by wobble 64 Replies latest jw friends
If I were going to comment on a deep philosophical doctrine, I would first outline what that doctrine was,has the WTBS ever dne this properly with the trinity? From memory they have only ever reasoned at the level"one plus one plus one = 3, not one" type of argument,and odd references to trinities in pagandom.
Surely a college education would be of benefit to them so they know how to present a thesis?
Love
Wobble
Yes, it has. It explained it as 3 gods in one, which is not the accurate. The real definition is 3 persons in one god. Thus, the wt is using the classic strawman argument method, misrepresent the doctrine and then knock it down.
S
It doesn't take a college education, it merely takes honesty to see things truthfully.
S
I was a JW for 23 years. I read the Trinity brochure on countless occasions. Once I left, and began to research the Trinity and historical Christianity, it was immediately obvious that Watchtower distorts what the doctrine really is.
In short, they define the Trinity in such a ridiculous manner, that even non-JWs at the door will reject it. (Ironically, the JW at the door thinks they've proven the Trinity false. What the JW has actually done is prove that they don't understand the doctrine.)
My biggest problem with WT and the Trinity is this: They use it as a litmus test to prove that any religion believing it is "False". Moreover, they fail to tell their followers that JW theology on this subject is from Arius, from 300 AD.
Walter Martin once said that when a JW shows up on your door, they're preaching a concept of God that has been perfected over the past 1700 years. C.T. Russell didn't invent it.
I have spoken with many "mainstream" Christians. Few of them believe strict adherance to "The Trinity" is a central part of worship. What they DO insist is that Jesus is Divine, and any attempt to make him just a perfect man, just a 2nd Adam are wrong. They are monotheistic. The Father and the Son are two different persons, but they are both "God".
Well in all fairness when I was explained the trinity by both SB and Epsic they used the apple example and father, brother, son, uncle thing. Which for most part confirmed the 1+1+1=1 god
Jehovah was the apple core, Jesus was the fruit flesh, and holy spirit was the apple skin.....but it was still one apple
Trinity was three in one because you can be a (in my case) a mother, daughter, sister, & aunt all at once and still be one person.
Another division is the uncreated and co-equal thing....
I was a JW for 23 years. I read the Trinity brochure on countless occasions. Once I left, and began to research the Trinity and historical Christianity, it was immediately obvious that Watchtower distorts what the doctrine really is.
In short, they define the Trinity in such a ridiculous manner, that even non-JWs at the door will reject it. (Ironically, the JW at the door thinks they've proven the Trinity false. What the JW has actually done is prove that they don't understand the doctrine.)
My biggest problem with WT and the Trinity is this: They use it as a litmus test to prove that any religion believing it is "False". Moreover, they fail to tell their followers that JW theology on this subject is from Arius, from 300 AD.
Walter Martin once said that when a JW shows up on your door, they're preaching a concept of God that has been perfected over the past 1700 years. C.T. Russell didn't invent it.
I have spoken with many "mainstream" Christians. Few of them believe strict adherance to "The Trinity" is a central part of worship. What they DO insist is that Jesus is Divine, and any attempt to make him just a perfect man, just a 2nd Adam are wrong. They are monotheistic. The Father and the Son are two different persons, but they are both "God".
leavingwt
And to top it all off, the WTBTS/JW's have the arrogance to label us apostate while they are the real apostates.
We denied and rejected a false religion promoting a false Christ while they have rejected the real Jesus.
The development of the trinity doctrine took centuries. The earliest Christians who were for the most part Jews would never have accepted Jesus as "God" Almighty. And it is obvious that many Christians even in the fourth century rejected that idea. Regardless of the faulty arguments that the Watchtower has presented, there has been some opposition to this doctrine down through the years by various Christian groups and scholars. Because it is now accepted as "orthodoxy" by the majority doesn't necessarily mean it is true. Otherwise, many of the Protestant teachings could be branded as false since a majority of professed Christians reject them. (Example: Baptist rejection of infant baptism.)
Even orthodoxy has declared the trinity doctrine as a "mystery." It can not be explained by human logic. It requires one to accept the philosophical explanation that God is divided into "three persons" or manifestations. One can not imagine the early Christians who were average working people accepting this. And even today, I think the average church goers can't explain it. They accept it only because their priest or minister tells them it is true.
It can not be explained by human logic.
I respectfully disagree with this sentiment.
Walter Martin once said that just because you or I cannot explain how a nuclear power plant works, that doesn't mean that it is beyond comprehension.
It can not be explained by human logic.I respectfully disagree with this sentiment.Walter Martin once said that just because you or I cannot explain how a nuclear power plant works, that doesn't mean that it is beyond comprehension.It stays beyond comprehension as long as one personification is understood as one and only personne (just like a human being - but but but we are not talking about a human being at all) - Yknow's example : core/flesh/skin = a fruit (or the fruit = I make to become) opens the door to the right interpretation ...
I simple, natural analogy is the aspen. One kind of aspen has a common root system w multiple trees above. To a casual onlooker, it looks like many trees. To a person who knows about the roots, it's all one tree.
S
