[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Sign-in] [Mail] [Setup] [Help]
Status: Not Logged In; Sign In
|
Religion See other Religion Articles Title: Why I Left Organized Christendom – and Why I Joined the Jehovah’s Witnesses Why I Left Organized Christendom – and Why I Joined the Jehovah’s Witnesses Matthew 7:13, 14; “Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; 14 whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it. I started reading the Bible more than 20 years ago, alone. Why alone? Because I simply did not know of anyone who actually read the Bible. I was raised a Roman Catholic; they certainly do not read the Bible! Others claim to, but everything that I saw in the organized churches of Christendom were but a reflection of the Roman Catholic church. So I started reading a Bible that had been given me by a friend. That Bible, which I still use to some extent, was a King James Study Bible, and, when I found the Scripture above, it opened my eyes further and started me on a life long quest; I have no wish to be like everyone else. Never have had. In the King James; Matthew 7:13, 14; Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. You will note how the two translations harmonize. Most of the Bibles harmonize; it is just that you must take more care in understanding some because the meanings are harder to decipher. Perhaps this is deliberate; most all translators of the Holy Scriptures into English have been Trinitarians. More on this in just a moment. Just before I read Matthew 7:13 the first time, I found this in the King James Bible; Jeremiah 10:2, ; Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. 4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. … I probably do not need to transcribe these verses for you from another Bible; all of them are basically the same. After I read this, I had to go back and read it several more times over a period of time, just to be sure that it said everything that I thought it did. No Christmas tree?! Where did this come from? Perhaps the better question was… where did Christmas come from? But it took me a couple of years to get to that question. After I reached that point, it did not take me long to find the answers. In any search engine, just type in Nimrod and Christmas. www.xanga.com/Babylon_The_Great/554683845/item.html I am not going to go into great detail, because most of you have seen all of this information before! However, unlike myself, you permit yourself to serve yourself instead of putting the wishes of Jehovah FIRST. "Nimrod started the great organized worldly apostasy from God that has dominated this world until now. Nimrod married his own mother, whose name was Semiramis. After Nimrod's death, his so-called mother-wife, Semiramis, propagated the evil doctrine of the survival of Nimrod as a spirit being. She claimed a full-grown evergreen tree sprang overnight from a dead tree stump, which symbolized the springing forth unto new life of the dead Nimrod. On each anniversary of his birth, she claimed, Nimrod would visit the evergreen tree and leave gifts upon it. December 25th, was the birthday of Nimrod. This is the real origin of the Christmas tree." -The Plain Truth About Christmas by David J. Stewart | December 24th, 2005 "Traditionally, a yule log was burned in the fireplace on Christmas Eve and during the night as the log's embers died, there appeared in the room, as if by magic, a Christmas tree surrounded by gifts. The yule log represented the sun-god Nimrod and the Christmas tree represented himself resurrected as his own son Tammuz." --After Armageddon -Chapter 4 -- Where do we get our ideas? by John A. Sarkett Now, let me see, what does organized Christendom have to say about Christmas? kingskidstuff.home.att.net/christmas.htm “But God gave the greatest gift ever given - himself, that very first Christmas.” Aimed directly at children; how interesting. Why bother posting more? Just type Christian Christmas into any search engine and read all that you wish to. But all of you know this, yet you insist on doing that which is clearly forbidden. Just as does all apostate Christendom. Is there more? Easter. Just type in pagan Easter. Interesting. First site up; Santeria Wiccans. Next site up: Would Jesus Keep Easter? Order Free Book Get free book with true story of Easter bunny, colored eggs & Jesus. The short answer to the above is, no. altreligion.about.com/cs/alchemy/a/mpreviss.htm In second century Europe, the predominate spring festival was a raucous Saxon fertility celebration in honor of the Saxon Goddess Eastre (Ostara), whose sacred animal was a hare. The colored eggs associated with the bunny are of another, even more ancient origin. The eggs associated with this and other Vernal festivals have been symbols of rebirth and fertility for so long the precise roots of the tradition are unknown, and may date to the beginning of human civilization. Ancient Romans and Greeks used eggs as symbols of fertility, rebirth, and abundance- eggs were solar symbols, and figured in the festivals of numerous resurrected gods. Just type in Easter and pagan into any search engine and read all about it. I stopped this non-sense, fast, once I caught on. This is what real Christians do. BUT but but!!! My family!! Matthew 10: 34, 35; Do not think that I came to put peace upon the earth; I came to put, not peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to cause division, with a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a young wife against her mother-in-law. All of you in organized Christendom, AND YOUR CHURCHES, celebrate Easter; you go along to get along. I do not. Neither do the Jehovah’s Witnesses. I like them for that! And I wish to make something perfectly clear here; I knew all of this long, long before I met my first Jehovah’s Witness. LONG BEFORE. And I stopped all of the non-sense, as best I could, long before as well. Eventually, where did all of this take me? The Roman Catholic Church -- Examined Historically and Biblically cdelph.org/catholic.html#false FALSE DOCTRINES WHICH UNITE THE CHURCHES WITH ROME TIME OUT! Read the above sentance a couple of times and understand what it says!! Unites the churches (of Christendom) with Rome. 2. THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY. Belief in a triune God - a God that is both one and three - is opposed to reason and the clear declaration of Scripture (Mark 12:29; 1 Corinthians 8:6). It was included in church teaching about 300 years after the death of Christ, and from Rome has found its way into the beliefs of nearly all communities of Christendom. The HOLY SPIRIT is the power of God, a divine energy by which He fills all space and creates and sustains all things: Luke 1:35, Psalm 51:12, 104:30, 139:7-12, Acts 17:27-28. The Holy Spirit is NOT A PERSON, but the "one spirit" of God used for special purposes: miracles, signs and wonders: Acts 2:1-4. MAN is a mortal creature whose consciousness utterly ceases at death, and, therefore, renewed life can come only through a bodily resurrection. Genesis 3:19, Ezekiel 18:4, Psalm 6:5, Ecclesiastes 3:18-19, 9:5-6, Isaiah 38:18-19, 1 Corinthians 15:13-21, John 5:28-29, Daniel 12:2. The above is a pretty good site. I have found only a couple of things in it that are not correct, according to my understanding of the Bible, but overall, much superior to anything taught in apostate Christendom. Everything taught in the Roman Catholic church comes from tradition. Mark 7:13; (Jesus Christ speaking) and thus you make the word of God invalid by your tradition which you handed down. And many things similar to this you do. Colossians 2:8; Look out: perhaps there may be someone who will carry you off as his prey through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ; Matthew 15:2; (Pharisees and scribes speaking to Jesus Christ) “Why is it your disciples overstep the tradition of the men of former times? 3 In reply he said to them: “Why is it you also overstep the commandment of God because of your tradition?” Now, what does the Roman church say about the so-called Christian churches of Christendom? www.the-ten-commandments....olic-tencommandments.html “It was the Catholic church which…has transferred this rest to Sunday in remembrance of the resurrection of our Lord. Therefore the observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the (Catholic) church.” — Monsignor Louis Segur, Plain Talk About the Protestantism of Today, p. 213. The same is said by the Roman church about the so-called Protestants (apostate Christendom) for their following of any of the dogma and tradition of the Roman church; they are our daughters for the homage they pay to us. www.catholicfirst.com/the...hurchdocuments/dogmas.cfm Dogmas of the Catholic Church Positive Foundation of the Dogma of the Trinity The Trinity came from the Roman Catholic church. Period. I have posted all of the details about this before. If you are a Trinitarian, essentially, you are a Roman Catholic, and this is the opinion of the Roman Catholic church, not mine. People here in the 4um have told me that the Trinity is… a mystery. No one understands it, but… we have to believe it. WHY? There are no mysteries in the Bible. Jesus Christ himself said that he said nothing in secret! ALL WAS REVEALED. The problem is, you have to do the work, the study, and the reading, in order to gain understanding. I cleansed myself of the Trinity beliefs long before I met my first Witness. Just by reading the Bible on my own, and, trusting the Bible that I was reading; a King James Bible. THAT, is the big difference between all of you, and all Jehovah’s Witnesses (including myself). They read the Bible EVERY day. And you claim that they are confused? How dare you. Remember this verse? I have posted it often enough; John 17:3; This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ. What do you suppose it means? How about this; John 15:19; If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, on this account the world hates you. Everything that you all hold so dear comes from the world. Christmas, Easter, all of the holy days set up by the Roman church, the traditions that all of you hold so dear, and you do not understand? Is eternal life that valueless to you?! That you can not do your own study to learn?! Answer me this; why does the world hate Jehovah’s Witnesses?! But loves the Catholics, Baptists and all apostate Christendom? Luke 13; 24, 27; Exert yourselves vigorously to get in through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will seek to get in but will not be able, 25 when once the householder has got up and locked the door, and you start to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Sir, open to us.’ But in answer he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ 26 Then you will start saying, ‘We ate and drank in front of you, and you taught in our broad ways.’ 27 But he will speak and say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from. Get away from me, all you workers of unrighteousness.!’ I left the world long ago. I joined the Jehovah’s Witnesses because they are the only group I have found that closely follow the teachings of the Bible; organized apostate Christendom DOES NOT. Not even remotely, which each of you would understand (and honestly, probably do) if you but did the due diligence necessary to learn. The choice is yours; study, or accept the second death, which is in the lake of fire. A NOTE; I COULD CONTINUE THIS FOR A LONG, LONG TIME, JUST LISTING THE THINGS THAT ARE WRONG IN CHRISTENDOM, SUCH AS BLOOD. WHY? EITHER YOU WILL CHOSE TO STUDY, OR, YOU WILL NOT. THAT CHOICE IS YOURS AND YOURS ALONE. Jehovah God DOES NOT require it. But His promises are dependent upon it. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 94.
#5. To: richard9151 (#0)
Shouldn't this be titled: Why I Left Organized Christendom – and Why I Joined Organized JW
Define organized. Do the Witnesses keep careful records of their work for Jehovah so that they do not fail in their obligations? Of course. Do they have to tithe to support an organization? No. Do they have ministers or priests? No. Do they have churches? No. Is there anyone in the 'organization' -- anywhere -- who does not participate in the preaching of the Good News door to door? No. Do they, as an organization, speak with one voice? Yes. What is that voice? The Bible. EVERY Jehovah's Witness reads the Bible daily. And not just reads it; they delve into it, deeply, much more so than anyone else I have ever met.
Whne JWs show up my house, I'm always nice to them. Then I tell them that I'm busy. They look like Mormons but sometimes they're black. All religion is brainwashing.
It is not a religion. It is a complete way of life. Perhaps you missed the post; Make man in our image. That post explains the Bible. As to the Mormons, not hardly. They do this two years, and that is the end of it. I know Witnesses who have been doing this for more than 50 years. As I said, a way of life.
Of course it is. It's a belief system based on adherence to a set of writings that you believe to be divinely inspired because someone you feel is an authority of such things told you so. It's all based on faith, and also in the trust you have for the person who led you to have that faith in the first place. You also have to genuinely believe that he is telling you the truth, and that he knows what the truth really is. Myself, I have found no such person whom I would view as the knower of all truths.
Ummmm. Nope. Guess not. I was raised a Roman Catholic, and get this; they don't read the Bible. Ever. In fact, the local priest, where I went to the Catholic school, went out of his way to discourage such. I found the Bible on my own, and read it on my own for more than 20 years, cleansing myself along the way of most of the garbage that I carried from organized religion. Once you begin to understand the Bible, there is no doubt that it is divinely instpired. NO DOUBT. BUT, that means ALL of the Bible, and not just selected parts. Myself, I have found no such person whom I would view as the knower of all truths. There is no such person. THAT IS THE POINT. All men are liars; does anyone doubt that?! So, then, what is the source of Truth that all men can trust? (See the note I just put up in this tread to Peter Carswell, please.)
I was brought up Roman Catholic and went to Catholic school, so I know more than you think about it. We studied the Old Testament more than anything else, but did so through Catechism, not the Bible itself. We of course learned about church doctrine, the Trinity, the sacraments, etc. When I actually picked up a Bible and looked it over, I couldn't believe anyone in modern times could believe such stuff. I realized why the Church hid it from view except for selected excerpts read out loud in Mass by the priest, as most educated people would have laughed it off as archaic fantasies of an ignorant people. However, the Church actually WROTE what became the New Testament, transcribing text from supposed letters of the diciples, although the origin of those letters is highly dubious. So your belief that everything in there was written by God is just that, a belief, AND a religion. In reality it was written by men, which you have even just said yourself are all liars.
That is not supported by historical fact. There are numerous references in the historical record of where the letters from the Apostles came from, and a clear record of who wrote them, over and beyond what is in the letters themselves. As to what people believe, that is generally only those who have a very, very thin knowledge of the surface of the Bible. When you study it, the knowledge and how it changes your life is amazing. The problem is, few will study it. There is a reason why more than 4 billion Bibles have been printed, and, why it has been studied for more than 3,500 years, starting from the time of Moses. For those of you who do not wish to study it, so be it. You have made your choice. I have no problem with that.
For those of you who do not wish to study it, so be it. You have made your choice. I have no problem with that. Actually, the Book of Genesis in it's current form in Hebrew along with the rest of the Pentateuch was written somewhere 500-450 BC . From Wikipedia; So people couldn't have read the Torah in its current form until 2450 years ago, and the New Testament didn't exist until 1900 years ago or so. The reason why so many Bibles were printed is that Rome controlled the world, and when the secular empire faded away, the Roman Catholic church took over and FORCED people to believe, otherwise they were tortured and/or put to death. If you wish to believe that which was forced upon people under penalty of death, and see that as a path to everlasting life, so be it.
The reality is that the text known as "Torah" (Law) was in fact culled from other sources - much more ancient than we can trace. The "New Testament" as incorporated in the King James, and later, translations are themselves translations of translations of translations. At each step of the way it has modified for political expediency. This is not to cast aspersions upon the existence of God or that Jesus the Christ was a real historical figure, but that the text upon which people draw for authority in their pronouncements is not a true copy of the original and has been subject to "editing" for the prejudices of whatever temporal powers were at the time of the translation. Look up "The Council of Nicea".
Exactly. I once found a very well documented analysis of the history of the New Testament online, and it was quite an eye opener. I suspected as much for quite some time, but the information presented confirmed my suspicions. I've also found that the Essenes (the Jewish sect that Jesus himself actually belonged to) believed in things much differently than what is portrayed in the New Testament. The Essenes were hunted down by the Romans, and later the Church, and exterminated wherever they were found. I see much death and violence in what became Christianity, which is opposite of the most important teachings of he who was named Jesus. So I don't believe the fruits of that deception and violence, nor anything that derives from it.
There are no replies to Comment # 94. End Trace Mode for Comment # 94.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest |
||
|
[Home]
[Headlines]
[Latest Articles]
[Latest Comments]
[Post]
[Sign-in]
[Mail]
[Setup]
[Help]
|
||