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Gerlinde24

Guest
#1
#1
Hello everyone.
I am Gerlinde from Germany, to be precise, from the outskirts of Berlin, which we call the "bacon belt".
I grew up in a family of Jehovah's Witnesses, and was excommunicated in 1992 because I accused another Jehovah's Witness of rape (he had raped me as a child).
From 1992 until now I have studied many religions, including Judaism (my mother's religion), Islam, and the faith of the Wicca. And also some Christian faiths (including Mormons, Baptists, and Pentecostal)
I didn't join any group because I found negative things in each of them.
Now I thought to myself that I wanted to give Christianity and the Bible a new chance, because I lack religion in my life.
I have many books about religion at home, and also several Bibles (the New World translation of the JW, however, I threw in the garbage can because it is useless); as well as biblical books and encyclopaedias (including the multi-volume standard work for American clergy from Kittel on the New Testament). So, it won't be easy to convince me.
 
Bingo

Bingo

Well-known member
#2
Feb 9, 2019
9,422
4,836
113
#2
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'We must each choose our own path...choose wisely."
 
TabinRivCA

TabinRivCA

Well-known member
#3
Oct 23, 2018
13,223
10,758
113
#3
Hi Gerlinde and welcome to the fellowship here at CC! Feel free to post any questions you have and tossing the JW 'Bible' was a good decision. There is also a Christian Ladies Forum fyi. Hope to see you around, God bless you!
 
tourist

tourist

Senior Member
#4
Mar 13, 2014
42,654
17,111
113
69
Tennessee
#4
Gerlinde24 said:
Hello everyone.
I am Gerlinde from Germany, to be precise, from the outskirts of Berlin, which we call the "bacon belt".
I grew up in a family of Jehovah's Witnesses, and was excommunicated in 1992 because I accused another Jehovah's Witness of rape (he had raped me as a child).
From 1992 until now I have studied many religions, including Judaism (my mother's religion), Islam, and the faith of the Wicca. And also some Christian faiths (including Mormons, Baptists, and Pentecostal)
I didn't join any group because I found negative things in each of them.
Now I thought to myself that I wanted to give Christianity and the Bible a new chance, because I lack religion in my life.
I have many books about religion at home, and also several Bibles (the New World translation of the JW, however, I threw in the garbage can because it is useless); as well as biblical books and encyclopaedias (including the multi-volume standard work for American clergy from Kittel on the New Testament). So, it won't be easy to convince me.
Click to expand...
I was born in Lanstuhl Germany but only lived in your country for 9 months before moving to Detroit, Michigan. Naturally, I have no memory of having been there. By all means give the bible another chance but not the New World Translation which is spiritually inaccurate because it denies the divinity of Jesus. You were right to throw it in the trash. That was a terrible thing that happened to you, especially at a young age. I will say a prayer for God to draw you close to Him. Glad to have you as part of our family. Welcome to CC.
 
SoulWeaver

SoulWeaver

Senior Member
#5
Oct 25, 2014
4,889
2,534
113
#5
I am so sorry that this happened to you... that's beyond disturbing... thank you for the courage to come forward.
I am hoping you will have a comfortable stay among us. Welcome.
 
Isny

Isny

Senior Member
#6
Jan 15, 2017
2,588
2,700
113
#6
Gerlinde24 said:
Hello everyone.
I am Gerlinde from Germany, to be precise, from the outskirts of Berlin, which we call the "bacon belt".
I grew up in a family of Jehovah's Witnesses, and was excommunicated in 1992 because I accused another Jehovah's Witness of rape (he had raped me as a child).
From 1992 until now I have studied many religions, including Judaism (my mother's religion), Islam, and the faith of the Wicca. And also some Christian faiths (including Mormons, Baptists, and Pentecostal)
I didn't join any group because I found negative things in each of them.
Now I thought to myself that I wanted to give Christianity and the Bible a new chance, because I lack religion in my life.
I have many books about religion at home, and also several Bibles (the New World translation of the JW, however, I threw in the garbage can because it is useless); as well as biblical books and encyclopaedias (including the multi-volume standard work for American clergy from Kittel on the New Testament). So, it won't be easy to convince me.
Click to expand...
Hello Gerlinda, your introduction above really brought back memories for me. A year before the Wall went up, I met a young lady in West Berlin (Dahlem) from Herrnhut in Oberlausitz in der DDR. She had come up from Herrnhut with her minister to meet me. I was a student in Germany (junior year of college). She was a Moravian as I am in the US (Moravians in Germany are called Herrnhuter or Brüdergemeine, a Protestant church predating Martin Luther by 100 years or so). I believe you can recognize the "Herrnhuter Stern." The following year the Wall went up and I never saw her again. We corresponded for 7 years. I remember Kurfürstendammstr. and the Wannsee so well. Some years later I married a girl from Bremen and with a transit visa drove from E. Berlin down to Meißen and Dresden followed by a Stasiwagen all the way! The "DDR" was a great misnomer: neither German, nor Democratic nor a Republic. The Frauenkirche and Zwinger in Dresden were still in ruins. She came to the US, learned English and became an R. Nurse working in the heart unit at a local hospital. We have been married for 55 years.

Bibles: The Protestants in Germany mostly use the Luther Bible (1534), I believe. There have been two updates to the Bible, in 1984 and 2017. The latter one may be better because it uses more of the Hebrew and Greek sources compared to the 1984 that included much of the Latin Vulgate as a source, I understand.

I believe that most all religions are man made. Our contact with God is not through a religion, but directly with Him. We do not get to heaven via religion but by what is in our heart. But we all need constant encouragement to get through the storms of life.....by prayer and interaction with others. I might suggest that you find a church and perhaps join a bible study group there. There are such study groups. Just keep visiting churches until you find one where you feel comfortable. Talk to the ministers of the churches to inquire about such study groups. I believe that we reach heaven only through Jesus Christ. Amen.

So Gerlinda, welcome to Christian Chat and I hope you find many friends and much encouragement here. May God bless you richly.
 
Lion222

Lion222

Banned
#7
Jul 6, 2020
905
328
63
#7
Gerlinde24 said:
Hello everyone.
I am Gerlinde from Germany, to be precise, from the outskirts of Berlin, which we call the "bacon belt".
I grew up in a family of Jehovah's Witnesses, and was excommunicated in 1992 because I accused another Jehovah's Witness of rape (he had raped me as a child).
From 1992 until now I have studied many religions, including Judaism (my mother's religion), Islam, and the faith of the Wicca. And also some Christian faiths (including Mormons, Baptists, and Pentecostal)
I didn't join any group because I found negative things in each of them.
Now I thought to myself that I wanted to give Christianity and the Bible a new chance, because I lack religion in my life.
I have many books about religion at home, and also several Bibles (the New World translation of the JW, however, I threw in the garbage can because it is useless); as well as biblical books and encyclopaedias (including the multi-volume standard work for American clergy from Kittel on the New Testament). So, it won't be easy to convince me.
Click to expand...
Welcome Gerlinde,
Was in Hamburg not too long ago. Nice city if you don't mind the weather.
The only things i have found in religion is false people pretending to be something they are not.

Jesus did not come to give us religion.
He came to make us into a new kind of life.
Anything short of that and you are missing out.

The bible is the lamp for where you need to put your feet.
The spirit is what God is, united to the spirits of those who believe and follow.
The still small voice inside of you that guides you and teaches you.

All who belong to Jesus hear His voice and follow Him.
It is about knowing the person of God through Christ Jesus so you might receive from His Life in you multiplied Grace and Peace
 
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