Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 3-8-09 WT Study (FOLLOWER)

by blondie 17 Replies latest jw friends

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  passwordprotected

  This article once again reduces Jesus to a mere servant of Jehovah who chose to do God's Will.

  • "Jesus has qualities that we can admire and imitate."
    • Jesus was a perfect man! We can admire his qualities? We can imitate them?! He was THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE!
  • "Jesus manifested many outstanding qualities".
    • Again, humanising Jesus, reducing him to a series of 'qualities'.
  • "Jesus used good judgment in choosing his life course. He decided to keep his life simple, focusing on just one thing: the doing of God's will. He wisely devoted his time and energy to furthering Kingdom interests."
    • Again reducing Jesus' life to a series of qualities and choices; "used good judgement"; he was perfect!! "decided to keep his life simple"; he was sent to earth to die for sinners!! "wisely devoted his time"; what?! That was the whole purpose of his life on earth!!
  • "But his main work was that of preaching the good news and teaching those who had listening ears."
    • Again, what?! His main work was to do die for sinners.
  • "The al aspect of Jesus' personality that we will discuss is most heartwarming--his love for fellow humans."
    • Patronising. Reducing Jesus to a mere human again ("fellow humans").
  • "By patiently listening as suffering ones open up their hearts to us. We could also ask ourselves, 'If I were in their situation, how would I feel?' If we cultivate sensitivity to the feelings of others, we will be better able to "speak consolingly to the depressed souls." (1 Thess. 5:14) Thus we will be following Jesus."
    • Jesus told his disciples to pray and to heal sick ones. Jesus himself did more than "speak consolingly" he actually did things. He told his followers to be the 'salt of the earth', a cursory reading of Acts shows that the 1st C Christians were charitable, they prayed over sick people, they were able to heal etc. Following Jesus involves a bit more than 'speaking consolingly' and 'patiently listening'.
  • "What a thrilling field of study we find in the words and deeds of Jesus Christ!"
    • Very true, it is a thrilling field of study, yet this article reduces the life, ministry and death of Jesus to mere buzzwords designed to prick the theocratic consciences of JWs. Rather than actually going into the world, as Jesus did, to make a difference, this article, as usual, encourages JWs to internalise their Christianity, turning it upon themselves. Everyone else is 'worldy' or a 'false Christian'. 2 billion Christians - and their charitable works, their preaching, their out-reach programs, their youth groups, their fellowship, their faith - is reduced to a one-sentence dismissal by a group of men who 'shut up the Kingdom of heaven', deny the R&F the mediatorship of Jesus, deny the R&F Jesus promise of the Holy Spirit and invent two classes of Christians. Who really are the workers of lawlessness?

  Yet, this article is nothing compared to the "Appreciating the Greater Moses" one that's coming up...
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  WTWizard

  Why follow Jesus? That is exactly the opposite of what he wanted--he wanted us to become self leaders, not followers! For sure, not followers of the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger.
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  tenyearsafter

  Thanks Blondie!...it never fails to amaze me how the Society ignores and minimizes the very thing that Jesus did before teaching people...and that was to take care of their physical needs, ie: healing, feeding masses, etc. Why is it that the very act of charity and kindness is so looked down on in favor of knocking on doors? Is it possible that Jesus recognized that people needed to be shown more than a message to reach their hearts? Obviously, that concept has not been embraced by the WTS...
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  yadda yadda 2

  My comments:

  Para 2: “Most of us have already responded positively to Jesus' kind invitation, and in the field ministry, we convey that invitation to others.”

  That’s a misrepresentation! In all my years of going door to door I never once invited anyone to follow Jesus. Jehovah’s Witnesses NEVER discuss following Jesus and giving your life to him when they do their preaching. They only talk about Jesus obliquely in the context of talking about "the Kingdom", the future "paradise earth", or solving world conditions and suchlike, but you will never hear a JW talk about or focus on Jesus as your personal saviour. They invite persons to the organisation for their salvation, not the person of Jesus Christ. JW’s will show you a video on their Organisation before any video on Jesus.

  Para 6:“Being followers of Christ means more than just calling ourselves Christian. Some two billion people claim to be Christian today, but their actions reveal them to be "workers of lawlessness." (Read Matthew 7: 21-23.) “

  So the Watchtower Society has judged two billion people as “workers of lawlessness”. What disgusting judgmentalism and arrogance. Read those scriptures again. It is only Jesus who will at some future time judge who is a worker of lawlessness.

  Para 11:“However, by persisting in the preaching work, we help others to respond to Jesus' invitation to follow him. Thus we help to save lives. (Read 2 Timothy 4: 1-5.)”

  Another distortion of what JW’s really believe. JW’s believe that in order to survive Armageddon you must be JW. Even if you have dedicated your life to Jesus and are obeying his every command, you will not survive Armageddon if you are not in the organisation!

  “Still, we recognize that maintaining our Kingdom Hall--the center of pure worship in the locality--is part of our sacred service.”

  Yes, the local kingdom hall, a physical building, is the centre of pure worship for JW’s, not the person of Jesus Christ. What lofty language when talking about a mere Hall. You can see the proud and boastful emphasis on the all-important, physical ‘organisation’.

  Para 12:“During his ministry, Jesus performed miracles, including healing the sick and raising the dead. But his main work was that of preaching the good news and teaching those who had listening ears. (Matt. 4:23) As his followers, we have the same work to do. How can we follow his example?”

  Yes, how do JW’s follow Jesus example of helping the sick and suffering in their local communities? The answer is: they don’t lift a finger. Placing Watchtower Society literature and trying to bring people into the organisation (which means they won't die at Armageddon) is the only thing they do. It is their only motive and agenda.

  Para 13:“By preaching with heartfelt enthusiasm, we convey to others our love for what Jehovah has taught us.”

  Earlier in this paragraph they talked about truths Jesus taught but at the end of the paragraph they now refer to truths that “Jehovah has taught us”. This is a subtle reminder to JW’s that they have been taught all their truths by the Organisation that carries Jehovah’s name and they can show their love for Jehovah by serving that organisation's interests, which are the same as ‘kingdom interests’, with heartfelt enthusiasm.

  Para 15:“When we reflect on the love that Jesus has for mankind in general and for us as individuals, our hearts are touched and we feel compelled to follow his example.”

  Yes, Jesus loves mankind in general but, as you read earlier, the two billion or so persons in Christendom who profess to love Jesus are actually “workers of lawlessness” and so will be mercilessly slaughtered at Armageddon by him for all eternity, according to the Watchtower. How can anyone abide such perverse logic?
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  LUKEWARM

  Hi Blondie,

  It’s incredible that the WTS is everywhere in this article yet nowhere at the same time!

  Thank you so much for dissecting these articles – helping people learn to cut through the fog and develop thinking and reasoning ability

  “…Safeguard practical wisdom and thinking ability, and they will prove to be life to your soul.”—Prov. 3:21, 22.

  Keep up the good work

  Lukewarm
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  dozy

  Private Watchtower Some two billion people claim to be Christian today, but their actions reveal them to be "workers of lawlessness."

  Public Watchtower (from watchtower.org) Do they believe that they are the only ones who will be saved?

  No. Millions that have lived in centuries past and who were not Jehovah's Witnesses will come back in a resurrection and have an opportunity for life. Many now living may yet take a stand for truth and righteousness before the "great tribulation," and they will gain salvation. Moreover, Jesus said that we should not be judging one another. We look at the outward appearance; God looks at the heart. He sees accurately and judges mercifully. He has committed judgment into Jesus' hands, not ours.
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  cameo-d

  Indeed, Jesus offered the same invitation to all lovers of righteousness when he said: "If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown himself and pick up his torture stake day after day and follow me continually." (Luke 9:23)

  I don't buy this. I don't believe Jesus said this.

  First, it does not make sense in that he would use an example of "torture stake". It would mean that he talked up his death....which would have seemed suicidal and not consistent with his mission. It would also mean he had knowledge of his predestination and capitalized on it long before time.

  Second, if you had suffered greatly, would you wish it on all your friends? I don't think Jesus would either.

  Third, that statement appears to be portraying Jesus as an arrogant elitist martyr.

  I think someone took liberties in writing this scripture. It does not seem consistent with Jesus's mission.

  He said "I came that you might have life more abundantly." The above scripture would be in direct opposition of that. The above statement challenges one to have a pious holier-than-thou attitude as motivation for actions. That would not be sincere following.

  I don't know why this verse is in Luke, but I think someone took liberties writing this.
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  Quandry

  Private Watchtower Some two billion people claim to be Christian today, but their actions reveal them to be "workers of lawlessness."

  Public Watchtower (from watchtower.org) Do they believe that they are the only ones who will be saved?

  No. Millions that have lived in centuries past and who were not Jehovah's Witnesses will come back in a resurrection and have an opportunity for life. Many now living may yet take a stand for truth and righteousness before the "great tribulation," and they will gain salvation. Moreover, Jesus said that we should not be judging one another. We look at the outward appearance; God looks at the heart. He sees accurately and judges mercifully. He has committed judgment into Jesus' hands, not ours.

  Good catch, Dozy. How nicely sanitized for the public. The "members only" version sums it up neatly in only one sentence(no wonder this magazine is smaller)-obviously no one but JWs will live-others are buzzard bait. No "God looks into the heart" business.