Identifying with a religious group - what does it mean to you?

by CruithneLaLuna 5 Replies latest jw friends

  • CruithneLaLuna
    CruithneLaLuna

    Directed to those who since leaving the Dubs have attached themselves (strongly or loosely) to another religious or spiritual group: How would you describe the group, your relationship to it, and why it appeals to you? If you want to mention the group's name, that's okay, but one thing I have noticed is that there is a vast difference in implications and ramifications between saying "I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses" and saying "I am a _____" - almost anything else. Exactly what identifying with the group means is at least as diverse as the groups themselves, or perhaps as diverse as the individuals who so identify.

    I am personally acquainted with ex-JWs who "are" Roman Catholic, Protestant, what I call in a rather generic sense "orthodox Christian," Unitarian-Universalist, Buddhist, Hindu, and a perhaps surprising (seemingly disproportionate?) number of Neo-Pagans. I'd like a better understanding, based on a sample from this forum, of the spectrum of possibilities - again, not so much in terms of beliefs and practices, but as to one's sense of identification with the group.

    Cruithne

  • CruithneLaLuna
    CruithneLaLuna

    To the last 10 people who started a topic about not fitting in - is this an example of what you were talking about?

  • Hamas
    Hamas

    Yeah, I get the same problem.

    I still post, mainly to annoy people. I actually hold the record for the most posts that have gone down in history as major bummers, embarassingly enough. But, so be it !

    I think that many people try to cling on to something ; religion is for the mentaly blind people, people always in a rush to cling to something. When I left the Watchtower, I had so many questions that I wanted answering. I thought I got the answers ! So many people were directing me to born again sites, listen to how Jesus is our saviour etc !

    At first, I hung on to this, because I knew that I needed a hope in my life. Yet, I decided that all religious paths lead to the same road... a dead end. I don't cling on to any religious organization or following; I don't think I have to. On my death bed, I may devote my life to Jesus, as kinda life insurance

    You do fit in my friend. It's good to have you here; I have read your posts and although I have yet commented on them please don't think they do not go unread. Many people simply hover on this site and say nothing at all; the info you post has just as much spirit as anybody else. Welcome to the board, my friend.

    www.escapethewatchtower.com

    La via est dura, amigo.

  • Cicatrix
    Cicatrix

    Hi there,

    I don't really fit your directive, as I'm not attached to any religious group at present, nor have I been since I left the borg a year ago. I still feel this inborn need to attend to my spiritual side, though, so I've been studying various religions to see what they have to offer (and also because I'm reveling in my freedom to be able to do so). And while I can appreciate bits and pieces of many of them, I haven't found one that fits.After having spent so many years trying to mold myself to fit into the "Only True Religion"tm, and pretty much losing my whole identity in the process, I'm not ready to just jump right in and join up with any type of institution.I want to figure out who I genuinely am first, without a list of rules that says I must be something else to "belong".

    One thing that I was surprised to find is that most religions have a similar creed and very similar stories. And sadly, most seem to treat women as second class citizens. Neopagan faiths seem to be more woman accepting. That may explain why so many are showing an interest in it.

  • Stacy Smith
    Stacy Smith

    I was forced to be a dub and couldn't wait to leave. Like most kids who are anxious to get a drivers license or to be 21 I looked forward to the day I left. So I don't fit your criteria either. I am not going to join anything else again. They all look pretty good from the outside but I don't want to see what they are like on the inside.

  • oldcrowwoman
    oldcrowwoman

    No attachments for me other than being a born-again pagan. My connections are to my roots Finnish Saami and Danish.

    In the jw land it was not encourage to connect to our roots. That would mean paganism. So as a whole we were put into a pot not knowing who we are or where we come from or to even to acknowledge those parts of our selves.

    Since leaving the org. I learn more about my cultures and how they were centered around Mother Earth. My spirituality has and is flourishing in being connected to my roots.

    It's a comfortable fit for me. I have no need to be connected to a org.

    OCW

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