The cycle never ends even when you leave the WT. You go from one set of fears to another set of fears. I used to be terrified of Armageddon when I was a JW and just knew I was going to get hit by a lightning bolt from Jehovah on that day. An ex-jws said it best when she told me that she refuses to serve Jehovah and Jesus out of "fear". I realized that she was right on the money as to why so many of us ex-jws run from church to church trying to get right with Jehovah and Jesus when we leave the WT we are held down by fear. People controll people with fear. I bet if you ask most ex-JW's or born agains why do they serve 90% of them will say because they don't want to be destroyed or go to hell. I refuse to go on that "fear" merry go round.
Are you ex-jws serving Jehovah and Jesus out of fear of Armgeddon/Hellfire?
by booker-t 22 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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bocephus
Well put may of us served for fear of losing loved ones , for fear of Eternal darkness .
I was a serve for fesr of losing my family . Only to find out I had no real family , to be involved in an organization that destrots families is shamefull
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Narkissos
It is very difficult to see clearly through one's own motivations, whether past or present, not to mention the motivations of others. The most (self-)disparaging motivations we can read into acts are not necessarily the truest.
Why did I attend church (which I did for a few years) after leaving JWs? Certainly not for fear of divine judgement. Perhaps, in part, for some fear of being alone or useless. But also, on the positive side, because I wanted my story or journey (which I had chosen to read / write as a story or journey of faith) to go on. Both explanations are probably true and complementary.
As regards the fear of God/judgement, I remember sitting one day in the KH, a few months before I was df'd. Mentally I was already heading out . For some reason (perhaps something that was said, I don't remember) I felt this old debasing feeling of guilt/fear which I knew too well creeping into me again. I then remembered the phrase of Paul, "you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear" and I said to myself: "No, I will never allow that to overpower me again." From then on I knew fear is something you can accept or reject.
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kid-A
I refuse to go on that "fear" merry go round
I agree 100%. Man created god to deal with his own, primordial fears about phenomena he could not understand. Once you let go of fear (fear of death, fear of non-existent tribal gods, fear of biblical fairy tales) all other fears begin to disappear, your eyes are open and you truly begin your existence as a rational, liberated and sentient being.
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Van Gogh
Finally realizing about four months ago WT/JW has about as much substance as the Da Vinci Code, I found to be very liberating indeed: no more ‘fear’ of God or Armageddon for me.
If you are equal to everybody else in the eyes of God, what is there to fear?
This realization to me came as an unexpected present, for I never even contemplated the possibility of WT/JW not being based on truth. As soon as I did, I was happy to leave… without hesitation.
Consequently, I find it hard to believe in anything anymore, let alone go to another church.
However, I really did like the idea of a hope and a better future for mankind… and myself; the only comfort for death is that everyone ultimately shares this same fate.
But the thought of this life being ‘it’ with no apparent purpose, I find a disconcerting thought to say the least and hard to come to terms with.
Have I in this sense gone from one set of fears to another set of fears, without going from church to church?
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romans9_5
So are most of the members here JW? Im not, I was just wondering...
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What-A-Coincidence
hi romans95
1st let me welcome you to the forum.
Not all here are witnesses. You will find so called apostates (ones who left the religion), current witnesses, x-elders, x-bethelites, etc. ALL types.
wac
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Honesty
I bet if you ask most ex-JW's or born agains why do they serve 90% of them will say because they don't want to be destroyed or go to hell.
I must be in the 10% because I have no fear of hell or of being eternally separated from my God. Read Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Ephesians and Galatians and you too will understand that nothing can separate a believer for Christ.
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jgnat
Fear? Not me. I attend out of gratefulness. But then again, I'm not an ex-JW.
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misspeaches
Absolutely not. I'm an exJW and I still believe and attend church regularly. Why? Because of Grace to put it in a nutshell. Its an amazing gift. Not once since I learnt about Grace have I ever felt fearful about my future.