What drives exJWs to atheism?

by ros 108 Replies latest jw friends

  • ros
    ros

    A significant number of former Jehovah's Witnesses come out of the Watchtower still believing the Bible and considering themselves Christians. Most coming out are in a serious state of bewilderment, and they look intently and sincerely for something to fill the huge void of lost religion, lost family and friends, and lost fellowship. They seek some viable spiritual association with others of like mind while at the same time having become very wary of any organized religion.

    What is it that eventually draws so many of us (not me) to agnosticism or atheism? I realize the answer is varied among individuals and is the perceived logical conclusion derived by a few. But the ONE influencing factor that I have observed to reign supreme over the years, the one at the forefront of driving exJWs away from wanting anything to do with religion, is the convergence on us by never-been-a-JW-"bornagain" evangelicals driven by a schizoid holyspirit mission to preach to exJWs. Why there are so many of them is a mystery. They have been at every one of our conferences, in every xJW forum and on every xJW board, usually in teams, preaching their blind literalistic dogma that makes Jehovah's Witnesses seem mild and rather cognizant by comparison. No doubt these efforts have made a few converts, but by in large the majority of exWitnesses are repelled.

    I have no argument with evangelicals having and enjoying their faith. I was a evangelical before I became a JW (for which I am immensely grateful because I was not susceptible when I came out of the Watchtower). Indeed, one of the things that drew me to the Watchtower was the fact that the religion made more sense than fundamentalism. Flawed as WT so-called Biblical intellectualism was, I still consider it was a step up religiously speaking. (Independent-thinking was the next progressive step, and coming out of JWs was the next.)

    Some people never tire of debating with trinitarians who never tire of debating. For those who do tire, trust me in this: You get nowhere trying to reason with them. Give up! If you like debating with them fine, to each his/her own; but if you don't, the best thing is to ignore them. You will not change their mind by proving them wrong--they won't see it. As long as you banter with them, they will thrive.

    I would like lurking JWs and others to realize--regardless of your own convictions--that these people do NOT represent the Biblical premise of all Christians. To JWs entertaining doubts, that kind of Christianity is NOT the only alternative!
    (It goes without saying that some people here do not agree with MY religious convictions either. But I do not impose my convictions on other people. I acknowledge my faith if the discussion warrants it, but I do not hammer it. To my knowledge, I don't know that my beliefs have influenced anyone to lose faith; in fact, the reverse here and there.)

  • Scorpion
    Scorpion

    ros,

    Well put!

    Your comment about debating Trinitarians, all I can say is if you lurk on a trin forum and see the discussions and then leave for a year and then go back, you will miss nothing but the same discussions over and over again.

    Stan

  • proplog2
    proplog2

    What drives some x-jw's to atheism? Logic!! A lifetime of being a JW dulls a persons Poop detector. It is very liberating to re-discover the principles of logic. Once you develop skills of identifying fallacies you see that the whole GOD idea is too sloppy to accept.

    A premise should first and foremost be based on factual evidence. There is NO unambiguous evidence for the extraordinary claim that there is a God. If you skip over the lack of evidence problem you are swimming in muddy water.

    Born agains don't turn me off anymore than JW's. They are all just noise in the machinery.

  • AngelofMuZiC
    AngelofMuZiC

    Very Well Said!!!

    I had a similar experience. It was actually some members of a Born Again church that I had been talking to, that convinced me it was time to get out of the JW religion. They pulled the same thing you described. Then after awhile, I realized they are just like any other religion out there, and I am turned off by all organized religion. But, I have not relinquished my belief in God or the Bible. Anyway, thanx for the insight.

    My Regards,
    Joanne

  • Scorpion
    Scorpion

    proplog2,

    You said: A premise should first and foremost be based on factual evidence.

    Prove that God does not exist!

  • rem
    rem

    "What drives exJWs to atheism?"

    How about "What drives some JW's to become Apostates?" - the answer is logic. This logic, when further applied to all religions - including Christianity, show them to be based on flimsy evidence and indefensible doctrine - just like the JW's. Atheists/Agnostics value logic and reasoning over emotion and credulity.

    rem

  • ros
    ros

    proplog2:

    I have no quarrel (or debate) with you arriving at your conclusion, nor with your difference of opinion about evangelicals. I will just point out that logic does not necessarily equal fact. Logic, in of itself, can be flawed. In that sense, it is sometimes its own brand of "faith".

  • Jang
    Jang

    I agree that some may be driven away from a relationship with God because of over-enthusiastic, fundy fyndys .....

    I disagree that this is what affects most of those who turne their back on God. In the last 20 years Ros, most of the xjws (and xMormons etc) who have gone this way have done so without ever coming across a fundy. Some, after they have got past their anger at the organization/god start looking again and eventually seek and find Him. Others keep going the other way.

    Of all the ones I have been in contact with it averages about 1/3 become athiests/agnostics and stay that way, 1/3 spend some time as athiests/agnostics find their way back after a few years and 1/3 never lose that relationship and continue on with Him. Of the latter, a few have become fundys for a while then moved on from this as they grew. Many have either found a small fellowship somewhere or formed small groups.

    A few tend to wander in among the pagan religions, but not that many

    JanG
    CAIC Website: http://caic.org.au/zjws.htm
    Personal Webpage: http://uq.net.au/~zzjgroen/

  • rem
    rem

    Scorpion,

    There is no need to disprove god's existence to logically conclude he/it does not exist. Just as there is no need to disprove Santa Claus' existence to logically conclude he does not exist. The burden is on the one asserting god's existence to prove his existence before a rational person will accept that existence. The fact that God's existence has not been proven in the last few thousand years of recorded history is evidence enough of god's non-existence.

    The default position is disbelief - otherwise you would have to believe that there is an Invisible Pink Unicorn in my head just because I said so. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

    rem

  • ros
    ros

    rem:

    You're not being honest with yourself if you kid yourself that you only believe in what is "logical"--religion aside.
    You would be limiting yourself tremendously if you only allowed yourself to believe "logic". The "best things in life" are not logic.

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