Why are honest questions considered apostasy? (page 2)

Rayvin

oops!! I don't tell my parents.. sorry..

At the outset, let me say that many of us here on this forum have experienced exactly what you are going thru. In my case, after I asked a certain question about the Soul doctrine, someone came up to me and felt around on my head, looking for those horns that were sprouting out of my cranium. I laughed, but he didn't!

I can empathize with the strategy of your "holding pattern" for the sake of your folks, and that is decent of you to think enough of them to do that.

To ordinary honest-minded people, there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking questions in order to find answers or to understand better what at the present may seem confusing to you.

But when if comes to the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society/Governing Body, asking honest questions is construed to mean that your motive for asking is that you are doubting or questioning whether they truly have the "Truth", or that they are really Jehovah God's Sole Channel of Communication between God and Man on planet earth. Any questioning means you are doubting, and that is "Apostate behaviour". Rightly or wrongly, that is how they see it.

This is a form of judging, as far as I am concerned. You are guilty for even asking, especially when it comes to some of their more sensitive doctrines or teachings that the rest of the world ridicules them or exposes them for their nonsensical and erroneous teachings. They feel they have been persecuted so much and for so long by those of the world, that they are now very "gun-shy". So they hate to see the same kind of questioning come from some of the members of their own flock. I would say they are feeling very vulnerable and insecure, and that is another reason they don't like you asking questions.

"There brother so-and-so. (Pat on the head.) Now run along and be a good little JW, and quit asking all these questions. Jehovah knows the truth, and we are being taught by Him thru his FDS. And that's all you need to know. Concentrate on your spirit of loving obedience, instead of wondering why all the time......" And on and on and on it goes.

Recognize this for what it is, and then you just be yourself. And keep on asking those questions. It's good for you and it serves them right for being so uptight and guarded and judgmental. If their "truth" is that fragile that it cannot even be examined rationally and reasonably, then it isn't worth keeping.

Welcome to the JWD Forum. Hang around for awhile, and feel free to ask all the questions you want and to your hearts content. You will not be threatened or judged, and I'm sure you will learn an awful lot in the process.

All the best. Inquiring minds want to know, right?

Rod P.

edited to spell my name right.

SwordOfJah

I believe it's the spirit behind the questions that comes through as honest questions or apostate questions. Some questions are designed to entrap and these are not genuine. If questions are asked for the purpose of fortifying ones faith, then these will usually get answered or at least an honest attempt to answer these will be made. If a question does not really have an answer at this time, an elder will usually explain that we need to wait on Jehovah to answer it and this will take time. If we incist on the question and start speculating even to the point of criticizing Jehovah's ways, then that honest question will turn into an apostate viewpoint. Also, I believe debating for the sole purpose of debating is unproductive.

Just my thoughts here...

Mary

When I was 14 years old and shortly before I got baptized, the sister who was studying with me asked me if I had any questions. I did. I couldn't get my mind around the idea that Jesus' Return was invisible because all the scriptures said plain out that it would be a visible return. She gave me the standard Witness reply that if Jesus appeared over America, how would people in Europe see him?

Even though I was young, that sounded foolish to me and I replied "...the same sun that you and I see out there today can also be seen by people living in South America, so why couldn't Jesus make everyone see him?" I wasnt' trying to be a smart ass and at that time, I did believe this was the Truth, but I thought my question was valid.

Well!!! What kind of an attitude was that?! Did I need a ~~threatening visit~~ shepperding call to ~~scare the shit out of me~~ readjust my thinking??!! I'd better be careful, because that sounded like ~~I actually had a brain~~ independent thinking and maybe I wasn't ready for baptism yet!! (in that respect she was right).

I was secretly shocked by her response and I remember thinking "...If this is the Truth, why can't I ask questions?!

It's because they DON'T have an answer that they tell you that you're an "apostate". Because we've been programmed to believe first and foremost that this IS the Truth, everything else becomes secondary even when the GB are obviously wrong. Like anyone in power, they don't want anyone questioning their authority. The Pharisees would have viewed Jesus as an apostate, because he exposed them for what they were and they had no answers for some of the questions he put to them.

Sound familiar?

Good luck with what ever you do; don't let the bastards get you down.

Dan-O

"Some questions are designed to entrap and these are not genuine. "

You mean ones like "So, when DID you stop beating your wife and kids, Brother Closetdrinker?"

SwordOfJah

jgnat: Don't know. Maybe the phrase "you had to be there" applies here.

Why are honest questions considered apostasy?

GetBusyLiving

Rayvin

Rod P

SwordOfJah

Mary

Dan-O

jgnat

darkuncle29

Dan-O

SwordOfJah

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