I read with great interest that some believe in Christ but notnecessarily the authenticity of the bible... could you please elaborate on that? I have to admit I am very interested in where people have ended up after leaving the WT. I am on that road and enjoy seeing where people have followed it. I still WANT to believe in Christ but find it difficult, prob as result of not wanting to be burned again... thus I ask.. how do you come to what you believe? after all, everything we know of Jesus comes from the bible... how is it you separate what you accept as true and what is not? I find that I question everything now since the "bedrock" that I stood on was shaken.. how do you judge matters? Is it more of a Hebrew scripture/Greek scripture thing? Understand I am not mocking in the least, I truly am interested in how you ended up believing as you do...
For Shelby, Tec and others who believe in Christ but not necessarily the bible...
by elderelite 31 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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wasblind
I was not a born in, i was Brought up that christ was the way to eternal life
and that the Bible was Gods word. I turned back to that belief, i believe that the
WTS is Satan, and that it can destroy your faith to the point were you don't believe
Jesus is the way. Satan makes you believe that God is a god of confusion, look at
all of their confusing, flip flopin' doctrines. Satan makes you believe that preserving
life is wrong, and that if your enjoying the gift of life, that's wrong also, we need to
keep in mind that Satan is out to destroy .
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cyberjesus
i like your question. I had it exactly one year ago/
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tec
The Word of God is Christ... not paper and ink and words that are man's best reporting and understanding of Christ and God. So while I believe that some of the bible is scripture, some is just histories, some are like investigative reports on events that happened, some are parables, and some are simply what man attributed to God according to their understanding at the time.
I see no reason to dismiss it - it gives us great perspective into what happened, according to those people who witnessed those things happening. It points to Christ - OT and NT. But to know Christ, we have to go beyond that - we have to go to HIM. Through prayer, through faith, through patience and, if need be, through perseverance.
I truly believe, even without the bible, we would have the Holy Spirit speaking through people to help bring others into the truth. Really, all someone would need to do is speak about the man from Nazareth, what he taught and did - and they would in turn, seek Him out - even if just by living according to His Truth.
As for how I can believe some things and disregard others (or even be sure that they did not happen in the way they are currently written to us)? I test all matters according to Christ and the love that He taught. From that love we get mercy, forgiveness and kindness, etc... which I also use to test every matter. I read the bible through the eyes that HE gave me (even though I haven't read much of the bible lately. Lately, I am just trying to live by these teachings and truths - to put my faith into works)
Short answer - the bible helps to teach us who to go to... but then we still have to go to Him - and not some organization that says instead, come to us.
I hope this helps answer your question.
Tammy
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JeffT
One of the terrible things the WTBS has done to study of scripture is to teach that all Bible verses as equal. They entirely disregard who things were written to, by whom and why.
Think of the Bible as a library. There's sections on history, science, math, cooking, home decorating, fiction, a children's section etc. Do you look at cookbook the same way you look history? Is Shakespeare the same as physics? Some of the divisions in the Bible are less clear, but we can still see that they are there.
And we have a brain, and conscience that God gave us to use! We are informed by our own understanding with the Holy Spirit as a guide, not a dictator. What may be right for Tec may not be right for me. Sometimes there may not be any "right."
This is not a religious belief system for people who want to be handed all the answers.
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JamesThomas
Tammy,
It's wise seeing that your deity is more significant than the words that "pointed to" him. Your god was quoted as alsopointing to something within you. Perhaps you don't need a book or a deity.
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zannahdoll
tec: Well put.
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garyneal
marked
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poppers
JamesThomas!!! Wow, it's great to see you here - I've missed your gentle presence. I hope you are well.
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donuthole
Jesus is absolutely compelling. At first I just knew of him from the Bible but it wasn't until I personally started to get know him that things changed for me. Really this whole journey started for me when I wanted to learn how to love. Then it was standing up for the truth. It was in these ways that I started to come to know Jesus before he started dealing with me directly.
You say you want to believe in Christ. Maybe you just know him from the Bible. Here is the thing -- that wonderful man you read about -- he's not dead. He lives and you can know him just as you know any other person. You can talk to him and he can speak back. If you have read the Bible you have been introduced -- now seek him out and see for yourself. Take the next step. Really all those ones that went to Jesus in the Bible were not disappointed -- I doubt you will be.
The Bible is what it is -- it serves its purpose -- but it was never meant to be an endpoint. Maybe merely just a sign, directing you to the one you need to go to. If you go to men, you will be burned, you will be let down. That's just how it is -- but Jesus, nah, he is faithful and true.