Sometimes I feel lucky that I'm an atheist

by Elsewhere 19 Replies latest jw friends

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  Elsewhere

  I didn't fully realize it until I was in my 20's, but I have always been an atheist. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of my questioning theological teachings... even challenging my mom to better explain or prove this "god" thing.

  After being severely scolded several times for asking such questions I learned no to ask them. I bottled them up to the point that I didn't even think about them much myself.

  In my early 20's the questions kept "leaking" out into my mind... forcing me to think about them. This in turn lead to my eventually DAing myself.

  Now to the point of this post...

  I've noticed that most xJWs experience a crisis or faith when leaving the WTS. They are sickened and angered by the lies they were taught. Many actually turn atheist out of frustration and anger at the WTS. Many spend years regaining their faith. Sometimes I think this is more traumatic for people than loosing their family!

  This is why sometimes I feel lucky that I never really had a "faith" or anything like that. Yes, I've had to deal with loosing my family... but I never experienced the crisis of faith that so many others have.

  What was it like for you when you learned that the god you had worshiped for so long turned out to be a fraud?
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  gitasatsangha

  I sorta said to myself, "Well that JW stuff is not the answer. What is the answer?"

  Then I didn't realize I really had no clue what the question was. I might still not. But I think the whole main thing is realizing you aren't happy, and then trying to find some way to be happy. If you have to live, might as well be happy.

  I can't say that I am athiest per se. I AM a Buddhist (which is no impediment to being an athiest, of course), because I believe that Buddhism can help me reduce suffering. I don't worry much one way or the other about God anymore. If he doesn't exist, fine. If he does, fine. It just doesn't have much affect on my life, now. Things do change. Who knows, maybe I'll be a raving bible-thumping holy roller one day.
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  LittleToe

  In my own case I "came to faith" whilst still a JW, so that drove me out of the borg.

  It was a disconcerting period of time, as I first started the process of challenging dearly held beliefs, but so far I'm surviving it

  (LT - Unorthodox Christian)
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  Stefanie

  Elsewhere, I am not an athiest but I find a lot of thing about god hard to understand and explain. For example last night I got into a discusion with my hubby, who btw isnt a Jw and doesnt know anything about their teachings. I was only saying it was unfair for god to make woman the way he did. YOu know the period thing. Then I explained in bible times when it was her "time of the month" She was unclean and so was anyone else who came near her. He has never read that so he doesnt understand my anger and confusion.

  Sometimes I do lean that way.
• 

  MegaDude

  It's been a rollercoaster ride.

  Ultimately everybody has to decide for themselves. Atheism strikes me as a type of faith, as much as people who follow Christianity and Buddhism, or any other school of spirituality. There isn't enough evidence in my opinion to form a concrete opinion against a creator. At the same time I have come to realize the religious franchises that market God to the masses are in many ways repulsive and hurtful to spirituality and world peace. I see how people have been badly burned by the religion experience and I completely understand their lumping God and religion as an inseparable experience. But ultimately I don't think they have anything to do with each other.

  I don't know where I'll end up on the God/no-God. I have fluctuated since my exit from the JWs. The trick for me was learning to FIRST let go of the anxiety in trying to find an answer to this question, which I wanted to solve as quickly as possible. This simple concept took me years to begin to even appreciate. To do that you have to let go of a lot of preconceived ideas that may have given you great comfort and even gotten you through hard times. What I mean by that is faith that God was with me got me through the emotional devastation of my entire life being upended after leaving the Watchtower. But once you reach that place of "I'll accept the truth no matter what it is," and that means being open to the possibility there is a God or there isn't a God, and everything in between, then instead of producing anxiety over not knowing, you get peace and I feel eventually the question takes care of itself. That's the way I see it happening for me.
• 

  IT Support

  Hi Elsewhere,

  Having left fairly recently, I still feel disillusioned after having been lied to for so many years, and am wary of being taken in a second time...

  So I'm not yet sure whether or not I still believe in a God, god, or whatever. (Frankly, over the past few months of reflection, I'm now not sure whether I ever believed in God, or if I just put these questions out of my mind.) At least I feel it must be healthy to re-evaluate everything I once believed...

  Regards,

  Ken
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  Dansk

  Gita

  I AM a Buddhist (which is no impediment to being an athiest, of course), because I believe that Buddhism can help me reduce suffering. I don't worry much one way or the other about God anymore. If he doesn't exist, fine. If he does, fine. It just doesn't have much affect on my life, now.

  That just about says it for me, too!

  Things do change. Who knows, maybe I'll be a raving bible-thumping holy roller one day.

  Erm, just keep trying to make good karma.

  Ian
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  Valis

  Maybe we can learn so as to prevent this purported phenomenon.

  *LOL* methinks something is rotten and it aint from Denmark...So Super JW...you know we won't be going back to the KH anytime soon right? And that your promotion of the WTBTS is only going to get you flamed. We aren't exactly pro Jehovahs Witness here.

  Sincerely,

  District Overbeer
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  Phantom Stranger

  Elsewhere, you and I sound much alike. The here-and-now experiences with my family were my only deterrent - I never felt that "faith".

  I don't believe in an anthropormorphized white bearded god. In the past few years, I've come to believe that there is something that we're all connected to, that some might call god, but I don't.

  THe JW's seem to avoid most of the faith-creating methods of other churches... most of which fall under the heading "mystical" (see Sullivan's book).

  On a humourous note, I was asked to say the prayer at a banquet Saturday evening. (I had advance warning, so I did some research and came up with Rabbi Kushner's Prayer for the World - great sentiment without God mentioned anywhere). An atheist XJW blessing the meal! Made me laugh... and after people came up and asked for copies of the prayer I used.
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  JamesThomas

  Wouldn't it be nice to be doing the dishes and experience what the word "God" points to as the core of your being and that of the dish? This happens only when there is no ideas or concepts or beliefs about God present. When there are no ideas or concepts or beliefs about anything present. Perhaps an atheist has shed some of the veils that numb and blind; and in a sense is closer to the Truth. Or perhaps they are still blinded by their beliefs in their non-beliefs. j