Hi all, I've been reading this site for several weeks and I really liked the community and it seems like a good place where I discuss my concerns openly.
About me:
I've been studying since elementary school, I became an unbaptized publisher in elementary school too. I currently am in high school. About two years ago I began having doubts. Not about Jehovah's Witnesses specifically, but God and religion in general. First it began with the Genesis account, only two people existed at one time? A global flood? Satan speaking through a snake? I am a person who loves science and technology and none of this made sense. After a while, the only thing keeping me believing in God was when I thought about the universe. It's vastness, laws, and beauty. Everything was so precise. I thought, "How could everything be so perfect on earth for life?" Then I realized something, if things WEREN'T perfect we wouldn't be here. Things HAVE to be perfect for life. And when we look at these perfect conditions we assume there must have been a creator.
Now that seems obvious but think about it. Consider the size of the universe, billions upon billions of galaxies, in those galaxies, billions upon billions of stars, each with objects orbiting them. Is it really that ridiculous to assume that in all that vastness there wouldn't be a single planet suitable for life? In fact, in our own galaxy, scientists have discovered a planet which is the perfect distance from it's own sun, they say they are almost 100% sure life exists there. http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/30/100-percent-chance-for-life-on-newly-found-planet/?iref=allsearch
I often think about the universe and our own existence and I can only come to the conclusion that I don't believe in God. This is the first time these words have ever been out of my own thoughts
Anywaaay, that's why I feel the way I do, there are other reasons, but that's one of my big ones.
A bit more about me, I've never been a good witness. I always associate with "worldy" people, I play violent video games, swear, I've even been drunk (not pass out drunk, but tipsy/slur words drunk), I've never smoked and have no intentions to. I haven't been out in service for a couple months, my meeting attendance is dropping, so I suppose I've started my fading. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
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This is completely off the subject but last night I was doing some research into the cross/stake debate and here are my findings. Feel free to point out my flaws, it wasn't the most thorough research in the world.
Okay,
1) According to the reasoning book, "The Greek word rendered “cross” in many modern Bible versions (“torture stake” in NW) is stau?ros′. In classical Greek, this word meant merely an upright stake, or pale. Later it also came to be used for an execution stake having a crosspiece. The Imperial Bible-Dictionary acknowledges this, saying: “The Greek word for cross, [stau?ros′], properly signified a stake, an upright pole, or piece of paling, on which anything might be hung, or which might be used in impaling [fencing in] a piece of ground. . . . Even amongst the Romans the crux (from which our cross is derived) appears to have been originally an upright pole.”—Edited by P. Fairbairn (London, 1874), Vol. I, p. 376.
a) I dislike that the source of this information was 136 years old. It especially bothers me when the society uses older sources for their science quotes.
2) It states that "stauros" was formerly used to mean stake. 3) Matthew 27:40 mentions the cross/stake Jesus was killed on. 4) According to the All Scripture Inspired book, the book of Matthew was completed in 41 CE. 5) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stauros States that the writers of first century BCE were using stauros to mean cross. a) I realize wikipedia isn't always the best source which is why I am concerned the research may be flawed. 6) This means that by the time Matthew wrote his book, the term stauros meant cross. 7) Why would Matthew use outdated language while writing? Please let me know if there is anything I overlooked!