Gentle JESUS, meek and mild . . .

by nicolaou 34 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  nicolaou

  Gladiator; You know, if this were the last topic I ever made it would embarrass me. Not because I don't think I'm making a point but perhaps because I still passionately feel the point needs to be made . . again . . and again . . and again.

  I often take a few months out at a time and perhaps this is another one of those times when I need to walk away. I would hate to think that I've contributed to 'bad feelings' or in some way shaped a battle field - but I probably have . . .

  Shame on me . . .

  It's just that I care about this stuff. The religious nonsense I swallowed as a child is still being spoon fed to more than half my family - and it causes nothing but pain.

  Genuinely, I wish all contributors well and hope you find happiness, peace and contentment.

  Sigh . . .
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  THE GLADIATOR

  nicolaou

  I would hate to think that I've contributed to 'bad feelings' or in some way shaped a battle field - but I probably have...

  We all have. This is a discussion forum and we all contribute our thoughts and opinions and this inevitably leads to conflict. I have enjoyed some of the battles and regretted others.

  There is nothing wrong with this forum or the people that post here and I have no desire for it to change. What I desire to change is my own outlook and perspective. Badging myself as a gladiator is not helpful!
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  PSacramento

  Jesus brought a sword to my family.

  And to many others as well Bro...one wonders how the world COULD have been if it was not the way it is.
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  Ding

  PSacremento is right.

  We aren't the first ones to ask and struggle with many of the questions posed on this forum.

  Many theologians have discussed "the hard sayings of Jesus."

  In fact, the Bible itself acknowledges that some of Jesus' teaching are puzzling and hard to take. As we know, Jesus talked about people eating his flesh and drinking his blood in order to obtain eternal life. John 6:60, 66: "On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it? ... many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him."

  If some question or issue troubles us, no doubt much has been written on it to give us food for thought.

  Gone are the days when we had a "faithful and discreet slave organization" to do our thinking for us and give us the one "right answer."
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  snowbird

  Amen to Ding.

  Revelation 19, anyone?

  Syl
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  PSacramento

  We also need to remember that the apostles and disciples argued and debated what jesus said and meant, just as the prophets debated and argued what they thought God said and wanted.

  Paul argued with Peter, James with Paul, John of Patmos had visions of the apocolypes that not everyone believed, Jesus reamed the scribes for their manipulation of the word, Jeremiah came out and called them liars, etc, etc.

  Jesus also loved to test his disciples and at times woudl say things to make them think, WTF?
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  clarity

  Ding......

  Thank you for reminding me....aahhh, switching the brain over can be so hard sometimes!

  "Gone are the days when we had a "faithful and discreet slave organization" to do our thinking for us and give us the one "right answer."

  thank you thank you

  clarity
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  PSacramento

  Sometimes itis easier to be told what to think, or it is easier to accept with out questioning, or it is easier to say "that is what it says" rather than to try to understand what it says, sometimes it is easier to be "correct" than to question, sometimes it is easier to say "there is no confusion, we just have to accept' than to try ot understand and question and test.

  Easier yes, but not always right.

  If Jesus and his followers had taken the "easy way" or just "followed the OT", their life would have been a lot easier.
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  SweetBabyCheezits

  nicolaou, I understand your motivation and I share your zeal. And I feel your pain, LWT. That passage at Matthew 10:34-37 was used recently by my mother. "See, Jesus PREDICTED this would happen to us! It's in the bible! You're just fulfilling prophecy!"

  THAT evoked a number of emotions, not the least of which was frustration. It leads me to be a bit more vocal and ask Christians, "WHY would a perfect, omniscient being, capable of engineering a complex universe, choose a non-universal language and imperfect men to convey the greatest message of all time? Would he not realize that (conservatively) two completely sincere worshipers could someday take the same text and arrive at two completely contradicting conclusions?"

  The point to me isn't that man misinterprets or misuses the bible (boldly assuming there's only one correct way to understand it), because man abuses all sorts of things that are otherwise proper. But it's the fact that it's written in such a manner that it IS POSSIBLE to do so. Like Gladiator was saying, the bible covers all bases. With enough contradictions, it can be made to say whatever you want.

  Unbiased reasoning led me to finally reject the bible as a holy book. Pain and anger lead me to speak up about it. Maybe someday I'll ease up a bit but the wounds are still fresh.
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  Ding

  I can identify with your emotions, SweetBabyCheezits, but let me tell you a true story.

  One day I was really angry at God because of all the pain and injustice in my life.

  I couldn't see any possible justification for it.

  Then I considered all sorts of other inequities and paradoxes in the world and I couldn't see any possible justification for them either.

  I finally cut through all the niceties and said to a friend, "If I had the power God has, I could run the world a damn sight better than He does!"

  Then I stalked out to my car and spent the next hour fruitlessly trying to figure out why the $@@%$#% thing wouldn't start.

  That was very humbly for me.

  I reluctantly concluded that God knows a damn sight more than I do.