Posts by MGonzales

63

Advantages to being a JW

by MGonzales in

i'd say that the biggest advantage of being a jw is that you learn the bible.

growing up a jw (never baptized), i had many friends (mostly catholic) who didn't even know where most books of the bible were even located.

jws really do learn and study the bible and this knowledge becomes very helpful once you start looking at the bible more objectively and not with wts binders.

MGonzales

You can get to be a great liar to the point you believe the lie! aka Great Salesman!

Which lie? That God exists? That God is love? Or something JW specific?
--

Mark

63

Advantages to being a JW

by MGonzales in

i'd say that the biggest advantage of being a jw is that you learn the bible.

growing up a jw (never baptized), i had many friends (mostly catholic) who didn't even know where most books of the bible were even located.

jws really do learn and study the bible and this knowledge becomes very helpful once you start looking at the bible more objectively and not with wts binders.

MGonzales

Another advantage is that you cannot blame God for not warning you about what is to befall mankind. I?ve come to the conclusion that since we humans are incapable of seeing things from Gods perspective we fail to appreciate the justice in what he does

Trying the quoting thing.

I believe too many humans are incapable of coming to grips that this really might be all there is. I have problems with it myself.

I see no reason why I should believe the Bible was written by anyone but mere mortal men. God's so-called justice might have seemed like justice to the Bible writers of that time as they had no problem inventing stories that we today find (or should find) repulsive. "We humans can't understand the mind of God" is just an excuse for not being able to rationally explain the irrational conduct of God as man portrays him in ancient text, IMHO.

I see early Christianity as a doomsday cult, which eventually morphed into the Roman Church (the first and main Christian religion and holders of the oldest manuscripts). Anyone watch the History Channel today on the origin of the Papacy? Holy crap was this institution Evil! And all other churches branched out from this abomination???

I guess it doesn't matter if I don't believe that the Bible is inspired from some higher being. I do believe that all of you claiming to really know your Bible would disagree how to interpret it, but I guess that goes without saying. I've always been a big fan of Alan F's posts BTW, if that tells you anything about me.
--

Mark

63

Advantages to being a JW

by MGonzales in

i'd say that the biggest advantage of being a jw is that you learn the bible.

growing up a jw (never baptized), i had many friends (mostly catholic) who didn't even know where most books of the bible were even located.

jws really do learn and study the bible and this knowledge becomes very helpful once you start looking at the bible more objectively and not with wts binders.

MGonzales

Deputy Dog, what Bible isn't slanted to one belief or another?

I had a Catholic friend once tell me that the NWT was altered to fit JW beliefs. He didn't know what scripture(s) (I assumed John 1:1), so I later found two official (Papal Stamped) RCC Bibles that had different text...

(Similar to this example at 1 John 5: 6-8)

http://bible.com/bible_read.html

- Douay-Rheims Bible (Catholic)
=======================
6 This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus Christ: not by water only
but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit which testifieth that Christ is
the truth.

7 And there are Three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word,
and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one.

8 And there are three that give testimony on earth: the spirit, and the
water and the blood. And these three are one.

- New American Bible (Catholic)
=======================
6 This is the one who came through water and blood, 2 Jesus Christ, not by
water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies,
and the Spirit is truth.

7 So there are three that testify,

8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and the three are of one accord.

=======================
Note that I'm not trying to make any kind of Trinity argument here, just showing that words are sometimes added (or removed, however you want to look at it). IIR, the current position of the RCC is that this particular Trinity text (verse 7) should not be there, but the KJV has decided to leave it in anyway.

63

Advantages to being a JW

by MGonzales in

i'd say that the biggest advantage of being a jw is that you learn the bible.

growing up a jw (never baptized), i had many friends (mostly catholic) who didn't even know where most books of the bible were even located.

jws really do learn and study the bible and this knowledge becomes very helpful once you start looking at the bible more objectively and not with wts binders.

MGonzales

NeonMadman, you were a JW for 30 years and didn't learn the Bible? Didn't you ever go to those weekend JW get-togethers and play those corny Bible quiz games? I would have felt stupid if I gave a crap because I hardly ever knew the answers, yet I've always known a lot more about the Bible than any of my non-JW friends. Give me any scripture in a Protestant Bible and I bet even today that I can flip right to it. My buds might know that Genesis is in the front and that Revelation in the back, maybe. I guess it's all relative.

63

Advantages to being a JW

by MGonzales in

i'd say that the biggest advantage of being a jw is that you learn the bible.

growing up a jw (never baptized), i had many friends (mostly catholic) who didn't even know where most books of the bible were even located.

jws really do learn and study the bible and this knowledge becomes very helpful once you start looking at the bible more objectively and not with wts binders.

MGonzales

Deputy Dog, I disagree with you. Regardless what the org. tells them, I think JWs know their Bible very well. Some of the best scriptural arguments I've come across have been from ex-JWs who, while no longer associated with the WTS, still learned the Bible as a JW.

I guess you might be referring to interpretation that you don't agree with more than actual wording and location of scripture. But I'm sure some ex-JWs will disagree with you that they hadn't learned their Bible as a JW. Again, not WTS interpretation but rather the contents of the book.
--

Mark

63

Advantages to being a JW

by MGonzales in

i'd say that the biggest advantage of being a jw is that you learn the bible.

growing up a jw (never baptized), i had many friends (mostly catholic) who didn't even know where most books of the bible were even located.

jws really do learn and study the bible and this knowledge becomes very helpful once you start looking at the bible more objectively and not with wts binders.

MGonzales

Ok folks, whatever. It worked out for me so there you go.

I have another advantage of being a JW. They don't vote. Personally, I don't want any religious whackos having any input in making my laws or having anything to do with my political system. Ok, maybe that's an advantage for the rest of us?

In any case, the God of the Bible is still a terrible being IMHO, and if more mainstream religious persons knew what was in their Bible, they might come to the same conclusion, yes?

63

Advantages to being a JW

by MGonzales in

i'd say that the biggest advantage of being a jw is that you learn the bible.

growing up a jw (never baptized), i had many friends (mostly catholic) who didn't even know where most books of the bible were even located.

jws really do learn and study the bible and this knowledge becomes very helpful once you start looking at the bible more objectively and not with wts binders.

MGonzales

Cygnus (is that a Rush reference?), I don't think anyone believes that there aren't any racist JWs. And I know some non-JWs who I don't feel are racist at all. But when I consider the majority of both, I believe JWs in general have much more of a non-racist attitude.

My experiences growing up a JW included regular socializing with all races, even going to their homes for meetings and for socializing. That's not a normal occurrence for most non-JWs that I know of, and I believe this influenced me in my views and choice of friends today.
--

Mark

63

Advantages to being a JW

by MGonzales in

i'd say that the biggest advantage of being a jw is that you learn the bible.

growing up a jw (never baptized), i had many friends (mostly catholic) who didn't even know where most books of the bible were even located.

jws really do learn and study the bible and this knowledge becomes very helpful once you start looking at the bible more objectively and not with wts binders.

MGonzales

stillajwexelder,

I haven't figured out how to quote people yet but I agree about the Ministry School. I have no problem whatsoever giving software demos and presentations in front of groups (10 to 20 people) and I attribute this to giving many #2 talks, although that was years ago.

I also feel that as a Caucasian (despite my last name, I'm not Hispanic), I don't have the racist views that a lot of people I know do. I'm from the deep South, BTW (Louisiana, Georgia, and now Florida). That's not to say that all non-JWs are racists nor that all JWs not racists, but I'm certain that having many black friends, meeting in black's homes, and just feeling at ease going inside a stranger's home (any color) influenced me in some way. Our neighbors would ask my JW parents, "How come those nig***s are always coming over to your house [* mine]?" This kinda stuff still bothers me.

I'm sure I could think of another positive if I really thought about it.

63

Advantages to being a JW

by MGonzales in

i'd say that the biggest advantage of being a jw is that you learn the bible.

growing up a jw (never baptized), i had many friends (mostly catholic) who didn't even know where most books of the bible were even located.

jws really do learn and study the bible and this knowledge becomes very helpful once you start looking at the bible more objectively and not with wts binders.

MGonzales

I dunno what went wrong with the formatting (went back and changed ? to ') but thanks for the welcome.

IMO, there can be no reasonable justification as to what God did at 2 Samuel 12:15. How horrendous!

I wrote these thoughts about it on Usenet some time ago, regarding 2 Samuel 12: 7-23...

First off, if David was the one screwing up, why did God threaten his family? What is this, the Mafia? This story has always implied to me that God killed Bathsheba's infant son due to David's conduct. I don't know how much God intervened on the incestual(sp?) rape and follow-up killings, but it seems to me that he carried out his threat against David's family. But why hurt the innocent?

How badly I feel for Bathsheba. Her husband is murdered, and then her husband's murderer (who previously raped her and knocked her up) "took her home" to become his wife. God disapproves so he strickens her infant son with a deadly illness!

And note that God didn't kill the infant outright, it had to suffer some first.

Yeah, I have a real problem with a lot of the Bible.

63

Advantages to being a JW

by MGonzales in

i'd say that the biggest advantage of being a jw is that you learn the bible.

growing up a jw (never baptized), i had many friends (mostly catholic) who didn't even know where most books of the bible were even located.

jws really do learn and study the bible and this knowledge becomes very helpful once you start looking at the bible more objectively and not with wts binders.

MGonzales

I'd say that the biggest advantage of being a JW is that you learn the Bible. Growing up a JW (never baptized), I had many friends (mostly Catholic) who didn't even know where most books of the Bible were even located. JWs really do learn and study the Bible and this knowledge becomes very helpful once you start looking at the Bible more objectively and not with WTS binders. You began to see the God of the Bible for what He really is, not as the WTS portrays Him.

I mean, what kind of loving being would give an innocent infant a fatal disease (2 Samuel 12:15), allow an entire family to be murdered on a wager (Job), and ruthlessly drown what I guess would be more than 99% of mankind (Genesis 7:17-24)? Imagine all the innocent children clinging to their baby dolls and puppy dogs as they gasp for air while their little lungs fill up with water?

And let's not forget that loving Jesus (whether you believe he is God or God's henchman) preached that this same destruction is going to befall mankind again (Matthew 24:37-39, Matthew 7:13,14). And who says the JW's Armageddon isn't scriptural?

It's good to know your Bible, IMHO.

P.S. The WTS needs to stop sugarcoating the destruction pics in their publications and show it like it's really suppose to happen...oh, the humanity.
--

Mark