After looking at some Read the Bible in One Year plans, i have been toying with the idea of giving it a go. I don't know if anybody has come across these plans, but each day of the week you put about 15 minutes aside and read a bit from the OT, a Psalm, an Epistle and a Gospel. Eventually after a year you've read the lot.
Although as a JW i have read most of the bible, i only did it within the constrains of referencing from a WT publication. Most of my NWT was covered in my own writings and comments, like a good studious JW.
Anyhow after 13, 14 years out and during this time trying to go the atheist route, the last couple of years i have examined just about every doctrine with a view to forming my own opinion. In my head i still debate doctrine, whether that's JW doctrine or anybody else's, i guess i have been thinking of late why not just read the bible and see what i can get from it.
So a few days ago i bought myself a NIV, it's so refreshing, it almost feels like a different read to the NWT that i'm used to. Even though i've been out so long, i always used the NWT because of my familiarity with it.
The only issue i have with the NIV is replacing the tetragammoton with LORD, but at the same time i have issues with Jehovah anyhow and think it should be translated as Yahweh. Although there is a translation, i believe the New American Bible uses the word Yahweh i wanted to use a translation that is not doctrinal bias. As the NIV is non-demoninational and uses many different scholars i have opted for that.
It is refreshing to actually read the bible without any doctrinal constraints, i can't believe the WT actually discourages independant reading of the bible.
Paul