I was listening to a radio program the other day and I must admit after the DJ finished I felt so foolish to be a believer in the bible. He was asking listeners if someone were to come up to them now and say that their donkey talked to them or their snake said a sentence to them or that their neighbor turned into a pile of salt would they want that person committed as "crazy" or want to know what "drugs" they were on. But as believers in the bible we swallow anything it says without proof and rely solely on faith. We close our eyes to fact and evidence to disprove it and somehow think Jehovah changed things for that moment in the bible to get something accomplished. Now I can talk to my dog all day long and I will never get him to talk to me. But why do I believe that the snake talked to Eve. Moses turning the sea into blood why can't we do that now. Why does Jehovah expect us to believe things that happened thousands of years ago but won't allow it to happen today? I sometimes think that DJ was right and believers are just "foolish" to swallow the bible.
As "Believers" in the bible do you feel "foolish" at the things you swallow
by booker-t 15 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Anti-Christ
I did feel foolish, that's why I don't believe it any more. No disrespect to those you do believe.
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AlmostAtheist
If there really is an almighty god, it would be child's play for him to make a donkey talk, or any of the other miracles. If I were a believer, I wouldn't have a problem with any of that.
Some of it, though, doesn't make logical sense. Like the donkey talking. No problem there. But Balaam listened to him, and even carried on a conversation! In reality, he would've run away scared, thinking his donkey was full of demons. THAT's the sort of thing that would make me feel foolish for believing.
Dave
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Arthur
Even when I was a Witness, I had trouble with accepting various accounts as literal historical accounts. Many of them simply had the ring of mythology to them. And, so as I began to do independent research into the Bible, I found that my intuitions were correct.
The problem with people trying to insist that all OT accounts are literal accounts, is that it robs many of the stories of much of their literary value as cultural works created with symbolism and allegory to teach us moral lessons. Stories with the characters of Balaam, Samson, Job, Jonah, are some very intriguing literary works which become even more fascinating when you begin to pick apart the symbols that were included to contain quasi-hidden meanings and significant moral lessons.
Another major problem is that it requires the believer to believe that Yahweh has weak human emotions, human frailties, and can become easily provoked, jealous, insecure, fitful, wrathful, and someone who can be bargained with like a capricious judge.
At the same time however, I cannot throw the baby out with the bath water. The teachings of Jesus Christ demonstrate a stark contrast to the paradigms and portrayals of the OT God. So, the question of inspiration naturally comes up.
I certainly do believe that a good portion of the Biblical writings were inspired. I must add however, that my view of the word "inspired" is not the same as many fundamentalists who believe that it was "dictated" word for word to the writers. I do not believe in Biblical inerrancy. When I say "inspired", I mean that their teachings were in alignment with divinity, or the power of divinity - namely their teachings were in alignment with love, kindness, mercy, justice, and spiritual truths. When I look at the main thrust of Jesus’ teachings, I am impressed by their utter simplicity and profundity. His teachings might seem childishly simple to us, but to a generation with such twisted religious views, it was totally life transforming.
I still read and study the Bible. I realize that I do not have a lot of the answers, and I try my best to avoid dogmatism. I do consider myself a Christian in that I try my best to study and follow Christ’s teachings; while fellowshipping with other Christians. I don’t agree with everything that is taught in the church I go to; and I don’t need to.
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abbagail
Q: As "Believers" in the bible do you feel "foolish" at the things you swallow.
A: Simply put: Nope, not at all. God can do anything He wants, any time, any place, and with any being or any thing He so chooses.
Q: Moses turning the sea into blood why can't we do that now. Why does Jehovah expect us to believe things that happened thousands of years ago but won't allow it to happen today?
A: Because ALL of the Bible is FOR US, but not ALL of it is written TO US.
Different parts of the Bible were written specifically TO different administrations (times/ages/peoples, etc.), ie, by "Rightly Dividing the Word" it becomes more clear as to what applies to whom, and what was written to whom, etc.
Right now we are in the Age of GRACE (no burdensome law code, no OT rituals, etc.) also referred to as the Age of the Gentiles. Hence, concentrate on Paul's epistles for the "church age" and that might help to provide a clearer understanding of where "WE" are in this period of time. HTH.
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Oh, and the mockers are always going to make fun of the Bible. It's what they do. They are eagerly looking for reasons NOT to believe. So why let their sass-a-frass shake your equilibrium? ;-)
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penny2
I feel foolish that I believed the "end" was coming by 1975. I feel foolish that I stuck around for another 20+ years, still thinking it was going to happen any minute. I feel angry that I'm still not allowed to explain this to some of my relatives (well I could, but that would be our last conversation).
I'm happy that I learned the truth about "the truth".
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dedpoet
It is kind of embarassing to admit that I swallowed most of it as a jw,
though I always had private doubts about some things, like the story
of Noahs Ark.I don't believe any of it now though.
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yaddayadda
I don't feel its foolish to believe in miracles at all, even if some of them seem a bit childish in the bible (talking donkeys, etc). I sometimes wonder about the historicity of some of the things in the old testament (I have no trouble believing the new testament) simply because the spans of time stretch back so far into the ancient past in the OT, but that doesn't mean I must reject the bible as overall the inspired word of God. And it certainly doesn't mean I must reject believe in God.
Life is full of miracles that may seem foolish. Is it foolish to gaze wonderingly and joyously at a baby or puppy dog, or a pigeon wandering around near your feet pecking the ground? Would you have felt foolish if 500 years ago you became convinced that one day humans would fly in massive metal machines in the sky, or walk on the moon, or talk to someone on the other side of the planet through a tiny metal device, or heat up their food in a metallic box?
The real foolishness is to lose your sense of wonder and mystery at life and the universe and how little we really know about what is behind it all. It's a big mistake to measure the truth about the past and the future on what life is like today. -
Warlock
After seeing pictures from the Hubble telescope? Who is the fool?
Warlock (no offense meant to non-believers)
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esw1966
I've always LOVED the Bible!
I think it provides the BEST way to live!
I don't feel foolish at all.
It has given me the greatest relationship I could ever be in, Jesus Christ! It has changed my life! My life is filled with love, joy, and happiness! It's been good to me despite losing my children, father, sister, and ex-wife to a cult.