Sylvia, you and I live in different Universes, you are clearly happy in yours so I guess I'll just wish you well and wave at you from time to time across the divide. All the best,
Nic'
Hello! *waving to Nic from across the Big Water*
Let's try this one more time, shall we?
Convictions or reasons - which come first?
I remember asking my daddy, where did we come from?
His reply: In the beginning, God made two people - a man and a woman - and we all come from them.
Me: When was the beginning?
No one knows.
Me: How do you know about God and those two people he made?
From a book called the Bible. It tells us that God made everything else, too. The earth, the sun, the moon, the trees, the food we eat. Everything.
Me: Did God write the Bible?
No, some men wrote it a long, long time ago.
Me: Will you show me the Bible and how to read it?
I picked up the Bible and it began with these words: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth ..."
Was I convinced at that time that this was a book of God's revelation of Himself to us? You bet!!! I had no reason to doubt my dad or the Bible.
Were my convictions ever challenged? Of course! We were sharecroppers, 13 kids (1 died in infancy)stuck in a vicious cycle of poverty due to my dad's alcoholism and my mother's neurosis. I'm sure you get the picture of just how difficult our lives were, but I still found no reason to abandon my faith in God.
At school, I read every book on religion that our little library stocked. Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, everything! In those days, before the Supreme Court outlawed it, Bible classes were taught at school. I excelled in those and in my history classes.
I was also good in science classes, but religion and history were my favorites. I remember one science instructor tried to teach evolution, but such a stink was raised that he abandoned it. Of course, I was intrigued, so I began a study of evolution on my own.
Did my study of evolution dim my faith in the Bible? No. Actually, my faith was strengthened! It was about that time that the Witnesses moved into our community and enthralled us with "God's promise of a peaceful new world that is due very soon." Some, including myself, immediately jumped on the bandwagon.
I did okay with the Witnesses until all those articles about being obedient to the FDS began to appear. I remember thinking, who do they think they are? Jesus? I also read the Times article about Ray Franz and why he was ousted from the GB. I didn't know what to make of this, but I still managed to hold on to the JW religion.
Next, came the announcement that the generation/sheep and goats teachings were being changed. The AP picked this up, and I read about it in the Mobile (AL) Register. I thought, it's about time they were dropped. They never made sense, anyway.
In 2005, I left the Witnesses, never to go back. I began a re-study of the Bible. I found out the Witnesses are wrong on the most important message of the Bible. What is that message? The God of the Bible, the Creator, is our Lord and Savior, Jesus of Nazareth.
That realization answered a question that had long troubled me. Why would God send an archangel, according to JW's, to clean up His mess? It really warmed my heart and deepened my respect for Him to see that He took it upon Himself to straighten out this hot mess in which we find ourselves.
Another thing I found out is that there's no evidence that Satan was cast out of heaven in 1914. That put to rest the niggling resentment I'd held against God that He would dump His problem on us, as if we don't have enough already.
I realize this is a long post - perhaps the longest I've ever written - but as Proverbs 4:7 says, an understanding is everything. I hope you will understand that my reasons for believing in and worshipping the God of the Bible are just as valid as your reasons for not doing so.
I won't try to talk you out your convictions. They are yours, for whatever reason. You hold on to your beliefs, and I'll hold on to mine. I believe neither of us will be none the richer for it.
Thank you.
Sylvia
