oh yeah, in case i did not say enough with that response, keep reading this board
WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE?
by Unchained 16 Replies latest jw friends
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LovesDubs
Hi unchained, happy birthday! Welcome to life and freedom to live it any way you want to! I was a JW from 84 to Jan of 97. I have three kids 12, 9 and 5 whom Im an now "inculcating" with the beauty of the variety of ways that people look for God in their own way...the love God has for all his creations...how boundriless we are. It's ok to teach them to look at different religions, it's ok to give them your own opinions and thoughts on matters. No longer will my children be subject to the thinking that God chooses one group of people over another, that one religion is "better" or "closer" or more the "truth" or wins because it has the "most followers." They are shown who God is in the faces of his people, in the beauty of the world he made for us to live in, in the stars at night, in the miracle of their own births. I cant tell you how freeing that is for me. I dont believe in a God who would ever destroy a single soul for being and doing exactly what he created them to do which is to be UNIQUE. As for unity and brotherhood and "pure language"...if they ever cease to love the DIFFERENCES in people, then they cant really be loving at all, as God loves us. You can teach them that. They will have open minds and giving hearts and will love you for it.
Dont be afraid...be JOYOUS in their freedom and now yours!
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ICHING
hilovedubs
you said:
if they ever cease to love the DIFFERENCES in people, then they cant really be loving at all, as God loves us.
interesting observation - and another reason why i had to bail out
religion can be a very convenient facade/justificaton for a myriad of screwed up personal agenda issues - homophobia - ethnocentricity misogny - power broking to name a few obvious ones
most fears prejudices ignorance can be comfortably accomodated
"i dont hate .......... ( insert personal prejudice ) GOD does!"to the point where it gets hard to tell where the personal agenda ends and the "religion" begins
essentially a handy justification for anything in life which refuses to conform and fit within the rigid little confines of their "consciousness"
rules are a godsend for hidden agendas
rather than fit into life
life HAS TO fit into them
it's a complex subject and i for one am no martyr in this regard
but hanging out in an environment that seemed hell bent on this attitude was something which made me very unhappy.I-CHING
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Don Smith
The where do i go from here? is a WT spin answer to a ? most jws ask when when they express doubts as to whether this is really Gods org . When they finally awaken to the fact that they have been misled by the lies it is due to the fact that the holy spirit is already operating in your life as a helper as Jesus promised according to Gods Word " that the holy spirit will lead you in the way of ALL the truth and will not Lie " Phillips modern English trans.
As to where you would go is a misnomer because that ? came about when the ? was asked "to WHOM shall we go Lord { not WHERE } as you have the words of life eternal." Thus when Jesus indicated that NO ONE comes to the Son UNLESS the Father draws them and to to his word his Son has initiated an appeal " to all his sheep to come to him and learn from for his load light , kindly and promises refreshment for your soul and should we falter in the YOKE with him he puts his shoulder to the yoke and helps us out of the mud to continue on .
So basically Jesus is awaiting your response to his invitation to work by your actions with Him for your benefit . Take your time read Gods word and as suggested Rays books and other books by exjws to get a good perspective .Dont rush around expecting to find other groups to have the whole truth and nothing but the truth as it can only be found in Gods son who said "Iam the way ,the truth and the life period ,and on his baptisim his Father in heaven said he was well pleased with his Son and admonished us to LISTEN TO HIM and not some other yahoo who claims to know it all
Hope this is of some help as i was the WT for over 40 years and never been more refreshed. Don
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Nosferatu
I had a lot of those similar questions rolling through my head when I left. What I've decided is to let my kids learn about religion on their own. I don't have one, and I'm not going to force any religion on anyone. Religion was forced upon me for many years, and I didn't appreciate it. Why would I want to do it to other people, including my kids? When they start asking me about god, death, and anything else related, I'll just give them my views, but let them make their own choice.
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Don Smith
Hi brother.
Its not where you go but to WHOM you go to. The WT mislead us into believeing that this was Gods visible org. quoating a passage in reference to the faitfull slave. All religeous org use the same approach. The catholic church does the same claiming Peter was the first pope " and upon this rock the universal church would be built"
If one simply reads Gods Word we find that He now speaks to us individually through his Son. Kindly encourages us to work in the yoke with him to find refressment for our souls and learn from him and if the going gets tough for us and we are in the YOKE with Him he will pull us out if we get bogged down in the mud so to speak Not like the WT " your hours are low brother pull up your socks if you want to be an elder. He tells us "to seek first the Kingdom and GODS righteousness" and not rely on what we think we know ,but in ALL our ways acknowledge HIM a He will make staight paths for our feet.
Jesus left no doubt in Thomas mind as well as the disciples to going though intermediators when He said Thomas you are looking at the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE and NO ONE comes to the FATHER except throuhg ME.
God and his Son have always worked that way towards his children in kindness and compassion as good parents individually seek to fill the needs of each child.
Don Smith
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Fleur
Welcome, congratulations and Happy Birthday!!!
You're so young, don't worry too much about where you're headed philosophically, dear. It's a journey of time, and the scenery is the important thing, not necessarily the conclusions you come to. First thing I would suggest to any newly-out is if you don't have a higher education (most JW kids don't) look into getting one. I never got my degree, and now my health prevents me.
Where do you go from here? EVERYWHERE ! :)
hugs,
essie