How much have your beliefs changed since leaving TWI

[ex70sHouston]

I was going through some of the archived topics and was going through a list of beliefs of TWI. I was shocked at how little my beliefs have changed in 26 years.

I never did completly buy into the 4 crucified.

I thought I had become a Trinitarian until I looked at exactly what I do believe. I'm stuck in the middle.

I believe in SIT but not as twi proposed. I feel its more of a manifistation and not as controlable as we were taught.

I find myself praying to God and not Jesus as many evangelicals do.

So the question is have your beliefs changed since leaving?

[rascal]

Yeah, my sole beliefs now can be summed up by

*Love God and Love my neighbor* Everything else is relative.

[Ham]

Doctrinally speaking, not too many. I think a lot of it was OK, just skewed way off center as far as practical issues are concerned.

I still tend to think that believing works, believing God- but I don't try to tell Him what to do so much anymore.

I still can't buy into the trinity- but I believe there is quite a bit more to Jesus Christ than we were led to believe.. I don't think he is quite as "absent" as we were taught.

But the "manifestations"- I still SIT- but all the others, I think a lot of the teaching schooled us in such a manner to pretend we had the revelation from the almighty on everything. Don't agree with it. I still think God can talk to me if He wants to without me having to sort through umteen different keys to figure out if I really got it right or not- and I quit acting like I'm some jackass with all the answers like I used to.

I am more comfortable with the concept that some things, I do not know, and maybe never will- even if I think I "need" to know it..

[Ham]

I like Rascal's idea..

[Galen]

What? that we're all relatives?

[Ham]

I don't know about other folk here, but I found myself even praying for the Pope a couple times today.. I'm definitely not Catholic, and NEVER would have done that when I was in TWI..

[George Aar]

I've pretty much reverted to my "pre-TWI" mindset. Well, except for becoming a lot more accepting of differences and (possible) shortcomings in people, which is probably just a function of aging.

On a "spiritual" level though, if anything I've become even more of a rabid agnostic and hardbitten (cynical?) skeptic.

Yeah, yeah, I know the verse "Dog returning to his own vomit" and all of that. Sorry, it doesn't move me much anymore...

[Ham]

Doesn't bother me too much George, the world needs all kinds you know..

I think I returned to some of my old character- just kind of ludicrous at times..

[mj412]

alot.

I see grace in action for real now.

My children who were raised with pfal said I was religous, and I do not think so I was twi ish. I respected people alot more and they had alot more say over how I felt or did or lived then.

I really cant imagine anyone getting to middle age and still allowing others to tell them how to live. But then I look at the off shoots and realize the biggest 180 I did is I just do not need anyones approval anymore.

I find extremly IRONIC how the leaders will preach how they stand approve before God, not man YET have a fast word on what each of their follers need to do next to get right with God.

I have more esteem for the Lord and His position in my life. I have less esteem for what a man or woman can accomplish playing God in the flesh for money and support.

[mj412]

oh yes and the courage to tell it to them face to face.

before I was stupid and thought God must have loved them more for some deed or action .

hmpf 180 on that now!

[GrouchoMarxJr]

I agree with mj412...The biggest change in my belief system, since leaving twi, is in the category of needing the validation of others. During my time with twi, I was always looking to see what Veepee had to say, to validate and add credibility. Today, I really don't give a rat's foot what anybody thinks. As far as twi doctrine goes...I threw out the baby with the bathwater.

[ex10]

As far a christianity goes, I feel like I've done a 180.

I was born a catholic, and I guess was destined to be a christian. I've tried being agnostic, aetheist, dabbled in buddism, mysticism, etc. etc. tried to be the artistic, designer type, tried to be smart, keep up with politics, the art world. Business, but it bores me in 10 seconds. I'm not smart enuff to be an intellectual..... :)-->

Hmmmmm, I always come back to my christian, democratic, southern roots. I like going to church, take joy in my family, love my job. :)-->

Try as I might, I'm just not the sophisticated, intellectual, artsy, religious politically savvy, or anything else, type.

I like having a nice house, car that runs, kids that love me, family that cares, friends that are fun to hang out with, and a job that I like. :)-->

Couldn't have all this while in TWI.....

[Jim]

A big echo of what everyone else said.

On top of that, I'm finally at the point where I don't *need* to know whether there were 2 or 4 crucified or whether it was God the Son or the Son of God. I've searched enough and I don't want to search anymore. I've come to grips with the fact that I'm not a particularly religious person, but that I can still try to be a good person.

[shazdancer]

I hear that, Jim.

I guess my biggest shift is that I don't "know that I know," I hope that I know.

Regards,

Shaz

[dmiller]

quote:

So the question is have your beliefs changed since leaving?

Not really. I still have a lot of the same beliefs, but my outlook on the make-up of the organization propounding those beliefs, has changed dramatically.

A complete 180 there. No more *blind obedience*, and unquestioned allegiance to any group -- even after scrutiny. :)-->

As the bumper sticker says:

Question Authority!

[Trefor Heywood]

I came to see that all organised religion is man-made and that no group deserves unquestioned allegiance.

Ultimately it's you and God.

[Belle]

I pretty much agree with what everyone has posted.

quote:

Yeah, my sole beliefs now can be summed up by *Love God and Love my neighbor* Everything else is relative.

AMEN! When you're doing that everything else seems to fall into place.

quote:

The biggest change in my belief system, since leaving twi, is in the category of needing the validation of others. During my time with twi, I was always looking to see what Veepee had to say, to validate and add credibility. Today, I really don't give a rat's foot what anybody thinks.

That's probably the most free-ing part of being out of TWI. No more oppression from the TWIts and unrealisitc expectations and never ending hoops to jump through.

quote:

Try as I might, I'm just not the sophisticated, intellectual, artsy, religious politically savvy, or anything else, type.

I like having a nice house, car that runs, kids that love me, family that cares, friends that are fun to hang out with, and a job that I like.

I soooo relate, ex! I don't have the kids part, but hope to one day and THAT I would have never had in TWI.

quote:

On top of that, I'm finally at the point where I don't *need* to know whether there were 2 or 4 crucified or whether it was God the Son or the Son of God. I've searched enough and I don't want to search anymore.

I don't give a rat's foot about being some Biblical scholar. I don't care what Greek word is used anymore and now I know that half the ones they taught us were taught incorrectly, so what was "the profit" of knowing all that cr@p anyway? It sure as he11 didn't make me a better person, just more arrogant.