Two nice christian ladys want to mentor me ........

troubled mind

I have met some very nice people at a local Methodist church During one of our conversations a woman told me they offer a program called Soul Care for anyone going through a tough time .It is a program to encourage basically . When I told her I felt I had lost my whole social community since leaving the JW's she offered to mentor me in this program .
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We had a first meeting to kind of get to know each other .....it just felt so weird, like being the householder on the other side of our bible study program we did as witnesses . She referred to Witnesses as being blinded by Satan to the real TRuth like a veil is over their eyes .....I started laughing and told her yeah that's what JW's say about other reigions ! She also asked be if i had ever heard of a book called
" Reasoning on the Scriptures "???? I said sure witnesses use it all the time to answer peoples questions at the door during FS .....She seemed confused, then We discovered it is a book Christians use to witness to JW's ......called the same as the JW book ! haha

I just don't know what I want ....When they start talking about going to heaven I just can't relate . I want to be around people that are good , honest and friendly I just don't know if that includes religious ?

How do you go from what we have been taught all our lives to believing in hell, and going to heaven ?

PrimateDave

"How do you go from what we have been taught all our lives to believing in hell, and going to heaven ? "

I know that I couldn't go in that direction. I went to a Catholic service this past Sunday. Strange, really, since I consider myself agnostic/atheist. However, I wanted to experience it. I met some nice people and nothing was forced on me. Different from the Witnesses, yet, strangely familiar. Perhaps you can just enjoy the social aspect of that church. Nothing says you have to believe everything that they do. If you want to be a Christian, just tell the ladies that you accept Christ as your savior, and they'll probably be delighted about that.

Dave

jamiebowers

As nice as these ladies probably are, their program may not work on you. As an exjw, I would feel trapped if anyone was trying to tell me what to believe. If you just want association with nice people, why not try a civic group like the Kiwanis, Lions or Rotary Clubs? Or if you really want to belong to a church, try the Unitarians. It's a very open religion.

Carmel

Don't feel bad. I bounced around from one church to another looking for a "home" and couldn't fit in with any of the denominations. After 18 years I ran across the Baha;i Faith and tried to prove it wrong... been one now for over thirty years.. I suspect you will settle in to something that provides you with what you want/need. Just make sure you are open to new ideas and keep your standards high. carmel

Mrs. Fiorini

I was seeing a counselor at the time I left the WT. He suggested that I try visiting several different churches just to see what they were like, no commitments. I found that advice useful, and came and went as I pleased to a few of them.

While the WT would like you to believe they are the only religion that questions the idea of a burning hell, you'll find that doctrine is controversial, and many mainstream Christians don't accept it either.

Give yourself a chance to experiment and see what's out there. Maybe you'll find something you like and maybe not, but the experience will be useful.

Thechickennest

I returned to Methodism after 25 years of being a witness. I was a baptised and confirmed Methodist. Never resigned to become a witness. Anyway, the big picture with the Methodists is grace and acceptance of all that wish to worship god. Don't worry about the doctrine. It rarely ever comes up in the sermons or bible studies. You don't need these ladies. They are good hearted in what they are doing however, they are going to discourage you. Take the new church on your own terms and go slowly. It took me about three years to settle back down in the church. Enjoy the fellowship, love, and acceptance and let it go at that.

lovelylil

I've been to many different churches since leaving the WT and I agree not to get too hung up on doctrine. I've met people who belong to the same church who disagree on heaven being our final destination. Some believe christians go to heaven during the tribulation but that ultimately our home is a new earth. Some believe we were always intended to live in heaven. But it does not really matter.

Truth of the matter is it is really only the legalistic cults of Christianity like JWs who stress agreement in doctrine so much. The Apostle Paul and Christ himself said that love is the most important thing. Paul states that where we disagree in doctrine, love will cover over our disagreemnts. And we know Christ said Love is the identifying mark of true Christianity, not true doctrine.

My personal belief is that no Christian faith as ALL the truth and understanding of scripture and we never will until Christ returns. The reason we gather together is for fellowship and encouragement along with learning and growing together. I was very anti religious organization for 4 years after leaving the org. and I still feel you don't have to belong to one to be approved by Christ, but the bible does say do not forsake the gathering of yourselves together. We are humans and we need contact with other like minded people or we can become depressed and isolated.

Since I too have felt lonely and isolated due to not associating with other Christians in my area, I have recently started attending a local church and my experience has been wonderful. They are so encouraging and non judgemental and this church also has a mentoring program for new Christians. It is working out well for me and I know it will for you too.

Good luck, God bless and please let us know how it works out. Peace unto you, Lilly

LouBelle

Troubled mind you don't want to jump from one religion to another. It's just another whole lot of programming - more of pretty much the same dribble - do you honestly want that for yourself.

How do you go from JW to .....? Well for everyone it's different: I'll give you my story - very briefly. I left the JWs of my own accord after doing research, for a couple of months I went to a happy clappy christian church, fortunately I realised that again it was more of the same stuff - so I left after 2 months. I no longer go to any church, nor am I taught by anyone. This is **my** path (you can insert **your**) What works for me won't necessarily work for you.

Do some reading up on spirituality (Eckhart Tolle, Goldsmith, Emmet Fox are some good starters) and find your own way.

Happy hunting

Scully

I did a lot of investigating other belief systems after leaving the JWs. At one point very early on in the process, I was even corresponding with a Rabbi because I felt that Judaism's teachings were at least comfortable and familiar to what I was raised with as a JW. The no-trinity thing, the no heaven/hell after you die thing, the no Christmas thing... it was familiar and not radically different from JW beliefs.

Then I started doing some volunteer work that was not affiliated with any religious group. I knit hats and booties for premature babies in the NICU. I volunteered some time at the blood donor clinic, and became a blood donor and registered as a bone marrow donor as well. I found a couple of things that I enjoyed doing, that allowed me to explore my compassionate nature without the religious attachment to a "ministry".

I'm sure you can find many things in your community to become involved with that do not involve a religious affiliation. If you are an animal lover, you could volunteer at an animal shelter or the humane society. If you like helping people, you could try the local food bank or homeless shelter, or a shelter for women and children escaping domestic violence. You can call your local United Way office and ask for their recommendations. You could even arrange with some workmates to sponsor a family in need at Christmas time, like we do at my place of employment.

All the best in your journey!

myelaine

dear lovelylil...

"Paul states that where we disagree in doctrine, love will cover over our disagreemnts. And we know Christ said Love is the identifying mark of true Christianity, not true doctrine."...

in 1 peter 4:8 it says: " and above all have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins"...there is no mention of forgoing correct doctrine. paul was zealous for correct foundational doctrine in the church of Jesus Christ and many of the church fathers were just a zealous in correcting heresy so there would be no cracks in the foundation of the church...see ignatious, clement, sheperd of hermas, didache, barnabas etc. do you think that paul would sit back today and not correct the mormons because there is plently of love amongst them?

dear carmel...

"I bounced around from one church to another looking for a "home" and couldn't fit in with any of the denominations. After 18 years I ran across the Baha;i Faith and tried to prove it wrong... been one now for over thirty years.. I suspect you will settle in to something that provides you with what you want/need."...

...with all the different religions joined together in your faith, having each been convinced that they are essentially the same in that they are paths to God,...how can a smart scientific guy like you not figure out that the essentials or foundational teachings of each indepentant religion are so different that it is intellectually dishonest to disregard these "essentials" and say they are "essentially" the same??? islam doesn't believe that God is knowable and christians believe that is God is known through Jesus...do buddhists even believe in God?...something is NOT "as right as rain" there carmel...

everybody is loving everybody into satan's trap...he is building up the man antichrist by using loving folks like yourselves...what better way to draw people away from THE Way, THE Truth and THE Life, than to give them good works to do in a loving and supportive environment...revelation 13:11-12...

love michelle

p.s. how can you hold fast the gospel of life if you don't know what it is, why it is given or by whom it is given?

Two nice christian ladys want to mentor me ........

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