Jesus

by alotlikemay 16 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Euphemism

  No roasting from me... you're entitled to believe whatever you want to believe. Question, though:

  Now, I am not talking about any religion's conception of Christ! I am talking about Christ himself - the one who died for us, who created us, who will judge us....

  How is that not "any religion's conception" of Christ? That's the traditional Christian conception of Christ, isn't it? The Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet, but not any of those things you listed. The Jews believe he was ether a popular rabbi, or an impostor. Even within Christianity, various groups--such as the Gnostics--have had ideas of Jesus that don't fit with that list. (E.g. that he wasn't the creator; rather, the creator was the God of the Old Testament, who had evilly imprisoned spirits in flesh.)

  Again, not knocking your faith... just wondering if you're not taking a lot for granted.
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  Midget-Sasquatch

  I don't believe we can ever objectively know with certainty how (dis)similar the historical Jesus was to the Jesuses preached by the different sects of early chrisitians. Which ever portrayal we choose, we can't escape the fact that it comes to us with alterations.

  I'm very much in agreement on a point made by JamesThomas. Whats important is how our particular image of Jesus makes us act towards others.
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  greendawn

  Alotlikemay ex JWs follow different courses after leaving the org and many come to believe in Jesus in the right way and not in the bizarre JW way. Like you the JW belief that we can't be part of the New Covenent never realy meant anything to me though in their org to call Jesus Lord more than very occasionally will be seen as strange and even some dubs were thrown out for worshipping Jesus. What else can one expect from an organisation that is supported and directed by the judeo masons? Except an antagonistic and resentful spirit towards Jesus despite the superficial and insincere acceptance.
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  JamesThomas

  Found-my-way:

  I agree with james thomas, as much as I try to make sense of what he is saying...(he writes so much more intelligently than i),

  Kind-hearted compliment; however, that my words make little sense, may point to a lack rather than a wealth of intelligence.

  j
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  found-my-way

  not at all j, I know you are very intelligent.

  I just have trouble sometimes fully grasping what you have written (my stupidity!)....I sometimes feel like a 4th grader trying to read at university level, lol
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  Narkissos

  Welcome alotlikemay,

  When I read your initial post I was about to ask about the same questions as Euphemism...

  I can relate to much of what you say. I became a pioneer in the late 70's, when the Society's literature started focusing more on Jesus and his teaching in the wake of the 1975 fiasco. That echoed with me a lot. I headed out about 10 years later, as I had begun reading the NT from a new perspective and was overwhelmed with the figure of Jesus. I was df'd for apostasy in 1986, after partaking in the Memorial together with a friend of mine, and the elders who first questioned us had nothing against us except that we were "talking too much about Jesus".

  Over 20 years later Jesus remains a central reference to me, even though I have had to make room for the idea that the beloved figure is, mostly, a literary and mythical construct. It is no less -- and perhaps even more -- inspiring to me.

  I hope you won't roast me either...
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  alotlikemay

  Narkissos, thank you for sharing that with us. That story seems so familiar. They threatened my father with df because of Jesus. When my parents moved to my town, I moved in with them (I was a pioneer, it was more economical to do so) and the elders took me on one side to say that they didn't want me to move in with my parents because of my father's beliefs... I was speechless at such rudeness. Of course, I moved in with my parents! This elder also accepted an invitation to our house for dinner a couple years later when we thought it had blown over, and he just didn't turn up.... because of my Dad... all the preparation was wasted. But I am proud that my father and I stood up for our beliefs. It caused huge upsets in our family because of the stress of it, but I'm proud we never gave in. Once when my Dad had been hauled in front of a committee, I went to pick him up from the Hall afterwards and the first thing I said to him, before anything else, was "Dad, you didn't deny Him, did you?" because to me it would have been far worse to deny Christ than to be df'd or the like. Brother, I'm glad to 'meet' you.