Do JW practice Christian Love or Christian Hate?

by asilentone 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  asilentone
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  Chalam

  Do JW practice Christian Love or Christian Hate?

  Forgive me in advance but that is a false question.

  1 John 4:20 (New International Version)

  20 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

  Galatians 5:19-24 (New International Version)

  19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

  22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

  Many the question should be "Christian love or non-Christian hate"?

  Blessings,

  Stephen
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  mouthy

  I believe they do both.They usually help those IN the organization,( the people not the rulers)
  but hate those who are out ....But on the orders of their god >The Watchtower Org.
• 

  snowbird

  Psalm 97:10 “O you lovers of Jehovah, hate what is bad. He is guarding the souls of his loyal ones.”— NWT

  The WT will use this scripture to justify their hatefulness toward some, forgetting that God is the Judge.

  Sylvia
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  AdaMakawee

  JWs can't separate the bad act from the person. But they are like most fundamentalist religions on this point.

  Ada
• 

  garyneal

  marking for later comment
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  Chalam

  Notice how even the NWT says "hate what is bad" not "who".

  As it is written of the WT

  2 Peter 3:16 (New International Version)

  16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

  Blessings,

  Stephen
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  garyneal

  I was speaking with my wife about something like this last night. Not exactly on this topic but something along the lines of this.

  My wife told me she wanted to become more active in her religion but feels torn because as she was putting our daughter to bed, she told my wife that she wanted her 4th birthday party to be in one of the parks in our area. My wife then began to feel torn because on the one hand she wants to give my daughter this and on the other she wants to be in good standing with her new dub friends.

  I think we got on this topic because I explained to her how they were a high control group and reminded her of the 'grief' they gave her and her parents back when we were dating. My wife has a stubborn streak (that she admits to) and hates to be told what she can and cannot do. That attitude will not go well in dub-dom and I reminded her of that. She told me that I should not generalize all witnesses as bad and I said that I did not and that I try to view (and treat) them as people.

  "Would they, however, treat you as a person if you were baptized and for some reason gave your child her 4th birthday party that she wanted?"

  She said, "Well they would probably not be as friendly to me." Then I said, "Well I kind of find an issue with that. They don't sound very Christian to me." Of course, she did not like that but I said, "I can understand them limiting associations if we were drinking to excess all the time or becoming menaces to society or whatever, but to give a simple birthday party?" I guess it is because I don't view birthday parties the way the dubs do.

  Christian Love or Christian Hate?
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  BluesBrother

  The Key word here is "Practice" - they may preach Christian love, but hard experience has taught many of us that their is precious little of it to be found. Of course there are good examples of individuals doing acts of kindness and care, but in the main, it seems that you have to stand on your own two feet.

  One has to be well "in" and active , to be thought worthy of help, usually.... Was I any better when I was in it? I don't know. The schedule of activities places far more importance on preparing and giving talks and of course the all important "ministry" . Your brotherly love has to be squeezed in the remaining time.