by openminded 31 Replies latest jw friends
I think the first thing you should do is to see if you can get this guy the Tolstoy award for lengthy writing.
Did he think he would wear you into submission with this letter? "Please, don't write me again and I'll go back to the Kingdom Hall?"
If the Sermon on the Mount had lasted as long as this letter, we wouldn't have had time for the crucifixtion.
pardon my french but the term "fucking liar" comes to mind with this chump. he says the wts is imperfect? last wt i read mentioned the phrase "Jehovah's perfect earthly organization".
i got two words for this p.o.s. (peice of shit)
"fuck you"
My apologies to all those who have a problem w/profanity, i got a little pissed off reading that verbal diahhrea
Cornerstone, I like your approach. I remember one day towards the end of my JW life, a young Mexican man came into the hall just before the meeting. It was pouring rain outside. Thunder and lightening. The man came in to get out of the storm. He asked if it was a church to which I replied that it was. He must have thought it was a Christian Church because he asked for food. I said I would see what I could do. While I went to talk to my husband, I noticed a couple of elders suspiciously talking to the man. They had unfriendly and unhospitable looks on their faces. He only spoke Spanish so I went over.
I couldn't believe my ears. They were asking me to find out what he wanted. I told them that he was hungry. He had just come over the border and had no place to eat or sleep. The elders wanted me to tell him that we were sorry but we couldn't help him. Instead I told him to wait, my husband would help him. The elders did not like this because it made them look bad. I didn't want to bring a stranger home with us, but he was hungry. Plus, even if he was bull-shitting us, who cares? What's it gonna cost to feed the guy a McDonalds burger and fries? So he sat through the meeting (my husband had a part so we couldn't leave).
We went and talked to a few other elders. I couldn't believe that the very ones (one in particular) who made it a habit to be into everything that was none of his business - and I mean every little thing, were ignoring the situation and pretending it wasn't happening. It was not their concern. Nobody would pitch in $5 bucks to get the guy to a cheap motel. I was sick to my stomach. The same idiots who thought themselves high and mighty and oh so holy because they had repaired the CO's roof, didn't want to help a fellow human being. My husband and I took the guy to a motel and paid for it ourselves. We bought him dinner and told him where to go the next day to get a day labor job. It was the least we could do to not bring "reproach" on Jehovah's organization after the way the elders behaved. And it wasn't just the elders. It was the entire congregation. Afterwards we got slack for it. Everybody had something to say.
The thing is that I had worked for a Catholic rectory when I was a teenager. And daily people came asking for food. We always had food to spare. We had a closet full of canned goods and people would regularly donate meats and dairy products. Never did we turn anyone away. Many times all an illegal immigrant had to do was go to Mass on Sunday and he would make contacts for employment afterward while having coffee and donuts in the auditorium. My dad would oftentimes hire different ones to help him with yard-work and once they even stayed in our club-house in our backyard for a few days. We always gave them some of our family meals and we got to listen to their stories about their families back home and their plight. Those memories came flooding towards me.
I can tell you that I probably attended 10 meetings after this event. My faith in the organization had already begun to erode and this was just one more thing to chip away at the dissonance I had already acquired by this time. Such an obvious lack of love didn't go unnoticed by my kids either!
Didn't Jesus say that whoever sees a man hungry and doesn't feed him it was like doing it to Him? Those are the ones he will say, "Get away from me! I never knew you!"
The GB conveniently apply this scripture to themselves. They say that by selling their magazines we are doing it for the "least" of Jesus' brothers. But I ask, "How can this apply to them when they are not in jail? They are not naked? They are not hungry? So how could we follow Jesus' command to them? How can we visit them in jail? How can we clothe them when they're naked? How can we feed them when they're hungry?" Obviously, it applies to our neighbor.
Every time I see the magazines bragging about themselves and how they help victims of natural disasters even though they are not JW's. I just feel like barfing. They do nothing unless they can have bragging rights. Nevermind those who do things in silence, seeking their reward in heaven.
I think this lack of love is a great way to go. I am sure every JW will have a similar story. The lack of love is OBVIOUS.
Pretty sad story Blue.
Hi OM,
I, for one, am MUCH happier now that I am no longer a JW. No one gets upset when I use my God-given free will to think for myself. And when I attend church, I see people whose joy in the Lord is complete and whose faith is alive in their lives. I never saw that at any Kingdom Hall I went to.
And don't Witness's have a higher rate of mental illness than the general population as a whole?
I don't need imperfect men who have never lived in the real world telling me how to raise my children or conduct my personal business or live my life. They don't know what they are talking about.
When some of the GB disagree with the others, does that mean that some of them are directed by Jehovah while others are not? How do they know who is and who isn't?
I don't think this guy has any real interest in helping you. His rhetoric is too Watchtowerish.
Have a peaceful and joyous day.
Howdy - good to see you posting again.
QUOTE FROM LETTER: But now look at JWs. They have lower paying jobs, go to meetings all the time and go out and try to find other that might like to adopt such an austere life style. Are they confused? yesAre they unhappy? yes - depression is rampant. Are they dying from AIDS?yes Getting divorced?yes - at same ratio as worldly people No!that is a lie They apply the counsel from God's Word that the WTS is providing in their literature.private opinion Are they really worse off than the rest of the world?unproveable Isn't it true that they are happier and more well adjusted than people in the world? NOSo were they deceived or enlightened?needs opinion - mine is that they were deceived.
His letter is based solely on opinions - and therefore, no honest answer can be forthcoming - except your own opinions.
A "thank you very much, but I'm really busy now receiving an education" note would be the best thing, imho.
Btw, I only got this far - the man is a Schmooz Master. He's learned his WT lesson well.
waiting
OM,
About half way through his letter my eyes started to glaze over. This usually happened to me at the meetings when the speaker bombarded the cong. with question after question, without really saying anything. But what did leap out at me was the discouraging tone he took concerning 'independant thinking' and how much he is against higher education. I would write a polite note telling him you are just too busy with college and family life at the moment but that you'll get back to him as soon as you find the time. I did have a laugh at all the different arguements he used trying to see which one would get you back into the fold.
This is a letter that I sent to my dad and mom and am going to send to my grandma in the latest draft. I don't know how much scripture you are familiar with.
Hi Dad!
We really enjoyed our time together. We would also like to ease your concern over our future. You see, we have all dedicated our lives to Jesus as the following scriptures indicate we should do.
How does one obtain salvation? Is it through our own works or the works that others tell us are needed? Not according to scripture. I found out exactly what the original gospel (good news) actually is:
NIV 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.
2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.
This is the gospel and are we as Jehovah's witnesses preaching this? If not who gave us permission to change the gospel message? How then are we to be saved? Ever since our Lord ascended to heaven the 'end' could have arrived at any time (one can see that the apostles expected it in their day). Preaching an 'end times' message is not the gospel that the apostles preached, it is only one part of the teachings in scripture. I say this out of my love for the Lord and NOT to discourage you. We love you and want to see you happy.
NIV Ephesians 2:4-9
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.
6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Grace is defined as something undeserved and given to us by God when we accept Jesus as our savior, we become a 'new creation' (Romans 3) and are 'born again' (John 3.3). Is their anything wrong with 'works', no. Works are an evidence of our faith and not vice-versa. The whole book of Romans makes this abundantly clear. Read it carefully and pray for God to guide your steps.
NIV Romans 3:22-24
22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Again this is confirmed.
NIV John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
NO exceptions, NO hint of any future select few who would claim to do so.
From Romans 10:
4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
5 Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them."
6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, `Who will ascend into heaven?' " (that is, to bring Christ down)
7 "or `Who will descend into the deep?' " (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,
13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
That is pretty clear wording from the inspired apostle Paul regarding salvation. There is nothing in scripture that indicates one man or a group of men can claim otherwise. So, who will teach us the truth?
NIV John 14:25-29
25 "All this I have spoken while still with you.
26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
We are all to be taught by the Holy Spirit when we receive salvation by dedicating our lives to obedience to our Lord. Does that mean that all Christians will agree on the meaning of absolutely every scripture? On the non-essentials the answer is no, we can see this in the early Christian congregations. There are matters that cause differences due to our imperfection.
God has many houses for mankind to worship Him (the wheat and the tares parable) and there is no reason to think that one group can claim to have 'special knowledge' for there are many groups that claim this very thing.
In evangelical Christianty there is almost universal agreement on the requirements (that I listed above) for one to be saved. I would be happy to pray with you as you ask Jesus into your heart and gain salvation that will be assured and not determined by anyone who claims to have sole possesion of 'truth'.
NIV Titus 3:5-7
5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
NIV Romans 5:4-5
4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Their is really no justification in scripture that separates one class of Christians from another. If we were to take the 144,000 as a literal limit (for heavenly hope), why do we not also say they must be jewish males from the twelve tribes? Why also is the 'great multitude' right there in heaven along with the 144,000, the 24 elders, the Lamb of God and the throne of God? The scriptures regarding the 'last days' also point toward a highly visible return of Jesus (in the clouds in glory and those alive will be caught up with him into heaven:
1 Thes. 4
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
NIV Revelation 1:7-8
7 Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him (those who pierced him are long dead yet they will see him too!) ; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.
8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
His return will also be at the start of the great tribulation and not many years before:
Mark 13:
21 At that time if anyone says to you, `Look, here is the Christ !' or, `Look, there he is!' do not believe it.
22 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect--if that were possible.
23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.
24 "But in those days, following that distress, "`the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;
25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
26 "At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
How are we to view those who have prophesied falsely? When someone claims that they speak for God then make predictions that do not come true?
NIV Deuteronomy 18:20-22
20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death."
21 You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?"
22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
While Jesus was still with his disciples on earth, He spoke to them about heavenly life:
Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:1-3)
Maybe you are saying, "I don't have the desire to go to heaven. I would rather live on a cleansed earth." Did you know that the apostles felt this way as well, at least before Pentecost? The Bible doesn't indicate their desire to be in heaven up until then. Often they did desire the prestige of the kingdom that Jesus spoke about, such as when the mother of James and John asked for them to sit at Jesus' right and left hand in the kingdom (Matt. 20:21). But the disciples continually visualized a conventional earthly kingdom of some sort, and felt that it would be realized back then. Luke 19:11 relates:
And while they were listening to these things, He went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.
Even after Jesus' death and resurrection they held onto this idea, and Acts 1:6 says:
And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"
Only years later do we find the apostle speaking from the heart about their hope in the heavens. Notice the following expressions:
...And raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus... -Eph. 2:6
The Lord will deliver me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. -II Tim. 4:18
Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. -Heb. 3:1
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. -Phil. 3:20
...Because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel. -Col. 1:5
...To obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. -I Peter 1:4
Did God give these disciples of Jesus a supernatural desire to go to heaven rather than to live on earth, as the Watchtower teaches? No such miraculous desire is indicated in the Bible. Rather, their desire was simply based upon wanting to be with Jesus again, wherever He was. Rev. 14:4 says that "These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes." They had come to know and love Jesus dearly, and simply wanted to be with Him. If He was going to heaven, they wanted to be there with Him.
When Stephen was stoned, he knew that he was going to be with the Lord. He saw Him seated at the right hand of the throne of God in heaven in a vision and prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" (Acts 7:59).
In John 14:1-3 Jesus likens their going to heaven as "coming home" to be with Him and the Father. In 2 Cor. 5:6-9 the apostle Paul refers to his "going home to be with the Lord."
Simply stated, a true Christian desires to go to heaven because he has been cultivating a loving relationship with Jesus Christ, and he not only wants to be with Him some day, and treasures such a promise, but is appalled at the thought of missing out on such a promise.
Having such a desire is based upon a personal relationship, and not on a preference for physical surroundings, as the Watchtower suggests. For instance: A young man in California falls in love with a beautiful young girl and wants to marry her. Then she moves to New York. Although the young man is quite comfortable in California and does not know what to expect in New York, his desire is to be with the one he loves. He doesn't go out of love for New York, for he knows nothing about the place.
So it is with the one who truly belongs to Christ. He does not know anything about heaven or what to expect there, nor does any man. But he knows his Lord, and he wants to be with Him. This is precisely why Jesus promised what He did in John 14:1-3 (quoted earlier).
So what if we have no desire to go to heaven? Obviously we have been feeding on the wrong spiritual food. Instead of feeding on the Word of life and the promises given to us by Jesus, we may have been feeding on the doctrines of men who endeavor to steal the promises of God away from us. Gal. 1:6-7 warns us:
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
What should we then do? Well, just as a woman should know her head (her husband), so we must also know our head, Jesus Christ. As Christians, we are promised in spiritual marriage to Him. Looking at it that way makes this a very serious matter.
One Body with One Hope
First of all, we need to clarify why all Christians will one day be together. In John 15, Jesus likens Himself to a vine, with the Father being the cultivator. His disciples were to be the branches, attached to their head, which is Christ. If they reveal themselves as not being true children of God, they are "lopped off."
Those who have truly put their faith in Him will be refined and bear fruit. In verses 4-6, Jesus reveals how we must "remain in Him" or "abide in Him."
Paul illustrates this further. 1 Cor. 12:27 says, "Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it." Verses 12 and 13 say: "For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit." Paul is saying that the individual parts of a body are all attached to the head; and the final result is that the body will function smoothly as one.
Paul also tells how Christ gave gifts to men in order to build up this "body of Christ":
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ. . . we are to grow up in all aspects in Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. -Eph. 4:11, 12, 15-16
Verse 4 of the same chapter says: "There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism."
So it is very clear that there is actually only one body of Christ, made up of true believers, and they all have only ONE HOPE. What is that hope? It is the final functioning as a perfect "body" in heaven alongside their Lord and Master. To one who has truly become a part of the body of Christ, the thought of being separate from their Lord and their head is frightful indeed. True Christians have a strong desire to be with their Lord in Spirit, and one day in His physical presence. This is not a desire that develops due to spiritual pride or religious fervor, but it develops in the same way as a natural affection between two persons who are in love.
How many "bodies" of Christ are there? How many hopes have been set out for Christians? How many callings? Let us not be deceived by the clever trickery of men. Jesus warned in John 10:7-9:
Jesus therefore said to them again, "Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."
How does one know if he is a part of the body of Christ? In John 3:3 Jesus said, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." And in verse 5 He says, "unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." The key would be being "born of the Spirit"--being begotten as one of God's spiritual sons.
The work of the Holy Spirit is to testify about our hope in Christ. The Holy Spirit brings conviction upon our hearts, to personally reveal to us how sinful and wretched we really are without the blood of Christ to cover us. We must come face-to-face with the stark realization that nothing we can do of ourselves can please God; for we cannot justify ourselves before God (Rom. 3:20). We deserve death (Rom. 6:23). We must personally ask Christ to cover our sins once and for all; and to make us into a new man in union with Him. The Holy Spirit has to bring a conviction on our hearts, and we either follow through or reject this work of the Holy Spirit. As we follow through and ask the Lord Jesus to share His life with us, we are then born of the Spirit. It is all of His work; He has begun it in our hearts with conviction, and is completing it by dwelling in us permanently through the Spirit.
This is not always an emotional experience. God does not often work by "feelings." But we do thereafter begin to notice real changes in us. We are aware of another influence with us--encouraging us on in a right course, and molding us and disciplining us. It is none other than our Lord and Savior Jesus. We feel a new life within us, according to Rom. 8:11:
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.
You are now a son of God according to verse 14: "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." You have the hope of sharing with Him; you are now part of the body of Christ; you are an heir to all of the blessings that He has to give. Verses 16 and 17 says:
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.
If you are sensitive to it, you will realize that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit now live with you and have made their home within you in Spirit, according to John 14:17-23:
. . . the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will behold Me no more; but you will behold Me; because I live, you shall live also. In that day you shall know that I am in my Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
. . . he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him. . . . If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.
What would Christians do in heaven? Other than worshiping the Lord (Rev. 15:3-4), the Bible also reveals that we shall reign with Christ as kings and priests (Rev. 20:6). Perhaps, as Rev. 5:10 suggests, we will one day reign upon the earth, as the literal Greek renders it. This would also harmonize with Rev. 21:2-3, which after speaking of a new heavens and a new earth, says:
And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them."
It literally says that God will dwell among His people on the earth. Who is none other than "God manifest in the flesh" but Christ himself?
The new earth shall remain forever. The glorified body of Christ will apparently have access to it. The book of Revelation is a book of prophecy that remains to be fully understood, but one thing is for sure: Those who have put their faith and trust in the Lamb's promises and look forward to sharing with Him will abide forever.
Rex
OM,
I recently helped an 18 year old out of the WT write a letter to his aunt. She also wrote a very lengthy letter expressing much of the same points that your dads friend wrote.
All in all three replies and letters equalling 11 pages were sent from us to her. She wrote over 9 pages. What transpired, was that the JW mentality of the aunt ignored the facts and tried to change the subjects presented exposing the lies and changes of the WT.
Sometimes a lenghthy and well written reply may plant a few seeds of doubt in the mind of a JW that is already questioning. From what I have read from the letter you posted, there is no doubt in the mind of your dads friend that the WT is where you and everyone else should be.
I agree with those that said to express yourself as confident and happy with your choices is probably the easiest thing to do. Let him know that you believe that Jehovah does not work through religions, but through individuals. No matter what happens, your relationship with God is not dependant upon the WTBTS.
You may also have fun with a reply letter and state that your going to college would give you the opportunity to become the smartest Governing Body member ever.
Hi OM,
I just read the letter, and had to reply.. But first, I have to introduce myself a bit, since I don't believe we've met before..
I am not, nor have I ever been a JW.. I have a friend whom is a JW, and I think that he is having doubghts, so I have been doing alot of research on JW's (Even read both of Ray Franz' books)..
Anyway, a few points came to mind while reading your dad's friends letter:
A.) Both my friend and your dad's friend seem to write with the same style, and the same missing or misspelled words.. In fact, the letter could almost be from my friend, except his writing style is a little younger (being only 21).. If you reread the letter, I think you'll notice many missing words (an, to, and, etc.. etc.. etc..) Really strange.. That was the very first thing I noticed when I started reading his emails to me...
B.) Your dad's friend goes on to say that the GB is setting 'limits' to protect their 'flock'.. He then states that college is not forbidden in the bible, so it's up to you if you choose to go or not.. But then he says why the GB discourages it.. (Protects you).. Of course, the GB is free to 'protect you' with restrictions in other ways that are not bible based.. Wouldn't you think that if the GB thought college was the 'root' of evil that your friend says it is, and especically because they have 'lattitude' from God to protect as they see fit (making an occasional error or two, but who's counting.. It will be corrected in future light) wouldn't it be prudent of your 'parents' to ban college altogether? -- Maybe they are being a little under-restrictive in this part, and shirking their 'parental' duties??
C.) Also, your dad's friend stated that, "If you have a strong faith in God then you will determine what he requires and what standards he sets and attempt to conform to them"... I'd be very interested in his interpretation of YOU, as from what I've read, no-one but an annointed can determine what god wants from us mortals, as only they can understand the entire bible... And, that also leads to the questions, where is the GB in that statement.. I guess even your father's friend doesn't need the GB anymore..
D.) As for the GB producing better people than the rest of the world, I would send an email to your dad's friend a few nights before the dateline special (assuming it hasn't aired yet.. Does anyone know when that will be, I am planning on letting my friend know all about it) on the JW child abuse stuff.. Have your father's friend watch that and then comment on the 'better people' part... Also, have him comment on the GB and the 'protecting parents'...
E.) Interestingly enough, you obviously are questioning things.. It seems that your dad's friend did at one time also.. Hmm, let's do some math.. Both the writer and intended reader of the letter are both JW's.. Both of them were or are 'confused' to use your father's friends wording at one time or another.. By that statistic, I can state that 100% of JW's are confused at one point or another in their lifetime <hehe>..
F.) I'd love to hear his reasoning on how he can determine that the world cannot be happy, since he doesn't consider himself part of the world... Just because he wasn't happy when he was part of the world doesn't automatically mean that everyone is unhappy in the world..
G.) He states that the JW are the only organization taking people out of the world and teaching them what God requires... This is based on the 'imperfect' men that god appointed to watch over his flock, yet knows of the dangers of college, and still chooses to allow the flock to attend.. More importantly, have him reread his statement of my part C.. (It's in paragraph 6 of his letter)...
H.) If the WTS is teaching people to love one another, even their enemies, why is it that they don't do charitable stuff like the Christian churces do? How do they show love to the non-believers, and contrast that to the churches that show love to non-believers.. The WTS gives the non-believers magazines, while the Christian churches provide food, shelter, clothing etc.. (Hmmm, I think that is exactly what Jesus said to do in the bible, if I recall correctly).. Also, what love do they show to apostates.. They are their "enemies" right? Don't want to be hypocritical, and only show love to certain enemies.. After all, God hates hypocrites..
I.) From the letter, paragraph 23, "This is an especially important question, in this independent thinking world, when we see evidence that God is really backing them and the evidence really supports that conclusion".. -- I'd love to hear his evidence (ask him before and after he sees the dateline special <hehe>)
J.) Also, along the same lines as 'I', ask him to look up the Pharisees.. Ask him to explain how they differ from the 'governing body'?? -- When he says that the GB protects it's flock, ask about the college issue and then ask him again about protection after the dateline story aires... More importantly, I thought the bible somewhere (sorry, not well versed in the bible) stated that each person was to test what they are being taught, and determine for themselves if they believe it comes from the word of God or not.. Now if that isn't an example of "Independent thinking" I don't know what is... This also leads into his comment from paragraph 23, "But they never compromise God's laws to do that, but Christendom compromises and so do their followers.".. They discourage independent thinking, but the bible encourages it.. Hmmm... Have him explain this one..
K.) From the letter, paragraph 25, "A Christian has restrictions that are imposed by God but we make decisions on how to live our lives".. How can the restrictions come from God, if he admits the GB is a group of fallible men who make mistakes.. Change God to GB and change Christian to JW, and I'll agree with that statement.. More improtatnly, he states that the GB has been given "lattitude".. Well, the lattitude means that the GB can do as they damn well please to 'protect'.. Well, since the GB has already written about the dangers of college, yet haven't issued an 'order' saying no college to protect their 'flock', he cannot say 'wait for a correction' since they clearly already know about it, yet haven't done anything about it yet.. Unlike some of their other 'orders' for 'the flocks protection'.. Hypocrites yet again!!!!
L.) Oh, and ask him to explain how come God's Law that states how to determine a false prophet is ignored by the GB... (yet another compromise, although that is the least of their worries with this one).. I'd love to hear whom he thinks it does apply to specifically.. Has that 'law' ever shown someone or a group as a false prophet? Contrast that with his answer.. Love to hear that one!!!
I wonder how he would respond to something like:
Since God has directed me to do my own independant thinking (a compromise with the GB) , that would mean he wants me to make my own errors, and follow what I believe in.. He does not want me to follow a group of men, as the example of the Pharisee's clearly shows.. At best, you can state from the bible that God wanted us to follow individual men (Moses, David, Jesus, etc...), but not a group...
And, if God is directing the GB, let's talk about the cleanliness of the flock after the dateline show.. If the GB's duty is to protect the flock, why do they impose some arbitrary restrictions on us to 'protect' us, while not imposing others (like the dangerous college issue)?
I'd love to hear your comments on this one from all, as I like this letter sooooo much I plan on showing it to my friend, along with my comments!!!! (I think he'll look at it)...
