My religious history

[sneakythomas]

I thought of posting my story in the "Have you ever been tempted to join the fundamentalist" thread, but I wasn't sure it quite fit. So this is my first thread on my own here.

I became a Christian in 1972 after fussing around with several other religions (notably Buddhism) plus a lot of sex, booze, drugs and rock and roll. I voted for McGovern that year so I was liberal and a Christian, maybe that counts as "liberal Christian".

A few months later I started studying the Bible with a friend who was a Jehovah's Witness. I was baptized as a JW in 1973, a few months after I graduated from College. JW's are not doctrinally fundamentalists, and in fact many of their practices are dangerous and/or controlling. They believe in the immenent end of the world and practice an extreme form of shunning for anyboy that deviates from their standards. In 1988 my wife and began recognizing it as a cult, and formally left in the spring of 1989.

I still consider myself a Christian, but as a result of my experience I tend to take a very moderate view of those that find God (or whatever floats their boat) in some other path. This history tends to color all my comments on religion. For one thing, when you're disparaging fundamentalists, most of you have no idea how bad it can get.

Comments welcome

Sneaky

[HockeyMom]

1. Oh, yes I do

My husband's friend's wife was a JW and raised their children in it. He wasn't. After 25 years of marriage, he just couldn't take it any more and left. Divorced.

I used to work with a Haitian woman who also was a JW. Listening to her day after day for over a year and a half I learned all I ever wanted to know, and DIDN'T, about her religion. She had religious leaflets all around. Fortunately, for me, they were all in French and I couldn't read them if I ever wanted to.

[Meshuga]

2. Is it true that JW's don't get involved with politics?

They might be a pain in the ass knocking on people's doors but I heard since God is supposed to be the only leader they were not allowed to vote, don't sing the national anthem (they consider it idolatry), they don't pledge allegiance to the flag, and don't impose their politics.

Usually when I get the occasional missionaries knocking on my door I give them the "get the fuck out of here" look and point to the mezuzah on my door post. But when they are JW's, I usually send them politely on their way. You know, JW's don't lobby to get into my business so I have no beef with them. :-)

[More Than A Feeling]

3. Welcome to DU, sneakythomas,

and welcome to the R/T forum!

You were a JW for a long time. How did you come to see it as cult after all that time?

[JerseygirlCT]

4. Welcome, Sneaky Thomas nt