My Story: from JW Elder to Born Again Christian to Agnostic

by passwordprotected 49 Replies latest jw experiences

  • JamesThomas
    JamesThomas

    Yes, not knowing.

    Not attempting to know or understand or name -- but rather silently and openly being.

    Being present right here, right now, embraced in the swirling cool-warm pool of life within and around.

    Welcome home.

  • Stirred
    Stirred

    Thank you for your post. Very interestIng. I used to do yoga before my JW life though I would sometimes practice during....just too busy really. I am definitely going to add that component back into my routinenow. I eally like what you said about peace in not knowing....

    i am sorry about your marriage not working out after 20 years and hope the kids are adjusting. That is a big adjustment for all of you. Glad you have a positice attitude. As a child of divorce and having gone through it myself long ago, I know it is tough and even tougher to deal with step families/parents later on.

  • steve2
    steve2

    Thanks PP for the moving overview of your journey. Sorry to hear about the breakdown in your marriage - that must have been such a hard thing to go through. Regarding your transition to life outside the organization, I respect your account of what happened. You are so upfront and honest. Once we see behind the delusion of what holds the organization together, we become better able to see the delusional network behind most organized religious belief systems. It takes courage and a real need to get to the bottom of things to question even when it comes to beliefs that may have been personally very consoling to us as individuals.

    Yet, a delusion is a delusion - not matter how nicely it is presented, argued and annotated.

    Frankly, I'm over blood-letting, whether it be the Old Testament's dripping, rage-driven obsession with sacrifices and wiping out those who were not among 'the chosen', or the New Testament's more sanitized sacrifice and spilling of the blood of a perfect human. Blood, blood, blood and more blood. A truly naive and curious mind would be struck by the bloodiness of the 3 great religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam - who share belief in (at least parts of) the blood-soaked pages of the "Holy" Bible.

    Anyway, I do appreciate your opening up and sharing with us of your journey. All the best for you and your three children! And I look forward to your continued posts on this forum.

  • HeyThere
    HeyThere

    An amazing story of the journey of life...we can end up finding peace where we least expected it to be. I find myself thinking those same thoughts, nearing 40 (I still have a few years before 40 and I am holding onto that lol, but life goes by faaaaaast!) I feel at peace not knowing, and just strive to be a good person and feel I don't need religion to live life well. :-)

    Thank You For sharing.

  • LisaRose
    LisaRose

    Great post. I had many of the same feelings upon leaving. I wasn't sure about anything and that felt very uncomfortable. I just put one foot in front of the other and hope things would resolve and they did. No one has all the answers, I am not sure there are answers and I am OK with that now. Many come here touting some new belief they have, but it soon becomes apparent that they just replaced one false belief system with another false belief system. If their new belief system requires them to reject science they are no better off in my opinion. I am not against religion per we, there are some good ones, but I am happy as I am.

  • smiddy
    smiddy

    All the best to you pp and your ex wife a great post , and you both can protect your children from this cult which is a bonus.

    smiddy

  • kaik
    kaik

    Excellenet post. I went through similar searching and went through this phases in rapid successive wave and I was in my 20s'. Twenty years later, I am stopped to care about grand scheme that is not there for me. The biggest help to my exit from Christianity were my Jewish friends and later studies with rabbi to learn the context of OT and nonsense of NT. I stopped figuring out what is life purpose and path for me as part some grandiose God's plan, when I know that only certainity I have is this short lifespan and to take a care of people I love around me. Thr life goes on and there is nothing else anyone can do anything about it than make the best of it. There is no assurred reward nor salvation.

  • Phizzy
    Phizzy

    Thanks PP, I think such personal testimonies of how life after leaving JWism works out, are far more powerful for JW's to read than going in to TTATT, which they can do for themselves, at their own pace, but have no fear of the "journey".

    As a born-in, I too have taken a similar journey to yours, but I am lucky that Mrs Phizzy has come along with me, although she still is not yet quite a true "evidence based" person, still hanging on to some form of "belief", I suppose she is 90% agnostic anyway.

    She does insist that fairys are real though . LOL

    I told her that the Beer Fairy definately is.

    Thanks again for your story, and good luck to you and yours in the future, may life just continue to get better and better for you all.

  • Mickey mouse
    Mickey mouse

    Thanks for the update. We arrived here around the same time and I wondered what happened with you to end the born again phase. I'm glad you've found peace.

  • GoingGoingGone
    GoingGoingGone

    Wonderful story! I've been through a similar journey, from strict JW, to Christian searching for God, to serene and happy agnostic. I wish you continued good health and yoga :) Enjoy!

    GGG

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