by Open mind 58 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I left the Watchtower.org because I did not want to be a peddlar of other books and mags
TopHat it should have been Watctower.com since com stands for commercial and that is precisely what their true nature is, they were set up to milk cows and not to save them. The true watchtower is the corporate one which is well concealed from the eyes of the followers, a whole unknown and unexpected world behind the facade of a life saving religion.
I suggest Ray Franz's second book, IN SEARCH OF CHRISTIAIN FREEDOM.
Ray points out many flaws in the JW teachings and the NWT while retaining his core beliefs.
Allow me to quote from p. 539-540:
The Biblical good news does not draw attention to, nor is it tied up with, some date, whether 1914
or any other date, nor does it attract by offers of alluring physical and material benefits "just around
the corner." It is tied up with an event, the event in which God's Son fulfilled his primary mission as
the Messiah and gave his life on our behalf, thereafter being resurrected to God's right hand and
serving as our advocate there. Only for this reason could Paul say t the Corinthians, "I decided not to
know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him impaled." (1 Cor. 2:2; compare 2 Tim. 2:8)
That central event of the good news is an event of 1900 years past yet it remains the event of supreme
importance for all of us today. The fact that our own personal realization of its full benefit is yet future
in no way changes the fact that the most crucial event in human history took place back then and will not
be surpassed by any future event. The future is, in fact, governed irresistibly by that past act. Whatever
fuure benefits we yet receive are, in reality, aftereffects of that act.
Anyway, you can see why I feel that a Christian writer like Ray Franz might inspire you to decide how
to approach your wife with this.
BA:
It seems as though you were awfully quick to abandon the Bible based on whatever reason. Is it possible that you could use your open mind to read it with your wife without any WTBTS literature involved.
That's on my "to do" list in the not too distant future. Although, I'll definitely be doing it on my own for starters. I also plan on reading In Search of Christian Freedom as OTWO suggested earlier. Mainly it will be so I can honestly say to myself that I've looked at it without the WT filters on. But, I will brutally scrutinize, analyze and question anything I ever hang my hat on as a "belief" in the future. I don't have much hope that I will find too much that will ever fit in that category. (Right now I'm reading "Misquoting Jesus" by Bart D. Ehrman)
Thanks for the barbs as well. I'm a "flame war" virgin and that's the closest I've ever gotten so far. It was good experience for me, but I don't think I like it too much. I'm a lover not a fighter.
My wife saw the same things I saw, but when I told her I could no longer have anything to do with the JWs, she surprised me and turned into "super-JW", which ultimately led to our divorce.
Sorry to hear that, BA. I know that could be in my future as well, so I'm trying to make sure I've given it my best shot. It's a mad, mad, mad, mad, mad, mad,................ORG.
Thanks again for sharing your perspectives.
Open Mind
OTWO,
Thanks again. Now I can hold off going to the library until I finish "Misquoting Jesus".
Open Mind
Narkissos:
they would prefer (unconsciously) the certainty of a bloodthirsty God to uncertainty about God.
That pretty well sums up my mental state whenever I was really "putting my hand to the Watchtower plow".
Open Mind
Re-reading the thread and doing a little mopping up.
reneeisorym: (BTW, What does the ....isorym mean?)
The ones who choose not to love God will be annialated. Maybe its not about being a JW that saves you. Maybe its just loving and believing in God.
That's a good way to phrase it. It puts Armageddon in a little more palatable light. It doesn't address all the other slaughtering at the flood, but I like the way you put it.
Dawg: Thanks for joining in!
DO you actually think that Eve eating a fruit made death come to this planet? ANimals like us have been dieing for thousands of years before Eve allegedly chatted with a serpent.
LMAO. Your "absurdi - DAR" is finely tuned.
Thanks again to everyone for your thoughts.
Open Mind
So tophat didn't chose to answer my question.... one can only specualte... here's the scoop folks, fruiteaters didn't cause death...death is a natural occurance. Therefore the "ransom" death Jesus died was all for naught... he had nothing to redeem and nothing happend after he died...men continue to die as animals do just like they always have. Nothing you believers say can be seen in the natural world that would help you state your case; it's all faith just like the faith the JWs have. All you guys have done is jump from the fire into the frying pan, enslaved anew by your judgemental God; a God who's jealous if you don't believe in the cockamamie story that's written in the Bible-a God that will punish you for that. Just like the families in the WT do, if you don't think like me then I won't talk to you. Brother Apostate, have you ever read up on how the bible was written, the history? "reading it with an open mind" is what made me realize how ludicrus it is...
Here is how I would tackle it. First of all DO NOT ATTACK JWs . Frontal assaults never (or rarely work with JWs).
Attack somebody else (but whose views are extremely similar).
Hey honey don’t you think it is crazy what the Koran teaches. (at this point use a reference such as Ibn Warraq “Why I am not a Muslim”)
They teach that only those that believe in Allah and the Koran will go to paradise and all the rest of mankind (including children) will burn Hell. Isn’t that crazy and unloving?
Then just leave it and let it sink in – and then …….. hey you know JWs teach the same thing basically dont you think?
"It is especially important to keep a tactful tongue in our head when living in a divided household."
The Watchtower April 1, 1955
Hey dawg, I didn't see your question as I had other dudies to be had....I am NOT trying to change your belief....go right ahead and believe what you need to believe. I am still waiting for Terry to answer my question. Maybe he has, I haven't read all the post since I took a break.
Why this persistent need to rely on something outside oneself, to define oneself? What's the matter with finding out what you are without reliance on outside agencies and ideas?
When we are born we rely on our parents to help us along in life and we follow their lead or we find ourself in big trouble by our reliance on only our understanding of the world around us. So it is with our spiritual life...we need a guide. I personally believe the New Testiment is the guide to please God just as I wanted to please my parents as a child. My parents didn't believe in organized religion so don't ask me how I got mixed up with JWs...My parents did NOT like JWs. However they did believe in the Holy Scriptures. My Father could quote you any verse in the Bible.
