Preconceived Ideas

Frenchy

From the article: “Acquire a Heart Agreeable to Jehovah” w10/15/01

7. “A key requirement for acquiring a pure heart is that of gaining accurate knowledge of God’s will and purposes. There is only one source of that knowledge, the inspired Word of God.” –bold mine.

13. “May we never rigidly hold on to personal ideas or cherished doctrinal views. Rather, lets us be willing to ‘let God be found true, though every man be found a liar.’”

20. “By way of review:…Meaningful personal study of the Scriptures…is best done with…a heart free from preconceived ideas, one that is filled with qualities that make us teachable.”

Isn't it amazing how difficult the truth is to recognize...even when it's plainly stated? Talk about preconcieved ideas!

BluesBrother

Quite right Frenchy. I just got back from the meeting - I guess that one passed me by, probably mind wandering at the time.- I do attend but only as support for my long suffering wife. But we still argue over my "inactivity" I cannot do what I used to because now I know better , and if I spoke out as forcefully as I would like to, I would be disfellowshipped, and then what chance my home life?

It seems most of them just do not have the courage to think the unthinkable, to face the fact that they have been wrong most of their life, and are only going to live the "threescore years and ten", just like everyone else.
Oh well, at least we have it sussed now, Thank God for the internet!

SixofNine

7. “A key requirement for acquiring a pure heart is that of gaining accurate knowledge of God’s will and purposes. There is only one source of that knowledge, the inspired Word of God.” –bold mine.

.........

Preconcieved idea indeed. Even if one believed* they knew what "the inspired word of god" was, a reasonably sane person would have to acknowledge that nature, creation, whatever you want to call it, speaks much louder about God's will and purposes than any set of scripture does.

*usually these beliefs come from appeals to authority--worthless.

Marvin Shilmer

Hi, Frenchy

This morning I read the same statements and began wondering. One question is: Since these articles are designed particularly for the Witnesses themselves, might these statements be preparation for some dramatic doctrinal shifts regarding current "cherished" ideas? They stand out way too much for the regular run of the mill Watchtower study article about personal Bible study and heart condition.

Like one good and faithful friend has said to me many times, one thing you can count on with the Society is change. Too bad they institute it only after so many of their own faithful ones have been vilified on the Watchtower alter of "don’t run ahead," only to turn around and admit later that the former "running ahead" thinking was correct! It’s man dominating man to man’s injury!

duped

BluesBrother,

I would quote what you said but I haven't figured that one outyet. :) But I just wanted you to know that I admired the fact that you still attend meetings in support of your wife. My husband did the same thing for me up until recently when I too quit going. But the fact that he would do that for me made our relationship that much stronger.

duped

"Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug." Mary Chapin-Carpentar

buffalosrfree

"Preconceived idea indeed, ........nature, creation, whatever you call it, speaks much loulder about God's will...."

amen to that, crocodiles, cobras, spiders, lions, tigers, bears, rabbits, squirrels, etc. now if we could just understand whats being said.

SixofNine

lol, yeah, funny how the only one we could understand clearly was a snake.

Frenchy

Hello, Marvin.

"...might these statements be preparation for some dramatic doctrinal shifts regarding current "cherished" ideas?" --M.S.

A friend of mine made the same observation to me after the meeting this morning.

I made a long comment on that paragraph this morning. I menioned how difficult it is to let go something that you really believe but that in the end, a person must be ready to drop everything they think they know once the truth is revealed. One young sister had stressed the part about dropping 'personal viewpoints' and I picked up on that and noted that it has to be personal, that just stating what someone else believes does not count before God, that one must personally believe and therefor must have personal viewpoints. No one said anything to me after the meeting so I guess it went over their heads.

ISP

Excellent spot Frenchy!

Thanks!

ISP

Erich

hello Marvin,

"...might these statements be preparation for some dramatic doctrinal shifts regarding current "cherished" ideas?" --M.S.

Yes indeed.
I think I found the reason why:

In a vision, Don Adams (the new president of the GB) saw an angel who gave him the "scrolls to be opened" (Re 20:12).

The scrolls contained all failures made by the WTS from the beginning.

Besides, the scrolls instructed them to present the bibles message in a manner the scientists of the 21. century can understand and follow.

Finally, the scrolls told how to use the recent scientific discoveries in a way to free the mankind from suffering diseases, death, hunger, unemployment, terrorism and war, and how to establish Jehovahs Kingdom.

Maybe it's my dream.
But it's no zynism....

Preconceived Ideas

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