by Perry 106 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I find it appalling that I should have to feel sorry that I was born a sinner. Did I ask to be born? Yet I'm held to account for something I had no control over (assuming you accept the bible). In this day and age humans would not even accept a system of justice that is so cruel.
The only thing this savior/ransom Christianity rubbish is, is a tool of guilt for everlasting enslavement and control. Thanks but i'll pass.
Vicarious sacrifices are so Bronze Age.
Tootired2care
I grant you that false versions of Christianity are tools for permanent guilt and enslavement but..
... true Christianity is the exact opposite. True Christianity brings peace, joy, freedom, rest. It brings deliverance from guilt, it brings happiness, assurance of salvation, a love for God and His Son, our Saviour. If you cannot see that direct from the Scriptures maybe you would like to read Martin Luther's "Commentary on Galatians" - below I attach a link to his Preface:-
So many people cannot see the huge difference between true Christianity and what the Watchtower teaches... they think it is only a matter of semantics, and petty, trivial differences. Read Martin Luther's whole Commentary on Galatians, or read just this Preface, and I hope you will see there is truly an enormous difference, a gigantic difference... it isn't just a matter of who Christ is, but the way to get into a right relationship with God, and to get the forgiveness of sins, and deliverance from the oppressive burden of guilt, is so completely different that many would refuse to believe the Luther way can possibly be the way described in the Bible. "Gospel" is old English. It means "good news", and that is precisely what it is.
Martin Luther as an example of being a true christian, really? Read the history of the Peasant's War and Luther's rabid anti-semitism.
Being a descent human being is not the domain of a religion's claims.
Andrew Sh - you are absolutely right, the difference between the Watchtower's teaching abut the ransom the and the christian gospel is massive. I get it, I used to preach it.
Ultimately though, the gospel is still a story about a human blood sacrifice for the purpose of appeasing the wrath of god.
On one level its very powerful but if you stand back and take the blinkers off its very ugly.
Designs
Thanks for your reply. I wouldn't for a moment seek to defend Luther's anti-Semitism, and I know little about his involvment in the Peasant's War, but would not be surprised if it is deeply regretable. I don't follow him in his Prebyterianism, or in his national church doctrinal beliefs, or his views on the Lord's Supper, or infant baptism, or the relationship between church and the state. I regret he wasn't right about a lot of things, but seriously, you lose out by not reading his Commentary on Galatians, or even the Preface. Here, he flies up on wings to heaven, and can take you with him. More books have been written on Luther than any other mere man in human history... his Commentary on Galatians shows you why: it is his greatest work... how happy I would be if his sins were dead and buried in the past, so that more would be drawn more easily to read his Commentary.
Thank you Cofty, yes it is ugly, very ugly, and must be offensive to self-righteous people who cannot understand why they are considered so bad that God should have to become a man and die in agony, even having God's own wrath poured out upon Him for our sins. But it is so very ugly, because rebellion against the God of Love is so very ugly, and we are so very ugly in our sins. The Bible tells us so: we are DEAD in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1), we are leprous, quite throughout infected.
Ye who think of sin but lightly,
Nor suppose the evil great,
Here may view its nature rightly,
Here its guilt may estimate:
Mark the sacrifice appointed,
See who bears the awful load:
'Tis the Word, the LORD's Anointed,
Son of man, and Son or God!
by Thomas Kelly.
www.newadvent.org has a compilation of the significant events in Luther's life. The irony of Luther's 'every man is a priest' was the anarchy it sowed, 1800+ denominations. He should be credited with getting the Bible in ordinary people's hands so that today we have the tools to do proper exegesis. As Mark Twain quipped 'The best cure for Christianity is reading the Bible'.
But it is so very ugly, because rebellion against the God of Love is so very ugly, and we are so very ugly in our sins. The Bible tells us so: we are DEAD in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1), we are leprous, quite throughout infected.
I read the whole thing much differentely than the bibles narrative. I did not ask to be born so why should I automatically be so ugly in Gods eyes? We're so ugly because God wants us to feel that way, so we are forced to feel guilty and kiss his arse for all eternity. God will settle for nothing less than every soul bowing to what he wants or die. Where is the freewill? Does it seem rational to hold someone's child accountable for their parents sin? And what exactly does Christ the redeemer save us from, having freedom?
Designs.
In my opinion, there are so many denominations, because denominationalism itself is a mistake: in my view, the Biblical pattern is to have independent local Churches, each Pastor accountable only to God and to the church of which he is shepherd. In my view, this is what is intended by Our Lord and is what we should gather from the following passages:-
Acts 13:2 and Acts 14:27
Revelation 2:1 Where there are seven golden candlesticks. Whereas in the Old Testament there was just one golden candlestick with seven branches, signifying the national state church of the Jews which was one organisation. But for the New Testament era there are seven candlesticks signifying that God intends there to be local independent churches and no hierarchy. Furthermore, see how the Lord addresses each local church as an independent entity. Why, if there was one overriding hierarchical structure He could have sent instructions on these churches to the leadership of the whole (universal) Church. But He does not, He speaks to each individual congregation, because He intends there to be no denominations at all. Why should they be needed? Cannot God speak to each local fellowship just as He can speak to each believer?
