by cr1234 33 Replies latest jw experiences
My Brother in Law wants to know::: If JW's don't have the truth then where do you go to worship? If I had something better then he would follow? I know I have heard this before from JW's but couldn't find the thread to answer him correctly. He said he feels safe at the hall and why would he leave to go to nothing. I said a few things but nothing that really brought the point home that I wanted to make.
Any suggestions on how to approach this in a logical manner?
Salvation lie within. People need to learn to take control of their own lives and destinys. When one becomes a slave to the thoughts, beliefs and doctrine of others, he is a slave to that person. If you want to satisfy your spiritual longings, read the bible, pray and enter into frank and open disscusions with various others over what you read, not to try and disuade them but to enhance your own understanding and inner peace.
Mankind has spent to long looking to others (people. organizations) to lead them when each of us need to be making our own way, enhancing our own lives.
If JW's don't have the truth then where do you go to worship?
You don't have to go anywhere!
"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else." (taken from Paul's speech on the Areopagus and recorded at Acts 17:24,25)
It doesn't mean that if the JWs don't have the truth then someone else does, but the JWs are worse than a serious religion because they are a cult, and though no one is perfectly in the truth as far as actions go anyway it's better not to be in any high pressure cult.
But because the dubs have been brainwashed to think that all other religions are Babylonian and satanic it's impossible for them to see any other religion in a good light.
Ozzy is right. You do not have to go any where. And you shouldn't.
I left the Kingdom Hall in good standing. I refuse to go back. Not because I hate them or anything, but becuase I love God and I know he does not approve of WTBTS false teachings. It took me a long time before I discovered that the 144,000 number mentioned in the book of revelations is only symbolical and not a literal number. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am seeking to get in heaven. You can't get into heaven with a false tongue. That means you have to drop the JW membership club.
The Governing Body teaches that the 144,000 number is a literal number so that they can boss those belonging to the great crowd around. They use that teaching as a form of mind control.
Use your heads. All text surrounding the number is symbolical as taught by the Society, but they insist on the number being literal without giving good answer for stating so.
If you insist on the 144,000 being a literal number, then you must also believe that all of them are male virgins when they go to heaven and ethincally Israelites. If you cannot accept that, then don't accept that only a 144,000 people go to Heaven either. The 144,000 is a symbolical representation of the great crowd. Revelations chapter 19:1 says that the great crowd is in Heaven.
I don't belong to any religion and yet, I still pray and read the bible. The JWS do not own God and niether are they his servants. Jesus said that where ever 2 or 3 gathered together in his name, there he is. He did not tell anyone to join a church or kingdom hall.
who are you going to listen to? Men or your Savior who has the power to give eternal life?
If he's happy where he is and wants to feel "safe" someplace, then he should stay. Why try to talk someone out of it if they are happy? If deep down you know he has reservations and problems, then talking him out of it may be legit.
I say that Christ and his followers had no organization WAY back and to feel close to God and christ we dont need a setup. If one being there helps as it helps me then go to church and feel the love!
Ask how many public talks he's heard in the past six months that criticise "Christendom's Churches"? Has he followed up to see if those comments were accurate? Why would the "truth" have to spend so much time tearing down everyone else? The truth stands on it's own merits. If there are problems in the congregation, he should be a Beroean and study it out for himself.
Acts 17: 10 -11 NWT Immediately by night the brothers sent both Paul and Silas out to Be·roe´a, and these, upon arriving, went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now the latter were more noble-minded than those in Thes·sa·lo·ni´ca, for they received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so.
If JW's don't have the truth then where do you go to worship?
He's deflecting the argument. The argument is whether the JWs are right or not, or have the "truth" or not. By asking this question he diverts your attention from the real issue to a secondary, not-important-at-this-time issue.
My answer has always been, "That's not the issue. Let's stick to the issue. Do the JWs have the "truth" or not?"
edited to add: I assume that his statement came up while debating the authority of the WTS/JWs. If it came up out of the blue, then my response would not be valid.
My answer has always been, "That's not the issue. Let's stick to the issue. Do the JWs have the "truth" or not?"
Since JWs are so fond of illustrations, this might also be effective:
"If I see a movie theater on fire, and the patrons inside are unaware of it, my responsibility is to yell and warn them to flee the theater. It is not my responsibility to look up information on which other theaters in another part of town are showing the same movie".
