Krett, what exactly do you disagree with in my post?
Just the way it is presented. I personally find dogmatic assertions of interpretive superiority over subjective subjects of discussion, and man-made checklists of approval before GOD as counter-productive to the overall spirit of Christiainty. Or perhaps I am overly-sensitive to this behavior because it is something the WTS does. But at least they admit it rather than pretend it isnt happening.
After all that distaste for dogmaticism is eventually what led me out of JW's. But I have found in my on-line discussion with many ex-JW's that they find themselves back in the very trap they escaped from. Sure, they cant force anyone to beleive what they want them to beleive as an individual, but if they had the organizational structure the WTS does.... What would they do?
You have already set up my destruction because, by your own words, I blaspheme against the SPIRIT because I dont beleive the HOLY SPIRIT is a being of any kind. You dont like it when the JW's do this to you right? Why would I like it when you do this to me?
If the Holy Spirit calls someone out of the Watchtower organization to become a follower of Jesus Christ (and give Him worship) - why do Jehovah's Witnesses say they have become followers of Satan or that they have abandoned God?
What if the HOLY SPIRIT is keeping someone in the WTS? You see, for me personally, I needed the WTS to be brought into a relationship with Jesus Christ. I was a practicing ATHIEST/ AGNOSTIC and would have never set foot inot a Church without someone coming and plucking me out of my little world. That someone happened to be the JW's. I learned alot from them about the Bible, they put forth alot of effort in HELPING ME IMPROVE my life. My BS instructor was like a FATHER to me, and many individual JW's put alot of hours into helping my family and I in many different ways. So, my point is, that I believe GOD puts each and every one of us exactly where we need to be at a certain time.
Eventually I felt like I outgrew the WTS so to speak, and moved on. But that wasnt something that happened overnight. We should be carefull about tearing people away from the only world they know, because for some this leads to spiritual shipwreck. Jesus never said the ones that stayed in the boat were not his followers did he? Peter did something extraordinary by stepping out of the boat and keeping his eyes on Jesus. But some people are not ready for that, nor will they ever be. But at least they are not drowning.
JW's beleive Jesus worship (as in he is GOD) is worshipping the creation rather than the creator. When one worships the BEGOTTEN RATHER than the BEGETTER then your not meeting a checkpoint on thier list of GOD's approval. They beleive, honestly beleive, they are right, and their spiritual vision is not wide enough to see how ludicrous it is for GOD to start closing up the heavens over subjective doctrines.
But, as someone who has widened out so to speak, should we still participate in the same behavior we have left behind? If you are truly spiritually enlightened then you should be able to rise above the very behavior that you came to loathe.
JW Do you not agree that this grieves the Holy Spirit? I'm not judging anyone.
Now GRIEVING the HOLY SPIRIT and blasphemeing the HOLY SPIRIT are different matters. I think humans do alot of things to each other and to themselves that grieves the HOLY SPIRIT.
But blaspheming the HOLY SPIRIT based on subjective interpretations...
That is treading on dangerous ground.... Especially if you have outgrown that spiritual infancy that spawns dogmaticism.
I was interrupted many times, sorry if it rambles a bit...