I have greater appreciation for the Bible as a whole. I enjoy Bible study with truly knowledgeable leaders. I still cannot study the book of Daniel or Revelation. Too many JW memories that I don't like stirring up.
Did leaving the WT build greater appreciation for or kill your reading of the Bible?
by lepermessiah 64 Replies latest jw friends
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coffee_black
When I first left the borg, I read the Bible more. Much more than I ever did as a jw. I visited many Churches, finally finding one I felt was home. I started to heal there. Then I moved from Florida to Massachusetts, and I couldn't find a church I felt truly comfortable in. So I didn't go...except once in a while. I began to realize that my relationship with God was actually getting stronger, much stronger.....not weaker.
So in answer to your question, my faith doesn't come from reading a book....or attending a church. It comes from a one on one relationship with God.
Coffee
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Aussie Oz
stopped reading it as soon as i left.
But the belief that it is/was the inspired word of god correctly understood only by the JWs lasted almost 12 years.
now trying to fathom that it might just be a bunch of tales of violence and mayhem perpetuated by generations of goat farmers...
jury is out...
oz
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dandingus
For me, leaving the Watchtower was the conclusion to the slow death of my faith in man and God. It didn't kill my reading of the bible altogether though, as I still do on occasion. But it is definitely with new eyes, as my perceptions have been altered dramatically. I read it now as a skeptic and cynic.
To me, religion in general just seems to always be human beings inventing things in a pitiful attempt to explain things larger than themselves that they cannot understand. Or as a way to assuage their fear of death, they create fantasies in an irrational and desperate attempt to perpetuate their existance, refusing to even consider the concept that their lives are finite.
There is wisdom in the bible though (as in many religious or philosophical works) and that wisdom can be useful. But is it God's wisdom or man's own common sense showing through beneath the veil of the myths he creates? I am not arguing for one case or the other. I'm still undecided.
So while leaving religion did not "kill" my studies of spiritual things in general and the bible specifically, neither did it enhance my appreciation for them.
Good question! I enjoyed reading many of the responses, especially Terry's story about the angels and Gladiator's analysis.
For what it's worth, even though I'm coming from the opposite point of view on religion and christianity, I agree with tec about the fig tree story. I believe it was always intended as an illustrative instrument and was not simply a petulant Jesus throwing a tantrum at a poor, defenseless tree. Still sucked to be the tree though. Not its fault it was barren.
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Wasanelder Once
Simply reading "The History of the Bible in English" was enough for me to start wondering if the Bible wasn't merely a compendium of crackpot villagers. I'm convinced that it has no more relevence than any other religious book full of folklore and natural cures. They say it is great literature, but I question who "they" are. W.Once
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mindmelda
Well, actually, just the NWT. I sometimes read the Good News Bible. Just to keep my bible in.
I don't go to church, but if I could find a Universal Unitarian I might. There isn't one around here. It's the only Christian religion that I find overly attractive, although I find I like people in all the Christian faiths...which doesn't include Witnesses. They're not big on Christ. Calling them Christian is ridiculous.
They're what they say they are, worshippers of Jehovah.
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Strider Arekksu
There are a couple of Books missing in the commonly publushed Bibles, but the fact that the Bible prophecies about the decendents of who the Bible was mainly intended for, it explains why so many don't get it, especially after they leave from an org that messes it up even more.The informaiton about the garden of eden is sometimes misunderstood, there was certain information that humans apparently were never suppose to know, and that was the so called forbidden fruit. The book of enoch that was taken out of the Bible explained this even further, as the so called-"fallen angles" taught humans astrology, how to make concotions, the concept of valuing minerals, how to create weapons and how to preform death strikes effectively.
The book was MAINLY intended for one race, the Isrealites, but once they were seperated in 70 A.D. and Gentiles got a hold of the book and that's when things started going to hell with Chirstainity, it wasn't meant for them mainly, they were in it and it explained their role in history, but the book itself was not about them at all, which is why no officailly established religion on the planet is right, they teach from a perspective that caters to the Gentiles, when the book is supposed to be a way for the Isrealites to spread the information to the Gentiles, but since we are broken up and in the crappiest position on the planet, we can't fufill the role we were suppose to have because this isn't about just some debate between satan and god, as their are many satans, this is about god being the fufiller of promises and saving his chosen people from the punishment he gave them, and if that's not true, then technically as far a justice goes almost an entire race should be put to death for the actions of their ancestors through out history.
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Heaven
What Gladiator has said. We're totally on the same wavelength on this.
Studying with the Witnesses showed me that being a JW wasn't for me and that different interpretations can be applied to the same scriptures. Because of this, and the symbolism and vagueness within the Bible itself caused me to discard anything that wasn't crystal clear. I had a real hard time connecting to the Bible. I don't trust a book completely written by men placing women in a subservient position. My built-in BS detector rings loud and clear here.
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Crisis of Conscience
BTTT
We have a lot of new folks here who might enjoy reading this or find it helpful. I know I did.
CoC
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boyzone
On leaving my appreciation of the bible grew but now the bible scares me to death, I can't pick it up. All I really remember is being made to feel bad and constant condemnation and not measuring up. Don't want the familiar words to make me feel like that again.