I left a cult.
Congrats on getting out!
As far as Christian denominations go, neither Jehovah's Witnesses nor Mormons are considered 'Christian' by the general body of theologians (whether Protestant, Orthodox, or Catholic), because their beliefs directly contradict scripture on one or more key issues (they've both even had to edit their versions of the Bible (only a few examples of many changes) to support their theology!). Please don't allow your negative experiences with that Christian-derived / Christian-flavored religion to sour you to Christianity.
As a Christian, I respect and adhere to the concept of pursing truth wherever truth takes you, and I hope that just as pursing truth led you out of one religion, you'll leave your mind open to continuing to explore and expand your life, whether that means remaining an atheist or testing the soundness or faultiness of the theology of other religions.
Since, as you've mentioned, most of your family and friends will cut ties with you (a common indicator of a cult!), do you have some kind of support network outside that religion to help you find a place to stay and get back on your feet?
As far as their doctrine goes, it's hard to square Deuteronomy 18:20-22 with a Christian group that claims to use God's name and holds the Guinness world record for failed end of the world predictions. Full stop.
As far as Christianity and I, I have read The Bible Unearthed by Finkelstein and Silberman (which focuses on the Tanakh), and Forged and parts of other books by Bart D. Ehrman (who focuses on the NT). I find criticism, the development of the Bible itself, and development of the theology to all be way more interesting than any commitment to it. I'd rather just take the Bible for what it is, as with anything else, and move along from there.
But I appreciate it, man. Thank you.
Hi Ben,
Your post came up on my news feed.
Just registered here to let you know about the ExJW Reddit Forum. I'm sure you've already heard about it.
Good place to talk with those who've been there, done that.
Thanks (and sorry for the intrusion)
OXCART aka ThePoetryOfReality
As much as I would like to believe that, friends that come from religious families tell me that their parents would make them go to church even if they don't want to, kinda like a "if you want to stay under my roof, go to church" ultimatum.2. its a free world, people have a free choice to believe in what they want - even when it doesn't make sense to you
Some people don't have a choice.
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Congratulations on breaking out of J.W. and I hope you will find more happiness this way.
Erm, no. Simply, no.This is a religion that so impressed Heinrich Himmler that he considered it as a model for the SS.
Jehovas witnesses were arrested under "treason and corruption of the state" and held in KZ or executed right away. Himmler later noticed how "remarkably peaceful and diligent" they were, and had them spared with the plan to settle them in Russia after the war would have been won, to pacify the conquered lands. He most definitively didn't plan to make JW a model for the SS, that's just ridiculous.
With that being said, I don't think calling them a "cult" is semantically wrong, though I would personally choose the word "sect".
Sect/cult/religion/apocalyptic evangelical social club/book distribution scheme. If you don't wish for Gamedev.net to appear to call them a cult, that's fine. I'll move along now, thanks.