Stronger or weaker

Paradise Found

Has yourJehovahs Witness experience made ypur belief in God stronger or weaker?

"And If so why?"

My attitude to God and religon no longer plays an active part in my life. What I mean by not playing an active part Is that I never prayer for help when in trouble or understanding as to lifes purpose and a personal relationhip with God.

Maybe because Iam scared to take the risk my prayers might not be answered and I´d be disillusioned.Although If things go right I dont mind saying "THANKYOU" I will NEVER say "Please"

SanFranciscoJim

Maybe because I am scared to take the risk my prayers might not be answered and I´d be disillusioned.

I think prayer is risky because my prayers might actually be answered. That is why I don't pray any more. If the source of the last several years' grief is due to my prayers, as some have suggested, then God has a sick sense of humor. If he is trying to teach me a lesson, the only lesson I've learned is to stop praying.

Paradise Found

Hi San-fransisco Jim

Thankyou for your reply and interesting comment.

Incidently I was in San-Fransico with my wife not so long ago. We did a tour of the west-coast.L:A:to Vegas.

San-Fransisco was my favourite place. So much nostalgia the Grateful Dead worked there . Steve McQueen in Bullit was set there. It was just a magical place the Goldem Gate and The Boat Ride to the prison.(What was the name).... Anyway it was a magical 3 days. Those 3 days will live with me FOREVER:

talesin

When I first left the 'lie', the fact that G*D had allowed me to suffer through so much torture and abuse made me doubt her existence. That was the beginning of my seeds of doubt. Over the years, I began to see how belief in a creator made no sense to me.

Now I no longer feel the need to explain my existence.

I'm here, and I have to make the best of it. G*D has nothing to do with it, she's never manifested herself to me or anyone else (imo), she is a fiction.

tal

greven

Even as a JW I had troubles with the concept of prayer. I created to many contradictions in my mind.

For example: thanking for food. How can I thank God for the food on my plate while in another continent people are starving? I mean: the fact that I have food is more a matter of luck, being born where I'm born. If God had a hand in supplying me with food then he is not truly impartial for other people are starving.

Another one: asking for protection. Why would he protect me? Hundreds of JW's died in concentration camps but surely God would protect me from the bully living in my street. Doesn't make sense huh?

On one hand the society teaches that God does not intervene in earth's buisiness and on the other hand that he does anwers prayers. On one hand they theach that all the miracles perfromed by other groups are bogus because miracles stopped after Jesus, but on the other hand claim miraculous protection during persecution etc.

Greven

Paradise Found

Hi Greven

Excellent Points. Thankyou for the comments.

Aztec

Hi Paradise Found!

I believed in God for the longest time after leaving the JW's. I left when I was 19 and still believed that it was "the Truth" till I was about 27 or 28. Talk about living a life full of guilt! After I discovered the internet that belief quickly devolved for me. The more I read the less I believed in God or any higher deity. (I had already started exploring other religious beliefs) I wouldn't count myself as a hardcore atheist but I doubt very much that there is a grand designer to the universe. I would consider myself a weak atheist. I now do, however, believe in evolution.

~Aztec

Maverick

Much Stronger, but very different from the petty, shallow, vindictive god they promote. Their god is merely a reflection of their Governing Body. I'm OK with not having all the answers now. I truly do put things in Gods hands now. I'm OK with my mortality, as Morrie Schwartz is quoted as saying, " once you learn how to die, you learn how to live."

All things are temporary.

All living creatures DIE!

That's why you should appreciate them to the full now!

This does not mean, when they're gone you'll have no pain, or not feel their loss....

only that you'll have no regrets! Maverick

Aztec

Mav, you're such a sweet guy! Even if I don't agree with you, you always say something very prescient and lovely!

All things are temporary.
All living creatures DIE!

How do you feel about evolution?

~Aztec

smack

Neither. I neither believe or disbelieve. There is no proof. There is no disproof. I don't need the rules and the guilt. As P Garret said, I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees.

Stronger or weaker

Share this