JW Distinctions w/o a Difference

by Amazing1914 18 Replies latest jw friends

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  Amazing1914

  Distinctions without a difference: Issues regarding JW beliefs and teachings bugged me going into the religion, and bugged me until I left. They are those oh so all-important claims they make that other religions are doing such bad things ... yet they do the same thing ... but, they manage to draw some kind of technical distinction that really makes no difference.

  There are many of these hypocritical or dual standards in the JW religion. Here are two I can think of at the moment:

  Clergy Class : I fail to see the difference between Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, and Popes vs. Circuit and District Overseers, Elders and Governing Body. Except for Priest and Bishop, none of these titles are in the Bible. And frankly, except for some vague issue with the term 'father' the Bible really does not endorse or condemn the use of titles.

  Repetitious Prayers : Catholics are accustomed to certain formal prayers said from prayer cards. This practice was used by the early Christians to say the Lord's Prayer and the Apostles Creed ... a practice utterly condemned by the Watchtower organization. JWs taught me that my prayers must be from the heart only ... and never repetitious or formally by rote. Yet, JWs are exhorted by the organization to sing loudly with vigor, because their songs are a form of worshipful prayer. How many times have JWs repeated these prayer-like songs? Catholics also pray from the heart in non-formal prayers. So, what is the difference?

  What distinctions without a difference do you find with JW teachings?
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  paws

  Hi: newbie here

  Absolutely agree.

  Clergy class or heirarchy does exist within org which can open the way to special treatment or the opposite being, the weight of being held up as an example.(given a halo to wear)!

  Churches are critisized for claiming to be God's reps on earth yet that's what org does
• 

  RunningMan

  I can never argue the presence/coming thing without getting mad.

  JWs seem to think that Jesus came in 1914 (18?), and is currently present. But his second coming has not happened yet. It is still future.

  I maintain that if he is present, then he has already come. He can't come if he's already here.

  Then they say, "well he came in the sense that...." and he is present "in the sense that..." and "in the future he will come in the sense that..."

  You just know that whenever you hear those 4 words, something stupid is about to happen.
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  Elsewhere

  They say they are "Spirit Directed" and "God's Sole Channel of Communication" yet they deny being Prophets.
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  zen nudist

  They say they are "Spirit Directed" and "God's Sole Channel of Communication" yet they deny being Prophets.

  yes spirit DIRECTED but NOT inspired .... well what does inspired mean other than spirit directed?
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  IP_SEC

  Denying that they are a prophet exempts them from deut 18:20-22.
  1. They are a prophet because they act like one, regardless of what they say
  2. They do claim to be a prophet.

  There is an authentic prophetic class of Christians among us. Jehovah has raised up a genuine 'prophet' within our generation. Regardless of how Christendom views or regards this group of anointed witnesses (a moniker of the FDS)of Jehovah, the time must come, and that shortly, when those making up Christendom will know that really a 'prophet' of Jehovah was among them {TNSK 58-9/61/66}
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  RunningMan

  Voting is up to your concience. Your concience bloody well tell you not to vote. If you do it, God will kill you.

  JWs are not the only ones who will survive Armagedon. God is the only one who will decide who makes it. It just so happens that God will decide that only JWs get through Armagedon.
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  Amazing1914

  RM,

  Voting is up to your concience. Your concience bloody well tell you not to vote.

  This is great ... and so true.

  IP-SEC: Excellent ...

  Elsewhere: Absolutely!
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  Pole

  I call them replacement doctrines. More examples:
  
  1) There is no catholic-like confession (They just have Judicial Committees).
  
  2) There's no immortal soul (With the exception of the 144K annointed ones who get resurrected as immortal spirits)
  
  3) God doesn't want small children to die and become his little angels (unless saving the child's life invovles breaching the blood policy)
  
  4) Jehovah's Witnesses encourage everyone to openly discuss religious matters (unless you want to openly discuss them with other witnesses)
  
  5) True christians are not supposed to get involved with the political institutions of this world (unless they badly need a library card)
  
  Pole
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  Pole

  Re: JW Distinctions w/o a Difference
  
  BTW, Amazing1914: There usually IS a difference. The JW hidden doctrines tend to be worse. Think of having to choose between anonymous confession and being judged by a judicial committee made up of a few WTS policemen who decide you have to be publically reproved for (gasp) getting drunk!
  
  Pole