i just got finished watching yet another version of a christmas carol (this time, the one starring patrick stewart -- one of the better remakes).. those who are familiar with the story will recall when the mysterious ghost of christmas yet to come escorts scrooge into the cemetery and shows him his own grave, scrooge replies with the question: "why show me these things if i am beyond all hope?".
perhaps it's just my usual holiday season depression, but i am in a particularly dark mood tonight.. no spirits have ever visited me.
even god has not made his presence known to me in any manner that i would consider what the bible refers to as "evident demonstration".. i therefore have to draw the conclusion that either my time has not come yet (which i hope), or that i am indeed beyond all hope.
"God no longer loves you, not for what you do, but for who you are."
SFJ,
What an utter plank! So, this person KNEW God's mind, and KNEW who God loved and didn't love.
Just be grateful that you are a decent, kind human being and he is just a loser.
Take care
Terri
so, what do you think about the bible?
is it really ispired of god?.
i am strongly believing that the bible is nothing more than folk-tales, half-truths, and suggestions by man.
The bottom line is that it stems from love and submission of the ego.
Hope that helps in the meantime, but maybe we'll get a chance to discuss it face to face, some day
LittleToe,
I'd love to discuss this some day. I'm not entirely sure what you mean, but it sounds good. Maybe I have too big an ego - I just don't know. One thing I do know is that, when I pray to understand the Bible, nobody is listening. I hope to meet many from this board one day, when you have a meet-up and I'm not working.
Terri
so, what do you think about the bible?
is it really ispired of god?.
i am strongly believing that the bible is nothing more than folk-tales, half-truths, and suggestions by man.
Bebu,
I think the Christians on this board who have ever experienced that awesome presence of Christ will all quickly agree that the full reality of that provides the best proof of all. Words really fail it. It makes sex seem like a one-dimensional, fleeting joy in comparison.
How come I, and millions of others, have never had an experience like that? I read the Bible to try to understand it (and fail miserably), I used to go to church, then to the KH, and listened intently to try to understand, but all I felt was numb. I pray to God and beg him to help me find 'the truth' if it exists. When I pray, I even say to the 'person' I am praying to that I am not sure who or what he/she is, but I still pray. I watch/listen to all manner of spiritual/religious programs on the TV/video. I have been to numerous churches and Bible study meetings (not just the KH) but I still feel numb.
As so many have mentioned, why is the Bible impossible to understand? If God did inspire it, and wants us to learn from it, why did he deliberately write it in riddles? It should be plain and simple, with no possibility of being mis-interpreted, but it isn't. I don't doubt for one minute the experience you have had, but it seems to me that God is particularly choosy about who he allows to 'know' him. I really have tried so hard to find out about him, but have advanced absolutely nowhere over the past 20 years (and this hasn't been through lack of effort).
Terri
so, what do you think about the bible?
is it really ispired of god?.
i am strongly believing that the bible is nothing more than folk-tales, half-truths, and suggestions by man.
So, if you were looking at the Bible from the outside, as someone who wasn't raised a Christian... is there anything about it that would convince you that it is God's word?
Euphemism,
That's just my point - I don't know. I certainly don't think the Bible is the only holy book - there are many others. I just don't agree with people making blanket statements that the Bible is uninspired and full of untruths when there is the possibility it could be right. I feel the same about other books too. I wish I knew the answers to all my questions, or at least where I could go to find answers, but I don't. But just because I don't know the answers doesn't mean the answers aren't out there somewhere - if you see what I mean (sorry - waffling again!)
Terri
so, what do you think about the bible?
is it really ispired of god?.
i am strongly believing that the bible is nothing more than folk-tales, half-truths, and suggestions by man.
I think you should spend more time thinking about things
Ian - I wasn't particularly referring to you - I mean people in general. I know that, when I started having doubts, I thought the whole thing, Bible and all, must be wrong because those who follow it seem to do such horrible things. But I was over-reacting because I was angry over a few people at my KH.
You don?t know me so have absolutely no idea how MUCH I think about things!
I have read many of your posts and I know you must spend a lot of time thinking about things. I respect what you say - no insult was intended - I wasn't implying you don't think.
The Bible is not the inspired word of God - that's a fact as we now know many of its Hebrew writings are taken from elsewhere.
I disagree with this remark. I just don't know whether it is God's word. There are many bits in the Bible that I dislike, and also many parts that encourage people to do good. I think it is too easy to say that IT IS A FACT that the Bible is rubbish. Many people would say it is a fact that it is true. I respect both views, but I'm too muddled at the moment to decide one way or the other, that's all.
Terri
so, what do you think about the bible?
is it really ispired of god?.
i am strongly believing that the bible is nothing more than folk-tales, half-truths, and suggestions by man.
No doubt you are going to have many Christians post to this thread expressing how the Bible IS the word of God. But they cannot offer a shred of evidence. All they can do is express a belief; they are talking about their faith - but faith alone is NOT evidence.
Well, to be honest, it also takes a lot of faith NOT to believe in God or the Bible. To believe that the huge variety of life on Earth just came about through a big bang or something takes a hell of a lot of faith in my book. Plus, although I do not know what I really believe, I don't want to turn my back on God or the Bible just because I don't want to go to meetings or be a JW any more. Many people I know have left the organisation and suddenly, almost overnight, become atheists. I think you should spend more time thinking about things - it's too easy to reject everything just because of a bunch of losers at the KH.
Terri
so, what do you think about the bible?
is it really ispired of god?.
i am strongly believing that the bible is nothing more than folk-tales, half-truths, and suggestions by man.
Shamus,
This is something I would love to know the answer to. I am so confused at the moment - I don't know what to believe any more. Surely if the Bible were God's Word, we would all be able to understand it. I can't quite fathom it out - it is written in an impossible-to-make-head-or-tails-of style and can be interpreted in so many ways. If God is our loving heavenly father, and if he wants what is best for us, how come he wrote a letter to us that nobody really understands completely?
I'll read the board's comments with interest, because I sure can't throw any light on this subject.
Terri
" men take the lead, women merely "support.".
what contributed to priscilla's zeal and courage?
(luke 8:1-3).. yes, the privilege of doing the marketing, cooking, cleaning up, and laundry of 13 men while they did evangelizing.. wt 12/1/75 p. 717 christian greatness comes from serving.
Blondie,
I am still seething with anger over last week's article, but this week's was the icing on the cake!
KM 1/76 p. 5
Along similar lines, we may note that Philip the evangelist had four daughters that "prophesied." (Acts 21:8, 9; compare 1 Corinthians 11:5; 13:8.) That does not mean, however, that they were designated as "prophets" and hence next to the "apostles" in terms of vital service rendered within the congregational framework. (1 Cor. 12:28, 29) Only men are referred to as such Christian "prophets," as can be seen by such texts as Acts 11:27, 28; 13:1; 15:32.
Now, this really annoyed me. The WTS have completely changed the meaning of this scripture, giving their own warped interpretation. And it true that many sisters have such a limited choice when it comes to choosing a marriage partner. Brothers can have the pick of the bunch. I am so relieved that my daughter chose to marry a good, decent RC guy rather than the pathetic, pompous asses we had in our congregation who thought they were God's gift.
Thank you Blondie for helping me to open my eyes so that I can see the BS from the WTS more clearly.
Terri
i have not been to a meeting in about 6 years, and no one had bothered me.
but that is about to change, my sister called me tonight to tell me the news.
my mom had called her to tell her that the elders wanted to know where i lived because they wanted to encourage me to come back.
Hi Pam,
I really don't understand the mentality of these people. There you are, out 6 years, getting your life together, and then they have to come along and mess things up. They go out of their way to df people who don't deserve it, then they go out of their way to hound them to make their way back. They want you to go to the meeting when it has started, sit at the back being ignored, leave early before anyone has a chance to see you.......it makes no sense. Why can't they leave people alone?
Take care - I'll be thinking of you.
Terri
for everyone's convenience, i've summarized my synthesis into a short number of postulates.
please tell me which of my propositions are provably false and therefore biblically inadmissible.. the godhead is a heavenly trio of three living persons: the father, the son, and the holy spirit (matthew 28:19, 3:13-17, 2 corinthians 13:14, ephesians 4:4-6, 1 peter 1:2 and revelation 1:4,5).the father is all the fullness of the godhead bodily, and is invisible to mortal sight.the son is all the fullness of the godhead manifested (colossians 2:9 cf.
john 1:1).
Could anyone give me a simple explanation of the Trinity without resorting to using long, impossible-to-under sentences and without me having to run to the dictionary for every other word? Whenever this subject is discussed, I goes right over my head - I am not entirely stupid, but I can never follow the debate because it gets so complicated and words are used that are never used in normal conversation (at least - I don't use them). Maybe my brain is slower than most, and I need things explained in easy terms.
I was once a Catholic and didn't understand the Trinity then. I spoke to a priest about it once, but he completely lost me. I became a JW, went through the Trinity brochure, and was even more puzzled. I have read some articles on the subject but still don't know if it is a belief I can accept or not because I am not sure exactly what it is.
.....the Son and the Father are both "the only true God" (cf. John 1:1). Hence the Father being in the Son as the Son is in the Father. Hence Christians being in the Father if they are in the Son. The Son referring to the Father as "the only true God" does not logically deny his own deity......
Sorry - but you lost me there.
Terri
PS - apologies for not being as bright as I should be
