by cantleave 202 Replies latest watchtower bible
What danger is there to being Christian?
The danger of planning your life around something that isn't true.
The danger of being influenced by the bible's dreadful standard of ethics and raising children to do likewise.
The danger of raising children to believe they are inherently sinful.
The danger of viewing all non-christians as enemies of your god, damned by their disbelief.
The danger of believing that the world is going to hell in a handbasket and the end is nigh.
etc
Sometimes I find it odd that people who have reached out and become elders because they believed they were ones who could teach, for many years taught that God existed and how he should be served including disfellowshipping people who saw Christianity in a different way than they taught, after a short period of time ridicule the God they served.
My faith is pretty much bipolar nowadays, so it depends on what day of the week before I can tell you what I believe anymore. I'd say that on good days though, the Bible is STILL NOT inspired of God, however I believe you can find the word of God within the various letters, historical accounts, and the Gospels if you look hard enough all the while being genuine in your motives.
On bad days, I'd say the Bible is NOT inspired of God, and that any intelligent person who believes otherwise needs to believe that it's inspired of God so as to have a coping mechanism. Belief that the Bible is inspired of God provides comfort for those in fear, and that's not limited to those fearing their own mortality. People who fear current events, or have unease about the culture which surrounds them and question where do they fit within it, use the Bible as a sort of validation that tickles the fancy of their own egos, or reassures them of their place in society even if that means validating their wish to not see themselves as part of society.
Regardless though, I still believe that much of what's in the Bible can benefit people. As the old saying goes that there's nothing new under the sun, we can learn off of other people's mistakes and sucesses by familiarizing ourselves with what's in the Bible. Ecclesiastes, Jonah, Peter's letters, James' letter, and the Gospels still remain some of my favorite reading material. Epictetus' teachings on Stoicism is probably the most brilliant bit of reading I've ever had the privilege of taking the time to do, and yet it reminds me so much of Jesus to the point I wonder how much the Jesus as recorded in the Gospels, particulary Matthew, were influenced by Stoicism, or maybe the latter was actually influenced by early Christianity, maybe both?
Another thing, a lot of people find fault with the Apostle Paul's letters, and some days I do too, however I think what gets missed often is that Paul reflected the cultural tenets of his era. While stating that women should be secondary to men, he still praised a handful of women in his journies. I don't buy that he was a misogynist, rather he was relating what he believed to be beneficial to the congregation, and was genuine in relating such. Personally, I think the biggest problem with Paul's letters, was not the man who penned them, but rather what leaders in organized religion today attempt to do with his letters. Case in point, "marry only in the Lord", which ironically enough at the beginning of that same chapter Paul explicitely states to the reader that the words are from him, not that of the Lord. It's good advice on one hand, but certainly not a command, and shouldn't be the basis for Local Needs parts, marking people, or questioning the qualifications of any Pioneer, Elder, Ministerial Servant who supports the couple in any way. Yet, that's exactly what organized religion does. The blood doctrine is another case of religion, particulary one religion, reading WAY TOO FAR into what Luke recorded Paul as relating to the Gentile brothers. I think that can sum up a lot of criticism of the Bible as it's not necessarily what was written, but rather how we read, interpret, and act upon what we've read.
edit post: Funny to me how some people view Paul as being a misogynist, however don't see anything wrong with the woman who washed Jesus feet and then dried his feet with her hair.
Cofty you believe that Christians have a dreadful standard of ethics?
Sometimes I find it odd that people who have reached out and become elders because they believed they were ones who could teach, for many years taught that God existed and how he should be served including disfellowshipping people who saw Christianity in a different way than they taught, after a short period of time ridicule the God they served.
In retrospect I NEVER served god, I served a despotic organisation.
Sometimes I find it odd that people who have reached out and become elders because they believed they were ones who could teach, for many years taught that God existed and how he should be served including disfellowshipping people who saw Christianity in a different way than they taught, after a short period of time ridicule the God they served. - Ucantnome
Its not odd at all.
When I discovered for myself that the organisation was not of god I began an intellectual journey. For 9 years I was a very committed born-again evangelical christian. After a while I continued to apply the same critical thinking to my new beliefs that I had used to break free of the cult.
I found that the inspiration of scripture did not stand up to scrutiny. Later I concluded there was no satisfactory answer to the problem of evil. Then I began to read science books and discovered that the evidence for human evolution was incontravertible. I don't mean I read a book or two, it was a task that has so far lasted 6 years.
It became clear to me that I had no need of god - he was redundant.
Being open to evidence is a process that should go on for the rest of our lives.
NRFG: I still believe that much of what's in the Bible can benefit people. As the old saying goes that there's nothing new under the sun, we can learn off of other people's mistakes and sucesses by familiarizing ourselves with what's in the Bible.
I agree with that, but the same can be said of many books, whether designated "Holy" or not.
cantleave maybe your right. I always thought I served God. That's why I left. Not that I mean to sound as if I'm better but that is why it seems odd.
Cofty you believe that Christians have a dreadful standard of ethics?
I believe the bible promotes appalling ethics. Thankfully only crazy people like Pat Robertson and the Westboro bunch actually take it seriously, most christians only pretend to.
Ucant- As a former Elder and JW it seems a natural progression to question the existence of God, who was the philosopher who said 'I don't want to believe in a god I can explain', Scientist Richard Feynman said 'God was invented to explain mystery'. The Age of Enlightenment with its scientific advances pulled the curtain on the Wizard of Oz so to speak. Astronomers could see deep space for the first time and measure distant galaxies in the 100s of millions of light years, Genesis was proven false. Once Genesis scientifically was proven wrong the house of cards tumbled.
