If you belong to a religion because your family & friends are there, you try to be a good person, you enjoy the activities you are involved in, but deep down you really believe that there is not only one true religion, does it really matter if you remain in the religion of your family and friends? Realistically speaking, what's the harm?
Does it really matter?
by ItsJustMe 17 Replies latest jw friends
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_alf_
As long as my stomach gets filled with cats or chicken I dont care.
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Yerusalyim
MEOW
YERUSALYIM
"Vanity! It's my favorite sin!"
[Al Pacino as Satan, in "DEVIL'S ADVOCATE"] -
MrMoe
Is it what you WANT to do? If so, then do it. If not, then you are only dissapointing yourself.
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NameWithheld
It matters if the religion is damaging you mentally or spiritually. I highly suspect though that a great many JWs are facing this very issue. They know all is NOT right, yet they stay in the system due to family, freinds, or just they are just plain scared by the thought of leaving a warm coccon that they have wrapped themselves into for years or even their whole life. Upon leaving you face really tough issues that go right down to the basic things you thought were solved - like "Is there a god" "Is the bible his book" "Why are we here" etc. Many people cannot or will not face these tough questions alone.
However, the rewards IMO for leaving can be greater than those for staying. You really cannot appretiate what it is like to have the mental freedom to allow yourself to question those basic issues. To discuss them with others without fear of reprisal. To investigate all sorts of matters. To decide for YOURSELF what is right and wrong. That after all is what free will is all about. And finally the ability to realize that you don't HAVE to have all the answers all the time. It's OK to not think you know everything about everything. That everything must be anwsered right now. The search is half the fun.
Finally there is the issue of does that religion, the one you don't really beleive, require that you activally recruit others. Why do that if you don't buy the message yourself. Although I suppose there are ways around that, but is it worth the stress. And the active brainwashing sessions have to cause mental dis-order ...
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nelly136
If you like it enjoy and want to be one I cant see any harm in it at all, but if you belong only because youre afraid of the repurcussions
of losing family etc I dont see how that makes you either a willing member or a contented one,
nelly -
Mum
To each his/her own. Living a lie makes some people sick, while others totally groove on it. I am in the former category.
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ItsJustMe
Thanks for responding to my question. Obviously, this is a journey we all have to take alone, but a census always helps!
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larc
Since leaving the Witnesses many years ago, I have not been a "joiner". I don't particularly like organized groups. I find other ways to get to know people.
If I was going to join a church, I would join the Unitarians. I would do this for a couple of reasons. Where I live, their members are above average in intelligence. I like hanging out with smart people. Many in their congregation are well off financially. It is helpful to know well connected people.
Of course, instead of putting a cross on my wall, I would have to put up a large question mark. Those who know the Unitarians will get my joke here.
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ISP
It seems ok. What happens if someone scrambles your eggs? i.e. Mistreats your friends/family for no good reason? You find out that the religion can be harmful to you and others. Makes people make unrealistic life decisions that have long reaching effects that the people who come up with the stuff would not do themselves? You see hypocrisy i.e. UN..child abuse cover ups? List goes on....still sitting comfortably?
ISP