by digderidoo 25 Replies latest watchtower bible
Many people i have spoke to on this site have found that becoming part of a Christian group since leaving the witnesses has been of benefit to them. I must admit at times i have considered visiting other churches or religions, but have not acted upon it. But i am curious as to what's out there.
Can anyone enlighten me?
yours Paul aka Dig
The world is your oyster, my friend.
The variety is astounding, from great to awful...
In the words of the proverbial wise man - "suck it and see!" (not to be taken as innuendo )
For me right now, I am not ready to trust any religion. It is hard to believe that what I thought was a good foundation was pulled out from under me. If there is a God and I am not saying there isn't, I think he understands after what I have been through.. if it is so.. then the time will be right.. but in the mean time I am going to focus more on healing.
I can't stand "Christians" the cool thing is JWs understand salvation theory, but don't practice it. As far as docterine goes they are correct on the salvation end. Most of the world is unsaved. Always has always will be. Oddly the JWs have turned being "unsaved" into a new class of "christians" when they are not. The great crowd is just another name for the nameless. The unsaved.
XQ, I would ask you to explain 'salvation theory' as JWs understand it correctly.
I hold that they don't understand it at all, of course this is all subjective.
What's the salvation theory for JWs? 'Do more and you just might make it.'? There is the Biblically held idea that salvation is a free gift, unable to be earned, or bought, or bartered. And this is why I say they don't get it.
I'd like you to expand on why the JWs do 'get it'.
Sincerely,
HYBRIDOUS
edited for formatting
I'm starting to put a strong emphasis on the Christ. It's taking some time to just wipe the life long slate clean and begin again but I tend to avoid 'organized' religion. It really is a work in progress so to speak...
I learned you don't have to go to Church to be a Christian. I do have a home chruch but I find my gathering together with ex-JW Christians to be encouraging.
It took me MANY years to realize this, and it only hit me after 20 years out. There *is* no organized religion. We are so used to the structure of the JW religion, and them saying that you had to be part of an organized whole to be accepted, so I spent a lot of years going from Church to Church trying to find a church that fit where I was at the time. What I didn't realize, and was so hard for me to accept, is that my relationship with Christ is NOT dependant on organized religion. He merely states that I had to be "born again" and accept him as my savior for me to be saved. That's it. No hours, no rules, no nothing.
I used to think "well how can this be? Grace is salvation? Don't I have to put in hours? Well, hell, I can just go out and sin, and then the NEXT day I could pray and say I was sorry and I'd be forvgiven. Sure, I could do that, but would I be honest with Christ and myself? No. When you truly and honestly want to find God, you will ask for the salvation and Grace and try to live up to it honestly.
I always thought that yeah, I could go out and sin, but my intent would be obvious to God, since he knows my heart. Yes, he knows my intent. When I became born again, I honestly was seeking God. It became a personal relationship, not a Church relationship. Sure, it's great to associate with others like me, and is encouraged in the Bible, but not REQUIRED. When I became born again, I honestly began to try to become honest. I have tried so hard to live up to that vow.
When I became a Witness, at 3, I became a liar. I was so used to being in trouble all the time for asking questions, or doing something contrary to their rules, that I had to LIE to keep myself out of trouble all the time, so I wouldn't be shunned, or beaten with the electric cord, broom, whatever they got their hands on. See, I am not comfortable with people treating me like crap for nothing. If I have a question, I want it answered honestly. When I felt bad as a child, I wanted someone to explain to me. No one explained anything to my satisfaction, it was just more lies. So I learned to lie so that I wouldn't be shunned in the congregation, or by my family. I was born with a very strong sense of justice. If I messed up, well, then I'd pay the price. Thats only fair. But for me to be born female, and be in that place, well, that insulted my sense of justice to an unfathomable degree. That's what drove me out.
It's taken me many years to undo that. I don't lie anymore. When I was younger, around 18 or 19, I would make up lies to get myself outta trouble, or enhance my persona, or whatever. It's taken me years to undo that habit. Sometimes I would lie without even acknowledging that I was lying... in fact, sometimes I have told a lie so consistently that I don't even know to this day whether it really happened or not because I have lied about it so long. I was thinking about that today... did such and such really happen, or has it petrified in my brain that it happened because I lied about it so much over the years. I don't know. All I *do* know is that when I determined that I was saved, and I wanted to be a *good* person and tell the truth.. it was very hard to change that habit, but I have managed through persistence and just downright fear sometimes... to just tell the truth...and it gets surprisingly easier as I go on since I realize there is no one that is going to punish me for telling the truth.
So what I *do* know and have faith in is that when someone is earnestly seeking the truth and they give their lives over to being born again, it's not like they are just saying "Well, this way I can sin tonight and be forgiven tomorrow" they are actually dedicating their lives to trying to live by God's commandments and truly feel sorry and repentant when they *do* sin. It's all in the will. Not because there is a RULE BOOK, but because you *want* to. That might have been some people's idea of it, but that's not the way it is. You genuinely want to live a good life in honor and praise of the dignity of God.
I do want to say that while I am shameless in chat, and really say alot of screamingly funny things, I am very serious about my commitment to God... I search always for him and the truth.
I am a Christian, born again, because I feel safe and comforted with it.
Your friend,
CG
, and blah blah AND blah.. and all it really boils down to is 1 thing:
XQs:
I can't stand "Christians" the cool thing is JWs understand salvation theory, but don't practice it.
Ok, frankly your whole post made little sense.
However to be more specific, is the above a single sentence, or (as I believe) two?
...the cool thing is JWs understand salvation theory, but don't practice it.
They do? Wow, maybe I should get unDA'ed then!!! I can't be "saved" after all!
As has already been requested by Hybridous, perhaps you could explain this wonderful piece of news, that we've all somehow missed.
Methinks you've been far to liberal with the word "understand"... and "cool"...
I can't stand "Christians"...
I'll butt out then...
...your loss...
LT "burr up his ass about bigots" class
I can't stand "Christians"...
Thats the same narrow-minded attitude I had until I started reading posts on this site. Yeah, I still dislike the smug arrogance of many christian sects, but for every braindead moronic christian you meet, you'll meet a generally good egg like littletoe.
