by Shador 10 Replies latest jw friends
Not sure if this is the right place for this...
Just wondering about this. It seems to me that most folks who leave "the truth" tend to go athiest or remain in some type of christianity.
Anyone know of (or are) XJWs who have gone a different route (i.e. eastern religions, neo-pagan, wicca, etc.)
I ask because I personally have been fascinated for several years with wicca and neo-paganism and I think that would probably be the route I went if/when I DA.
-Shador
I'm pagan.
Sherry
Welcome Shador,
Anyone know of (or are) XJWs who have gone a different route
Route?
I no of no route for me. I believe someone/thing exists greater than I but since they haven't spoken and I can't see them, I don't know where to follow. You'd think someone who could create a universe could make themselves some vocal chords, eh?
Gumby
There are several on this forum who've done that!
I am not in that group. I had my fill of that in my pre-JW days. I did some hard-core occult, the sort that looks down upon the Wiccans as wimps. Anton LaVey used to do that. He oft said it was foolish to ask the help of the spirits unless one was willing to be in league with them. That was why there was no standing in pentagrams drawn on the floor for protection for folks like us.
I didn't much care for LaVey's method either. That was based on the medieval church-protest satanism that struck me as a little too showmanlike for mey tastes. I have a sibling who is still into that scene. These days he collects Gemora's, real ones, and is into Kabbalistic mysticism as well(not the fluff kind of Madonna). So I know enough to know that I don't want any part of that anymore.
I also absorbed a little Daoism in my martial arts days. Although my primary art was a Japanese style, it had Daoism as its spiritual base as opposed to Zen Buddhism. My secondary arts were from the more conventional Zen perspctive, and I got to know that well enough that when a college proffesor asked for an essay explanation of Archery from the Zen Buddhist perspective on a test; I answered it with one sentence and got full marks. So I am familiar enough with both to know that the answer is not there for me either.
As for those on this board who've gone that route, they'll be the ones to explain the why. I just know the why not in my case.
Forscher
I've been out of the "truth" for about 4 years. I'm gun shy and very leary of "joining" any other groups, irregardless of the belief. Having said that, I do go 1-2 times a month to a church that is nondenominational and not very churchy. By that I mean that the people are very humanitarian oriented. The songs are everything from the Beatles to Back Street Boys. There are energy circles, energy healing (pranic), guided meditations. The church actually has two cats that live there and roam free. It's so laid back, but positive and I feel free to say even very weird compared to other standards. But I was so impressed with the first visit, when the pastor?? said, "If you want us to call you when you don't show up then tell us, otherwise we just assume you are somewhere else that speaks more to your spirit and we wish you happiness" Quite a change from the hunting people down stuff. I love it. In the last year I think she has actually quoted from the Bible 2 times. Its mostly just about being postive and getting in touch with your own truth.
There was an article in the paper a while back about a JW that became a Muslim
i find that there is a theme of truth running between all spiritual thought
live
love
share
help
nurture
i think that these themes running through all humanity's reaching for god is where we actually connect with god.
I'm neither an aethiest or a christian. Just a little spiritual. I believe there's something out there that put us here but I feel my purpose is just to enjoy my time here and not worry about what's next. When it happens it happens.
I'm also Pagan. Among many other virtues, I appreciated the acceptance of personal responsibility for our actions, rather than blaming Satan or other invisible entities. Recommended reading: "Drawing Down the Moon", by Margot Adler, and "The Spiral Dance" by Starhawk, plus anything by Vivianne Crowley or Scott Cunningham.
You are right, judging from what I read here the ex JWs follow all sorts of ways after leaving, but most become Christian or atheist. Why are you so attracted by paganism? Isn't that exchanging one authority figure for another one, or another few?
