Conversation about no longer believing in Christianity

[JoChris]

Yahda deserves a good response from other Christians for this sincere comment.

How do you put a long story short ?How do you put a long story short ?

I would say I came to this earth knowing God and spiritually connected, but there were a lot of things I didn't understand. Now add that with a curious mind.

I have always sought understanding, and understanding of the text. I guess you can say grew up in church ( COGIC). I went until I was about 13, or 14.....all while attending catholic school. My best friend was a JW btw.

Anyway. In church, school, whatever, I always asked questions and never could get straight answers. I will hold up your class, your sermon, your Sunday school, your mass, bar mitzvah idc if it didn't make sense. I realized that if you ask too many questions it don't make sense to them either. You always get the run around. Or the answer lead to some more drama that don't make sense. Better yet thats when they start telling you " we don't know, just believe, have faith..."

By now I'm no longer going to church due to sports. I go to a Catholic school and the ball games are on Sunday imagine that ?

Turned out to be a Good thing. I was born knowing God seems like. I had his word, and always studied and read on my own to no avail. Lol. That's just goes to show you the Power of the word and God.

Still I was learning more on my own, more than I ever learned in church. And yes I feel like all church people and religious are the same. Which actually is different. Every one has a different theory and belief. I'm not just saying this btw. I actually observe and ask a lot of questions, talk to different people, and have been around a few different religions. You can even see it on these boards.

Eventually TMH begin to grant me understanding of the text. Once the word begin to open up to me it all began to make sense.

Once I begin to understand the OT, I'm like wait a minute. This don't match anything being taught to the masses in the New Testament. Something is not right.

God just begin to reveal things to me. He begin to reveal the deception. It's all right there in the pages.

Anyway. Back to me saying that I came here spirituality connected. Luckily for me that I didn't allow religion to fully DESTROY that connection disconnecting me from my Creator. Because that's what it does. It take you away from Him, His will, and his word. That for one is on your heart.

Shalom .

You and I have something in common. I also went to a Catholic school. I had nuns and religious teachers who couldn't explain the bible. I had already read the bible for myself and could see the two didn't fit together. Doesn't mean I understood the bible in a spiritual sense though!

First question: What do you mean by TMH?

 

[Yahda]

Yahda deserves a good response from other Christians for this sincere comment.

You and I have something in common. I also went to a Catholic school. I had nuns and religious teachers who couldn't explain the bible. I had already read the bible for myself and could see the two didn't fit together. Doesn't mean I understood the bible in a spiritual sense though!

First question: What do you mean by TMH?

The Most High. The Creator of all things. The Creator. I sometimes say Him & Father but I usually try to avoid gender references. The term God is not a favorite of mines as well.

Next question:lol

 

[rainerann]

Yahda is just more special and spiritually connected than the rest of us. Special, just so special. I wish I were special too.

 

[JoChris]

Do you think you were influenced much by your JW friend? DId you learn much about their beliefs e.g. Jesus being really the archangel Michael?

 

[Yahda]

Do you think you were influenced much by your JW friend? DId you learn much about their beliefs e.g. Jesus being really the archangel Michael?

No. These were my younger days, 10, 11,12 something like that. Way before we became friends I had already heard the rumor NO CHRISTMAS ? What ! Never. That's all a kid need to hear. Lol.

And You spend your Saturday's going door to door and when you knock we have to duck and hide.

So there was already a stigma there.

I wasn't influenced by JW till way later in life. I didn't join or anything but I had a conversation with one.

Remind you I ask a lot of questions and had a lot of questions expecting the usual run around. I went in question after question, but she had a lot of answers and she was showing me through the text. It was actually making a little sense.

Also It was the JW who taught me that you have to translate the Bible......

Still I had a long way to go. It's been a process and a journey. I'm here for it. So ah yeah.

 

[JoChris]

If JWs do teach the individual has to translate the bible for themself, why do they have their own authorised New World Translation version that each JW must use for reference?

 

[Yahda]

Yes I did learn about their beliefs of Michael being the AA.

If does JWs teach the individual has to translate the bible for themself, why do they have their own authorised version that each JW must use for reference?

They didn't teach me that you have to translate the Bible per say. They gave me the translated definitions of certain words. Once the words were translated things made that much more sense.

I myself took the translation game and ran with it on my own.

They are also the ones who taught me it was a Hebrew book. That's where I first saw the name Yahawah ( YHWH)

So I basically peeped game as to how to read and understand the text.

The main thing I picked up on and one of the rules I abide by to this day is to show me in the text.

I realized that half of the things the religious believe isn't even in the got dog on text for crying sake. Lol

I learned to stick to the words on the pages and to verify and confirm my beliefs through the pages. If you can't do that it didn't happen.

In religion you have to assume, speculate, use your imagination, add too...when you should just stick to what was written. Don't guess. Don't assume.

So basically before I could understand. God took me on a journey as to "how to" understand. A preparation course so to say.

 

[JoChris]

How do you know that Jehovah's Witnesses bible translators had the necessary skills i.e. literacy in ancient Greek, Latin and Hebrew writings for their version be considered more reliable than normal bible translations?

I don't remember that much about my chemistry classes, but I do remember being told that if there is an unusual result in one particular experiment that contradicts all other research results, then there is something wrong that occurred, or there has been a factor left out that that needs to be identified. 1 weird result that contradicts 1000 identical experiments, the problem is with the 1, not the other 999.

 

[Yahda]

How do you know that Jehovah's Witnesses bible translators had the necessary skills i.e. literacy in ancient Greek, Latin and Hebrew writings for their version be considered more reliable than normal bible translations?

I don't remember that much about my chemistry classes, but I do remember being told that if there is an unusual result in one particular experiment that contradicts all other research results, then there is something wrong that occurred, or there has been a factor left out that that needs to be identified. 1 weird result that contradicts 1000 identical experiments, the problem is with the 1, not the other 999.

It's not that deep. Just a word here and there. Certain words have certain meanings and definitions. A simple lexicon works fine. Something you can do one your own. There are no JW bible translators skilled with dr degrees or anything. Lol.

I learned things are simple. That's rule number one. If it sound hard and complex it's probably a lie.

 

[JoChris]

I just discovered that too!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World_Translation_of_the_Holy_Scriptures#Translators

Doesn't that concern you that people with no serious translation credentials who had preconceived beliefs just happen to translate the manuscripts and - voila- their version contradicts all other bible versions in their core doctrines verses?

E.g. John 1:1 [KJV, ESV, NIV, RSV, YLT, NLT ] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
[JW New World Translation] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.

Lower case - totally different meaning. That is either extremely poor translation standards, therefore the reader needs to find a proper translation OR than intentional mistranslation - that is deception. That is a lie.

Which bible translation do you currently use?

 

[Yahda]

I just discovered that too!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World_Translation_of_the_Holy_Scriptures#Translators

Doesn't that concern you that people with no serious translation credentials who had preconceived beliefs just happen to translate the manuscripts and - voila- their version contradicts all other bible versions in their core doctrines verses?

E.g. John 1:1 [KJV, ESV, NIV, RSV, YLT, NLT ] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
[JW New World Translation] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.

Lower case - totally different meaning. That is either extremely poor translation standards, therefore the reader needs to find a proper translation OR than intentional mistranslation - that is deception. That is a lie.

Which bible translation do you currently use?

YES it concerns me. JW are one of the organizations that continue to change their Bible. If you wouldn't keep changing it there would be no need to translate the text.

Now while I said she had a lot of answers for some of my questions regarding the text, she couldn't tell me a clear answer as to why they keep updating "changing" their Bible. That's one thing about them that irked my soul. One thing I expressed my disgust to them about.

Her response was "to make it easier for people to understand" but when you do that it give the passages a whole another meaning. This is important to understand.

How do I do it ? I use the KJV for clarity. Yes I've heard the nags and complaints and accusations made against him....HOWEVER. The book has a VOCABULARY that can be translated.

The books we read from today do not. When you don't know it need to be translated you take the basic copies we have today as fact.

And when I say translated I'm not talking about the entire text. I think you misunderstood me. Just simple words, and names and stuff. Along the same lines of looking up words in a dictionary. You don't have to learn another language to understand.

How do you know whether to trust this translation? The meaning/definition of the word you looked up usually summarize the entire passage or things of that nature. It fits the narrative of what's being said.

I check the KJV against the Septuagint if I need more clarity. Usually works for me.

I also learned a lot through etymology. That's one of my favorite methodologies of study.

 

[JoChris]

Hmmm.... she was word-gaming like politicians and lawyers and kids caught with their hands in the lolly jar....
I am immediately suspicious of people who won't answer the question directly.

Until several years ago I had never used a KJV bible. The church I attend in this town is a KJV only one. At first I was very hesitant to believe that KJV was the one true version for English speakers. I hadn't realised until shown how much other translations left out, or chosen to weaken the meaning of the original word. For example, instead of "bastard" (KJV) some use "illigimate son". If I moved elsewhere to a non-KJV church district I would still use it. It says what it means and it means what it says.

Next:
You were born knowing... what do you mean by knowing?
do you mean knowing that there is a Higher Being, or knowing the TMH personally?

 

[Yahda]

Hmmm.... she was word-gaming like politicians and lawyers and kids caught with their hands in the lolly jar....
I am immediately suspicious of people who won't answer the question directly.

Until several years ago I had never used a KJV bible. The church I attend in this town is a KJV only one. At first I was very hesitant to believe that KJV was the one true version for English speakers. I hadn't realised until shown how much other translations left out, or chosen to weaken the meaning of the original word. For example, instead of "bastard" (KJV) some use "illigimate son". If I moved elsewhere to a non-KJV church district I would still use it. It says what it means and it means what it says.

Next:
You were born knowing... what do you mean by knowing?
do you mean knowing that there is a Higher Being, or knowing the TMH personally?

Umm a YES wasn't enough? I'm confused?

 

[JoChris]

Knowing about God, hearing about God since you could remember, whether by church, school, family members,friends et.al
OR
You believing you knew God always since you can remember, Him revealing Himself through signs, experiences, hearing God either audibly (physical hearing) or an inner voice.