It's not WHAT you believe; it is HOW you believe.

by Terry 22 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  Sad emo

  Terry please - you seem to have picked two words and completely ignored the rest of what I wrote!

  What does "one" mean?

  Unity. Not other.

  Singular.

  I repeat UNITY does not equal UNIFORMITY!!!

  There is no "one" basic doctrine of Christianity!

  The central tenets of Christianity are - one God who sent Jesus Christ his son to die in order that mankind might be saved. That's all that is the united belief of one church.

  Then there are different denominations which hold differing views on these central beliefs - Trinitarian/non-Trinitarian, manner of salvation ranging from universalist to 5 point Calvinism, Baptism - infant/adult/sprinkling/full immersion. Heaven/Hell/purgatory/annihilation. Pre-millennial/post-millennial rapture. Bells and smells worship to swinging from the light fittings worship. Cessation of spiritual gifts/continuation.... Yes the list of differing views goes on BUT

  that's because unity does not equal uniformity!!

  And guess what? I don't think God really gives a jot HOW His ONE church worships/serves Him, or about all the differences in theology as long as they give it their best shot and it's done with, yes - the RIGHT ATTITUDE! He doesn't want anyone to serve Him begrudgingly or out of duty or fear, He wants people to do it out of love for Him - these are the only two commandments, love God and love your neighbour, nothing else has to be done by force then, it all just falls into place. When Jesus told the parable of the prodigal son, he was having a dig at the Pharisees especially with his punchline at the end of the story - there were actually TWO prodigals involved. Which son do you think showed his father more respect?

  Or how about this for another take - the UNITED States of America are one as a nation, under one president, yet each state can exercise its own laws eg on capital punishment, so in their unity they similarly lack uniformity.

  Isn't it wonderful to have a mind of your own and not to be told what to believe or do on pain of death/hell/annihilation, by some higher power!!
• 

  Aleman

  To Sad Emo,

  Trully, you do have free will to do as you wish, however Jehovah DEMANDS you to serve him as his holy people, because as soon as you study the Bible you will find how in the past the Israelites had to follow the rules and regulations, organized by God himself, so they can live long and be prosperous under the guidance of The Almighty. If anyone of the Israelites shows diffrent views or tries to follow other 'dogmas' that were not from him, which many did try and there is proof of them, the were stoned to death.

  Today, we see many churches that have demons. For example, churches still have pagan rituals and ideals mixed with christian ideas. Others preach the word then sleep around with members of the church. And almost all of them still carry crosses, like the ignorant people they are. I mean really! If they only look up the history of Roman punishment they will become informed and 'the truth will set them free'.

  My friend Sad Emo, even if the view of all religions seam to be uniformity, not one single church will teach the same idea all around the world like the JWs do or will they pound you with false belifs of pagan or traditional nature like all other religions do. Continue reading the Bible and research information to become a great solder of The Almighty opposing the temptations of everyones enemy Satan.

  God be with all the Brothers and Sisters in the organisation,

  -Aleman
• 

  sweetstuff

  Good posting Terry. Glad to see you back in action.
• 

  blueviceroy

  I agree with aleman all those hosebags and maniacs inside churches and kingdom halls should have a thourough thrashing for the way

  they sodomize The Holy Word with pagan rituals and soul stealing practices not to mention the human sacrifice dedicated to making money

  pushing all those people to buy liturature and give it away , or donate money to the work of a divine diety that is always short on cash or needs so much help speading the "truth"

  The truth is self evident , only people with out the truth feel the need to push beliefs on others.
• 

  changeling

  Aleman: You said "Jehovah DEMANDS you to serve him as his holy people..."

  My dear, does this not give you the "hibeejibees"? It does me.

  I no longer waste my life worshiping a demanding, narcissistic god.

  The concept of god, worship and religion are inventions of early man. They served the purpose of explaining things he did not understand.

  You can look back on history and see that religion has divided mankind (yes JW's too).

  It's all a constant struggle of proving who's god and who's religion is the best and the truest.

  Let it go, be free of all this foolishness.

  Seek true unity by accepting and understanding all people.

  changeling
• 

  Sad emo

  Welcome aleman

  Jehovah DEMANDS nothing of anyone - you do not lose your free will once you decide to serve Him. He calls, and He waits (back to the parable of the prodigal son again!). His desire is not for sacrifice (duty and obedience to laws), but for a humble heart (willing service done from love and a thankful heart). Did he not also ask his people not to be like horses which need the bridle and bit or they won't follow commands? Do you understand what that means?

  Re your perceived 'state of the churches' - may I ask how many you have visited? If the answer is 'none' and you are a JW (or an apologist) - might I suggest that people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones!! Maybe you should check out a few more threads on this site hmm??
• 

  Merry Magdalene

  Interesting and thought-provoking, Terry. I have been noticing some of these differences between 'what' and 'how' in my own life recently.

  Welcome, Aleman.

  And almost all of them still carry crosses, like the ignorant people they are. I mean really! If they only look up the history of Roman punishment they will become informed and 'the truth will set them free'.

  With your obvious passion for truth, you might find this thread interesting (just click on the following title):"The facts on crucifixion, stauros and the torture stake".
• 

  lalliv01

  Terry, truly a well thought out "talk."

  I enjoyed reading it.

  How we see ourselves prepares us for how we make the journey from here to there. A road trip is what life is all about. A constant whine about "Are we there yet?" makes death the destination! Certainly death is not the purpose of our life!

  I believe you are so right in saying "death is not the purpose of our life" and, this is why this board exists, all here have felt and maybe

  still feel a need a need to find "the purpose of life." I am tranquil and content with my life, but is this all there is? I realize all answers to

  this question is mere conjecture and imagination. But, why can I imagine living for a thousand years, what's the use? Some would say

  death is the purpose of all life, I think.
• 

  Narkissos

  Very insightful post, Terry, thank you.

  I'd just add this, fwiw: on the big tragi-comical stage of the world, there may be room and time for all the hows, as there is for all the whats...

  But you reminded me of the following poem by Antonio Machado:

  He andado muchos caminos
  he abierto muchas veredas;
  he navegado en cien mares
  y atracado en cien riberas.
  
  En todas partes he visto
  caravanas de tristeza,
  soberbios y melancólicos
  borrachos de sombra negra.
  
  Y pedantones al paño
  que miran, callan y piensan
  que saben, porque no beben
  el vino de las tabernas.
  
  Mala gente que camina
  y va apestando la tierra...
  
  Y en todas partes he visto
  gentes que danzan o juegan,
  cuando pueden, y laboran
  sus cuatro palmos de tierra.
  
  Nunca, si llegan a un sitio
  preguntan a dónde llegan.
  Cuando caminan, cabalgan
  a lomos de mula vieja.
  
  Y no conocen la prisa
  ni aun en los días de fiesta.
  Donde hay vino, beben vino,
  donde no hay vino, agua fresca.
  
  Son buenas gentes que viven,
  laboran, pasan y sueñan,
  y un día como tantos,
  descansan bajo la tierra.
  
  I have walked many ways
  I have opened many paths
  I have sailed one hundred seas
  and berthed to one hundred shores.
  
  Everywhere I have seen
  caravans of sadness,
  magnificent and melancholic
  drunks of dark shadow.
  
  And pedantics with their cloth
  watching, keeping quiet and thinking
  that they know, because they do not drink
  the wine of the taverns.
  
  Bad people who walk
  and go poisoning the earth…
  
  And everywhere I have seen
  people who dance or play,
  when they can, and they toil
  their four palms of land.
  
  Never, if they get to a place
  do they ask where they are.
  When they walk, they ride
  on the back of an old mule.
  
  And they do not know the haste
  nor even in the holidays.
  Where there is wine, they drink wine,
  where there is no wine, fresh water

  Good people they are who live,
  toil, move and dream,
  and one day, as so many,
  rest beneath the earth.
• 

  AllTimeJeff

  I feel moved to respond to what you wrote Terry. I enjoyed your insights.

  I am after a year out of the borginization trying to get my life back together. For those who use to be my friends, they would look at me alone and say "The GB is right, this is what happens to all who leave." What they would fail to realize is that I am pondering my remaining years, reorganizing for the future....

  I don't have many insights to offer, but the reason I respond to this is that there are a few basic precepts that I believe all men and women have; their own autonomy, their own uniqueness and talents that so often lie buried. Their freedom to think and be themselves untethered to a religion or political philosophy. etc etc etc. I am a big believer in the potential of each person. It brings to mind one of my favorite quotes from Mairanne Williamson

  Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

  I still struggle with the concept of god, which isn't the point of this thread. What I do love and think is true about this observation is that there does seem to come a time in any decision or enterprise where we can see how it can be done. Maybe it isn't as pretty as we thought it would be or would like it to be, but the point is that we can do it! And that is the thing I appreciated about Terry's post here. Attitude.

  The minute you tell yourself you can't, you won't.

  The minute you think you are beaten is the minute you won't get back up and try again. You are only defeated if you stay down.

  These comments aren't meant to say that I have all the answers. Far from it. But again, that isn't the point either. There are no answers other then what works for me. And what works for you. If anyone who has ever been a part of the JW cult can take one thing from your experience, hopefully it is that the individual is as important, if not more so then the sum of the whole.

  I can't say for sure if this life is all there is. Thiests would argue otherwise. But I think we can all agree that this life is all we can control at the moment. This life is all we are being asked to participate in. Our body, health and decisions may or may not have consequences in a great beyond, but they certainly do affect you now! If god exists, surely he would want us to be happy, and to take care of the life he (may) have given us.

  Thanks for sharing Terry. You have given me a new angle to ponder on my own journey.