If the Watchtower crumbles will God survive?

by truth_about_the_truth 25 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  truth_about_the_truth

  Now that she's out, she often mentions how much closer she feels to god.

  Yeah I feel the same way. The more I distance myself from the WT teachings, the closer I feel to God.

  I always pictured him to be this shining entity sitting on a throne somewhere out in space. Stern and judgemental. It was difficult for me to feel any kind of closeness to someone like that. I think the way the WT portrays him has a lot to do with that perception.

  Now I feel that we are within him and he is within us. I believe there is a scripture that says that somewhere. I see him more as a reflection of Jesus than at anytime before.
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  myelaine

  truth _about_the_truth said:

  How does a Jehovah's Witness view God when they have seen the human nature of the Watchtower organization? It is not uncommon in this situation for a Witness to begin to doubt that there even is a God.

  This is sad but so true. I blame the WBTS for destroying faith in God.

  Luther believed that the Catholic church played alternatly upon fear and hope. God was popularily displayed not as a loving Father but as a terrifying Judge, and Christ not as a tender sheperd but as the Great Avenger. The role of compassion was assigned rather to the Virgin Mary and the saints.Gods and Christs favor must be won by honoring the virgin mary and the saints .

  The same can be said for the WBTS in this age. In order to gain favor with God one must obey the WBTS or die at the hands of the Great Avenger. There can be no middle ground in their eyes. Because of this, some people tend to avoid the whole issue of God and let any faith in God that they had in the beginning to fade to non existance or to begin to hate God or deny Him all together. In this regard I believe that the WBTS has blood on their hands, in that many have died in this state. Not reconsiled with their heavenly Father. Shame on the WBTS.

  michelle
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  peacefulpete

  Karen Armstrong wrote about her own secret feelings of distance from the "god" dispite her devoting her life to "god" as a nun. In fact all sane religious people have moments of lucidity wherein they sense they are attatched to a concept rather than a person (God). There is no relationship other than what the mind slectively perceives. First God is created in the mind by mixing our own idealism and cultural stereotypes, then we imagine speaking to him when in fact we are vocalizing a censored inner dialogue to ourselves. The lack of response from 'God' is pardoned by self defamation. (" We are too sinnful for him to speak back" or " I failed him in some way and he is teaching me" or " I must be more patient and wait on God to answer". )

  Relationships have real interchanges and dialogue. JCanon has a relationship with "God". But he is insane.
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  myelaine

  truth_about_the_truth,

  you said...Now I feel that we are within him and he is within us. I believe there is a scripture that says that somewhere. I see him more as a reflection of Jesus than at anytime before.

  one scripture I particularily like is this...John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

  michelle
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  truth_about_the_truth

  First God is created in the mind by mixing our own idealism and cultural stereotypes, then we imagine speaking to him when in fact we are vocalizing a censored inner dialogue to ourselves.

  I see this happening all the time. This approach is a total turn-off to the concept of God.

  This is a profound statement!
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  peacefulpete

  Respectfully I ask, What other approach is there?