by Farkel 73 Replies latest jw friends
An excellent post. I've often thought about this text and
how they twisted charity into cult support and lost the
whole point of Jesus' words. Things like this make Witnesses
as self-centered as they are - and add to the lack of love
found within the organization.
metatron
So that was how deep your faith was rooted, Bluesapphire? If the posters could only stick to the principles discussed, and not post meaningless single events where the poster has not exactly neutral standpoints from the beginning onwards, even being able to read the hearts and minds and feelings of others ............
It seems to me that the total lack of social conscience and the Hasidic-like contempt they hold for non-JW humanity, as well as the ``lukewarm''half of their own kind who lag behind in field service and meeting attendance, is their biggest obstacle to becoming a maintstream Millenarian relgion ala the Seventh Day Adventists.
In this respect, even the ``Plain Truthers'' who share so many of the WT doctrinal ideas, are light years ahead of the JWs when it comes to accepting a constuctive role in society at large.
I think that this, and not the bankruptcy of their chronology, is their cancer.
Hi Farkel:
Your words touched me this morning. It brought back a flood of memories with your reference to the have's and the have not's in every congregation and how despite our smug opinion of ourselves at that time, yes there was a distinction, a favouritism.
And the "admonition" we received to show "charity" but it was to be of a spiritual kind to those who were hungry and needed clothes and help, just makes me cringe now. It makes me remember the times I pushed the desire to help someone materially with the excuse that "we can help them so much better with spiritual food...it will give them everlasting life". Too bad if they starved before they had a chance to read any of the mags. And "at least we didn't let them come the KH just to get something material...it had to be for the right reason..to learn about God."
I could go into detail but bluesapphire's account really sums the whole situation up vividly.
I feel moved by this because right at this time in my life I'm am happy to be here learning, getting stronger in my convictions even though what I'm learning can cause me upset and turmoil.
Someone near to me is giving me flack for coming here if what is done here is JW bashing. I don't consider this JW bashing....I call it exposing the truth. Yes, it is righteous indignation we feel all those of us who have been trodden down and are trying to pick ourselves up and get some sanity back into our lives.
Exposing the WTS's hypocrisy and deceit only strengthens me and I hope it enlightens anyone lurking here out of curiosity or is searching for answers and helps them to "make their move".
Farkel,
I agree. The Watchtower Society blasphemes in 3 main ways.
1. They replace Christ and his sacrifice as the way to God with their earthly organization and claim it is the way to God.
2. They replace the command to love and care for all of humanity with the command to promote Watchtower doctrine through selling books.
3. They use up people's lives in service to them rather than allowing people to use their talents to make the world a better place.
Lord, I do get tired of saying.......I never *saw* it.
“For I became hungry and you gave me something to eat, I got thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you received me hospitably, naked, and you clothed me. I fell sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to me. Then the righteous ones will answer him with the words, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty, and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and receive you hospitably, or naked, and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to you? “Here Jesus is working up to a very, VERY powerful conclusion. He knew full well that his disciples took care of him and his needs. After all, he was THE only-begotten son-of-God, and they WERE his loyal followers.
“And in reply the king will say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, To the extent that you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”
Jesus was talking about physical things for his physical body. Food, shelter, sustenance - not spiritual matters. At the time this was written, all followers of his were his brothers.
The only way the WTBTS could turn this to their personal advantage was to make two groups - the elite chosen, and the others. The others are to take care of the chosen.
But they even turned that around again - if one of the chosen anointed was within a congregation and old, it was still their own family's responsibility to take care of the anointed. An old anointed sister in our congregation was taken care of by her worldly daughter - not the congregation. The sisters did help get her to meetings, field service, etc. - but not with the necessities of the body.
Bluesaphire Those kinds of things happened in our area too. I saw several instances where worldly people asked for help from elders - and they were turned away (when I asked - "well, they could have been lying and just wanted our money.") I was *dumb* enough to be the only one to give $5 for gas. 5 brothers there just said they had no money. I was ashamed of them - and this happened in the KH.
Thanks, Farkel!
Your writings always make me think - no small accomplishment! Hope this day greets you well and you smile a lot.
waiting
Farkel,
I have to tell you, that was excellent and its being printed off right now.
Now who was that poster who said that he'd never read any of your stuff because he couldn't find it?
I don't expect him to reply, dubs aren't renowned for their courage.
Englishman.
..... fanaticism masquerading beneath a cloak of reasoned logic.
Good to see you here again Farks .....
You are spot on with this!!!!!! Great article.
I got hauled to the back room for helping people who needed material support ..... had a young single mother of 2 girls stay with us for a month while she got a government flat, and then helped organize furniture etc from St Vincent De Pauls and the Salvation Army welfare(Horror!!)) ....
We also helped a sister in the congregation who had 2 children and needed wood for her heater. The temperatures were below freezing every night and they had nothing to keep warm .... We spent a Saturday gathering wood for her from the forest instead of door knocking ..... (Horror!!!)
Another sister was very sick after having her baby .... she almost bled to death. Isobel and I went over there every day and helped her get her children to school, clean the house, look after the baby and get the evening meal ...... of couse, we didn't have time for door knocking for about a month .... (Horror!!!!)
To Isobel and me, that was living the Christian life.
JanG
CAIC Website: http://caic.org.au/zjws.htm
Personal Webpage: http://uq.net.au/~zzjgroen/
Uh, Jesus wasn’t talking about some lame “doing good” to any “chosen ones.” He was talking about specifically giving charity in a very material way to the LEAST of his brothers.
You are laboring under an enormous load of ignorance, and because you are for the most part Biblicaly illiterate, you inevitably arrive at absurd and wrong conclusions. When Jesus speaks of his brothers, he is not speaking of all mankind. That's ridiculous. In the 8th chapter of John Jesus said that the Jews that rejected him were from their father---the Devil. Now, most folks, but assuredly not all, have enough common sense to realize that if two people have different fathers then they cannot be true brothers. So it is in a spiritual sense. Jesus was a Son of Jehovah God. Any whom he refers to as his brothers must also be born from Jehovah, making them sons of God also. Only the anointed and the angels are called sons of God in the Scriptures. For the most part the children of this world imitate their spiritual father, Satan the Devil, and therefore cannot be brothers of Christ. Unless a person has been born again by the spiritual reproductive seed of the heavenly Father, Jesus does not recognize them as his brothers.
So, if the anointed are Christ’s “brothers,” then what are the non-anointed? Dog meat? Pond scum?
The sheep who receive Christ's blessing for doing good to his brothers are the non-anointed. That's pretty plain to those who are not spiritually blinded by their own hubris and hatred.
The thing that makes your post the most laughable is that the Watchtower no longer teaches that the sheep and the goats are presently in the process of being separated. That is a future event. Since that final determinative judgment is yet future, the calamity that will put God's sons, Jesus' brothers, into the miserable situations described in the prophetic illustration have not unfolded yet. Hence, the sheep have not had the opportunity to show their loyalty to Jesus' brothers during their time of hardship, but, as we all know---it's coming. / You Know
You Know,
: The thing that makes your post the most laughable is that the Watchtower no longer teaches that the sheep and the goats are presently in the process of being separated.
There are three things that make your post the most laughable:
1) The beginning
2) The middle
3) The end
It is not relevant whether the WTS now has a different understanding of when the separating of sheet and goats is to occur. What is relevant and what Jesus made perfectly clear is relevant is how one treats those in need before that judgement occurs. I know that for an apostate dub like yourself, this concept is extremely difficult for you to get, but I'll try again: Why do people like you find it so hard to accept that Jesus actually meant exactly what he said?
: That is a future event. Since that final determinative judgment is yet future, the calamity that will put God's sons, Jesus' brothers, into the miserable situations described in the prophetic illustration have not unfolded yet.
So, what are you going to do, You Know? Wait until the last possible moment to do some good for your fellow man, and hope you've done just enough to squeak through? Do you think Jesus and God are idiots and cannot see right through such selfishness?
: Hence, the sheep have not had the opportunity to show their loyalty to Jesus' brothers during their time of hardship, but, as we all know---it's coming.
They've had 2,000 years to do so, you moron. Dubs like you are just too selfish to join others who've been doing so all along, because to put it bluntly, you're a bunch of selfish bastards who think only for your own interests and are only concerned about doing what your clueless religious leaders tell you to do. And not a whit more.
You may think that my father is the Devil, but your father is Lyndon Larouche, a crackpot and liar in the league of Hal Lindsey. At least Satan never made any stupid false prophecies like you and those you worship have. Those who you claim have Satan for their father are working tirelessly to bring aid to destitute and starving humans throughout the world. Those who you claim have Jesus for their father are magazine-selling hate-filled religious bigots who care for none but their very own person.
Farkel
"When in doubt, duck!"
