"Forced" study with an Elder - The first question i will pose, help appreciated.

by CitizenofEarth 39 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • CitizenofEarth
    CitizenofEarth

    stuckinarut2
    Yes citizen, they can never dare to question "god's answers or direction" as a result of your prayers!
    Use that when it comes to any situation or topic.
    But make sure you come across sincere as you say it.

    Weave and dodge so that i may not be questioned on my motives, which no man can see. Sad, but i wil use your advice, thank you.

  • Scully
    Scully

    Don't start with that one, please! You'll be Marked™ or worse faster than you can possibly imagine.

    Try something that the Elder™ isn't prepared for, and won't be able to answer.

    Like this:

    C: "I'm having a hard time understanding why everyone hates Judas so much."

    E: "Well, he betrayed Jesus, duh!"

    C: "Yes, I get *that*, but nobody seems to get that the betrayal was essential in order for prophecies to be fulfilled about Jesus. If *nobody* had betrayed Jesus, he would never have been able to fulfill the prophecy, become The Lamb of God, and a sacrifice to atone for our sins."

    E: "Well he was just a bad guy."

    C: "Was he *really* though?? Or is he just a scapegoat for people to hate? Aren't prophecies like puzzles? All the pieces are necessary in order to complete the picture. Without Judas, Jesus would have just been some smart Jewish guy who was really popular with the people. Those people were willing to hide Jesus and help him escape from the soldiers who were searching for him, who knows if he ever would have been found another way other than by being betrayed?"

    E: "Well, this has been a great chat. I have to run, my wife wants me to pick up milk on the way home."

    C: (to himself) BOOOOM! (mic drop)

  • Giordano
    Giordano

    Citizen you need to understand the following: While the Society does value a follower's faith they value Obedience even more. Obedience even when they are wrong.

    This is a cult like the Mormon's who believe that when the Elders ( in this case The Watchtower speaks) the thinking is done.

    This is what Cults or high control religions do.

    So coming up with clever questions or trying to debate the JW construct will put them on guard and eventually they will consider you a threat to their congregation.

    Simply be humble and present yourself as a meek and faithful JW.

    Gather information that strengthens your resolve to not become what they want you to be. You go behind enemy lines so to speak and blend in for now.

  • CitizenofEarth
    CitizenofEarth

    Scully
    Don't start with that one, please! You'll be Marked™ or worse faster than you can possibly imagine.
    Try something that the Elder™ isn't prepared for, and won't be able to answer.
    Like this:
    C: "I'm having a hard time understanding why everyone hates Judas so much."
    E: "Well, he betrayed Jesus, duh!"
    C: "Yes, I get *that*, but nobody seems to get that the betrayal was essential in order for prophecies to be fulfilled about Jesus. If *nobody* had betrayed Jesus, he would never have been able to fulfill the prophecy, become The Lamb of God, and a sacrifice to atone for our sins."
    E: "Well he was just a bad guy."
    C: "Was he *really* though?? Or is he just a scapegoat for people to hate? Aren't prophecies like puzzles? All the pieces are necessary in order to complete the picture. Without Judas, Jesus would have just been some smart Jewish guy who was really popular with the people. Those people were willing to hide Jesus and help him escape from the soldiers who were searching for him, who knows if he ever would have been found another way other than by being betrayed?"
    E: "Well, this has been a great chat. I have to run, my wife wants me to pick up milk on the way home."
    C: (to himself) BOOOOM! (mic drop)

    I had similiar thoughts not many weeks ago, but the case is that the Elder made me send him a question so that he could prepare. I wont be able to backtrack now, so my choices are either to go hardmode and enter a discussion, or backtrack and be a good sheep and conform. Your advice is good, but in my inexperince i have put mysef in a corner, sadly. I wont act the same way another time, that is for sure.

  • CitizenofEarth
    CitizenofEarth

    Giordano
    Citizen you need to understand the following: While the Society does value a follower's faith they value Obedience even more. Obedience even when they are wrong.
    This is a cult like the Mormon's who believe that when the Elders ( in this case The Watchtower speaks) the thinking is done.
    This is what Cults or high control religions do.
    So coming up with clever questions or trying to debate the JW construct will put them on guard and eventually they will consider you a threat to their congregation.
    Simply be humble and present yourself as a meek and faithful JW.
    Gather information that strengthens your resolve to not become what they want you to be. You go behind enemy lines so to speak and blend in for now.

    Allright. Unless anyone comes up with anything groundbreaking i will have to act with respects to your, and some of the others, experience. You guys overwhelmingly state that i should be a good sheep so as not to make things harder for myself. I will, and then keep on my private research.

  • Finkelstein
    Finkelstein

    The WTS's own doctrinal dating calculation of Christ's return (1914) goes against Christ's own instruction to his faithful devoted followers to not make a time upon God's own sacred time, so if the WTS leaders disobeyed that commandant, how could Jesus have chosen this organization selectively, that would mean that Jesus went against his own instruction and teachings into how to preach "His" Gospel. ???

    The WTS has been involved in preaching a commercially tainted version of the Gospel of Jesus, inherently devised through the pressing endeavor to proliferate the literature the WTS published.

    or one might call it fear mongering charlatanism.

  • Londo111
    Londo111

    Have you been dipped?

    That definitely would change the consequences of asking questions.

  • Village Idiot
    Village Idiot

    CitizenofEarth,

    The first question i will pose is: What is the scriptual basis for interpreting the 144000 as a figure to be taken literally? Almost everything else in Revelation 7 is interpreted symbolically, as fx. the 144000 coming from the 12 tribes, and that 12000 will be taken from each. All other descriptions in connection to with the 144000 such as virginity, that they originate from the 12 tribes, that they are wothut defilement and that the lamb and the fathers name is on their forehead is interpreted as symbolic, but the figure is taken literally. Why?

    It is accepted amongst Christian eschatologists that the 144,000 represents Jews who converted to Christianity in contrast to Christian Gentiles which form the Great Multitude (Great Crowd).

    Further more, the reading in most translations depict the "virgins" as "..."those who did not defile themselves with women" (Revelation 14:4) meaning that they're all men. So much for being a female amongst the anointed.

  • CitizenofEarth
    CitizenofEarth

    Londo111
    Have you been dipped?
    That definitely would change the consequences of asking questions.

    Yes, when i was 16 years of age. I am now 18 years old.

  • CitizenofEarth
    CitizenofEarth

    Village Idiot
    It is accepted amongst Christian eschatologists that the 144,000 represents Jews who converted to Christianity in contrast to Christian Gentiles which form the Great Multitude (Great Crowd).
    Further more the reading in most translations depict the "virgins" as "...those who did not defile themselves with women" (Revelation 14:4) meaning that they're all men. So much for being a female amongst the anointed.

    Thank you for mentioning this. I will note it down!

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