by 4JWY 158 Replies latest jw friends
Just a comment about Christian Scientist and the effectiveness of court orders: the governments stance of granting a quick court order to save the life of a JW child works fairly well simply because it only comes into play in emergency, already-in-medical-care situations, generally speaking.
Christian Scientist shun medical care altogether, and therefore by the time a "court order" would be called for, horrible damage is likely to have been done.
Hi Alan,
You know, I copied your posts to Word to answer them. It was four pages long. I'm not going to spend a good part of my Sunday refuting what you wrote.
I do NOT agree with you. I think you?re leaving out the fact that there?s a wide spectrum of religious/harmful practices and just because I concur murderous groups should be outlawed does not mean that I think it would apply to ALL "harmful" groups.
You brought in so many points from groups advocating my sister kill me or that people should have affairs, that you have ?drowned me in paperwork,? lol.
According to your reasoning, the US and most of the free world is presently allowing a religion that demands child sacrifice, family breakups, and child abuse by policy. But, before this gets interpreted as condoning these things, I hope the present work of Silent Lambs, Freeminds, and others does force WT to change their interpretation of the Bible for safety. That's a far cry from banning the entire religion as you seem to advocate. There's other ways of handling it.
So, we agree to disagree. Feel free to rebut this, but I?m done with this tedious, imo, discussion. We?re not in a court of law and I don?t feel like spending so much time on a difference of opinion on this discussion board to debate this. I've probably said too much already and hope you don't parse this too. We don't agree and I'm letting it go. You've made good points and are skillful at debating, but that doesn't convince me. And you don't have to convince me.
Respectfully,
Pat
HS, a good point about licensing. I think you're right, it's better than outright banning. Of course, a lot of people would point out that in practice it amounts to the same thing. I won't shed any tears.
Patio, remember that the devil is in the details. If you don't form opinions based on the details, then your opinions are by definition based on emotion, not reason. We may agree to disagree, but I can explain the reason for my opinions.
AlanF
I just hope that maybe, if the rank and file find out about this, they read what it is talking about, and that is the destruction of family.
I don't care what people want to believe, as long as it is moral and legal. However, the WTS is very destructive in their teachings regarding life (blood issue), and family and friends. Just because you don't believe like they do they promote and insist on severing the ties to that ex-member. That, is what is wrong.
I would love for many witnesses to realize that is what this is all about. I don't think the majority of us would have a problem with the witnesses like we do if they were much more relaxed about those issues.
Thank you all for showing such an interest in the first thread I began. I appreciated hearing all of your thoughts.
Patio:: Hi, and interesting to have met you too. I have not addressed your questions/comments and won't be as we just had our obligatory visit from the elders at our door for the past two hours and I am spent. They came, on this, the day of the big event, to invite us to it. Quite an interesting conversation ensued.
Have a great day all -
4JWY
freedom96: WELL SAID
Hi Alan,
You smugly opined:
If you don't form opinions based on the details, then your opinions are by definition based on emotion, not reason.
What I said was:
I copied your posts to Word to answer them. It was four pages long. I'm not going to spend a good part of my Sunday refuting what you wrote.Why is my deciding not to use my free time refuting you necessitate that my opinions are based on emotion? It's hardly consistent.
Pat:
Anyone learning the Bible well is taught to hate.
Ya reck'n?
Maybe if you stop at Malachi and pick it up again at Revelation. However that would be missing the point of the entire book, IMHO.
LT,
I agree with you. Though I am not likely in my agnostic leanings to extol the virtues of many parts of the Bible which are imho another erratic attempt at man trying to bridge the enormous gulf between himself and the mystery that lies at the root of existence, and then either forcing, blackmailing or cajoling others to believe as he does, I do see in the Bible one or two quite unique theological characteristics.
For example, I have yet to find the teaching of ?love your enemies? in any other religion, expressed quite in the unique way that Christianity does. ?Agape? is a beautiful word, with beautiful sentiments and virtually unplayed outside a Christian framework.
I have seen attempts by people to compare the Christian ?love ones enemies? with Buddhist ideology over certain matters, but often the true understanding of what ?agape? means is missed.
The parable of the ?Prodigal Son? is another very beautiful object lesson, missed so easily. To me this parable is all about God letting go, not about God demanding worship. If I were a believer I would spend my time trying to get other Christians to see that God is so full of love he is willing lets his creatures go and then live in hope himself.
Augustine thinking, which shaped and in many ways determined how Christians believe today, is imho one of the most destructive forces to have been unleashed on mankind, diverting many of Christ?s simple teachings into an emotionally destructive Manichaeistic mindset that has resulted in misery and ecological ( yes I mean ecological ) disaster. The day Augustine thinking triumphed over Pleagiun thought was a sad one for the Western World.
I am preparing a two part article for the Board about this very issue. I do hope you get an opportunity to read it, as I would be interested in your comments.
All this from a non-believer?lol
Best regards - HS
Little Toe,
That was a thoughtless comment of mine about the Bible and I retract it. Parts of the Bible can reflect hatred, but you're entirely right that much of it are about love.
I apologize to you, HS, and any other Christians here. My idea behind the statement was that JWs use their own interpretation and emphasis on different scriptures than the majority of Christians and Jewish people.
Pat
