How many of you belong to another religion now, and if so, which?

by berylblue 23 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Sentinel

  I don't belong to any religion. I have only set foot in a couple churches since 198, a few times as a guest of someone I was dating, and other times for weddings of friends. In the beginning, the reason was out of a terrible fear and guilt that that would truly be apostacy in the highest form. I was still very much brain-washed at the time and had so much to work through. In my heart I knew that I just couldn't believe the JW doctrines any longer, and that I couldn't live my life by their rigid structure. But, I believe then, I saw this as my own failing as a person. I was so hard on myself. I carried such a heavy weight for just wanting to be me. I didn't leave the JW's to set out on a course of debachery. I never got into drugs or alcohol. I just wanted the freedom to read and study and express my opinions and thoughts and the JW's would have none of it. I couldn't live that way any longer because I felt like I couldn't breathe.

  For many years, I pushed aside my personal issues, and tried to live life, but it was a sort of limbo type existance, where I felt like I didn't know who I was, or what I wanted or needed out of life. Then I set out on a mission to find out. The more I learned about myself, the more I was able to change, and those changes have brought me here today.

  I don't believe the bible is inspired, although it truly may contain some valid prophecies, how could one determine what they truly mean? I like to read the Psalms and Proverbs. My goal is to try to live by the golden rule, and connect with the creators of the universe in my own personal way. It really has changed my life, and I've learned to accept and love myself, and I've also learned that I continue, as always, to be very spiritual. The big difference is I'm not attached to a cult or any organized religion. For me it isn't necessary. I'm free. Feels great!
• 

  amen

  Let me give you my point of view on religion. Was a catholic then decide that i was no longer a catholic but only cristian, then suck in by the borg now out this week. My feelings over my exit, i am sure of my future, all my life i have been searching and i know you don't need any man made religion to be close to God. All one need is a personal relationship with God and his son Christ. Praying and reading the bible and try to love your neighbord is sufficient. If anyone do that you'll find yourself at peace with yourself, at peace with God and you'll find yourself walking along with God and it is a feeling I had before i became a witnesse and lost when i became a JW. The organization replace slowly my relationship I had with Christ to have a relationship with them. What a blaspheme? Never will I let that happen anymore.

  I may visit a church but not to join. I understand some people like to delegate their spiritual life to man or are lazy or don't have the will to do their own research i will not blame them for that but they have to be cautious. I take charge of my own spirituality now. I know doctines that are nefast and avoid them.

  Jesus said to come to him and I am doing just that not an organization. If i am wrong at a day of jugement i can really say according to the book that pretend to be the word of God I tried to follow to the best of my ability and don't feel nothing to be blame of. The best is what i can do with my sinfull nature. But i know God is mercifull and i don't pretend that I am a fervent praying constantly. There are times i do and other times i failed but the thing is always come back to him and he'll receive you, remenber Peter.

  So I got out of the Borg intact with my previous believe now know more about the trinity, the soul etc. Wanting i could say if the catholic had show from the bible their believes from the bible i would not have been sucked by the society.

  Now my believe is firm more than ever in God. 15 years with the JW did not make me an atheous but I am convinced you don't need any organization or institution or man made.

  I try at times to think their is no God but i was able to and make no sens to me.

  Any reply

  Amen
• 

  amen

  Let me give you my point of view on religion. Was a catholic then decide that i was no longer a catholic but only cristian, then suck in by the borg now out this week. My feelings over my exit, i am sure of my future, all my life i have been searching and i know you don't need any man made religion to be close to God. All one need is a personal relationship with God and his son Christ. Praying and reading the bible and try to love your neighbord is sufficient. If anyone do that you'll find yourself at peace with yourself, at peace with God and you'll find yourself walking along with God and it is a feeling I had before i became a witnesse and lost when i became a JW. The organisation replace slowly my relationship I had with Christ to have a relationship with them. What a blaspheme? Never will I let that happen anymore.

  I may visit a church but not to join. I understand some people like to delegate their spiritual life to man or are lazy or don't have the will to do their own research i will not blame them for that but they have to be cautious. I take charge of my own spirituality now. I know doctines that are nefast and avoid them.

  Jesus said to come to him and I am doing just that not an organization. If i am wrong at a day of jugement i can really say according to the book that pretend to be the word of God I tried to follow to the best of my ability and don't feel nothing to be blame of. The best is what i can do with my sinfull nature. But i know God is mercifull and i don't pretend that I am a fervent praying constantly. There are times i do and other times i failed but the thing is always come back to him and he'll receive you, remenber Peter.

  So I got out of the Borg intact with my previous believe now know more about the trinity, the soul etc. Wanting i could say if the catholic had show from the bible their believes from the bible i would not have been sucked by the society.

  Now my believe is firm more than ever in God. 15 years with the JW did not make me an atheous but I am convinced you don't need any organization or institution or man made.

  I try at times to think their is no God but i was unable to and make no sens to me.

  Any reply

  Amen
• 

  bebu

  I personally don't think anyone can Biblically show that membership to any visible church meets Christ's definition of His Church.

  If you are joined to the Head, you are a member of the body. That's it. That's all.

  However, believers meet together to build each other up. (I think some Christians here do that online, which qualifies in my book! It's nice to see people in person, tho'.)

  Jesus told a parable about a man sowing wheat in a field, and his enemy came at night and sowed tares (weeds) in it. The young wheat and young weeds looked similar. They were left until harvest for sorting. Jesus was warning that even among groups of believers, there would be found those who really were not actually followers of Christ. So you can't put your faith in "church membership".

  You're a Christian if your shepherd is Christ. Read John 10:1-5. I love verse these parts: " ...He calls his own sheep by name... the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice."

  bebu
• 

  Francois

  Beryl,

  I could never be a member of an organized religion ever again. The Master said that the "kingdom of heaven is within you." And I plan to seek it there with all my might. Organized religion may be a good way to celebrate what you have found from enquiring within, but it is no substitute for finding, and following, the small, still voice of the indwelling spirit that lives within your heart/mind.

  I have adopted a philosophy as an aid in finding and touching the indwelling Spirit of Truth, and that philosophy is found in the Tao Te Ching, written 600 years before Christ by Lao Tzu. It's a short little book, but I think it hits the nail right on the head. It's avaliable in many, many translations and the greater the number of translations you read, the more you will understand its message. It contains many of the precepts of the Sermon on the Mount. The Truth and The Way have always been known on this planet, but from time to time, various spiritual geniuses have come here to illuminate that way, that path. And the greatest of these was Jesus.

  And so now, after 25 years of pure liquid B.S. from the WTBTS, I am at peace in my search for truth and meaning. And I'm fulfilled and happy.

  francois
• 

  gumby

  And the greatest of these was Jesus.

  Francois....I wonder if this is true? I can believe the man existed also, but it stops where the church deified him into something he wasn't. It's too bad the later writers screwed with what he was about......if he truely existed.

  Gumby
• 

  gold_morning

  Beryl and all,

  Most people of different religions, especially witnesses, have a difficult time seperating God from religion. Chatholics believe they must be baptised Chatholic to go to heaven. Baptists believe they must be baptist, mormans believe they must be mormans. We were no different. We felt we must be baptised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses to be saved. Look at where the bible says we must turn to be saved.

  Acts 4:12....."Salvation is found in NO ONE ELSE, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

  Here it shows our salvation comes from Jesus. It does not say salvation is found from religion to be saved (or found from jehovah's witnesses)... but found in NO ONE ELSE but Jesus.

  1John 5:12.."He who HAS the Son, HAS life..."

  Again, it does not point to a religion or code of ethics from a group of men to be saved, but merely the Son, Jesus.

  Look what it says in Ephsians 2:4-8. ...."But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made US ALIVE with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.........IT IS BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED.....(verse 8)..."For it is by grace you have been saved, IT IS A GIFT FROM GOD.. NOT BY WORKS so that no none can boast."

  So we are made alive with Chirst because it is a GIFT from God. A present. See, we don't have to do anything for a present. IT is a gift. To make that clear he said that it is NOT our works that save us. All those countless hours in the door to door, and all those meetings we could not miss does not save us!! We cannot earn our salvation. It is a gift because of the great love of God. It is knowing Jesus personally. It is accepting that it was He who died for us so that we could be righteous before God to receive the gift he gave us....namely everlasting life. Remember that scripture we just read.... He who has the son has life.

  Titus 3:5 backs this up. It says...."He saved us, NOT BECAUSE OF righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy."

  There is no acts we can do religiously that can save us. Religion makes us "self-righteous". Only being saved thru Jesus makes us righteous before God. We can't give oursleves life..... a religion cannot give us this gift. It takes away from Jesus. When he died, Jesus said..."It is finished!!" He bought us life forever. Who does the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society think they are? They think they can grant us life thru them and take it away thru disfellowshiping. They are taking the place of Chirst.

  How about Romans 3:22..."This righteousness from God comes through fiath in Jesus Christ to ALL who believe."

  Notice again that we become righteous from faith in Jesus and that it is open to ALL who believe in Him. Not a select few from a particular religion. But ALL!! It is there for Jew and Gentile. Not just Jew and Jehovah's witnesses.

  Does knowledge get us life? Not according to the bible. Jesus himself says in John 5:39..."You diligently study the scriptures (like we did as witnesses) because you think by means of them you posses eternal life. These are the scriptures that testify about me.Yet you refuse to COME TO ME TO HAVE LIFE."

  So it is not knowledge that saves us either. There is nothing wrong with knowledge, but that is not where our salvation lies. We must come to Jesus to have life. It is the love of God and knowing him that saves us. A few verses down in 41 Jesus says "I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts."

  The key to salvation is knowing Jesus and having a good heart, just like Jesus did. As witnesses we knew "all about Jesus", but never knew him personally. You can know all about President Bush. You can know what school he went to, his grades, who he dated, what year he married, how many children he had, where he lived, when he quit drinking, about his political life and his presidency. But can you say you personally know him? Have you talked to him? Are you a friend of his? Do you talk on the phone? No. So you know all about him, but don't know him personally. That is how it is with God and being a witnesses.

  I remember fearing Jehovah. He was this God exacting exculsive devotion that I just could not measure up to. No matter how many works I did, no matter how many years I pioneered. I never knew if I would survive armegeddon. My salvation was not assured. Would I survive Armegeddon??..lurked on my mind. Now I know that he is a God of great love, mercy, kindness and patience.

  Don't let them fool you. They are taking on the role of judgement that is reserved for God only!! He loves all his children here. Jesus came to save the world.. not condemn those in it. Why on his deathbed on the cross he saved a criminal that deserved to die. Why, because he read the criminal's heart. He knew that this criminal accepted him as savior and was sorry. He did not do good preaching works. He had no knowledge, yet this gift was given to him.

  If you would like to talk... e-mail me at [email protected]

  agape love, gold_morning
• 

  Ravyn

  I was a kid in a candy store when I first left JWs and I had the fortunate experience of being in the lap of Unitarian Universalist-ville...Boston. I had UU friends who were professors at Harvard abd Brown and I had a ball! I spent the Summer in seminars at Harvard Divinity and Andover-Newton, libraries--OMG! I was in a constant state of intellectual orgasm! The UUs gave me many many opportunities to research religions in a safe environment. I tried the xtian path first. Gnosticism, Catholicism, all the way into mid 1850's Millenialism, New Age and Spiritualism. Just could not buy into it. I just don't believe in Original Sin and the need for a Saviour. So then I went to paganism. I explored many different traditions, trying to find my heritage. This work on genealogy led me to the Mormons who were also very kind---too bad they are a cult too. Altho they have more of a spiritualistic bend than they give away in those Jesus commercials they do at Christmas and Easter. Finally I went to atheism and even satanism, but I realized I did believe in a 'god', just not one who has a finger in all our pies....so after researching the Founding Fathers and capturing some sense of patriotism for the US that I was denied as a JW child, I finally settled on Deism. I looked into Transcendentalism too, a close relative, especially in the New England area I was in.

  So now I call myself a New Age Deist Witch. I do not think there is a conflict in the belief of paranormal, supernatural and science(look at quantum theories and how they were perceived just 50 yrs ago!) and I am a witch. I have always been a witch. I can't deny it. I have 'gifts' that the likes of JWs blamed on demons my whole life. So for lack of a better term---I am a witch. I am more into chaos theory than wicca. I don't worship anyone, I don't think anyone wants to be worshipped. I look at old gods and goddesses as just higher evolved beings who at one time communicated with humans for whatever reasons, and who can still do so if they want to. I participate in ritual that makes me feel good. Makes me feel connected to the big picture. But I do not engage in superstition or religion.

  I still think the UUs are the best place to find your path.

  I am finding less and less to respect in the Big Three- Jerusalem's religions, especially of late. If you want community--get a hobby. You don't need a church.

  Ravyn
• 

  nowisee

  28 yrs with jws. many years in limbo. now i see. i am a christian. i have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior and love Him with everything that i am, but only because He loved me first. i attend a small presbyterian church. that is not important at all. the reason i am there is because they also love the Lord and study the Word. it is not at all important what church you attend. what is important is relationship with the Lord. Listen to those above. they are right. Psalm ll8:8.
• 

  aunthill

  (((((beryl)))))

  I was raised Episcopalian. The priest wouldn't/couldn't answer my questions. When the dubs came to my door they answered my questions in what seemed like a very logical and reasonable manner. After 25 yrs as a dub, beating my brains out, exhausting myself, beating myself up trying to do everything they wanted so I could get a pat on the head from them, I gave up. Also during those years, I had many doubts that I would push back into that dark little corner of my mind, so that I wouldn't look at them.

  When I left (da'd myself) I beat on heaven's door, told God how angry and disappointed and lost I was (it's OK, read Psalms). I knew there was a God, because I had 2 major prayers answered in totally unexpected ways, but I didn't know where to go after leaving the Watchtower. My oldest daughter had left before I did, and a friend got her going to a nondenominational Christian church, which she finally prevailed on me to go to. Also, a friend invited me to go to her nondenominational Charismatic/Pentecostal church. The second church really frightened me, because according to the JW's, everything they were doing (speaking in tongues, prophesying) was demonized, but I see now that their way of worship is just different from other Christians.

  Eventually I accepted Jesus as my savior, and I have a RELATIONSHIP with him. The reason I go to church is to associate with others who have a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus/God/Jehovah, but I don't need to go to church to have this relationship. The church helped me to understand how to have a relationship with God, but talking to him is not conditional upon going or belonging to a church.

  Keep reading the scriptures and praying, he will answer you.