by Crisis of Conscience 13 Replies latest watchtower bible
I was inspired to write this based on a post in another thread.
As a JW you are told to read and let the Bible speak to you.
That would mean that you could reach a different conclusion on a certain scripture or account. But that may not coincide with what the FDS has as an explanation or conclusion. This in turn, according to the standard makes you wrong if you "want" to be humble and wait for "new light."
And in turn makes your meditation a complete waste of time.
Comments?
That's why WTS just wants you to read WT materials and redefines meditation as thinking about it.
What they really meant was to read their stuff and meditation was stopping to agree with it.
How about this one:
I went from milk to solid food, from superficial study to deep study, and I came up with a slightly different set of beliefs............all based on the Bible.
I guess I went too deep.
Judge Dread
Although they prompte bible study, they say it needs to be done in conjunction with WT publications, not by itself or heaven forbid with worldly books
As a JW you are told to read and let the Bible speak to you.
I thought studying the Bible alone was now 'discouraged'? Or is that last year's light?
Try typing 'meditating' into the WTCD.
Most of the hits are not actually directing you read the Bible and meditate on it.
It is just an illusion, the same as their noun 'Bible Study' really means studying WT literature.
If you are foolish enough to 'meditate' on the Bible without taking your cues from the WT as to what it means you won't even get microphone duties.
Cheers
Chris
If one were to meditate on the Bible and just the Bible, one would be led to those "nauseating" teachings of Babylon the Great. You know, the ones that say it's acceptable to celebrate Easter and Christmas, the hellfire teaching, that everyone should partake of the emblems, and that Christ was God. Which, if you read the Bible literally, you will probably come to those conclusions.
Which is not what the witlesses want you to conclude.
Why read the Bible and meditate on it? Precisely the question I asked a CO a few years ago. Because we were given over and over again a truly horrible version of Genesis 22 to teach in our literature that runs contrary to everything else I read or knew about God. He immediately asked if the reasons for my dissent had come from any other source or persons other than my own reading and research in our literature. No, I told him truthfully. Except for a Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, Bible reading and meditation alone had led me to this conviction.
He asked me if I was aware of how our literature was produced. I was. But I told him that this did not mean that it is/was infallible.The Society admits as much in the Proclaimers book. He disscussed the matter with me in the presece of course of another elder. There was no wayback for me because the Bible was in full accord with itself and not with the account in the literature. There was no way I could unbelieve what the Bible taught and told him so. So he didn't trouble me about it any more. I am grateful to that CO. After that it took a few more years and further reading before I knew I could not teach this myself nor could I fail to express the Bible's words as the more beautiful option to the slanderous account that the literature perpetuated.
The line eventually was drawn in the sand: Say it the way the Society says it and never speak of it to any other of Jehovah's Witnesses.
That was the beginning of the end. And a new beginning.
As a JW you are told to read and let the Bible speak to you.
The Bible spoke to me. It said "Run away!"
As a JW, you can meditate all you want as long as you come to 100% agreement with the Slave's interpretation. If you don't and you say so, you're shepherded. If you don't shut up you're given the boot.
The Watchtower Organization has no idea what meditation means, in any sense of the word.
