A Year in the “Apostasy”

by Londo111 9 Replies latest jw friends

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  Londo111

  Today is my one-year anniversary of joining JWN. It has been quite a journey from being disfellowshipped and functionally agnostic, to searching for answers about 607 BC and TTATT, to my journey to mainline Christianity, to working toward get reinstated and fading, to finding that I still had lost my best friend, but in the end, finding Jesus fill that role. A year ago today I would have never imagined walking into a church, or getting baptized again, this time in the Name of the “Father, Son and Holy Spirit”, not in the name of an organization. A year ago, I didn’t want to look at the Bible, and today, I read at least a chapter every day.

  For more on that see: http://www.jwstruggle.com/2012/11/questions-about-our-baptism/

  I remember being frightened by the name of Ray Franz and his “evil books”. Now, his books are some of the most beloved works I’ve ever read, especially In Search of Christian Freedom. I remember being frightened and skeptical of websites like JWFacts. I remember going from “it’s mostly lies, halftruths and misrepresentations”, and over the process of months realizing it was completely true.

  I never imagined that I would be the organizer in my area's Ex-JW Meetup Group, a role I only took so that the meetup group would not vanish for lack of an organizer. BTW—the job is still for the taking at anyone who is more competent than I at it. So far, I’ve been very poor at the task.

  I remember being afraid of former Witnesses and “apostates”, carrying in my head the angry, bitter, hate-filled in-your-face stereotype. Now I realize that a few are, but most are surprisingly balanced folks despite having their world turned upside down--many are very loving and kind people who want what is best for everyone. We are not a monolithic entity, but represent many viewpoints. This is healthy.

  I remember the first VHS video the Society released, “Jehovah’s Witnesses—The Organization behind the Name.” It opened with the narrator asking, “Who are Jehovah’s Witnesses?” Then a little girl pranced up to the mailbox to get her subscription copy of the Watchtower and the narrator answered, “They are your neighbors!”

  In that same line of thought: Who are “Apostates”?

  They are your neighbors!
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  tornapart

  Awesome bro! I remember we joined at a similar time, it'll be a year for me next month... and we both joined the struggle about the same time too. But I think your journey has gone quicker than mine. I'm still stuck in.. as you know.

  However I think we both have 'found' Jesus. During this year he has become increasingly more important in my life, discovering a wonderful new relationship just like you. That we never could have amongst JWs.

  I'm so happy for you bro, that you are finding a wonderful new life!
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  Londo111

  I’m sure this has been mentioned before on this website, but while we are on the subject of apostasy, I would like to highlight the usage of the word “apostate” in the New World Translate, particularly in the Old Testament.

  I will enumerate the following passages:

  Proverbs 11:9 By [his] mouth the one who is an apostate brings his fellowman to ruin, but by knowledge are the righteous rescued.

  Job 8:13 Thus are the pathways of all those forgetting God, and the very hope of an apostate will perish.

  Job 13:16 He would also be my salvation, for before him no apostate will come in.

  Job 15:34 For the assembly of apostates is sterile, and fire itself must eat up the tents of bribery

  Job 17:8 Upright people stare in amazement at this, and even the innocent one gets excited over the apostate.

  Job 20:5 That the joyful cry of wicked people is short and the rejoicing of an apostate is for a moment?

  Job 27:8 For what is the hope of an apostate in case he cuts [him] off, In case God carries off his soul from him?

  Job 34:30 So that an apostate man may not reign, nor there be snares of the people.

  Job 36:13 And those apostate in heart will themselves lay up anger. They should not cry for help because he has bound them.

  Psalm 35:16 Among the apostate mockers for a cake there was a grinding of their teeth even against me.

  Isaiah 9:17 is why Jehovah will not rejoice even over their young men, and upon their fatherless boys and upon their widows he will have no mercy; because all of them are apostates and evildoers and every mouth is speaking senselessness. In view of all this his anger has not turned back, but his hand is stretched out still.

  Isaiah 10:6 Against an apostate nation I shall send him, and against the people of my fury I shall issue a command to him, to take much spoil and to take much plunder and to make it a trampling place like the clay of the streets.

  Isaiah 32:6 because the senseless one himself will speak mere senselessness, and his very heart will work at what is hurtful, to work at apostasy and to speak against Jehovah what is wayward, to cause the soul of the hungry one to go empty, and he causes even the thirsty one to go without drink itself.

  Isaiah 33:14 In Zion the sinners have come to be in dread; shivering has grabbed hold of the apostates: ‘Who of us can reside for any time with a devouring fire? Who of us can reside for any time with long-lasting conflagrations?’

  Jeremiah 23:15 Therefore this is what Jehovah of armies has said against the prophets: “Here I am making them eat wormwood, and I will give them poisoned water to drink. For from the prophets of Jerusalem apostasy has gone forth to all the land.”

  Daniel 11:32 “And those who are acting wickedly against [the] covenant, he will lead into apostasy by means of smooth words. But as regards the people who are knowing their God, they will prevail and act effectively.

  However, the NWT is the only translation that I have found that renders theses verse with the word apostate or apostasy for these passages.

  In the Hebrew, the word is chaneph, which means " hypocritical, godless, profane, hypocrite, irreligious".

  Even the LXX, translates the word in the Greek as asebes, meaning, " destitute of reverential awe towards God, condemning God, impious".

  The closest instance I can find in the Hebrew Scriptures is Jeremiah 17:13: O Jehovah, the hope of Israel, all those who are leaving you will be put to shame. Those apostatizing from me will be written down even in the earth, because they have left the source of living water, Jehovah.

  Here the word is yacuwr, meaning "those departing, revolting". The LXX used the Greek word kataleipo, meaning "to leave behind".

  The only instances in the New Testament of the word apostaty, a postasia, "a falling away, defection, apostasy" are the following:

  Acts 21:21 But they have heard it rumored about you that you have been teaching all the Jews among the nations an apostasy from Moses, telling them neither to circumcise their children nor to walk in the [solemn] customs.
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  Emery

  Awesome thread, I really enjoyed reading your journey.
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  Londo111

  Thank you, Sister Tornapart!

  Like the shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep, to find the lost sheep, maybe we didn't find Him as much as He found us. I pray that one day you may have room to exercise your Christian Freedom in all fullness.
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  Londo111

  Dang it--I don't know why the rest of the posting got cut off. I still don't know how to use this site as well as I could.

  Continued from my 872nd post:

  2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one seduce YOU in any manner, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction.

  In the instance of Acts 21:21, the Apostle Paul was being falsely accused of apostasy. Neither Paul or the early Christians saw it that way. Neither do many of us. But many people throughout history have been labeled apostates and even put to death for it, the foremost of these being: Jesus Christ.
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  Londo111

  http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/luther/wormsexcerpts.html

  One could say Martin Luther was the most influential “apostate” of the last 500 years. In 1521, he was put on trail at the Diet of Worms. Reading the above link, there is much similarity between this and the struggles that many today have with Judicial Committees of the Watchtower Society. How many here have or will receive their own "Papal Bull" of Excommunication? To name a few: RayPublisher, Greybeard, Healthworker, Mouthy. The list could go on and on.

  During the Diet of Worms, the Archbishop of Trier said: Martin, how can you assume that you are the only one to understand the sense of Scripture? Would you put your judgment above that of so many famous men and claim that you know more than they all? You have no right to call into question the most holy orthodox faith . . . and which now we are forbidden by the pope and the emperor to discuss lest there be no end of debate. I ask you, Martin--answer candidly and without horns--do you or do you not repudiate your books and the errors which they contain?

  Luther's reply: Your Imperial Majesty and Your Lordships demand a simple answer. Here it is, plain and unvarnished. Unless I am convicted [convinced] of error by the testimony of Scripture or (since I put no trust in the unsupported authority of Pope or councils, since it is plain that they have often erred and often contradicted themselves) by manifest reasoning, I stand convicted [convinced] by the Scriptures to which I have appealed, and my conscience is taken captive by God's word, I cannot and will not recant anything, for to act against our conscience is neither safe for us, nor open to us.

  On this I take my stand. I can do no other. God help me.

  Amen.
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  kurtbethel

  I bet you never imagined you would bear a striking resemblance to the Centauri ambassador to Babylon the Great 5.

  
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  Londo111

  Uncanny! It must be the work of the Shadows!

  In RL, my personality more like Lennier (which is why I included him in the Avatar). Or maybe I'm more like Vir. Either way, I'm no fun at all!
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  Londo111

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/222733/1/Jesus-and-His-Disciples-were-Apostates-LOL