The WTS tells you that "faith without works is dead." (James 2:26, NWT) and to "fight the fine fight of faith" (1 Tim 6:12, NWT)
For various reasons you come on the Internet and post on boards that filled with apostates telling lies (which you are told not to do). Many of you want to debate with us the truthfulness of WT teachings. The word debate has several different meanings An online dictionary states:
de·bate
v.de·bat·ed, de·bat·ing, de·bates v.intr. 1. To consider something; deliberate. 2. To engage in argument by discussing opposing points. 3. To engage in a formal discussion or argument. See Synonyms at discuss. 4. Obsolete To fight or quarrel. v.tr. 1. To deliberate on; consider. 2. To dispute or argue about. 3. To discuss or argue (a question, for example) formally. 4. Obsolete To fight or argue for or over. n. 1. A discussion involving opposing points; an argument. 2. Deliberation; consideration: passed the motion with little debate. 3. A formal contest of argumentation in which two opposing teams defend and attack a given proposition. 4. Obsolete Conflict; strife.http://www.thefreedictionary.com/debate
What you may find here is that when you ask one question or make one comment many others will jump in and try to debate with you. Personally I think this is counter-productive. The debate often strays off topic and posters tend to get angry or frustrated. Ideally, debates should be one-on-one but it is often difficult to stop posters from jumping in. What I would like to see is an honest debate with both sides using any WT literature and secular quotes to back up what you say. This may include older WT literature as well as older secular quotes. But both sides need to be referenced. If the WT literature cites a secular source then find the source and use it in your discussion. Let us know where the quotes come from. You may also have to read the before and after of the quote to make sure the source was quoted accurately. The same goes for secular quotes. JWs are taught their old literature shouldn't be relied on because it is "old light" If this is true then you should be able to show the progression towards "new light" and sometimes that they even gave up on a belief only to go back to it later. Years ago they had a book titled "Make Sure of all Things" based on 1 Thess 5:21. They also had a book titled "The Truth that leads to Eternal Life" (1981) In each of these books JWs were to use the Word of God to help people understand the basic teachings of the WTS. Those who seemed interested where encouraged to closely examine their beliefs. In chapter 2 of the Truth book (CD 2004 edition) the WTS states:
Chapter
2Why
ItIsWisetoExamineYourReligionWE HAVE good reason to think seriously about our standing with God. Why? Because the evidence proves that God will soon destroy the wicked and establish his righteous new system. So we need to ask: "Am I worshiping God in the way that he approves?" It is not any man, but God, who is the judge of what pleases him. To get God’s viewpoint, we need to go to the Bible. There he plainly tells us the course to follow if we want to gain eternal life. (Proverbs 3:1, 2) If we take to heart what he says and apply it in our lives, it will result in marvelous blessings for us, both now and in the ages to come.
2
When we examine what the Bible says on this matter, what do we find? Does it teach that the hundreds of millions of persons who practice religion in so many different ways are all pleasing to God? Does it show that all religion is good? To enable us to know how he views the matter, God had this plain statement recorded in his Word: "Broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it." (Matthew 7:13, 14) How clearly those words answer our questions! They show that many people are not worshiping God in a way that pleases him. Only a few are on the road leading to life.
3
Probably you find yourself readily agreeing with the fact that much religion is not approved by God. No doubt there are many things done in the name of religion that you do not approve. For example, if you look around in the churches and observe persons who live immoral lives but who make a pretense at being righteous, you know that something is wrong. (2 Timothy 3:4, 5) And when you read in the newspaper that some clergymen are publicly approving of sex relations between unmarried persons and that they are saying that homosexuality is all right under certain conditions, you are well aware that this is not what God says. You may remember that God destroyed the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. And why? Because they practiced such things! So you know that God is not going to approve of a religion that tells people it is all right to act like that.—Jude 7.4
However, you have no doubt heard people say: "It doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you lead a clean moral life and deal kindly with your neighbors." But is that all there is to worshiping God in an acceptable way? These things are necessary, but God requires more. Doctrines are also involved. The Bible informs us that "the true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth." (John 4:23) If our worship is to be acceptable to God, it must be firmly rooted in God’s Word of truth. Jesus reproved those persons who claimed to serve God but who relied heavily on the traditions of men in preference to God’s Word. He applied to them God’s own words from Isaiah 29:13, saying: "It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines." (Matthew 15:9) Since we do not want our worship to be in vain, it is important for each one of us to examine his religion.
5
We need to examine, not only what we personally believe, but also what is taught by any religious organization with which we may be associated. Are its teachings in full harmony with God’s Word, or are they based on the traditions of men? If we are lovers of the truth, there is nothing to fear from such an examination. It should be the sincere desire of every one of us to learn what God’s will is for us, and then to do it.—John 8:32.6
The mere fact that church members may have the Bible or that it is occasionally read to them from the pulpit does not of itself prove that all the things they are taught are in the Bible. It is good to have the Bible; each and every person should. But we must also know what it says and believe it. If a religion really accepts the Bible as God’s Word, it is not going to use certain parts of it and reject other parts. "All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight." (2 Timothy 3:16) Since this is so, the religion that is approved by God must agree in all its details with the Bible.
Once a person becomes a baptized JW they are told to stop questioning their beliefs. They no longer have to "make sure of all things. They are to accept WT teachings without question. But that is the exact opposite to what they are instructed to tell others. How do JWs continue to to "make sure of all things and hold fast to what is fine"? In reality shouldn't JWs continue to search the Bible to make sure their own faith stays acceptable to God? What if a JW discovered that the WTS had gone astray on a teaching or two? According to some of the above quotes their worship would be as useless as the non-JW person who fails to continue his or her search for real truth. What about you? If you have followed the scriptural commands to continue to search for God's truth from the Bible itself, then you have absolutely nothing to fear. God's truth will always prevail. A word of caution, however, is required. As stated by the WTS themselves: We need to examine, not only what we personally believe, but also what is taught by any religious organization with which we may be associated. Are its teachings in full harmony with God’s Word, or are they based on the traditions of men? If we are lovers of the truth, there is nothing to fear from such an examination. It should be the sincere desire of every one of us to learn what God’s will is for us, and then to do it. Personally I would love to read along when a debate such as this is carried on here.7
The man who wants to please God must be sincere. But sincerity alone does not make one’s religion approved in God’s eyes. The apostle Paul was moved by God’s spirit to write concerning certain ones in his day: "I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God; but not according to accurate knowledge; for, because of not knowing the righteousness of God but seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God." (Romans 10:2, 3) As a result, their sincerity was misdirected. Their problem was that they were looking in the wrong direction for instruction. They held onto the Jewish religious system, which had rejected God’s Son and so was itself rejected by God.—Acts 2:36, 40; Proverbs 14:12.
