by Solzhenitsyn 22 Replies latest jw experiences
Sounds to me like you're trying to live a positive life, helping others. Good for you. If religious doctrines have become less important that can only be a good thing but I wonder if you couldn't be helping folks without the religious framework?
In the UK that would be quite easy but I understand that God is somewhat more embedded in the USA.
Agreed on the religious framework. It just seemed like the path of least resistance for well coordinated community efforts with the added bonus of non judgmental and what we have found...non Jesus freak association. Dammit, its just a bad habit to follow others direction.
Contrary to my JW upbringing, the vast majority of everyone we have met in "Christendom" are really good people. Between youth group and athletics, all my kids have been happier and grown up more than we have ever experienced with them. And I simply have lost count of how many others within our 'church' that have come out of dogmatic, box checking, high control groups.
I thought JW's were the MOST f#$%ed up until I had new friends around our dinner table that came out of:
http://www.remnantfellowship.org/Our-Leaders/Gwen-Shamblin
I have been attending a Baptist Church for over 10 years. I love (sorta) that I grew up as a jw and discovered ttatt because I don't just accept anything that is taught. I have a faith that is strong and I understand that I don't have much really figured out and I don't have to. I just freely worship and trust the holy Spirit to guide my steps. There is meaning and purpose in my life. I see evidence of God as he is shaping my story. There are some hokey things in the religious world, but finding true teaching has been fun. The Bible Project has videos and a podcast, Michael Heiser has an interesting take on cosmology of the Bible and some backstories that are fascinating, CS Lewis is thought provoking and GD Watson's book Our Own God was like air for me at one point. Oh, let's not forget about AW Tozer, either! It's so great to be able to be anchored by Jesus, but get to drift a little in my own studies! I have been in leadership in different ministries, but now I am focusing on raising my son and then I will probably get back into ministry after that. I really love my spiritual journey outside of jw. God is real and he is with me!
For me, while I am curious of other religions, I don't have an interest in practicing one. Being a JW my whole life I kind of assume that all religious orgs will have nosey busybodies like JWs and I have been spied on and bothered enough. It's hard to put yourself in the path of another group that may cause you the same trouble, and I feel like there is just as much conditional love out there in other groups.
My curiosity for religions led me to research Zoroastrianism. There was no mention of this group by Watchtower except that Darius (from the Daniel book) was Zoroastrian. (And so was Freddie Mercury). But just a Wikipaedia read through on this monotheistic religion from the middle east, and you can note similarities to Judaism and Christian teachings. It made me question the Bible and what I had known of history. It also was a trigger for me waking up. I even tried to talk to Witness friends about it. "Have you heared of this religion? Why have we never read about them before in Watchtower publications? I wonder what the Org would say about them!" I could tell they were uncomfortable. And here I thought we were also supposed to research these groups beliefs to better Witness to them, so what's the big deal?
I also spent this past year working in a Christian school and part of that included attending chapel with the students once a week. I never had to conduct religious instruction. They did ask if I was a Christian after giving me the job. I liked that I could sit and hear basic Christian teachings without any pressure to join the church and reevaluate what I may or may not believe or agree with and I liked a lot of things about their worship. But I still remain unmoved to join another church.
(I hope I didn't go too off topic here)
nicolau - "God is somewhat more embedded in the USA."
Holy shitballs, that's gotta be the understatement of the decade.
My wt experiences have ever precluded me from any organized religion. I attended a local church as I was invited to and part way through the service I burst into tears.
Zeb
Were you touched by what someone said during the service...or by the music...or was it something unknown to you at the the time perhaps?
I once visited a black church (I was the sole caucasian there) at the invitation of one of my disabled students. While the choir sang a beautiful hymn about how Jesus would one day explain the reason why we had to go through each trial of our faith, I too burst into tears.
From a tired memory it was something about the Christ and the music the hymns I had known from childhood and pre wt days.
The affection shown me in that dark moment was tangible.
I have no leadership role at all ( staying hidden and faded) ,but as Ive mentioned here in the past Ive found great joy in associating with the Free Bible Students.
Things you mentioned ring true, a community set to do good in an area ready to go was awesome to find. And unlike other "bible student" groups I feel no dogmatism here and certainly no russellite nonsense.
one of the reasons i quit the watchtower--was that i didnt believe in any god. i still dont. so i dont need religion. if others do--good for them.
