I ended my bible study today

by still thinking 52 Replies latest jw friends

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  carla

  I am so pleased that you have used your God given mind and left the lies of the wt. I too believe the so called jw memorial is satanic, or at the very least a rejection of Jesus.

  If you are a believer (in God) have you considered for awhile at least simply reading the Bible and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you? perhaps reading it front to back to get the entire picture? or some say to start at the New Testament instead and then starting again at the front and reading all the way through.

  What our resident apologist is basically saying is that he/she will not answer any questions that challenge the wt/gb or challenge their own thinking in any way shape or form! ha, typical isn't it for a jw? either refuse to answer for some silly reason or change the subject! How dare you ask that! have you been talking to apostates (on a board filled with apostates no less!)? no need to read our old literature either, we have new light! Yep, God keeps changing His mind as the wind blows. It couldn't possibly be mere men making things up as they go!

  True, some here are weary of debating scripture due to many years of trying to make our jw's see the light. Even asking them to read their own literature is too much of a stretch for them, even their own KIT they will not research because the minute they do they find how inaccurate their NWT really is. sad.
• 

  Band on the Run

  You don't need someone else to study the Bible. The Bible is readily available, even free in most places. I was born in and my gut could not accept that a loving God would destroy his good creation. The world never seemed as bad as the Witness made out. Even the Holocaust did not merit Armageddon. The process of being a teenager made me want a fuller and wider world, which led me to college. During college, I studied the New Testament as a historical/social document. We discussed some theological themes. The biggest mistake was to confuse faith and history. Indeed, I chose neutral nonWitness topics to write about. My Catholic friends chose Catholic topics and did not do well.

  So I had some academic background. I could not read Paul b/c of the Witnesses. Indeed, I wanted to spit on him for his miscogynistic comments. After law school graduation, I was soaring on Wall St. when I became very, very ill. Since I could not work, I decided to study the Bible. I lived in NY so I went up to Union Theological and asked for the leading text on a specific book. But I refused to open it. I wanted to know what I thought, stripped of outside commentary. How did I know whether the author was just another jerk like the Witnesses?

  I sat with the Bible and read consecutive verses. It is easy. Most books are short. There is no need to integrate it. It does not integrate, in fact. When it came time to canonize the Bible, serious discussion included one full gospel b/c of the differences in the four orthodox gospels. I surprised myself. Shortly after beginning, I came upon clear scriptures that directly contradicted my Witness training. When you study with the Witnesses, you accept the truth of what they are saying. Indeed, one would need a very sophisticated flow chart to keep up with their dancing around the Bible. It is a huge, massive book, larger than Shakespeare. You can quote anything for your own purpose. Reading consecutive verses keeps you out of extraneous teaching and onto what you feel it says. You are human. My views are as valid as any Pope or Protestant theologian. They are opinions.

  I suspect your gut is protecting you. B/c I live in NY, I discuss the Bible with many different religions, particularly Jewish people. I recommend getting your own bearings. It is not difficult to do at all. There are Protestant nondemonational seminaries like Union in NY. The scholarship is extraordinary. Ask for book recommendations. I've found studying the historical and anthropoligcal context to be fascinating hobbies. My view is that we are no different from the evangelists. God gave us brains to think and far more.
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  djeggnog

  @Joey Jo-Jo:

  djeggnog I ended my bible study too, I found that there were certain questions you could not ask , I wish more people like you were around to give me a bible study WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED, my questions about old [watchtowers], new light, paradise earth, 607bce, trinity, NWT bible differences with other bibles, Jehovahs name, shunning, double standards, blood, cult mind control, lies etc.

  Perhaps you and I could study the Bible together here on JWN as well in a different thread using the Bible as our textbook (I'll be primarily using the NWT, but we could use any English-language Bible translation of our choice.) The topic doesn't much matter; we could discuss any of the things you mentioned in your post.

  I did ask you a question about 1914 some time back, it was read like something was copied and pasted from the insight book, maybe I could post what unlogical and assuming sense these links with other scriptures have, like how the 7 times in revelations applies to nebu's madness, you can't really prove that one scripture refers to the other.

  I don't normally post material from any of the WTS publications, but if someone should specifically raise a question about something contained in one of them, only then might I do so. If you are able to find the post that you suspect was pasted from the Insight book, please post it here, because I do not at present have any idea to what post you are referring, @Joey Jo-Jo. If it is too much trouble for you to do so, that's ok.

  @djeggnog
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  ziddina

  Sorry to hear that you're feeling sad, Still Thinking...

  Maybe there's a bible study group in your area? One that's only loosely associated with an established church?? Some of the churches in my area - and I'm NOT in the "bible belt" - have weekly bible studies... I haven't checked them out, being an atheist with poly-theist leanings and all, but I suspect that you're not as alone in your interest in studying the bible - JUST the bible - as you think you are...

  Keep looking around, and I'm sure you'll find someone who'll study along with you - not try to lead you with arrogance... And wouldn't it be much nicer to be able to do so in person, as opposed to doing so on-line??

  Zid - the She-Devil
• 

  sizemik

  I wonder if DJ stands for disingenuous.

  I think it stands for "Disk Jockey" . . . nuff said?
• 

  still thinking

  Transhuman Whats to forgive? It's my thread

  Sizemik Thank you for reminding me that Jesus is my mediator. This had become one of the big issues for me with the JW's. All I was hearing, right or wrong was that the spirit annointed were like our mediatiors. I was wanting more about Jesus in my life and even though he is not denied, he is not exactly given his rightful place. I am not saying that God should not have a place of importance, far from it. But I don't think it is really acknowleged that no one can come to the father except through Jesus.

  I have recently purchased a copy of the NIV. This has Jesus words highlighted in red. Quite nice I have to say. I also quite like the layout.

  I don't believe that humans will ever know the whole picture. We just make the best of the situation we are currently in. For me this includes science. We can chunk away at how things came to be, how they got to where they are now and yes it is all very interesting. Science like everything has it's negative and positive. But in the end, they are just men/women, and they don't know everything.

  Thank you for your useful advise and wisdom. It was definately useful. Probably more than you know. God bless

  Blacksheep I have to agree on one point, there was a lot of studying literature other than the bible. Thanks for your support.

  nugget I am starting to realise how the JW friend thing works. I think I really did make some good friends. We shared a lot together, both ways. I'm just really sad that they cannot continue that friendship with me. It was so sad saying goodbye. We had a hug and both held back the tears. I said she was always welcome anytime for a coffee or friendship. She mumbled excuses about not coming out this way very often. (she only lives 5 mins away). That religion sucks.
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  JustHuman14

  Υοu can see that their friendship was with terms and conditions. Move on, there many things you can do, make new friends, discover life. I can feel you regarding this forum.I know is a really big one but you can look for smaller jwsupport forums and really enjoy a chat there.
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  still thinking

  jgnat Wow!! thanks for all the useful info. I think I just need to get my head back into gear and I'll be off.

  InterestedOne I'm not sure how you really check someones credibility. I ususally do a bit of a search online if its an book author. To see if there is any info or history about them. Other than that how do you know?

  I found it interesting that when I discussed credibility with the Witnesses they always agreed with me if it was info about someone making predictions that didn't come to pass. I have this a bit with my partners family giving me stuff to read from some evangilist or other. But they didn't connect the same reasoning to the Governing Body and watchtower and all the false predictions they made. It was always about the light getting brighter, and them being only human and imperfect. I got very tired of the one rule for them and another for us reasoning.

  PSacramento I promise I will look at that at a later time. It's not really my focus at the moment. But thank you for caring

  Sweetbaby absolutely no offence taken. thanks for your help and obvious concern. (God bless) no offence
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  still thinking

  LV101 Hi, I think I will probably be sticking around for a while. And sharing everyones Journey.

  djeggnog What can I say......Gosh!!!!! I certainly hadn't expected my thoughts on stopping my study to be dissected so thoroughly. If anything, I have to say you are thorough.

  I thank you for your concern and your offer. Maybe I'll have a chat with you at some stage about things. But I honestly dont think I am wanting to participate in what you have to offer right now. I just stopped one bible study with the witnesses. Seems a bit pointless to start another one.

  But I do see your offer is genuine. If someone else takes you up on it. Maybe I'll see how your discussions progress. God bless

  By the way, the reason I say the memorial is Satanic is because they reject Christ everytime they hand the wine and bread around. I have been to two memorials over the years and each time this made me feel very uncomfortable. I know this all goes back again, like everything else to the annointed, but everythng does. And thats what I am soooooo tired of.

  Joey Jo-Jo Yes!!! those and a few more questions. It's just too many questions that don't have satisfactory answers.
• 

  punkofnice

  Hi De Hi, Still thinking.

  I don't know if anyone has said this yet but what you were actually studying was merely the watchtower publications with scripture (often out of context, linked with no real provable Biblical link), bunged in them to make the point they want to enforce. Well, that's my opinion at least. Others may disagree and that's fine.

  I don't know of many a JW that DARE study the Bible without the watchtower publications as this is something they admitted themselves:

  “They say that it is sufficient to read the bible exclusively, either alone or in small groups at home. But, strangely, through such ‘Bible reading,’ they have reverted right back to the apostate doctrines that commentaries by Christendom’s clergy were teaching 100 years ago…”—The Watchtower, August 15, 1981, pp. 28-29

  If God gave us his word then obviously his message IS what ''Christendom's clergy were teaching 100 years ago…”

  Well done on quitting before it becomes hell for you and you are trapped.