by Jez 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
After 20 years as a dub, I came to realize that a relationship with God is a personal thing, not something to be put on display and publicly measured on a monthly basis.
That's how I felt, and I didn't appreciate my relationship with God being policed by any men, as elders often tried to do. W
I've never thought about it quite in those terms. But it's so true! How selfish and small-minded. Things I already knew, but put in this verbiage it takes on a deeper meaning. Thanks for that! Andi
Your comment reminded me that she said that thinking you "own" God or have "the truth" is the ultimate arrogance and one wonders just what God would think, looking down and seeing a small group of people leading, counselling, punishing, setting rules, boundaries, etc..In other words usurping HIS headship and authority. "They stand in a place they ought not" Jez
one wonders just what God would think, looking down and seeing a small group of people leading, counselling, punishing, setting rules, boundaries, etc..In other words usurping HIS headship and authority.
Was it Stephen King or someone else that asked something like the above question in their writings and responded with, "Jesus is coming back, and is he ever pissed."
Good one BD. You know how hard it is to get to know someone via writing to them only, right? There comes a time, when you need to meet them face to face to fill in certain personality traits, character quirkiness, facial expression, intonation, what is said verses not said, etc etc etc that this medium just cannot convey. You cannot truly know someone through the printed word alone.
SO, my point is, to think that you have ownership of God and what he is, his intent, motivation, his ways, his purpose, etc is ridiculous because it is only through that printed medium that he reveals himself, and to make things even harder, he did it through other people. He didn't even write it himself, so 'he' is seen through the filters of bible writers!
Yet so many religions claim to have such a crystal clear image of him and his purposes, his intent in 'allowing' writers to write what they did. How could we own any part of 'God' when there is no way to even 'know' him. I haven't met him, have you?
The only way you can own God is if you created him. Bingo.
billygoat,
I guess I liken it to a small child who thinks their world has come to an end when Santa doesn't give them what they want. Has the child's world really come to an end? In their mind, yes, but to a wiser more experienced adult, it's child's play. Or when an adolescent thinks their world has come to an end because their 14-year old crush broke up with them. Has the adolescent's world really come to an end? In their mind, yes, but to a wiser more experienced adult, again...it's child's play.
Wise as you are, I have to disagree. I think the analogies you give are too trivial.
Where is the creator of the universe when children are suffering years of abuse, innocent people are being slaughtered, jungles are being hacked down without a moment's thought to the resulting devastation?
Two places:
I'm still getting used to this vision, but - in answer to Epicurus's famous conundrum - I'd rather give up god's omnipotence than god's love.
GentlyFeral
That was simple but true.
Can you imagine if a Jw starts,................you can answer sorry but you dont own God. That will stop anyone in their tracks
Thanks Jez
No body owns God.... rather he owns us!
That statement doesn't settle too well with the flesh does it? Yet... if one truly believes in an almighty "CREATOR".. than that means... if he made all things.. they all belong to Him. That is a pretty humbling thing to accept....and with humility comes a respect for the love and mercy He has shown us. We tend to think he owes us something. Perhaps it is Him we owe thanks to, for sending His son to buy us at an expensive price.. (his life). Jesus said that there is no greater friend than one who would lay down his life for you... and I am your friend. Friends deserve respect and love.
He loved us enough to do that despite the fact we do nothing but blame him for things in a realm we can't even begin to understand. We have no idea as to the power of battle going on in the heavens, yet we are quick to make judgements about things we know very little of. If He made everything.. owns everything and owes us nothing..but Chose to want us, it expains why we are simply asked to "Trust in the Lord". He didn't ask us to fix it.... just to trust He will.
The battle isn't ours.... it is His... we are caught up in the cross fire.
John 3:17..."For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world thru Him."
No, they don't. But they do have a patent pending.
