by possible-san 6 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Iran woman with stoning sentence shown on state TV (Associated Press)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101115/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_stoning
Is this an occurrence in the 21st century?
It is a bloodcurdling "cultural lag." (I feel)
"He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." John 8:7 (KJV)
The teaching of Jesus is more modern than present-day Islam, IMO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cy4PUmgEBA
possible
I feel the world is to sick to ever heal itself.
With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things.
But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.
3M
I just saw the movie through Netflix, called "The Stoning of Soraya M," based on true story. Chilling! Barbaric!
I can't help think about the Old Testament here. It is barbaric.
I just saw the movie through Netflix, called "The Stoning of Soraya M," based on true story. Chilling! Barbaric!
Saw it about 6 months ago. Absolutely agree. Even as a young, naive DUmB, I thought stoning was one of the most horrific ways to die. The fact that Big Jah, who loves us so much, demanded that his people use it as capital punishment, was a big reason for me rejecting the Bible.
This is the stoning scene from the movie. Her husband and sons take part.
Enbedding disabled. Click on Watch on YouTube
Warning: not for the squeamish.
The Watchtower Society would like to do the same to people:
The Watchtower, November 15, 1952, page 703, Questions from Readers:
"In the case of where a father or mother or son or daughter is disfellowshipped [disassociated], how should such person be treated by members of the family in their family relationship?
We are not living today among theocratic nations where such members of our fleshly family relationship could be exterminated for apostasy from God and his theocratic organization, as was possible and was ordered in the nation of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai and in the land of Palestine. . . Being limited by the laws of the worldly nation in which we live and also by the laws of God through Jesus Christ, we can take action against apostates only to a certain extent, that is, consistent with both sets of laws. The law of the land and God’s law through Christ forbid us to kill apostates, even though they be members of our own flesh-and-blood family relationship. However, God’s law requires us to recognize their being disfellowshipped from his congregation."
Over the years, the organization had enough sense not to outrightly make such statements as the above, but the attitude and feeling is the same and is always performed on an emotional and mental level to ex-members.
The Watchtower, July 15, 1961, page 420:
"Jesus encouraged his followers to love their enemies, but God's Word also says to "hate what is bad." When a person persists in a way of badness after knowing what is right, when the bad becomes so ingrained that it is an inseparable part of his make-up, then in order to hate what is bad a Christian must hate the person with whom the badness is inseparably linked."
The Watchtower Society's message is clear. Despite Jesus' teaching to love your enemy, the principle to hate what is bad must be followed to a superlative degree. It is not just to hate what a person has done, but to hate the person.
Our Kingdom Ministry, August 2002, Page 4, paragraph 12:"Benefits of Being Loyal to Jehovah: Cooperating with the Scriptural arrangement to disfellowship and shun unrepentant wrongdoers is beneficial."
Keep Yourselves In God's Love (2008), Appendix, How To Treat A Disfellowshipped Person:
"Is strict avoidance really necessary?
"Yes"
"Loyal Christian family members do not look for excuses to have dealings with a disfellowshipped relative not living at home"
"Bible principles on this subject apply equally to those who disassociate themselves from the congregation."
No need for physically stoning by the Watchtower Society, they give ex-members another type of stoning. Cult anyone?
3Mozzies.
Gayle.
EmptyInside.
Iron Head.
trebor.
Thank you for your comments.
Well, in my opinion, I think that these show the foolishness of "fundamentalism."
Even if it is any kind of the sacred books (E.g., sutras, Bible) in ancient times, if people read those books literally like fundamentalists, people will commit a folly.
I think that Jesus rejected that/fundamentalism/Pharisees, IMO.
possible
