Would some of us be better off as Witnesses? (page 9)

Gary1914

And we may find that some are valid, others invalid

According to whom? Who gets to be the judge? You? Me? Or is it between the individual and their God? I believe the latter to be true.

Edited by - Gary1914 on 22 December 2002 18:7:38

It's so interesting that Dr. Bergman has been attending a Methodist Church.....and I visited one last week. My daughter attends. I had a panic attack within 5 minutes and had to rush out like an idiot. Did not go back, btw.

Had lunch with the minister & his wife at the Country Club (thanks to sil) and was interesting. One of the things I gathered is that some people use their religion as a community center along with the religion. Okay. Makes sense. Remember Little House on the Prarie? How else did they find out who was lost in the terrible snow storm.....congregate at the church.

Okay....updated........the church is a community. It helps on many levels. I saw childchare there. MANY old people, some teenagers, women in pants, women giving part of the talk with no kleenex on.

All in all, it wasn't that bad. I miss community. A community wherein I had the freedom to come & go, to be treated as somewhat equal to a man, a community where I could question (and it is so at this church) MIGHT not be that bad.

I might not buy into everything......but a community might not be such a bad thing.

waiting

JT

As a woman I had no rights or credibility. That alone should be reason enough for women to wake up and realize that the WTBTS is no different than the numerous repressive societies

you should talk to Lady "C" - she hated the way women were treated, i was always being told by other elders to "CHECK YOUR WIFE"

SMILE

Jerry Bergman

In response to: According to whom? Who gets to be the judge? You? Me? my answer would be neither of us but the facts as determined by a impartial investigation (and especially a scientific investigation). An example is, how do we know that the heart pumps blood? It was believed my most everyone that the heart was the mind and was the seat of the emotions (thus, when one got upset the heart would beat faster) until William Harvey proved that the heart is a pump that pumped the blood throughout the body. Everyone who is informed now acknowledges this (and if you doubt it you can do experiments that prove it) although in a 1971 article the Watchtower tried to argue that the heart was the seat of emotions! This blatant ignoring of reality was one of many reasons that I eventually left the Watchtower. They were wrong and it was not a matter of my or anyone else's opinion, but demonstrated fact. Likewise with religion, we should be able to at least prove in the same way at least some of the major ideas of a faith (and if any are proven wrong this says that we should look elsewhere). If I said the heart pumps blood, and you said that is your opinion, I could prove it to you by experiment if one was willing to look into it. The key is fact, not opinion.

Jerry Bergman

Dear Waiting Thanks for the note! I am glad to hear that you are searching! And remember, with a large denomination an important factor is the pastor and the congregation. There are answers out there to at least many of our questions!

jasnowidz

Jehovah's Witnesses Exposed - http://www.bible.ca/jw.htm
Exposes the history of the organization, the prophecy blunders, deceptive quotive, doctrinal flip flops, and corruption within the Jehovah's Witness organization.

Jerry Bergman

JT

I was always being told by other elders to "CHECK YOUR WIFE" I detect some bragging here. Just kidding (this background helps me and others know where you are coming from). You are now a person with a past.

Kingpawn

Jerry,

Kingpawn: True the "we are the only way" mindset, which leads to smugness, superior feelings, jihad's, Crusades, and secular wars where the "Bible-based" churches have blessed the soldiers of both sides, among other "bad fruits." is a big problem but does this mean that all religious beliefs are equally good? Obviously not. Even though this is true, we still have to evaluate and research the truth and the validity of each religious belief (and all other beliefs as well). And we may find that some are valid, others invalid

Many of the non-Christian religions, while not holding to the "letter" of Christianity as far as beliefs, might be seen as being closer to the "spirit" of the message Jesus preached--concern for fellow humans, nonjudgmentalism,pacificism, being more concerned for the spiritual rather than the financial, than the churches claiming to follow Him today.

rebel

Gary1914 wrote - "Jehovah's Witnesses do not teach morality. They legislate morality. If you are not moral you will be punished. So witnesses out of fear of losing friends and family are moral."

That is brilliant and sums it up perfectly. As a JW, I did things and didn't do other things out of fear - fear of the organisation. What has that got to do with a God of love? This is so far removed from the teachings of Christ, it is laughable. How can you call yourself a Christian and be devoid of love, compassion, humilty etc as many elders are? I am not saying all elders, but a substantial amount. They are supposed to be setting an example.

I would not be better off as a JW. It would make things easier and less painful regarding my family, as I have said on other threads, but I can't go back to all that hypocrisy. I know I will find it hard and will be treated unkindly by the JW community where I live, but I am preparing myself for that and I won't be going back.

gumby

Hey Jerry,

You said...There are answers out there to at least many of our questions!

Yes there is alright. I'll bet if you got in your car and visited all the churches with the same questions.....you would come home with a trunkload of different answers too.Which one has it right? Why, it's the one we feel most good about or comfortable with correct? Does that make it correct?

I realize we cannot go through life wondering all the time if this or that is right.....we have to go with instinct sometimes. My point was.......if the bible is really Gods guide.......why is it so vaugue that so many interpret it differently?

My point is.....you said there are answers to questions out there......and you never even took an intrest in my questions to you about the bible being authentic from god.I asked if you studied the skeptical side and you rode right past my post. Why?

I guess I don't care if people choose your path....but I do care that people see the other side of the coin at least......then decide.

Would some of us be better off as Witnesses?

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