Blondie’s Comments You Will Not Hear at the 07-26-2015 WT Study (Imitate God (Where’s Jesus?))(May 15, 2015 issue)
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/
PP1 JEHOVAH has given us the ability to put ourselves in the place of others. To some extent, we can conceive of a situation that we have not experienced
But that does not mean that jws use that ability
PP2 In a sense, Jehovah can put himself in the place of others, and he has given us that ability.
Was he using that ability when he had the Israelites kill the babies at the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah and when the Israelites invaded Caanan? At least the babies in Canaan will be resurrected.
(Deuteronomy 20:16, 17) 16 It is only of the cities of these peoples that Jehovah your God is giving you as an inheritance that you must not preserve any breathing thing alive, 17 because you should without fail devote them to destruction, the Hit′tites and the Am′or·ites, the Ca′naan·ites and the Per′iz·zites, the Hi′vites and the Jeb′u·sites, just as Jehovah your God has commanded you;
(Joshua 10:28) 28 And Joshua captured Mak·ke′dah on that day and went striking it with the edge of the sword. As for its king, he devoted him and every soul that was in it to destruction. He let no survivor remain. So he did to the king of Mak·ke′dah just as he had done to the king of Jer′i·cho.
PP3 and 4 Jesus was never frightened or deceived, but he could understand situations that he had not lived through
The theme seems to be in this article is understanding situations that he had not lived through. Do you think the assistant shepherds and the flock lack empathy? Can you think of a time you witnessed that?
PP5 and 6 So Alan asks himself, ‘What do I want men to do to me?’ His frank answer is, ‘I want them to play ball with me!’ But the aging brother will not be able to play ball, will he? Jesus’ statement implies that we must ask ourselves, ‘What would I want my neighbor to do to me if I were in his circumstances?’ Alan is not elderly, but he has the ability to conceive of experiences he has not had
A lame illustration, unrealistic.
PP7 listening intently until we understand the other person’s feelings, at least to some extent. This will move us to imitate Jehovah’s love by acting according to the need
How many times have you had elders and other jws not listen but interrupt and give you canned answer?
PP8 Jesus imitated God’s kindness. What helped Jesus to do so? He treated people in a kind manner by anticipating how his words and actions might affect another individual’s feelings
Perhaps it was difficult to get to meetings and you were given the experience of jws crossing crocodile infested, shaming you and others?
PP9 The apostle Paul wrote: “A slave of the Lord does not need to fight, but needs to be gentle [or, “tactful,” ftn.] toward all.” (2 Tim. 2:24) Tactful people discern how to deal with delicate situations so as to avoid hurting the feelings of others. Think about how we can be kind in the following situations: At work, our supervisor is not doing his job well. How will we react? A brother comes to a meeting for the first time in months. What will we say to him? In the ministry, a householder says, “I’m too busy to talk right now.” Will we be considerate? At home, our spouse asks, “Why didn’t you tell me what you had planned for Saturday?”
How do you think the jws you know would answer or have answered?
PP10 imitate Jehovah’s wisdom and foresee the probable results of our actions.
God’s wisdom or his wisdom as interpreted by the so-called governing body?
PP11 If we are courting, for example, we need to recognize the power of sexual attraction
Did you know that the WTS teaches that if a woman and a man (or a known homosexual) are alone together unchaperoned overnight, that they can be found guilty of fornication or adultery even if there are not 2 eyewitnesses? When does night start and end? Does this mean if they are unchaperoned during the day that sex has not taken place?
PP12 contemplation can be like a fire. If fire is handled properly, it can be useful, such as when it cooks our food. But fire is deadly when it is uncontrolled and burns down a house and kills its occupants.
Another lame illustration
PP13 To Eve, there was apparently something attractive in the idea that Satan presented to her. Instead of being told what was good and bad, she would decide this for herself
Did Eve know she was talking to Satan? Why did she talk to a snake? Hadn’t Adam as the family head told her that snakes don’t talk?
PP14 Eve’s sin in the garden of Eden did not involve sexual immorality. However, Jesus warned against entertaining mental images of immoral conduct
Is this the bugaboo again of brothers accidently lighting on a porn website?
PP15 Another dangerous fantasy is to imagine oneself becoming very wealthy while paying little attention to God.
So materialism again raises its head….so is it okay to pay some attention to God—giving the impression of spending time talking about him—while spending more time earning money and spending it on recreation?
PP16 Whether worrying about money or not, some people constantly imagine all the bad things that can possibly happen
So worries are only imaginings, not things that are happening, not being able to pay basic bills, serious illnesses not covered by insurance, living in a disaster area, etc.
PP17 Think about those who are helping to protect us from spiritual harm—fellow believers, elders
Do the your fellow believers (or did they) protect you or harm you with cruel words to your face and behind your back? “false brothers”
PP18 genuine love
What do you think genuine love is? With Jesus it was giving his life for humans; how many jws do you know who would give their life for you; how many would live their life for you?
COMMENTS
Unreal illustrations, no practical examples. I stopped going to meetings after 40 years when I saw that jws only talked the talk, but did not walk the walk.