This past sunday's wt had a hilarious paragraph...

by Check_Your_Premises 90 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Jeffro

  If you look at my post again I NEVER mention PEOPLE. I said the WORLDS influence, there is a difference. I know there are MANY good people out there who are not JWS.

  And what is it about the "world's" influence is it that you could possibly mean if not the people?? You are just toying with semantics.

  You claim to acknowledge that there are "MANY good people", but you are also forced to acknowledge that if you were to follow the Society's direction to the letter, you would not have any close association with any of those "good people", except if they seem willing to accept your beliefs.
• 

  ozziepost

  You've got me, Defd! What's "worldly" then?
• 

  defd

  if you were to follow the Society's direction to the letter, you would not have any close association with any of those "good people", except if they seem willing to accept your beliefs.

  Jeffro, I do not get that notion from the pages of the WT.
• 

  defd

  You've got me, Defd! What's "worldly" then? I am not trying to "get you" I am just having an honest open discussion. We can do that and be civil, right?
• 

  ozziepost

  Yes, Derrick, I thought we're doing quite well!
• 

  Jeffro

  if you were to follow the Society's direction to the letter, you would not have any close association with any of those "good people", except if they seem willing to accept your beliefs.
  
  Jeffro, I do not get that notion from the pages of the WT.

  defd, what impression do you get from the following, from a 1993 1 August Watchtower? Would you not agree that the general gist is that 'Christians', (i.e. Jehovah's Witnesses) should not have close association with non-Witnesses unless they seem receptive to a 'witness'?
  

  13 Christians want to be friendly with workmates, and many experiences bear out how effective this can be in opening the way for giving a witness. A fellow worker could misinterpret friendliness, however, as inviting association in order to have a good time together. He or she might extend a casual invitation to lunch, to a brief stop after work for a drink, or to some recreation on the weekend. This person might appear kind and clean-cut, and the invitation might seem innocent. Yet, Paul advises us: “Do not be misled.”
  
  14 Some Christians have been. They gradually developed a relaxed attitude toward association with workmates. Maybe it grew out of a common interest in a sport or a hobby. Or a non-Christian on the job might be exceptionally kind and thoughtful, which led to spending increasing amounts of time with that one, even preferring such company to that of some in the congregation. Then the association might lead to missing just one meeting. It could mean being out late one evening and breaking the pattern of sharing in the field ministry in the morning. It could result in watching a film or a video of a type that the Christian normally would refuse. ‘Oh, that would never happen to me,’ we might think. But most of those who have been misled may first have responded that way. We need to ask ourselves, ‘Just how determined am I to apply Paul’s counsel?’
  
  15 What we just considered as to the workplace applies also to our association with neighbors. Certainly, the Christians in ancient Corinth had neighbors. In some communities it is normal to be quite friendly and supportive of neighbors. In rural areas neighbors may rely on one another because of isolation. Family ties are particularly strong in some cultures, giving rise to many invitations to meals. Obviously, a balanced view is important, as Jesus manifested. (Luke 8:20, 21; John 2:12) In our dealings with neighbors and relatives, are we inclined to carry on as we did before we became Christians? Rather, should we not now review such dealings and consciously determine what limits are appropriate?
• 

  defd

  ok, cool
• 

  ozziepost

  So the WT stated:

  This person might appear kind and clean-cut,

  How odd that I couldn't find in the Bible any reference to Christ's followers being "clean cut"??
• 

  Jeffro

  ozziepost

  So the WT stated:
  This person might appear kind and clean-cut,
  How odd that I couldn't find in the Bible any reference to Christ's followers being "clean cut"??

  Indeed, though you might like to note that "clean-cut" does not mean the same as "clean-shaven".
• 

  daystar

  defd

  Now if we miss some here and there, I will say it again, the brothers may condemn you but Jehovah God and Jesus would not.

  Ok. You see, I agree with you here. Read Matt 7:15-20 in this context:

  15 “Be on the watch for the false prophets that come to YOU in sheep’s covering, but inside they are ravenous wolves. 16 By their fruits YOU will recognize them. Never do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they? 17 Likewise every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit; 18 a good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, neither can a rotten tree produce fine fruit. 19 Every tree not producing fine fruit gets cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Really, then, by their fruits YOU will recognize those [men].

  I know you know this scripture well. I think it very applicable.

  The members of the congregations are reflections of the organization of which they are members. They are representations of the WBTS's doctrines. If the WBTS is assumed to be the voice of Jehovah God, then the WBTS is a reflection of Jehovah...

  Now, you may believe what you say as quoted above, but I can tell you that in reality not many Witnesses really believe this way. How can I say this? Because I spent nearly 20 years in the Society and have personal experience; because I still have family members in and still hear the stories of judgement, gossip, backstabbing, and just uncaringness and too often, downright unkindness. People on this very board will describe many, many, many stories of this sort of thing and much, much worse. I experienced more unkindness from people who were Jehovah's Witnesses, and were supposed to be held to a higher level than the "world", and thus held to higher accountability, than I have in the "world" since I left. I feel more truly loved by people and, really, by Jehovah God, than I ever did when a Witness.

  What does this say? By their fruits YOU will recognize those men. Try to rationalize it all you like, it still remains.