Keep up the good work!!

by debbiedebbie 17 Replies latest jw friends

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  FlyingHighNow

  Personally I don't think you need a church to teach your children about religion. In fact I think it's a good idea kids learn what various religions believe so they understand them and grow up more tolerant people.

  I was raised the way you say, but my mother took me to the Episcopal Church. She allowed me to form my own beliefs though. I was allowed to go to any church I wanted and to read about eastern religion and astrology. I've returned to the Episcopal Church. I find it a very healthy and tolerant place, especially for children. I take my grandsons with me. They love it. My oldest was baptized and takes communion. The church sent him to camp for a week. He trained to be an acolite last week. He loves the beauty and tolerance of it all. Our priest is a gay woman and his two godmothers are gay. You'd never know if they didn't tell you though. They are very normal.
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  debbiedebbie

  Thanks to you all for more great and different ideas.

  Deb
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  jaguarbass

  Hello

  debbiedebbie
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  fullofdoubtnow

  Hi debbiedebbie, nice to see you again.
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  Dansk

  Hi Debbiedebbie!

  Can I just ask you, do you have a stutter (on account of your name)?

  Ian
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  Quandry

  Hi debbiedebbie

  I too find the board a comfort. I guess I feel less alone. I still believe in Jehovah and Jesus. I do not believe in a burning hellfire. I never wanted to believe in one, even when I was in a mainstream church. I wanted to serve a God of love. I know that is what attracted me to the Witnesses. I thought they were what they claimed to be. I didn't know hell could be finding out that power and prestige of men is really what drives this organization.

  I know that in far flung places where there is no church, reading of the Bible is still done. Perhaps you could aquaint your children with the Bible so that they could have a knowledge of their creator without a preconcieved idea of doctrine.

  Hope to hear more from you.
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  Quandry

  debbiedebbie,

  I have just read some of your other posts and was wondering. Does your family shun you? You said that you went to college and are now a teacher. Are your parents proud of you? They should be. Do they know you are teaching? You are doing a wonderful service to the future generations. Even the WT had an article on how we should appreciate teachers. Of course, that is with the expectation that no witnesses would become teachers, since they discourage the education necessary to obtain a teaching certificate!!!
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  debbiedebbie

  Hello again,

  I was never baptized so my family does not shun me. At the time my mother did not believe people should be baptized as teens. She was more open minded back then and even went to college herself. Now she is very dedicated and sends me some of their literature. I'm not a teacher and have been doing social work for several years. Of course, being that I was never baptized and in college I was not popular in the congregation since college was discouraged at the time but I went anyway. I have tried to talk to mom about small things like the misleading quotes in the evolution book but this doesnt seem to bother her. She also now says that the society never said the end would come in 1975but I distinctly remember her saying to me several years ago that they had said this. I wonder how the memory of someone so intelligent can change like that.

  The rest of my family is actually no longer in or not baptized. So I have been fortunate and shunning is not a big issue. Although I avoid talking religion with mom.

  Shunning is a horrible thing to do to a family member, or anyone else for that matter. I may not agree with your beliefs or ideas about religion but as far as I'm concerned we can share ideas and then agree to disagree.

  My child will always be my baby and I will never refuse to associate with her. As a matter of fact I will probably always be in her business and she will probably spend the rest of her life telling me to butt out.

  Deb