Faith. (page 2)

wearewatchingyouman

"I applaud you for your intellectual honesty. If only more believers would untangle faith from evidence."

Thanks Cofty

The danger in this scenario is that quite likely they would accept your baptism and think you were just sincere and growing. They would likely use scriptures about testing your faith as a reason to praise your sincere efforts prior to your baptism.

However, shortly after baptism you would be required to fall in line with the group. Punishment would come when you didn't.

wearewatchingyouman

There is no way in heck they would DF me. They are so afraid of lawsuits. Like I said I would keep very detailed records of everything. Personally, I don't think they'd ever let me get baptised. It's all hypothetical anyway as I couldn't put my kids through the craziness of being raised a Witness.

Comatose

Faith is pretending to know things we do not know, according to a book I'm reading. The problem you face in your scenario, besides my opinion above, is that you wouldn't even be showing faith. You would know its fake and a lie. You wouldn't be using faith as much as you'd be choosing to live a lie.

I suspect that would grow old quick.

wearewatchingyouman

faith
(fth)

n. 1. Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing. 2. Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. See Synonyms at belief, trust.

I'm referring to faith as in the second definition. I don't think God is fake or a lie. I have belief that is not based on logical proof or material evidence, and it has not grown old. In this hypothetical scenario my faith in the Governing body as the FDS would be the same.

braincleaned

I agree with cofty — you have the courage of your opinions and have the honesty to separate faith and empirical knowledge.

I will admit, I do not understand, but I can't dispute what you feel on an emotional level.
I for one believe that Faith is uniquely emotional.

wearewatchingyouman

Agreed Braincleaned. For me, my connection to the Almighty is purely based on feeling. Making decisions based on emotion, for many, has become a sign of weakness and instability these days. Personally, I look at that Atheist, hard core black and white, strictly rational person I once was and see it as a weak and instable to shut out how I "felt" about something. It's been a journey and I'm enjoying the ride

Comatose

Well I know sometimes people see things differently, but I can't see your link between GB and god. How could you have faith in something you know is a lie?

adamah

WAWUM said-

I don't know how I could possibly end up DF'd if they allowed me to be baptised when I was honest from the beginning. If I ever actually did this I would have things so well recorded that they wouldn't have a legal leg to stand on.

How much faith do you have in that belief?

The courts have repeatedly confirmed that DFing is legal, since it rests on their Constitutionally-protected rights of freedom of association and freedom of worship. When it comes to religion, it's defo "caveat emptor".

But some people will insist on learning the 'hard way', clinging to their delusional beliefs despite evidence. In fact, you might just have the right stuff to be a JW, after all?

Adam

wearewatchingyouman

Comatose - Well, I don't have faith in the GB. This is hypothetical after all, but I suppose if I was truly able to rationalize that link it would simply be how most witnesses who know TTATT stay in. It's run by imperfect men who are just trying to figure out things the best they can, and Jehovah makes the light brighter and brighter as the end draws nearer. You just have to keep the faith and trust in Jehovah

Faith.

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