Does God have any one organized religion he supports?

by general 44 Replies latest jw friends

JamesThomas

Does anyone have any insight they would like to share on this matter??
In agreement with Seeker4 here. If you are seriously looking for truth, I suggest you step back and have a nakedly honest and sober look at the factors which are involved in your dilemma.
You seem to be relying only on the Bible to ascertained your idea of "God". Generally what is found in it's pages is a very limited, anthropomorphic and paradoxical tribal deity. I doubt that any two people completely agree on the Biblical description of "God". Trying to form concrete conclusions using the Biblical-god as a medium, is like sculpting with liquidise mud.
May I suggest that you sincerely question your borrowed concepts of what the word G-O-D is referring to. Start by putting your Bible on a shelf, and then spending silent time in nature. Look through telescopes at the night stars, and microscopes at the endless life here, that you may get a deep sense of the vast infinite nature of the universe (there may be countless universes). Then ask yourself: is it wise to give credit to a limited tribal god for such INFINITE grandeur and beauty? Certainly the true Source and Sustenance of such living wonder must be greater still!
Words from books are only fossilized ideas and interpritations of the carnal mind. They are in no way the living reality which is feebly being referred to. Be with what is real. Silently meet with the truth and actuality of Life in and around you. Be still and see what words and thoughts have hidden from you. Look deep into the immediate and vibrant sense of being.
Perhaps God is not so small and conditional as to be restricted to a specific religion; or for that matter, confinable or influenced by any thoughts and beliefs.
j
Xirian

i agree. we are the ones that point to each other and say we are right you are wrong, not God. I reckon He will even save the witnesses as they do love God, just are misguided. You cant tell me the pioneer woman who devotes her life to Him wont be saved cos shes a jo-ho, just as the vicar who preaches trinity doctrine will be saved.
When you use the word saved here, what are you referring to? Where will you be saved? Saved from what? I realize the JW's and most religions believe in reincarnation of some sort, paradise earth, heaven, nirvana etc...
I do think you are right when you say we are the ones who say what is right or wrong. But seriously I can tell you that a Special Pioneer or someone like that may not be saved. They may just die and nothing else may happen to them except their energy being returned to the elements around them.
I guess I'm really just curious about the saved part. I am saved already because I am no longer clouded by the teachings of the JWs. I am saved because I can live a full life, make mistakes, learn from them in the way that is the most beneficial for me. I am saved because I am not tied down by dogma. I am saved because my family is taken care of, happy and prospering. I am saved because I am finally allowed to think for myself. I do not need a deity to save me. I have saved myself, as far as I'm concerned and that is much more rewarding than forcing myself to ignore other elements of my life so that I might get saved by a deity that I'm not sure is really there.
Just some thoughts.
~Xirian~
ness21

i dont know what being saved is, except that God promises some sort of salvation. Whether that means saving us at an end tribulation, or saving us to be in heaven when we die, no idea.
i dont think the elders are any more guilty of misleading people than any other religion, including muslims and jews.
if you are brought up as as a jew/muslim/christian/ and accept that God/Allah is our father, its not like the ancients who were condemned for
worshiping false gods and idols such as golden cows. those that fast for ramadam (sic) dont spend a month not eating because they are evil, but because they are trying to please God. witnesses go pioneering, not to mislead, but because they think they are pleasing God. they are "trying" to do the right thing.
surely God must recognize that and not haul us up on a technicality such as, well you should have looked harder and tried to find the truth.
nobody seems to have the truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth, so we are all in the same boat really.
Satanus

Mark16:15 And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.
16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned.
17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
18 they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."
19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
20 And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.
NRSV
S
wvpeach

jgnat
Thats a wonderful example to give concerning this question. Well done.
It comes to me that people who have not recieved of the gift of the Holy Spirit to teach us the bible are questioning its validity.
Jesus speak's in the bible about christians being fed different strengths of food in turn as they are ready to recieve them.
Jesus name's these foods as water, milk, wine and meat.
Obviously a babe in Christ is going to be fed water and milk.
I know when I was on a diet of water and milk I was constantly saying to myself. This is crazy God didn't say this , some man must have stuck this in here. I was wrong. Completely wrong. The bible is the inspired words of God.
Remember seeing they will be blind ,and hearing they will not understand?
The most important thing one must do to recieve wisdon, knowledge and faith where Gods holy word is concerned is to start each reading with a prayer that you recieve wisdom, faith and knowledge from the study in the Name of Gods son our savior Jesus Christ.
Ask and ye shall recieve , he is faithful in that . The Holy Spirit will be sent to teach you as you study Gods word.
before you know it you'll be a christian being fed the stronger stuff, the real meat and wine of God's word.
acadian

No But scatter over the entire earth are many who follow the "Way" Christ taught. Here's a key to discerning truth...and why some don't understand God's truth. 1 Corinthians 2:14 [kjv]
But the naturalman receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (The Message) 14-16 The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can't receive the gifts of God's Spirit. There's no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit—God's Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God's Spirit is doing, and can't be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah's question, "Is there anyone around who knows God's Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?" has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ's Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (Amplified Bible)
14 But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated. Hope this helps with discerning spiritual matters and why some don't get it. Peace
Acadian
ness21

thanks acacian, found that really interesting/useful
buffalosrfree

General, Matt. 24:45 is just speaking about how people should act, as faithful servants, not as a evil servants. The society tries to use this to show that their is just one faithful servant. Oh please, lets use some common sense here, THE wtbts was picked from other religions because of what? Their use of pyramids to ascertain certain dates and prophecies (ha ha ha), their doing all the things they accuse false religion of doing. Such as belief in the trinity, the cross, holidays, etc. They are no more chosen to be a faithful and discreet slave nor are they chosen except by their father "Satan" to be anything but a cross to bear for the R&F.
becca1

I wish I knew for sure. At present, I don't think so. I'm inclined to believe any grand scale organization by humans leads to corruption and that in matters of faith corruption is very destructive. If the CEO of a coorporation is corrupt it hurts people financially. If a religious org. which people follow on the basis of faith goes corrupt it hurts people's entire life, their hopes and dreams, their life decisions, how they relate to others, etc. That's too much power in the hands of a few imperfect people.
drew sagan

I am really hung up on God's use of a faithful and discreet slave and the many biblical examples of using sherpards to manage his flock (Such as the apostle Paul overseeing the Christian congregations in the Meditterrean Region) on earth as shown by Matt. 24:45. To me this shows us that God does have an organization here on earth.

One of the most confusing things the Watchtower does is label all of the parables of Jesus as symbolic and prophetic. Doing this makes the parables of Jesus more like riddles that need to be 'figured out'. While such things point to the future, there is no indication at all that the Bible is saying what the Watchtower says it does.

Think about this on a very simple level. If you read that one parable do you really get the mental picture of what the Watchtower says it is? Does an 1800 year old organization leading up to Charles Taze Russell just become the obvious choice of interpretation?

The Society likes to string a bunch of weakly supported ideas togeather to make one solid piece of dogma. This is very obvious in their explanation of the faithful slave. A simple question to ask is why in another illustration that is quite similiar Jesus rewards servents, plural. Now the society states there is only one servent, so this is just overlooked.

I think it is important for you to realize that you have a very JW bias. You still think things logically should be seen the way that they teach. The problem is that they get alot wrong and shouln't be trusted. It's time to start from scratch.

Don't go to the Bible to find what you want it to say. Instead let it tell you what it has to say.

Put those JW glasses on the shelf.

Does God have any one organized religion he supports?

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