by Coded Logic 12 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I once heard it said that the only people who care about what the Bible says are the village Priest and the village Atheist. It seems to me most believers only care about "God's Word" in very general terms and think it's all up to interpitation (religion À la carte).
Is the Watchtower especially good at making Agnostics and Atheists because of their fundamentalism or is this true of many ex-religious groups?
good question, I think any encouragement of serious indepth consideration of the bible leads to questioning of some sort.
For some, this ends up in not believing it at all, and even becoming atheist/agnostics
for others this leads to finding all kind of sophisticated excuses and explanations like JW or other apologists.
I think it was the pew survey that showed that JWs are most likely to produce atheists (about half that leave remain christian and the other half atheist/agnostic). I also beleive I've read that, of those that leave their religion, where they end up is pretty much a random distribution based on what they're exposed to in their geographic area with the exception that atheism is about twice as likely to be their destination than any religion.
As for why JWs produce so many atheists - i'd say it has something to do with the constant bashing of all other belief systems in meetings. They try so hard to make sure members have no answer to the "where else would I go" question that when they finally do leave they indeed go nowhere. There's also the fact that the JWs train you to spot inconsistencies in other religions, but once you start using that skill on your own beliefs, it's difficult to stop.
The main reason that people here give for ex-Witnesses becoming agnostic/atheist (no need to capitalize those, by the way, they're not denominations) is that they were taught to doubt everything that the other religions taught. The mindset is "If this isn't the truth, then nothing is". However I personally think there's two other large factors: burnout from all the obligations of their former religion, and a lack of encouragement from the religion to actually be religious-minded in the usual sense, because of the business-like focus on appearance and works. It's so focused on negative emotions like guilt and fear that the Witness doesn't think that any religion is going to be based on positive emotions.
I left the JW/WT "religion" because of false Doctrine. I was still a believer in god and a believer in the Bible as god's word at the time.
I decided that as ignorance was the reason I had been fooled all those years, I would educate myself.
I examined the claims made for the Bible, for the Quran and other Paths, and for god. This examination was forensic, done with the same meticulous respect for facts and evidence that a Jury of Sceptics who are experts in the various necessary fields of knowledge would use.
The result was I now KNOW for sure that the Bible is entirely the work of men, that the god of the Bible does not exist, and that there is no evidence for, and strong evidence against, the existence of a Supreme Being.
I do not like to label myself, or for people to label me, as too much is presumed from the label, but I am what I am. Not a believer.
I would think my journey is far from unique, some have not travelled as far, and I think the JW religion is good at making people intellectually lazy for sure, hence those people still stuck half way down the road, with lingering doubts over certain things, a lingering JW mindset etc are often a product of the JW habit of having your information spoon-fed to you, and your thoughts shaped by those controlling you.
Journey further down the road if you fit the above, at the end of the road is FREEDOM !
I have come to understand that when one studies and starts using their thinking ability in all fields of disciplines which involves many branches of knowledge one will come to know that much of what we are taught growing up is not true. For example on your question of taking the Bible "too" literal. There is much information out there that argue that crucial evidence or a telling lack of evidence suggests that many of the most famous stories in the Bible reflect the world of the later authors rather than actual historical facts.
As to whether or not jw and other religious groups cause one to become agnostic or atheists only each person can tell us about that.
Blueblades
If one critically examines the bible and has been told their whole life that it is literally all absolute truth, then it is insupportable. If one is allowed to use real reasoning skills and thought,then they can come to terms with some of the trickier issues in the Bible on the basis of principle.
I think that the WT makes it such an all or nothing issue, that when people reject the WT, they often can find nothing else that 'works' either. The bible has issues and if your whole FAITH system is wrapped up in its literally being truth and the whole word of God, then it is a stumbling block.
I struggled, but in spite of (a lot of ) things, I could not lose my faith in the creator. That never required any book for me, even though I tried to discmiss and ignore God. I left the WT young, maybe I didn't have it "inculcated" into me enough that there was no where else to go. My innate and instrinsic understanding is that there was always God. All the WT stuff was easy to reject.
Why do you have faith there is a creator?
Fastest way to become an atheist is read the bible.
This isn't about me, Coded Logic. Its personal. Dogmatism and extreme views definitely make one question everything.
