Can someone post or send me the link!
shell
Discussion on beliefnet
by siegswife 34 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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stevenyc
Here you go:
http://www.watchtower.org/e/jt/article_08.htm
Do the Witnesses believe that their religion is the only right one?
Anyone who is serious about his religion should think that it is the right one. Otherwise, why would he or she be involved in it? Christians are admonished: "Make sure of all things; hold fast to what is fine." (1 Thessalonians 5:21) A person should make sure that his beliefs can be supported by the Scriptures, for there is only one true faith. Ephesians 4:5 confirms this, mentioning "one Lord, one faith, one baptism." Jesus did not agree with the modern, relaxed view that there are many roads, many religions, all leading to salvation. Instead, he said: "Narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it." Jehovah's Witnesses believe that they have found it. Otherwise, they would look for another religion.—Matthew 7:14.Do they believe that they are the only ones who will be saved?
No. Millions that have lived in centuries past and who were not Jehovah's Witnesses will come back in a resurrection and have an opportunity for life. Many now living may yet take a stand for truth and righteousness before the "great tribulation," and they will gain salvation. Moreover, Jesus said that we should not be judging one another. We look at the outward appearance; God looks at the heart. He sees accurately and judges mercifully. He has committed judgment into Jesus' hands, not ours.—Matthew 7:1-5; 24:21; 25:31.steve
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siegswife
Thanks everyone for their imput so far.
(((Annie))) I'm sorry you don't post over there anymore, I always enjoy your posts.
The last post I read from her she was being rather snippy about my response to her failure to provide where the WTS has retracted or disclaimed in print the extreme positions that they previous printed in some of their books. My computer started acting up and by the time I got back there with my response she'd deleted her nasty comments as well as 2 other posts.
I posted my response anyway. LOL
I can't figure out if she's just playing the devil's advocate or if adam has gotten her caught up in the "they don't really mean what they say" mind frame.
I tell ya, a person has to be screwed up in the head to continually play that game day in and day out.
Lea
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Sunspot
I posted my response anyway. LOL
I just ventured over "there" and saw that post, LOL! I figured out who you were.
I really hope it stays up there.
hugs,
Annie
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Honesty
The last post I read from her she was being rather snippy about my response to her failure to provide where the WTS has retracted or disclaimed in print the extreme positions that they previous printed in some of their books. My computer started acting up and by the time I got back there with my response she'd deleted her nasty comments as well as 2 other posts.
A few complaints to beliefnet and her authority to delete us may be rescinded. She got really upset at me on a thread for posting Witchtower Quotes and even deleted some of them because it 'violated' copyright because it was more than a paragraph. I remedied that little problem by inserting commentary surrounded by brackets[] in the paragraphs.
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jwfacts
There are quotes and a discussion on this at http://jwfacts.com/index_files/salvation.htm
The most recent example is the tract. Anyone part of Babylon the Great will be destroyed. And who are part of Babylon, anyone in any religion other than JWs. Another line of reasoning is that a person must call on the name of Jehovah to be saved. (Romans 13:10) And who uses that name, mostly only JWs.
A number of JWs do not believe only JWs will be saved, I think they can not cope with the concept so choose not to understand what is quite clear within the pages of the watchtower. Just as a JW refuses to face the obvious that it is not the truth, the same condition of the mind prevents a person accepting doctrine that they can not cope with. For example, my father is a CO and does not believe only JWs will be saved. Somehow he even thinks his apostate son will be saved. However my mother is far more hardhearted, and thinks anyone not worshipping Jehovah deserves death.
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jwfacts
Here are three of the best quotes
“ Only Jehovah’s Witnesses , those of the anointed remnant and the “great crowd,” as a united organization under the protection of the Supreme Organizer, have any Scriptural hope of surviving the impending end of this doomed system dominated by Satan the Devil.” Watchtower 1989 September 1 p.19
“Similarly, Jehovah is using only one organization today to accomplish his will. To receive everlasting life in the earthly Paradise we must identify that organization and serve God as part of it.” Watchtower 1983 February 15 p.12
“There are billions of people who do not know Jehovah. Many of them in ignorance practice things that God’s Word shows to be wicked. If they persist in this course, they will be among those who perish during the great tribulation.” Watchtower 1993 October 1 p.19
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Sad emo
I just checked in there - looks like the threads been locked.
Is it possible that some JW's like to stick to the older teachings, or somehow try to balance them with the newer ones? I've been reading the 'Government' book, for example, and it certainly hints there that members of other churches ARE worshipping God (but not in the 'approved' manner) and won't be completely destroyed - they called them the 'Samson class'.
I gave up posting on Beliefnet too because I found it way over-moderated (let those who think JWD is bad take note LOL!!)
At the time I was a 'semi-apologist' I often found myself engaging with one particular poster who seemed to slate the JW's just for the sheer fun of it, not to make any particular point, but as soon as they were backed into a corner about their change of their opinions the threads would get deleted.
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siegswife
Sad Emo, You said:
Is it possible that some JW's like to stick to the older teachings, or somehow try to balance them with the newer ones? I've been reading the 'Government' book, for example, and it certainly hints there that members of other churches ARE worshipping God (but not in the 'approved' manner) and won't be completely destroyed - they called them the 'Samson class'.
Sure that's possible, probable even.
One of my problems is that summerthyme is so hot to get "proof in print" that the WTS says what it says. When she is provided with the proof she doesn't seem to read it with understanding.
I asked her to show me the "proof in print" that the WTS has changed it's extreme stance regarding other religions. Her last post said that they never did change their position because there was no need for it. In her mind they were never extreme, I guess.
I'd be interested in reading the "hint" that you speak of in the Government book. If their position has changed then summerthyme is wrong once again and speaks of things she really knows nothing about. Would it be too cumbersome to give me a "snippet" (lol) of the text you're talking about?
Lea
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blondie
ONLY JWS DO\w94 Be Tenderly Compassionate]
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w9411/1p.16par.1BeTenderlyCompassionate***Hence, particularly those outside the true Christian congregation are in danger of losing their lives, and the Bible rules out any hope of a resurrection for those executed during God’s coming day of judgment.—Matthew 25:31-33, 41, 46; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9.
[ONLY JWS DO\w93 Questions From Readers]
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w935/15p.31QuestionsFromReaders***But what about those who may not seem to have been sufficiently exposed to the Kingdom message so as to have been able to make an intelligent choice for or against the truth before they died during these "last days"?—2 Timothy 3:1.
[ONLY JWS DO\w61 Manifesting Christian Manners]
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w616/15p.365par.22ManifestingChristianManners***Some of you have the bad habit of repeatedly running out to the rest rooms during meetings. You, no doubt, acquired this habit from the juvenile delinquents with whom you are obliged to rub elbows in the public schools and who use it as a means to give expression to their frustration and rebellion. Beware of imitating them! You know they will perish at Armageddon, while you hope to survive it and live through it into the new world, do you not?—1 Cor. 15:33.
[ONLY JWS DO\w67 The Way to Security]
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w678/15p.499par.4TheWaytoSecurity***We cannot remain outside the organization of God’s people, separated from it, if we want to have Jehovah’s protection.
[ONLY JWS DO\w95 What Future for the Sheep and the Goats.]
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w9510/15p.26par.15WhatFuturefortheSheepandtheGoats?***Preferring the wicked world, goatlike ones reject the Kingdom message, whether hearing it directly or indirectly.
[ONLY JWS DO\w89 How Baptism Can Save Us]
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w891/15p.20pars.20-21HowBaptismCanSaveUs***In ancient times, slaves were often marked on the forehead. By the preaching work today, the antitypical ‘man clothed in linen’—the remnant of Jesus’ anointed followers—is ‘marking’ those who will survive the end of this system. In this work the anointed are assisted by their associates, the "other sheep." (Ezekiel 9:1-7; John 10:16) And what is the "mark"? It is the evidence that we are dedicated to Jehovah and are Jesus’ baptized disciples who have a Christlike personality.
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Especially now is it vital that we have the "mark" and retain it, for we are deep into "the time of the end." (Daniel 12:4) To be saved we must ‘endure to the end’ of our present life or of this system. (Matthew 24:13) Only if we thus remain faithful as witnesses of Jehovah will baptism save us.
[ONLY JWS DO\w96 Jehovah’s Sheep Need Tender Care]
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w961/15p.17par.9Jehovah’sSheepNeedTenderCare***If they agree that the unbaptized publisher has a reasonable understanding of Bible teachings and qualifies in other ways, they will tell him that he may be baptized. As a result of his dedication and baptism, he becomes ‘marked’ for salvation.—Ezekiel 9:4-6.
[ONLY JWS DO\w88 Helping Others to Worship God]
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w8811/15p.17par.10HelpingOtherstoWorshipGod***An announcement that he is a new unbaptized publisher can be made to the congregation. He should continue studying the Bible, participating in the meetings, applying what he learns, and sharing it with others. Before long, he will want to take the step of Christian baptism, thus becoming approved by God and ‘marked’ for salvation.—Ezekiel 9:4-6.
[ONLY JWS DO\w82 .What Prevents Me from Getting Baptized..]
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w822/15p.31par.18"WhatPreventsMefromGettingBaptized?"***Just ahead the separating of the "sheep" from the "goats" will come to a conclusion. None will be left on middle ground when God brings the "great tribulation" to sweep away "those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus." (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9) Only those ‘marked’ for salvation will survive into his new order. (Revelation 7:3, 4, 9, 14; Ezekiel 9:2-6) How happy will be those who have submitted to this ‘marking’ for survival because of being accepted into a dedicated relationship with Jehovah God, as symbolized by water baptism, and continuing in integrity on the narrow road that leads to life!—Matthew 7:13, 14.