How did you rebuild your belief systems

happysistah

Hello Everyone,

I have not formerly introduced myself to you all. I'm happy sistah. I was raised as a Witness. Currently I am inactive and trying to just fade away from this organization.

I have been coming to this board since the end of Dec. 2002. At the request of one of the members here I started reading Crisis of Conscience by Raymond Franz. I was so outraged by the Double Standard Chapter I have not picked the book up since. Clearly, the Jehovah Witness organization was not the single channel to God.

Additionally, I found out that Voting was now a conscience issue. A CONSCIENCE ISSUE. This outraged me because many people have lost their lives regarding this issue in many countries. And now it's a Conscience issue. And on top of that they don't even tell their members that it is a conscience issue. They put it in a Q&A and never address it from the platform.

I am still reading and doing research about this deceitful and corrupt organization. However, I wanted to know after you realized the Watchtower organization is nothing more than a publishing company and that many things that they teach are simply not true. How did you re-build your belief system?

Do you still believe in God? Do you think we will get resurrected? Do you believe in Christianity?

Whatever insight you could share, I would appreciate it.

Happysistah

musky

Welcome happysistah, I look forward to reading more of your posts. I grew up a witness. At about 22 I started doing some reading like the crisis book you pointed out. I still do believe in God and the basic principles it stands for. Mankind cannot rule itself because a little thing called greed gets in the way all the time. To me, There really is no other choice but to believe in a higher power. Without that, We just get old and die. I choose to believe that there is something more than that. I used to believe that only the witnesses would be saved. Now I know that is not true. I only hope that God will see a good person in me, and not an evil one.

Warrigal

Hi Happysistah and welcome. I tossed out all the idiot beliefs taught by the Watchtower Society along with most of the literature and reaffirmed my belief in Almighty God and His son Jesus. I view God and His son as the only ones I will offer worship to and pray to. I will never again allow a group of morons to shape my reality.

Warrigal

back2dafront

Welcome Happysistah! Glad to have you here.

I'm still working on establishing my belief system, and it's been 4 years since I left the org. The more you read the more you mind will open up. There is such much to catch up on, and I think you're making a great start with the Crisis of Conscience book. When your emotions settle a bit, pick it back up and finish it for the whole thing is very enlightening.

To answer your questions, personally I believe there was a creator of some sorts, but I don't believe in the God mentioned in the Bible or in the Koran. The way the earth was designed to support the life that exists within it points to a creator in my opinion, however mankind will more than likely be able to duplicate such efforts in the future. Check out how close we've come to acheiving it already: http://biology.kenyon.edu/slonc/bio3/2000projects/carroll_d_walker_e/biosphere.html So in my opinion, it is easy for me to believe that this was all created by someone/something, but it's difficult to believe this creator is the Being described in the Bible and Koran. I'm open to the idea that it may just all be correct, but I'm considering all other options as well.

As far as resurrection is concerned...I don't know. It seems a little hard to believe that all of the righteous hearted ones that ever walked the earth will be resurrected and will enjoy life forever on the earth. There have been billions of inhabitants on this earth through the years, so to see this realistically take place would be a miracle indeed. Time will tell though, right? :-)

Christianity is another topic. Do a search on this site and you will find several discussions on Christianity. What I find most interesting is the fact that there are several Christ-like figures mentioned in a variety of different cultures prior to his professed existence on the earth. Also, the things that have been done in the name of Christianity and continue to be done (although not as severely) leave one to question why God would allow such a group to represent him and his ideals.

Tons of things to think about. Take care and look forward to hearing from you more.

Cheers,

back2dafront

animal

I am my own god, I make my own path and take control over all I do.

Hows that for a religion?

Animal

DanTheMan

I'm still in the "rebuilding" process. It is never-ending. Really my whole world has been turned upside-down in the past year. Like many on this board, I have gone beyond questioning JWism, to where I am now questioning the value of the Bible and Christianity. But that takes time, no hurry.

Valis

I don't think I ever thought about it that way...I just got on with it and started exploring things and meeting new people. I also took lots of pholosophy classes which I picked and chose snippets of religious/secular thought to make myself I guess...I also think that belief systems are not something that are concrete...I run across things/people all the time that make me change what I beleive.

Sincerely,

District Overbeer

Farkel

The last thing you need to do right now is to worry about how to rebuild your belief systems. You need to give yourself at least a year, perhaps two to rid yourself of Watchtower poison. You need to take care of YOURSELF for that period of time. After you've got a solid footing then you can re-examine what to believe (or not believe) that will work for you.

Don't worry. Jehovah can wait a year or two. He's got plenty of worshippers right now, anyway. He's a big boy. Take care of yourself, and let Jehovah take care of himself for now.

Farkel

ISP

I don't think god is active. So I dont get heated up over what I think God is doing or wanting. if he wants something doing , he will make it clear. I would be wary of any religionists that say god is working with them etc. You could be out of the frying pan into the fire.

ISP

Francois

My experience with JWs, and my knowledge of other religions, is sure proof that I will never look to another organized religion for my answers.

I am convinced that the words of The Master are true, "...the kingdom of heaven is within you." That being the case, I have sought to make contact with that indwelling spark of divinity with relative success. I have discovered that the inner-seeking techniques of the East offer much more effective techniques for accomplishing that inner contact.

Thus I have found it true that you really can be spirit-led, and in that case become a child of God because you ARE spirit led.

Let me please suggest that you read Houston Smith's "The Religions of Man." This is a very fair, level-headed, honest recitation of the basic philosophies of the major religions of the world. From a reading of this very nice book, you can draw your own conclusions about organized religion and which one of these "glass slippers" might fit your foot...or perhaps none of them.

I am led by the concepts found in The Tao Te Ching. It has proved most serviceable in the establishment of a personal relationship with God; and that is the ultimate definition and practice of true religion in my opinion.

francois

How did you rebuild your belief systems

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