check out your local UUA churches...they may be a good place to start.
Help me set up my JW wife: What should I look for in a church?
by Check_Your_Premises 44 Replies latest jw experiences
-
-
OldSoul
if you catch a brother who is pretty good, he might kick your ass!
CYP,
Could happen to someone, but not to you. You know the tricks to expect, you know the diverion maneuvers to watch for. All you have to do to make any Witness look completely clueless is stick to a point and not let them leave it, with questions like, "I noticed you haven't yet answered what I asked. Did you just like what you were saying better, or is there no Scriptural answer to my question?"
On your quest for getting a religious leader to answer you thoroughly, in my opinion any respectable religious leader would want you to be convinced through your study. Responsible teachers do not tell their students the answers. JWs are not usually responsible teachers. It would be a very odd chance if you happened to snag one, in which case they would admit they didn't know the Scriptural answers. To their own basic doctrines of faith.
Respectfully,
OldSoul -
Terry
Go to the CHRISTADELPHIANS, they are almost exactly like the JW's but, better scholars and more laid back.
Check them out here:
http://www.thechristadelphians.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=3450&st=60entry95125
Terry
-
gold_morning
As a former JW this interested me. I was disfellowshiped in the early 80's. I spent 16 years away from God because I believed what they told me. Outside of their organization there was no salvation. Around 1996 I began a 3 year search to see if there was really any truth. The bible does not teach any church saves you.
Most people of different religions, especially Jehovah's witnesses, have a difficult time separating God from religion. They all think it is a religion that saves them. That they must belong. Catholics believe they must be baptized Catholic to go to heaven. Mormons believe they must be Mormons. JW's are no different. They feel we must be baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses to be saved. That complete loyalty is to the organization though they make it look like it is Jehovah they are serving. If you leave or disagree with ANYTHING that is taught you are hence disfellowshiped and according to them no longer will make the great day of Armageddon. Look at where the bible says we must turn to be saved.
Acts 4:12....."Salvation is found in NO ONE ELSE, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
Here it shows our salvation comes from Jesus. It does not say salvation is found from any religion to be saved (including Jehovah's witnesses)... but found in NO ONE ELSE but Jesus. ..... period.
Hebrews goes along with this. Hebrews 7:25 says: "Therefore He (Jesus) is able so save COMPLETELY those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."
So it is Jesus that intercedes for us and HE that saves us completely.
1John 5:12.."He who HAS the Son, HAS life..."
Again, it does not point to a religion or code of ethics from a group of men to be saved to have life, but merely the Son, Jesus.
Look what it says in Ephesians 2:4-8. ...."But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made US ALIVE with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.........IT IS BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED.....(verse 8)..."For it is by grace you have been saved, IT IS A GIFT FROM GOD..NOT BY WORKS so that no none can boast."
So we are made alive with Christ because it is a GIFT from God. Like a present. See, we don't have to do anything for a present. IT is a gift. To make that clear he said that it is NOT our works that save us. Jehovah's Witnesses work at earning their salvation but the bible does not teach that. All those countless hours Jehovah's Witnesses put in the door to door ministry and all those meetings does not save anyone!! We cannot earn our salvation. It is a gift because of the great love of God. It is knowing Jesus personally. It is accepting that it was He who died for us so that we could be righteous before God to receive the gift he gave us....namely everlasting life. Remember that scripture we just read.... "He who has the SON has life."
Titus 3:5 backs this up. It says...."He saved us, NOT BECAUSE OF righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy."
There is no acts we can do religiously that can save us. Religion makes us "self-righteous". Only being saved thru Jesus makes us righteous before God. We can't give ourselves life..... a religion cannot give us this gift. It takes away from Jesus. When he died, Jesus said..."It is finished!!" He bought us life forever. Who does the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society think they are? They think they can grant us life thru them and take it away thru disfellowshiping. They are taking the place of Christ.
How about Romans 3:22..."This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to ALL who believe."
Notice again that we become righteous from faith in Jesus and that it is open to ALL who believe in Him. Not a select few from a particular religion called Jehovah's Witnesses...... But ALL!! It is there for Jew and Gentile. Not just Jew and Jehovah's witnesses.
Does knowledge get us life? Not according to the bible. Jesus himself says in John 5:39..."You diligently study the scriptures (like Jehovah's witnesses do) because you think by means of them you posses eternal life. These are the scriptures that testify about me.Yet you refuse to COME TO ME TO HAVE LIFE.".....(in other wards.. refuse to know him personally.
So it is not knowledge that saves us either. There is nothing wrong with knowledge, but that is not where our salvation lies. We must come to Jesus to have life. It is the love of God and knowing him that saves us. A few verses down in 41 Jesus says "I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts."....So it is about our hearts for Jesus and knowing him and accepting his gift and grace of forgiveness of our sins.
The key to salvation is knowing Jesus and having a good heart, just like Jesus did. Jehovah's witnesses know "all about Jesus", but never knew him personally. You can know all about President Bush. You can know what school he went to, his grades, who he dated, what year he married, how many children he had, where he lived, when he quit drinking, about his political life and his presidency. But can you say you personally know him? Have you talked to him? Are you a friend of his? Do you talk on the phone? No. So you know all about him, but don't know him personally. That is how it is with God and being a witnesses.
I remember fearing Jehovah. He was this God exacting exclusive devotion that I just could not measure up to. No matter how many works I did, no matter how many years I pioneered. I never knew if I would survive Armageddon. My salvation was not assured. Would I survive Armageddon??..lurked on my mind. Now I know that he is a God of great love, mercy, kindness and patience and because I love and accept his Son my salvation is assured. As the bible says.... I am no longer under condemnation.
So where does church come in. The bible says the sole purpose of a church is to edify. That means to encourage... ubuild and make one excited about God. It does not say that the church JUDGES, CONDEMNS or is the means for salvation.
I now attend a non-denominational chruch. It is called Calvary Chapel. They are accross the United States and if you type in Calvary Chapel in your search engine I think you can find one near you. As a ex JW there is a confort zone to going to a non-denominational church. I have attended there for several years and have yet to hear anything that is not the truth there..... but best of all.....they teach salvation comes thru Jesus.... not belonging to them.
Feel free to write me if you like.
Gold
[email protected] -
Outaservice
AMEN....... GOLD_MORNING! I AGREE TOTALLY.
OUTASERVICE