Hey Elderelite:
Thought I would chime in with my take on all these 'personal revelationists'. There are some major problems with taking them seriously.
The biggest problem I see is how adamant they still are about their new-found worldview/belief system. When you compare them with non-believers, athiests, 'I-don't-knowers', etc. the big elephant that stands out is that the latter are open to being shown any kind of substantive facts that would change them into a believer. They are open for possiblities of supernatural higher powers, of Christ being the Lord, etc.
Whereas on the other hand, the personal revelationists are not open in any way, shape, or form, to the idea that these visions and voices they've had are simply generated from their own mind. The point is that they, like most of us here, have been duped by a religion. Now most of us are moving on and are determined to never be so dogmatic about unsubtantiated belief systems again. Some may profess to a set of Judeo-Christian beliefs of some sort - which is fine. But we all hope that we would never be duped again by any idea without factual backing. But what these personal revelationists are not open to - is the possibility that their own mind has been playing tricks on them. I'm not saying that they have to admit they're being duped by their brain, just that they should be open to the possibility that their claimed voices, dreams, and visions - COULD POSSIBLY be an effect of their internal uncontrolled neurolgical activity.
So to me - that lack of openmindedness is still just too reminiscent of JW dogmaticism. Until they admit that their ideas could possibly not be from an external invisible creature, I don't see the point in looking to such ones as a reliable source for answers.
But I also liken it to the conclusion that we've all probably come to at one time or another. Many JWs, particularly older ones, are so emotionally intertwined with their JW belief system, that it probably is better they live out the rest of their life without having their beliefs undermined at this point. The same goes for these personal revelationists - I mean can you imagine if they woke up one day and realized that all their voices and visions had been coming from their own mind? Many of these folks have families and a life they're relatively happy with. A realization that they have duped themselves - after they promised not to be duped again like they were by the WT! Well we all know how that would end. It's one thing to be duped by an organization and indoctrinations of others. But how does one handle being duped by their own mind? It would likely be just too much for such ones. Which is why I think they cannot even be open to the possibility that they're wrong.
The fact is, not one of these folks have ever addressed the point raised over and over about the many people who have revelations of their hindu gods, or of their muslim god, or Buddha - all of which are just as strong and real as these so-called Christian revelations. I mean seriously, if you were to travel to India and ask the same question you're asking to these revelationists, you'd get basically the same answer - just a different god.
Anyway - I'm not saying that we don't need anwers. I need them too - but I do hope it's obvious that answers that come in the style of similar JW dogmaticism, but with just a different name to it, well I at least hope you're open to the possibility that such sources are even crazier than the WT. Just be careful bro - that's all I'm saying- and I know you will.
