I'm new here..... Studying with the Witnesses (page 15)

sabastious

Sabastious - OK- What's the scenario?

I don't have one.

The reason I asked is that is that all you need is convincing? There is an inherrent problem with looking for explanations to personal revelations from interpersonal relationships. Anyone can make something fit your scenario if they are smart enough.

I guess what I am saying is just because someone gives you the right shape puzzle pieces doesn't mean they paint the most correct picture.

-Sab

PenelopePaige

Ok- :) I surely see what you're saying. And you're right. Although, the paranormal investigators immediately jumped to the conclusion that we might have been abducted, asking over and over about "missing time" and things like that, but we weren't biting. We thought something strange had happened but surely didn't think we were abductees. Although, I see your point.

jwfacts

Welcome Penelope.

maybe even, the true religion.

I think that statement shows a fundamental error to your thinking. Prior to meeting JWs, did you think that there can only be one true religion on earth? JWs will only contact a small portion of people globally. Those they meet generally know nothing about what they teach, other than that they push magazines. Would God really accept the concept that to belong to the true religion you need to be lucky enough to stumble across a single organisation.

PenelopePaige

The JW's seem, to me, to follow bible principles so precisely, maybe that's what I should have said instead of calling them "the true religion". I think my thinking may be skewwed as I've seen so many people that profess to be christians cheating, stealing, lying etc. , not to mention the pastors on t.v. asking for money in their flashy suits and hair pieces, that when the JW's came to my door, and all they want is to help me learn my bible and know God- well, to me they just seem to be trying so hard to do what pleases God and not themselves. But where I differ with them is that I do not and never will, believe in a Paradise Earth. I believe in Heaven and Hell. I know someone who had a near death experience and went to heaven, and I believe this person wholeheartedly, plus, I've seen too many people talk about this subject on t.v. and I've even exchanged emails with Howard Storm (don't know if you know who he is but he had a very profound ND experience that changed his entire life) so, I don't mean to say "true religion" - not meaning to back track, guess I mean, "sincere religion" . And of course, I think Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, are going to Heaven as long as they are saved. :)

Concerned JW

Jwfacts why would believing in "one true religion" be a fundemental error? is your point based on the fact you personally think that there can be many true religions? or there can be no true religions? It is the bible that sets the parameter that the true religion must preach (word of mouth) "to the entire inhabited earth" are you saying that is impossible for any religion to do?

Concerned JW

Penelope you really seem genuine in your thoughts especially on the point of paradise. It is a biblical word Jesus himself uses. It's connection with earth is drawn from the promises for the earth in the bible from Eden in Genesis right through to Isaiah and Jesus's own words when he says "the meek will inherit the earth" it is quite an interesting biblical topic when you look into it.

PenelopePaige

Concerned JW- Thank you :) I will look more into it. But I wanted to ask you; If you were to have a near death experience, and went to heaven, would you believe it? I read a book called, "To Hell and Back" by Dr. Maurice Rawlings. (I also met him before he died, he has a local Winery) anyway, one of the stories was of a woman who "died" in the hospital and her spirit floated to the top corner of the room and up and out the window, on her way up, she saw an old shoe outside one of the hospital windows, it was on one of the very top floors, and after her ND experience where she went to heaven, she described this shoe exactly; what brand, what color, the fact that the laces were removed, and one of the nurses went up and looked out all the windows until she found the shoe- exactly as the woman had seen it from the outside! I've read a few stories like this, that really seal my belief that people who are saved go to Heaven. That's just one of the things I differ on, I don't believe it's only 144,000. But like I've said before, I'm sure most of you know your bibles way better than I, so..... we'll see. I've just begun, I hope to really get into the Bible and learn all I can. :)

Concerned JW

There are numerous explanations for near death experiences some physical like hallucinations due to oxygen starvation and others like the one you mentioned. Jesus himself said about a little girl and for lazarus that they were both "asleep" in death which doesn't support the separating soul viewpoint. I personally would lean towards the hallucination/dreaming explanation because of the basic fact that you aren't dead just "near dead" which means your brain is still active and sending messages and since the woman was in that building, had the shoe registered in her unconscous mind and it came back to it in the hallucination? When I dream I am one of those people that can fly sometimes and I have vivid dreams of places I know but certain things are picked out more than others. you focus on a table or a picture and then the dream jumps to another area. So I'm afraid I lean towards there being a mundane explanation for it. I hope you don't mind?

Black Sheep

Another thing is, I find that when I study the bible on my own sometimes it confuses me more. I hope that doesn't make me sound like an idiot although it probably does.

You need to trust your instincts more.

The Bible contains many conflicting stories to confuse you with. Which came first, the light or the luminaries? When did Jesus curse the fig tree? Did the pigs jump into a lake, or the sea?

If something doesn't make sense, that is often simply because it doesn't make sense, not because you are stupid, or need someone who has a magical channel to an invisible friend to 'enlighten' you to 'The Truth'.

Your choice of a holy book is a result of where, when, and to whome, you were born. That's not proof of it's value, authorship, or any of the claims made about it by the people who have influenced your life so far. If you had been born a to Jew, or an Muslem, you would have a very different view of the Bible and Jesus.

Put your religious lterature away for a while and use that time to make use of your local library to hone your instincts by educating yourself with critical thinking skills that enable you to evaluate the quality of information, sources and logic............. Then ............. look at religion again.

I'm new here..... Studying with the Witnesses

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