So how do you explain

by plmkrzy 16 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  plmkrzy

  pseudoxristos

  The problems with the Biblical Flood and the fact that the book of Daniel is obviously a pseudopigraph are the two main points that convinced me that the Bible is just a clever book of stories.

  Am I understanding you right? Those two subjects are the major reason you chose to chuck the entire Bible?

  How do you feel about other so called "Inspired" writings? Do you think the Bible was a knock off of prior writings or do you think all writings said to be inspired by God or a higher life-force are just story's/fairy tails? I would have to go back and read over some of your posts because I can't remember if you stopped believing in God completely or not. Sorry, I don't make notes of who still believes and who does not etc. etc. so I have to ask.

  Plum
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  gold_morning

  Hi plmkrzy,

  You were right on when you said that religions cause conflict. I guess we are all at different levels after leaving the watchtower. I know that I spent 16 years away from God because of them. Believing that God wanted nothing to do with me anymore. I could not even pray.

  About 4 years ago I started to read the bible. Just the bible. We are so use to thinking we have to have the RIGHT religion to tells us what to believe. We think we are not smart enough or else we are too lazy to find out for ourselvs.

  In reading the bible I could not believe that things it said that were soooooo different than what I had been taught my whole life. Things like heaven. Mostly, I found out that the only thing that can save you is your faith in Jesus. I marveled at scriptures that said works could not save us. All those pioneer hours to save my own hide didn't mean squat. The bible says it is a gift. Like a present. You don't have to do anything for a gift.

  Religions are manmade!! That is just what satan wants us to believe,..... that we need a religion to save us. It takes the focus off of Jesus as our saviour. Sure, all religions have some things right. I remember something said once that sticks with me.

  "SATAN USES JUST ENOUGH TRUTH TO MAKE FALSE LOOK RIGHT."

  The answers are there plmkrzy, in the bible. Just read it. Start with the book of John. Read it like a good book. I remember doing that and often I would read and hear those broken watchtower records playing in my head. But I would take those watchtower glasses off and read it again until I read it with a fresh and open mind. It was just awesome.

  I don't know how to tell you that there is something to reading the bible, other than I have been where so many of you are and know what you are feeling and doubting andd questioning. If you do that the answers come. Forget the religion thing!! just read. I want so much for you to understand and feel good again.]

  Religion does nothing more than make someone 'self-righteous".......only Jesus can make you righteous.

  I am now a born again christian. Please don't think of me as some Jesus freak. I know the connotation born again has to witnesses and probably most of you ex witnesses. Guess you have to read the bible to know what I am trying to say. I have been there and back again and no one could have ever told me that my head would be unscrewed up again.

  If you ever have a question feel free to e-mail me..... [email protected]

  God bless............AND READ!! lol gold morning
• 

  NewLight2

  This outline may help you to study the Bible WITHOUT the WT's lit.

  A Bible Study Outline

  "Inductive Bible study doesnt tell you what the Bible means or what you should believe. Instead, it teaches you a method of studying Gods Word that can be applied to any portion of Scripture at any time for the rest of your life."

  (p. 7 How to Study your Bible by Kay Arthur)

  GETTING THE BIG PICTURE

  Identify the type of literature:
  Historical
  Biographical
  Poetic
  Proverbial
  Prophetic
  Epistle - letter
  Parable
  A Gospel
  Is it a combination?
  What combinations?

  THE 5 Ws AND AN H

  The 5 Ws and an H:
  Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How?

  Answer as many questions as you can. (Not all will be in every passage.)

  WHO?

  1. Who wrote it?
  2. Who said it?
  3. Who are the major characters?
  4. Who are the people mentioned?
  5. To whom is the author speaking?
  6. About whom is he (the author) speaking?

  WHAT?

  1. What are the main events ?
  2. What are the major ideas?
  3. What are the major teachings?
  4. What are these people like?
  5. What does he (the author) talk about the most?
  6. What is his purpose in saying that? (Refer to #5)

  WHEN?

  1. When was the passage written?
  2. When did the events in the passage take place?
  3. When will it happen?
  4. When did he (the author) say it?
  5. When did the author do it?
  6. When did the main characters of the passage do it?

  WHERE?

  1. Where was this done?
  2. Where was this said?
  3. Where will it happen?

  WHY?

  1. Why was there a need for this to be written?
  2. Why was this mentioned?
  3. Why was so much or so little space devoted to this particular event or
  teaching?
  4. Why was this reference mentioned?
  5. Why should they do such and such?

  HOW?

  1. How is it done?
  2. How did it happen?
  3. How is this truth illustrated?

  OBSERVATION IDENTIFY CONTEXT

  1. What is the setting or background of the passage?
  2. What things, events or people are obvious to see from reading this text?
  3. What primary objective is observed through repeated emphasis?

  DISCERN THE MAIN THEME

  Key WORDS reveal the SUBJECTS - SUBJECTS reveal the THEME

  1. List the key words found in the passage.
  2. List the subjects discussed in the passage.
  3. Write the main theme of the passage in your own words.
  4. Write out the key verse(s) in this passage?
  5. Discover the theme of each chapter.
  6. Identify clearly defined segments.
  Dates
  Places
  Topics
  Doctrines
  Reign of kings
  Major characters
  Major events

  Bible Study Method taken from the book How to Study Your Bible
  by Kay Arthur - founder of Precept Ministries
  (c/r 1994 and published by Harvest House Publishers)

  http://www.precept.org/index.html - Precept Ministries
• 

  plmkrzy

  gold_morning

  Thanks for the commentsand I promise I won't think of you as a Jesus freak.

  NewLight2

  Thanks for the link I added it to my other Bible links. I'll check it out more closely later.

  I have so much packed into my PC right now I can't seem to catch up with it so I can empty out what I don't want and make room for more.

  I just put another 256 memory in it today. eeks. A lot of these links will not allow me to store pages on a disc so I have to keep them on my hard drive as a link. I don't know how to get around that yet. Drag.

  plum
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  plmkrzy

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  .Today

  Edited by - plmkrzy on 3 September 2002 1:19:54
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  pseudoxristos

  Plum,

  Am I understanding you right? Those two subjects are the major reason you chose to chuck the entire Bible?

  Not exactly, those two subjects more or less started the process of examining the rest of the Bible and finding that there are reasonable explanations to show that it is nothing more than a work of Man. If only one part of the Bible can be shown to be incorrect then the entire Bible can be questioned. For example: If it can be shown that Moses did not write the Torah, then this brings to question the authority of someone like Jesus, who quotes Moses and assumes that he is the author.

  Without getting into to much detail the following are some of the problems I've found with the Bible.

  • Two conflicting creation accounts,
  • Conflicting sections of the flood account
  • Didiograhps (sp?) (same story repeated 2 or more times, often in different settings) (Abraham passes his aged wife off as his sister and the King falls in love with the old lady, his nephew does the same thing with his wife)
  • Torah supposable written by Moses contains an account of Moses' death.
  • Three discernable writers of the Torah (Priestly, Yahwist, Elohist) . When the Torah was edited to combine these writings very little effort was spent to harmonize conflicting accounts.
  • Daniel is a pseudopigraph (Daniel was not the author) (much later writing than it claims) (not part of the prophets) (very similar to other pseudopigraphia during the same time period) (late writing explains the accuracy of the fulfilled prophesies)
  • Synoptic Gospels (Mark appears to be written first, with Matthew and Luke copying and using it as a general outline)
  • Paul never really quotes the Gospels. They seemed to have surfaced to fill the void of no biography.
  • The fact that there are other writings (obviously fiction) not included in the canon. With this many fictitious works around how was the canon of the NT decided.

  Some of these points by themselves could be explained away, but these and many other points when combined provide strong evidence against the Bible as God's word.

  How do you feel about other so called "Inspired" writings? Do you think the Bible was a knock off of prior writings or do you think all writings said to be inspired by God or a higher life-force are just story's/fairy tails? I would have to go back and read over some of your posts because I can't remember if you stopped believing in God completely or not. Sorry, I don't make notes of who still believes and who does not etc. etc. so I have to ask.

  Other writings. Apocrypha, OT pseudopigraphia, NT Apocrypha:

  Most are obvious fictions and just add more evidence that Men alone could have produced the writings of the Bible.

  Hope this answers the questions.

  pseudo
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  plmkrzy

  For example: If it can be shown that Moses did not write the Torah, then this brings to question the authority of someone like Jesus, who quotes Moses and assumes that he is the author.

  Interesting comment. And other comments also.

  Thanks for resonding and yes that answeres my question

  plum

  Edited by - plmkrzy on 4 September 2002 0:52:20