quote search: recognize His people by their love

by Jacqueline 24 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Jacqueline

  I am desperately searching fo rthe bible qoute which tells you that you shall recognize His people by the love amongst themselves.

  I have not found ANY love amongst any Witnesses in our hall, NEVER EVER...and we have attended this hall for nearly 2 years. I am still a study, my hubby grew up in the Truth. Elders are coming over tomorrow night to discuss our lack of meeting attendance. I do not want to go to meetings any more...have no motivation...."where's the love?"

  SO I felt that this may be a good quote to state my case!! Wish me luck!
• 

  NeonMadman

  You're likely looking for John 13:34.35:

  "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (NIV)
• 

  blondie

  Jacqueline, I would think about some occasions where love has not been shown or deliberate nastiness has been shown to illustrate your feelings. Contrast that with how non-witness family and friends have been loving. Do not accept "everyone is imperfect" excuse. Jesus said they would not be like everyone else but would be outstanding, noticeably different. Show how you have tried to be friendly and loving. This will not change their viewpoint in the end, but you can make them darn uncomfortable. How does your husband feel about this?

  Blondie
• 

  email

  Hi Jacqueline,

  My advice... GIVE EXCUSES... and well... say you're going to try to go... you've been busy @ work... etc... but DO NOT... I REPEAT... DO NOT get into an argument with them UNLESS you want them to DF you right away... the BEST thing to do (and this is personal and on a case by case basis) FADE AWAY if possible.

  Remember "they have god on their side"... they will NEVER loose... so it's not worth fighting or arguing with them.

  My 2 cents
• 

  Introspection

  Jacqueline, you might also find the points in 1 John chapter 4 of interest, we talked about that in another thread:

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.aspx?id=44931&site=3

  Talking about love is tricky, because like anything else the witnesses have come to have their little definition of it, like what it means to love God. If they are just in their head, (which of course does not necessarily indicate the thoughts are in a logical and coherent order) they just won't see it.

  They may use the usual cop-out of "people are imperfect" or even tell you that you shouldn't judge people, but that's not the point. You're not making a judgement of condemnation, you are making a judgement of distinction. After all, that scripture is there for a reason, and it also says love amongst themselves - you are not judging specific individuals. You're totally free to judge in the sense of seeing what's what, in this case who Jesus disciples are according to that scripture. Will you let us know how it goes?

  ---- edited to add:

  By the way, the imperfection thing has nothing to do with love either. You can make all the mistakes in the world, but it's clear when something is done out of love. It's also clear when something isn't, because you're just doing something because you're supposed to. In that case the person may be obedient, but they are not doing it out of love itself, it's a love for their religion.

  Edited by - Introspection on 22 January 2003 15:33:55
• 

  rebel

  Jacqueline,

  You said "I have not found ANY love amongst any Witnesses in our hall, NEVER EVER...and we have attended this hall for nearly 2 years."

  Sounds like my KH - very unloving. Don't let them force you back if you don't want to go. That is even more evidence of their unloving behaviour.

  xxR
• 

  Deleted

  Hi there, Jacqueline.

  The trouble is that they really, really, really believe they have love among themselves. They confuse the dogma of the forced unity as an expression of love. Here's a few thoughts from my 103 reasons why I'd never ever go back that might help.

  JW-Love is conditional - based on the other's good standing in the congregation, as prescribed (and changed) by a few old men in Brooklyn.

  No one in Bethel has any social security, they had to take a vow of poverty to save the WT taxes. What's gonna happen to them when the walls fall down? I hope they are in "good standing" at the time and someone will take them in, not like so many others.

  Why are there Society changes and adjustments without apologies? - All the innuendo around 1975 (and 1986 UN saying the year of peace and security) that the end was coming, and then blaming the rank and file for relying on it.

  My co-workers and worldly friends accepted me when I was part of the collective, but the brethren avoided us when we "weakened", which is the True friendship?

  What is the JW fruitage in comparison to the World, isn't it the shiny wax around a rotten apple?

  JW's today have less freedom than the 4th century catholic church - try answering in the Watchtower meeting with your own views and see how much trouble that causes

  The German JW's in ~1934 said they had a lot in common with the Nazis, where's that in the wt and g?

  And where's the love for those that died from taking blood fractions that are now permitted, as well from not having vaccinations, and those poor folk in Malawi who died for not having a work permit.

  Peace and Love

  Glen who once was Deleted

  All along, the Watchtower
  Told a pack of lies
  Broken hearts and promises
  So much wasted time
• 

  acsot

  Ditto for the above comments. And also, why do the JWs get to use the excuse "they're imperfect" when worldly people have demonstrated time and again that they can overcome their "imperfection" and help others, even put their lives at stake for others. What's the matter with Jehovah's spirit - he can't help his own name people get over their "imperfection" long enough to be helpful to someone at their Kingdom Hall?

  I believe that for many of us it was the lack of genuine feeling that started to crack our dub defenses and help us "see the light".
• 

  NeonMadman

  The trouble is that they really, really, really believe they have love among themselves. They confuse the dogma of the forced unity as an expression of love.

  Good point. That's something we can't allow ourselves to forget about the Witnesses: They will believe anything the organization tells them, even if they're being told what's in their own hearts and minds. After all, how many JW's believe they are one of the "happiest people on earth" - even though they personally are miserable? So if the Watchtower tells them that they have "love among themselves," they automatically believe that they do, even if they can't stand anybody else in the whole organization!
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  Jacqueline

  Thanks for the replies...yeah...they have come up with, "people are not perfect", but I have case scenario after case scenario examples. I am writing every negative example I have personally faced and every positive example....the negative examples outweigh the positive by 100-1. Fortunately, my husband has seen it all happen and agrees with me.

  I am not worried about them threatening shunning....I wouldn't miss anything if they did shun me, I feel like I have been shunned from day 1.