by Richie 48 Replies latest jw friends
Fred,
I read it several times.
lol, Well done! Now try reading it with the page numbers at the top of the page.
Well, I admit to having read in its entirety the NWT a number of times (6) as well as the NIV, Lattimore, and a few others.
My own preference as a 'reading copy' is the New Jerusalem and as to the NT, without doubt William Barclay's translation.
Best regards - HS
Never did make it all the way through.
SS
Ya several times.
Now that you are not a witness anymore, would you still continue to read the NWT bible from the JW's or prefer another bible? Which one would you favor reading now? I am curious....
:*) Richie
Yes I have. Once. All the way through, including all the lists of names. Not in one time. But within a year. After that no more.
Yes, three times: once before becoming a witness and twice during, thanks to the regular bible reading which I kept up as a matter of personal pride.
I would not place reading the entire bible in the same category with bungee jumping, hang gliding, sky jumping and spending a weekend camping completely alone, as one of those things a man ought to do at least once in his life, purely for the experience.
COMF
Richie,
I read it 3 times front to back. When I was a teenager, was the first time. Of course this is when I started questioning the org thinking. This summer I started through again, made it to Leviticus, and decided not to bother. If you can get past Genesis without having a zillion questions you aren't really reading it
I also started a book this summer, and have not finished it yet, still on storage. It is called God the biography by Jack Miles (someone correct me if I am wrong about this name) this book is a great read and I can't wait to finish it.
wendy
When I leave, you will know I have been here
Yes. Read it all straight through one time, essentialy to say that I did. It is sort of a mindless exercise, as some parts are just not that valuable. Always loved Proverbs, the gospels, and my favorite is Ecclesiates. Great little bit of philosophy there in Eccl. - not quite like what most Christians would imagine.
A turning point for me in leaving both the Witnesses and eventually Christianity all together was reading Genesis without any preconceptions about what it meant. An unbiased reading reveals it to be the book of myths and ancient stories it always was. No Satan in Eden, two different creation stories, Jehovah wandering the earth and eating lunch with Abraham. Great mythology, but mythology nontheless.
About translations, I'm not sure. Always liked the Living Bible, but the NWT is so deeply ingrained into my thinking, it is hard to get away from it. I do very little Bible reading now. I think I got my fill, and so much more interesting and useful stuff to read now. Good question. And I also liked Comf's list of things a man ought to experience at least once. Have done most of them.
S4
Yeah, I read it straight thru 4.5 times in 6 years. I enjoyed it a lot from historical viewpoint. The last 2 times, I looked up a lot of dates and did lots of research. I used 4-5 different translations.
One thing I noticed was the dichotomy between the OT and NT with reference to demons and demon-possession. It seemed like a completely different religion. There's nary a demon possession in the OT (except maybe Saul?) and the NT is loaded with them. What's up with that?
I didn't really 'see the light' about the WTS theology tho from the Bible reading.
It did seem to be different religious views at different times. E.g., prophets being called 'man of the true God' at times, mysterious heppenings. Such different viewpoints in different books. Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah (?) books not using the name of God, Jehovah. Injustices galore. Cruelties. The book of Numbers is so grim, grisly, and depressing: one plague after another.
And now on a lighter note: Cheers!
Pat
Yup read whole thing. New Will about 3 times. I also read the Koran, Holy Blood Holy Grail, Messianic Legacy, Book Of The Dead, and The Age Of Reason . . . lots more . . . .
gb
