When you left either Mormon or Jehovah's Witnesses' faith, what is your belief system now?

Question

Why did you leave?

What helped you to make your current belief system to suit you better?

Answer 1

I didn't formally leave the Mormon church. I just stopped going, and for more than just one reason.

I felt I was being asked to do more than I could handle (since there is no paid clergy, the members all have to do everything in addition to their regular jobs, including teaching, building maintenance, writing sermons, etc.). While I don't think of the general policy as a bad thing, in my own case I found my church responsibility was disruptive to my family.

Between bills and tithing, I couldn't even afford to buy diapers for my kids.

With such strict rules about all aspects of life (including diet, type of clothing worn, etc.) I felt like I was under someone's thumb.

I could not stand hearing ranking members of my congregation telling me that if I had a problem, I should just not worry about it and let God handle it. That sounded too much like "Ignore it and it will go away."

I was hearing things that didn't make sense to me, not necessarily from a doctrinal standpoint, but from an ethical perspective. I would hear class discussions in which the members (females!) would villify women in Bible stories, and the teachers would not make a correction. I heard a lot of ultra-conservative opinions in class, and I grew tired of it. I could not see any evidence of these opinions and guesses anywhere in the biblical text or in historical research. Worst of all, I hated the tendency to use death as some sort of object lesson about why we should all pray and go to church. A brutal murder occurs, and I'm told that it's okay, because the victim is going to heaven and the killer is going to hell? Excuse me, but the killer is not dead or captured, he's just going to continue destroying lives, and you want me to feel better because he'll be punished for it later? The punishment he receives (which we can't even see and hasn't happened yet) is supposed to make up for the familes being ripped apart right in front of me? What kind of nonsense is that?

Then I remembered the fundamental teaching that we all have free will and can choose for ourselves. I chose not to return to church.

I wouldn't say I have a "belief system" in place at this point. Sometimes I think there could be a god, but I don't find it logical that the same being that's responsible for an ever-changing universe is also responsible for our minute requests and trivial problems. If there is a God, and he gave me a brain, I think he would want me to use it to solve my own problems rather than run to him for every little thing. And if there is no god, I still have a brain, and I should still use it.

I still have a set of morals in place, but now I think of them as things I do because they are the right thing to do, not because I'm afraid of hell or I want a ticket to heaven. The doing of good is the important thing, not some notion of a payoff later.

I would probably identify myself as an agnostic or Free Thinker, possibly an agnostic theist, but the nice thing about not labeling myself is that I'm free to change my mind as I learn new things.

Answer 2

I lelf the church, (LDS) a long time ago! But, not because of doctrine! But, I'll tell you one thing, the christians in here would make me run the other way, and head for the hills!
Talk about judgmental, two-faced, bigoted people! And I do not include LDS in that statement! They are still the only people I see, who practice what they preach, seven days a week, no matter who is watching! Of course you have your throw backs, every religion does!
And be warned! I'll slam dunk, any jerk who attacks them! It is cowardly to hit at another church!
Disagree, yes. but insult, no way!
So, all these lovely, good and sweet, evil christians, drove me into atheism, which I am quite enjoying! No double-standards that the goodie two shoe christians stick you with, all the time!
Am I bitter? Yes, I can't stand fundies, and most other christians!Those that mind their own business, great, and as for the rest of them? Stay the hell away from me! No attempts at conversion!

Answer 3

Well I left because I decided I didnt believe anymore and it wasnt making me happy and I wasnt going to continue to fool myself into thinking things might change some day.

Then I found out all about the lies and deceptions of the early leaders,etc and realized Id made the right decision.

Now I follow an Earth Based path. Namely Pagan/Wiccan. This is an area Ive always been fascinated with and felt close to but because of my upbringing Id stayed away from pursuing my interest and study of it all.

Now I study it and practice it and am very happy and whole.

Answer 4

My mother was baptized as a JW and when she was dis fellowshipped, we stopped going too. It took years to get the belief out of my head but now I am so turned off to the religion and pretty much any religion because of the damage I feel they've done.

Just me being exposed to other people's beliefs helped me know that there was more out there. Interesting thing is there are a lot of things that they do that I never understood even to this day like not celebrating certain holidays or birthdays. You were just told not to do it but no reason why.

I feel that a huge part of my childhood was robbed because of the faith and I don't even like seeing them on the streets trying to convert people. Our family is divided because of this too.

Answer 5

Hedonism, it would seem.


Among Jehovah's Witnesses, the majority of Jehovah's Witness disfellowshippings concern unrepentant fornication. That has been the case for decades, and Jehovah's Witnesses have candidly admitted as such.

Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (page 103)
[quote]
Jehovah’s Witnesses were not unaffected by the sexual revolution of the 1960’s. In fact, several thousand—a small percentage of their total number—had to be disfellowshipped each year, the majority for sexual immorality.
[unquote]

The Watchtower, February 15, 1993 (page 8)
[quote]
Although only a small proportion of Christians are affected, it has to be recognized that the majority of cases of disfellowshipping from the ranks of Jehovah’s Witnesses for unrepentant conduct unbecoming a Christian are related to some form of sexual immorality.
[unquote]

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/19880415/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/19970101/article_01.htm

Answer 6

I left the Mormons to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses :)

I wasn't yet an official Mormon though- had been studying with them for months and couldn't reconcile what they were teaching with what I read in the Bible. The JW's could explain everything to me perfectly.

Answer 7

I left mormonism when I truly got saved and was born again in Christ. I always knew there was something wrong with mormonism i just didn't know what it was until God truly unveiled my eyes. And now I am free in Christ. I am a Christian. And I love Jesus Christ.

It was like he turned a light switch on.. Praise God

Answer 8

i haven't left officially yet,
i don't go to the meetings because somebody spilled the beans on my secret. But i won't change my religion, if anything I'll be nonreligious.

Answer 9

I was a Witness for 22 years..it took me 18 more to deprogram and I am now a born again Christian and I worship at a Baptist Church...I do not call myself a Baptist, just a Christian.


I left the Witnesses because God called me to examine the doctrines that I was raised with, against accurate scripture, and they proved to be false...I thnk God daily, that he brought me out of that Cult and into his church.

Answer 10

im still screwed up