Honest Question..........

thraxer68

Well, first off, Iam new to the forum here, I registered maybe a week ago??? Sometime around there, but anyway, I do have an honest question. I guess a little background about me might be helpful and if not, at least therapeutic. So I was born and raised a JW. My entire experience with it has, for the most part, been extrmely difficult and largely unfullfilling. I have never had a problem believing in God or the bible, IDK, for some reason I just always knew. Im at a bit of a crossorads. Im at a point where in all honesty I dont want to continue going to meetings or anything. Not because its too strict or too demanding or anything like that, its actually quite the opposite. I want to serve God and live according to his word the bible but there are alot of doctrinal issues that I have tried like crazy to get squared away, you know, 1914, blood transfusions, etc...I dont want to go out and do all of the things that we're told not to but its really hard to stick around and pretend that you're just as into it as everybody else seems to be. I guess my question is, has anybody left the organization and found something better or similar in terms of a relationship with God or the truth about his word? Im really not into the religion anymore because of the results of a lot of research but I dont want to neglect my relationship with God, that is something I have done and will do anything to keep from going back to. I dont want to go out into the world and have sex or celebrate the holidays and stuff, this isnt a rebellion thing, I just really want to know the truth about the bible, and all of it I guess. I know, I picked one heck of a question to get totally stuck on but nevertheless, its here and not going anywhere. Any experiences, help, advice, anything would be greatly appreciated. Also, Im not one for bashing anybody, including people of other faiths so please, I would appreciate it if nobody took this post as an opportunity to do that about the Witnesses. Thank you

agonus

"found something better or similar in terms of a relationship with God or the truth about his word?"

Sure. I think you'll find it happens all the time. God gave you a conscience and intellect for a reason. Use them and be happy! Don't end up like me and lose your soul because a handful of men in Brooklyn tell you to put your God-given gifts on a shelf.

Good luck and God Bless

OnTheWayOut

I feel that each person must blaze their own spiritual trail. Be careful here as many have found a different path. Many who left the JW's have strong faith or strong desire to serve God or strong beliefs, whatever they want to call it. At least one person here swears the Holy Spirit actually talks to them. Another believes there are only two paths, his path and all the others. His path is fed by circular logic just as bad as WT's. My point is that you can be misled by asking for an easy answer without searching for yourself.

The main help you can get here is fellow feeling and comfort along with evidence that Watchtower does not have the truth.

BabaYaga

Hello and welcome! Wow, I remember feeling all that you describe! And yes, yes I did find something better (which I had within me all along.) I have a PERSONAL relationship with (God), and no pope, elder, or "governing body" has to tell me anything about it, because frankly, they are not qualified!

A personal relationship with the Most High is pretty wonderful, you're going to love it.

Love to you!
Baba.

Heaven

thraxer68, welcome to JWN.

It was after I left home to go to College (against my parent's wishes) and then get my job that I found out just how short-sighted the Christian faith really is. They are somewhat exclusionary and tell their people that only they have the means to salvation. This always left me wondering about people who had never heard of God or Christ their whole lives. It left me wondering about why the Bible was only written by men and not women as well. So I began listening to others from different faiths and reading books and articles on all kinds of topics that I was interested in and that challenged the beliefs of my upbringing.

Perhaps it is time for you to sit down and architect your own definition of Spirituality. If this includes God and Christ then fine, however, there are many spiritual people who actually find more Spirituality without them or by redefining what God and Christ are to them instead of what they've been told.

Take things slowly. The JW indoctrination is within you and you will need to overcome it. I found Stephen Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" and "First Things First" very helpful to me. I hope you can let us know how your journey progresses. I am interested in reading about it.

Thank you for having the courage to join our group. Good luck in what you seek!

zombie dub

I dont want to go out into the world and have sex or celebrate the holidays and stuff

you should, you'd like it

cult classic

Welcome thraxer68!

leavingwt

Welcome!

You've got the rest of your life to find something that you consider to be better. If you leave WT, you'll be leaving something hurtful, deceptive and unethical.

alfmel

I've never been a JW, have heard their message and though about it, but never joined. I have found a good doctrine in an unlikely source, and I attend church regularly. I find some good fellowship there (although some people are jerks), I don't have to go door to door, and I feel close to God when I go to church or study the scriptures. Contact me if you want to know more. alf at mypals dot org.

Rufus

Thraxer68,

Those who follow Christ are to speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15). C.S. Lewis once said that truth without love is cruelty, and love without truth is mere sentimentality. Please don't take this as an attempt to "bash" the WatchTower. View it instead as an attempt to strike the aforementioned balance.

It is commendable that you desire to live according to the Bible. Unfortunately, the Bible most used by Jehovah's Witnesses is so woefully mistranslated that it cannot rightly be called God's word. I'm speaking of the New World Translation. True, much of it does approximate the text of Holy Scripture. But at crucial places, the translation is governed solely by theological considerations, not linguistic ones. If you do value the Bible and intend to study it earnestly, I strongly recommend another translation. Personally, I have found the New International Version (NIV) and English Standard Version (ESV) to be excellent for both devotional reading and in-depth study.

If you are open to reading "apostate literature," The Four Major Cults by Anthony Hoekema and The Kingdom of the Cults by Walter Martin are two wonderful resources for the person struggling to understand WatchTower dogmatics. To this list I would also add Ron Rhodes' Reasoning From the Scriptures with the Jehovah's Witnesses. Not only do these works accurately present the Society's teachings, they contrast those teachings with biblical Christianity.

Again, I don't mean to "bash" the Jehovah's Witnesses. I know that many wonderful and caring people are caught-up in its web. Believe me when I say that it is out of a genuine concern for such people that I write and speak as I do. The Watchtower has the wrong God, the wrong Christ, and the wrong gospel. I don't know any way to sugar-coat this. I can, however, offer the truth in love. Please feel free to voice any questions or concerns you have with my response. I am at your service.

Yours in Him,

Rufus

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Honest Question..........

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