For those who don't believe in God (page 2)

NameWithheld

OK, maybe I don't get it then. What gift are you being given. By the term 'being given' it would imply that some entity is actively 'giving' you this gift right now. I still see it as exactly the same thing as someone telling me that a genie will give me 3 wishes at some future point in time, and I'm sitting around waiting for those 3 wishes. I can prove the existence of a genie about as well as I can prove the existence of a god that will grant enternal life. Just because I want that genie to be true doesn't mean it is ...

JH

NW said

you have created a god to give you what you want

If I created God, then I am the creator,

Worship Me

acsot

I've been wondering about this exact thing for days! I'm technically still a JW, so obviously can't bring this up with anyone around me. Right now I'm agnostic, and for all the reasons others have so eloquently described.

Gopher said:

First we see the holes in the JW belief system and in the way they hypocritically fail to back up their words of love with actions.
Then as we start to investigate further (by reading whatever sources), we come to see that the Bible is merely another book of men seeking to explain the unexplainable -- the world of the invisible, what happens after death, etc. The way "Jehovah" is explained in the Hebrew Scriptures as an angry, jealous and hard-to-please individual, along with the way the end seems to justify whatever means -- nations being invaded, women and children being taken hostage or killed, all begins to just wear you down.
And then some start to think about the cruelty and mayhem in the world around us, and the fact that some Christians claim God blesses them personally -- well if he does so, how does he ignore the many more who suffer abuse, starvation and deprivation on a daily basis? If God can intervene for some, why would he deliberately ignore others?
This causes some to doubt or dismiss the existence of a personal God who cares in any way about creation.

I totally agree. I wanted so much to believe in God and serve him, and prayed and prayed and prayed about my doubts. Then I did my own non-JW searching and I received my answer: it was all lies. Is that God's answer? Did he let me and countless others wander through this quagmire for years and years for some sort of twisted purpose? If he did I want no part of him. The even more disconcerting thought for me at this point in my evolution of using my brain is that there is no god, at least as described in the Christian context.

Confused and agnostic, but better this than the doubts and guilt and self-recriminations of a brainwashed JW.

StinkyPantz

I agree with pretty much everything that has been said sofar except for JH. 'Name' made a good analogy with the genie but as with most believers JH didn't offer evidence to support his conclusion, just a real good feeling he has. I used to have the same feelings but then I educated myself in all the ways I was never allowed to before. I've read anything and everything I can about evolution and its many aspects. I've also searched out many religions explanations for how we got here. As of right now I feel as if the scientific evidence points away from at least the Christian god and most other gods as well. Nevertheless, I do not claim to be an atheist because I see that as being as closeminded as believers so I like to stick myself in the middle as an agnostic. I see both sides, and I'll continue researching both sides.

JH

Shakita

I question the existence of a loving God

When we started studying with the witnesses, they answered that question, saying that God would do it in his own time. I agree with you that it's taking a long time for him to put things right. But I have faith that one day he will. In his own time...

StinkyPantz

I wonder how many god believers have even bothered to look into the theories about human evolution to see where we are coming from and why. I personally would like to know these things even if I remained a Christian.

acsot

StinkyPantz:

Do you have any recommendations as to a "beginners guide to evolution"? Something like "Evolution for Dummies"? LOL

I don't know where to begin in my search for anything scientific.

Trauma_Hound

But I have faith that one day he will. In his own time...

One thing I learned, is that you can't wait around for "god" to do anything for you. If you want eternal life, I suggest you poor money into science, not some religion, science actually has had results. Science has come alot farther in explaining the universe, then any religious text. We're creating life in the labratory, we're cloning animals, perhaps humans someday. I like the old line from devout religious people, when science monkey's with nature, something about "Playing God", if we are exibiting godlike powers of creation, then it stands to reason, that there might be a higher inteligence, but more than likely, he/she/it/them was where we are today, which make he/sh/it/them not a god.

Gedanken

acsot,

Mark Ridley's book "Evolution" is pretty good although a bit technical in parts.

Gedanken

StinkyPantz

Ascot-

Initially, what helped me most were not books specifically written about evolution. Geology books demonstrate how old the earth is and gives the theories on how it came to be. Anthropology books show how old different cultures are (cultures older that 6000 years). Biological Anthropology books show the possible evolution from say amino acids and gases all the way up to humans.

At first I found these easiest to accept, and then I tried reading books on others opinions of their research. But do your own first and draw your own conclusions.

For those who don't believe in God

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