QUESTION: What religion are you in now? ... (page 4)

plmkrzy

I find it hard to believe in any kind of orginized religon. I believe Cristianity is a personal thing.And your relationship with God is a personal thing. No one has the right to tell you how you stand in Gods eyes. No one has the right to tell God who is acceptable and who isn't. Or who fits in and who doesn,t.
I HAte churches!
My uncle is a mormon rev. ohio
my 2nd uncle is a baptist rev. norhtern calif
my 3rd uncle is a minister for th trinity brodcasting net.costa mesa
one of my cousins is a mormon rev. following in his daddy's foot steps. wants his own church.
my father WAS a JW elder in the 70's
I HATE CHURCHS
THE DEBATES AT ARE HOUSE!
plmkrzy

avengers

Go through the same crap all over again? NEVER!!

Latte

I’m definitely with Francois and Mulan, although I am interested in learning about other religions I would never join any.

However, I have to say that at times I dearly miss the social times……get togethers’ meals out in groups…. etc. I know that my children thoroughly enjoyed having a houseful of friends….Hey we’re working on it! (Lol) Actually.....that is all I miss

I tell my children that we are ‘Christian’.

Latte

Abaddon

That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion...

Yet is wasn't me that lost my religion. .

It was religion that lost me; it didn't make sense... not just the JW religion, but every single one I've looked at. They all seem wrong in some way. If someone came to me with one that was obviously right, I'd happily believe, as not to believe something that is obviously right is foolishness.

But that hasn't happened. So I think we are here as a result of naturalistic processes, and that there is no 'purpose', other than that which you find yourself. Which is what makes it so damn exciting.

I believe in humans. We are terrible. We are wonderful. We contain our own salvation and our own destruction.

People living in glass paradigms shouldn't throw stones...

teenyuck

Abaddon--

I AGREE!!! Well said! BTW, I love that song! I was just playing it on Morpheus!

________________

"I used to be Snow White, then I drifted." Mae West

spike

I believe in freedom of beliefs and principles. When I get up for the day I believe in whatever principle I want. It may be freedom of Christ or 12 step recovery steps or agnostic or science. Sometimes Bible based or not. I will never join a man made religion or donate money to such causes. My energies are more toward saving animals and the earth. Peace!

Lee Elder

My experience as a Jehovah’s Witness made me very skeptical in matters of faith. I felt the need to question the very foundation of my belief system. I found that when I put the Bible under the same microscope I had used to examine the Watchtower Society, I was very disappointed by the results. I think its fair to say that I felt nearly as betrayed by my faith in the Bible as I did by my faith in “Jehovah’s” organization.

I have attended a few churches in recent years and had some interesting and pointed discussions with ministers of various faiths. I think the most fascinating discussion was with a minister from a local congregational church (United Church of Christ). A very informed and enlightened individual, in my opinion, who had an exceptional grasp of higher criticism of the Bible but was quick to point out that these were matters for debate and discussion at seminaries – not in the local church.

I guess that my exploration of these kinds of issues left me wondering about the purpose of practicing Christianity in a traditional sense. I attended a number of meetings at a local Unitarian Universalist Church. I even gave a lecture there once regarding the Jehovah’s Witnesses and their views on blood. They asked me to join but it never felt right. In fact, it didn’t feel like a church or worship service at all – more like a college lecture on religion. I must say, however, that the U.U’s have a safe environment for former Jehovah’s Witnesses to heal from their experience with the Watchtower Society.

Today I would call myself a Fideist – one who believes in God because he finds it comforting yet acknowledges that there is no established factual basis for his belief. Perhaps that is the whole point of faith. I am nonetheless awed by that which I can observe, deeply moved by the mystery of life and compelled to thank God for the good things in my life and give him glory for his works. I ask nothing of God because it seems clear to me that God will not intervene in the affairs of mankind.

I find it nearly impossible to abandon my Christian heritage. I no longer see Jesus Christ as the “Word” of God but I maintain my deep respect and admiration for his teachings and the higher principles of Christianity. I consider myself a liberal Christian – one who is more interested in the religion of Jesus than the religion about Jesus. I also sense that Jesus had some unique vision or insight into the “Kingdom of God”, I seek that vision.

I will still find my way into a Kingdom Hall or convention from time to time. I miss a number of my Jehovah’s Witness friends and acquaintances but I can only force myself to spend brief periods in association with them. I feel no need or desire to “burst their bubble”. The information is out there if they want to find it.

Over the holiday, my wife and I attended a play at a large local Church. I must admit that I was utterly swept away by the rush of emotion I experienced at different points of the presentation that touched on Christian themes. In retrospect, I feel like the victim of a cruel hoax – emotional and spiritual rape seems to describe the feeling pretty well.

In all honesty, I did some of this to myself by not leaving well enough alone. However, were it not for the dysfunctional belief system I was raised in, I doubt that I would have ever opened Pandora’s box. In hindsight, I wish that upon leaving, I would have "bit the bullet" and got my family involved with some mainstream Protestant church like the U.C.C. or the Methodists. Even if I had to fake it, it would have probably been the best move for my children and eventually their children. These groups have benign belief systems and authority structures and can provide the sense of community and support that most of us need – especially when we are young.

So, for the time being I am content to call myself a dissident Jehovah’s Witness partly to irritate the WTS at least as much as they have irritated me but primarily to work as an advocate for reform of their blood policy.

Lee

Carmel

Interesting subject! After nearly eighteen years post JW, and having spent many of those years decrying any form of religion, my wife and I joined the Baha'i Faith. Not only intellectually challenging, but an inclusive and gentle faith with diversity and an elan beyond anything I could find in Christianity, Buddhism or Islam. It has been a continuing personal growing experiance and an opportunity to put faith into action by serving humanity.

Carmel

Adonai438

Terraferra- I know I already answered this for you personally but I'll post it in the general thread too :)
This is what I have found to be truth- I do not force it upon anyone but I know after much study and research it is correct.
Religion is not the same thing as God. God exists (to which science, logic, archeology, and reason can prove). So it is our responsibility to find out who he is- what god & holy book is the truth for they can't all be right when each one rules the other as false.
The Bible has stood the test of time and translation without error, every prophecy it has made has been fulfilled thus far-still waiting for future ones-, is historically and archeologically correct, etc.... So we need to take seriously what it says.
I am a christian now,
The new testament says 'They were first called Christians at Antioch' so that is what the true followers/ believers are called.
Christianity isn't about religion it's about God and following Jesus. When you are 'saved' you enter into God's family, not a religion.
When making up your mind regarding God I would encourage anyone to judge based on fact, study and research not on what the WT did or what people do.
<>< Angie

Sunchild

By nature, I'm mostly Wiccan. In current practice, though, my writing seems to be my religion, and inspiration is my goddess. I still read tarot cards and pray/meditate to help me get ideas, clear my head, gain perspective, etc., but I probably won't be a very "religious" Witch again until my [material] life is a bit more settled. I think the Goddess understands since she gave me my talent and drive in the first place.

*Rochelle.

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"I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death -- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
-- Professor Severus Snape, Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone.

QUESTION: What religion are you in now? ...

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