QUESTIONS FROM READERS----CHECK THIS OUT! (page 3)

Mary

What I don't get is the last paragraph that says:

"Toasting today may not be viewed by many as a religious gesture. Still there are valid reasons ~~which we can't provide~~ why Christians do not share in toasting which has a religious background and even now can be viewed as asking 'heaven' for a blessing, as if seeking aid from a superhuman force."

Um, isn't that what they do at the meetings and the ASSemblies? Asking 'heaven' for a blessing? Isn't Jehovah a 'superhuman force'? How many times have we heard during a prayer: "Bless our brotherhood"? Doesn't one of the songs in the songbook say "Bless us as we meet for worship"? What seems to be the problem with asking heaven for a blessing? Even during a wedding ceremony, the brother who is performing the service, says a prayer asking for God's blessing upon the couple, soooooo I just don't see that their reasoning for not toasting, is a valid one. Big surprise eh?

stevenyc

Mary, Ultimately as for any sect or cult to be recognized as an entity all of itself it requires identifying markers. Clinking glasses and raising hands is the same as not celebrating birthdays or saying "good luck". It's another nuance of the JWs that 'identifies' then as different from other fundamental christian groups. The more of these they drop, the more mainstream they become. When you can't tell them from other religions, they become one of the religions they protest.

steve

PS, I know what WTF means, it's just I'm using a MAC, and don't have access to smilies. Simon hates MAC's !!! (assume appropriate smilies inserted)

steve

jeremiah

Mary,

Maybe if we read Exodus 23:2 in its context, it will all come together:

Exodus 23
Laws of Justice and Mercy
1 "Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness.
2 "Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, 3 and do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.
4 "If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him. 5 If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it.

Narkissos

Mary,

I guess the keyword is "share" (i.e., with non-JWs): they wouldn't share in what they hold as a religious actwith "pagans" (even the latter do not hold it as a religious act); but this leaves the question why they would not do this among themselves completely unexplained.

jeremiah

re: Exodus 23

It's one thing to appropriate law that God laid down for the Jewish nation (which is sooo ludicrous) and apply it as God speaking to our "christian organization", it's another thing that there correlation isn't even halfway convincing. It's completely nonsensical.

Why are they referring back to the old covenant God made with the Jews, even if the JW appropriation is nonsensical, when Jesus established the new covenant that christians are now apart of?

JWdaughter

With all the reasons and the rules regarding paganism, I am surprised they don't just adjourn to quiet, white padded cells, each alone, so that there can be no danger of sinful association.

brutusmaximus

BOLLOCKS!!!

Oh and a happy New Year to you all from wet and windy Scotland

BM

juni

Thanks Mary for the information.

My mother who is not religious and also other "worldlings" whom I've talked to through the years know that the wedding ring is of pagan background. In fact the conversation about the ring was during conversing about the backgrounds of Christmas, etc. etc. etc.

I had to laugh that they can't give any valid reasons for not toasting, but DON'T DO IT. More control w/o reasoning from the scriptures.

Juni

restrangled

This is just one more way to stand out in a crowd of non-believers and make a "fine witness"! Instead of the focus being on the Bride and Groom, they will stand out like sore thumbs and become the center of attention for their rude and obnoxious behaivor.

When questioned, they will be able to go into a long tirade of witnessing.

r.

blondie

All I can think is "Pharisee."

Matthew 15:6-9 (Contemporary English Version)

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

6 Is this any way to show respect to your parents? You ignore God's commands in order to follow your own teaching. 7 And you are nothing but show-offs! Isaiah the prophet was right when he wrote that God had said, 8 "All of you praise me

with your words,

but you never really

think about me.

9 It is useless for you

to worship me,

when you teach rules

made up by humans."

QUESTIONS FROM READERS----CHECK THIS OUT!

Exodus 23

Laws of Justice and Mercy

Matthew 15:6-9 (Contemporary English Version)

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