Posts by lriddle80

35

The biggest mistake.

by Half banana in

a long time ago, before television radio and films, before printing, before the invention of writing, people listened only to the spoken word—and the cry of birds, the wind whistling through the trees and the sea crashing on the sea shore.

before written text they knew about the gods because high up there in the night sky was where they lived; gods, goddesses and immortal heroes.

the constellations told of their exploits.

lriddle80

I have posted frequently.

Sure, I believe in coincidence.

But...

It's so weird because let's say I pray for something. Then I will almost immediately forget about that prayer because I can really ramble during a prayer session!

Then, something will happen or a string of events will happen (maybe even years later!) and suddenly out of nowhere I remember the prayer (or prayers) that I prayed and I am just so amazed, really.

It just always amazes me that God loves me enough to not only answer my prayers, but that he reminds me of them so that I will see it!

Answers to prayer almost never go how I want or expect, but I always see the beauty in it! It usually comes with suffering. Heartbreak. Tears.

And as I look back, he protected me, he comforts me, carries me, prepares me for things I didn't see coming, he knows just how I am wired so as to lead me away from things or to things. It's spooky!

And it's not just with me. I have seen him work in other people's lives in the same faithful ways. In my husband's life, too!

It's beyond coincidence. I could probably write a book with my stories and stories I have witnessed from other people. If anyone wants to hear some...I have a really silly one that is special to me involving a cow, but I have better ones, too!

14

Finding our true identity after spiritual abuse in the Watchtower

by Faith after Deception in

i personally find that when you’ve been around toxic people long enough, either in a family environment or as part of a cult or a highly controlling church, (or worse, both!

), you tend to get a very twisted view of your own identity and also human nature in general.. in a religious context, you may end up feeling that you are a “lowly worm” and that in general, people can’t be trusted.

since all you’ve known of relationships has been painful, complex and tiresome, it can give you the impression that this is the norm and that’s all you can expect .

lriddle80

I read the flood story again recently. What I got from the story is this:

God is capable of destroying the world. One man found favor with him. That man was obedient to his God and made the ark for anyone who wanted to be saved. Noah's family was saved, but they didn't necessarily find favor with God, only Noah.

It's the same today.

People thought the ark was ridiculous. People think believing in Jesus is ridiculous.

But I see that, like Noah's family, they got in because of Noah. Anyone can get in because of Jesus. We don't have to be good enough or do enough. Jesus was enough.

I read the flood story and the crushing of Jesus and it fills me with hope!

I have dealt with narcissism, as we all have, and when we start putting God in the same category as people, that's when it gets clouded. People who think they are God do a lot of harm because they distort his image.

But God has the right to be God and he is totally just and has total mercy and the more I read about him, see his dealings in my life and compare his love to how humans love, there is no comparison.

With people, it's all about performance, pleasing them, proving yourself over and over... it's so exhausting!! Also, people are so "what have you done for me lately" forgetting all of what you've done and will abandon you at the drop of a hat! People are the absolute worst compared to God!!

And, as far as natural disasters. Jesus talked about a terrorist attack and a time when a building fell on a bunch of people. His response in Like 13 was that these things didn't happen to them because they were more sinful than others, but he said that if people didn't repent, that they would likewise perish.

So, in conclusion, God is God and he is good (which means a perfect balance of Justice and mercy) People are the ones who need to repent.

It's not a popular message.

35

The biggest mistake.

by Half banana in

a long time ago, before television radio and films, before printing, before the invention of writing, people listened only to the spoken word—and the cry of birds, the wind whistling through the trees and the sea crashing on the sea shore.

before written text they knew about the gods because high up there in the night sky was where they lived; gods, goddesses and immortal heroes.

the constellations told of their exploits.

lriddle80

But, when someone takes the stories of the Bible out of context and uses them to control, condemn, or abuse others, it's wrong.

The whole story of the Bible and what we are meant to do with it is to believe in Jesus, and to take the love that he gave us and love others.

Love is not control or abuse and unfortunately there is a lot of this going on. But, this is not the spirit of Christ.

35

The biggest mistake.

by Half banana in

a long time ago, before television radio and films, before printing, before the invention of writing, people listened only to the spoken word—and the cry of birds, the wind whistling through the trees and the sea crashing on the sea shore.

before written text they knew about the gods because high up there in the night sky was where they lived; gods, goddesses and immortal heroes.

the constellations told of their exploits.

lriddle80

Michael Heiser has a book, The Unseen Realm and other talks I have seen that agree that a lot of what that culture and writings and belief are based on astrology. Like the vision that Ezekiel saw with the cherubim and the wheels, the story in Revelation about the woman and the dragon...all about stars. It is very interesting, for sure!

Ancient ideas were that the sun, moon and the stars were a representation of realities beyond...kind of like a metaphor. As I learn more about the natural world, it is easy to see that they are metaphors for greater realities of God. Some religions just worshipped the actual creation instead of seeing the beyond.

There is awe and wonder in creation and seeing the beyond. But, I just happened to be wired in such a way that metaphors, similes, connections, callbacks, parallels fascinate me. So, the Bible happens to satisfy my particular brain, which I am really grateful for.

A relationship with my creator is very personal. I may tell you a story about a time that I prayed and then God showed himself to me through what happened after I prayed. You see no connection because you don't see how poetic and beautiful the answer truly was.

I have a handful of stories that just blow my mind to recount of God's faithfulness! But they wouldn't mean much to you. They mean everything to me.

So, it's tough to talk about belief, faith, the Bible with people who don't have that inner eye that sees beyond.

We all have our strengths, though, and it's fun to wrestle with these things!

35

The biggest mistake.

by Half banana in

a long time ago, before television radio and films, before printing, before the invention of writing, people listened only to the spoken word—and the cry of birds, the wind whistling through the trees and the sea crashing on the sea shore.

before written text they knew about the gods because high up there in the night sky was where they lived; gods, goddesses and immortal heroes.

the constellations told of their exploits.

lriddle80

I love the Bible. I always have, even as a child reading my book of Bible stories. I love the one story aspect, I love all of the parallels and callbacks, the symbolism, the lessons we can learn and how when I read and learn from it, it literally helps me to love others more. Here is a quote that I love from G.D. Watson in his book "Our Own God" about God

"He makes each of our lives to seem the center of a vast system, and makes us see a significance in his dealings with us which no one else can see, so that reading our lives in the light of the Holy ghost is like the biography of some of the patriarchs, and our individual history is so pervaded with it interferences of our heavenly father and it seems like adding another page to the old testament."

16

Who else provides all this spiritual food?

by StephaneLaliberte in

two days ago, i experienced a spiritual epiphany while visiting the library of a catholic university: i was shocked to find thousands of religious literatures produced by the catholics and protestants in the last few hundred years.

someone could easily spend a secluded lifetime trying to read them all.

for years, i was told by my religious leaders (jws) that the catholics and other religions did not provide spiritual food to their members.

lriddle80

For me, "food at the proper time" is when I am praying through a trial or struggling to understand something or seeking answers and I am reading the Bible and it speaks to these things. Or I go to church and the song sung or the message is just what I needed in that moment, or something my husband says that gives me that extra piece I was missing. The source is God, the food can come from anyone he is using to provide it.

33

WT Teaching That You Can't Leave Behind

by jhine in

after posting on another thread it became apparent to me that it can be difficult for some ex jws to totally shake off all wt teaching , even after leaving the org.

do you still feel guilty going into a church for a wedding or a funeral .

can you bring yourself to celebrate birthdays or christmas .

lriddle80

I did have an issue with performance, which I think came from being a JW. I used to volunteer at places until I was so busy and burnt out and crying out to God "is it enough" or "now do you love me"

It took a lot to get over that and realize that God loves me separate from what I do. He chose me to walk in good works, yes, but not so that he will love me more or that I would be good enough.

I still struggle with black and white thinking. All or nothing kind of behavior. And genuinely loving people without a hidden agenda (like trying to win God's favor - which I already have)

38

Would You Stop Buying A Product Because of Political Differences?

by minimus in

jw
friends

would you stop buying nike products because you didn’t like their politics?

conversely, would you give business to a company because you liked their political stand on a matter?

would you stop watching an entertainer because you disagree with their political perspectives?

lriddle80

The only place I stopped "shopping" at is planned Parenthood. I used to get birth control from them because it was cheapish and I don't have insurance. But after learning more about abortion and all of that I get my birth control from New Zealand.

*I don't judge anyone else for supporting them, I just don't feel right about it for me.

33

WT Teaching That You Can't Leave Behind

by jhine in

after posting on another thread it became apparent to me that it can be difficult for some ex jws to totally shake off all wt teaching , even after leaving the org.

do you still feel guilty going into a church for a wedding or a funeral .

can you bring yourself to celebrate birthdays or christmas .

lriddle80

Christmas took a while. I fought it as much as I could. Every year I say that we should just skip it, but it comes. Some years I really get into it, trying to find that present that will make someone feel special.

One year, I called Christmas the Riddle family gift exchange and did it on a different day so that my Jehovah's witness family could come, but they all said they were too busy that day.

My birthday is nothing special, but I do like to go out to eat and pick the place. I try to make as big of a deal as I can for my husband and son's birthday.

I have been going to my church for over 10 years, but that first time was weird. Nothing bad happened when I went and so I kept going and I still enjoy it!

I get medical marijuana and the first time my husband and I did it, we went to the book store and I noticed that in the Christian section I was feeling weird and I realized I still had some indoctrination left in me. When I was a teenager, I got the cd from Jars of Clay because I liked their song flood on the radio. When I listened to it, I discovered it was a Christian band and immediately threw it away because, y'know, it was "satanic". Meanwhile, I kept all of my Nirvana stuff and Soundgarden, which probably actually was satanic...

381

Were you or someone you know sexually molested by a Jehovah's Witness ?

by flipper in

due to the fact there are about 27,000 members of this religion that are known pedophiles, and the information about it is kept in a secret database file, i wonder how many lurking jw's as well as others are aware of the severity of this problem?

remember, it's 27,000 pedophiles that they know about.

what about the thousands that don't get caught?

lriddle80

My great grandpa was a Jw and molested my grandma and my mom. We lived in the same house as him for many years, but thankfully he never molested me. I didn't find out until I was 18 when my mom told my sister and I. When my grandma found out my mom told us, she was furious. If I had known sooner, I would have understood why my mom acted like she did and had more compassion towards her. I was kind of mad, too. I am glad she told us, but he was never exposed while he was alive. They probably wouldn't have believed my grandma anyway. But by not telling, my mom got molested, so that's why you have to tell the cops.