Separate from the world

by GentlyFeral 1 Replies latest jw friends

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  GentlyFeral

  Somewhere on this vast board, Dogpatch said:
  

  Are [jws], in attitude, no part of this world? Mostly.

  Yes, and that's what stinks on ice about separatist churches generally. It's easy to find churches that take "separate from the world" WAY too far. It's the main reason I left the jaydubs. I think separation eventually leads to contempt. Without daily contact with the world, you can demonize it out of all recognition - and we've all been there. I won't hesitate to say that it's a disgusting, immoral road to travel.

  "Separateness from the world" can fuck up your notions of love and friendship very badly. Even long after you leave, it'll bite you in the ass as you find yourself making excuses not to do what you know is right. You find yourself, years later, a little slow on the draw when a homeless person or a weeping neighbor makes demands on your wallet or your time.

  There's more to be said about this subject, but I don't know what yet.

  GentlyFeral
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  Room 215

  Gently Feral,
  Right on..... One of the least attractive aspects of the JW dogma is its lack of social conscience. It's a total cop-out. James 4:4 is tragically misapplied to justify their contempt for any non-JW that fails to show interest in their message.
  We can no more separate ourselves from the world of mankind into which we are born than we can stop eating or breathing. The ``world'' to which James refers is the one in which the prevailing spirit is hedonism, explotative materialism and self-interest, rampant in the ancient world and little different today.
  Anyone who scrutinizes Jesus ministry is struck by how he almost totally ignored doctrine in his discourse. He lavished most of his wisdom on urging people to reappraise their attitudes toward their fellow man. The parables of the Good Samaritan, The Prodigal Son and that of the Sheep and the Goats are the cornerstones of Christian doctrine.