My Current Battle (page 2)

cognizant dissident

KW: I was terrified and having anxiety attacks. I had to get counseling. That terror and guilt is instilled deep into your subconscious by JW's and by all religions when we are small children. It is conditioning. It is not awareness of who we really are. The counselor I saw is an atheist and also one of the most spiritual, loving, men I have ever met with a deep respect for both human and animal life. He has taught me how to be a spiritual person without believing in God. He has also show me how to honor and respect the good that is in all religions. Which is the sacredness for life that they almost all teach but so few actually practice. Take the good and let go of the bad. I know Witnesses teach you can't do that. That it is all or nothing. They are wrong. Check out NVRGNBK's thread on spiritual atheism from a few months back.

Cog

The-Borg

hi kw13,

i think i'm nearly in the same place you are. At the moment a day does not go by when i don't think about this. I have concluded though that organized religion will never be for me. I'm currently reading the god delusion by richard dawkins ( a religious friend of mine told me not to read it as i would end up being an athiest). Athiesm is to me just as much an article of faith as creationism, we cannot prove or disprove the existence of god. I can see reasons for hope but also have a horrible feeling there is no happy ever after.

I am coming to the conclusion that we will just have to come to terms with uncertainty, there is no way of knowing, we simply don't have the means. Some people can live with uncertainty some cant and need faith and a hope. I will continue searching for answers but not forever, hope you find some sort of closure.

Regards

David.

worldtraveller

don't think atheism is a choice, per se. It's what you're left with when you decide not to make any of the other choices. AA, what an interesting comment. Never though of it that way! Sort of like none of the above.

KW13

I couldnt individually quote each reply because i dont feel i could do them justice but WOW i am blown away by your responses because all of them are very sensible and they seem to be coming from people who are at peace with this issue or they are coming to terms with it. The dependence upon doctrine...the need for it and religion...maybe it is more like the 'need' to smoke rather than a natural thing, you get addicted and you crave it because your body becomes adjusted to having it. Right?

The-Borg, good luck on your journey

As for AA's view on what Atheism can be defined as, that makes a lot of sense to me.

Does Atheism allow for an open-mind? Is it the complete opposite of being a believer really or is it a new journey?

This may seem ignorant but i want to know, its not because of my fear of not being a believer so i can create an excuse.

Thanks folks

worldtraveller

I am coming to the conclusion that we will just have to come to terms with uncertainty, there is no way of knowing, we simply don't have the means. HEY TB! You got it! Once you get over your (and my) mortality, you can finally resume your existence and enjoy it for once. That's what I did and it worked. Most religions pressure you into the fear aspect. Lose it and you will be able to continue on your journey.

KW13

Not knowing seems scary on its own because i suppose its very easy to wake up in the morning and think...hey i've cracked it, i've got all the answers now for the rest of my life.

worldtraveller

Asking a question with no answer is better than having to answer a question you cannot answer. Does that make sense?

GoingGoingGone

I left the JWs because I found so much conflict between what they teach and what the bible says. I wanted to serve God the right way. In the few years since my fade, I've bounced between intensive bible study, visiting other churches, and most of all, trying to understand why God allows all the suffering we see on earth. I don't believe the bible is inspired anymore.

My journey has taken me somewhere completely different than where I envisioned it would. Right now, I am not sure that God exists, but if he does, I am convinced that he has no strict requirement that humans worship him in a specific way. How could he?? We don't have an inborn knowledge that God is out there - we're taught he is. Depending on your country of birth, God could be One, or millions, or a trinity, or whatever. You could spend your entire life studying the subject in depth, and still not know.

If God wanted us to worship him in one specific way, it would be 'inborn' in us somehow, like a 'spiritual conscience', sort of. We'd simply know the right way to worship him. But, we don't.

Right now I'm torn between believing that we can worship God any way we want (ie, he doesn't care, as long as we pay attention to him), or believing that he doesn't care if we worship at all. Or becoming an athiest. I can't quite go there yet. But it's a journey, and I can change my mind at any time. And so can you!

GGG

Gopher

Does Atheism allow for an open-mind? Is it the complete opposite of being a believer really or is it a new journey?

Good question. The answers are yes, yes and yes.

Atheism is not a belief, it's simply acknowledging that one doesn't think there's enough evidence to believe (in a sky-daddy as defined or created by various cultures).

I've often compared it to belief in Santa Claus. Once you lose that belief, are you now a "believer" that there is no Santa Claus? Or have you just reached what you believe to be a rational conclusion (of non-belief)?

cognizant dissident

Atheism allows for an open mind. It allows for ANY and ALL possibilities! including the possibility of an as yet unknown God and spirituality and whatever is good in any religion. It is not deluded though. It is "awareness".

Cog

My Current Battle

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