Smiddy, my belief in God is not solely based on the Bible. However, the Bible does play a large role. My belief in God is also informed by my knowledge of biology, chemistry and astronomy. These are things I studied at University. My belief in God is informed by my own reasoning, logic and life experiences. I also have had some very real supernatural experiences, some that also had witnesses, that absolutely cannot be explained scientifically or by the laws of physics. All these things come together as a whole to inform a belief in God that cannot be denied.
Posts by Sevan
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83Seeking support ... Where can a Christian go
by Sevan inhey all, .
so i recently posted for the first time and introduced myself.. i have been spending time reading various posts.
some informative, some not so much.. since i've been reading on here, i've read a lot from atheists.
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How to organize to support people transitioning out of the JWs
by Zef ini've been watching escaping polygamy (a show where a group of people help people get out of lds polygamist organizations) and have been thinking a lot about how one could organize to assist jws fleeing.. would love to start a discussion on what would be needed, how it would work and the problems one would have to overcome.. brief outline of services to provide.
1. community: i think most here would agree, that family/friends are a primary reason why people stay in despite no longer believing.
no way to replace that, but providing a group of supportive ex-jw's to share experiences, hangout, do worldly activities with :) could go a long way to make a former jw transition easier.
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Sevan
I think those are all great ideas. I'm here to help out if need be with moral and social support. I live in the Sacramento area. PM me if you need help with anything and I'll see what I can do. I have no money or real network (since I was stupidly very loyal about the edict not to have any non-JW friends), but I can be a listening ear and can help in other practical ways.
I am not a lawyer, just an economist, so I can't help legally. I just left the financial industry for family reasons, so I can't help career wise other than to give advice. For me, the financial industry is incredibly stressful, so I am planning on moving into teaching or small business once I'm done having babies, lol (just had one and planning on having another in a year or two).
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83
Seeking support ... Where can a Christian go
by Sevan inhey all, .
so i recently posted for the first time and introduced myself.. i have been spending time reading various posts.
some informative, some not so much.. since i've been reading on here, i've read a lot from atheists.
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Sevan
Also, I understand why Atheists have a problem with the Abrahamic God and the idea of destruction for non-believers.
To this I very much empathize. At this point, I cannot claim any answers. I just woke up from the dream/nightmare that is being a JW. So much of what I thought I truly believed just went up in smoke. It had no real foundation, but was based on manipulation and lies.
What I am left with is a belief in Jesus, a belief in a Creator and many of the higher principles in the Bible, like love, patience and humility.
There are many things that I still don't understand and question in the Bible. But I also realize that I only know a tiny fraction of what is to be known in this universe and there could be very good reasons for what is written that I simply don't understand.
I have an issue with a lot of the misogyny in the Bible, mainly in the OT, but also in Paul's writings. I have a hard time with the stoning people to death and the many other passages that come across as barbaric. Some passages, like the creation account, at least on the surface, appear scientifically inaccurate. I don't fully understand the condemnation of homosexuality since I really empathize with the fact that homosexuals cannot change to being heterosexuals and also desire companionship and children.
That said, I am just an imperfect human, viewing the world in my own imperfect and limited way. Maybe all these things have a legitimate explanation that I am not seeing. For now, I am just going to try to be a loving and kind person as I journey in life toward a more complete understanding of both God and humanity.
All that said, I think God has a right as our creator to judge his creation however he sees fit. If that means eternal death for me, so be it. I am not owed eternal life by God.
However, I do not think I have that same right to judge others. Judging others is promoted in the JW religion, but that is one of the main things about the religion that I reject. I think it is a fallacy to say that your religion or politics or sexuality, etc etc, somehow make you superior than others. Because all those things only make up a small fraction of the sum total of a person's being. Because everyone's views are colored by their life-experiences and information at that singular point in time.
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83
Seeking support ... Where can a Christian go
by Sevan inhey all, .
so i recently posted for the first time and introduced myself.. i have been spending time reading various posts.
some informative, some not so much.. since i've been reading on here, i've read a lot from atheists.
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Sevan
Thank you for your responses.
I will say this, reading the viewpoints of Atheists and watching their videos has made me more understanding of why people are Atheists.
I don't have a problem at all with the majority of posters being Atheist. I respect everyone's right to believe as they choose. I dislike being told that I am irrational or stupid for believing in God. I happen to have an IQ in the top 1% of the world population and I am very academically accomplished and well-educated. I am in fact a very rational, logical person.
Everyone has different life experiences and everyone has taken in different sets of information. The life experiences and information I've taken in have led to a belief in God. I fully respect that other people's life experiences and information that they've taken in may lead to a lack of belief in God. I don't demean those that have different beliefs as I do either in my heart or words. I am simply hoping for the same consideration.
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83
Seeking support ... Where can a Christian go
by Sevan inhey all, .
so i recently posted for the first time and introduced myself.. i have been spending time reading various posts.
some informative, some not so much.. since i've been reading on here, i've read a lot from atheists.
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Sevan
Thank you. I appreciate that dubstepped.
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83
Seeking support ... Where can a Christian go
by Sevan inhey all, .
so i recently posted for the first time and introduced myself.. i have been spending time reading various posts.
some informative, some not so much.. since i've been reading on here, i've read a lot from atheists.
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Sevan
Hey all,
So I recently posted for the first time and introduced myself.
I have been spending time reading various posts. Some informative, some not so much.
Since I've been reading on here, I've read a lot from Atheists. I wanted to see why Atheists felt the way they did? What was their reasoning and arguments?
I have always found people's different beliefs and opinions enthralling from a human psychology and sociology standpoint. This is why I enjoy reading viewpoints from people of different political parties and talking to people of different belief systems as well. All very interesting. I enjoy respectful discussion and debate.
However, that said, I have not found the Atheist vs Believer debates on this site to be respectful or particularly helpful. In fact, I have found this site overall to be extremely hostile toward believers. There are posts that imply and others that directly state that believers are delusional, illogical, irrational and lacking intelligence.
Now I have not come here to be converted to any particular way of thinking. I have come here for support after just leaving a very controlling and close-minded religion that greatly impacted my life over the last 20 years. I am not here to be converted to Atheism, nor am I here to convert anyone to Theism. I am simply looking for a little support and friendship.
Frankly, there is nothing that could convert me to Atheism, so it is honestly a waste of time. I was a believer long before encountering the Jehovah's Witnesses and I will be a believer for the rest of my life. I have already thought long and deeply on all my reasons for faith over decades of time. Losing my religion does not also entail a loss of faith in God. Furthermore, I have found the arguments in favor of Atheism lacking and unconvincing. Now do I think that there are many things we humans do not understand about the universe and God? Of course. But the default to not having all the answers is not an absence of faith for me personally.
Considering all the above, since it is clear that Atheists and agnostics have essentially taken over this site and are hostile toward believers, where can a believer, even someone who still considers themselves a Christian, go for moral support?
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60
New Here ... Just woke up
by Sevan inhey all, .
this is my first post.
i haven't been out in service or to a meeting in over a month.. i realize now that i've been having serious questions for years and many articles and talks have greatly disturbed me over the years.
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Sevan
Giordano,
Thank you for your advice.
My husband has helped to smooth things over as best he can. I think the kids are just in shock. Hopefully they will come around eventually.
They are preteen and going on preteen, so not little kids, but still fairly young.
Believe me, there are so many times that I have wanted to tell them the truth about their horrible mother and all the misery she has caused. To tell them what a fake and duplicitous person she is. Lord knows she is working overtime in undermining my husband and I and constantly lying through her teeth about us. She is an expert at manipulation and parental alienation. This is a game my husband and I, both very honest and legit people, cannot win because we are not willing to sink to her lows. Because we are not willing to put our interests ahead of the kids. And because they are still too young to handle the cold hard truth.
I know that eventually they will start to see things for themselves. They will start to notice how dishonest, prideful and controlling their mother is and it will be a stark contrast to their life at our house.
And when they are closer to adulthood I look forward to showing them the giant court file of all the insanity she put my husband through in court. All the numerous lies she told in court and throughout our community. How she did everything in her power and told every lie in the book to try to take the kids from their dad and all their dad went through just to get joint custody of them. I think the court case in its full glory will show the kids just what kind of person their mother really is. I am looking forward to the day I can show it to them.
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43
At a regional convention today....
by Nobodyspecial init really stands out to me just how phoney the bonds of forced brotherhood are.
the smiles are paper thin when they see each other in hotels.
the laughs forced.
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Sevan
Hey kairos,
I was baptized in the Cow Palace! Went there for many years. Lately we've been able to go to the Convention Center in downtown Sacramento, which has been much nicer and more convenient.
I'm planning on going to the convention this year, but I'm planning on this being my last one. I want to see the terrible shunning video and bunker video leaked online for myself.
I have badges for myself, husband and kids that they gave me at meeting, but I'm not sure if I want to wear mine.
I view this convention as a sort of closure for me.
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60
New Here ... Just woke up
by Sevan inhey all, .
this is my first post.
i haven't been out in service or to a meeting in over a month.. i realize now that i've been having serious questions for years and many articles and talks have greatly disturbed me over the years.
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Sevan
Thanks Saename, I will check all this out! Very helpful and thank you for your kind words! It is hard not to feel foolish once you wake up, so your reassuring words mean a lot to me.
Corruptgirl, I just read you and your husband's story while my baby was sleeping on me. You and your husband's story were both very helpful. I'm going to try to use the methods your husband used with my husband and eventually with my step-kids. For now, as far as my step-kids are concerned, I think it is important to reassure them that nothing has changed about who I am or my love for them and to reassure them that I will respect their beliefs and that I will be respectful of their conscience. I am planning on not celebrating birthdays or holidays around them because I know it will bother them. Hopefully once they realize that nothing has changed and that I am still the same person and love them the same, hopefully eventually they will be more open.
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60
New Here ... Just woke up
by Sevan inhey all, .
this is my first post.
i haven't been out in service or to a meeting in over a month.. i realize now that i've been having serious questions for years and many articles and talks have greatly disturbed me over the years.
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Sevan
Thanks corruptgirl. I appreciate the advice. I will work on slowly and subtlety getting my husband to see TTATT.
My husband has doubts, but isn't ready to give up "the truth" yet.
I think it is a lot harder for him because he was raised a Witness and all his immediate family and quite a bit of his extended family are also Witnesses. The JW religion is all he has ever known.
I was not raised a Witness and I have a lot less to lose than him.
In my opinion, all the JW friends and family that I've gained over the last 20 years are not real friends or family. If they were, their love would not be contingent on me believing, thinking and doing the same things as them. Their love is without foundation and sincerity.
My non-JW family has always been there for me all these years and have always respected my right to believe as I saw fit. I have kept up my relationship with them all these years. Over the years, I was often advised by JWs to drop my non-JW family, but I never listened. I was taken from my family as a teenager when I was put in foster care, which was honestly incredibly traumatic, and I was not about to let anyone or any religion take me from them again. I would be having a much harder time right now without them and I'm very grateful that I have non-JW family to lean on right now.
I am still trying to process everything, all the lies, the disillusionment, the suffering, the wasted time and financial sacrifices I've made for this religion, the lost friendships and opportunities, just everything. It is a whirlwind of emotion, but I know I'll get to a peaceful place eventually.
I know that it is important not to hang on to anger and resentment and to move on with my life as best as I can.
I'm looking forward to really contributing to society without being given a guilt trip. Every time I've given money or time to charities in the past (mainly the SPCA and the local women's shelter), I've been given either a guilt trip or warning by the elders for wasting time and money that could be going to the preaching work. The elders told me I could get a JC if I volunteered at the women's shelter again since it is run by a church of "Christendom."
Now I can simply follow my conscience! I can embrace people in love for who they are and not simply what "club" they belong to! My son and hopefully someday my step-kids can have a normal life! I am blessed in many ways. I know that it is important not to dwell too much on the ways that I've been victimized.