How Does One Find Another Religion

pettygrudger

this is probably a strange question, but how do you "pick" something else to study? I'm having a hard time just picking up the bible & reading it - but I'm terrified of picking up any "study material" from other organized religions to help. Which Bible do I use? Is there another bible, other than the NWT by the JW's that comes from actual scrolls? I'm also extremely terrified of getting caught up in another "cult" and losing the ability to think for myself. Because I was born & raised a JW, I have never been taught good study habits that didn't involve studying the W & A by heart & glancing at the scriptures from the bible that the articles happen to contain. How does 1 who truly wants to know God study?

LDH

Most of us have gotten over the 'religion' thing, Petty. Those of us who still believe there is a God, are interested in knowing him on a personal basis.

The Bible does not and never has provided a comprehensive story about God. It is the story of two different Jehovahs. The blood thirsty God of the Israelites, and the compassionate father of Jesus.

Many have a hard time reconciling the two.

Why don't you ask yourself what purpose you would like religion to serve in your life? That would be a good place to start.

Welcome,
Lisa

bboyneko

Start completley from scratch: Does God exsist? What evidence is there? If he exsists, did he send us any holy books? Which one is the right one? Is there a right one? If you are going to go exclusively Christian, read both the literature of the church you are interested in and also critical viewpoints. You need to see BOTH sides of the coin. Thats called making an informed decision.

If you are really coonsidering the bible, read this page first and see if you can find a church that can adequetly explain why God ordered the killing of babies still breast feeding:
.. http://members.aol.com/JAlw/saul_and_the_amalekites.html

NameWithheld

Excellent post LDH, and good advise. Why jump right into another man made religion. And don't confine your study to just the bible, it's not the only 'god's book' out there. As far as getting manuscripts older - they're in greek/hebrew/aremaic(sp?)/others so to REALLY study them you'd have to learn those languages, and not only the language, but how it was used 2000+ years ago. Not an easy task, and one reason there is so much dispute over 'correct' translation of the bible.

Just remember there are no concrete answers, if you want to by into a religion you will have to make a leap of faith, and trust what some man/men have decided is 'truth'. There is no other way in the religous world. Not until god would decide to come down and tell us what to do in no uncertain terms (thundering voice from sky? Perhaps, but have to make sure it wasn't the CIA or something too )- which last I check I haven't heard of happening ...

joelbear

Hi Petty,

I study and read all types of religious, spiritual and philosophical information regarding sociology, science, science fiction, on and on and on.

When I find something that sounds like it fits I add it to my own personal philosophy which I call Lifeism. I don't always succeed in heeding to my own philosophy, but I try.

take care

Joel

willy_think

Is there another bible, other than the NWT by the JW's that comes from actual scrolls?

well, the NWT doesn't come from actual scrolls. the NRSV is a bible accepted by all major christian religions.
if you just want to here another far more scholarly and complete interpretation of the bible and to understand the frist christians here are a couple of links. you now have many predigudges aganst all other christian beliefs, beat into you buy "JOKE" bashing and actual repitious tichings in the hall. i challenege you to put away your hate and look for your self. beware teachers of hate. early christian writers are available on the web and in the library. on the net as you know you are anonymous. i found the bible to be a catholic book from cover to cover. every challenge every question has it's anser.

http://www.bibleontheweb.com/bible.asp
http://www.catholic.com/
http://www.missionnet.com/catholic/
http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/christian-history.html
http://www.ocf.org/OrthodoxPage/reading/St.Pachomius/
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/

Stacey

Petty,

I too was born & raised JW. Coming out I was scared to pick up any materials that were "apostate" and not WT publications. What fear they instilled in us.

After leaving the JWs I did start studying Christianity. Yes, from one religion to the next. I did that for several years, and again did not use my critical thinking and reasoning. Just went along with yet another man's rendition of the "truth".

Now I belong to no religion, I read anything I want to. I am not scared of putting "bad" information into my head. I take things with a grain of salt that I read, and I dont believe it just because I read it or because someone told me it was the way to go. I have recently done much critical study of the bible and the christian religion, and decided that maybe that was not the path for me.

There are many eternal questions in life. I dont have the answers. And neither does anyone else really. It's all just anyone's best guess. And if god is going to punish us for guessing wrong (with all of the lack of clear direction), well then geez, he's not a very nice god. I have just come to terms that there is no more black & white in my life. Life is too colorful to make everything black and white. Why cant we just ask questions and wonder. I've learned to be comfortable with not knowing.

I hope you can come to something that you are comfortable with. Just know that most of us have been where you are. And we've all taken our own path. You must do the same.

Just blabbing....
Stacey

Yerusalyim

Petty,

I recommend using SEVERAL bibles, and commentaries as well. The Revised Standard Version and the New Jerusalem Bible are both excellent.
I recommend starting with a study of Judaism to give Jesus some context. As to LDH stating that it contains a vengeful God and the Loving God of Jesus, well, I've never read it that way, and I know of NO JEWS who view God as vengeful, but rather as loving. GOOD LUCK. When you're ready, start visiting churches.

YERUSALYIM
"Vanity! It's my favorite sin!"
[Al Pacino as Satan, in "DEVIL'S ADVOCATE"]

Vienna

Finding the right church (and a bible teaching church) are good when trying to get a deeper understanding of the bible. For instance, our church has community groups that met during the week and we study books of the bible, etc. Currently we are studying the history of the church. Don't worry--it's NOTHING like the JW "bookstudies"! :)

My personal favorite is the New American Standard bible. It does take awhile to "relearn" the bible after leaving the JWs, but it's fun and worth the ride.

AmazingProgeny

I was also born and raised a JW. For a long time I didn't want anything to do with any religion. I still had faith in God and considered myself a Christian, but I didn't want to go to a church or be a part of any religion. I did attend a couple of churches, but never really felt completely at home in them.

Then I found a Christian parenting message board that had all sorts of Christians. I read their messages and compared them to each other. I participated and learned a lot about the different Christian religions and ways of looking at God. Then a Religion Debate board was created. I went to that and learned something of other religions. I found people between the two boards that I respected. I found myself questioning and changing a lot of my old beliefs. I am still questioning and looking answers. I have learned to value the journey I am on.

There are a lot of books out there about all religions. There are works of fiction that have a spiritual aspect (The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis and books by Madeliene L'Engle are some I've read). Read anything and everything you want. Take time to absorb it, think about it, question it, and figure out how you feel about it.

There are a lot of Bibles too. Read them or their history. Compare what they say. Find one that you like. I have a New International Version. I like it. It is the only one I have right now, but I want to get others eventually so I can compare them.

There are a lot of religious websites. You can find amazing amounts of information on the internet. There is even a website that has a test you can take to see what religion you fit into.

I have stayed with the Christian faith b/c I feel that it is the right one for me. I go to a church that allows me to believe differently from them. I am still exploring and one day I may leave that church in favor of another one.

Finding a new religion can be a wonderful journey. You can learn so much. As you learn, you will grow and mature. Don't worry about falling into another cult. Just make sure to learn everything you can about whatever religion you are interested in. Take your time and enjoy your journey.

AmazingProgeny

How Does One Find Another Religion

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