JW stand on Philosophy is inexcusable!

by Pinku 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Pinku

  Paul knew that Torah with all its rituals and sacrifices did not originate with God (Jeremiah 7:22; 8:8), hence he warned Christians to guard against ‘deceptive’ philosophy that would take them back to Torah. (Colossians 2:8 Compare 2:11, 16, 17) In view of the over-all view of the Bible, there is no excuse to use the word philosophy with any negative connotation. JWs built their stand on philosophy based on this wrong (negative) use of the word philosophy found in Colossians 2:8.

  The Greek word phi·lo·so·phi´a means “love of wisdom.” And wisdom means “fear of God.” (Psalm 111:10) Fear of God means hatred of doing wasteful things (Proverbs 8:13) and is contrasted with “licentiousness” (Proverb 10:23, 27). Thus philosophy ultimately means ‘taking delight in doing God’ will, or doing good to others without expecting anything in return.’ (Psalm 112:1; Mathew 5:44-48) This is nothing but sheer common sense! Everyone knows he is an individual (means indivisible) as he came FROM GOD, through his parents.In between there is no separation, as neither anyone authored his birth nor his parents authored their children’s birth. Hence all are individuals, indivisible (indivisible part of WHOLE); hence have no reason to hate another or put one’s interest above the other. This is what Socrates meant when he said “know yourself” which he called “the highest knowledge.” This is the essence of philosophy which is synonym with “taking delight in the welfare of all.”

  On the contrary, not being philosophic costs us very dearly. If you feel you are separated (divisible), you may ultimately feel self-important, which would make your desires intense. If met with obstacle, such intense desire becomes anger, and if fulfilled such desire becomes greed, and make you feel more self-important. And cycle of never-fulfilling chase repeats with more force!

  Ironically, JWs not only feel separated, but take delight in such separation and that too to the extent of taking delight even in shunning those who disagree with them!
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  sparrowdown

  Yep, the word philosophy is synonomous with "worldly" to JWs.
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  Pinku

  sparrowdown

  You made it complete! Thank you for that!
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  opusdei1972

  Tertullian was a fanatic christian who rejected philosophy but he used it when needed:

  These are "the doctrines" of men and "of demons" 1 Timothy 4:1 produced for itching ears of the spirit of this world's wisdom: this the Lord called "foolishness," and "chose the foolish things of the world" to confound even philosophy itself. For (philosophy) it is which is the material of the world's wisdom, the rash interpreter of the nature and the dispensation of God. Indeed heresies are themselves instigated by philosophy. From this source came the Æons, and I known not what infinite forms, and the trinity of man in the system of Valentinus, who was of Plato's school. From the same source came Marcion's better god, with all his tranquillity; he came of the Stoics. Then, again, the opinion that the soul dies is held by the Epicureans; while the denial of the restoration of the body is taken from the aggregate school of all the philosophers; also, when matter is made equal to God, then you have the teaching of Zeno; and when any doctrine is alleged touching a god of fire, then Heraclitus comes in. The same subject-matter is discussed over and over again by the heretics and the philosophers; the same arguments are involved. Whence comes evil? Why is it permitted? What is the origin of man? And in what way does he come? Besides the question which Valentinus has very lately proposed— Whence comes God? Which he settles with the answer: From enthymesis and ectroma. Unhappy Aristotle! Who invented for these men dialectics, the art of building up and pulling down; an art so evasive in its propositions, so far-fetched in its conjectures, so harsh, in its arguments, so productive of contentions— embarrassing even to itself, retracting everything, and really treating of nothing! Whence spring those "fables and endless genealogies," 1 Timothy 1:4 and "unprofitable questions," Titus 3:9 and "words which spread like a cancer?" 2 Timothy 2:17 From all these, when the apostle would restrain us, he expressly names philosophy as that which he would have us be on our guard against. Writing to the Colossians, he says, "See that no one beguile you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, and contrary to the wisdom of the Holy Ghost." He had been at Athens, and had in his interviews (with its philosophers) become acquainted with that human wisdom which pretends to know the truth, while it only corrupts it, and is itself divided into its own manifold heresies, by the variety of its mutually repugnant sects. What indeed has Athens to do with Jerusalem? What concord is there between the Academy and the Church? What between heretics and Christians? Our instruction comes from "the porch of Solomon," who had himself taught that "the Lord should be sought in simplicity of heart." Wisdom 1:1 Away with all attempts to produce a mottled Christianity of Stoic, Platonic, and dialectic composition! We want no curious disputation after possessing Christ Jesus, no inquisition after enjoying the gospel! With our faith, we desire no further belief. For this is our palmary faith, that there is nothing which we ought to believe besides. (Prescription against Heretics, chapter 7)

  This guy was a lunatic, though well educated compared with most christians of that time.
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  Magnum

  The JWs in my area seem to think that philosophy is evil and/or stupid and/or negative and/or demonic. I never really thought that. In the last few years I've come to recognize it as a fascinating and deep subject. Most of the rank-and-file JWs are just clueless and ignorant and don't even know what philosophy is, however, I think those at the higher levels of the org have some notion of what it is, but don't want JWs to have anything to do with it because it encourages questioning and thinking, and we know how the org fears that.
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  sparrowdown

  You're welcome Pink.

  Philosophy does encourage deep thinking and looking at things from different angles-

  all very scary to dubs. In the same basket as critical thinking skills ooooohhh Satan' s tools of the trade.
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  Phizzy

  One big part of Philosophy for thousands of years has been the concern to find the right way to live.

  Once you have read some true Wisdom on this question, you realise that you do not need some Crusty Old Men calling themselves "God's Channel" to tell you the best way to live, you do not need any god either to tell you.

  If JW's got to find this out it would be a disaster for membership, the GB has to keep JW's away from Philosophy in any way it can.
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  bohm

  Spot on Magnum!

  The mindset of philosophy (all arguments should be examined, that even bad arguments can often be resurrected, that very little can really be "known", that one should allways ask questions and be critical of ones definitions and assumptions to a perverse degree) is arguably even more alien to the WT mindset than that in science where there is at least agreement that some things are true.

  As a speculation, in addition to this at the time where the WT developed most of it's "phobias" to various fields of learning (early 20th century) there was Bertrand Russell, a first-rate communicator and philosopher, giving fundamentalist religion a very unkind treatment. "OMG demunz!" was properly the best response the WT could muster at that time.
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  DATA-DOG

  I could not agree more with the OP, with one exception. I dont really believe in the God of the Bible, for various reasons.

  JWs don't know what many things are. That's what happens when you are educated through the pages of the WT and Awake Magazine. They are fed a steady diet of cult propaganda 24/7. The result is that over 7 million people believe whatever ideas 8 men from New York decide to print, right or wrong. This is perfect for the WTBTS as the money continues to flow, tax free of course.

  In Dubland:

  Philosophy = teachings of demons

  Critical thinking = negative thinking

  education = independent thinking

  reasoning and research = disrespect for the "Channel of God"/ 8 humans in a corporation

  A massive education program is needed if the average dub is to be freed from the cult. This is nearly impossible. The only real hope would be the utter destruction of the cult. Anyone who doesn't leap from a window might have a chance to accept help. It's just too hard to reason with someone who has to be deprogrammed and taught what normal people have acquired over time and through experience.

  DD
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  OnTheWayOut

  What is so great for Bible believers is that they can use the Bible to say anything they want to say. Pinku takes an English definition of a Greek word and applies a Hebrew scripture to a word within to tie "God" to what s/he sees as a positive view of philosophy. Then, calling this theistic view "sheer common sense" is a preemptive attack on any contrary view, such as an atheistic view (or the view espoused by JW's).

  While I can agree that JW's mislead in one direction on philosophy, so this poster does the same in another direction.

  It is wonderful to learn differing philosophies, even the ones you disagree with. I don't know about ancient definitions from Socrates or others, but modern definitions do not necessarily include delighting God or feeling whole or even doing good toward others. Those things c a n be part of your phiIosophy but keeping your view so narrow makes your philosophy just as inexcusable as that of JW's.