Believe it or not there is parallel between early Christians and JW

by Face 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Face

  Apostle Paul wrote:
  
  
  Nevertheless, in a congregation I would rather speak five words with my mind, that I might also instruct others orally, than ten thousand words in a tongue. 20 Brothers, do not become young children in powers of understanding, but be babes as to badness; yet become full-grown in powers of understanding.
  
  1 Corinthians chapter 14

  The gist of the story is that many Christians where rather filled with spirit, i.e. pleasant fuzzy feeling that used their own minds. This is exactly the same what is happening today among JWs.
  
  
  I fact, I’d imagine that majority of first Christians were like that since Writer of Acts felt compelled to commend ones who didn’t follow such example.
  
  

  Now the latter were more noble-minded than those in Thes•sa•lo•ni´ca, for they received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so. Act 17:11.

  Your thoughts please.
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  Face

  I should also add I'm not trying to say WT is a replica of early Christianity at all.
  
  What I'm intrigued with is that from very start Christianity was plagued with lack of reasoning.
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  tetrapod.sapien

  
  hey Face! welcome to the board!!

  i.e. pleasant fuzzy feeling that used their own minds. This is exactly the same what is happening today among JWs.

  that's just it, isn't it? non-believers say that it is a warm fuzzy feeling (psychological), and believers say it is holy spirit (god). who can be right? for me, especially thinking of JWs, it has to be a warm fuzzy feeling, or psychological. i mean, either there has to be a cavity in our bodies to hold a soul, or in the mind to hold holy spirit, or the so-called "spiritual dimension" has to somehow interact physically with our neurons and synapses. when i was a wit, i was always frustrated that they never takled about this obvious paradox. why is it, that apart from neurosis, there is no evidence of a spirit entity interacting with the physical?

  for they received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so. Act 17:11.

  funny. herein lies a contradiction. recieving the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, does not lend itself to critical thinking. LOL!

  look forward to seeeing you around,

  TS
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  Narkissos

  Welcome Face,

  I think there were many many types of "early Christians" and JWs do not really get close to any of them.

  The type of charismatic, enthusiast, ecstatic, emotionally strong, but doctrinally and morally tolerant Christianity which Paul tries to diplomatically deal with in 1 Corinthians is as far as you can imagine from the WT standards which emphasise doctrinal orthodoxy and orthopraxy (right belief, right conduct -- even if they are plain wrong). There are not closer to Paul either...

  JWs strike me as a hyper-rationalistic religion (in a simplistic and naive way): consistency is the keyword -- "accurate knowledge," an answer to every question, even though it may be stupid and change over time. No room for mystery, individual or collective spiritual experience, etc.
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  greendawn

  They would probably feel close to the Jewish christians with their emphasis on the Law and its letter whereas Paul stressed faith rather than works.
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  Narkissos

  Greendawn,

  If I take the Sermon on the Mount as a Jewish-Christian standard I feel JWs are pretty far from it too.
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  greendawn

  They are indeed far from such spiritual standards they are far too heartless and pitiless despite their claim to be god's loving org. they certainly don't love those that criticise their beliefs.
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  A Paduan

  There are some parallels with some things:

  • But I, brethren, could not address you as spiritual men, but as men of the flesh
  • for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh
  • What have you that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?
  • Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you.
  • It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and of a kind that is not found even among pagans
  • Your boasting is not good.

  • I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with immoral men; not at all meaning the immoral of this world...rather I wrote to you not to associate with any one who bears the name of brother (and is such)

  • Can it be that there is no man among you wise enough to decide between members of the brotherhood

  • But you yourselves wrong and defraud, and that even your own brethren

  • If any one imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.

  • Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you?

  • come out from them, and be separate from them, says the Lord

  • For I fear that perhaps I may come and find you not what I wish, and that you may find me not what you wish; that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.
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  Face

  Thank you for your responses. My point was though that many fundamentalist Christians including early Christian church and JW have the same characteristic of intellectual laziness.

  Which is something that even Apostle Paul admitted.

  In fact, I still vividly remember one of last watchtowers I've ever read that depicted brains of many as having a "blue permafrost layer”. Is there something inherently characteristic – or wrong - with all Christian religions that stipulate absence of rationality and reason?