when people who are not in such 'lofty' positions find themselves questioning, they're sometimes demonized
So true. And yet the Bible COMMANDS us to "test all things". We are supposed to question.
WTBTS "uses" heroes of church history only when it suits them to make a point
by AuntBee 27 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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brotherdan
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Alfred
All these guys were either freemasons or friends of freemasons... of course the WT considers them heroes... especially John Calvin (the guy who came up with "Great Architect of the Universe")... Also, in the Watchtower DVD "Faith in Action", the first illustration shown was that of John Coustos a Portuguese Grand Master (and a heroe in the Masonic Community)... the DVD shows him on a torture wheel and another torture device while the narrator criticizes the Catholic church for its abuse of power... the Protestant vs Catholic feud will never end...
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brotherdan
Freemasonry...do you realize how many historical figures were freemasons? If you want to condemn Luther for being a mason, then lets condemn Martin Luther King Jr, Daniel Boone, Winston Churchill, Duke Ellington, and thousands of others. Most masons viewed the organization as a sort of gentleman's club. Nothing more. Yes, there are some strange ceremonies and the like, but to reject someone because they are a mason is sort of ridiculous.
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Alfred
Brother Dan... I'm not condemning the lower level freemasons just as I don't condemn lower level jay dubs... most are genuinely nice, hard-working citizens...
It's not their fault that their higher level leaders are engaged in frequent satanic rituals...
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JuanMiguel
When I left the Watchtower some 20 years ago I was startled at how wrong--how very, very wrong--the Watchtower has portrayed the Protestant/Catholic situation. In fact, before the 20th century ended the Lutheran-Catholic divide was mended.
In 1999 the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification was created and officially ended the debate between Lutheran and Catholic. It was even accepted by Methodists and Presbyterians.
While neither the Roman Catholic Church or the Lutheran churches included in the agreement kid themselves about what differences still exist, several steps toward unification have just recently been added that might allow for recognition of sacramental practice between the two faiths. With these challenges behind them there is already talk about unification similar to the type which is in formation with the Orthodox church as well as some Anglicans who have recently come into full communion with the Holy See.
Catholics no longer view Luther the way the Watchtower does or some Fundamentalist extremists claim they do. Some have even speculated that unification may bring up the possibility that Luther might be seen as a saint because, as it now stands, his work has helped both sides see they were both in error regarding justification.
As it now stands, Catholics, the Orthodox, and the majority of Protestants are now in complete agreement about how one is “saved.” As the Joint Declaration points out, they believe that people are neither saved by faith alone nor by works and faith. People are saved by God’s grace. Faith is the response to that grace, and the visible sign of faith is seen in a person’s actions (works).
So by and large, the feud between Catholics and Protestants ended in 1999--except for a few who are now in the vast minority.
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aqwsed12345
Were the Early Christians Jehovah’s Witnesses?
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Alfred
excellent thread
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Band on the Run
Where in the Bible itself does it state the accepted canon? It does not. Jesus only had a limited number of writings considered sacred. Many of the early Church fathers only had access to one or two gospels, some of them not canonical. Canonization was a political process.
I am not as well read on the Reformers as I would like to be. The charts in wikipedia that show the divergence of doctrines strike me as mind puzzling. Luther is a key figure in all human history. Humans are rarely good or bad. He became more antiSemitics as time passed. If I recall correctly, he assumed that the Reformation would lead to massive conversion of Jews. When it did happen, he blamed the Jews more than the lack of oomph from the Holy Spirit.
They always mention the reformers in passing. Tyndale is liked for being burned at the stake. Being burned at the stake gives you brownie points. They reject the Reformation. They don't see their place in a timeline. I must say, though, that their vehemence towards the Roman Catholic Church is outsized compared to their rejection of reformation leaders.
I've just happened to read a biography of Margaret Sanger, the principal leader in providing legal, affordable birth control. The Catholic Church played an amazingly disproportionate role in stopping social justice matters. They were extremely right wing. Despite Rick Santorum, modern Catholics seem to embrace a social gospel now compared to the past. The Catholic Church pounded the Witnesses and any other group it did not like without mercy. I think it has reformed its attitude greatly.
When I read English PUrtian and Protestant history, the carnage is amazing. It took great courage. Both Catholics and Protestants were tortured and executed in great numbers. The slaughter of the Hugenots. The Witnesses have faced nothing similar. They are too inconsequential.