If we take a look at the mental energy that must have been expended in contributing to threads on this board regarding various concepts of Christianity it does not seen unlikely that, if it could have been "bottled" and kept, it could be used to power the next space shuttle.
Is this what Christianity is all about? Is it just one gigantic intellectual exercise that is only an option to those with the mental capacity to understand the never ending theorys put forward by all and sundry regarding its practice and Bible understanding? I believe that this would exclude at least two thirds of the worlds population from ever becoming, what many seem to believe are, true Christians.
Just try wading through some of the threads on this board on Beliefs, Doctrines and Practices and what I am saying becomes obvious. The intellectual and technical discussions are fantastic if you happen to be an intellectual with an over active imagination, but what happens if youre not, where does that leave you?
Some of the more recent Christian religions to come on the scene require a computer and the knowledge to use it in order to take part. There are many people in the world that would like to just have the electricty, never mind the computer.
As far as I can see, the WTS with its "perm any two from a hundred" list of beliefs and doctrines are no more guilty than any of the other Christian religions in this respect
Like most people, I do not have the answers, just the questions.
I was a WTS study for about six years (a record?) and rose to the dizzy heights of Unbaptised Publisher. I should add that this was at the insistence of my JW family. Fortunately I was saved in a different way when new light was shed on new light, thus illuminating the fact that studies were baptised within six months or else. Consequently I got the boot. So (apart from this) what stopped me in my tracks?
Simple! I just could not get my head round all the WTS material in a way that could make sense of it. But just as importantly I could not find a Witness who could either, and I met some high powered people during my six years. All I got in the way of answers from the most intelligent ones I could find was " Oh you are just not spiritual enough" and "Oh you dont want to find the truth" and "Oh you just do not have enough faith".
Some of these people were those who had spent long periods in prison for their beliefs or years in Bethel (same thing?) or as missionaries so they had devoted their entire lives to something that I did not have the intellectual capacity to even understand. How wonderful!
Apparently all this intellectual stuff can only be understood if you have enough faith to accept what you are told without question. This being the case why bother with it in the first place?
Not understanding the concept of most of these fancy doctrines meant that I did not believe the most outrageous ones (607 1914, faithful and discreet slave etc) and since I could not possibly have ever tried to get someone else to believe them, this precluded me from continuing to go out on the Ministry.
Any comments on faith versus intellect and where the dividing line is, if any?
Or is the question too intellectual?
link