I need a little direction

[jeminijad]

There is a reason this is here instead of just in Spirituality, I'll finally get there towards the end of my post

Brief backstory blurb: Raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. This left me with more familiarity with the Bible than most. Age 17, drifted away, didn't think too much about faith/religion/God/the Scriptures/afterlife etc. Age 27 (now,) I am a parent and must make some serious decisions.

I have drifted into what is functionally agnosticism. There are huge pieces of doctrine that make no sense to me. Viewing both the natural world, and human society & relationships, through the lens of evolution has made a great deal of sense to me. Prechristian European approaches to faith seem more appealing than the Judeo-Christian whatnot, but that could be only because I am interested in connecting with my heritage.

But I want to have faith. I have a deep need to determine what is really the truth... because, after all, there is either a Creator or there is not, no matter how you define Creator, and I want nothing more than to really believe one way or the other.

So where should I begin my study? I have considered approaching a priest, and hoping that I find one willing to direct me toward appropriate religious scholars. I have done some casual reading- books like Lost Christianities, a book about Druids, random things that are engaging at the time but do not have the "ring of truth."

Any ideas would be much appreciated. I don't expect anyone to do my work for me and lay out a simple path, but a starting point would be nice!

[lilyka]

I recommend checking out Eastern Christianity (Eastern Orthodox) It is quite a bit different than standard Western Christianity (catholic and the protestant reformations) and miles away from JWs . It might make more sense to you. It did to me.

[MnMtm]

It sounds like you have a real journey ahead of you. I do want to lay out just one piece of advice; search for the truth and not just something that "suits you," KWIM? If you're really after the truth, and not just something that fits comfortabley into your preconcieved ideas, you may need to be willing to adjust your own life to the truth, rather than finding a religion or spirituality that you fit around the lifestyle you want to lead. It sounds like you really are searching for that, and I wish you all the luck in your journey. At the risk of sounding cliche, you are in my prayers.

[jeminijad]

Lilyka, thanks for that tip. I will certainly learn what I can about them.

MnMtm, I am absolutely after the truth. Thank you.

[Bluegoat]

Originally Posted by lilyka

I recommend checking out Eastern Christianity (Eastern Orthodox) It is quite a bit different than standard Western Christianity (catholic and the protestant reformations) and miles away from JWs . It might make more sense to you. It did to me.

This isn't a bad little introduction.

Or this one is good as well, with better music!

[eunytuny]

It might sound partial because I am a Jehovah's Witness, but why dont you study with the witnesses again? the "ring of truth" is there and lots of research to come to truthful answers.  

[lishoprah]

I was also raised a JW.  I'm 32 now and my dh and I only realized that JWs are not for us about 4 months ago.  What helped me the most was reading the New Testament by itself, no Watchtower, and not using the New World Translation.  Get an NIV, ESV, NKJV, NASB, etc and see what the Bible really says.  See how many times the word "grace" is used (completely taken out of the NWT and replaced with "undeserved kindness"), notice that the phrase "paradise earth" doesn't appear anywhere, JW's use Isaiah, Psalms, and Revelation to come up with that phrase.  Notice that nowhere does Jesus or Paul say that to go to heaven (or JW paradise) you need to go out in service, or count hours or magazines placed.  They do talk about feeding the hungry and caring for orphans and widows however.  These are just a handful of the things that really got me thinking as someone who bought into JW doctrine for nearly 32 years.  We now go to a non-denominational church that has a focus on social justice.

Oh, and I'm not sure if you even meant that you were interested in Christianity, or only learning about pre-Christian religions?  My advice was only for if you were looking at Christianity, oops :).

[ananas]

I agree with a lot of this advice.  I also used to be a JW. Definitely start by just looking at the bible yourself, and use a different translation. Another thing I would recommend is reading ex-JW forums. I found SO much help on those. 

Mostly though, just start thinking about what you *really* believe in your heart. The things you're unsure of, make an effort to learn more about them and form an opinion that is all yours. Try taking the religion quiz at beliefnet.com- you answer a few questions about what you believe it an how strongly you believe each thing, and it gives you results matching you up with different religions. I also recommend really researching religion, from the very early days of humanity, until now. Research the myths and stories that came before the Bible and see how they shaped the Bible, including the story of Jesus.

I consider myself an atheist now, but I do feel that the Universe is very awe-inspiring in itself, and though I wouldn't say I worship it, I do appreciate it each and every day. I'm considering attending a Buddhist church a few times, because the writings of the Buddha really, really inspire me and feel like what I need in my life right now. I've also been wanting to attend a Unitarian Universalism  (UU) church- the focus isn't on any particular deity, and they are really focused on humanitarianism, which is something I definitely do believe in.

One last thing- remember that you may find the answers for YOU in many different places. Try out lots of different churches, read lots of books, etc...it may be hard to find anything that fits you perfectly, and that's fine. Everybody is different, so everybody's beliefs are going to vary.

Originally Posted by lishoprah 

I was also raised a JW.  I'm 32 now and my dh and I only realized that JWs are not for us about 4 months ago.  What helped me the most was reading the New Testament by itself, no Watchtower, and not using the New World Translation.  Get an NIV, ESV, NKJV, NASB, etc and see what the Bible really says.  See how many times the word "grace" is used (completely taken out of the NWT and replaced with "undeserved kindness"), notice that the phrase "paradise earth" doesn't appear anywhere, JW's use Isaiah, Psalms, and Revelation to come up with that phrase.  Notice that nowhere does Jesus or Paul say that to go to heaven (or JW paradise) you need to go out in service, or count hours or magazines placed.  They do talk about feeding the hungry and caring for orphans and widows however.  These are just a handful of the things that really got me thinking as someone who bought into JW doctrine for nearly 32 years.  We now go to a non-denominational church that has a focus on social justice.

Oh, and I'm not sure if you even meant that you were interested in Christianity, or only learning about pre-Christian religions?  My advice was only for if you were looking at Christianity, oops :).

[Panserbjorne]

Originally Posted by Bluegoat 

Originally Posted by lilyka

I recommend checking out Eastern Christianity (Eastern Orthodox) It is quite a bit different than standard Western Christianity (catholic and the protestant reformations) and miles away from JWs . It might make more sense to you. It did to me.

This isn't a bad little introduction.

Or this one is good as well, with better music!

I enjoyed that very much, Bluegoat.  Thank you.

[PatienceAndLove]

Being that I am Latin-Rite Catholic, I feel like you should check that out :-D

There are several rites within Roman Catholicism including Anglican-Rite, Latin-Rite, Byzantine Catholic, etc.

The Truth never changes, but the way we celebrate can change.

[greenmagick]

Are you only looking to find a christian tradition that fits or something else?  

I would read and explore all I can get my hands on.

The "truth" is what rings true to you and it is different for every person.

And while its silly, the beliefnet quiz can be a very good starting point for looking at new faiths.

[PatienceAndLove]

Originally Posted by greenmagick 

And while its silly, the beliefnet quiz can be a very good starting point for looking at new faiths.

The interesting thing about the belief-o-matic quiz is that your results change as your beliefs evolve.

I have taken the quiz several times, and have gone from 100% neo-pagan to 100% Roman Catholic.

[ananas]

Yeah, exactly. I think that the quiz is a very good tool for finding the best possible match to what you already believe inside, whatever that may be at the moment.
 

Originally Posted by PatienceAndLove 

Originally Posted by greenmagick 

And while its silly, the beliefnet quiz can be a very good starting point for looking at new faiths.

The interesting thing about the belief-o-matic quiz is that your results change as your beliefs evolve.

I have taken the quiz several times, and have gone from 100% neo-pagan to 100% Roman Catholic.