Bible Study Tonight!?!?

[chrome]

As some of you may already know I have a boyfriend who has newly been converted as a Jehovah Witness - It has been quite trying to our relationship so far but we/I have dealt with it OK.

I have tried  to be really supportive of his new found religion (well as much as I can being an Atheist) and have gone along to some weird Jehovah convention, driven him to his Kingdom Hall and accompanied him to his Witness friends house for a BBQ where I was the only non-witness there out of about 20 people and got surrounded at one stage of the night.

I have started reading the bible as I have never read it before an want to gain some sort of insight from what he is now going to base his life upon. I have also been reading some of the magazines he has bought home like - 'what the bible really teaches you' and various 'Watchtower' magazines.

Now tonight he has two of his Witness friends coming to our house for a bible study - I have agreed to join in and to listen and ask questions. I am feeling a little uncomfortable about this but I am trying to not let it bother me and kind of accept it as a new experience where I can perhaps ask some questions and find out more stuff about the Witnesses  :hmm:

Anyways - I was wondering if any of you guys out there has some questions I could bring to the table or any more advice on how I am dealing with it so far.

[PoopShoot]

Anyways - I was wondering if any of you guys out there has some questions I could bring to the table or any more advice on how I am dealing with it so far.

That depends on what they're studying.  They will do their best to keep the conversation on the topic of what they're studying that night.  Your best bet is to join them and get your own copy of whatever book they're currently using (presumably Knowledge that Leads to Eternal Life) and then pick apart the chapter that they're studying.  Barring that, anything you ask them will be redirected into a personal study with you.

[Whitney]

They may not give you an opportunity to ask the hard questions.  In my experience bible study groups pick and choose rather than going through the entire bible.

[PoopShoot]

They may not give you an opportunity to ask the hard questions.  In my experience bible study groups pick and choose rather than going through the entire bible.

The JWs skip it altogether and study a book that cites the bible.

[Parsifal]

I would ask them, since God has a plan for everyone, and no one would die before his/her plan has been fulfilled, what plan God would have for people who are alive thanks to blood transfusions (which they believe should be refused and you should rather die than get a blood transfusion).  That would include people like me.  Are we just superfluous, occupying space that could otherwise be occupied by good JW's?

[chrome]

They may not give you an opportunity to ask the hard questions.  In my experience bible study groups pick and choose rather than going through the entire bible.

The bible study is going to be hosted by two of my boyfriends work mates (the ones that converted him) so I think it will be pretty casual and they actually suggested for me to come up with some questions for them.

I would ask them, since God has a plan for everyone, and no one would die before his/her plan has been fulfilled, what plan God would have for people who are alive thanks to blood transfusions (which they believe should be refused and you should rather die than get a blood transfusion).  That would include people like me.  Are we just superfluous, occupying space that could otherwise be occupied by good JW's?

That's an interesting one Parsifal  :brick:

[PoopShoot]

Your answer is probably going to be something along the lines of "god doesn't have a personal plan for every individual, but rather a grand plan for all humanity".  They started taking that line in the 70s to address teh blood transfusion issue.

[Parsifal]

Chome wrote: You know there is something I don't really like about the Witnesses. They come across with a certain amount of smugness, as they believe that they are right and everyone else is wrong and they are the only ones that will be saved... They almost look down on you but try to relate and says things like - You know I used to be like you and smoke/drink/swear and live with sin until I found "the truth". I think that is why I feel a little uncomfortable about tonight but I know I shouldn't be.

The religious in general are like that.  Their delusion gives them some sense of superiority.  Maybe you don't let him dominate you, Chrome, so he has to find his masculinity elsewhere, like in religion.  

[chrome]

The religious in general are like that.  Their delusion gives them some sense of superiority.  Maybe you don't let him dominate you, Chrome, so he has to find his masculinity elsewhere, like in religion.  :idea: Although that's not the way to try and dominate me... perhaps whips and chains might of worked better  

[The Magic Pudding]

Ah I see what your saying  

Now Chrome you really shouldn't tease our foreign friends.
Might be good for tourism though.

[Parsifal]

by PoopShoot » Thu Oct 07, 2010 4:34 am

Your answer is probably going to be something along the lines of "god doesn't have a personal plan for every individual, but rather a grand plan for all humanity". They started taking that line in the 70s to address teh blood transfusion issue.

So this god wants me dead for the sake of humanity?  Well, fuck Him then.

Chrome, how did the bible study go?

I remember prayer meetings at my parents' house when I was small.  All the adults would kneel at chairs, praying in turns.  And everyone that was praying would confirm the prayers of the others with sounds and noises like: "uhm" "uhm" "uhm" "yeeeees, lord".  Mass hysteria of note.  Oh god, religion cost me my childhood!

[chrome]

Chrome, how did the bible study go?

hmm not as bad as I imagined... was pretty casual - we were reading out of some Witness book and then discussing what we just wrote then looking up versus in the bible. I was mostly quiet sort of let them do their thing. They are pretty damm excited about Paradise earth and kept talking about how great it will be.

I got into a bit of an argument with one of the Witnesses ONLY because he was being disrespectful to other religions - which I though was wrong so I pointed it out to him - I told him that I don't like that they talk badly of other religions like they do and they are not any better than anyone else... just different!

I'm still not convinced though... I think they over analyse things way too much.

Not so much praying Parsiful just an opening prayer and a closing prayer... hmm the things we do for love

[Gawen]

Bible Study:
Matthew 16:15-17:

15: And Jesus said unto them, "And whom do you say that I am?"

16: And Simon Peter answered and said,"You are the eschatological manifestation of the ground of
our being, the ontological foundation of the context of our very selfhood revealed."

17: And Jesus answered and said unto him, "What?

Anyway, Christian theists love their bible study. "What do you suppose Jesus meant when he said....?" "What is Paul saying here?" Etc., etc., etc.

It's never biblical study on the order of "What do you suppose the author of Paul was smoking at the time of this letter?" "Why are the Gospels written after some of Paul's letters?" "Why do scholars think that more than half of Paul's letters weren't written by Paul?"

[Parsifal]

Gawen said:

Anyway, Christian theists love their bible study. "What do you suppose Jesus meant when he said....?" "What is Paul saying here?" Etc., etc., etc.

It's never biblical study on the order of "What do you suppose the author of Paul was smoking at the time of this letter?" "Why are the Gospels written after some of Paul's letters?" "Why do scholars think that more than half of Paul's letters weren't written by Paul?"

Why couldn´t they just come out and say it?   (Don´t bother answering   ) It is this uncertainty about what they meant that leads to the constant strife among all the sects.

[navvelline]

Chome wrote: You know there is something I don't really like about the Witnesses. They come across with a certain amount of smugness, as they believe that they are right and everyone else is wrong and they are the only ones that will be saved... They almost look down on you but try to relate and says things like - You know I used to be like you and smoke/drink/swear and live with sin until I found "the truth". I think that is why I feel a little uncomfortable about tonight but I know I shouldn't be.

The religious in general are like that.  Their delusion gives them some sense of superiority.  Maybe you don't let him dominate you, Chrome, so he has to find his masculinity elsewhere, like in religion.  :hmm: