My Personal Atheist Manifesto?

by dubstepped 43 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  Phizzy

  I too created my own "religion within a religion" as this guy seems to have done. I dismissed all the really wacky JW Doctrine, and ignored most of the silly rules.

  The problem I had was that my JW parents had brought me up to be a lover of Truth.

  I could dismiss much JW error as the "mistakes of imperfect men" but when I found out that they were deliberately telling blatant lies it became too much.

  I had trusted the JW leadership, and to find out they had betrayed that trust was as devastating as if I had found out my own parents were Paedophiles !!!

  If someone has any real integrity,and love for actual Truth, they cannot remain in the JW Org.
• 

  freddo

  Excellent work dubstepped.

  I think he is on the way out - eventually. He wants to be his own man but he's trapped and loves his mummy who was there for him when his father walked out and he doesn't want her to be hurt. He can't (yet) cope with losing his family.

  He's a canny one and I think he will eventually fade. It might take years but here is my prediction.

  Now. Carry on trying to be a good kind elder, circumnavigating/dodging organisational crap.

  Soon. Feel so embarrassed/wretched/shit about himself as he is trapped between promoting Tight Pants Rants, Overcrapping Generalisations, crazy cart work and his authentic beliefs.

  Later. Step aside from being an elder.

  Later again. Fade.
• 

  Diogenesister

  lol, what, you think that's a lot to read?

  I know right? I can read for England, (but I don't wanna judge scratch probably is busier than me).

  Anyways you were at the top ( or maybe not!) of your game if you "banged it out" in an hour...ooowee!

  Heartfelt yet thorough and logical, not an easy combo.

  I wish your co-respondent well. He's a lucky fella, glad you found each other.
  
  
• 

  Old Navy

  Quote from Dub Stepped:

  I am an atheist now. That doesn't mean that I'm opposed to the concept of a god, it just means that I don't see the evidence for one. I would LOVE for there to be a god. I would LOVE to know that I was created with a purpose.

  Then you will not be disappointed when All is Revealed in Due Time. The WTBorg Cult Inc. version of what is to come is quite twisted. The beautiful thing about what is coming is that All Will Be Made Whole and Well. None will be forgotten or left out.
  
• 

  humbled

  This has been a fascinating read. Your thoughts and then his remarks.

  This JW elder operates with uncharacteristic mercy but must not have had to pass judgement on a person who has read the same “apostate” books he has opened?

  Would he cast stones at a man or a woman who was caught writing what Dub wrote?

  When you see a group of elders become a dark mass when WT teachings are questioned you have to wonder would this elder would stand up, stand apart from the execution squad ?

  l had an elder who said he took to heart the admonition to “have the mind of Christ”. But in the end l would say he was a coward when l was in trouble.

  After all, this guy?—he is hiding now just to talk to Dub.
• 

  HappyOutsideTheBox

  Brilliant!
• 

  dubstepped

  Good point, humbled, about how you wonder how he is when he gets squeezed and has to be on a judicial committee or something. When the going gets tough, I wonder how he responds. Like you said, he's hiding who he is when talking to me.

  Wow, I'm just impressed that you read all of that, lol.
• 

  humbled

  You've been able to pick and choose what aligns with your core values and what doesn't and created this hybrid JW culture for yourself. Obviously it goes against the direction of the faithful slave, and you have worked that out somehow internally to be consistent with who you are. —Dubstepped talking to the liberal elder

  You remark here on the fellow ‘s freedom in playing fast and loose with the Truth— thing none of us were allowed to do—hell, l read that they don’t even let others gently fade! Like the messed up way they treat Stuckinarut and Unstuck. Others took the Bible seriously had questions and were shut out. I can’t applaude the guy. l just see him as unprincipled-kind of stealing a ride.

  Well, it all comes down to one thing: Either "The Truth" is True, or it is not.
  Also, if he REALLY values Truth and Honesty, he wouldn't be able to stay in the Organization!—stuckinarut

  This isn’t sour grapes— l just think this liberal elder should lend his Crisis of Conscience to other thoughtful JWs and have a book club of outside readings. Then l would be impressed.
  
• 

  dubstepped

  I don't think anyone is asking you to be impressed. I'm also not as impressed with everything as I make it sound in the emails, but you can't ring a guy's neck if you don't have your arm around him first. You can't just go in guns blazing. Yeah, he's one of those people that truly isn't a faithful JW while those of us that were got slammed in the end.

  My goal was to have as kind a discussion as I could with the guy, to find good qualities in the guy. What you call playing fast and loose I call having his own mind on things. It is a good quality that could lead him out. For many of us that left it was the questioning of things and desire to make them different that led us out. That quality isn't all that's needed, but I commend him for having it. That doesn't mean it's all good, few things are all good or all bad in all circumstances.

  I could certainly pick this guy apart, and there's personal stuff not included that he told me that I could post but wouldn't. It just wouldn't serve any purpose to do either.
• 

  humbled

  You have gently rapped my knuckles,Dub. And l will take it with this thought: the fear we lived with about reading anything outside was substantial. I am glad he has mercy on fellow sinners but that is not the same as letting his fellow believers know it is alright to let your mind examine other things.

  Of course l want the guy to go on and his openness is rare. But he is a leader and mitigating the serious rot of this religion makes his wearing two-faces more a hypocracy than say, someone like Addison who is suffering a fade that is tearing her/him up. The 2-faced living that is entailed is painful and he/she is trying to be honest, is not in a position of power. Is not leading others astray.

  I appreciate your pushback, Dub.