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Religion Religion is dangerous. How does/has religion affected Bill? His mom was raised in a religious household, Mom and Dad, Dutch Reformed Protestants. She went to church, but rebelled. There were things she didn't like. Like the harangue on hell and being tormented for your sins. However she believed in God. This led to accepting, first from the Mormons knocking on her door, a Bible study, then one from Jehovah's Witnesses. Who she took to. Dad's parents were Mormons, straight from Salt Lake. Bill was 3. He'd be beside Mom at a door, doing proselytizing, and after Mom delivered the sermon, reading Scriptures, Bill meekly invited the householder to the Talk and Watchtower Study at the Kingdom Hall Sunday with a handbill he offered with outstretched hand. If they showed up Sunday Bill would be there to greet them, make them feel welcome and assist in integrating them into the system, a New World System, a Society of people Bill firmly believed was destined to inhabit a restored Paradise Earth. Bill was gung-ho, until he began becoming more than an infant and adolescent. And the Schizophrenia began dominating. It soon became impossible to perpetuate the devotion and enthusiasm he had originally for the "Truth". Other religions. And religion in general. Bill's presently engaged in a counterfeit search for answers at the Mt Tabor Presbyterian/Taborspace Sunday "Coffee". Where Pastor Carley officiates, reading poetry, the Bible, delivering a mini-sermon and engaging the attendees in lively discussion of life. The group banter among themselves, sharing their questionings and thoughts. Bill goes for the entertainment and coffee. For something to do Sunday morning and a bit of people mingling. He percieves JW's and Presbyterians and others are not so unlike each other. Every one springing from a man that made news and trouble 2000 years ago. He built up a following and the thing got out of hand and today 1/3 of the world is "Christian". What is Bill's place in the uprising and what will he do about it? And why? Bill was baptized a JW at 10. Prompted by his mom telling him the time is short, Armageddon draws nigh and those not aligned will perish. Forever. Bill was convinced, without Mom's needing to add additional encouragement. So baptize, why not. The natural next step. Seal his fate. Which it did. Now he's tormented because he's not so sure about... Bill was reminded, or informed in a session with Larry the JW thing hasn't been working for decades. Big word, decades. "You've got other things going on.", says Larry. "Let the JW experience/history be your legacy." What "other" things has Bill got going on? To be of a particular faith one must be immersed in that faith and assume the mantle of the faith. Bill supposes he wasn't ready for the commitment. The surrender. He was in the beginning. It must have worn off. The process was slow. He encountered difficulties. Some associated and/or exacerbated by the Schizophrenia. The Difficulties ... Today ... |
Presbyterians Baptists Voodoo Unitarian Jehovah's Witnesses Seventh Day Adventist Mormons Southern Baptists Nazarenes, Church of |