelbear

  Hi Individual.

  Well, I've been searching since I stopped pioneering when I was 23. So that makes the search 20 years and counting. I have read information on every type of religion and philosophy you can think of.

  So far, nothing has impressed me other than the fact that they are all the same at the core. All religions basically teach. 1) be good 2) some day you will be rewarded.

  Be good is basically classified as denying yourself extremes in pleasure and doing kind to your fellow man. Well, I can agree with those. I think pleasure should be experienced in moderation. It is more healthy that way, but you don't get burned out. I also agree with being kind to your fellow man.

  Where I stray from religion is in the idea of a future reward. So far, nothing I have read has convinced me that a force outside of nature is going to come make everything nice nice. I believe god is a creative force. I believe all of life is a component of god and that we have to find our place in that universe of creativity.

  I have summarized my thoughts on my lifeism page www.joelbear.com/lifeism.htm. Read it and see if it makes sense to you. My thoughts evolve as I continue to learn more.

  Enjoy the journey. That's what life is about.

  hugs

  Joel
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  cyberguy

  I know what you're going through; I've been in the organization since I was a little kid, nearly 40 years! I even went to Bethel, but I'm thankful, because it was there that I soon realized that things were not at all as they appeared from the outside!

  According to the Society's teachings in the 1960's, I was quite assured I would never see old age, but survive into God's New World. Perhaps you had similar hopes. Feeling any younger yet?

  However, Paul makes an interesting statement at 1 Corinthians 13:13: "Now, however, there remain faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." If we believe this, then we would have to conclude that we should be able to have true faith, hope, and the type of love that is fundamental to true Christianity.

  But where can we go? Which group should we associate with? These may be the wrong questions to be asking. Why? Well, consider this illustration at Matthew 13:24-30:

  ______________________
  24 Another illustration he set before them, saying: “The kingdom of the heavens has become like a man that sowed fine seed in his field. 25 While men were sleeping, his enemy came and oversowed weeds in among the wheat, and left. 26 When the blade sprouted and produced fruit, then the weeds appeared also. 27 So the slaves of the householder came up and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow fine seed in your field? How, then, does it come to have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy, a man, did this.’ They said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go out and collect them?’ 29 He said, ‘No; that by no chance, while collecting the weeds, YOU uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the harvest season I will tell the reapers, First collect the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them up, then go to gathering the wheat into my storehouse.’”
  _______________________

  Of course, the Society applies this illustration to some imaginary events in the 1914-1919 era. But ask yourself this, have the "reapers" really pulled out the weeds yet? Interestingly, you'll notice that the "slaves" wanted to correct matters by trying to pull the weeds out themselves. If these "slaves" represent Jesus' true disciples, individuals who are truly serving God (compare Matt. 25:14), then it is understandable why they might want to try pulling out the weeds on their own! But Jesus said to wait until the "harvest season," whereupon he would tell the "reapers," who are "angles" (Matt. 13:39, 41), to " collect out from his kingdom all things that cause stumbling and persons who are doing lawlessness," to finally "pitch them into the fiery furnace" -- see Matt 13:36-43 (You might also want to consider a similar illustration, that of the "dragnet" (see Matt. 13:47-50).

  To summarize, we're still living in the time when no one organized group can claim to be the only one God is using. Furthermore, like a literal mixture of "wheat" and "weeds," it may be difficult to even identify "wheat" like Christians among the devil's "weeds". But Jesus indicated that they would be there. Therefore, why not search out for such like ones? But a word of caution, you won't find them under the banner of some named "organization."

  Finally, just a few comments on Matt. 25. As you are probably aware, the Society's discussion of Matt. 24-25, defies any manner of reason! By your comments, it seems that you're trying to reconcile these illustrations with the Society's regrettable "class" distinctions. However, I'll briefly point out a couple of things that might help in having the correct view.

  There's a common, fundamental thread that runs throughout the illustrations of Matt 24-25, starting with verse 36: "Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angles of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father." With this in mind, Jesus uses a number of illustrations to highlight various aspects about how true disciples should live their lives, while not knowing when his arrival (his parousia) would take place.

  Matt. 24:37-39 -- Noah and family didn't set dates for the flood, but waited until God brought it upon earth; in like manner, Jesus' arrival (his parousia) would come in God's due time, and therefore no human or angle can determine when this will be.

  Matt. 24:40-44 -- Because no date can be determined, true disciples would be carrying out daily activities when he actually does arrive, but living in such a way that when he does come, they would be "taken along," saved. Proving ourselves "ready" means we would not be caught off guard when our master returns "at an hour" we "do not think it to be."

  Matt. 24:45-51 -- Note that there is only one slave in this illustration. "But if he is a bad servant and says to himself, 'The master is a long time coming,' and begins to bully the other servants and to eat and drink with his drunken friends…" -- Matt 24:48, New English Bible. Here, the "trusty servant" (Matt. 24:45 New English Bible) never set dates, but was ready no matter when his master finally returns, whereas the "bad servant" evidently set a date, and when this didn't materialize, he began to "bully the other servants." As individuals, which of the potential outcomes will be ours? Will we like be a "trusty servant," serving our master, contently prepared, no matter when he arrives?

  Matt. 25:1-27 -- These illustrations prepare us for the long wait (see Matt. 15:25:19, "After a long time…"), until the master finally returns when we least expect it (Matt. 25:13). Each covers a different aspect of waiting patiently. For instance, you'll note that in the case of the "ten virgins," the "foolish" started their course without taking enough oil. Early on, they evidently figured that the Jesus would return sooner rather than later. Perhaps they even determined in their own minds, that surely Jesus would return before some predetermined time (hence, no need in taking any additional oil). However, they were wrong, and were left out when he did finally come (Matt. 25:10-12). Hence, one should be prepared for a long wait, he may not return in one's own lifetime.

  Matt. 25:31-46 -- Since both the righteous and unrighteous say "when did we see you" (Matt. 25:37, 44), surely both groups realized that Jesus never actually returned. This is still in keeping with the central theme of the illustrations covered up to this point, still highlighting "we know neither the day nor the hour" (Matt. 25:13). Therefore, in this illustration, how we treat fellow Christians during the long wait will determine how Jesus will deal with us. We need to be careful about the sins of omission; what we fail to do toward fellow Christians can determine what will happen to us (see Matt. 3:31-34, 19:29 for explanation of "brothers" in 25:40), when he does return in that day of inspection.