Well said. The world would be a better place if more people took your advice.
Learning to Think in Shades of Gray and other Colors Too
by flipper 22 Replies latest jw friends
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flipper
Thanks Neverending journey- I give most of the credit for that post to my lovely wife. But her thoughts are my thoughts , I agree! Peace out, Mr. Flipper
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SirNose586
Absolutes are very usful in keeping people in line. Good or bad, acceptable and unacceptable, there are no in-betweens for the average person to consider. What used to be "conscience matters" are now a matter of consulting the latest WT or the elders. Who needs discernment when you can get a snap judgment on what you're doing?
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Pubsinger
I agree totally with this.
I think that this is equally applicable to those who would call themselves Christians or believers (like myself)
I have my beliefs. My experiences and observations lead me to many shadesof gray and lots of colours.
Some say "You can't believe that if you're a Christian"
Seemingly I can
Best thing that ever happened to me!
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katiekitten
There is no way to count up all the possibilities in this world. That's why people feel the need to live by maxims- to make it easier
Oh agreed, people like to take an off the shelf set of beliefs because it immediately relieves them of having to think anything through for themselves.
Thinking is much harder work, and there isnt always the reward of a clear cut answer at the end. Indeed IMO many things dont have answers at all. It takes effort and an amount of sympathetic and sophisticated thinking to accept this.
Some say "You can't believe that if you're a Christian"
Seemingly I can
Ive just been reading "In Search of Christian Freedom" by Raymond Franz, and he makes the point that when Pastor Russell was first writing his publications to the Bible Students the main thing was that they COULD believe different things, and that the only thing that bound them was a beleif in Christ. In fact he said:
"We have no creed (fence) to bind us together or to keep others out of our company".
So it seems you CAN believe that after all Pubsinger!
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Pubsinger
KK.
I can indeed.
And at sometime in the future I can turn around and say "You know, I think I was wrong" and change my mind.
But if I ever tell you that God's using me as His exclusive mouthpiece - hit me with a rolled up copy of the Spenborough Guardian . . .
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katiekitten
I will most certainly swat you with a copy of the Hereford Times, because I think you will find there is a rather nice picture of ME in it!!!
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Pubsinger
Yeah but it's a wide angle shot . . .
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flipper
SIR NOSE 586- Totally agree. The witnesses don't want to think for themselves ! They want "absolutes " given to them. It takes too much effort on their part to use their minds !
PUBSINGER- Glad you have an open mind ! It will help you in life to make good, informed decisions and not be dictated to by a religion !
KATIE KITTEN- You are so right ! It takes more effort to think things through on our own ! We have to accept that some things have no answers in life. It is a hard concept for people to accept ! My , how the witnesses changed after Russell, eh? Now, they can't believe anything different from what they are taught ! Peace out, Mr. Flipper
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flipper
Jehovahs Witnesses are so black and white in their thinking. No in between with them . A thing is right or wrong. There can never be many if any variables for them in any given situation, therefore they don't think things through with an open mind ! Peace out, Mr. Flipper