PHIZZY- Hey, I'm sure drinking whiskey makes a person more spiritual ! It always helped me when I drank it !
TORNAPART- I'm glad you're feeling more spiritual out of the confines of the Kingdom hall even though you still attend. I'm happy for you that you feel a deeper spirituality laying in the grass and looking at stars at night. Good for you.
00DAD- I agree with you- many of us were really turned off to organized religion after being scammed by the WT society. I feel I can be " spiritual " on my own personally without any help. I've found that I'm O.K. with NOT having all the answers . It makes life more entertaining and interesting constantly learning new things. I agree with Running Hawk's take. True statement. I don't think we'll ever know everything there is to know. I feel no NEED to know everything there is to know. I enjoyed the movie you mentioned " The Mothman Prophecies " , great movie which I own as well - it may very well be like the professor said ," Some things we aren't meant to know. " I'm good with that.
EMPTYINSIDE- Good points. The WT society DOES look down on it's members who pursue their creative sides. Gaining your spirituality through nature & animals makes perfect sense ! I feel an increase in my spirituality when I'm close to nature as well ! I still have doubts about God too, you're not alone, it's one reason I consider myself agnostic. I just don't know. But it's not that important to me- I can still be spiritual with or without a God.
OUTLAW- I'm agnostic as well . I agree with you- WT society policies, practices, and functions have NO spirituality in them whatsoever . JW's are mind controlled drones who have had their spirituality stripped away from them. We have a lot more freedom of mind and spirituality OUTSIDE the JW organization.
SOONER7C - Wow. Interesting experience about your sister in law saying that guy missing meetings made him less " spiritual ". That's the point I was making in my opening thread - that JW's look at being a " spiritual " person if you do WT functions, meetings, commenting, service, etc . - in their eyes tHAT is what makes people " spiritual " - not being a good person though. That's messed up totally.
FLYING HIGH NOW- Well, having some Native American blood in myself and having read MANY books on what really happened to the Native Americans during the 1800's - try to consider the vantage point of WHERE Running Hawk is coming from in his viewpoint of American " Christian " religions. Many, many native American's had American " Christian " religions forced down their throats with their children being forced into Catholism and having their hair cut off , forced to wear American clothes and sit in Catholic schools for hours. Also- White European American settlers had a universal view instilled in their minds by our dearly " beloved " American government that ALL Indians were considered " savages " - with NOTHING of value so they were looked at as NEEDING to be indoctrinated to " christian " beliefs.
Greedily though, the American government stole the lands from the Indians ( especially gold rich lands like the Black Hills ) which they had PREVIOUSLY promised the Indians they wouldn't take. They lied. Every time the U.S. government sent representatives to meet with the Indian chiefs they always sent 3 people initially- a politician, a land or real estate agent, and a " Christian " priest . All of this was sent to manipulate and control HOW the Indians would give up their land. What gave the U.S. the right to do this ? God - who allegedly backed these " Christian " priests and politicians ? No . Yet the U.S. military, religions, and politicians viewed " Manifest Destiny " as them being sent by God to correct and indoctrinate the Indians. The Indians didn't need ANY help, nor WANT any. They had been doing fine without Christian interfence. By the time the late 1890's ended - MOST ALL Native Americans had either been murdered, died of European brought disease, or forced onto Indian reservations while losing their homes, land, and Native ways of living and believing.
So I ask you - Is it any wonder that Running Hawk didn't believe or understand these " Christian " religions when ALL he had to do was watch HOW these alleged " Christians " acted towards him and his people ? Our views of life many times are determined by our experiences- whether negative or positive. I agree with you that people CAN be spiritual if they go to a church or temple - however I believe that people can go to a temple or Church and nOT have an ounce of spirituality as well. And it's the same for agnostics and atheists too. Some may feel they have spirituality but it may just be self delusion as well