I say this to my husband often when he brings some thing that I just can't seem to grasp. "If for most of your life you were taught that red was black, it would take a long time to realize that in fact red was red and black was black". I just feel as if I was taught that there was only one way to think and to view the world and if you think any thing other than what you were taught you are wrong and a sinner. It makes things very complicated. I am wanting and ready to realize that there is more than just one way to view things, how is it that borg doesn't realize that people have the right to view things differently and see things from their own perception? Why is it that it's either one way or not at all? Another comment that my sis made was that no other religion teaches what is "really" in the bible. OMG...how would she know, or any one else for that fact? JW are not allowed to really do any research into other religions (that is the impression that I always had), they are just supposed to go by what they are told and not to question it.
Has God Just Set Us Up For Failure?
by confused_101 38 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
-
-
LittleToe
With those facts at your fingertips, you shouldn't go too far wrong! Go forth and conquer...
-
Woodsman
My mom once stated " If the Bible is supposed to be a guide book, why isn't it more like a...."
And I finished with , "Guidebook"?
Just think about how many people and groups have disagreed and even fought over what this one book means.
Even the WTS doesn't agree with the WTS of the 1800s.
If your confused then join the crowd. I think its not you who are confused but "The Book" is.
I heard one comment that the Bible tortures its readers. Isn't that so. How many times do you wonder, " Jesus, why can't you just say what you mean in an intelligent, logical and comprehendable manner. He has some of the brightest minds stumped as to what he meant.
To me this is a fault of the Bible, not the reader.
Perhaps it is because it was not the words of Jesus that were recorded. Perhaps it is because the Bible is not a book but a collection of books, letters and songs. It probably was never meant to be put together in one book. What of all the other letters and books that were not voted in to the canon.
I think you should listen to the man with the cool red hat and look beyond the confines of the Jewish tribal God Yahweh for understanding and contentment in todays world. I like many teachings from the Bible, but not all of them by any means. I also like teachings from other religions and schools of thought. I don't know what will happen in the future but it will be good. The universe has to much beauty in it to not have a good force in the background somewhere.
-
doofdaddy
I fall into Narks footsteps.
If you take away the idea that the stories are literal, what is left is a search for meaning.
Why is life tough?
Can I change my destiny?
Is there destiny?
Are the bad situations in my life my fault?
And finally is this life all there is?
Every culture has their way of understanding through myth and story.
Has god set us up for failure?
No, these writings are for us to ponder on our humaness
IMHO of course
-
young hearts, be free..
Nope, he has not set us up for failure. Nor does Satan inspire all the evil in the world. Why ? Because neither of them exist. Humans fail due to their own inadequacies, as evolution progresses we will find our knowledge and abilities increasing and changing.
The notion of God and Satan exist because of Man's inability to accept responsibility for his fuck-up's, and inability to cultivate the neccessary self-belief that things can be achieved or overcome purely by one's/society's own skills and strength.
-
Spectre
I always had a problem with the whole scenario of:
God, "Look, I just made everything absolutely perfect. Score for me.(and remember, I'm all knowing, nothing gets by me)."
Satan, "Ohhhhhh....I am sooooo jealous, God gets the worship of those two people down there, I gotta get me some of that."
Later on back to God, "They did WHAT?!? but....but... hmmmm..... didn't see that one coming, best I devise a plan that will take 6,000 years that in the end will show .001% of the population at the time that I'm right."
-
confused_101
My hubby has said that the Bible is the best selling fiction novel ever written. I can see how that could be the case. I believe that every person alive can have a different interpretation of it. So I guess that is where the confusion for me lies. The borg teaches and pushes their beliefs and only those. I guess that is why they are what they are today. But the fact that God created us with free will, the chance to choose between good and evil, but then only teaches one way to view anything and everything and that is whe way of WTS, if you think or act in a way that isn't according you are DF and then shunned for the sinner that you supposedly are. It's funny that even after I had seperated myself from the dubs that I never viewed it as a cult, the thought never crossed my mind until someone was taling about the view "The Village" and how they thought that it was about JW, then they said how the religion was alot like a cult and that got me to thinking that it was alot like one. A religion that controls every single aspect of your life isn't just a religion...
-
confused_101
wow...lot's of typos up there...it should have said:someone was talking about the movie "The Village"....t-hee
-
MerryMagdalene
Oddly enough, I feel we've been set up for success...as difficult, traumatic, and laborious as the process may seem, I think it must be the only way. It's an alchemical thing, I guess
~Merry
-
TopHat
Yep! I often wonder myself why God let Satan run amuck and tempt us humans when we can do a bad enough number of sins among ourselves without Satan.
We don't need no stinking Satan!