Conscience Issues

by NotFormer 7 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  NotFormer

  Thought inspired by my post on tattoos: within the Watchtower organisation, how many "conscience issues" actually are? Are people who actually do exercise their consciences in grey areas painting a target on their backs for the more hard-line dubs? Are they quietly avoided because " Bad associations spoil useful habits"? Are they watched especially carefully for any actual disfellowshipable behaviour?

  What are some examples of "conscience issues" that most dubs in good standing would avoid anyway?
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  neat blue dog

  Tattoos

  Beards

  Dressed nicely but without a tie, suit jacket and/or skirt.

  Online dating, even if only with fellow JWs

  Getting too interested in or talking about uncomfortable facts of JW history

  Non-missionary intimacy with mate
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  smiddy3

  Maybe we could add

  smoking ?

  Alcohol ?

  soft drugs ?

  I personally new of Elders and MS, who smoked and drank alcohol ,how much is too much and how little can we get away with ?

  To each his own I say.

  Whatever grabs your fancy.

  Who can live in this world without some small vice ? as you get older ?
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  TonusOH

  I don't think alcohol is a conscience matter. I think they're pretty clear on the guidance: it's okay to drink alcohol. It's not okay to get drunk.

  Now, smoking is a firm no, as far as I understand.

  I thought that there was a time when some of the blood issues were left to the individual's conscience? Not full blood transfusions, but fractions, like for hemophiliacs?

  In CoC, Ray Franz mentioned the issues they had with trying to regulate intimacy for married couples. It became such a mess that they finally just relegated it to a conscience matter.
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  road to nowhere

  "Bible trained conscience " of course that really means watchtower article.

  Atheists, agnostics, non xtian religions all have an inborn sense of justice
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  stan livedeath

  your jw conscience issues are whatever the elders decide them to be.
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  BluesBrother

  Many years back the WT ran a series of study articles on the “Christian Conscience” and made clear that we carry the responsibility for the outcome of such decisions w make..

  That was then. Today the Org. has become much more black and white with people spoon fed instructions... It does not make for a mature Christian society.
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  NotFormer

  Bluesbrother, can you think of any examples where they have published definite black and white directives as opposed to a previous conscience based stance?