Ever since leaving my former faith (JW) I've had an unquentable desire to disprove my old beliefs and prove my new ones. Do you know how tiresome, confusing and draining that is? A couple of nights ago I started reading writings by Thomas Paine, wow! (thank you Farkel) What he has to say on christianity and other religions is mind blowing and it rocks you to your core. I'm only on ch 13 but it's life changing stuff. (I'm now in the 2nd part of his writings)
Back to me trying to prove stuff like if the sequence of creation was correct, if there really was a flood, if men like job really existed and actually wrote those words, when it dawned on me: what does this actually prove to me about God, did it matter....you know what? suddenly it didn't matter, because everything in the bible was not revealed to me, Louise Maxwell, so HOW could I prove or disprove it? I cant, and no one is alive that can or cant. Just because someone wrote something down thousands of years ago doesn't make it so. (Thomas Paine reasons this out so well)
Interpretation of words and their meanings get lost in translation, accounts could have changed as they got handed down. I believe more and more that each persons' salvation is unique and each can receive their own revelation, their own one on one, their own first account from God. I have personally experienced things that I know were meant for me to grow in truth and faith, and though I may have shared them, it becomes handed down information, second third hand knowledge, but no one can dispute the original experience that *I* had, that we all can have. That is why I hold true to "no man knows what the next needs spiritualy, only God."
I think over the ages we have forgotten our true relationship with God, we seem to have added in the middle man, perhaps because we are afraid to hear God, perhaps because we dont want to take responsibility for our actions. **shrug**' A lot of my christians friends think I've lost it - think I need to get back to church - sometimes I find even reasoning with christians (the ones I know anyway) to be like reasoning with a witness (not as bad though)
The Bible - Not My Revelation
by LouBelle 2 Replies latest jw friends
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LouBelle
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serotonin_wraith
Back to me trying to prove stuff like if the sequence of creation was correct, if there really was a flood, if men like job really existed and actually wrote those words, when it dawned on me: what does this actually prove to me about God, did it matter....you know what? suddenly it didn't matter, because everything in the bible was not revealed to me, Louise Maxwell, so HOW could I prove or disprove it?
The thing is, we CAN prove the real order of how the Earth developed, we CAN prove there wasn't a worldwide flood, we CAN prove the first humans were around before 6,000 years ago, and so on. There are many 'revelations' we can now prove wrong, or at least prove that God was lying about if he does indeed exist and inspired the Bible.
You seem to be clinging to the Biblical god, even though you think salvation is a one on one arrangement between humans and 'God'. How about the Muslims, the Hindus, the Buddhists and all those who don't believe the Bible was a revelation from any god?
It sounds to me as if you're a deist already. But being a deist in a Christian society may make it difficult to explore the full range of beliefs from humanity's past. When I've looked at different religions I see the theme of humans trying to explain things they didn't understand. As science answers questions, gods die out. Perhaps, following this to its logical conclusion, none exist.
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LouBelle
How about the Muslims, the Hindus, the Buddhists and all those who don't believe the Bible was a revelation from any god?
I should have explained better perhaps, when I refer to god I usually mean the god of each ones' religion no matter who / what that god is. Each in their belief can have their one one one relationship with their god. (hope that makes a bit more sense)
My point is that proving or disproving those things don't really matter, they don't effect me today - it's too time concuming to try prove / disprove all those doctrines. I really don't care if they happend or not.