Please Help me with Answers to my Questions.....

by nemo 30 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Agent 1 of 1

  Well, I'm glad no one's given answers to Nemo's questions yet. The most helpful answer is to do the research yourself. Being a JW you have that certainty. When a question is brought up that has no answer, we start to worry if its the truth or not and the interesting thing is despite receiving a direct answer we do still get one.

  "But what about this question...?"

  "Oh, God will take care of it in his own time. Just wait on him."

  There was no direct answer to your question, but you still did get one and you can move on with your wonderful life. So, even if you received answers to your questions, Nemo, who says those are right. Didn't you believe that the Society was correct before? Don't take people's word for it. I know how it is to want to be told something as though it is for a certainty. So, that you don't have to worry about life and death, the big mysteries of life. But, one thing that has helped me through this ordeal is that everyone goes through this, that is a part of life. If you want to be happy, than learn to lighten up, take a load off, and don't let these questions get you down. I truly wish the best to you, but don't give up. This is really just the beginning. And be happy with that. :)
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  hooberus

  What about the resurrection of the righteous and unrighteous?

  This is an important doctrine. The Scriptures teach the resurrection of the body (in a restored state). See for example Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12 :2. The watchtower denies that the future resurrection of the body. (instead the WT teaches that the person will be "re-created").

  Even more important is the teaching of Jesus Christ that he would raise his body (John 2:19-22). The watchtower denies this and instead teaches that Jesus' body was "disposed of."

  In addition the scriptures thach the resurrection of all humans that have died.

  "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." 1 Corinthians 15:22 (see also John 5:28-29).
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  Nosferatu

  Hello again nemo! The confused and lost feeling is something that many people go through after they leave. It'll go away after a while. As for the answers to your questions, I doubt anyone here will be able to tell you the correct answers. You felt you had the correct answers only because you were told you were in the "one true religion" for so many years. If you had never been a JW, or religious in any way, those questions would have been unanswered all your life. Now that you know the JWs are a bunch of lying bastards, the answers to your questions are also lies.

  You'll have to answer those questions yourself. All I can do is give you my own personal answers:

  Which Bible is viewed as the most accurate?

  In my opinion, the one that's easiest to read.

  Do we all go to heaven, is there a hell?

  I'll find out when I die.

  What about the resurrection of the righteous and unrighteous?

  Again, I'll find out when I die.

  1000 years?

  About 10 times the length of a human life.

  What I found really matters is that I'm here, right now. What I do right now is all that matters. My afterlife isn't important, because I have no clue what is there. I cannot plan what I do after death, however, I can plan what I do with my life.
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  Big Tex

  The most helpful answer is to do the research yourself

  Paul said "Prove to yourself . . .". I do not mean that in a negative way nemo, but real spirituality is a personal journey. Keep asking questions and you'll find what you're looking for.

  Leaving such a controlling organization, it is natural to feel lost, even scared. Most of us did at one time or another. There's a certain sense of security having someone provide all the answers for you, even if you know those answers are wrong.

  All I can tell you is what I believe, no empirical data, no complex dates just what I choose to believe. At the end of the day the God I was taught about said there were only 2 black and white absolutes for his followers: (1) love God (2) love your neighbor.

  Do these two things, and everything else will take care of itself.
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  Valis

  Many of the people I have talked to here who have remained Christians have found solace in what Ray Franz had to say in his book In Search of Christian Freedom.

  http://www.commentarypress.com

  Best of luck on your journey....BTW, there are no dumb questions..

  Sincerely,

  District Overbeer
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  truthseeker1

  Which Bible is viewed as the most accurate?

  Depends on which religion you ask.

  Do we all go to heaven, is there a hell?

  Also dependant on which religion you ask, and which bible you read.

  What about the resurrection of the righteous and unrighteous?

  See above.

  1000 years?

  See above also.

  In short, all these questions don't have a definate answer. Thats what its like outside of JWdum. Inside JWdum, there is always black and white, right and wrong, truth and falsehood. And they define everything for you. But once you are outside, its up to your faith (if you have any) to decide which bible/religion/beliefs are right for you. Thats the burden/glory of not having someone tell you what to think and believe.
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  garybuss

  
  Which Bible is viewed as the most accurate? A testament is a will. Ask this. Would God have two wills? If yes, ask why. If no, then . . . . if the Hebrew Bible has merit, then the Christian Bible has not merit. And inversely, if the Christian Bible has merit, then the Hebrew Bible has no merit. Don't ask if it is accurate, ask if it has merit. (Have you read The Age Of Reason by Thomas Paine?)
  
  Do we all go to heaven, is there a hell? Is there any objective proof either really exist? If the stories about heaven and hell were medical advise and reduced to a pill, would you take it based on the objective proof?
  
  What about the resurrection of the righteous and unrighteous? Is resurrection real? Or is it a made up story? Is there any objective proof it's real?
  
  1000 years?Is it real? Or is it a part of a made up story?
  
  Have you identified your assumptions and challenged those? Have you read the history of the Bible in Encyclopedia Britannica? After my experiences, before I would study the inside of a book, I would study it with the book closed. I want to know who wrote it. What is it's history? Then, is it's contents in harmony? Are there any errors or contradictions?
  
  With a book like the Bible, I want to know is it errant or inerrant? and is it fallible or infallible? If it is errant and fallible, what makes it different than any other book? Why would I give it any weight?
  
  Why wouldn't I search the Koran? or the Book Of The Dead?
  
  Just my thoughts:-) Best wishes, GaryB
  
  
  
  
  
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  Left_Field

  With reference to which is the "best" bible I reply, "Use as many different versions as it takes to quench your thirst for the truth. How many is that?

  http://www.blueletterbible.org/

  There's a good place to start. It even gives you hebrew and the Latin Vulgate. If you want the original translation you need the original language.

  If you want to verify the authenticity of a verse then compare it with multiple versions to get a clearer understanding.

  I personally use King James. I will be buying a New King James and New International Version soon. They seem to clarify certain phrases for me when I compare.

  Also, you might want to consider certain factors before buying a bible. Do you want it to have Jesus' words in a different color for easy recognition?

  Do you want an interlinear bible? As you move along the learning path your needs will change. I started out with wanting to correct as much of what I learned and I did most of that through suspiciously reading nonNWT bibles and I felt comforted when I was able to verify the true meaning by comparing the greek or hebrew meaning [word] for it [certain words/phrases have similar meanings and are obfuscated therefore bringing false meanings]. I am still learning and I am not a scholar of anything or anyone.

  Hope that was helpful... if not just glaze right on past this post :-)

  Nick
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  JCanon

  Which Bible is viewed as the most accurate?

  Not an issue, we have the Hebrew-Greek interliners if you want to check certain tricky verses. Basically most Bibles are okay.

  Do we all go to heaven, is there a hell?

  Only the symbolic 144,000 go to heaven, the actual number being likely 10X 144K (1,440,000), but it's a symbolic number. Limited. The rest of the people will be living on the earth.

  What about the resurrection of the righteous and unrighteous?

  This is the "second resurrection" and it occurs AFTER the millennium, AFTER Satan is let lose to temp mankind again, probably forty years, and AFTER those who survive Satan's test after the millennium, called "the dead, the great and the small" are judged. JUDGMENT DAY begins right after Satan is destroyed. After all that, THEN those who have died, everybody, both good and bad, even those already approved for life and those already condemned will come back and "compare notes"; the righteous will get life, the dead will die one last time, a "second [and final] death".

  1000 years?

  The 1000 years will begin, ostensibly within a year and 3 months after the fall of Babylon the Great...which could happen at any time since all other prophesies except that have all been fulfilled, and according to their timetable. The "end of the gentile times" was in 1947 when the Jews regained control over Palestine. The end of the 7th 70-weeks from the time the Jews were a nation 49 years prior to the Exodus in 1386 ended in 1996.

  The chronology for 1975 is off by 127 years (trust me) which means 6000 years since creation ends in 2102 (1975+127). The millennium is a "sabbath" but it has been moved up a little to allow for Satan's last deception (40 years) and Judgment Day (80 years) following that, before "all things are made new" which signals the beginning of the Second Creative Week. So we subtract 110 from 2102 to get 1992. But since Adam was likely 30 years old before Eve was created, it's reasonable to end the 6th Creative Day around the time Adam would have been 30. That's supported because Jesus became the Messiah at 30 and was an exchange for Adam. So maybe Eve got created at around age 30 for Adam and within 3-1/2 years she sinned and partook of the fruit. At any case, we add 30 years to 1992 to get a very presumptive dating for that chronology in 2022. BUT, if Judgment Day is supposed to be 80 years, then we're looking at 10 years earlier...2012 which we have to subtact 1 year and 3 months, so basically 2010, just six years from now?

  These are just to name a few I would like to know, I think the hardest part is feeling lost after having such strong convictions.

  Hope that was of help. Lots of us have given up on the WTS, but not the Bible! So hang in there!!

  JC
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  LyinEyes

  Nemo, I am happy you are finding your own way,,,,,,,but as you can see already it will not be an easy road to take.

  I disassociated myself , when I realized the JW's were very wrong about so many things,,,things that I could not " wait on Jehovah" to clarify and make right.

  I still was a believer in a way when I d/a myself. I was so in a hurry to find out the basic life questions as you mentioned. I thought if I didnt at least find out the answers to the heavenly hope I would just die.

  I am still so very grateful to a very special lady on this site.......Joy2BFree, for giving me the best advice I have ever had in regards to my exit from JW. We were in chat one day and she could tell how anxious I was , how restless I was over the not knowing about the basic things I was always taught,,,,,,,heaven , hell, God.

  She told me to take one year for myself to heal,,,,,,,,basically to not push trying to find out those answers so soon. I understand why she said that now, because it takes alot of healing , before you can even start to read the Bible or think clearly after being brainwashed so long.

  That year that I took,,,,,,,it was just what I needed. I was literally exhausted from a lifetime of works being a JW. Now if I wanted to read the Bible , I did it when I really wanted to. It was so refreshing.

  I am 2 yrs out now,,,,,,,,not even two years yet really, and I am no closer to knowing the mysteries of the universe. I am pretty sure that I may never understand, maybe not even believe anything different than I do now. And that is OK with me, I will keep the faith that I do have in a Higher Power and keep my mind open as the years go by to what eles I might learn.

  Just remember that when you leave the JW's it is a hard process, because you have so much healing to do,,,,,no matter what our history is life indiviually , we all go thru a measure of pain in order to heal.

  I am glad you are here, because i know without the support I received on this board, I might still be a JW, and utterly miserable.