'We have God ...'

ID Crisis

Luke 3:8 (New International Version)

8Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

I think this scripture implies that JWs should never have begun to say these things to/about themselves.

I think this scripture implies that no group should claim a 'special' position in relation to God.

OK, so many people might think so instinctively, but how come JWs never ever apply such scriptures to themselves?

What do you think?

By the way, I was too scared to comment on this scripture - and express my opinion - when we were reading Luke earlier this year ... Chicken!

AK - Jeff

Makes sense to me. Jesus condemned arrogance in this regard. Jehovah's Witnesses are arrogant in this regard.

Jeff

Pahpa

I think many religions claimed that they alone were the true church. Catholics claimed to that by implying that only they had a clear historical line back to Peter through whom they say God established the church. (Orthodox churches made the same claim.) In fact, it is only of recent history that the Catholic church has modified its proclamation that there is "no salvation outside the church." A number of Protestant churches said they had returned to the original primitive Christianity practiced by the apostles and disciples and, thereby, had God's approval as the "true church."

One only has to go back a few generations when religion played a much greater role in people's lives to appreciate how doctrine was the measure of the purity of the church and, hence, whether or not it had "God's blessings." For Baptists, it was the issue of infant baptism. For Congregationalists, it was the structure of the governance of the church....etc. It was a subtle but persistant judgment of other church organizations.

Some, like the Mormons were much more outspoken in condemning all other religions and identifying their church as the one and only "true church." So, the Watchtower and Jehovah's Witnesses are not exclusive when making their claims today. But where other churches have toned down and modified their early views, the Watchtower continues to insist on its exclusiveness as "God's organization."

bob1999

I think that's one sure way to know a religion is not true.

Peace

mrsjones5

"We have God..." in our back pocket.