by mindmelda 73 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
After finally leaving, X-JW's can now have passion in their beliefs, or lack thereof.
Debate about something people actually feel in their beings is new and refreshing.
Remember having to debate about stuff we didn't really know or feel deeply about at the doors?
Now, we are exploding with passion.
I imagine it feels really good.
i'm definitely an atheist--i think
(whats an atheist?)
LOL I lack the desire to be totally rational, and I admit it. It's because I'm doubtful everything can be explained by rational means, as we don't know the limits or extents of rationality or science.
I love science, and read it extensively, teach it to my children, teach them what I know, which includes evolution of course, and yet I'm cautious as to the limits of science, especially currently, because we're just scratching the surface of the really deep stuff, like quantum physics.
I just want to be open to when the limits of our knowledge change. I don't want to be Simon Newcomb, a noted astronomer doubting whether heavier than air flight was possible in 1906, when he'd been seeing birds fly all his life, or Sir Harold James Spencer not believing that heavier than space flight is impossible two weeks before the launch of Sputnik or Einstein boggling over Schroedinger's cat.
Big mac...ask an atheist. Among the ones I know, I've seen some variety of definition, which just goes to show you how diverse people are, even if you lump them together.
Re: Why so many Atheist VS. Christian discussions here?
Because no one really knows - we are all blind and just guessing to amuse ourselves.
Some people, like me, don't care what others think. Others are not comfortable unless they're surrounded by people who agree with them.
W
I think bumbling around trying to figure it out is absolutely the best way to learn things EVER. I'm rarely bored, for one thing.
If we were meant to or it was better to learn any other way, we'd come completely pre-programmed and not have to learn a damned thing to get through life.
For me it was a very long process that led to atheism. In my case its about evidence that's all.
When I was a JW I assumed there was no contrary evidence that would shake my faith in the borg. Then one day I discovered that evidence and it was painful.
When a person discovers they have taken a wrong turn its natural and comfortable to assume they are only a little bit lost.
When I became an evangelical I assumed there was no evidence that would shake my belief in god. Then I eventually discovered that evidence and it was very painful.
Its only natural that ex-cult members would discuss and debate their post-bondage journey and discoveries. In my opinion an exjw christian has only partly found freedom, it seems reasonable to debate it.
Oh, I don't mind the debate. I love debate, it's how we learn, in part, as long as it's understandable and doesn't degenerate into name calling! I just wondered why so much of it ends up being Athest vs Christian as if they're the only two options.
I'm neither. I didn't come out of the JW thing either an atheist or a Christian, although I'm comfortable around both if they don't beat me up with it.
I ended up sort of a well intentioned but largely ignorant Buddhist/humanist. It's the only thing that makes sense to me.
It doesn't require belief in a God, or gods, but doesn't deny it either. I don't mind there being a God, as long as he doesn't play any "mean kid with a magnifying glass" games with me. If he doesn't exist, he doesn't matter because he's not doing any of the bad stuff, so why get pissed at him about it? If he's benevolent, it's happening for some other reason than God and he doesn't prevent it for some reason I'm incapable of understanding and I don't waste time pondering that stuff, because I'm incapable of understanding it. Makes no sense, simply because if I were God, I'd use my supposed omnipotence to fix everything, but hey, that's just me.
Maybe the universe needs chaos to function, it's as simple as that? I'm just throwing that out there, have no idea. Maybe we've personified order as God and chaos as the Devil it's as simple as that. I dunno, I like to think about this stuff.
I guess I'm the kind of person who likes to keep my options open.
Some people thrive on nailing these things down...I don't, I feel I need wiggle room or I'll suffocate intellectually.
