how many of you, like me, want answers to biblical questions but get overwhelmed by all the information to research? the task seems so daunting that i just tend to say i'll read the cliff notes in someone's post and make my decision based on that. i know i'm falling into the same trap that i fell into with the wbts but i guess i'm a follower and so many of you seem to have such a better handle on all this biblical stuff. so my question is how many posters out there are like me. i can't believe i'm alone.
research?
by free will 19 Replies latest watchtower bible
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donkey
FW,
May I politely ask what about the Bible it is you want to know? Are you looking for ANSWERS to life questions? If so do you agree that a large assumption has been made that the Bible contains the answer at all.
Further...everyone seems to be looking for answers but so few even know the questions.
Jack
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free will
yes and yes. but i needn't be so specific. how about anything spiritual or wbts related. everything i thought i knew, is now in question.
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hooberus
Bible research can take much time and patience.
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peacefulpete
Or it can be fast and easy, just read a book like Tim Callahan's, "Secret Origins of the Bible".
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greven
everything i thought i knew, is now in question.
Even more reason to start at the very foundations of your beliefs! Don't take anything for granted.
So you now know the WTBS is teaching bollocks. Where to go? Well, I would move down a level and take a close and critical look at the book they based it all on: the bible. Is it trustworthy? Is it inspired by God or mere the work of men? Research into these questions can be daunting, but a good way to start is by simply letting others do the work for you: start following (online or live) debates between those that think it is inspired and those that deny this. Let them do the digging. Just sit back and read. This helps you already to form some opinion on these matters, then when you feel ready look up their resources and do your own research. When you feel confident in your findings move to the next level: Does God/s exist? and repeat the procedure...Don't be afraid to form an opinion, but be ready to defend it against opposition and thereby testing it.
Hope this helps,
Greven
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donkey
FW,
I hope you are well. I too have been where you are...in fact once you get there there is no way out except by lying to yourself. What I have learned though is to live with it. I came to question everything I believed or was supposed to believe according to what I was taught as a JW.
I now no longer accept something as truth. In order for me to buy in to something I seek demonstrated reality which can be backtested. I will not invest time, effort or money in something which simply "sounds good". I question (without answers) the existence of god. I find no evidence of such a being - and just because things in the world seem pretty or glorious doesn't mean there is a god....all I know is that somethings in the world are pretty or glorious...it is not a logical next step for me to assume there is a god.
Does this lead me to have a meaningless existence? That is a tough question for me...the answer if I think long enough and honestly enough is YES. But then I think of others who claim to have meaning....and I think about the meaning they claim to have and I realize mostly it is an exercise in self-deception so their's is meaningless too. I have an honest existence, I am honest with myself about how I feel. I am honest that I feel and wish for meaning - and I accept that meaning can be relative in the eyes of the beholder, yet if I have to expereince some altered state to achieve the meaning then is it for real? Some would say yes and some would say no. I say I don't know.
Jack
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Loris
free will, you are not alone. It is a huge hurdle to get over alone. I left last year. I joined the WT for spiritual reasons. My faith in God has not waivered, only my faith in man to explain God. I am ashamed that I stopped doing my own research when I relaxed and let the WTS do the driving of my faith.
I was obsessed for about 6 months to find the answers to the gaping holes in my knowledge of the Bible. I collected information from this and three other forums. I printed out reams of debates, exegisis, rantings, etc. I put them in three ring notebooks divided by subject. Then I took time to read them carefully and did background research. I compared each persons ideas with the others until I could form an idea of my own that fit what I found.
Today I am content with what I believe. It does not have to match anyone else's ideas. I no longer feel compelled to believe exactly like this or that group. I no longer feel compelled to join any church.
I am no longer obsessed with knowing everything there is to know about the Bible or to nail down absolute truth. I have come to the conclusion that since I am so far removed from the language and culture of the Bible writers and I have no clue as to the accuracy of those writings or whether the collectors of those writings included the best possible books or if they threw away portions or changed portions to suit their belief systems: it is just not worth obsessing over the details.
Give it time Free Will. You too will develop a belief system that works for you. Don't worry about the fate of the Universe. You did not wind the key that set it into motion, you can not alter the course of even one planet. And you can not alter the course of history or the future. You can be the best Free Will possible and IMHO that is good enough.
Loris
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garybuss
Hi Free Will, Many of us thought belief was the important thing for years after we quit associating with the Watch Tower group. I read every philosophy and history book in sight and it was all good experience but it left me with the realization that beliefs are not important. People are important and behaviors are important.
I found a behavior that agrees with my core beliefs and those are not easily influenced. I try to treat people like it's the last time I will ever see them. I try to treat people of good behavior like their opinions and beliefs are important and respectable, even when they are in question. I don't accept abusive behaviors from anybody for any reason. I don't tolerate my friends being abused. I accept rejection as final and move on. People of good behavior are welcome around me. people of bad behavior are not welcome around me. I never initiate contact with people of bad behavior.
Glad you are looking at life and ideas. Best wishes, GaryB -
jgnat
I have explored my faith more completely and deeply since I have come in contact with the WTS. I knew there was something seriously wrong, but it was hard to put my finger on it.
How geeky do you want to get? For instance, I enjoy playing chess. I know the basic rules of the game, and I have played against enough good players to avoid the most stupid mistakes. For all my love of the game, however, I cannot bear to sit down and read other people's games, or memorize openings to hone my skills. Having the basic rules down, I go out to play.
In the same way, I like to do my own exploration. I set down an internal set of rules to study by, and go play. Having an e-bible with built-in concordance and greek/hebrew dictionary vastly improved the speed of my study. Recently I stumbled on a site which explains inductive reasoning. If you want to do your own study, try these links:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/6135/inductive2.htm