Norman Zimmerman
My name is Norman Zimmerman. I was born into the WWCG in 1962. As my father was not in the church at the time and we lived many miles from other church members my mother gave me a complete indoctrination. I remember being so proud to keep my first Day of Atonement at the age of three. I had to be able to explain the symbolism before I could fast. (I can’t imagine a three year old going 24 hours without food or water.)
I was in Y.O.U., went to S.E.P. for five summers and to Ambassador College 79-83. I had a good childhood compared with many that grew up in the church. Aside from being considered strange at school and the guilt I felt for not being perfect my adolescence was good.
At Ambassador College I managed to stay in trouble a good part of the time. Which in looking back was a very good thing! Public speaking came very natural for me and had I not been in trouble there is a good chance I could have ended up in the ministry. I am so glad that did not happen to me. I cannot imagine how hard it must be for the ministers to go through all the church has gone through. And have not only "your eternal life" but you and your family’s welfare tied up in such a mess. Around 1985 after years of guilt I decided that I could not live up to the expectations of being a Christian and was living a lie, therefore was wasting my time so I quit attending church with no small family drama. This was the best thing I could have done and I think the only way I could make my way out of my religious prison. I was so indoctrinated that I would have never asked the questions that one must ask to be free from that control.
After about ten years away from the church I started to research and to ask the questions a free mind would asked when presented with Christianity. I have come to the conclusion that I am a "soft atheist." That is to say I do not think there is a god in contrast to I know there is no god. I tend to think there may have been a creator at some level but it is clear that man can not determine the creators existence or intent.
I really enjoyed your web site as I love to see to what conclusions others have come. The greatest benefit of my new knowledge or lack there of is that I do not have the feelings of guilt that I lived with for the first 40 years of my life. Thanks for your site.
Norman Zimmerman
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