why are you an apostate for asking a question?
by paybacktime19 19 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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Terry
It isn't as simple a question to answer as you might imagine!
Think of a very authoritative dad driving the family in the station wagon on a road trip with a deadline to arrive at the motel on time.
The clock is running out.
Suddenly, one of the kids speaks up and says what everybody has been thinking all along: "Dad, do you know where you're at? Why don't you stop and ask directions?"
The dad will probably react to this angrily.
The kid isn't supposed to embarass the dad, you see.
The practical matter of being lost is pushed out of the way and the anger will focus on "Who are you to question my competency?"
In other words: hubris.
But, if the driver were really less concerned about pride and image and authority and focused on getting everybody where they were going---the question would be treated as an honest (and timely) query.
So, the answer to your question lies in the word; HUBRIS!
In the case of any rank and file member of Jehovah's Witnesses asking an embarassing question, the prideful answer will turn the situation around and acuse the asker of the question of hubris.
The Watchtower Society cannot own their own incompetent history nor can they explain the extreme confidence with which they proved themselves wrong. The language of the writing in publications betrayed a tone of supercilious and haughty authority with nothing factual to back it up. 1975 proved this without a doubt.
Their indefensible culpability makes it impossible for them to position themselves with plausible deniability in their reply.
They've taken the retreat of AUTHORITY and abandoned reasonableness.
"Who are you to question Jehovah's mouthpiece?" is the flag they fly BEFORE laying out a defense of their identity as the actual mouthpiece.
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VoidEater
"HOW DARE YOU QUESTION ME?!"
When you set yourself up as God's mouthpiece, you start to expect blind obedience.
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dawg
Yea, I think Terry pretty much covered his bases on this one
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donny
Good answer Terry.
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megawatt
Great topic (since I'm about to go through this myself)and great response terry! Always enjoy reading what you post up!!!
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Awakened at Gilead
I can't add much to Terry's post, but I would say that:
Asking questions is not a sign of apostasy.. if that were so, then the Bereans were apostates. (Acts17:11).
If you're Berean, you will ask yourself whether these things are so...
Lance
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Witness 007
Your an Apostate for asking that question!!!! And from your picture it looks like you want to "throw down" and fight me!
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Awakened07
Oh, you are free to ask questions.
Just as long as you seek out the answer in Watchtower literature or with the elders, and immediately accept the reply as a full-stop answer to your question (or accept to "wait on Jehovah" to answer the question if no answer currently exists, but really, really should).
Doubts are fine too, as long as you agree to keep studying so those doubts disappear within a week or so (by accepting everything the FDS says).
's all good. No problems here. No, sirree.
Banging your head against the wall a couple of times a week should help take care of the 'affliction of thinking'.
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burningbridges
questions? what question? I don't really want to ask questions!!!! Ha. I was accused of apostacy for this. I invited, remember that, INVITED, the elders to my home to ask them questions about 1914 because it was ridiculous to me and they came with printed literature about APOSTACY. Never even gave me a chance, came straight to my door with the accusations when all i did was invite them over to discuss it..... ridiculous...
burningbridges