We are NOT appostate (page 2)

DelTheFunkyHomosapien

Thats the problem with the/any bible and religion in general. Any man made construct is fundemental flawed in some way. As long as man has an agenda for whatever purpose it may be this bullshit will continue.

Netty

I know what you mean about the term apostate. I started a thread about this when I first started posting here too: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/76778/1.ashx

Funny, now I have come to terms with being labeled an apostate, doesn't bother me anymore.

Markfromcali

"We are Devo."

Odrade

Are we not MEN?

PaulJ

When i was a JW, i always figured apostates were people who 'activley' opposed the Witnesses. I dont think i actively oppose them, i simply think that the way the GB conduct themselves is wrong, and they are misleading the rest of the JWs.

jula71

Main Entry: apos·ta·sy
Pronunciation: &-'päs-t&-sE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -sies
Etymology: Middle English apostasie, from Late Latin apostasia, from Greek, literally, revolt, from aphistasthai to revolt, from apo- + histasthai to stand -- more at STAND
1 : renunciation of a religious faith
2 : abandonment of a previous loyalty : DEFECTION

That's from Webster Dictionary. By that definition we are indeed apostates. But like everything else, it's a dub play on words. Aren't all dub's that convert, apostates? Aren't the dub's knocking on doors trying to make apostates?

homesteader

so then...apostate is another of their cult word that doesn't ring true along with "the truth," brothers and sisters" (are they really your brothers and sisters?) the paradise earth, great crowd, etc. etc. etc. we broke the code and got out!

jgnat

I am not apostate, by any definition. JW's would label me "opposer". Even so, my JW husband has said to me on more than one occassion, "That is Apostate thinking!" By any definition, only a few members of this board could be labeled apostate. And most of us are fairly neutral on our opinion of God. Yet, it is not unusual for a JW apologist to blip on here and accuse us all of being Jehovah-haters. As athiests are quick to point out, that is like accusing them of hating the tooth-fairy. As homesteader explained very well, the JW's took a word and mangled it for their own use.

From Farkel's "Handy JW 'Apostate' Glossary"

"Apostate" - the most evil word in the JW lexicon. Worse than Satan, worse than demons. Say the word, and watch real TERROR well up in the eyes of a JW. (See "Internet")
"Internet" - hiding out place for demons and apostates.

By taking the word and making it our own, it loses some of it's power. I, personally, won't accept the label. I make the accuser exercise a few more brain cells to try and pigeonhole me properly.

AlanF

"Apostate" has a number of working definitions.

Catholic scholar Jeffrey Burton Russell wrote that an apostate is one who has abandoned God. From the perspective of a Bible believer, that's the only definition that makes sense. A heretic, on the other hand, is one who rejects church teachings. Russell, as the Catholic Church does generally, makes a distinction between someone who rejects the God of the Bible and one who rejects the Church.

Webster's Dictionary indeed gives one definition as someone who has abandoned a previous loyalty. But that's a meaningless definition, because one who quits his job is an apostate. If an apostate is one who abandons any previous loyalty, then virtually everyone in the world is an apostate.

The Watchtower Society equates itself with God, for all practical purposes. So from its point of view, one can argue that labeling one who quits the cult an apostate makes sense. However, they're not consistent here, since the Society only officially considers former JWs who oppose it to be apostates.

Of course, the Society has also labeled all members of "Christendom" apostates, so this is another instance of inconsistency.

These days, I tend to embrace the term when it's used against critics by JWs. This pretty much disarms them, since the term they consider vile is shown to be meaningless. When they continue to use it, it's pretty much the same as calling someone a heretic -- it conjures up amusing images of fanatical inquisitors who are powerless outside the inner confines of their religion.

AlanF

minimus

Apostates cannot spell.

We are NOT appostate

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