Im puzzled you call it a bible study cos as i mentioned earlier when you cross reference many of the things i mentioned,they are NOT to be found in the bible.And JW.org does.
Are you using another book?
Does it answer questions why are we here?Why do we die?What is Gods name?Why does God permit wickedness?For starters.
Do they pass a collection basket around?
So you know there are many different religeons in this world with many different teachings,even if they say they support bible.Not everyone of them can be right correct?Do you think a loving God would approve of all the lies,or does it make sense that the bible says the whole world lies in the power of the Wicked one that is the reason why?And it also says that Satan turns himself into an angel of light?
Im assuming you know these scriptures from your bible study.<sarcasm>
We take the scripture readings for Mass that particular weekend and we discuss them in detail. We also discuss Catholic tradition and understanding initiated by Jesus when he commissioned St. Peter as the first pope and his other apostles as bishops. A tradition and papal succession which has been passed down for roughly 20 centuries to the present day Catholic church. Jesus instituting the Eucharist is another biggie for us Catholics. You've probably heard about that one as well - and then dismissed and explained it away in some fashion. That's fine. Have at it, but it is what I
know and believe to be true.
You may choose to be sarcastic about my religion and its beliefs, but I take it quite seriously.
You criticize my church's interpretation of the bible and claim that we do not support YOUR version and YOUR interpretation of it, but like you say - if everyone can interpret it however they feel like interpreting it then it loses it's entire meaning. How am I to accept that your chosen interpretations of isolated phrases here and there out of the bible are superior to that of the Catholic church? The Catholic church has been interpreting the bible since day one and has held on to many other traditions dating back to the time of Christ. Charles Taze Russell started JW what - about 150 years ago? 150 years of a church started by some guy in Pittsburgh, PA (hey, I LOVE their football and hockey teams and wish that their baseball team would get something going at some point) versus 2000+ years of the church that was ACTUALLY STARTED BY Jesus Christ. Hmmm...? I don't say that to belittle you, but to explain my logic in selecting the much longer standing tradition and scriptural interpretation as what I choose to believe. Granted some of my motivation might be grounded in my own upbringing in the Catholic church, but I believe you said before you got your start there as well. I choose to stick with it. It MAKES SENSE to me. Your rhetoric quite frankly does not.
So I put a little bit more trust and faith in the Catholic interpretations and traditions than in those I hear from strangers on the Internet who spout off about all of the evils of the Catholic church but do not have basic understanding #1 about the real beliefs and doctrines of the Catholic church, but only an understanding of the lies they have been told about the Catholic church.