by PinTail 27 Replies latest jw friends
Brummey you made my nose burn and eyes water, what a kind hearted soul you are.
Believe me, I have a dark side, but dont tell anyone, okaaay?
Take care Pin, be patient with yourself, allow you're self time, allow yourself to make all the mistakes you need to, dont judge yourself with the harsh judgments the watchtower dishes out, God has got more patience than that. even if ya have got a red nose...
(lol@ allergies, too freakin funny liltoe. )
well, I'm not religious but if I were I think I might be a Quaker. I'd look into the Quakers.
I think one of the hooks JW's use is to sell us on the idea that there is a "Truth". Once they convince you that there is only "One True Religion", then they can convince you that it's them. Now that you're convinced it isn't them, you're trying to figure out who it is. But remember, it was the JW's themselves that sold you on the idea in the first place.
The Bible says so much, it can be used to support or contradict any religion. Rather than looking for truth, look for faith. Find a church that you walk into and feel faith among the people. Not piety or high-and-mightiness, but just a comfortable faith that they and God are at least on speaking terms. Probably a non-denominational would be a good start, to get comfortable with the idea of going into a church.
Good luck!
Dave
Hi Pintail,
I like Brummie's recommendations. I too learned that the "truth" is not in a system of thought or organization, but as Jesus Christ said of himself, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father ex ept through me." Religions that promote Christ and not themselves are generally safer places to discover and build your own spirituality with Christ. Christ deals with us as individuals, according to who we are, and our individual and unique needs and personality. Christianity is not about fitting into a mold, as defined by some system, but letting Christ mold us as he sees fit. Once I made that paradigm shift to a peson and not a system, life took on new meaning, the Bible reads like a different book, and peace finally arrived in my heart. - Jim Whitney
Hi Pintail,
Perhaps to help yourself feel better you could volunteer and help out someone else. You could walk a dog at the animal shelter, deliver meals for sick or the elderly, volunteer for big brothers and big sisters and be a mentor to some kid who has no stable adults.
Sometimes taking the focus off of ourselves and putting our energy into other people helps bring happiness.
I volunteer for Project Linus which makes quilts and blankets for sick children in the hospital.
Doing this makes me feel good and probably benefits me more than the recipient.
Just my 2 cents - hope I didn't offend you.
There is some truth in all religions. But, none of them have the copyright to it. Jesus said quite a few truths. You could take just his words out of the bible and read them. But, is everything the bible had him say true? I don't think so. If not, then how can he be 'the truth'?
Anyway, a religion called unitarian universalists kind of look at a lot of religions. They allow you to pick and choose what you want. As a religious group, they also are the most or second most highly educated. If you spent some time w them, i think that the intelligent people there should be able to help you.
S
Satanus:
But, is everything the bible had him say true? I don't think so. If not, then how can he be 'the truth'?
Ermmm, because he might just have been talking about himself, not the words that would be recorded a few decades later??
You could take just his words out of the bible and read them.
A "Red Letter" bible is useful for this.
Having come to the conclusion that the Bible ( sixty - six books ) is not inspired of God and that what is written in it is hearsay hand me down info selected by a group of men who left out many other books written at the time, I can't advise you to look to it for what is truth.
As for those who do believe, many have agreed that it is a leap of faith or a personal experience of some kind that convinces them that there is more to this life then we now know. I have not heard or read from anyone that has had an experience of some kind that they were told directly from that 'Being' 'if you will' that the Bible alone is inspired of God.
Each ones own personal experience with spirituality real or imagined is what is left to us. Of this I have nothing to add, not having any personal experience with God, Jesus, etc. to share.
I hope for you, that your hunt for the Truth, becomes a reality that you can share with us.
Blueblades
Pin-
Do you equate "spiritual truth" with religion?
BB:
I have not heard or read from anyone that has had an experience of some kind that they were told directly from that 'Being' 'if you will' that the Bible alone is inspired of God.
I have to concur.
I've had some great personal revelations while reading other literature, from the apocrapha to the newspaper
However, I will say that there is some benefit in reading the words attributed to Jesus, especially in the Gospel of John, IMHO.
SP:Good distinction!!
