by Anti-Christ 26 Replies latest jw friends
When I start topics on the bible I'm not trying to pick a fight I'm really trying to understand why some people stick to the belief that the bible is the inherent word of god.
When I figured out that the WTBS was full of S*&T I started to research the bible to learn more about it and to have a better understanding of what god wanted from me but to my surprised I found more then was expected.
I have to go now but I will continue after work...
The bible is the house of cards the wactower society is built on.
Its the castle made of sand the governing body resides in.
The religious leaders about the time the early Catholic church formed cherry picked the books of the Bible that would fit its nefarious plans the best, and then attached authority based on it. They took portions literally that were not meant to be taken so, and used it to boss the members around.
The Watchtower Society further chopped the Bible up to fit its nefarious plans. They took pieces of the Bible out of context to further their authority, using it to ruin people's lives. They thus use pieces of the Bible, totally out of context, to make it look like it's God's will for people to waste all their time out in field circus and to threaten anyone that refuses to join or stay.
I have recently come to the conclusion that most who believe in the ressurection are afraid to die. It is fear that motivates people to the bible for the most part. Imagine all you have to do is believe in Jesus as your saviour and voila-eternal life. Like the magic elixor at a circus. Believe and you have an instant fix.
Most people will deny that (the fear ), but if you read the rhetoric about 6 billion people being destroyed, it does have a fear factor. Plus, I remember hearing the phrase "the fear of God", especially the Catholics.
Because the bible was so poorly written, and I am referring to all the contradictions, I find most of the rhetoric quite nonsensical and quite violent. Therefore I take the book with a large pinch of salt. However I still have faith in my life, because it makes me feel pretty good.
Faith is ok, but blind faith signifies a lack of thought. Someone else thinks for you.
Dude, I'm so with you on this one... good lord, the thing starts off with a talking snake.. it screams myth.. and to hear people defend it... it makes me wonder what the hells wrong with them.
WTWizard!
Loved your very pithy synopsis.
OM
Just so we are clear:
Imagine all you have to do is believe in Jesus as your saviour and voila-eternal life. Like the magic elixor at a circus. Believe and you have an instant fix.
Believe means the following according to Strong's:
"Just believe" is quite an understatement.
True, some evangelists do seem to promote the idea that "all you have to do is confess Jesus is your Lord and Savior" (say a magic prayer) to be saved but theologians agree that confessing you "believe" is only the beginning of the story.
Christians believe you must completely trust in Jesus and commit to a life subservient to Him. See, we are first "justified" by our confession but our "santification" is the hard part. A true act of justification will follow with a work of Jesus in our lives where we are "impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of soul."
Renee -
So are you saying that the 'evangelists' who preach 'belief only' are wrong? This kind of thing confuses those looking for a clear description or understanding of Christianity. There may be some theologians who agree with the evangelists, and others don't.
The Bible is open to a myriad of interpretations. And that gets back to the original poster's main conundrum: The Bible doesn't seem to come from a supreme intelligence. It seems to be a lot of different ideas cobbled together by men. And the disagreement among Christian teachers about what it really says only serves to reinforce the idea that it is a book from men who had their own purpose in compiling it.
I too am beginning to the Bible as a mythological book of stories. But after a lifetime of being told it was a guidebook for life, that is is vital to read it and apply it, what do I believe in now?
Is that too simple a question?
I think all of us that have been Witnesses may know where I am coming from.
momz
The human imagination can believed just about anything if it wills itself so, as others have stated inner fear is a protagonist to beliefs when it is placed in the sub-conscience
mind and the marketers of the WTS have known that for decades. There two parts to organized religion one are the people who seek answers and direction for themselves and the other
part are the people that are willing to offer that direction, the bible is just that medium that can accomplish that very effort.
History has shown us that the belief in gods or a god were mainly structured and developed on the basis of human ignorance or the lack of knowledge of the world we live in.
In a counter balance to that known ignorance, scientific discovery and established facts derived from those discoveries has swayed modern man to stop thinking that there are
invisible but powerful spirits swarming around causing climactic damage to humans and inciting fear to the detriment to the population. It does seem to me and probably many
others thats it's better for man to live in a world of continuing knowledge and to work with this knowledge with the intent to better the human experience. It also seems in an
unfortunate way that religious men like the JWS. have utilized and exploited that ancient ignorance and fear to cultivate their own source of power and control, negating the advancement
of man to better his existence along with it. So the question we have to ask are selfs would it be better to let the gods or the men that say they are gods governed and control us or are we
better off to do it are selfs ?
My vote is on the humans !
