Blog Update

brotherdan

Just wanted to let anyone interested know that I've posted a couple new blogs

http://jwcritic.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the update. I hope you don't mind if I comment on a section of one of your new blogs. Before I do that, know that I appreciate where you're coming from and the blog on the cross is excellent. But I take issue with the following section of your blog on why you left JWN:

I am a "new" Christian. I don't have all the answers. One bone of contention that I have had in the past is that Jehovah's Witnesses claim to have all the answers. It reminds me of 1Cor 8:2: "If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know." We all should realize that we are foolish in God's eyes and need to focus on His wisdom. We must always be open to the possibility that something we have held as a cherished viewpoint could be proven to be wrong. That is where I am at in my spiritual life. Reading the Bible without preconceived notions has been incredibly eye opening.

Do you realize that you are putting the same blind faith in The Bible that Jehovah's Witnesses put in the organization? You think you've gone back to basics but it is obvious that you haven't gone all the way back to the beginning of reason and rationality. If you're going to examine the Watchtower Society's take on the Bible, why won't you also examine new ways of looking at the Bible itself? You are still bound to the concept that it is God's literal and inerrent word when the evidence shows that it cannot possibly be so.

" Another eye opening experience has been seeing the amount of Jehovah's Witnesses that leave the organization, only to be trapt in atheistic thought. They have allowed men to completely destroy their faith. They experienced spiritual shipwreck. They no longer believe in God. They live for themselves. And they seem happy to be accountable to no one besides themselves. I find it so sad. But the Bible did fortell that this would be the result of those that put their trust in men."

I'm not a full-blown atheist but this kind of statement offends me as someone who tries to view the world through rational eyes and logic as most of the atheists here on JWN do. I have bolded the most incorrect part of your statement. The atheists I know are good moral people who live for others to a much greater and more real extent than most religious people. So they don't live in love or worship or fear of an invisible man who they've never seen or heard; they live for something more tangible and real: the community of mankind. You do humanity a great disservice by marginalizing the community of atheists.

John 7:25: "Stop judging from the outward appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."

It is what people do for one another that is important, not what they believe, view as sacred, or how they worship, or not. Jesus Christ's words in the Bible make that more than abundantly clear.

"Now is the time to put our trust in Jesus Christ. It is the time to throw off the yoke of men made rules and allow God to show us the way. They lead to the best way of life. They lead to true happiness. And they lead to a life with God that will be never-ending."

Perhaps that is true. Is there only one path to God? After leaving the Jehovah's Witnesses, can you still be so narrow-minded?

I recommend that everyone (not just you, BroDan) read this website that gives a great synopsis of the different view of God and our possible paths to him:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/tran_imm.htm

Also, consider this: is it possible that God is perfectly happy with people who do not believe he exists, as long as they live decent, kind, and loving lives? Could it even be his purpose? That humankind grow to the point that we don't even need our Father in that way anymore?

ziddina

Well, hello, Brother Dan!!!

How are things going???

Yeah, Mad Sweeney made some good points, but HEY!! It's YOUR blog and you get to post whatever the heck you want to!!!

Who knows where you'll be - mentally, emotionally, spiritually - 3 years from now???

[hint, hint, nudge, nudge, Mad Sweeney...]

Zid

brotherdan

Also, consider this: is it possible that God is perfectly happy with people who do not believe he exists, as long as they live decent, kind, and loving lives?

I am not coming back to JWN, but I will answer this one question.

No, thats not fine.

Along with false prophets (like Jehovah's Witnesses) the Bible fortells people that would be happy in their godlessness. 2Tim 3 says that men would be lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of god; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."

It's not enough to live a good life and be good to people. It wasn't enough in Israels day it is not enough in our day. Our belief in God is something that DOES matter. Why, according to the Bible, which I have faith (and not the blind sort) in says the following. If you want to discount it, that is fine. But it DOES say these things.

Jesus said, “You do not believe because you are not my sheep” (John 10:26). Since you stand outside of those who belong to Christ, you do not/can not believe in Him (Acts 13:48; John 6:44, 63-65).

“Since they did not consider it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to a depraved mind” (Romans 1:28). Those who love darkness (John 3:19-20; Ephesians 4:17-18).– The blinded (2 Corinthians 4:3-4;Acts 14:1-2).

Is it a choice? Yes. (John 5:39-40; John 5:42-44; John 7:15-17; Revelation 22:17).

What will the consequence be? God’s permissive agency hands them over to their desired deception (Romans 1:18-26a). See also: 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; Isaiah 66:3-4- Notice they “refused”, then God ratifies their choice (Psalm 81:11-12). God hardens Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 7:3; 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:8); Pharaoh hardens his own heart (Exodus 8:15, 32; 9:34-35).

Why do people refuse to believe? Consider Jesus’ words, “I am the Bread of Life; he who comes to me will never go hungry and he who believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35 cf. John 4:14).

From these words, we learn that belief is not merely an agreement with facts about God and truth. It is also a matter of appetite, of longing, of hungering and thirsting and finding satisfaction and fulfillment.

Belief is not reduced to thinking correctly about God and Jesus. It is a turning to Jesus as the source of nourishment for life (tasting and seeing). Do some think correctly about God and Jesus without turning to Jesus as the source of nourishment for life? Yes.

Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord (Deuteronomy 8). Blessed are the poor, needy, hungry and thirsty. Augustine prayed, “Hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee…” We add that hearts are hungry until they find satisfaction in God; hearts are thirsty until quenched by God.

Unbelief, therefore, involves a turning of the heart away from God to search for satisfaction from something or someone else. Rarely is unbelief solely or mainly a matter of changing one’s mind about facts. It is a turning of heart away from the Creator and Redeemer.

Lozhasleft

With respect Bro Dan if you've left here and aren't coming back....erm...why are you here???

Loz x

brotherdan

One last thing...

Is there only one path to God?

Yes. Jesus Christ. Thanks

ziddina

[O-kay, I've got to post this... I tried to resist; I just CAN'T resist; it must be that "evil ol' atheist" in me... ]

[To the tune of "It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To".....]

"It's my site and I'll blog what I want to - BLOG what I WANT to...!! "

Zid she devil smiley - who hopes Brother Dan still likes her - in a strictly platonic way, of course ...??

Think About It

What a judgemental rant by BD. Don't believe in his version of God & truth and you are lost. Good JW's, good atheists, good anybody with beliefs that are not right or good enough according to BD. Where have I heard this bullshit before?

Think About It

PSacramento

Dan,

I posted a comemnt on your Blog in regards to the cross article you posted :)

As for the rest, well...I ask that you be more patient, accepting and less judgmental of others, leave the deciding of these things to Our Lord, he is inmuch better position to judge and decide matters like these then we are, he is afterall The Judge.

The bible is an amazing book with much inspiration in it, and if you choose to believe that ALL of it is inspired then that is your choice,just realise that Inspired doesn't mean inerrant and that regardless of how inspired Man was, he still made mistakes and the bible is full of proof of that.

Black Sheep

It's nice to see you back, but I won't be cult hopping with you.

Cheers

Chris

Blog Update

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