"Religions and scriptures are humans questions and human answers."
I agree completely. I just disagree with the God existing bit.
even wicked queen jezebel knew ‘what is good and what is bad’ because she described those who hurt others for no reason as “good-for-nothing.” (1 king 21:10).
from her comment the following universal truths can be discerned:.
1) everyone is endowed with the knowledge of good and bad, which makes god’s communication with humans unnecessary.
"Religions and scriptures are humans questions and human answers."
I agree completely. I just disagree with the God existing bit.
even wicked queen jezebel knew ‘what is good and what is bad’ because she described those who hurt others for no reason as “good-for-nothing.” (1 king 21:10).
from her comment the following universal truths can be discerned:.
1) everyone is endowed with the knowledge of good and bad, which makes god’s communication with humans unnecessary.
1) Everyone is endowed with the knowledge of good and bad, which makes God’s communication with humans unnecessary.
Very true. Do you think the Hebrews arriving at Mount Sinai just suddenly realised they'd been doing things wrong?
"Dude, I've been totally coveting your ass. My bad."
"No worries dude, I've been dishonouring my father for, like, AGES man! I'm, like, totally bad too dude."
i have just began to read the above.
yes he is the man who created the fictional detective sherlock holmes.
in his first story called the "scarlett letter" he deals with (i stress this is fiction) with a couple escaping from the new paradise just founded in utah of the mormons.
I thought exactly the same when I read A Study in Scarlett. This is what a country governed by JW's would look like except with fewer wives per husband.
i realize that jehovah’s witnesses have been dumbed down for long time now.
.
still, i think there must be something that would make them really question their beliefs, even their life.. i think that if witnesses were told they could take blood or that disfellowshipping was unloving, they might stop and take a hard look at everything they have sacrificed their lives for.. i know the organization has muddled these subjects before but the i think even die hard witnesses might start to second guess the governing body..
The only thing I can think of to answer the OP's question "Is there anything that would make a JW seriously question their religion" is god actually revealing himself in the heavens and saying "The Catholics were right all along."
I really can't think of anything other than a universal divine revelation.
let the reader use discernment:.
i was disfellowshipped in june of last year.
while i've been awake for nearly a year, i still often feel groggy.
Hi Heather Collins,
Do you know one of the key signs of an internet ranter? Multiple posts without waiting for replies. Posting three times in a row says (to me) that you're here to preach, not to listen. This is a forum, a place for discussion.
The other thing I'd like to address is your false dichotomy of protesting with placards being the only viable form of activism when you say “What did you do? How did you help? What did your signs look like?”. It has been said that the best way to defeat the organization is to live a happy life. There are many, maybe even a majority, EX-JW’s who disagree with active protest and do their bit to help in other ways, living happy lives, having lively discussions on forums… lots of different ways.
Personally I can’t make up my mind as to whether active protests are a good thing or not, even after reading thebrokenkite’s well written and reasoned post, but I do know that It’s not the only positive course of action.
so i was reading the book of daniel, starting with chapter 4 (nebuchadnezzar's famous tree chopping/banding dream where the 7 times is introduced) but i noticed that when you don't cherry pick verses and just read straight thru - it really seems like some children's book that was poorly written.
even though the borg says that this book as written by daniel, chapter 4 is clearly written by "king nebuchad·nezzar to all the peoples, nations, and language groups dwelling in all the earth" after the tree chopping business.
) of the rest of the chapters seem to be written in 3rd person (odd, if you are writing about your experiences).
Ok.... So Jahveh and Josua Yahshua are the two most powerful beings in the universe? And they both truly love us? And the true scripture(tm) in the bible is their message to us?
Can you point me to the verse in the bible that commands us to boil water before drinking it?
Do you know how many people, mainly children, have died, horribly, because of water born diseases?
Whatever you call them your gods have no power, no agency in this world and certainly no love for us.
new to the forum.
hope today finds everyone well.
i’m not super familiar with jw theology concerning jesus.
Hi Venus, I think we're saying the same thing? That the gospels are stories made up by men? The point I was making is that the story is probably based around a real human being who would have been a wandering prophet (of which there were many) and who probably ran foul of the Roman law (also not uncommon) and may even said some memorable stuff but who was definitely not the son of god or possessed of magical powers.
new to the forum.
hope today finds everyone well.
i’m not super familiar with jw theology concerning jesus.
I like Christopher Hitchin's reasoning that there probably was a real person that the Jesus story is based on because if it was being made up wholesale then the writer wouldn't have invented a census that can be proved not to have happened just to make a man who was known as Jesus of Nazareth somehow be born in Bethlehem.
If it was completely made up then you'd just have your man be from Bethlehem.
Also, the resurrection account is only attested to by women. If the story was completely made up then you wouldn't have the key event that proves that your man is more than a man verified by the least regarded members of society at the time.
This coupled with the fact that the rest of the story does fit into the mythological format that was widely used points (conclusively to me) to an actual historical person being fitted into a mythological story narrative.
i'm an active elder, cobe, just got home from the meeting where i handled the treasures part and concluded by announcing a friend of mine has been d/f,.....blah blah blah...and over the last year have woken up.
i simply cannot spill my guts to my wife and children as it would be family suicide.
i have zero desire to bash, spread my feelings, or become an "apostate".
I've got a horrible sinking feeling that Brian has been overwhelmed by guilt at posting on an "apostate" forum and has no idea of the caring and supportive posts that are here for him. :(
i'm an active elder, cobe, just got home from the meeting where i handled the treasures part and concluded by announcing a friend of mine has been d/f,.....blah blah blah...and over the last year have woken up.
i simply cannot spill my guts to my wife and children as it would be family suicide.
i have zero desire to bash, spread my feelings, or become an "apostate".
Hi Brian, I just want to add my "take things slow" to the chorus!
I'd also add that you have all the tools to understand how your wife will respond and to plan accordingly. You were (are) a JW and... she is your wife! :)
My advice would be to focus your precious time and energy on your family and stop throwing it away into the black hole that is the organisation as far as possible. Continue to prove the truth of the matter to yourself. It's a safe bet for me to say that you have never actually studied "the Truth". How can you prove or disprove something if you only ever consider how right it is and never consider how it may be wrong?
Lastly please remember that you have exactly as much right to happiness as your wife or anyone else on this planet and nobody, NOBODY has the right to take it away, not even the GB. Unless you let them.