"It seems to me you folks are worshiping the teapot instead of drinking the tea." (page 3)

Cagefighter

The JW logic is so critical and externally focused. It keeps the members from truly examining their own lives if they are living up to what Jesus expected of us which was for us to take care of one another. There are some posters hear still using that same mentality. The should read the book of Mark in a Non-NWT translation. Jesus is a totally different guy than what you were told. Paul throws a big monkey wrench into things later on with his writings but I think that is part of God's plan as well.

BabaYaga

Love the comments, everyone! Thank you!

Lozhasleft

Yes I like it too Baba - pointed. clever. simples.

Loz x

BabaYaga

By the way, in answer to your question, Daniel:

Tea = spiritual nourishment/enlightenment/relationship with God/etc.

Teapot = The religion or organization itself

Is that how you see it?

Yes, that was exactly how I saw it. I think this works particularly well with the Witnesses & the "Organization", a.k.a. publishing company.

And Cage said:

Number of times Jesus mentioned the Watchtower in the Bible - zero

Number of times Jesus mentioned homosexuals in the Bible - zero

Number of time Jesus said to love my neighbor- several

Number of times Jesus said I didn't have to be perfect just accept him as my saviour- several.

Now, who wants a beer?

Cage, great way to sum it up!

OnTheWayOut

BY, can I say I love you? This thought has made my day.

Part of the beauty of philosophical statements like that made in the opening post is that some will get different things out of it.
I am happy for you all that see something still very Christian and religious in your thoughts on this. But it can be otherwise.

Whatever it was that gave us life did not want us to spend that life in worship or in pursuit of making it (the teapot) happy.
Life is a wonderful gift. We need to drink the tea and enjoy life. It's not a statement of "Eat, drink, and be merry" as if we should live carefree and wreckless as the JW's told us all worldly people do. But it is a statement of "Eat, drink, and be merry" and have a positive influence where you leave your footprints.

Here's my teapot/tea story:

One day out in recruiting, I was finally able to let go of my fear of letting go. I was in the door-to-door literature distribution work with an older “sister” from the congregation. It was my turn to speak to the next “householder.” A man in his fifties answered, totally answering to the stereotypical description of a hippy left over from the 1960’s. His now-gray hair was down to his waist, with a bandana trying to hide the bald spot. He had various tattoos on his arms and a jean jacket with some kind of American flags patched here and there. I don’t remember our conversation exactly, but he asked if God was so vain that He expected me to spend all my time praising Him in this door-to-door work, and if God wouldn’t forgive all the ignorant masses out there for never believing the message of these strange Jehovah’s Witnesses that come to their door with nice printed hand-outs. He went on to say that he felt that if Armageddon was truly so imminent, that God would do better than just deliver the warning with a few million nicely dressed nuts knocking on doors with literature that hardly anyone was likely to read, but God would have billboards, television and radio commercials, or maybe even deliver the word through some actual miracle. He asked how many Witnesses were spreading the word in Muslim parts of the world and whether Jehovah would really kill the children there for faithfully believing what their parents taught them. I knew the pat answers to his questions, but I was enthralled with his mannerisms and his way of free-thinking. I really didn’t think he was wrong. Even the “sister” with me had nothing to add and enjoyed his philosophic view of everything.

After that encounter, I knew that God’s Holy Spirit wasn’t telling me to preach the word of Jehovah’s Witnesses as a pioneer.

BabaYaga

BY, can I say I love you? This thought has made my day.

Please, and most certainly, On the Way... and I love you, too! So glad it resonated with you. I absolutely LOVE your experience you shared. Thank you.

snowbird

This is a wonderful thread.

Syl

darthfader

Life = Tea... drink up! Brilliant message! Thanks :)

Heaven

Tea is nourishing, the teapot is not. The Watchtower's publications do nothing to nourish anyone, especially if they're in need of real food in their stomachs. What they write about is not uplifting to the spirit either.

It always confounded me that they could go to impoverished places peddling their BS while what people really need is food, medical care, education, clothing, a place to live, etc., etc., etc. All that money they use to print crap could be used to truly lift up the impoverished.

What they do is contradictory to the teachings of Christ who said to feed the starving and look after the down-trodden.

"It seems to me you folks are worshiping the teapot instead of drinking the tea."

Share this