holly:
I hear ya. There are things I agree with JWs on and things I disagree on.
I too do not agree with the Trinity teaching, which is part of the reason I shy away from most churches because they seem to push it so. I think the context of the Bible really shows Jesus was created by God, he is God's son, he is mighty but not almighty, he is not God himself but he is God's perfect creation who sacrificed his perfect human life so we may receive everlasting life (I'm not sure where that everlasting life will be yet but I'm doing my research). But, I do believe the JWs have doctored the Bible and misquoted sources to support their beliefs. Why not let the Bible stand on it's own. It already proves their point IMHO. Why change Jo. 1:1. Just tells me that they are willing to do anything to ensure their teachings hold true.
I also believe that a God of love would not torment people eternally. I cannot believe he would want people shunned either though. Nor would he destroy all but JWs. He already promised Noah he would never do that again. Things just don't jive there. They make God seem loving in one respect and yet they negate that love in others.
I believe we must have faith in Jesus's sacrifice and we must take in knowledge of him and of God. I do not believe that faith is based on works to the extent that JWs do though. They require complete dedication to their organization, field service, 5 weekly meetings, studying of the WT, bookstudy material, KM, etc. I believe faith is based on works to the extent that our faith is demonstrated in the way we live our lives and in the way we manifest God and his word to others.
I believe we need to make sure of all things and test what we believe constantly. I know now that this is not so with JWs. They want you to believe what they tell you and then continue learning from them as your only source for truth. The Bible should be the source for truth and they are not the only source for information on the Bible. Why is it not ok to question their interpretations? Why is it not ok to disagree with an elder when he makes no sense? As a sister you could be disfellowshipped for that. I have been in committee meetings where elders felt they had the absolute say on a matter and I was not to question it because not only were they telling me what The Society says but also I was a sister and needed to be submissive to them. They take power and control to a new level and I don't see Jesus behaving that way toward women at all in the Bible.
I also do not want to ever receive a blood transfusion (not for religious reasons though). I believe in using condoms and I would never accept another person's blood inside me. Just personal preference. I don't know why the JWs take the scriptures regarding blood literally and yet water them down. They don't accept blood transfusions but then they will now accept blood parts. What's the difference? There are also other things the Bible says to abstain from and yet the JWs do not abstain from those things. Why not? Why blood and not fat?
"Taking blood into the body through mouth or veins violates God?s laws." The Jehovah?s Witnesses are perhaps best known to other Americans as people who won?t allow themselves or their children to have blood transfusions. In fact, they will go so far as to allow a loved one to die rather than accept a transfusion, as they believe transfusions are a gross violation of God?s law. They support this notion with these verses: "Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood" (Gen. 9:4). "You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood" (Lev. 17:14). "For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from unchastity" (Acts 15:28, 29).
There are several problems with interpreting these verses to mean that transfusions are forbidden, not the least of which is the fact that the context is referring to animal blood, not human blood. Moreover, there is a great difference between eating blood and receiving a life-giving blood transfusion. Eating blood was wrong because it profaned the life of the animal. But for a person to willingly share his blood intravenously in order to share life with someone does not profane anything. Indeed, even ultra-Orthodox Jews, who strictly observe the Old Testament kosher laws, recognize that blood transfusions are not prohibited by the command not to eat blood.
The Witnesses must avoid other problematic passages that deal with God?s prohibition of eating blood because these passages include a prohibition against eating fat. Witnesses do not believe eating fat is wrong, and would see no problem at all with someone munching on fried pork rinds (i.e., deep-fried pieces of pig fat) or sitting down to dinner and enjoying a nice fatty cut of prime rib. But their vehement opposition to eating blood, when contrasted with their approval of eating fat, presents a serious problem for them. Why? Because Leviticus, the book they go to in order to substantiate their prohibition of eating (and receiving transfusions of) blood, contains, in the same passages, prohibitions against eating fat.
Consider these examples: "It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places, that you eat neither fat nor blood" (Lev. 3:17). "The Lord said to Moses, ?Say to the people of Israel, You shall eat no fat, of ox, or sheep, or goat. The fat of an animal that dies of itself, and the fat of one that is torn by beasts, may be put to any other use, but on no account shall you eat it. For every person who eats of the fat of an animal of which an offering by fire is made to the Lord shall be cut off from his people. Moreover you shall eat no blood whatever, whether of fowl or of animal, in any of your dwellings. Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people?" (Lev 7:22?27).
These verses and others like them are difficult for Witnesses to explain, given that they lean heavily on the prohibitions against eating blood. It?s totally inconsistent to maintain that God?s "perpetual statute" against eating blood must be observed, while his "perpetual statute" (that appears in the very same context) against eating fat can be safely ignored. On this subject, as on many others, the Witnesses are highly selective and must ignore much of the Bible in order to make their beliefs seem "biblical."
Also, the Old Testament dietary laws simply don?t apply to Christians today (cf. Col. 2:16?17, 22), and the ones given at the Council of Jerusalem passed into disuse as Jewish conversions to Christianity became uncommon toward the end of the first century and the Church became mainly Gentile. They weren?t immutable doctrines, but disciplinary rules.Have you read "Chrisis of Conscience"? I would suggest you do so prior to making any permanent decisions. There are so many decisions the Governing Body and the WTBTS have made, which have affected millions of brothers and sisters and many of those decisions were made based not on solid Bible council but on personal opinion.
Have you read "Crisis of Conscience"? I would suggest you do so prior to making any permanent decisions. In that book you will see so many decisions the Governing Body and WTBTS have made, which affected millions of brothers and sisters personal lives, health, marriages, sex lives, etc. And yet allot of those decisions were not based on concrete Bible evidence but on personal opinion. There are so many citations from the literature, letters from the WTBTS, etc. in that book to back up every word.
I have come to the conclusion that I cannot put my faith in a manmade organization. I refuse to allow a bunch of men make decisions for me when I am the one (along with my family and children) who will live with the consequences of those decisions. I look to the Bible and I do what you are doing. I search through various sources to find what I believe to be truth.
I too agree you need to do what makes you feel happy, what makes you feel good with God and what makes your conscience clean and I respect that. I respect your beliefs and your opinions.
