Why Must A God Of Love Destroy The World/NonJWs? Why Doesn't This Cause Cognitive Dissonance?

by frankiespeakin 13 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  frankiespeakin

  Discuss.

  God is Love but yet he hates.

  God don't hate bad people he hates bad acts and yet he takes out his hate on people and not the acts.

  God loved the world so much that he gave his only begotten son as payment to some mysterious debt collector so the world would live on and then he back tracks on the deal and decides they need extermination after all, except for a worthy few who put faith in the Watchtower Corporation.

  I remember an article by the WT years ago that dealt with the topic why a God of Love is going to destroy the world any quotes from it would be helpful.
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  Londo111

  When I was asleep, it caused me major cognitive dissonance! It was issue #1 I wrestled with.

  I believe my JW mother has some of the same feelings...she doesn't get it, but she will accept whatever the Watchtower says.
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  BluesBrother

  WT 1985 1/2 p 5

  An Expression of God’s Love

  "Actually, it is because of God’s love that the battle of Armageddon must be fought. Jehovah God’s purpose for the earth is to restore it to its original Paradise state and to have mankind live on it in peace and perfection “with no one to make them tremble.” (Ezekiel 34:28; Micah 4:3, 4; Revelation 21:4) What, then, is to be done with those who, by their crime and violence, would mar the security of the restored Paradise? No system devised by man has yet successfully dealt with such a problem. The only way to ensure perfect peace is to eliminate even the threat of wickedness. Yes, God must destroy the incorrigibly wicked for the sake of those who want to do what is right. Out of love, he acts to clear the earth of those who would ruin it.—Revelation 11:18.

  But no one needs to die. “[God’s] will is that all sorts of men should be saved,” writes the apostle Paul. (1 Timothy 2:4) And Peter, also writing under inspiration, states: “He does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) God has arranged for the “good news of the kingdom” to be proclaimed so that each individual will have opportunity to work out his own salvation. (Matthew 24:14; Philippians 2:12; Galatians 6:5) You can live forever in perfection on a paradise earth. The choice is yours. (Romans 2:5-9; Ezekiel 18:23, 32) Is this not what you would expect from a God of love?"........................................................................................................................

  Now think. What would world conditions be like if God refrained from stepping in to straighten out world affairs? Would not wars, violence, and hatreds continue unabated as they have down through the centuries of human rulership? Do they not even now intensify to the point where all mankind is threatened with the horrors of nuclear warfare and its radiation poisoning? Armageddon is actually the best thing that could happen to our globe! It will put an end to the nations’ selfish suicidal course. It will clear out the systems that bring misery to humankind and make way for a truly righteous new system of things where all man-made sorrow, pain, and death will be forever removed. Then ‘the former things will have passed away,’ according to God’s promise.—Revelation 21:4; 2 Peter 3:13.

  We must remember that God in his wisdom knows what is best for mankind and what is needed to achieve it. ........."
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  Watkins

  In thinking people with half a heart, it does cause dissonance. What's to discuss --- the wt is completely, absolutely and totally wrong about everything, including, and especially, God. End of discussion!

  (there seem to be very few, if any, wt apologists on the board these days - maybe they're waking up with cognitive dissonance too!)

  watkins
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  Nathan Natas

  Cognitive dissonance is not caused by believing something that is stupid; it is caused by THINKING about what we believe and how one idea relates to another.

  here's something I cut n' pasted just for this discussion:

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  What Is Cognitive Dissonance?

  By Kendra Cherry, About.com Guide

  Question: What Is Cognitive Dissonance?

  Answer: People tend to seek consistency in their beliefs and perceptions. So what happens when one of our beliefs conflicts with another previously held belief? The term cognitive dissonance is used to describe the feeling of discomfort that results from holding two conflicting beliefs. When there is a discrepancy between beliefs and behaviors, something must change in order to eliminate or reduce the dissonance.

  Examples of Cognitive Dissonance

  Cognitive dissonance can occur in many areas of life, but it is particularly evident in situations where an individual's behavior conflicts with beliefs that are integral to his or her self-identity. For example, consider a situation in which a woman who values financial security is in a relationship with a man who is financially irresponsible.

  The conflict:

  * It is important for her to be financially secure.

  * She is dating a man who is financially unstable.

  In order to reduce this dissonance between belief and behavior, she can either leave the relationship or reduce her emphasis on financial security. In the case of the second option, dissonance could be further minimized by emphasizing the positive qualities of her significant other rather than focusing on his perceived flaws.

  A more common example of cognitive dissonance occurs in the purchasing decisions we make on a regular basis. Most people want to hold the belief that they make good choices. When a product or item we purchase turns out badly, it conflicts with our previously existing belief about our decision-making abilities.

  How to Reduce Cognitive Dissonance

  There are three key strategies to reduce or minimize cognitive dissonance:

  * Focus on more supportive beliefs that outweigh the dissonant belief or behavior.

  * Reduce the importance of the conflicting belief.

  * Change the conflicting belief so that it is consistent with other beliefs or behaviors.

  Why is Cognitive Dissonance Important?

  Cognitive dissonance plays a role in many value judgments, decisions and evaluations. Becoming aware of how conflicting beliefs impact the decision-making process is a great way to improve your ability to make faster and more accurate choices.

  ~~~~~~~~~~ end ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  A person will NEVER experience cognitive dissonance if they never think about the things they believe.
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  Watkins

  Good quote find, Blues Brother. The wt claims to be so very different from other sects, but that article is a nearly word-for-word description of, 'why it's the epitomy of LOVE for God to burn people for all eternity in hell', that I heard a tv preacher recite not long ago. They're all the same---- and they're all wrong.

  IF it's God's will that ALL should be saved, then that's what'll happen. imho.

  watkins
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  Watkins

  Y, NN, that's what cognitive dissonance is, agreed. And it is thinking about the differences between what the OT says and how Yeshua portrayed God that helps some people out of the wt for good. As in my case, I never believed that non-dubs would be armageddonized - maybe because EVERYone else I knew and loved in life was a non-dub, good people and I knew that wasn't right.

  I wasn't a very good dub I guess.

  That's why the wt teaches doctrine from the OT - they like that God of hate better, keeps the stupid sheep in line with fear. Yeshua changed the concept of God - and that, again, is why the wt doesn't teach from the NT because "there is no fear in love". Can't have the sheep following after Yeshua, heavens no, then they wouldn't need the wt. Fear of a scary god is the wt's favorite tool.

  watkins
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  return of parakeet

  In my opinion, hard-core dubs are people who cannot accept the world as it is -- its beauties, complexities, constant state of flux, and its horrors. It's too much for them.

  They are people who, for psychological reasons, turn away from the real world to seek refuge in the myth of a future, benevolent world.

  Their need for certainty is so great that they are willing to accept, even applaud, the extermination of billions of fellow humans in the process.
• 

  frankiespeakin

  Thank you Blues,

  WT 1985 1/2 p 5

  An Expression of God’s Love

  "Actually, it is because of God’s love that the battle of Armageddon must be fought. Jehovah God’s purpose for the earth is to restore it to its original Paradise state and to have mankind live on it in peace and perfection “with no one to make them tremble.” (Ezekiel 34:28; Micah 4:3, 4; Revelation 21:4) What, then, is to be done with those who, by their crime and violence, would mar the security of the restored Paradise? No system devised by man has yet successfully dealt with such a problem. The only way to ensure perfect peace is to eliminate even the threat of wickedness. Yes, God must destroy the incorrigibly wicked for the sake of those who want to do what is right. Out of love, he acts to clear the earth of those who would ruin it.—Revelation 11:18.

  One wonders about the psyche of the writter if he really gave the meaning of the word Love much thought. And the black and white thinking indicating the whole world to be destroyed by God are all vile criminals that will never change, clearly people outside the organization are all evil and worthy of death in this fellow's mind.

  :::But no one needs to die. “[God’s] will is that all sorts of men should be saved,” writes the apostle Paul. (1 Timothy 2:4) And Peter, also writing under inspiration, states: “He does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) God has arranged for the “good news of the kingdom” to be proclaimed so that each individual will have opportunity to work out his own salvation. (Matthew 24:14; Philippians 2:12; Galatians 6:5) You can live forever in perfection on a paradise earth. The choice is yours. (Romans 2:5-9; Ezekiel 18:23, 32) Is this not what you would expect from a God of love?"........................................................................................................................:::

  Nice plug for the purpose of the Corporation offering a black and white choice to except their message and not perish when God goes into loving action toward rejecters of his love.

  :::Now think. What would world conditions be like if God refrained from stepping in to straighten out world affairs? Would not wars, violence, and hatreds continue unabated as they have down through the centuries of human rulership? Do they not even now intensify to the point where all mankind is threatened with the horrors of nuclear warfare and its radiation poisoning? Armageddon is actually the best thing that could happen to our globe! It will put an end to the nations’ selfish suicidal course. It will clear out the systems that bring misery to humankind and make way for a truly righteous new system of things where all man-made sorrow, pain, and death will be forever removed. Then ‘the former things will have passed away,’ according to God’s promise.—Revelation 21:4; 2 Peter 3:13.:::

  Now the hard sell drawing on an even bleaker picture of mankinds cruelty increasing to the point where they inhilate one another completely unless God steps in and does it for them.

  Looks like they danced around the issues better than Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
• 

  whathappened

  Watkins: You are right, there aren't too many JW apologists on this board anymore. They are all waking up, we can only hope.

  I have had go round and go round with my daughter about this...she is silent on the matter. She will not defend the Watchtower nor say they are wrong about Armageddon. This was a sticking point with me when I first started to wake up. I began seeing that there were many, many wonderful people who were not Jehovah's Witnesses and it didn't add up that God would distroy them. It seemed like Armageddon was the lazy way out, not the honorable way to deal with unrighteous mankind.