I also want to add that if more believers were as thoughtful, reflective and honest as PSacramento, the world would be a better place, IMHO.
(He's not the only one on this forum. There are many, here.)
Honest questions for believers.....
by Paulapollos 52 Replies latest jw friends
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designs
leavingwt-
Do you recall how many of the Friends became uncomfortable when the Society moved some social and private issues into the Grey zone of 'you must decide for yourself'. It must be a holdover from our preadolescent period when we needed Mom and Dad to tell us everything and decide for us Right and Wrong.
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leavingwt
'you must decide for yourself'
This is where the mental 'Heavy Lifting' comes into play. People must spend time contemplating isuses of serious consequence and then make informed decisions, to the best of their ability. This is not easy and it takes some practice. It also takes time to get comfortable with this type of decision-making.
IMHO, the easy (lazy) course is to let someone else decide for you. It gives a person an easy 'out', placing the responsibility on someone else -- real or imagined.
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tenyearsafter
Paulapollos,
Thanks for your questions...and I don't pretend to have answers beyond my very simplistic viewpoint that we live in an imperfect world populated by imperfect humans creating imperfect interpretations. Using that premise, I could use the same reasoning regarding science. There are absolutes such as gravity, physical laws, etc. and there are theories and hypotheses that require a certain degree of faith as part of accepting them. I cannot with a certainty tell you that the universe is infinite...or what the origin of life is...or if there is life on other planets, etc. The leap to certainty on any of these and many other subjects require a dgree of faith in accepting how they were established. I see the questions you have regarding the Bible, Jesus and his return, etc. as requiring that same type of faith. I don't think there is a black and white proof regarding any of these subjects. I can only rely on what makes sense to me and how that works with my belief system. There will always be someone with an opposing viewpoint there to de-bunk the other side's position...imperfect men create imperfect analyses, and thus will always be subject to criticism and dissection creating doubt in the mind of the hearer.
TYA
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PSacramento
LWT, you are too kind dude :)
We have to be honest with ourselves and recognise when we don't have the answer and have simply an opinion, an opnion that may prove correct or prove incorrect.
Humility is suppose to be a significant trait for a Christian and there is nothing more humble or more correct than saying " I don't have an answer for you" , when we don't have one.
I know that, for myself, I struggle with these questions, even the ones that I believe I have an answer for because I know that just because I believe that my answer is correct, that doesn't mean that someone will agree and that I am right and they are wrong.
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tenyearsafter
Well said PSac...
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wobble
Isn't it great though to be able to air these questions, to get the honest viewpoint of a number of people, whose actual views may be at odds with ours, and yet we have done so in a spirit of tolerance and free exchange of ideas ?
It just shows what a wonderful place JWN is !
Those questions and thougts would have to be suppressed if we were still JW's ,and we would have no exposure to differing views from those of the WT.
"It is better to have questions we cannot answer than answers we cannot question."
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clarity
Paulapollos, thanks for asking the questions.
It's been an amazing discussion!
As I am struggling myself with this, all of these very well thought out responses give me more "fuel for the fire".
There is such a vacumn in the wtbts. The air has been sucked out with no room to breathe.
No interchange, no questioning, no believing or thinking anything to the left or to the right of watchtower thinking.
Well done guys & gals
clarity
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mouthy
I consider myself a "born again Christian" although I know not a good one.
I dont know any other that believes as do I.I KNOW there is a creator,only because of
the beauty that surronds me, ( flowers ,birds,etc)I dont believe all the bible.I believe
that MAN!!! wrote alot themselves. I do read it daily,as I find SOME of it understandable
( guess there was intelligent thinkers back then as there is today( I am not one) I like
what is attributed to Jesus Christ. But when I was a JW I thought the men that was leading
me knew more than I did about GOD.So because I had done so much wrong in my life,I thought
I had to work to repent. So I did 25 years.Listened to the MEN very well.Took all the bashings
etc,they told me was from God. Then I went to a Convention in Pensylvania that Bill Cetner started
& there were loads of EX JWS telling their testimony,some as bad as mine. I suddenly realized
we were MEN FOLLOWERS!!!!I said a prayer ( cos I had been doing that for years>HABIT)
I said IF YOU ARE THERE SMARTEN ME UP PLEASE!!!!!!I now THINK for my self ,I live alone &
argue NIGHTLY with MY GOD!!!!when the news is on," WHY are you not helping all these poor souls?"
But I do have to say,SOMEONE is helping me!!!! I say it must be GOD...Because I am old, arthariitic
diabetic, Yet I have a roof over my head, food in my fridge, people who I could call if I needed,I never
leave my house with out asking for guidance,direction,leadership, And I am still able to speak to those -
mouthy
who is just becoming entrapped in the WT.......I do aask WHY he cares ffor me when he isnt doing iit for others.
I know you will all think I am nuts & maybe I am.... But it helps me manage life.