by Dawn 50 Replies latest jw friends
If we want to worship God acceptably, we must know the truth. This is an important issue. Our eternal happiness depends on it. Therefore, everyone should ask himself: 'Is my way of worship acceptable to God? Am I genuinely interested in learning the truth of God's Word? Or am I afraid of what a careful investigation might reveal?'
um.......yea....so.........tell me again why I would get in trouble for reading Crisis of Conscience?
Good one, Dawn! I'm marking that in WTLIB for future use. The hypocrisy in the WTS regarding examining your religion is disgusting.
I guess for the WTS the operative words would be "careful investigation". For them, that means relying solely on the society's publications.
Walter
Ontario District Overbeer
Dawn
You won't find the truth by reading Crisis of Conscience, you will only end up in a spiritual vacuum.
scholar
BA MA Studies in Religion
scholar....don't you get sarcasm when you read it? Truthfully - I only meant that it is one of many books you could use to research the JW religion. To research something you should be willing to listen to both sides - positive and negative.
I am now a born again Christian - but I still continue to research my beliefs - I don't think people should ever stop listening and having an open mind. For me that means I need to listen to what athiests have to say as well as other religious beliefs (yes...including JW and Mormon) - then research it and make my decision.
IMHO: The only person in a spiritual vacuum is the one who thinks they already know all there is to know and are no longer searching.
Excuse me Scholar, but a BA and MA in Studies in Religion prepares one to become a modern day Pharisee, like Paul, for instance. Instead of Crises of Conscience, you are predilected to the contents of some other people's books. No big deal.
It was not from the learned men of his time that Jesus took his apostles, but from the common men. This clearly indicates that the common man could understand even the deep things of God.
So what's your excuse for waving around your two sheepskins; you got ego problems there scholar?
francois
um.......yea....so.........tell me again why I would get in trouble for reading Crisis of Conscience?
You won't find the truth by reading Crisis of Conscience, you will only end up in a spiritual vacuum.
Uh, scholar, would you mind terribly answering Dawn's question ? Even this non college educated idiot can see thru your bait and switch tactics. Answer the damn question!!!
Dawn
Please be assured that I am very much open minded and have been even since becoming a Witnes in 1964. Further to this I obtained academic qualifications in Phillosophy and Religious Studies whilst a active Witness and wil be applying for doctoral studies in Religious Studies next year, If that does not prove that I am open minded and able to think critically about all matters religious then I do not know what would.
The Crisis of Conscience iis a most interesting book but I have some difficulty with anyone who has been converted in at least an intellestual sense for most of his life and then suuddenly goes from one form Christianity to some other form of Chriustianity. I believe that what is at issue is integrity and I do not believe that the author of this book has integrity.
scholar
BA AM Studies in Religion
Scholar,
when you mention 'integrity' wrt to the COC book and it's author, what exactly do you mean? Do you mean that the contents, substance of the book portray the author as lacking 'integrity', or do you refer to somemething else?
Do you doubt that the COC book exposes some 'truth' about the organization which you've beena member of since 1964?
Per your qualifications, I'm assuming BA stands for Bachelor of (the) Arts, or sth like that. What does 'AM' stand for?
scholar:
Definition of integrity: possession of firm principles: the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or professional standards
This would encompass leaving a religion you have found to be amoral, hypocritical, and hateful. I would imagine a person with less integrity would have stayed, in comfort, where they had been their whole lives.
Happyout (stomping away muttering about self righteous assholes who sit in judgement on others)
