Ask A Former JW: About the Afterlife
Robert (Melbourne, Australia) I was a jw for 8 years between the ages of 5-13 (I am now 31). I left when i was 13. The problem is that my father is still involved with them, and I am trying to get him out by showing him all the false prophecies,lies and deceit that go on in the organization. He says ok..If I should leave, where do I go so I can live forever? My question to you is what religion or what have you turned to after you left?..My dad wants hope if he leaves.
Eagerly awaiting your reply…Robert
Heidi: I can’t give you a definite answer about the afterlife. There simply isn’t any proof one way or another. I truly believe that it is a matter of faith and of one’s own relation to oneself in authenticity and in relation to God. I can tell you what I did to retain my deep spirituality, but ultimately it’s a life path, a way of being rather than affiliation with any organization. First, follow your nose. What is it that brings out your integrity, compasion, love? Follow those ideas and those habits, expand on them. Is there anyone you know that is an inspiration to you – someone who you felt was truly a decent person? What are the things about that person or persons that you admire? Emulate those things. Where do you feel that you are fulfilling your calling? What are you doing at those times? Helping others, praying, exploring nature, embroiled in the world of ideas? The thing is, it’s a bit different for each person – all gifts are necessary, and we are all complex beings. If you could think of the ultimate afterlife, what would it be? Imagine it in detail. Some people believe that our souls can create the afterlife that we imagine for ourselves. Would it be a paradise Earth? Rejoining the cosmos as emergy? Being able to have questions answered? If you were creating your own religion – the best, the truest religion – what do you think it might look like? Ask yourself these questions from time to time. Pray, meditate – ask for guidance and wisdom and an increased capacity for compassion. The very act of doing so focuses your energies on these things – and you may receive help. I myself became so overly-sensitized to a feeling of potential hypocrisy that I haven’t yet been able to be a “joiner” – but on the other hand, I have found a number of small groups which really do embody the gifts of the spirit (within the limits of human frailty – remember that no-one is perfect). The absolute answers are hard to come by – but the only way to proceed is to find what is real, what is authentic, and to follow that where it leads. Some people have trouble dealing with the insecurity of this – they would rather feel and know that they are always in the right – but developing a “sense” of ethics, compassion, and humility is, or so I have come to believe – closer to what is intended in the best of religious faith.
3 thoughts on “Ask A Former JW: About the Afterlife”
Good post. Bravo!
Dear Robert:
Your question is a very valid question and concern. And it is a question that all Jehovah’s Witnesses really deserve and honest and logical answer to. I do have the answer for you and I will explain it to you the best I can.
At this moment and today is march 18, 2005, there is no “religion” your dad can turn to, or organization he can turn to that will give him the spiritual direction he wants satisfied. Being a JW for many years and reading all the publications and magazines really builds a strong hope in living forever in a paradise earth and it is only natural for any person who leaves the organization to continue to have that spiritual desire satisfied.
While their is obvious issues with the organization, there are many very sincere people who truly love Jehovah that are what you say “stuck” in a spiritual catch 22.
But that spiritual catch 22 is going to end soon. Here is how this is going to end soon. Jehovah is going to remove his holy spirit shortly from that organization and start a new one. Many of the bible prophecies that they have talked about have failed simply because they are not in the correct timeline. You can’t have a correct bible prophecy if it doesn’t fit the period of time it’s suppose to fit in. Prophecy is like math, if you insert the wrong number along the problem you are working on, you will always get the wrong answer. I’m not going to go into any details about the prophecies I understand, but I will tell you this. The bible warns us very seriously at 2 thess 2:1-3 to not believe that the day of the lord is here. The time of the end is a very specific period of time, and it is clearly marked in the bible. Even thou it may seem like we are living in the last days, we aren’t. 1914 is not the start of the time of the end and it’s easily disproved if one understands the timeline of Jehovah. One of the signs Jesus talked about showing that the last days were here, was at Matt. 24:6 he says you are going to hear of wars and reports of wars.
Come this October of 2005, and specifically the 8th day the last days will start by something that is going to trigger a war. After that Jehovah will start to establish his new source of spiritual “food”. Don’t worry you”ll hear all about it because it will explode onto the world scene. Dan. 12:9 supports that the info will be unsealed in the time of the end. This war is only the beginning of many issues that will face this world and difficult days are in store for all of us. My biggest advice to you and your family and anyone else who reads this post is: Enjoy these last few months before October, after that many hardships will be faced by all of us. Most of us have never had to live thru a war of hardships where we lack the basic things it takes to make a living. But if you really love Jehovah and endure all the hardships, even if you or anyone in your family dies, your reward and/or your resurrection will be a good one. At ecc. 12:14 Jehovah says he will bring every sort of work into judgement, specifically the hidden things. The organization is going to turn very corrupt and many people will leave it for that reason. Realize Jehovah is in control and he will take care the issues. The organization will fulfill the bible prophecy of Babylon the Great. And your father should get out as any who stay in it will suffer the destruction she is faced with. I could type all day long and explain things that would blow your mind, the future is pretty intense, but just take the advice to really relax and enjoy your life now before October of this year. Do the things you’ve wanted to, don’t delay. Also, I’d stock up on food supplies while you can, and simplify your lifestyle and eliminate bills and material possessions you don’t need. War always brings increased crime. Jesus told us not to store up treasure where people can break in and steal. And one more advice, be very careful what you say and write on the internet, as all of these posts remain for many years, and what happens in the future with the politics involved with it, don’t be surprised if you are persecuted or even threatened with your life by anything negative you say. When a war comes it always brings out the worst in humanity. Jesus own words at matt. 24: 9,10 support that. That is about all I can say now. I hope this helps, if not your father anyone who will listen. Good day Robert
Before you look to the after life as one would learn , it would suit one to see what another has expirenced. If you ask yourself what happened when Jesus was placed in the tomb for those three days ? – He was dead, yet for three days he did something, one may say that – ” Our Lord yielded His spirit to the Father,died, and at some time between death and the resurrection, visited the realm of the dead (interesting as one would think your dead, your dead.) He delivered a message to spirt beings, ( we would therefore assume a spirt being has no soul, body, something invisable, a life force? maybe not as we would known, or could call a person.) One may also assume that they were fallen angels; see Jude 6, who were somehow related to the period just before the final days of the flood in Noah’s time, keep in mind verse 20@21. Peter did not tell us what He proclamed to these imprisoned spirts, one may think that it was not a messadge of redemption since angels canot be saved ref: Hebrews 2:15@16 . It was proberly a declaration of victory over Satan and his hosts, see 1 peter 3:22; Colossians 2: 15. Also Ephesians 4:8-10 also it seems to give one, or to indicate that Christ went to “paradise” that would rase a question as to what then is paradise? see Luke 16:20@43. The bible isn’t clear entirely, on what Jesus did in the three days between His death and resurrection, but just the fact that there seems to be a mention of what he did leaves a question or two, why did God not destroy them at the time of the flood, it does seem that one would think that he was preaching victory over the fallen angels and or unbelievers, the bible tells us that we face judgment after death, see Hebrews 9:27 , it does not say a second chance. Now read Matt:28 : 17 then ask if this is true, then which one are you? Also read 1 Peter 3:18@19@22 Matt 27:46, Romans 1:3@4. Also no were in the bible does it say that Jesus visited hell Acts 2:31 or went there it does say that He went to “Hades” The word Hades ref to the relem of the dead, a tempory place were they await the resurrection Rev;20:11-15. Hell as in ver;14 says that it (Hell) with death are hurled into the lake of fire, another question, if Hell and death only are hurled into the lake of fire, who then would be in Hell, and who then would not? maybe everone gets a second chance, in the last 1000 years, before you are judged.