If the Jehovah Witnesses are really the one and only true religion, and we did quit, then I agree that we are apostates. But since we seem to all agree that they made wrong prophesies, and changed so often the meaning of the bible, why then do we call ourselves apostates? If we quit a religion that didn't have the truth, then why are we so hard on ourselves? And if we are really apostates, then why do we celebrate and joke about it?
Are we really apostates?
by JH 16 Replies latest jw friends
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herself
Of course we aren't *really* apostates. It's a label applied by the WTS to people like us. But it is only by their definition we are apostates. By my own definition, I'm of course not an apostate.
However, I wear the label proudly. To be a JW apostate means we've broken free of that false religion, or that controlling cult, or however the definition fits for you.
If I was still a JW, then apostate would be a dirty word. I'd gasp in self-rightous horror that so and so had become an apostate. In my own haughty JW way, I'd turn my nose up and be holier-than-thou.
But from this side of the fence, hey the word "apostate" when applied to be in relation to the WTS, makes me feel GOOD.
H.S.
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jgnat
If we take a term that is meant to be derogatory and make it our own, do we remove it's power to hurt us?
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Mr Spock
If you think about it --- Jesus was an apostate. So- logically-- we are in good company!!
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Beck_Melbourne
Apostate here and proud of it!
You would have to be a believer (which I am not any longer) to consider yourself an apostate. When I first left the troof, I made an effort to steer clear of anything remotely close to apostasy...that's because I still believed.
Now that I don't believe...thanks to some help from this board and Ray Franz, I no longer regard myself as an Apostate.
I had a conversation with an inactive dub a few weeks ago, and he said that he found my new found beliefs disturbing..."bordering apostasy" as he put it. I then explained to him that the WT's defnition does not apply to me, since I do not follow their teachings any longer and I disassociated myself from the organisation. However, if he is still a believer of the WT, then I am NOT borderline, I'm "all the way baby".
~Beck~
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kelpie
I personally hate the label "apostate". But i know what I am doing is right
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Francois
Calling ourselves apostates with a sort of levity is, IMHO, a manner of thumbing our noses at the JWs. To them, we are apostates, the lowest of the low. We are in a manner saying, "Ain't no big deal. It's just them crazy JWs, what the f**k do they know about it?"
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OUTLAW
A lot of people have fun joking around about being an apostate.I for one refuse to be labeled by the Great Harlot,the WBTS..I am not an apostate,and I know the words to the Beef-a-roni song..LOL!...OUTLAW
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Mary
Doesn't the word "apostate" mean: "A falling away from God"? If this is the case, then I would suggest that, seeing as the Governing Body members are knowingly promoting false doctrines and yet proclaim that they and they alone "know" God, than it it they who are truly apostates, not us. In their quest for absolute control, they have abandoned God and all that he stands for. I would not want to be in their shoes on Judgement Day.
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onacruse
Actually, the Greek root verb aphistemi, with its NT derivatives apostasia and apostasion, is a very generic term for "to put away (transitive sense)" or "to depart (intransitive sense)." Most of the Biblical usages have nothing to do with defection from a religion.
With this in mind, I am happy to be identified as an "apostate," since I HAVE put away a lot of garbage and departed from my previous life-long mindset.
Craig