How do ex-JW's actually choose another religion?

by buffy 35 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  DJ

  TINK,

  I'm sorry.....I was printing out silentlambs envelopes.... Matt. 11:28-30

  "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

  Ok, so I read this one night and started to cry. I was full of excitement but I also had some fear. I mean, after all this scripture sounded as if he was speaking to me, right to my heart and I knew it. The fear that I would be praying to an... an... an... an.. an... Angel was instilled in me from a child. I read it again and again. I said to myself, how on earth does Jesus expect me to come to him IF I can't pray to him??? So, I guess you'd have to call that move a leap of faith> aint never regretted it for a second. He is the onw who will give you the Holy Spirit. He will teach you, you see that He said "learn from Me"?? It was the best day of my life and the start of my freedom and he's been spoon-feeding me like a baby ever since! My husband too!! We were both heavy laden and he set us free. Absolutely Incredible!

  Tink and CC........I love you guys!
• 

  Granny Linda

  I do not believe the Bible is inspired by any God...didn't get there overnight either. Geezzzz, I'm laughing at myself because I remember years ago while sitting in an A.A. meeting, telling them all that my next step was studying to become Athesist.

  I had too accept that my personality might very well be inclinded to go from one control group to another...that was a real fear for many years, and kept me away from any religion. Just didn't want to risk the possiblility of it happening all over - ya know, the "I've got it, you don't" syndrome that many suffer from as a result of their religious entanglement.

  Now that I've matured some from those old days and trust my own decisions, I've found great enjoyment in attending different religions because I enjoy the music. Those occasions are rare indeed...because sitting through the sermons is more then I care to be subjected to. Some of hubby's and my fondest memories are when we visited black gospel churches in Selma, Alabama. My gosh, those people know how to rock and roll. I think a person would have too have been dead not being uplifted by that music. But, that's as far it goes for me.

  Today I've found the magic in just being me. Something I questioned about myself for years. Would I ever be able to know and be true to thine self...Yes, it happens. I believe much of it comes about through the aging process...but then again, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I was just a late bloomer.

  Don't push yourself...be gentle...time has a way of bringing to us what is necessary for our emotional growth. Perhaps you will never choose another religious belief system. It's no one's business either way...SHOULD any God exist, as already mentioned, know your own heart; that might be a greater saving grace then attending church. Either way, I certainly wish you well in your journey. It's a wonderful adventure - follow your bliss. Not what others think is necessary.

  cheers,

  Granny
• 

  Perry

  Ever hired a lawyer? It's about like the same thing.....check out their track record and go visit them for yourself. There really aren't any short cuts or cut and dry methods.
• 

  apple829

  Buffy,

  I chose a United Methodist Church because that where my family ties are (my Mom is the only JW in the family). And like Mike, I have a female pastor. It sometimes amazes me the perspectives I get from her on the Bible as opposed to what the dubs taught me! I am not afraid to go to her about something I don't understand/agree with. As for your son, you might want to look into churches that have very strong youth ministries that can provide for him spiritually ANDsocially. Depending on his age, a nursery is helpful for you as well!

  LOL @ Granny Linda!

  P.S. A good hand-clappin', foot-stompin', roof-raisin', Hallelujah-shoutin', testifyin', church ain't bad either!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Sherryl
• 

  ThiChi

  I know how you feel!

  Please, please read Ray Franz' book "In search of Christian Freedom." Brother Franz helped me to understand that Christianity itself is the true faith, not any one religion. Ray goes into what true Christians must face when we make our camp outside "the city gates." You are now free to talk to any Christian about our faith, anywhere...knowing that you do not serve men and are free to come and go as you please! True Christian Freedom!
• 

  Introspection

  How do you go from being a JW to being a whatever (Methodist, Lutheran, etc.) I've been invited to go to many churches with friends, but, I have no desire to ever set foot in any church. I want no part of any organized religion at all.

  Well, I don't really have any interest in being anything other than what I actually am, and in that I have no choice anyways so I guess I don't think about it too much. As for being part of any organization, being at a church, reading the bible or whatever wouldn't make you a part of any religion, just as it doesn't make you become anything.

  All talk about religion, organization etc. only addresses the form of your spirituality anyways, it does not address spirituality itself. I should think that anything that can be considered spirituality addresses what you are as well, that is to say your nature. Now I don't mean that in a conceptual, belief driven way, but very directly as it manifests in everyday life. In view of that I can appreciate that most people would want to find a spiritual community, people who are in essence mirrors of that true nature, because we are the same after all. It may be rare, but I know it's possible to be in such a community without the aspect of religious belief since I happen to be in one. Now it may seem like it's nonsense if there is no beliefs, but is more beliefs really what you want? In my community there isn't even a formal membership, you just show up if you want. We get pretty silly too, the teacher have been known to qualify his comments with statements like "all this is really just crap." (from the absolute perspective, as all concepts are only relative) But going back to the idea of your true nature, someone recently said to him "you really can't teach this can you?" and he said "no, how can I teach you what you are?"

  My advice to you is to take in any advice you care to, and then forget about it. Don't choose from any particular ways of going about this in a mechanical fashion and follow it like a road map, but just get some sense of it and then act out of nothing, which is to say just act as you would naturally.
• 

  Introspection

  By the way, I wanted to mention that I didn't set out to find a group to join or even a spiritual community. The interesting thing about the message they had wasn't even that it's particularly profound like you get this feeling of awe "Ohhhh! That's soooo true!" but I thought to myself "Huh, this guy is telling it like it is."
• 

  Carmel

  It took me nearly 18 years of first heavy investigation and searching then giving up and leaving religion alone entirely before I found a religion that was intellectually, socially and spiritually satifying and stimulating. You may need to go through a similiar period of detachment before you can set asside your prejudices against "organization". Most protestants who leave their mother religion go on a bing of denouncing "organization" citing the example of Isreal wanting a king bla bla bla, as if it had anything to do with people following the laws set down by God. No organization is chaos and leads to no diciplin (self or otherwise).

  My faith is highly organized yet maintains more personal freedom than anything I found in Christianity or Islam. It's out their if you look for it. I'd wait a few more years though.

  carmel
• 

  nancee park

  CONTACT [email protected] or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jahchristian FOR THE FREE CHRISTIANS FELLOWSHIP. 
• 

  GentlyFeral

  Tinkerbell -- do a websearch on "Bible Gateway" -- you can look up every single Bible verse online.

  Buffy -- First thing I did when seeking out another religion was demand low, low bullshit tolerance. Check out the Unitarian Universalists: about half of them are atheist/agnostic. They have wide-ranging Sunday School programs for children which cover all religions, not just Christianity. One of their main principles is: whatever doctrine you believe is your own business, and the church has no right to dictate to you. Ethics are more important than what name you call god. And dont worry about damnation -- that's the one reason you might want to hang with the UUs yourself: they're not called universalists for nothing. Anyhow, I think Utopian Reformist has it nailed.

  GentlyFeral