I got turned down for a bible study!

by frigginconfused 22 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  frigginconfused

  A freind of mine went online and requested a bible study. They showed up while she was gone and I talked to them. I told them they could come over to talk to me and we could try to find my place in the org. I explained I was raised a JW and believed in God, Jesus, and the bible. I also explained how I dont agree that the GB are the faithfull slave. And most of my problems arent what they teach but how they run the org.

  They asked me for an example of something they teach that I dont agree with.

  I picked something I knew was a valid point so they couldnt dance around it.

  The point I made to them was about teaching Jesus died on a stake not a cross. My point was "when in doubt. Dont do it". Ive heard that many times in the org and decided to use it against them. I made a very good argument or the problems involved in a beat up Jesus carrying a telephone pole up a hill. How difficult it would be to nail him to a stake and then set it in a post hole without it coming loose. How lazy soldiers are. It makes more sense to have to pole permanantley in the ground and have him carry a cross member up the hill. Use rigging to hoist him up it after nailing him to it. And therefore I agreed that it was a stake. But once the crossmember was hoisted up it became a cross. This agrees with the bible. Is more mechanically feasable.

  After having made the point I explained that either way is possible. But to teach that it was not possible and to deny devout christians a symbol they have known thier whole life would do more to turn them off to any further openess. It would be better to not touch on the subject at all. Have no standing on it. Because in the end the shape of the torture stake means nothing. Its the sacrifice thats the point and we should not distract from that. Also just as worshiping the cross is idolatry, putting so much emphasis on it being a pole is also the same thing.

  So the point was made. I left them dumfounded. They made a date next week to come talk again.

  I got a call today. He cancelled! lol. He says we have no common ground and no where to go from there.

  Check, and mate!

  PS. I was kind, soft spoken, and emphasised I make my choiced based on logic tempered with love. I was in no way combative or hostile. so thats not what turned them off.
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  villabolo

  

  Villabolo
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  brotherdan

  Nice job! You caused them to experience cognitive dissonance and could not handle it.

  You are completely right about the cross. I wrote a blog about the cross at jwcritic.blogspot.com. While it's not a critical teaching for Christians, it's an interesting point that JWs have completely wrong. Especially in regards to John 20:25 - “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Notice the use of the plural term "nails" when speaking about his hands. More than 1 nail was used.

  One thing to keep in mind though is that the Romans did not just execute people on crosses. They crucified people on many object shapes. Some looked like X's, some like T's and some like actual stakes. But taking the Bible into consideration, there is no reason to think that they executed Jesus on anything BUT a cross. Especially considering how long Jesus lived after his crucifixtion.

  Regardless, NICE JOB! You never know what good you did. It might be years before one of the JWs that you talked to thinks about what you said. But sometimes it just takes that 1 seed to get things started.
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  Finally-Free

  He says we have no common ground and no where to go from there.

  In other words, you've sown some doubts in him and he's afraid of developing more.

  Great job!

  W
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  InterestedOne

  He says we have no common ground

  It looked to me like you had a lot of common ground - God, Jesus, and the Bible. I wonder how he could say you have no common ground.
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  nugget

  no answers and too much of a challenge. Wimps
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  Quentin

  Jesues was IMPALED, HUNG ON A TORTURE STAKE is the offcial wtbts defenintion. Doesn't fit the Bible story to well. By the way great job friggingconfused. Solid points all round.

  Impalement as a method of torture and execution involves the body of a person being pierced with a long stake. The penetration could be through the sides, through the rectum, through the vagina, or through the mouth. This method leads to a painful death, sometimes taking days. The stake would often be planted in the ground, leaving the impaled person suspended to die.

  In some forms of impalement, the stake would be inserted so as to avoid immediate death, and would function as a plug to prevent blood loss. After preparation of the victim, perhaps including public torture and rape, the victim was stripped and an incision was made in the perineum between the genitals and rectum. A stout pole with a blunt end was inserted. A blunt end would push vital organs to the side, greatly slowing death. [ 1 ]

  The pole would often come out of the body at the top of the sternum and be placed against the lower jaw so that the victim would not slide farther down the pole. Often, the victim was hoisted into the air after partial impalement. Gravity and the victim's own struggles would cause him to slide down the pole. (Wikipedia)
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  wannabefree

  You have been judged by a door to door minister as unworthy of salvation.

  How does it feel?
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  thetrueone

  You evil intelligent well researched apostate

  Of course the WTS. men who created this religion for their own selfish power needs is wrought full of

  convulsing bullshit. The first president who wrote much of the WTS. early articles was a clothing salesman

  and the second president was a crooked lawyer who wanted the power and the wealth of what the previous owner accumulated

  toward this established publishing corporation, neither were well trained in bible theology.

  It was the power of the printed word that created this organization, it wasn't well studied bible theology and research.

  They exploited out of the bible what they deemed useful in propagating their published literature.

  They never returned one cent they coerced out of people in this endeavor either.
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  Black Sheep

  If you want them to come back, you have to tell them what they want to hear (you were a born-in ain't it) and ask them a question they want to answer.

  Telling them they are wrong just scares them off. You want them to tell you they are wrong, so you have to ask the questions that end up with them telling you that.