Play the Devil's Advocate

nbernat

So my family wants to talk to me about my "doubts" and I know they'll try to defend everything they can in any way that they can so I just want to be prepared and see what they might say (what you would have said as a Witness or what you've heard others say) so that I could rebut it on the spot.

If the FDS is directed by the Holy Spirit why have they been wrong before? "Light gets brighter...." But that's not the case because there would be no reason to go back to old policies after changing them...the light certainly doesn't get brighter, then darker, then brighter, etc.
If God is omniscient why did he create Satan knowing he would rebel or Adam and Eve knowing they would sin?

avishai

God cannot be Omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent, as he's claimed. It just does'nt work.

villabolo

The JW answer to the omniscient question is that God is omniscient but chooses not to know everything. In other words he makes himself ignorant of certain things!

The-Borg

The JW answer to the omniscient question is that God is omniscient but chooses not to know everything. In other words he makes himself ignorant of certain things!

Ignorant of thousands of years of suffering and needless deaths? My local council planning department could do better job than him. Even car manufactures build cars with seatbelts, just in case. Surely it wouldn't have taken him much thought to think things through a little bit ?

Olin Moyles Ghost

In respone to your first question (FDS/light getting brighter), it will be a challenge to keep them on topic. Expect diversionary tactics such as the following:

So, even if they've had some flaws, where else are you going to go? Nobody else does the preaching work, stays neutral, avoids pagan holidays, etc. God has always had an organization--who else could it be?
What is your motive in asking these questions? Is there a secret sin that you need to tell us about? Have you been reading apostate literature?
We're all so worried about you; we miss you so much. Everyone in the hall is asking about you. Remember all the good times we used to have doing [insert activities with JWs here]?

With something like #1, it shouldn't be too hard to steer things back to your question regarding the Organization and its "strobe light" of truth. Basically, say something like 'the issue of an organization is another discussion; my question relates to this organization . . .'

In particular, watch out for #2 and #3. These are way off-topic and they make the conversation about you, when it should be about facts. It's a challenge to keep things civil and respectful--but also on-topic.

allelsefails

The FDS are imperfect men. Jehovah always uses iperfect men to lead his people. Noah, Moses, Joshua, gosh David was really imperfect, Peter, Paul, James, and other first century "Governing Body members".

As far as God's omniscience - "Free will" would be pointless if God knew the results ahead of time, so he restrains himself from looking at the INDIVIDUALs future choices.

For me the question of the FDS being wrong is not the compelling question. It is "what basis does the governing body have to exercise authority?" This has gotten me more distance than anything else. They always want to talk about obeying being scriptural. I'll just agree and say that if there is evidence that God gave them authority over me I'll follow along. If they go down the choosing of the FDS in 1919 it gets easier. "On what basis were they chosen - What were they teaching?" [I have an article on that if your interested.] "How does this give authority to the Governing Body?" In the August 15, 2009 WT they clearly point out that the FDS does NOT SHARE in "distributing food at the proper time" - only the GB! WTF? The FDS is the FDS because they "give food at the proper time", but they don't only 12 people do? .... It is nonsense as I'm sure you can see.

bluecanary

nbernat, you have a pm