How did you feel about attending another church?

by digderidoo 36 Replies latest jw friends

  • Joe Grundy
    Joe Grundy

    'I agree with another poster here who said there is something about being in that 1,000 year old church, a place that has been used to worship God for so long that is pretty awe-inspiring.'

    Near my home (West Wales, not Cyprus where I live now) is a chapel carved out of a cliff-face which is about 1,500 years old. Awe-inspiring. Where I live now is about 10 minutes walk away from where Saul/Paul met the (then) Roman governor and had his showdown and got whipped. I don't believe the bunkum, but inspiring nevertheless, and you can still see the mosaic floors and walk where these guys would have walked. (Acts, about ch. 9, iirc).

    And there's a catacomb, right by the side of the road, where the jews held their services before the Romans went friendly to them. Still a 'holy' site where many people who want prayers answered tie a piece of cloth (or a kleenex nowadays, it seems) to a 'prayer tree'. Fascinating.

  • Narkissos
    Narkissos

    Only a few weeks after I was df'd I felt like giving a try. I went to an Evangelical church a few yards away from my last KH at "Bible Study" time. As it was a rather free and informal discussion I could very naturally share along, without having to explain where I was coming from (this came later). It happened to be a moderate Evangelical church with which I felt quite comfortable, and I attended a few years.

    Although I don't attend any church anymore I'm glad I did. It helped me a lot to move on from the JW mindset.

    Btw, about visiting (old) church (buildings), that's something I used to do even when I was a JW. When I was in Bethel (in France) I was sometimes asked to show English-speaking visitors around the nearby city of Rouen (where the wicked English had St. Joan of Arc burned ;) and the cathedral was definitely part of the tour...

  • lonestar63
    lonestar63

    I have no interest whatsoever in any organized religion.

    Do i believe in God? Yes.

    I still offer prayers of thanksgiving. I'm especially thankful i was able to escape with my family intact.

  • Maddie
    Maddie

    I was extremely wary to tell the truth, and it took quite a while to overcome feelings of fear and distrust. Things have changed and I go to a Vineyard Church which has been a revelation and positive experience for me. Everything about it is the opposite of the JWs and I have begun to know and understand the meaning of the Gospels and the Grace of God.

    Maddie

  • JeffT
    JeffT

    We attend a free evangelical church (my wife runs the weekday preschool there). We started going in 1989, about the time we were writing our DA letter. We were invited by an ex-elder we met at a support group for xjw's. The first service we went to they made some interesting announcements: communion was passed around, voter registration forms were available in the lobby, and the blood mobile would be in the parking lot after the service.

    Since then we've enjoyed the place and it has been a great source of help a couple of times when we needed it. It is entirely unlike going to the KH.

  • Luo bou to
    Luo bou to

    While reading the experiences of those that posted here I noticed that they were for the most part positive and enjoyable unlike what we were led to expect by the WT.

    I'd like to point out another WT lie The truth is not about doctrine. It's not a body of doctrine .Jesus said he was the truth. Peter did not say what religion' but whom shall we go away to, you Jesus, have sayings of eternal life. As christians say " its all about Jesus" On this point christian are united regardless of their doctrinal beliefs.

  • Joe Grundy
    Joe Grundy

    I am not and never was a JW, so take my opinions with that in mind.

    When I was a 'christian' in the general not JW meaning I went to a number of churches/chapels/call them what you will.

    More often than not, though I could not share their beliefs, I was genuinely impressed by the genuine warmth, sincerity and care that many of the people exhibited.

  • Warlock
    Warlock

    Attend another church!!!!!!!!????????

    Are you insane??????

    Warlock

  • AgentSmith
    AgentSmith

    Mrs Smith was going to the local Methodist church for about a year before she convinced me to give it a try. She has been quicker at getting the JW crap out of her head too.

    I was in a church only once before as part of the guard of honor for a fellow fire fighter's wedding. It took all my self control not to run out of there flaying my axe at the false idols!! It was a 100 year old Anglican church btw. (But we can take the heat LOL)

    But I digress, back to the story..

    I entered the church building rather meekly, my eyes darting around for sign of an evil attack. What that would look like I was not certain, but I was super alert anyway! The main church, chapel etc was seperate from the entrance hall and to walk through the short tunnel to the chapel was like going to the slaughter. The chapel itself had high ceilings, (not used to that), and very few objects on the walls. My memory of all the statues of mary and the crucified Jesus from the Anglican experience was all I could go on as reference.

    Then there it was, a HUGE empty wooden cross on the back wall! I then knew that I was going to be hit with a lightning bolt and turned to a small pile of ash on the pew. I sat quietly, sweating bullets waiting for the torture to begin. A thought of all the horrible stories, the harlot riding the wild beast for example, just to make things worse.

    The congregation stood up and the first song that was Jehovah-Jireh. What a mind bender....The worship/ singing was great. Not the mumbling archaic dirges I sang at the kingdom hall, these people enjoyed their singing, and they did a lot of it. It was wonderful!

    The service did not include dark chants, slaughtered chickens. In fact it was a good message, relevant and bible based. No books, or question and answer sessions. I did enjoy the whole thing, even the coffee and cookies at the end.

    I am still very wary of doctrine, so I am not a Methodist or anything else for that matter. Just trying to make sense of it all.

    Agent Smith

  • Joe Grundy
    Joe Grundy

    I am not and never have been a JW, so please take my opinions with that in mind. I am also now a 'worldly' atheist.

    I have been to a couple of JW 'meetings' - and a couple was all it took to recognise the brainwashing that was going on. Interestingly, at the first one some old dear got the microphone and started mentioning Russell, 'our beloved pastor' but she soon lost the mic. All very different to the spontaneity I was used to.

    (A sad side-note. One of my friends here, an 80+ guy, had the privilege of reading out the paragraph in the WTBTS mag at the meeting. He was a really nice guy, and I am friends with his widow. Last year, after having being diagnosed with terminal cancer, he drowned himself in our communal swimming pool. Poor old bugger, I think, after wasting so much of his life devoted to a lie. And the faithful and loving JWs who would rally round the widow? Forget it! It's us 'worldlies' who do that. Rant over.)

    I am Welsh, and we have a tradition of singing and music. If you have never heard a Welsh Male Voice Choir, you have missed out. And if you've never heard the festival of 1000 Welsh male voices singing old hymns, you won't understand.

    There is a word in Welsh - 'hiraeth' - which means the longing for the homeland. It is inextricably linked with old Welsh hymns. Even if you question the reality of the words, it can get to you.

    And, I guess, that's true of much church/chapel music.

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit