If The Bible Is Truly The Word Of God...

by exjdub 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  karly

  Hi exjdub,

  Here are my thoughts on the subject:

  I have struggled with some of the same thoughts as you and others. I think you would find the work of Joseph Campbell interesting. He studied religious mythology all over the world. He came to the conclusion that we could find more satisfaction in religious writings by acknowledging that they are result of mythology and not read them concretely. Like the story of Adam and Eve, or Jonah. If we examine the symbology we might find it more meaningful and less troublesome.

  I have decided to "keep" in my heart the parts of the Bible that inspire me and make me a better person. Like 1 Corinthians 13. And the discription of the fruitage of God's spirit described in Galatians 5:22,23. In fact, I was meditating on that one day had a personal epiphany about it. I was thinking that those scriptures show that God's spirit does not come from belonging to a particular organization. To the extent that we show love, joy, peace, patience, etc we demonstrate that we possess God's spirit. I feel I have become more understanding and compassionate since leaving the witnesses, and less judgmental. It has proven to me that the society has over stepped its bounds to insinuate that people who leave have lost God's spirit and are controlled by the Devil. I think that you can begin to see spiritual beauty all around if you look for it.

  About the Bible. I think much of the Bible is a guidebook for establishing cults and cultlike behavior. Religions that still insist on a literal interpretation, comformity, strict adherance to a certain set of tenets, and discourage individual thought, are cults. Many mainstream churches also fall into this catagory. They can be come like a drug and require constant indoctrination sessions (meetings, services...) to keep one on the straight and narrow. One has to constantly quell his own disquieting thoughts and become numb. Many work out their entire lives on this earth waiting to be called to heaven or paradise or the rapture or surviving armeggedon....

  Most ancient religious writings inspire guilt and the feeling of smallness, inadequacy. That could be because the people wrote them felt at a loss because of misunderstanding natural occurances. But worse than that is the ones wrote with an agenda... to disempower the regular folk......

  Examining the Bible from a different viewpoint(s) can be very beneficial. It can be liberating to ponder the things you brought up.

  Karly
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  got my forty homey?

  Or the wierd stories the bible shares with us, like Noahs daughters getting him drunk to have babies with him, reverse incest, rape? Or a guy gets killed trying to stop the ark of the covenant from falling over, talk about being a good Samaritan. Or my favorite, a guy who sells his birthright for a bowl of Campbells? Is this the same as Bart selling his soul to Millhouse for 5$.?

  What about all the books in the bible that are not accepted as "real"? Who made these decisions? God or Man?
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  DannyBear

  Karly said;

  ****About the Bible. I think much of the Bible is a guidebook for establishing cults and cultlike behavior. Religions that still insist on a literal interpretation, comformity, strict adherance to a certain set of tenets, and discourage individual thought, are cults. Many mainstream churches also fall into this catagory. They can be come like a drug and require constant indoctrination sessions (meetings, services...) to keep one on the straight and narrow. One has to constantly quell his own disquieting thoughts and become numb. Many work out their entire lives on this earth waiting to be called to heaven or paradise or the rapture or surviving armeggedon.... ***

  Damn good synopsis.

  The simple fact that no one can prove that the bible is God's actual word to man, is reason enough to be skeptical of the claim.

  The sad fact is that to few allow themselves to do so.

  Danny
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  exjdub

  Karly,

  First things first: Welcome to the JWD Board. I hope we here more from you. If your first post is the indication of what is to come, then all I can say is...Wow...I agree with Danny Bear that is a damn good synopsis

  I have decided to "keep" in my heart the parts of the Bible that inspire me and make me a better person.

  I agree with you and I probably should have mentioned that at the outset. I think the bible is a beautiful book and has great value, I just don't believe it to be the Word of God anymore. Proverbs was, and is, one of my favorite books in the bible because of the simple wisdom contained within.

  I think you would find the work of Joseph Campbell interesting

  Thank you for your recommendation, I will look him up.

  Karly, I hope more people read your post because it is very powerful and well written.

  exjdub
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  A Paduan

  Paduan, I disagree, at least if you are going to build an entire religion around the Bible. You have to have proof that what you are learning came from the original manuscripts

  That is simply an answer to your own question. I still say no.

  How can a book be inspired by God, and yet, be so vague in so many areas...

  To who?

  To anyone who reads it.

  Only as far as you know.

  Why would you seek things that tell you about an end?

  Because the Bible tells you to, that's why. Plus, that is what the whole theme of the Bible is...to get you to the end point.

  What about a beginning? - perhaps an "end of the world as you know it" - like those who realise they have "heard his word" - "he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life".

  Picking a prophet because "you identify with it" is a recipe for disaster and a sure path to misplaced trust.

  That the better part of yourself recognises, regardless of whether you acknowledge it, or "

  let your yes be yes and your no be no"
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  exjdub

  A Paduan

  That is simply an answer to your own question. I still say no.

  No, actually, it was an answer to the answer you gave. your answer contained no supporting information, because there isn't any, nor a foundation with which to build. If the answer is still just no then I would respond with: Then I can pick up any book of unproven, or dubious, origin and declare it God's Word. That is preposterous.

  What about a beginning? - perhaps an "end of the world as you know it" - like those who realise they have "heard his word" - "he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life".

  Again, you did not answer my response to your question, although I did respond to yours. You avoid the response by engaging in circular reasoning. The bible even refers to prophecy being written for the "End". Yes there is, at least according to the bible, a new beginning after the end...but much prophecy still refers to the end...that is it's function according to the bible, at least for the prophesies that are for the "end time".

  That the better part of yourself recognises, regardless of whether you acknowledge it, or "let your yes be yes and your no be no"

  The "better part" of me recognized JW's as the "Truth" at one time. I was misled. The same pitfalls exist with a "prophet". End of point. But that is fine if you want to pick a prophet that way. I just have learned from my mistakes. exjdub
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  Country_Woman

  "And how would you ever be able to verify a true prophet"

  you can only verify a false prophet: when his words proofs to be untrue....

  that was infact the reason I faded and Viv lost her faith: all the propheties of the Watchtower that did'nt happen at all....

  Branda
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  exjdub

  you can only verify a false prophet: when his words proofs to be untrue....

  Country_Woman,

  I agree wholeheartedly..

  exjdub
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  what_is_truth_7

  Hey I'm gona attempt to answer these questions from my view..

  If the Bible is really the word of God, why would he allow manuscripts etc. to be destroyed or lost? when you have so many translations of the same book, many which contradict each other, wouldn't it be critical to have those preserved by the Almighty?

  The Bible tells us his word will remain in some verse..it refers to flowers or something! lol I'l look it up when I get home.

  So this isn't a verse I believe would have translation issues at all btw. So we can be sure the correct word is out there somewhere...we just got to find it...and we are told to search the scriptures and test beliefs so...guess this one is up to us..

  Aswell there is an enemy..the devil...who I think could be held responsible for the origin of all the lies

  and also free will would come into it..lol..but lets not start there!

  If God's name is so important, why would he allow the pronunciation to be lost?

  I've never even came across this thought even before....but the good thing is I know its not really important to the main message of God to us folks down on earth from all I've read in scripture.?!

  How can a book be inspired by God, and yet, be so vague in so many areas...especially in connection with the afterlife, or hope for the dead? When I read of those things, I see the views of the men who wrote. God didn't inspire them to see what the afterlife would REALLY be like.

  Its not vague...maybe your just not studying it enough...look at the bible from the view of not letting contradictions in...if your beliefs are based on this way of looking at things you'll be great. The only thing that is hard to get is a picture in your head of what heaven and hell will be like..why? Because they are beyond what we can concieve! How to get to both is easy to understand though.

  If prophecy is there to help people see the "sign" of the time of the end, why is it so confusing and there is no clear interpretation? And how would you ever be able to verify a true prophet?

  If you take a look into all thats going on in isreal and look at prophecies I believe its profound..though im not very eduacated there. I think the weather is a big sign. Them prophesies were not made anyway so we wod know with any preciseness when Jesus would come back anyway..I believe they were to kick us into action when we saw it coming closer and closer (think of things said in bible like compulsions at child birth..all these things are happening more and more with less time inbetweeen..war,natural disasters etc). They were to push us into a mindset that was not ignorant..and also to be a proof onto God as well. anyway thats my thoughts.

  A true prophet would be walking as well as talking what he believed..would be a holy man of God...and it has always came across to me clearly when someone is holy!

  There message would not contradict the canon of scripture

  Don't know why I'm even say this because I believe the canon is closed.