The Business Man Parable

by _Atlas 6 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  _Atlas

  Mr. Jones is the CEO of this Mega company who is interested in dealing with a small company on the far east. When the time is near to complete the deal he, instead of making the trip personally, sends his son to refine it for him. Vicepresident Jones Jr. flies to Asia and meets for a while with representatives from the foreign company. When he is done he returns to headquarters and leaves plenty of instructions. The staff from the far east company, after a couple of weeks, start finishing up the paper work for the deal when they start wondering who they met. Was that CEO Jones Sr.? Although in some places in the meeting minutes he tells otherwise on other circumstances it seems to the foreign language Asian staff that he was CEO Jones Sr. instead. Everyone has their own personal interpretation. So eventually they decide on the latter and prepare to sign the deal. When the time comes to do so the real CEO, Mr. Jones Sr. flies to Asia. Surprised the members of the small company ask him for Mr Jones Jr. thinking he was the CEO. Mr. Jones Sr. explains that Jr. was here to fine-tune the negotiations and he was not the CEO but only a VP though he had his approval to do so?

  Would Mr Jones Sr. be a good business man, a good father and an fair person if he decides to scratch the whole deal for confusing him with Jr., his emissary, right hand, vicepresident and only loved son?

  Would God do the same?
• 

  _Atlas

  Why it didn't show on the list?
• 

  AlmostAtheist

  By your illustration, are you trying to show that it doesn't much matter if people think Jesus is God, or if he is the son of God? Like the big trinity/no-trinity issue is not really a big issue at all?

  If that's your point, then I would say I agree. (Not sure how many Christians would, but I do)

  If that's not your point, could you clarify it?

  Dave
• 

  _Atlas

  That’s precisely my point.

  Given the relation between God and his son, should this be such an issue to cause division? Would God be loving and forgiving if he would judge people for trusting their religions on this?

  IMHO the picture Christianity paints of God is in direct contraposition of the good qualities they attributes to him...

  Why should Christians differ from this point of view?

  BTW the second post was a mistake… sorry about that.
• 

  Carmel

  Although I can't quote the exact scripture, I believe Jesus gave the clue to understanding the apparent dichotomy in the bible regarding the "trinity". He refered to Himself as the "image" and/or "mirror" of His Father. As such, all we would ever know about the Father is by our looking at the mirror. If we call "it" God, we are in a sense correct, but if we differentiate it as the "perfect reflection of God", again we are correct. That Christianity in the most part has taken the literalist approach to understanding the scriptures is lamentable, but then that is the history of all the world's religions. When metaphorical and symbolic images are interpreted literally, all kinds of contradictions creep in and soon sects and divisions result from the conflict. Christianity, above all the worlds religions, has become fractured and disunified, mostly over scriptural hairsplitting.

  carmel
• 

  BluesBrother

  I like your point.

  Would God be loving and forgiving if he would judge people for trusting their religions on this?

  in fact would a reasonable and just father figure or God judge anybody as wicked simply because they trusted the religion of their community? even if it was 'wrong' in some points of doctrine... It certainly is not an act of wickedness to follow a mistaken belief , especially if that belief is still broadly in favour of God and teaches good habits to one's fellow man.

  The whole idea of "False Religion" is an invention of narrow minded fudamentalists who just have to prove themselves more righteous than another person
• 

  _Atlas

  Carmel:

  That Christianity in the most part has taken the literalist approach to understanding the scriptures is lamentable, but then that is the history of all the world's religions. When metaphorical and symbolic images are interpreted literally, all kinds of contradictions creep in and soon sects and divisions result from the conflict. Christianity, above all the worlds religions, has become fractured and disunified, mostly over scriptural hairsplitting.

  Exactly Carmel. I used this example on several JWs and it brought the conversation to an end (I interpret that as a positive sign). JWs forget that most people do not learn the biblical languages and can only pick between interpretations of different schools of thought. Most will stick with their fathers? religion. Dooming these people on this an several other issues is like claiming that God only gives pass and fail grades and brush aside accounts like that of David and others where good intentions outweigh bad actions?

  Blues:

  in fact would a reasonable and just father figure or God judge anybody as wicked simply because they trusted the religion of their community? even if it was 'wrong' in some points of doctrine... It certainly is not an act of wickedness to follow a mistaken belief , especially if that belief is still broadly in favour of God and teaches good habits to one's fellow man.

  The whole idea of "False Religion" is an invention of narrow minded fudamentalists who just have to prove themselves

  more righteous than another person

  On this issue I like the approach of some Christians that teach that all others are good but they just follow what they think is best. On these and other issues they show a maturity that the JWs lack. Perhaps since their churches are more ?developed? they turn away from this stance. Like the emphasis on themselves; It seems pretty obvious that they are failing to prove it to the rest of the world now-a-days?

  Perhaps this parable plants the seed in some lurkers? minds and show them that the characteristics they attribute God with, conflict with many of their teachings.