Has your relationship with Jesus changed?

by Honesty 35 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  undercover

  Undercover:You've missing far more than half of the story.
  Allegedly he was resurrected, lives, and it IS possible to have a relationship with him.

  Christian teaching puts a good deal of emphasis on the resurrection, as inseparable from the "sufferings". Just because it only got a small mention in the "My Book of Bible Stories", and we majored on the "torture stake" as JWs, doesn't mean that the WTS got that emphasis right.

  No, I don't think I'm missing any of the story...I'm just calling BS on it. He allegedly lived. He allegedly died. He allegedly was resurrected. I have not been shown any proof that any of these events happened. I maintain that you can't have a relationship with a dead person that you never knew or can't prove existed.

  I agree that the WTS got the emphasis of Jesus importance wrong as it relates to Christians. But since I am not a JW or a Christian nor do I accept the Bible as Holy, it's kind of a moot point.

  I can, however, appreciate those of you that have that faith and try to use that faith to improve their life. Going exactly by what Jesus allegedly taught and practiced (and discounting the later apostles and all religions thereafter) there are a whole lot worse people to put faith in and copy their example.

  The Jesus of the Bible is a good guy. I just don't think he really existed as written in the book. That's how my relationship with him changed after leaving the JWs.
• 

  LittleToe

  Undercover:

  I maintain that you can't have a relationship with a dead person that you never knew or can't prove existed.

  There are three main possibilities:

  • He was a fictitious character
  • He was just a man and died
  • He was a man and/or god and now lives

  From a Christian perspective your statement would be more accurately expressed as "you can't have a relationship with a person that you never knew or can't prove exists." And therein you would have a point. THough you can prove that my cat exists, either, without my assistance.

  LT, of the "I aint even got a cat" class
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  undercover

  So you're saying that Jesus was one cool cat?
• 

  LittleToe

  He sure is
  LOL

  Though to be candid I can't "prove" that to anyone.
  It's made a difference in my life, though.
• 

  Narkissos

  I for one am convinced that there is such thing as "relationship" with a literary character, and that a good fiction at the right time can change your mind and life. It always implies simultaneous relationships with "real" people though.

  I won't try to prove it either as this too is based on some "experience" -- and subsequent interpretation. But I'm pretty sure many others could relate to that.
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  GetBusyLiving

  I never really had a relationship with the Bible character Jesus, but my view of him has changed since leaving the dubs. He believed in the global flood and the God of the old testament. I don't. I just can't take any of the scriptures seriously anymore. I think Christianity has caused so much pain throughout history that I don't want anything to do with it.

  I liked the "it is better to give than to receive" bit though. Not so much the eternal damnation bit..

  GBL
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  LittleToe

  GBL:I concur.
  Childbirth has caused so much pain throughout history that I don't want to have anything to do with it, either.
  It's definitely better to give (though receiving is nice, too) and you can be sure that it'll result in a lifetime of feeling damned

  LT, of the "having fun, and pleasantly surprised that there's no bashing on this thread" class
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  tetrapod.sapien

  yes. now he is just a carpenter that liked to talk a lot.
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  tijkmo

  my relationship with EVERYBODY has changed
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  El blanko

  Am I to take it, from your pic, that you've climbed out from under the rock, now?

  LT:

  Yep, I thought, what the hell. Shoot me you swines, just shoot me