serious question about the bible?

Question

well im in a bit of a dilemma.. anyone who read my earlier question about Jehovahs Witnesses knows...

ive been doing research on the religion itself because im, i guess you could call it, a potential convert.

but i need to know a lot more before i make any kind of decision.
i know this much: they study the bible regularly and basically live their life by it. but theres questions regarding the bible itself. for example we all know how old it is. there have been so many translations, a lot of them loose translations, and different interpretations from many different people throughout the years. some corrupt people in the past have twisted teachings of other work. can the same be said or the bible? its just that how do we know that every word he bible says is in gods own words? i have my beliefs and i want to join but not if theyre are asking me to completely give up what i firmly believe makes sense to me.

in my case there a girl involved... i can say how i feel about her because theres really no words for it... heres my other question:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AsJtektBK1HBlfvoERNlHUDsy6IX?qid=20070806095259AA5qHAB

it has a little more detail about my situation and why this is such an issue for me. the questions are kinda relate so i figure id put the other one up.. and i need any and all the help help i can get.. you know.. lol anyone who takes the time to answer, i really appreciate it.. and thanks

i think a lot of you misunderstood me..

i love this girl more than anything, but i would never lie to her. and that includes joining her religion that i may or may not firmly believe in. now i could be wrong in my own beliefs and they could be right and i may see it that way in all honesty but while i cant honestly look her in the eye and say im not doing his for you i wont do it. i wouldnt risk so much for something that may or may not work no matter how much i want to. i wont do the stupid thing because he last thing i want is to hurt her or ruin whatever we have now. and to me there is no better girl and she is worth the trouble but
in the meantime i dont know wtf to do now

Answer 1

All legitimate Christian denominations consider the Jehovah Witnesses to be a cult. You know, the "Don't drink the lemonade" kind of people. Ask around. The Methodists wouldn't mind if you become a Baptist or for that matter a Catholic, But Jehovah Witnesses insist that theirs is the only true church, a clear mark of a cult.
They do not use a genuine copy of the Greek New Testament because the real thing openly contradicts their doctrine.
They do not accept any honest translations. In any legitimate church you can use any English version you please, they are all basically the same. Not the book they use.
They get excited about predicting the exact date and manner of Christ's return, trivial points of the Old Testament, and proselytizing.

Answer 2

If you have a probem giving up what "makes sense" to you, then the JW religion would not be right for you. Once you become a baptized JW, you forfeit your God-given right to believe what makes sense to you; you just have to accept and believe whatever makes sense to the men on the Governing Body, who have entitled themselves "the faithful and discreet slave". (Similar to the pope or the Vatican, but with more control over the lives of the members.) They make all the rules and formulate all the doctrine.

You will still be able to make some small unimportant decisions for yourself, but you must not question any teaching or practice of the "faithful and discreet slave" unless you want to be looked on as a person with 'heretical' or 'apostate' tendencies. And to express outright disagreement with them would most likely result in your being disfellowshipped and treated like an outcast, so it's a decision that shouldn't be taken lightly.

If, though, you want a religion that relieves you of thinking for yourself, and like to have all your beliefs spelled out for you, the JW's have a lot to offer. But you must be willing to change your beliefs at the drop of a hat, if the WT changes their thinking on any particular belief, (For example, they used to teach that 1799 was the beginning of the Time of the End, now they teach it's 1914). And not only must you believe it yourself, you must devote your life to trying to convince others that the JW's have the "truth". If you truly buy into it, though, that's not really a problem.

Just keep your eyes open and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

Answer 3

I do develop worn out of the field, however the reliance that many humans have upon unscriptural doctrine is all too average. I as a result am struck with a must provide an explanation for and achieve this dutifully. The truly reply I will say, is past what you're asking despite the fact that. a) premarital intercourse In the Old Testament, humans could get married by means of 'figuring out' the spouse. There have been no monks on the time. If you 'knew' a lady, you could be married. b) gay intercourse often Homosexuality within the Bible was once a situation that's known as each ritual and in addition a type of prostitution. The loose acts of non ritualistic and as opposed to prostitutional types of homosexuality was once recorded in Genesis wherein the angels that visited Lot in Sodom have been propositioned. c) gay intercourse among 2 females The reference in Romans a million is obviously one approximately Lesbianism. After all that: In ALL those instances the homosexuality was once a symptom of whatever else a lot worse than the act of homosexuality in itself. And that was once the mistrust of the real God. Those in Sodom would have escaped, gay or no longer, IF they relied on within the message of God that mentioned town could be destroyed-- run! But they proposal that it was once a funny story in a single illustration, they comfortably have been too stuck up of their 'culture' to open their hearts and minds to God's phrase. So all of them died at the moment. The message is the equal right here. If you believe within the Lord Jesus Christ you are going to be stored. It was once approximately believe in Sodom, and it is approximately believe now. So Homosexuality, whilst being a sin, isn't relatively what's essential within the field of salvation. It's trusting God. It's continually been approximately trusting God. It will continually be approximately trusting God.

Answer 4

Have you looked at the J.W. "translation" of the bible? Do you know that of the members of the committee that came up with their verison only one had any kind of credentials that would justify them being on the committee and that person was not an expert in the languages? There's so many just plain wrong things in their version that it's obvious that it can't be taken seriously.

There's also all the false prophecies that have come from their leaders. No matter how they try to explain them away, the fact is they're false prophecies.

I've studied the J.W. for about 10 years and am quite certain they are not what they claim to be.

Joining them just for a girl is NOT a good idea.

Answer 5

God has gone to great lengths to preserve the Scriptures that have remained virtually unchanged over the millennia. Sure, there have been translations and paraphrases, but if you compare them side by side, they're all pretty much saying the same thing. There are a few Bibles that are based upon the Alexandrian manuscripts (bad copies of Scripture that were not used, and thus survived longer) instead of the Textus Receptus. A few versions of the Bible have copyist errors, but these can be easily exposed.
You must understand that the ancients who copied the Scriptures took great pains to copy it perfectly. They also proofread it backwards and forwards to make sure no mistakes were made. The Bible is one of the oldest, best preserved books in the world.
The JW's have a Bible that omits the word "Christ" every time Jesus is mentioned. They do not believe that Jesus was the Christ, so they alter it to fit their beliefs. JW's are actually closer to Judaism than Christianity in their doctrines.

Answer 6

Proverbs 24:7, Ecclesiastes 10:14

Answer 7

I attend the Kingdom hall of Jehovah's Witnesses & ahve been off/on for the past 4 yrs. The best advice I can give is to join only if you support the scriptures. DO NOT join this congregation OR any other Christendom denomination for another person because you love them. I have been to many churches in the 8 yrs I have been married & though my husband did not go with me to all of them he still loves me.
They are not making you give up anthing that goes with God, what they are doing is helping you focus to serve jehovah & not serve the world,& that is where many people get the confusion of the congregation trying to "control" when they aren't. It is better to be under Jehovah's rules what the Jehovah's Witnesses do stand by, thne the worlds view of God.
Also some of the beliefs we in the christendom churches are taught are man made & not supported scriptually , onyl by socity.Isn't it better to learn the truth now of GOd & stick with it instead of him judging you later when the truth was already reveled? your "beliefs" may not line up with scripture & if it doesn't then they will not accept it because the congregation wants to stay as a servant of God & not let worldy influences in.Looking back I donot agree 100% with all their views, but scriptually I do & that is why I stay.

Answer 8

I am not a JW, but this what I can say about your situation:

Make sure you seriously analyze of what you are doing. I know that you are probably joining them because JWs do not marry anyone outside of their faith. If you are joining them because there is a chic in there you really like, you are setting yourself up for failure. If you join them and then marry her, are you going to be able to live up to their standard and belief. There will be no turning back after that. If you fail them, then they will shun you and disfellowship you from the congregation. This could create serious marital problems for you. However, if you are joining them because you truly believe in their teaching and not because you are attracted to a female JW, then you are in the right track! The Bible is truth, you can rely on that. But, can you live by its interpretations? Make sure that you are ready and truly believe their teachings, before you make a lifetime dedication through baptism.

Answer 9

Check out this web site from former Jehovah's witnesses. Then you can get the other side from what current JW's are telling you about the religion. Then pray about it, in Jesus' name and ask God to give you direction in where He would have you go to learn the truth and worship Him.

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/2919/

Joining because of a girl is like the trap that Balaam counseled Balak to use to get the Israelites. If you don't know what I mean then read the book of Revelation chapters 2 & 3.

Answer 10

Clearly, the questioner must study, pray, and meditate for weeks or months before he decides (for himself) whether or not to change religions. This is an interesting question, primarily because so many current Jehovah's Witnesses originally studied with the religion with ulterior motives.

(Jeremiah 20:7) You have fooled me, O Jehovah, so that I was fooled. You used your strength against me, so that you prevailed.


Perhaps the largest single group of these is formerly unbelieving spouses. Time and again, a reasonable husband quietly tolerates his wife's newfound association with Jehovah's Witnesses until it becomes clear that this is no passing distraction; whereupon the intelligent, sophisticated husband takes it upon himself to "expose" what he condescendingly assumes is a series of naive and unscriptural teachings. If he is a fair-minded person, the passing weeks or months of study will bring surprise after surprise, and a growing respect for the bible scholarship of Jehovah's Witnesses.

(1 Corinthians 1:20) Where is the wise man? Where the scribe? Where the debater of this system of things? Did not God make the wisdom of the world foolish?


Admittedly, not all unbelieving spouses who study with Witnesses quickly become Jehovah's Witnesses themselves. But an extraordinary number who study openmindedly do 'bear fruit and produce'.

(Matthew 13:3-23) [Jesus] told them many things by illustrations, saying: “Look! A sower went out to sow; and as he was sowing, some seeds fell ...upon the fine soil and they began to yield fruit... As for the one sown upon the fine soil, this is the one hearing the word and getting the sense of it, who really does bear fruit and produces


In general, each Jehovah's Witness is expected to perform a conscientious personal ministry. An individual Witness tries to make his efforts meaningful, but understands that the important thing is his willingness and effort rather than any specific accomplishment. A householder should feel free to communicate his precise level of interest to his Witness teacher, and the Witness teacher will likely work within that interest level in the future. For some, that will include rides to meetings at the Kingdom Hall; for others, it will include a regular weekly sit-down bible study from a bible-based publication; still a third might simply be on a magazine route and spend a few minutes each month to discuss a bible topic for five or ten minutes. Even if a person wishes to merely continue as a person of good will, Jehovah's Witnesses are happy to remain friends and merely check in once every few months.

If a householder realizes he is wholy uninterested, or comes to regret having schemed to waste the time of a Witness minister, it might be best for that householder to thank the Witness minister and allow him to now redirect his energies. The typical Witness will be glad to have had the opportunity to share and explain his faith, but will appreciate such an expression of honesty.

(Hebrews 13:15) Let us always offer to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips which make public declaration to his name.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_04.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_15.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_09.htm