Since I have left the Watchtower's dung behind, reading and learning has accelerated at an unbelievable pace for me. I am sure that is true for most here. I have always been a big time reader. But now it is an unsatiable thirst. When I was little, I would appreciate a four page article in the Awake! "proving" a creator. I put that in quotes because as I grew older, those four pages never changed. Same reasoning, little science, no detail. My mind needed more. Much, much more. I was sick of the watchmaker story!!
Philosophy was always condemned in the Watchtower. But little did I know about the value of much of it. While I don't run with all of it, I realize that even for a Christian, it can help you reason on things that seem beyond the grasp of humans. It does have it's place. Some of it is very logical.
The Watchtower is as shallow as vomit on the floor. I look through recent magazines just to contemplate the sheer emptiness of it. I get so depressed just thinking about how I accepted it.
When I first read comments on here, I was very enraged with atheists, anti-theists, Bible bashers and so on. It took time for me to adjust. Why not just leave if I hated such talk? Well, unknowingly, it was this environment that turned me into a madman researcher. It moved me to do deeper research. The Watchtower was shallow on EVERY SUBJECT. Whether that be creation, Bible canon, even there own doctrine. I would never allow myself to retreat to such emptiness again. A quick Google search on page 1 would not satisfy me.
This forum has really simplified things for me. Take evolution for example. I did want to research this with honesty. But where would I start? Which book would bring me satisfying answers to my questions? I need detail, not generalizations. I needed more than a simple biology book that describes the basics of evolution. I needed more. Much much more. What has helped me in this regard? Thank you Cofty. I have saved his posts on my phone. He has really done a good job in simplifying the whole thing. I believe if you just study each point, you will have a good picture of what it is all about. I have used each point to further my research. And I am not done. No, I do not use National Geographic as my source for study. I study many of the actual research papers. Then I read the many comments that people share on these sites. I then study the counter arguments in detail. This allows me to dive below the surface of what is being said. And I am absolutely amazed at what I have learned. Classic creation sites are not my sources for study. I use them, to learn there side and then research that.
What I have learned, and I will admit is that Christianity has needed to catch up on what is happening in society. They have needed to catch up on so much of the science of our day. Why have they needed to catch up? It is because not too long ago people in general accepted the Bible as true. Science has accelerated at such a rapid pace just in recent times, that Christianity logically had to catch up with this. But the Watchtower never went beyond itself and its childlike reasoning on matters. But so many Christian apologetics have helped us to catch up on so many things. But even when it comes to these sources, I will not accept generalizations. I do believe that people's misunderstandings about things, makes them look like fools. I don't care if someone believes in evolution or they believe in creation. Both sides have those people that are shallow minded and they don't want to grasp the the understanding of the other side.
To put it simply, being out of the Watchtower and being able to have the freedom to read sites like this has caused my mind to explode with so much knowledge. In fact I have learned so much in the last year that it truly has become like a "burning fire" that I want to share with people. Especially those people in the Watchtower. I want them to know that there is so much out here and there is so much detail that they are lacking.
And so I just wanted to thank everyone for everything that they share on this site. Whether that information is something I immediately agree with or not. Each point has become a starting point for me in my journey to learn more. I have never felt so free.
Philosophy was always condemned in the Watchtower. But little did I know about the value of much of it. While I don't run with all of it, I realize that even for a Christian, it can help you reason on things that seem beyond the grasp of humans. It does have it's place. Some of it is very logical.
The Watchtower is as shallow as vomit on the floor. I look through recent magazines just to contemplate the sheer emptiness of it. I get so depressed just thinking about how I accepted it.
When I first read comments on here, I was very enraged with atheists, anti-theists, Bible bashers and so on. It took time for me to adjust. Why not just leave if I hated such talk? Well, unknowingly, it was this environment that turned me into a madman researcher. It moved me to do deeper research. The Watchtower was shallow on EVERY SUBJECT. Whether that be creation, Bible canon, even there own doctrine. I would never allow myself to retreat to such emptiness again. A quick Google search on page 1 would not satisfy me.
This forum has really simplified things for me. Take evolution for example. I did want to research this with honesty. But where would I start? Which book would bring me satisfying answers to my questions? I need detail, not generalizations. I needed more than a simple biology book that describes the basics of evolution. I needed more. Much much more. What has helped me in this regard? Thank you Cofty. I have saved his posts on my phone. He has really done a good job in simplifying the whole thing. I believe if you just study each point, you will have a good picture of what it is all about. I have used each point to further my research. And I am not done. No, I do not use National Geographic as my source for study. I study many of the actual research papers. Then I read the many comments that people share on these sites. I then study the counter arguments in detail. This allows me to dive below the surface of what is being said. And I am absolutely amazed at what I have learned. Classic creation sites are not my sources for study. I use them, to learn there side and then research that.
What I have learned, and I will admit is that Christianity has needed to catch up on what is happening in society. They have needed to catch up on so much of the science of our day. Why have they needed to catch up? It is because not too long ago people in general accepted the Bible as true. Science has accelerated at such a rapid pace just in recent times, that Christianity logically had to catch up with this. But the Watchtower never went beyond itself and its childlike reasoning on matters. But so many Christian apologetics have helped us to catch up on so many things. But even when it comes to these sources, I will not accept generalizations. I do believe that people's misunderstandings about things, makes them look like fools. I don't care if someone believes in evolution or they believe in creation. Both sides have those people that are shallow minded and they don't want to grasp the the understanding of the other side.
To put it simply, being out of the Watchtower and being able to have the freedom to read sites like this has caused my mind to explode with so much knowledge. In fact I have learned so much in the last year that it truly has become like a "burning fire" that I want to share with people. Especially those people in the Watchtower. I want them to know that there is so much out here and there is so much detail that they are lacking.
And so I just wanted to thank everyone for everything that they share on this site. Whether that information is something I immediately agree with or not. Each point has become a starting point for me in my journey to learn more. I have never felt so free.