by The Searcher 43 Replies latest watchtower bible
Recall the words of the disciple James that we referred to earlier: “Openly confess your sins to one another and pray for one another,
offer the elder (of your suspicious choice) a trade: You confess yours ... fess up, and I will confess mine. after all, we want it clean right?, so you come clean too.
Orphan Crow - thank you. Doesn't it call to mind the 'legally expedient' tactics used in front of the ARC, as well as in quite a number of child molestation cases elsewhere? How can such things be considered 'upright', 'honest', 'without guile'?
If " not confessing " hinders the alleged " holy spirit " free flow in congregations - then this WT article should also be applied to those elders who sinned 20 to 25 years ago before becoming elders who failed to " confess " their adultery or fornication keeping it hidden- yet - years later they still got appointed as elders due to the directions in the elders manual that says " if a sin happened long ago Jehovah has forgiven it " . They still get appointed as elders. Yet they hold rank & file JW's to the wall saying, " Confess or else ! " Bastards.
It's such a crock of shit - I swear. The GB and WT leaders expect a hell of a lot more out of rank & file JW's than they expect out of elders. Why should rank & file JW's " confess " sins- if appointed elders sins aren't held against them ? Does that sound like a REASONABLE question ? This hypocritical organization makes me want to puke.
The Searcher is very clever, look beyond and behind, at how the OP is contrasting confession with forgiveness.
For example - you can go to 'the Police' to confess a crime, but they do not have authority to 'forgive' you - only 'the Judge' can forgive.
Likewise, JWs can go to 'the Elder's to confess a sin, but they do not have authority to 'forgive you - only 'God' can forgive
As 'The Searcher' picks out - the above is in contrast to Catholics.
tryingnow: How can such things be considered 'upright', 'honest', 'without guile'?
They can't.
But that is the true evil of "true belief". It gives the true believer a free pass on lying. They have to justify it to themselves. And through that, the lie becomes the "truth".
They have to lie - without the lie they are nothing. They have no truth to tell.
darkspilver you are right. That article does not change anything. Watchtower never said that that confession means forgiveness of sins. The article even highlights it is meant to correct the person. It is nothing new.
Notice that 'The Searcher' didn't quote the interesting point from the James book - because I wonder who wrote it?
Commentary on the Letter of James, page 206
This confessing is not like a “confessional” arrangement where one is viewed as obligated to appear and confess all sins in order to obtain absolution from guilt in the eyes of God. Although James had previously made specific mention of the congregation elders with regard to sick ones needing aid, he here says to “confess your sins to one another,” not limiting the matter to certain ones within the congregation. While this is so, it is reasonable that the one confessing his sins would seek a person who could be of real help to him in a spiritual way.
What's your real problem Mr. Spilver? Let's discuss it on a separate post, and let the folks here consider it.
darkspilver: was the "James" book not authored by those enlightened ones disfellowshipped in the R. Franz apostate affair? never to be quoted by wt again?
Mr. Spilver, I've been trying to figure out what your real problem is with me and what I say about the org and its machinations - and I can only reach one conclusion. Talk soon.
