Dear Hummingbird,
I understand your fealings, as I once thought my very own parents turned apostate. Now after a thorough examination I realise that they did not create this mess they just discovered it. I find it so amazing how everyone just wants to stick their head in the sand. What is there to be afraid of. Afterall, like I told Saki, if the truth really is the truth, you should be able to examine it. If you are truely seeking truth, then you will after all your examining, conclude that this is the truth, and will be even more faith strenghtened because of it. Jehovah does not want blind faith. Faith has to be based on truth. The Bereans were commended for they kept checking and making sure. Pease read the Watchtower 1952 October 1st, page 10. Here is a section you may find interesting:
When the God-fearing people at Berea were taught certain things even by the apostle Paul, they went "daily searching the scriptures, whether these things were so". (Acts 17:11, Dy) We can be just as noble as those Bereans were by doing the same thing.
Why would we be condemned for doing the same thing? I encourage you to
read the article in the Awake 1970, April 8th page 2. It is entitled, "Your Word Is Truth- Is yours the right religon?" Obviously this article was written for "wordly" ones, but it has some very good points, and why would this not apply to everyone? Here is just a little bit from that article:
Are you sure that your religion truly has God’s approval? It is possible to make sure. Yes, you can determine for certain whether your religion is the right one. This can be done by examining whether its teachings and practices are in accord with God’s Word, which Jesus said is the truth. (John 17:17) It is a relatively easy examination to make. And if you should find in making it that your religion’s teachings and practices are not in keeping with the Bible, then it is not the right religion.
Are you willing to put your religion through such a test? There is nothing to fear, because if you have the right religion you can only be reassured by the examination. And if what you believe is not in keeping with the Bible, then you should welcome the truth, because it leads to eternal life.—John 17:3.
Apostacy in the bible is not the same as what the organization defines it as. Apostacy is to deny Jehovah God and Christ Jesus. I personally will never deny them However, for a group to place themselves Jehovahs wife like organization, right beside Jehovah, don't you think it only fitting that we must examine their credentials? Would not Jehovah expect this of us?
I grew up in the orgainzation yet like Timothy I finally examined my faith. The Awake 1988 August 8th page 7 says:
‘Only the foolhardy would do that,’ you may think. Such matters should not be taken lightly. And yet, for many of us one of life’s most crucial decisions—which religion we should profess—has been decided for us by chance, by long-forgotten quirks of history, and by place of birth.
Would it not be wise to ask yourself: ‘To what do I owe my religion? Was it a hand-me-down that I have never questioned? Or did I make a deliberate, rational choice?’ Asking such questions is the very thing that the Bible urges us to do. The apostle Paul admonished the Corinthians to ‘keep testing whether they were in the faith, to keep proving what they themselves were.’—2 Corinthians 13:5.
On the other hand, some were moved to reconsider their religious upbringing. The Bible mentions a young man named Timothy whose mother and grandmother brought him up as a Jew in harmony with the Scriptures. At some point they adjusted their thinking to become Christians. Years later Paul reminded him of what he had ‘learned and been persuaded to believe.’ (2 Timothy 3:14) Thus Timothy was encouraged to remain in the Christian faith that he had accepted, after he himself had made a thorough examination.
Sergius Paulus was a Roman provincial governor in Cyprus who doubtless paid homage to some of the Roman gods. After listening to the preaching of Paul, however, "he became a believer, deeply impressed by what he learned about the Lord."—Acts 13:12, NE.
In both cases a deliberate choice was made after a thorough examination based on God’s Word. Why not imitate the course of Sergius Paulus and Timothy? One changed his religion, the other did not; but both were rewarded by personally finding the truth. Nevertheless, because of tradition, fear, or prejudice, some may feel reticent about taking such a step.
........Whatever your religion may be, do not leave it to chance. Prove to yourself, using God’s Word, what is the truth, the unique and precious truth that Jesus taught.
Jehovah’s Witnesses will be happy to offer their assistance. They sincerely invite you to heed Joshua’s words: ‘Choose for yourself whom you will serve.’—Joshua 24:15.
I hope you do not continue to discorage Saki, or anyone else for that matter, from doing exactly what the Society themselves have recommended, "Examine your faith!"
Sincerely,
Lady Liberty
