I'm a new study, unsure a little uncertain. Help??

by Meow921 32 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Francois
    Francois

    Kathrine, I would like to speak to you from the heart as a former member of the board of directors of an organization dedicated to helping former Jehovah's Witnesses reclaim their lives.

    Many of these good people had lost their mates over disagreements with the Watchtower Organization. They had also lost their friends. But the common thread through all my association and assistance of people who were leaving Jehovah's Witnesses was loss.

    I'm sure someone here must have recommend that you read Ray Franz' book, "Crisis of Conscience." I certainly hope that you do.

    I'd also like to recommend that you read, "The True Believer" by Eric Hoffer. It's a book about mass movements whether they are religious, political, social, etc.

    Please be very careful and go very slowly in your study with the Witnesses. They are NOT what they appear to be. And once you've been baptised, there is NO honorable way for you to leave the organization.

    While this religion of authority may impart a present feeling of settled security, you will pay for such a transient satisfaction the price of the loss of your spiritual freedom and religious liberty. God does not require of you as the price of entering the kingdom of heaven that you should force yourself to subscribe to a belief in things which are spiritually repugnant, unholy, and untruthful. He does not require of you that your own sense of mercy, justice, and truth should be outraged by submission to an organization of men and their fanciful teachings, like the ones you already question.

    If you think you disagree with things now, wait until you discover all of what they're not telling you now that you will be expected to fully embrace later.

    This is your life you are dealing with, your future happiness with your husband, and perhaps later - children. Please be careful. Why do you think all these people are here on this site? Why did they leave the JWs? To freely sin? Look around you; do you really believe that?

    Please feel free to email direct to me if you like.

    Francois

  • God_knows
    God_knows

    OUTNFREE

    I noticed that you quoted the NWT bible; A 'translation' that you would do well to avoid, for it takes too many liberties in the translation and makes some blatant errors on top of it.

    Read a little of the history of the NWT, if you evre have a chance, and you will find it has been proved conclusively that the Hebrew 'translators' had little to no knowledge of even Basic Hebrew!

    Exodus 12:7
    And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.

  • God_knows
    God_knows

    Psalm 22:14

    I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint:...prophesy of Jesus on the cross, His arms stretched out to the point almost of dislocation.

  • kes152
    kes152

    I can't believe you are actually debating about whether Jesus (if that is his REAL name) died on a pole or a cross.

    Do you NOT know that "whatever" he died on,the instrument he died on is a DIGRACE in heaven. The cross/stake was not important to Jesus. His death, and his blood WAS important and to this day, ONLY his blood matters to him.

    You don't have to believe me ..... ASK him YOURSELF.

    The cross/stake is CURSED and when you bring it up in a debate, you are literally debating how Christ was CURSED!

    Galatians 3:13

    and just forthe record, he didn't die on a cross NOR a stake. You both can "thank" the 'false stylus' for that. What did he die on? It's not important... His blood and the "life" that blood gives when you drink it (wine) IS what is important.

    Peace,
    Aaron

  • ladonna
    ladonna

    I was taught when growing up as a JW that the word "stake" came from a Greek word and was translated from that by the JW's to mean "stake" instead of "cross".

    Ana

  • outnfree
    outnfree

    God_Knows,

    I have MANY Bible translations at my disposal. I used the NWT here because it IS a discussion board for JWs and thought it might be less offensive to some.

    (Never mind that your response offended me with its condescension!)

    Even though I agree that it is a deceitful translation, due to a lack of scholarship, the definition I gave for "stauros" came from a respected, non-Witness, Bible Concordance.

    I notice you used the King James Version (although you did not cite it) for your citation of Exodus 12:7. After having checked the accounts in the Today's English Version, New Jerusalem Bible, and The Living Bible as well, I still think it is an interpretive stretch that the doorposts and lintel represent the cross-barred "stauros." It is clear from the context that "it" is not "the blood" that is to be eaten in this verse, but rather the lambs sacrified for the first Passover observance.

    That Jesus Christ is later described as the Paschal Lamb, because he rescued us out of bondage to sin, is clearly sound Biblical teaching.
    That we are commanded to eat his body and drink his blood in memory of him is also a requirement laid upon every Christian, in my opinion, not just the JW "anointed." (If they even qualify as Christians anyway)

    Katherine, apologies for this thread becoming a theological debate rather than strictly a help for you, but, these things happen here because of our newfound freedom to express ourselves on all and any manner of things! A basic Christian freedom denied us by the Jehovah's Witness religion.

    outnfree
    (who is sorry to have acted selfishly and will not debate any further on thisthread)

  • thinkers wife
    thinkers wife

    Katherine,
    There has been much excellent advice given to you on this thread. You would do very well to heed it.
    I was born and raised as one of JW's. I did what they call disassociating myself in June of 2000. There are a lot of factors involved. But some of the salient points right now are: My parents talk to me only if I call them on the telephone, they have no desire to meet my wonderful husband (whom I married in June of 2000) he is not and never has been one of JW's. And he has only shown them the greatest kindness on the telephone and through the mail. Two of my brothers, baptized Witnesses refuse to speak to me. This has alienated me from seeing my only two nephews. One is three and the other was born last Novemeber, hence I have never seen him or expect that I will. All of my former friends who are JW's, some of whom I actually studied with and introduced to being JW's, will not speak to me.
    This is all as a result of me voluntarily telling the elders through a letter that I no longer wanted to be known as one of JW's. My reason for taking this action is that JW's tout John 13:35 as being an identifying mark of true Christianity. After many years of being a very active JW I decisively felt that they did not display this self-proclaimed quality.
    After marrying my husband, he did extensive research on the history and teachings of JW's and came up with a lot of discrepancies in their doctrine. Also after having read some independent list of things that identify a cult, I could truly say that the Witness religion falls into this category.
    I am not asking you to accept my opinion as fact in any way. I am just strongly urging you to look into their history and doctrine and decide for yourself. Because if you decide to go with being a baptized Witness it will irrevocably change your life.
    TW

  • God_knows
    God_knows

    Hey sweet one, how's your studying coming along? I've missed hearing from you!

    I do not want to leave you in the lurch if you have any questions. You are still welcome to write to me personally anytime.

  • cornish
    cornish

    If today someone had a birthday celebration and a murder occured,it would be on the front page of the newspapers tommorow,on the other hand if someone had the usual peaceful happy uneventful event its sure the papers would not mention it.
    You see,just because bad things happened on 2 birthdays mentioned in the bible,does not mean that thousands of other birthdays were not celebrated quite peacefuly?You see it made the news because of the eventful happenings,if you read in tommorows paper of someone getting murdured at a wedding feude it would be circular reasoning to assume that made all weddings bad.

  • cornish
    cornish

    Remember ! All watchtower literature is heavily sanitized to paint the organization in sweet pretty colours.

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