Theology

by sabastious 136 Replies latest jw friends

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  godrulz

  There is a Greek word relating to apostasy. This is the definition I am interested it. WT can call anyone and everyone an apostate, but technically it is someone who falls from truth, not someone who never had it (fake/fraud).

  You are an apostate from WT/JW, not from biblical Christianity (you were likely never a Christian, just a cultist, pseudo-christian). So, you are not an apostate by Pentecostal standards, just JW ones (and they are wrong; Mormons also call fallen members apostates, but that would not be a JW equivalent unless JWs add to the proper definition and say all non-JWs are apostates; this is circular and assumes that Christendom, etc. has fallen from Christianity and that JWs are the only expression of Christianity, which is patently false in light of their lack of any historical roots in Church history before Russell).
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  wobble

  "Someone who falls from truth" . That definition will open a whole can of worms, it means that anyone who is told by you what to believe, your truth, and then rejects your truth, is an Apostate .

  Your truth consists of unprovable assertions based on emotion, why should anyone be labelled anything but sensible for rejecting your "truth" ?
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  godrulz

  No, someone who rejects my truth is not an apostate. They are just an x, y, z unbeliever, etc. If I reject Mormonism or Islam, I am not an apostate unless I was once fully a Mormon or Muslim. Apostasy is not rejecting a presentation of truth, but rejecting the faith after having fully embraced it for a time. I have been a Christian for over 30 years. If I convert to Islam, I will be an apostate from Christianity. If I was an atheist for decades and continued to reject all Christian presentations, I am an atheist, not an apostate. If I was a Muslim and became a Christian, I am an apostate from Islam. If I am a Muslim and continue to be one and reject the Christian message, I am not an apostate from Islam nor from Christianity. I am simply a Muslim. One cannot fall from that which one does not possess. I am not an apostate from WT since I have never been one. I am an opposer. WT might expand their personal definition to include those who embrace their version of apostate Christianity, but that would be in-house semantics, not the biblical definition of apostasy which would be having been a true follower of Christ, but later renouncing Him and ceasing to be a Christian (now apostate because fell from truth; WT, Islam, Mormon is not truth, so apostasy is not biblical apostasy from Christ, but apostasy in relation to their own false religion).

  So, there is a biblical definition and a common use by various groups. Words do have a range of meaning, so the writer must define what they mean by it (I am interested in the biblical definition, not the WT pejorative one).
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  sabastious

  Apostasy is not rejecting a presentation of truth, but rejecting the faith after having fully embraced it for a time.

  You say you are a "free will theist", but you don't advocate mind changing.

  -Sab
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  godrulz

  I fully believe we can change our minds and wills. I advocate changing one's mind/will from a lie to truth, from Self to God. I also support someone's right to reject the truth and God (as does God Himself). What I want is for people to make an informed decision based on evidence, not deception or ignorance. I think you could even agree with this.
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  AllTimeJeff

  "What I want is for people to make an informed decision based on evidence, not deception or ignorance. I think you could even agree with this."

  We all can agree on this. The problem godrulz is that you are spouting a version of "truth" that isn't true.
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  godrulz

  Really? I will die for the veracity of my beliefs. Atheists dissing Christianity is not a refutation of it (I have read the lame Dawkins arguments).