Many "babyboomers" came into the Watchtower Society as the result of having studied the short publication The Truth That Leads To Eternal Life. Now, by reading the following even shorter publication they can exit the Watchtower (or other similar groups) even faster. REAL TRUTH LEADS TO ETERNAL LIFE
Dear Reader, Do you have an open mind and believe in fairness? Then feel free to make and distribute copies of this little publication for John 8:32 says Truth, meaning the real truth, frees by overturning misteachings about God and God's will. The name of no specific church is ever mentioned but it focuses on teachings. Anyone who wants is free to make and share copies of this publication.
EASTER: Though World Book and some other encyclopedias repeat the speculation that its name was from the goddess Eastre, it was a misinterpretation of the Latin for White Week, that week when those about to be baptized in
EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT: 1 Samuel 14:32-35 says Saul's army ate “unbled” meat without punishment as it was an emergency to save life. They just built an altar of repentance due to the Mosaic law of that time." Identical twins normally transfuse blood to each other via shared placenta and moms' milk includes white blood cells. Christ said people need doctors (Mt 9:12, Mark 2:17, Lu 5:31) and Luke was a doctor ( 4:14) yet a few groups preach against doctors and/or emergency blood, some members dying; yet God wants "mercy not sacrifice.” (Mt 12:7)
DISFELLOWSHIPPING (SHUNNING) 2 Corinthians 2:6 says "The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him" so "the majority" (not ALL) had followed Paul's suggestion to shun a wrongdoer, and the dissenting minority were not punished. Paul ordered worker Timothy who worked for him, but otherwise Christians obeyed conscience (Romans 14). Yet some groups compel shunning, use intimidation, censorship, humiliation etc.
CHRISTIAN FREEDOM: At Ephesians 4:4 Paul said there's only "one faith" meaning Christianity in general, the many modern denominations not existing until later. Yet today some claim to be the one and only true church. Judges 17:6 says God arranged for everyone in to enjoy freedom and when the tribes said they wanted human rulers He warned of dictatorship. (I Sa 8) Today a great cure for religious dictatorships is more local autonomy with democracy; the one most faithful wise servant and Leader only being Christ; (Mt 10:23) and going by Romans 14 on freedom to have different opinions.
LOVE: Ecclesiastes 3:1 by Solomon says "there is a place for everything." Instead of numerous and absolute rules on things, common sense and love for others need to guide our decisions and actions as Romans 14 permits.
PREACHING/WITNESSING/CONVERSIONS: Luke 10:7 says "Do not be transferring house to house" and Christ went from a house in one town to a house in another but never preached at one door right after another as some groups do. Christianity’s conversions (see Bible in Acts) have never required a 6-12 months or more long Bible study but have been about as fast as accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior from death via resurrection.
HOLIDAYS: 2:16 "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by food, drink, a religious festival, New Moon celebration or Sabbath day." Yet some do and accept money, use day and month names, rings etc that allegedly "have pagan origins" while denying children and adults the "joy" (Ga 5:22) of Christmas, birthdays etc.
FELLOWSHIP: Colossians 3:14 says the greatest bond of unity is "love" yet some groups call others "false Christians," slander-shun-expel-censor-humiliate or otherwise beat on them for differing on if hellfire is literal/symbolic/non-access-to-God, if God's nature is trinitarian/unitarian/modalism (Oneness), if Romans 16:1 shows women can/can't be ministers/deaconnesses etc, at times killing dissenters. Yet Christ helped all and died so ALL might live and Paul at Romans 14 says we enjoy great Christian freedom of expression. So loving fellowship among us comes first.
CHRIST AND THE BIBLE: Matthew 23:10 says Christ is the only one overall Leader for Christians; yet some groups do what they are told to believe in and act as told by a man or an organization group of men who interpret the Bible for them though it, not them, is the only perfectly inspired Teacher. (1Ti3:16) Matthew 10:8 etc say give free what you got free yet some sell magazines, books, flowers etc that more than just cover cost of printing but bring profit.
CHRISTMAS which is December 25 the date of the first Jewish festival of Hannukah now varying because lunar based, so Roman Saturnalia may not be its only origin. Christ was at the Feast of Dedication, another name for Hannukah (Jn 10:22) Santa was based on an actual Christian (Saint Nicholas) famed for giving gifts in the Middle Ages. NEW YEARS: God began the Jewish New Year's celebration Rosh Hashana at Lev 23. Without excess drinking it's biblically fine. HALLOWEEN came from All Hallows (Holy Ones/Saints) Evening when Christians dressed kids as saints; many Europeans and other Christians still do so. THANKSGIVING began as the annual autumn harvest in Hebrew called "Festival of Booths" or "Festival of Ingathering" (of crops with thanks to Him) (Lev 23:33, Deu 16:13) now celebrated in numerous nations on many continents.
FLAGS (banners in some translations) were used by the Israelite tribes instead of tiny hoisted idols (Ex 20:4); are for respect not worship. Read Ps 20:5, Song of Solomon 2:4, 6:4,10 TETRAGRAMMATON: Christ and Paul say use Father/Abba/papa/dad (Mt 6:9; Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6) not one of the various possible reconstructed formal names, and God told Israel’s tribes His name must never be misused so that’s why so many modern Christians and Jews substitute Lord, out of respect not superstition. All earliest New Testament manuscripts use Lord.
CROSS. Paul says boast of the cross as a resurrection symbol over death, (Ga 6:14, 1 Cor 1:17-18), not a “repugnant murder weapon” or stake as some claim. Archaeology proves it was a cross. Forensics researcher F Zugibe proved death by cross takes several hours as Lu 23:44 and Mt 27:45-6 say; only minutes if by stake. Greek “stauros” means cross or stake, never just stake. REVELATION'S 144,000 number can be symbolic since the book itself is and Rev 19:1 says a great crowd’s in heaven.
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