First & Last, One-time post (page 2)

journey-on

Thank you all for your kind words. This forum is a great asset for so many people! It's not only informative, but it's funny sometimes, heart breaking at other times, entertaining always, and so very necessary to help some get on the path of healing. Thank you all.

darth frosty

Great letter and a brilliant sumation of the very nature of dubs and the inner struggle they go through. This is a point some may misinterpret.

JamesThomas

the path of healing

If we really want to heal from the wounds of past lies, we have to be radically honest.

You're angry at your sister for her self-righteous judgment and shunning of you. How is being like her -- with your letter full of self-righteous judgments -- healing the wounds? The Christians here will support you and applaud your anger; because too often, when we identify with tribal beliefs, it's not about healing for us, so much as reinforcing our beliefs that we are more righteous than JWs; just like JWs think they are more righteous and closer to God than us. No one is closer or farther away from what truly has no beginning and no end.

Healing begins when we honestly see that we are drowning in the same old story, and we see we are really no better than others. It is painful to examine ourselves with stark naked honesty. Yet, truth is discovered by self examination, and not by condemning and judging others. Again, I suggest seeking what unites us one and all, rather than what divides us; and I recommend looking deeper within yourself rather than in an old book.

Good luck to you.

j

journey-on

JamesThomas....I respectfully think you missed it. I am not self-righteous. And I think it is you that is angry at Christianity or anything that even smacks of it for reasons only you can know. I get the feeling that you are so angry, that you have ceased your spiritual quest and turned to agnosticism or worse, atheism in your bitterness. I am on my own spiritual quest and it goes outside of the normal definition of Christianity. It actually embraces the oneness of all spiritual disciplines (to sound cliche'), but I don't want to elaborate on that in this venue. I don't condemn nor judge others, but I do have an opinion about the practice of shunning.....not the same thing as judging. But thanks anyway for your well wishes.

JamesThomas

I get the feeling that you are so angry, that you have ceased your spiritual quest and turned to agnosticism or worse, atheism in your bitterness.

I gave reference to: what has no beginning and no end, and to That which unites us one and all. Compared to the diminutive Christian concept of god, yes, it is understandable you would see me as atheist.

you don't like for your conscience to hurt, so you will justify your actions and inactions some way. But, believe me, Sis, someday, you will have to account for your lack of love...real honest-to-God love. Then you can stand before Him and say, "But didn't I give up my flesh and blood for you!" Don't think He won't see right through that.

Here, you blatantly condemn your sister. Telling her how your god will see through her. Which implies that you must believe yourself somehow more pure in your god's eyes. You, know how to "truly" love, were she does not. You are good, she is bad.

This is the same self-righteous and judgmental us-against-them beliefs that the Witnesses use to separate and divide people. You're still doing it. The Christian beliefs are based on such division.

I suggested finding instead what unites you and your dear sister, and all existence. But this you ignore....and perhaps even see such words as a terrible thing. This is why I am angry.

I am angry not at you or other people, but rather at religious-beliefs, any beliefs, which ignore what truly unites us one and all and instead reinforces and sustains ideas which divide us causing much suffering, animosity and war.

Sometimes there is a valid reason to be angry.

j

MsMcDucket

Don't worry about James, Journey On. I had someone rip me a new one for complaining about my twin daughter's disregard toward me and they're father. I called them "insensitive brats" and someone called me out on the carpet for it and took great offense at it. I don't know what the person was trying to do. I guess make me feel bad.

Oh whatever! The purpose of the board is helping people who are dealing with shunning from love ones as well as having difficulty with the religion. Some people aren't as well spoken as you. I think that you will be able to handle your own.

Great post!

Cellist

Welcome to the board, JourneyOn. And good luck in your journey.

Cellist

JamesThomas

I'm sorry, MsMcDucket, that you felt a need to associate me with someone who hurt you.

It seemed clear to me that journey's letter revealed that he was still entrapped within the same type of divisive beliefs which caused the shunning problem in the first place. So, with the desire to see suffering end -- once and for all --I attempted to focus on the root of the problem.

j

freedomloverr

***** I don't condemn nor judge others, but I do have an opinion******

that sounds a lot like a judgement call or condemnation.

what has made you believe that bitterness leads to agnostisism or atheism?

btw - WELCOME TO THIS FORUM! it is great around here isn't it?

I hope writing your letter to your sis was healing for you even if you didn't mail it....

OUTLAW

JourneyOn..Good first post..Post again..Don`t let anyone tell you what path you must take..Speak your mind..Not what someone says you should think or say..Every JW has already done that..It didn`t work..Thats why this board exsists...OUTLAW

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